Side Note: Cloth Diaper Deals

It might be hard to find deals on cloth diapers, but not impossible, especially if you're not particular about a brand. I wanted to pass on a website I've been using called diaperpin.com. Cloth Diaper companies place their sales/coupon codes there, and I've been able to find a few good deals. You have to check often and weed through the mess, but you can save some mullah if you are diligent.

This morning I ordered 12 Bum Genius 3.0's, which came with a free pair of Baby Legs (seem to be the rage lately) & 1 Wahmies One Size, which came with a free gift (word is it's a wet bag or pail liner) for just under $200 shipped. www.divadiapers.com has one size diapers 5% off this weekend, plus if you use the coupon code PIN you save another 5%. Shipping was FREE. I thought this was a pretty good deal because I was able to get the Bum Genius 3.0 for $15 a diaper.

Also, I ordered a couple Bummi Trainer pants from www.naturalsbums.com. They were on clearance for $8.50-9.75 a piece, depending on whether you get white or print, with free shipping on all orders. No, I haven't tried these out yet, but since Blake is getting close to the potty training stage, I thought I'd try them out.

One more thing: Diapers.com also carries a few brands of cloth diapers. The great thing about them is that they constantly have coupons for $10 off $49 and free shipping over $59. Plus, if you go through ebates.com (link on right under "Get $ for Shopping Online...Seriously), you get an 1% rebate). I got 3 BumGenius 3.0's for $14.50 a piece. They also tend to have so-so deals on disposable diapers and you don't have to go to the store.

Codes for Diapers.com:

NEW5 - for new customers, take $5 off orders of $49 or more via coupon code. Shipping starts at $4.99, or get free shipping on orders of $49 or more via this coupon.

TENDEAL - for new customers, take $10 off orders of $49 or more via coupon code. Shipping starts at $4.99, or get free shipping on orders of $49 or more via this coupon. - This coupon has no expiration date

SAVE1234: 10 off $39. I used this recently as a returning customer and it worked. I have no idea when it expires. You'll just have to check it out yourself.

CARSEAT10 - $10% off car seats. Limited Time & Exclusions Apply
HUGGIES - $1 off Huggies Supreme Diapers. Limit 1 per household
TRIPLE2 - $2 off Triple Paste 60oz medicated ointment. Limit 1 per household
TRIPLE1 - $1 off Triple Paste 2oz ointment or 3.5 oz moisturizer. Limit 1 per household
GENIEPAIL - $5 off Playtex Diaper Genie Pail, Limit 1 per household.
GENIEREFILL - $1 off Playtex Diaper Genie Refill. Limit 2 per household
EARTHSBEST - $2 off a purchase of Earths' best diapers and wipes(Both items required for discount). Limit 1 per household
ADENANAIS - $3 off Aden + Anais Swaddling Blankets or Towel/Washcloth Set. Limit 1 per household
BABYGAN - $1 off any Babyganics cleaning product. Limit 1 per household
MUSTELA - Free Mustela Stelaprotect No Rinse Cleaner with any $30 purchase of Mustela products. Limit 1 per household

Just thought I would pass this on to those of you in the process of researching/buying cloth diapers. If you're considering the switch but are worried you're not the "type" that could do it. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you. Ask anyone who knows me.

"TAG"...You're IT!

Ha, I bet you thought I was going to actually write something meaningful and deep...NOPE! I know several of you out there are all over this new TAG system from Leap Frog. Well you can get the books for $9.99 each or less at the Leap Frog site.

If you spend $50, use code HT8EC for an extra 15% off. Shipping is FREE with $50 order.

Don't need 5 books, go in with a friend or two, save some dough, and make your chillin's happy.

By the way, I did jump on this TAG bandwagon, thanks to reccomendations from both Amy and Michelle. I bought the system, a book, and a few accessories on Amazon last week for like $45. I can't remember if I posted it here or not, but it was a smokin' deal. I'm not sure yet if I'll give this to Owen for Christmas. He might just have to wait until his birthday. We'll see. I really think I overdid Christmas this year. There were just so many great things at such fab prices. I couldn't pass it up. That's the problem with being such a good shopper; sometimes you don't knwo when to stop. Oh well, at least it will be fun watching them open their presents.

Deal or Two of the Day

Deal #1:

So I just stocked the stockings for super cheap. Miles Kimball, a normally cheesy overpriced trinket store, has a shlew of fun stocking stuffers for the little ones. In the Kimball Klearance section, you'll find stuffed teddies for .79 and Hatchin Grow Dino or Turtles for .99, Bubble Horns for $1.00, A fun Christmas toy train (perfect for a mini tree) for 2.99, A My First Christmas Library for $3.49 (12 board books), Coloring Mats for .99, and more. Search the Christmas Section for even more deals on decor, embellishments, and ornaments (great for present toppers).

They were having a problem earlier with their credit card processing, so I had to call in my order, but it was quick and painless. Go through ebates.com for a 3% discount. Oh and enter source code 10618000004 for $1 shipping. If you have to do your order over the phone, they'll take the shipping code as well.

Deal #2:

I didn't take advantage of this one, but only because I am so done with Christmas Shopping. In fact, I may have gone a little overboard with all the fab deals out there. If you like Build-A-Bear, you're going to love this one:

Build-A-Bear has the cutest Christmas Moose & Moosette on sale for $12 each. Plus you get a free storybook when you buy one of each. Plus, you get free shipping when you spend $25...PLUS you can use additional coupon codes.

Use code: 093259 for $10 off $50 (the Storybook counts towards the $50, so you can get an extra Moose or an accessory to your order).

Use code: 093217 for $5 off $20

Use code: Moose for Free Shipping on $25 (again the storybook counts towards the FS total, so you can get one of each moose animal and the storybook for $19 shipped using the $5 code and the FS code.

Now I said I didn't need this deal, but they are so cute. If anyone is still looking for a little something for me, I would not turn these adorable Moose down. Just a mild suggestion.

Happy Shopping Folks!

A Muppet Christmas for $1

Amazon has The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas album for $1. Now they're MP3s, but isn't that what everyone uses these days. Just download to your Ipod or computer and enjoy the sounds of the season...muppet style.

If I could figure how to play music on my blog, I'd hook you up with a preview...hhhmmm, maybe I'll check that out. If you came looking for an update on lil' Madison, just look a little south of here.

Happy Deal Shopping and Merry Christmas.

Digital Picture Frame under $30.

I totally sent this link to my mom as a "strong hint." I've been wanting a digital photo frame for a while, but they're so expensive. Target has one with a 5.6" screen on sale for $27. If you buy two (or spend $50 total on other random crap) you get FREE SHIPPING.

You could pre-load the frame with pics of your kids/friends/family, and it would make a fabulous gift. This frame gets very decent reviews considering it's under $30.

Anyways that's my two cents of the day since I'm experiencing a mild case of writer's block. Oh, my overpriced oatmeal raisin cookies are done. Time for some warm gooey goodness and a glass of milk.

Now this is NO NONSENSE

I don't know about you, but I think everyone should have fresh undergarments for Christmas, especially stinky boys (and I have plenty of those). No Nonsense literally has 50% off EVERYTHING on their website, from socks to panties, pajamas to those little nylon thingys that barely cover your toes. Shipping is FREE with $35 order. Otherwise it's $5 flat.

I guess Cyber Monday is expanding into Tuesday. It might be a sucky year for the economy, but it's a great year for finding deals.

Reuseable Swim Diapers on the Cheap

Baby Center has a twin pack of reuseable swim diapers in two colors & all sizes available for $5.50 a pack plus FREE SHIPPING. I bought one set in the Bubble color for Madison and one in the Seablock for Blake. As much as we go swimming at the Y, I know these will come in handy.

Also if you go through ebates (link in my favorite links section), you get an extra 4% cash back. But if you got through Ebates, make sure you put me as your referal, hills4neil@msn.com. You get a $10 gift card for signing up and making a purchase and I get a fun little incentive as well.

Happy Shopping!

Free Breakfast or Lunch Sandwich at Einstein Brothers

Okay, so go here and sign up for their eclub. You will automatically be sent a coupon for a free sandwich. Now, anyone interested in joining me for breakfast on Friday morning at 9:45 in Ellicott City? Could be a fun way to catch up, enjoy each other's company, and do it for free. Or maybe we could do Saturday morning without kids all together. Oh, that sounds better. Anyone free Saturday morning?

Crocs Gone, Burts Bees IN...Score!

Burt's Bees has a Holiday Grab Bag with several extras and $2.95 shipping for $25. If you like Burt's Bees, you should jump on this while it's still available. When it's sold out, it's sold out.

Could be a gift or something fun for yourself, or break it up into several gifts (stocking stuffers).

If you order two, you get FREE SHIPPING, plus enter code HIVETHANKS for a set of lip glosses free.

This posting deals thing is kind of fun. Maybe I'll continue...atleast through this very special Cyber Monday.

SPECIAL DEAL: I just found a label maker at Staples for $9.99 (with no mail in rebates), plus FREE SHIPPING. Hope my Hubby is reading this...hint, hint!

Toddler Crocs for $4.50 shipped! & Old Navy Deals.

I don't normally do this, but since so many of my mom friends read this blog, I thought I'd post this deal.

Go to http://www.live.com/ and click on cashback at the top right corner. Search for Finish Line where you'll get an extra 10-12% back on your order. You will need to create an account, but it's so easy and so worth it.

Then once you're at Finish Line, search for Croc Endeavor. They only have Chocolate color available, but several sizes. They are $4.98 each. Shipping is FREE today. Enter promo code COMEBACK for extra 15% off.

While I'm at it: Today only...get 20% off your Old Navy Order plus Free Shipping with no minimum purchase required. I got some solid crew neck shirts for the boys for $3.18 each shipped.

A Fun Place for Moms

So that enewsletter I was telling you about, Baby Cheapstake, had this great link to Freebies for Moms. It's a blog this lady started that has samples and such you can apply for. I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of free stuff, and we all love mail (that isn't a bill).

She also had a link to the Dr. Pepper Sweeps on there. I entered and instantly won a movie ticket! Sweet. I'm not sure if it has to be used for Indiana Jones or not, but like I said, I like free.

I think I'll add her blog to my links list. Enjoy!

Now if only Owen could stay out of trouble long enough for me to fill out a few forms.

Couponing 101

Now clipping coupons is not just about saving money...I really like to see how much money I can save and what I can get for free. Sometimes it's like a game. A few weeks ago I was at SuperFresh where they double coupons up to $.99. Most of the other stores around here only double up to $.50. Anyways, on this particular day they were tripling coupons. I love triple coupon week. When the clerk was done scanning my 20 or so coupons and gave me my total, the guy standing behind me with his pregnant wife said, "wow, those things really add up. You saved like $30 just with coupons." I smiled, made some cutsy comment and left thinking, "it was really close to $45, but yep...they add up!" Just so you know, my grand total was only $48, so I saved about 50% off my bill just in coupons. Granted, if they hadn't been tripled, it wouldn't have been that much, but if I didn't have the coupons, I would have savednothing and my bill would have been $92. So it can make a difference.

Let's start with the basics...where to get coupons. You're best source is the sunday paper. Our neighbor is gracious enough to give us his sale inserts so we don't have to buy one, but even if I bought it, it's only like $1.50 a week...not bad when you're saving $45! You can also find coupons online at places like smartsource.com & redplum.com. Keep in mind, though, that if you print coupons off the internet, you are most likely using color ink and might be spending more to print them then you actually save, especially when they use an entire page for one coupon and add an advertisement for the product. You get that a lot on those sites. In order to print coupons, you also have to install add-ons, "coupon printers", which can be difficult to get rid of (especially coupons.com). I rarely print a coupon online. Besides they don't really have that many different ones than the paper. I will, however, sign up for coupons online. At flamingoworld.com, you can find a list of grocery coupons that you sign up for from the manufacturer. These are normally much higher values than the regular ones. Still, you're best bet is the Sunday paper.

Before you start clipping, it's good to know your favortite stores' coupon policies? Do they double? Up to what amount? Do they allow competitor's coupons? Do they accept online coupons (many don't)? While you're checking out the coupon policy, ask about their pricing guarantee. It's a little known fact, but most stores will give you an item for FREE if it rings up the wrong price. You have to wait until your transaction is complete, then take your receipt to customer service, but for free, it's worth it. Store misprice all the time. I get something for free almost every week, and since I use coupons, a lot of times, I actually make money. Last week, I bought a three pack of socks that were supposed to be $2.99. It was going to be a great deals anyways since I had a $1.00 off coupon and a $2.00 mail in rebate. But to sweeten the deal, they rang up $4.94! So not only did I get them for free, but I made $2.59 (- $.41 stamp). Not bad, huh? So the morale of the story is to know your store's policies.

The system! I use a 5x7 index card box with dividers for A-Z, plus ones for Expiring, Target, BJ's, CVS, and the specific grocery stores I shop. Now a lot of people ask me why I organize my coupons alphabetically instead of by category. It's much easier to find what I need when they are alphabetical. And as for the other dividers. Sometimes when you check out you'll receive register receipts that are only good at that store. I file those under the store names instead of the product. Stores like Target & CVS will allow you to combine a store coupon with a manufacturer which just sweetens the deal. I like my deals sweet just like my coffee. After you finish clipping your coupons, alphabetize them by brand name. I do have a few exceptions, cereals are filed under the company name like Kellogg's or General Mills, as well as brands like Kraft, Pillsbury & Betty Crocker. Of course you can organize your coupons however you like. I've used several systems over the years and this is by far the best for me.

People also tell me that they think coupons are a waste of time because generic brands are less expensive or because they don't find coupons for the brands they buy. I say...that may very well be true. Sometimes the generic brand is a better deal, but that's not generally the rule for me. And if you are picky about brands, I might not be able to help you anyways. Many times I'll walk out of a store with several FREE or super cheap items. I rarely pay more than a $1 for boxes of cereal. I almost never pay more than $.50 for deodorant. Toothpaste is normally free, as well as toothbrushes and taco seasoning packets.

Later I'll clue you in on the hidden secrets the stores don't want you to know about...there are a bunch! In the meantime, think about starting up a coupon collection. By the way, unless I know that I will absolutely never use a specific coupon, like for Depends or Osteoporosis meds, then I clip them all. You never know when you can use one for something free. And even if you don't use the product, you can donate it to a homeless shelter or halfway house.

Until later comes...