Please note that I was
compensated by Upromise for the content in this post. However, all opinions
expressed below are my own, based on my personal experience with Upromise. Any
requests for personal information are not associated with Upromise, nor will
any information collected be used or maintained by Upromise.
I can't even believe it, there are 11 days left until Christmas! I've always been a big fan of the holidays, but this year we are celebrating with our child for the first time and I'm even more excited to get into the spirit of the season.
With that said, we have decided to try and budget our expenses this year. I'm normally one to buy whatever I want, for whoever I want, for whatever price - while this has resulted in some epic gifts, it's also not a wise way to spend money around the holidays and now that we have a little one to care for, I'm trying to be a little more conscious about my spending habits. The thing is, we don't just want to give her nice presents around the holidays, we want to be able to afford everything she'll need in life. From diapers to degrees - it's all expensive and we don't ever want her to struggle or see us struggle. So, this year and for many years to come, we are trying to save money around the holidays... even if we are spending some.
How do I plan on saving money while spending? We'll start there first, I plan to save money while spending with Upromise. All I did was set up my account and I'm able to shop online at over 850 retailers, book vacations, and even dine out and earn with my Upromise account. After I earn money, it's deposited in my Upromise account and I can make it work for me, either by boosting my 529 savings, opening a "GoalSaver" account, or paying down school loans.
It's easy to see why I'm using the credit and debit cards I've linked to my Upromise account to pay for gifts this year. No matter what I buy I'm earning cash towards Delainey's future... That means when I'm buying her gifts, I can also dream about where she'll end up going to school. What are you waiting for? Join Upromise today!
Another great way to ensure you aren't overspending this holiday is to set an amount to spend on family members and friends. Know your overall budget, break it down, and set an amount to spend on each family member. So if you only have $500 to spend on your family of 10 - then it's easy to equate that you'll be able to spend $50 on each person, if you spread out the funds evenly. It's up to you how you break down the spending, but be sure you have set spending limits before you head out looking for gifts. If you feel so inclined, go ahead and print out the printable above, it'll help you keep track of your budget & spending.
Speaking of heading out to shop for gifts, I suggest you shop online first! Do your "homework" and make sure you are getting the best deal on everything you buy, whether you're going in stores or waiting for the item to be shipped to your home! I know several stores will price match their competitors, you just have to ask! This year we'll be saving money at stores like Babies R Us by showing them their competitors prices, you should be saving those extra $$$ too! Plus you can earn cash back from Upromise if you shop one of the 850 online retailers listed!
One of the most thoughtful ways to save money is to make a gift for your family and friends instead of buying one. I'm not talking about glitter and craft glue, unless that's what you want to get your hands into. It's easy to make some thoughtful gifts with a little one in your home. I plan on making some ornaments for family (and ourselves) with Delainey's little handprint in paint. Get creative and make something your family will love... after all, it's the thought that counts and something handmade is always appreciated! Plus, you can earn money back if you buy your supplies online through Upromise.com!
Speaking of handmade and saving money, if it comes down to the wire and you're still trying to decide on a fun gift for family - consider making baked goods! The way to most people's hearts is delicious dessert, so put on your baker's hat and get into the kitchen and whip up something delicious! Whether it's a pumpkin pie or gingerbread cookies, dessert is a great gift.
One last way to help your budget this holiday is to use coupons. Whether you cut them from the newspaper, peruse online for discount codes, or stock up on rewards points at your favorite retailer, be sure to use your coupons this holiday season, your bank account will thank you!
So tell me, how are you preparing for the holiday? Do you have a budget laid out already? I'd love to hear all about your plans and how you save money in the comments below!
As a blogger I'm always working whenever I get a chance, especially now that Delainey is in the picture. Whether I'm trying to respond to emails while I'm at an appointment for Delainey or I'm writing a random post while we are in the car running errands, it literally never stops. The second she falls asleep I do my best to get to work and spend hours late at night working on projects, don't get me wrong... I'm so lucky that I get to do what I love and share everything I find beautiful with you, but sometimes it gets a little difficult to find the time to get it all finished, especially because lately I've been doing most of my work mobile.
Lugging my laptop around has worked out okay and occasionally using my phone to get work finished has proved satisfactory, but this year I've decided to treat myself and I've added a Microsoft Surface Pro to my Christmas list of things to buy for myself.
Why a Surface Pro? It's lightweight, portable, and lightening-fast... everything a blogging gal could ever need! I love that I can use it as a tablet when I'm out and then when I come home it can convert into a laptop, offering the best of both worlds.So if you are trying to decide what you want for Christmas this year and you are seeking some flexibility with your technology, maybe a Surface Pro should be on the top of your list as well or if you want to treat yourself click here and save $150 on Microsoft Surface Pro 4 i5 128GB (this offer is only good through 12/24)!
Want to know the best part? YOU have the chance to win a $500 Microsoft Gift Card to put towards your Surface Pro purchase (or whatever else you desire)! Want to put your name "in the hat"? Use the rafflecopter form below to enter to win:
If you're a woman and you have ever taken a pregnancy test, you know that feeling... Whether or not you're planning on having a baby, the second it comes down to the results appearing after taking a pregnancy test can be nerve-wracking. It's either going to come up positive and you are officially expecting or it's going to come up negative and it's time to try again. You want a test that's reliable to provide you with that kind of result. That's why, when I was late last year and wondering what was happening, I opted to use e.p.t., the original home pregnancy test invented nearly 40 years ago.
I can still remember the day we found out we were pregnant with Delainey. It was the most amazing feeling watching two lines show up on the test and knowing that we were going to be welcoming a life into this world. With e.p.t.'s accuracy rate of 99.9%, I knew it was officially happening as soon as the lines started to show. We tried for years, so this wasn't my first rodeo with a test, but it was the first time the whole testing thing resulted in a baby around nine months later. Sharing the news with our family, hearing her heartbeat, seeing her on an ultrasound, it was all so amazing... and the nine month journey started with just a little plus sign on a test I took at home.
During those nine months, I learned so much about myself and found out my body is capable of things I never even thought were possible. I learned that hormones really do play a role in your emotions and that sometimes they are truly uncontrollable. I also learned to love my body - while it may have expanded, it also created a life and that is beyond amazing.
The life it created came into the world 9 days early, during Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hermine, while my doctor was out of town.
But let me start at the beginning... we were walking around Target browsing the aisles, when I got super uncomfortable and knew something was different. These contractions weren't just Braxton Hicks, they were intense and almost indescribable, that's when I told my husband I thought we should leave... and he knew something was up, mainly because I never say I want to leave Target.
After we got in the car I called my Doctor's office to be reminded he was out of town. I spoke with his assistant instead and she told me to just wait it out and to call again if those feelings got closer together or my water broke, otherwise I just had to wait. Later that afternoon they got more intense but I waited to call, then around 7pm, I knew it was time to call. We phoned the doctor, which meant she called the hospital ahead of time for us, and they had a bed open waiting for me when I arrived. They started to monitor my contractions and after about an hour of monitoring they decided it was time.
To say I was nervous is an understatement... but I was also so excited. We spent so many years preparing for this day and it was finally here.
While I'll spare you the gory details about my actual labor, I will say I spent around 20 hours in labor total, from the time my doctor told me to wait it out until 12:01pm on September 2nd.
Those 20 hours proved to me I'm capable of anything like bearing through unbelievable pain, adapting to unexpected change, laughing in the face of what I should fear, and so much more. I gave life to something so amazing that day, but honestly, she gave life to me.
And what is the craziest part of it all, you may ask? I would do it all again, in a heart beat... and when we decide it's time to try again, I'll only turn to e.p.t. to give me the answer I seek in that moment of truth.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Taking a family photo can be a daunting task, from avoiding a double chin, to the one family member that excessively blinks, to a baby that wants to be fed at the exact time your shoot is scheduled, getting a family portrait perfect isn't always easy! This year I feel like we kinda have mastered the whole deal though. Even with a few funny outtakes, everything went smoothly and we were able to get some gorgeous photos of my Daughter.
If you're planning a holiday shoot soon, I highly suggest you check these 5 tips out to help you and your family perfect your photo this year!
1. Make sure everyone is fed - Making sure we all have a good meal just before the shoot is important... we don't want any "hangry" episodes. I've shared before that Delainey is exclusively breast-fed, but that doesn't mean that I don't pump and share the task of feeding on occasion. The morning before our photoshoot was definitely one of these occasions, we made sure Delainey got a good full feed in with Philips Avent Anti-colic bottles.
These cool bottles are perfect for my babe. Many people have trouble finding a bottle their baby accepts, but luckily we never had that problem. These were one of the first bottles we tried, actually, and she's always excited when she gets to have a meal from her Avent bottle! She's not the only one that enjoys feeds with an Avent bottle though, we love it when she feeds from these too! Mainly because they do exactly as they say and reduce gas, making all of our lives easier! We also love that these bottles are easy to assemble and clean, making for a quick feed no matter what the occasion!
While we've never had to deal with colic (*knock on wood*), many families do. Luckily, these bottles and their amazing vented system help reduce colic and studies have shown babies fed with Philips Avent Anti-colic bottles experienced 60% less fussing at night. Don't take my word for it though, Philips Avent partnered with actress (and new mama) Sarah Chalke and she's experienced the woes and worries of colic herself and has real life evidence that these Anti-colic bottles help!
Other than making sure your baby is fed, it's best to make sure their feeding is going to be as comfortable and rewarding as possible and that's why we choose to use our Avent Anti-colic bottle before photoshoots. Want to find out more about Avent? Be sure to follow them on Facebook & Twitter!
2. Dress well - Once everyone has a full belly, it's time to get down to business. Getting dressed can take a while, for myself and my little gal. We both have full closets and tons of cute clothing, but making sure we find the right outfits for photoshoots is complicated! Here's the scoop, too much pattern isn't flattering for any photo. That's why for this shoot we decided to let D steal the show with her colorful, patterned Ric Rac and Ruffles romper and my husband and I went with more neutral looks.
When it comes time to pick out your outfits, go with a less is more approach. Choose to put your husband in a plain, one-tone shirt over stripes, don't wear a paisley print dress, don't put your daughter in stripes, etc. Keep things cute and timeless with more neutral looks and you'll always love your family portrait.
3. Get silly - After you've dealt with your wardrobe, it's time to get a little silly in front of the camera. Talk to each other about your favorite memories, blow raspberries at your kids, chant "A E I O U" until you're giggling in delight. The sillier you feel, the better your photographs will probably turn out.
4. Light it up - Lighting is pretty much what makes a great photograph, other than the subject of course. Make sure you shoot when the light is the best, most of the time that means waking up at the crack of dawn to catch what photographers refer to as "the golden hour". Luckily there's another golden hour at sunset as well. These are the BEST times to shoot if you are using natural light or shooting outdoors. If you are shooting indoors, find the brightest spot with indirect sun in your house - I promise your photos will turn out the BEST there!
5. Go overboard - People think my husband and I are crazy when we take photos, but in reality we're pretty smart. We take at least a handful of photos each time we're asked to take a photo for a stranger and we're shooting ourselves we've been known to take more than enough. Why take so many, you may ask? This tip helps with the family member that blinks too much, it's the way you can ensure you are able to capture that little baby smirk, and it's easy to accomplish. When you're taking photos, take more than you think is enough, and then a few more. You're guaranteed to have a few great photos in the bunch.
That's how we've managed to get such amazing photos lately, so tell me... do you have any tips for taking great family photos? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below!
Disclaimer:
Compensation was provided by Philips Avent via Momtrends. The opinions
expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the
opinions of Philips Avent or Momtrends.
Please note that I was
compensated by Upromise for the content in this post. However, all opinions
expressed below are my own, based on my personal experience with Upromise. Any
requests for personal information are not associated with Upromise, nor will
any information collected be used or maintained by Upromise.
