Parenthood, Adulting, and Saving for Your Child's College Education Wisely...

This post is sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Board, through my role as a Believer Blogger. All thoughts are my own.

After Irma hit my husband and I have decided to prioritize things in our life a little more, I guess you could say we are giving this whole "adulting" thing a go. I guess it just took the threat of a natural disaster to make us "man up" but we've both been doing a lot of thinking about life and evaluating what our priorities are.

With my itty bitty baby already hitting her 14 month milestone recently, I've realized she's going to  grow up fast. Right now I'm reading her stories at bedtime and remind her not to eat dirt, next thing I know it'll be tea parties with her neighborhood friends and trips to library with classmates, and soon enough I'll be sending her off to college. I'm still figuring all this adult stuff out but one thing I know for certain is life flies by, so the reality of planning for her future is absolutely of utmost importance to us now.

With that said, I know now is the time to start saving for her future - I want to be sure she can get the higher education she wants and deserves without feeling burdened. My hubby and I have been saddled with college debt and a monthly student loan for years and that's just not something I want for her future, so we're doing something about it.

Saving for her future isn't just for her though. It benefits us too, we want to be sure we don't saddle ourselves with even more college debt and I mean, one day... someday, we eventually hope to retire... and well, that all takes planning, budgeting, and all that jazz.

While it's been great to really start to "adulting", I'm not going to lie - it's a little stressful getting up close and personal with all things finance-related. I'm sure we aren't the only millennials trying to figure out what to do about our college debt while also trying to plan how to pay for our kid's college one day.

After a little bit of research and some investigation, I'm so happy to have found the answer - The Florida Prepaid College Board Plans... and the good news for us all is: NOW is the time to enroll!

With five different plans, each with specific costs, payment schedules, and benefits which all include tuition at 28 Florida Colleges (as well as 12 universities), it's easy to see why the Florida Prepaid program would make sense for our little Florida baby.

So if you're a parent in the same boat as me trying to figure out how to save wisely, you may be asking yourself some questions... and I'm hoping I can answer a couple of them...


Let's start with the first question that came to my mind - How can you sign up for this Prepaid Plan and how much will your monthly payments be? You can sign up here... and since the monthly payment amount varies based on the age of the child and the amount you plan to save, your payment will be different than mine. Prices start at around $50 and the range of prices really varies.

When is the right time to start investing? NOW! From birth until 11th grade, you are eligible to enroll during open enrollment and should take advantage of this savings plan. After all, when we found out the cost of college has already increased 538% since 1985, we knew NOW was the right time to start investing and guaranteeing her a great education.

But why a Florida Prepaid College Plan? There's several reasons, but my top three include:

You and your family can literally fund your kiddo's college years, one month at a time. I mean it's pretty easy to pay approximately $50 a month, it's a little more daunting with a bill of $7,373 being thrown at you each semester, which is approximately the lump sum you could pay into the 1 year Florida Prepaid fund if you were able to...

Another reason we decided to save with Florida Prepaid, is the benefits and the flexibility.

What exactly do I mean by that? Even if one day we decide to move back to Oklahoma or maybe even broaden our horizons and dip our feet in a Wyoming pond, the good news is Delainey will always have access to Florida in-state tuition while using her plan to help pay for tuition! I love that we are free to roam and she won't lose her Florida Prepaid benefits!

Even better, if she happens to get a scholarship, I love that the amount of the plan we have selected can be use towards school expenses or refunded!

What if you only have enough for the one year plan now? Well, I love that we can work towards getting her college paid for as a family. One student can have a handful of purchasers, that means grandmas, aunts, cousins, and more can help send your kiddo to college.... and it's an affordable monthly payment, if they're able to help! I love that. Instead of asking for toys this year, I think we may ask Delainey's grandparents to help pay for a year of college... maybe you could do the same?

Will my payments vary? Nope, the plans are guaranteed and the prices are locked, so no worries about price hikes in tuition or payments suddenly increasing.

With all of that said, just because these plans work for us, doesn't mean it's made for you... Don't fret. Check out how a Florida 529 Savings plan could be the answer! With no set payment schedule it may be harder to add into your budget, but the down side is the plan isn't guaranteed by the State of Florida like the Florida Prepaid plan.

No matter which plan you choose, now's the time to enroll - go ahead and sign your little one up for a Florida Prepaid Plan before open enrollment ends in February!

DIY Matryoshka Russian Stacking Doll Baby Costume

So, I kinda sorta have a fascination with Russian stacking dolls.

I'm not sure why I find them so fascinating and adorable... but I do.

I look forward to sharing this love with my little "Babushka".

And since we've been playing dress up all month long, it was obvious to me that I had to find a way to make D into a matryoshka...

While I couldn't exactly stick her inside of another doll, I did my best to make her family of smaller dolls - including the cuties on her top & her bow!

I'm proud to report, while playing dress up she fell in love with the little "dolls" I made her to play with and we will soon be adding a real matryoshka set to her toy collection.

And well, she may or may not be rocking this "costume" as an outfit again in the future... because hello, adorable! Want the details on her costume? I've linked what I know below!

bow { Darling Diva Boutique Bows }
top { bought used/shop sadly unknown }
icing pants { MudPie }
stacking dolls { Bloomology }

Cozy & Stylin' in Gerber Childrenswear this fall [ & our DIY Native American Costume]

 I'm super excited to share that Delainey and I are now paid Brand Ambassador for Gerber Childrenswear! What does that mean exactly? It is just is a fancy way of saying this post is sponsored, as always all opinions expressed below are mine alone!

Y'all, D will be 14 months old in a few days and I seriously can not even believe it.

I swear I blink and she grows an inch, I turn around and a few weeks have passed by.

Time is flying by, but I think that's because we have so much fun together. From going on nature walks to reading books before bedtime, one thing I know I can count on with D is that we will have a good time!

With that said, my little wild wanderer likes to be comfy for all of our adventures and I like to make sure she looks fashionable while also ensuring she stays nice and warm now that the temperatures are cooling off. That's where Gerber comes into the picture.

My tiny little diva and I can settle on Gerber because their items are comfy enough to satisfy her need for cozy and they keep her warm and stylish with animals prints and creative designs. When we put Gerber one her, it's definitely a win-win in our home!

Wholesome, adorable, comfortable, affordable and well-made - Gerber Childrenswear is a staple in Delainey's wardrobe.

The best part, though? It's all offered in coordinating sets available at Walmart!

Whether you need towels, onesies, sleepers, socks, beanies, or more... Gerber has it! They're ALL available at Walmart and I love that we were able to get our hands on this bear-y cute collection. We can easily transition from naptime, to bathtime, to playtime in Gerber.

So tell me, what items do you need to add to your Gerber stash? We have more socks and sleepers on our list, but I'll be honest and admit we would love more of everything.

And on that note, here's one of our favorite ways we dressed up this month... partly because it's a super cute costume, but also because it was so cozy for D!

To copy this costume you'll need a set of Gerber Childrenswear onesies, a skirt like this one from Peekabippy Designs, and a cute little feather bow like this one from Bloomology! Paired with some socks and moccasins, this little native is ready to trick or treat... and she's getting in touch with our "roots", which is pretty neat too!

The Cutest Part Time Super Hero - Superhero Baby Costume Inspiration!

Y'all, we've almost made it to Halloween and if I'm being honest, it has been difficult to come up with an original costume idea and post daily... as you've probably noticed.

I'm doing my best to come up with some creative ideas and luckily D has a pretty good attitude about playing dress up so we are having fun with it!

Now that she is walking, taking photos of her has become a whole different ball game though... it's more like me chasing her around everywhere while she has fun exploring.

Watching her face light up when she sees a bird is probably one of my favorite things, in the world... and the way she studies leaves and blades of grass is something else. She looks at ants with wonder and squeals with delight if she sees a squirrel.

It's pretty cool looking at the world through the eyes of a child.

And, let me be frank, she isn't just any child.

She's a super kid and I mean, being a super hero isn't an easy job... but someone has to do it.

Luckily, this little gal has made the time to help save the world.

From saving the day to finishing the food on her tray, this is one super baby.

Interested in her costume details?

Check out these shops:
{bow: accessories by sabrina}
{raglan: shop closed, but here's a super cute parent & baby set on Amazon!}
{shorts: Baby Bottoms - use the code DELAINEY10 to save}
{cape: shop closed, but Amazon has some super cute options!}
{shoes: koala kids}