Product JUNKIE!!

I am a complete product JUNKIE!!! I have spent ALOT of time researching different pregnancy/baby products throughout my pregnancy.  There are some great things that I want to try, and have managed to get them all on sale.  One thing you will learn about me is that it has to be on SALE. Nothing from the front of the store, always walk to the back to the sale racks to see what kind of deal you can get.  I have also been doing a lot of online shopping and I always have a coupon to use.

Here are my tips for using and finding coupons.
-I created a separate email that specifically has all my online deals and coupons going to it.  That way, my main email is not clogged by daily emails.
-After I created that email, I would go to all the different sites, Target, Buy Buy Baby, Albee Baby, Walmart, Babies R Us, Old Navy, all of them, and sign up for their emails. Most of the time, they send you a 10 -20 percent off coupon just for signing up your email.
- Keep a watch out for those emails, because they are always sending great deals.
- If you can wait until a holiday, they usually have good sales.  Easter, Memorial Weekend, Presidents Day, Labor Day, you name it, and someone will be giving an extra percentage.
-SHOP WITH A PURCHASE.  Just don't go online to find something,  purposefully wait until you have a coupon, or its a holiday time to find what you need.
-Use each store against each other! Many have price matching, so if you find a deal on one, and there is free shipping at the other, use the deal
-I like shopping online better because the tax is little, and sometimes there is no tax, and there are always free shipping deals.  I live in a rural area, and I don't have the big stores around me, so it is nice to order things online.
-And lastly, shop around! Don't go with the first deal you find.  I really wanted the 4moms Mamaroo. It retails between $220-250.  I did not want to spend that much.  I know I wanted at least 20 percent off in order to buy it.  For that quality of swing, I knew that it would cost some money, but again, I will not pay full price.  So I shopped around.  I looked on Amazon, Babies R Us, Target, all those places.  I had a in store coupon with Babies R Us, but the closest store is 45 mins away.  Not a bad drive, but what I was saving with the coupon, I would have had to pay in gas.  I ended up finding the same 20 percent off coupon on Albee.com.  No shipping or taxes, and a few strokes later, I purchased my Mamaroo, and I am waiting for it to be at my door step.

I hope these tips help.  Now here are some of the top products that I am excited to us:

1. 4 Moms Mamaroo- I am excited to finally use this.  In just a few short weeks, my little man will be able to swing, rock, bounce and more to his hearts desire.  My husband saw a video of it, and calls it the "Levatator 500".  We often joke that if Baby Ray gets fussy, we just have to put him in the levitator!

2.  Moby Wrap-I decided to go with this wrap in the very beginning to keep baby close to me.  I was skeptical about wraps at first because I did not know how secure it was going to feel.  I will have to let you all know how it works out, but I am hopeful that I will be able to get a good wrap going so that baby will feel close to me.  I used a 20 percent coupon on this at Babies R Us and they have free shipping on baby gear!

3. Medela Breast Pump- It may be a few weeks before I use this because I want to exclusively breastfeed in the beginning, but I have heard nothing but good things about this breast pump.  It could double as a diaper bag as well.  I am being very optimistic about this whole breastfeeding thing because I really want to have that experience with my child for as long as possible for both of us.

4. Graco Snugride Classic Connect 30 Carseat- Everyone needs a carseat, and Baby Ray will for sure spend some time in this.  I just like that I found a carseat that I like, in the colors that I like.  The excitement about this item probably comes from the fact that being able to use this means I get to bring him home for the first time! (Smiles)

5. Graco Travel Lite Crib-  This is a portable crib/playyard.  I am finding that space is quickly becoming limited when it comes to preparing for this little one.  I have read back and forth whether or not we would need a play yard, but I wanted on that would not take up a lot of space, and that would travel easily.  Early in Baby Ray's life, we will be traveling due to the military, and I wanted a safe comfortable place for him to sleep in.  Also, we have a town home, and I wanted a place downstairs that he could nap instead of walking upstairs and putting him in his bassinet or crib.

6. Baby Nursery- I am overall excited about his nursery.  I don't know how much time we really will spend in there because summer times in this house get hot, and we will either be in our room with the air conditioner or downstairs (where I plan on putting an air conditioner as well).  But for the time being, I spend a lot of time in his nursery right now.  It has a queen bed in there as well, to double as a spare room, or a bed for Brandon and I when we can't decide to let him sleep in his room by himself.  The dresser was my first dresser that I bought when I moved out on my own.  I love the colors.  The room is inspired by the Carolina Panthers, so the colors are a teal blue, black, white, and silver.  I love the mirror with his name on it (can't show you because it is still a secret).  I cannot wait to fill up the frames on the wall with amazing pictures.  I remember putting his crib together and all the time I spent to putting his room together.  It is a little bitter sweet, because I wish Brandon could have been there, but I know we will create many other memories in that room, raising our son.

Well, that is it for me right now.  I will do another post a month or so in after I have used the products a lot to give a more accurate review of them.  Until then

Have Joy
With Love
Nikki