Mommy Tip: Diaper Deals - Luvs Premium Stretch

My husband wanted to add his two cents about the previously reviewed Babies R Us Diapers...he says he fluffs them like you would a pillow before putting them on L to take out a little of the stiffness in the diaper for her. I couldn't help but laugh...this should give you an idea on how low quality the diapers were! On to our next review: Luvs Premium Stretch diapers.

Cost: 228 for $38.99. Pretty middle of the road for diapers.

Absorbency: They did good. Held in almost every time! Good front and back coverage. Lightly scented.

Comfort: They're a soft thin diaper. Nothing amazing, but good!

Cut: Good cut that fits well on my daughter's chubby thighs. Elastic in the back to stop anything from leaking out. Good upfront protection for boys.

Great diaper for the price! This is one I commonly get when there isn't a sale or a coupon on my favorite diapers.

Mommy Tip: Diaper Deals - Babies R Us

Okay so I'm starting to write the reviews on the "Best Deal on Diapers" research...we've been testing a different brand each week. I've started scoring them & will post the complete results once I've tested them all. Here's the first review...Babies R Us Diapers - Especially for Baby.

Cost: 160 for $24.99. Doesn't get much cheaper than that!

Absorbency: They did okay. The diapers held their own on a few blow-outs, but overall they couldn't absorb much & became rock hard when wet.

Comfort: Horrible! They are very stiff and lack any softness. A few times the tab left scratch marks on her legs.

Cut: The cut is vary square, and not conforming to a baby's thighs. It doesn't have much elastic in the back...this lead to a few leaks out the backside!

If you want a really cheap diaper this is it! I wouldn't recommend this diaper as your everyday diaper, but it works in a pinch.

Mommy Tip: How to Have Fun Losing Weight

In order to lose weight you NEED to do cardio...it's the best way to get your heart rate up, your body moving, and start burning calories. Cardio combined with strength training like weight lifting or what I love...Fitness Babies, is how you'll bring back those muscles and tone your body! L and I do Fitness Babies all the time which is helping me build muscles, but I still have some "baby fat" that I need to burn off. How do I do it???

Dance Dance Revolution Baby! The game is incredibly fun & keeps you moving! I have the Supernova 2 version which even has a workout option, so as you dance it tracks your pace, amount of time dancing, AND CALORIES BURNED! You can get Dance Dance Revolution for most gaming systems and I strongly recommend purchasing at least one additional mat (you can get universal mats to work with wii, PS2, XBox, etc.)! My husband and I have started "dancing" before we go to bed and it's so much fun...it also reminds me how much further I have to go before I'm back in shape! I shopped around and Amazon.com seems to have the best deals. I'll also put the games in my Amazon store in the right hand column if you want to check it out!

Mommy Tip: Healthy Foods for Your Budget

Load your cart up with these great food items, they're packed with nutrients & easy on the wallet!

1. Bananas - vitamin B6, potassium, & fiber
   
2. Black Beans - protein, fiber, thiamin, magnesium, iron
   
3. Sweet Potatoes - calcium, potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene
   
4. Carrots - potassium, vitamin A, B6, beta-carotene,
   
5. Spinach - folate, iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamins B6 & A, riboflavin, beta-carotene, antioxidants
   
6. Tuna - omega3, vitamins B12, niacin
   
7. Oatmeal - fiber, vitamins B & E, zinc, thiamin
   
8. Apples - antioxidants & fiber
   
9. Spaghetti Sauce - lycopene
   
10. Eggs - protein, folate, riboflavin, vitamins A & E

Working from Home..

I work from home most days, and often people ask "how is it working from home?" Well here's a glimpse. Today I had an important conference call that I needed to take at 11AM. L was playing in the ExerSaucer and had just finished a bottle, so I thought I was in the clear and began my call.
11:05 L begins to cry, no biggie I gave her a bitter biscuit (which is really like a big thick graham cracker stick...very messy but she loves them!).
11:10 she's crying again...dropped the biscuit, drop the biscuit and cry, this continues for another 5 minutes until I'm holding the biscuit in her mouth for her and using her ExerSaucer as my desk.
11:20 crying, I take her to her play area & she sits and plays crazy monkey in one hand (yes this makes noise!) and bitter biscuit in another. I'm eyeing her as I explain how our product download works...wow she is getting that biscuit on everything!
11:30 she's hysterically crying...okay green beans it is! Into the high chair and I'm spooning her green beans as I take notes. In between bites I watch her get excited and chew on her fingers smiling and getting the beans everywhere, and trying to drink out of her sippy cup.
11:50 the call is done and this is what my angel looks like...

Mommy Tip: Finding the Best Deal on Diapers

Finding the right diapers can be one of the most daunting tasks, especially as a new parent! First we started in Pampers Swaddlers, they were pricey, but great! Then I switched to Huggies on a coupon, then I tried Target, then another type of Huggies (different cuts!), then Pampers, then Luvs, and then back to Huggies. Then today I was at Babies R Us and saw Babies R Us' brand diapers were 160 for $25, WOW what a deal. Well my husband and I couldn't help but laugh when we opened the box at home...they're the stiffest, most unshapely, & thinnest diapers I've ever seen (some deals are too good to be true!) As a comparison this box that holds 160 is the same size box as the Huggies 96 ct. that we usually buy. At this point I decided I've already tried almost every diaper at Target or Babies R Us, why not try them all (I'll check Wal-Mart too since many moms shop there). For my new article on Mommy-Central.com I'm going to try all the diapers, and rate them for the moms! I'll post the results on my blog once the testing is done...L is going to be my tester :-)

Mommy Tip: Baby Photo Contests...

So many magazines out there have baby photo contests and the winner usually gets a photo shoot, cover or spread in the magazine, fantastic gift certificates to some of the contest sponsor's stores and a trip to wherever the photo shoot is being held. What mom could resist the chance at all this for a simple photo?! Since we're in prime photo contest season, here are some tips for a great photo entry...

1. Enter a smiling baby. They want to know that your baby will smile for the photo shoot.

2. Show your baby's face.

3. What's your baby's best feature, eyes? cheeks? smile? Play this part up in the photo.

4. Make sure you have good natural lighting.

5. Once you have a few photos ask friends which ones they like (you might be a little bias in picking a photo).

6. Don't submit a professional photo, they're never allowed in contests & judges can tell if you do!