Babies on a Budget: Organizing Hand-Me-Downs

                       Image from hanger-manufacturers.com

I firmly believe that being well-organized can save you both time and money in all areas of your life.  The same rule applies to organizing children's clothing.

Before I get into how we organize the clothes, let me give you a quick tour of the neater side of my attic Reorganizing the attic has long been on the to-do list, but has taken a back seat to things like replacing the water heater and repainting the exterior of our house.  I think our attic is one of the coolest features of our old 1930s or 40s era home.  My twin sister says it's one of the creepiest.  There's a normal-sized door in the kitchen that leads to the attic.  It even has a cool glass doorknob.  My sister says this comes straight out of a horror movie, especially if it gives a loud creak as the doorknob turns.  Someone watched too many horror flicks as a child! 

As you can see, after you turn the glass handle, there's a full flight of stairs leading to the attic.  The majority of the attic has a wooden floor with tongue and groove joints.  This makes storage a piece of cake.  But even if it weren't hassle-free, I'd still keep hand-me downs so that we could save money on clothing our children.  In 2010, I've spent exactly $8 clothing my child.  She had a stomach virus when we were on our way to Shreveport for the day, so I had to stop and get a new outfit for her, since I'd forgotten to put a spare change of clothes in the diaper bag.  Otherwise, that total would be 0. 

I've been working on a system of organizing Isabelle's clothes since long before she was born, and I've tried several methods of storage.  I've used the giant-sized ziplock bags (that are designed for storing clothes), cardboard filing boxes, and large Rubbermaid totes.  The ziplock bags don't work well for me.  I tend to overstuff them, which makes them come open as I'm walking up the attic steps.  The bags also complicate matters when it's time to find the clothes.  I've since switched to boxes. 

I really like my cardboard boxes.  I was trying to follow Amy Dacyczyn's method of organizing children's clothes, as outlined in The Complete Tightwad Gazette.  She puts boy clothes on one side of the attic chimney and girl clothes on the other side.  She suggests cardboard filing boxes because of their uniformity.  It makes it easy to see, at a glance, how much clothes she has in a given size.  I love the boxes because they stack up so neatly.  They're also smaller, which makes it easy for me to bring them up and down the attic stairs, even when pregnant, because they're not full enough to be very heavy. 

I've also used Rubbermaid/Sterlite totes.  In a lot of ways, I prefer these boxes because they hold more clothes and because they protect the clothes better.  But they're bulkier, so when I'm pregnant and can't lift 50 pounds, I have to wait for my husband to do the attic lugging.  I'm really starting to lean towards these instead of the cardboard boxes.  They do cost $5 or so per box, but my husband bought a number of them at our church garage sale for $1 each.  They're his preferred method for storing anything. 

Step-by-Step
I'm sure some of this is obvious, but here's what you're going to do.  Get your boxes ahead of time.  When you receive a bundle of hand-me-downs, sort through according to size.  Place clothes in each box and be sure to size specifically.  I once just stored a box of things and labelled it 18 months-3T.  You can bet I regretted it, and when it came time to use them, I had to completely reorganize the clothes.  When I have an abundance of a certain size, I often sort according to season.  It just makes life much easier for me later on.  And make sure you clearly label the box.  I generally have labels on the thinner two sides of my boxes, so that no matter how the box gets rotated on the way upstairs, when my husband brings them up to the attic, the label is facing out.

I no longer wash the clothes prior to storing.  I used to, but quickly realized it was silly.  First, my friends always wash the clothes before giving them to me anyway.  But more importantly, after something has been sitting in the attic for 6 months to a year, I'm most definitely going to wash it before putting it in Isabelle's dresser or closet.  So it's a waste of both time, water, and effort to wash the clothes before storing.  Shoes and coats are stored separately from clothes, but the same rules apply. 

If you develop a good storage method, you'll find that you can accept all hand-me-downs.  My daughter is 1 and wears size 18 month or 24 month clothes.  In my attic, I've got clothes that go all the way up to a size 6.  The size 6 box hardly has a thing in it, but it's up there with a few little dresses, just waiting to be joined by more clothes.  If you really want to become a master of hand-me-down clothes, you've got to properly organize them, or you'll never use what's been given to you. 

This is one of several posts in the Babies on a Budget series.  Yesterday's topic was Accepting Hand-Me-Downs.  Click here to read about why we take second-hand clothes and how this has saved us money over the past two years.  I'd love to hear any of your ideas on storing baby clothes.

Babies on a Budget: Accept Hand-Me-Down Clothes

If you truly want to be frugal with babies and little ones, you'll have to get over your aversion to hand-me-downs and accept second hand clothes. 

After reading enough books on frugality, I've decided that when I take hand-me-downs from others, I'm not being cheap and it surely doesn't make me poor.  It makes me smart.  At some point, we have to start equating frugality with being smart.  It's smart to change out your light bulbs to CFLs.  It's smart to drive a car that gets 50 mpgs on the highway (we do).  And it's smart to get rid of things that are disposable.  I consider baby clothes to be disposable.  If it's only going to be used a few times (often just weeks or months during early infancy), it's disposable, so why pay $20 for it?  Or more! 

Have we purchased clothes for our child?  You bet.  In my family, the coming home outfit for a baby has always been a very big deal, so we bought a very special dress for Isabelle to wear home from the hospital.  She also wore it on the day of her baby dedication at church, when she was 7 weeks old.  We have purchased a few other items for her that were either special or very much needed.  But overall, we've chosen to allow God to provide clothes for her through hand-me-downs from others.  And we have been blessed by this provision, and it frees us to do other things with our money (not spend frivolously, but reduce our debt or make repairs on our home and cars).    

Christmas in October
I often let people know that we enjoy hand-me-downs.  I do this because I think it gives hand-me-downs a good name.  When someone sees my daughter, beautifully dressed in a smocked Laura Ashley dress, and they compliment it, I let them know that it belonged to Isabelle's cousins, Jolie & Jordan.  I want people to know that there's nothing wrong with accepting things second hand.  And often, various friends will offer clothes to us, and it's a blessing every time.

We recently had Christmas in October.  It's always fun to get "new to me" stuff, and it feels like Christmas.  Here's what the entry way to my home looked like for several days last week:

Everything but the pink diaper bag and toy phone were hand-me-downs.  Damian's aunt and grandmother were in town, and they brought several bags of clothes and shoes from my sister-in-law.  Want to see what's in one of the bags?

How cute are these shoes?!?  I love the denim and sequined shoes.  Those white ones will be perfect with whatever Isabelle wears on Easter Sunday. 

The other box was a package mailed to me from my dear friend, Leslie.  It had all sorts of goodies in it. 

In addition to several of her son's cloth diapers, she had pulled out a few things she'd planned on putting in her garage sale and mailed them to us.  She sent some cute boy and girl clothes.  Yep, that's a Ralph Lauren shirt on top, in addition to a cute "Big Sister" shirt for Isabelle, several fun books, and those tiny little lion slippers.  What a blessing! 

We've received some amazing things from friends.  We kept a tight rein on our budget this summer, yet my daughter still received "new" clothes & books, in addition to a huge play kitchen and toy food from some friends of ours.  And just when I start wondering if my child has any winter clothes, I go up to the attic, pull down some boxes, and discover that she has at least 15 pairs of pants, not to mention cute winter boots. 

You would not believe the other beautiful clothes that we've gotten from other families (like the black and white toile dress, size 3T, that we received from friends last month.  It's so my style.).  The thing is, we love getting them, and others love giving them.  We often show up for a Bible study or another church event, and someone will say "Ohhh, that was my favorite outfit of my daughter's!  I'm so glad you guys are getting some use out of it."  It's much more fun than a garage sale or giving it to Good Will. 

We just all have to change our attitudes about second-hand items.  It's not that we're a charity case.  While we are a single income family, my husband is an engineer who provides well for his family.  It's simply that we would rather spend our funds more wisely.  When needed, we make purchases, but overall, we try to avoid living like consumers all the time.  The bottom line is that I treasure Christ above all, not my wardrobe, and certainly not stuff.  I want to teach my kids to do the same.  There's nothing wrong with enjoying pretty things, but that must be kept in balance, and we're never to worship our checkbooks.  Everything I do, including how I spend my money, should bring glory to the Lord and reflect my priorities.  I'll step off my soap box now.

One key to receiving hand-me-downs is good organization.  If clothes are not well organized, they won't get worn, which is a complete waste.  Tomorrow, I'll share with you how I organize baby clothes, including a few pictures from my attic.  My attic is one of my favorite things about our home.

I hope you're enjoying the Babies on a Budget series.  Click here to read more.  I'd love to hear any feedback you've got on clothing your baby frugally.

Babies on a Budget: Making Baby Gear?

Before we move on to discussing how to clothe your little sweetie on the cheap, we need to tie up some loose ends on baby gear.  In Monday's post, Beg, Borrow, and Steal, I failed to mention one huge way to save money.  Make your own baby gear.

I realize we can't all be Martha Stewart.  I, as a matter of fact, haven't a creative bone in my body.  Not one.  So how is it that I've shown you furniture refinishing projects, aprons I've sewn, burp cloths, bow holders, and other fun things that I've made?  I'm an idea thief.  I've realized that I live in the 21st century, the age of the internet, and since I have no creativity but I do have this skill called reading, I get ideas from other people, and then I read and follow instructions on a given project. 

I don't know much about sewing, but after getting basic instructions from both my mom and mother-in-law, I've been able to learn a lot simply by doing.  I'm still very much a beginner, so I need quite a bit of help and advice from time to time, but I know my limits and keep working at it.  I also let perfectionism go out the window.  A sewing project will never be perfect.

So when you're looking at your list of essential baby items and a list of "nice-to-haves," consider making some items.

Just what can you make?

• Slings and wraps:  My crafty friend, Jo, informed me that you can make your own Moby Wrap.  They sell for $40 at Target.  I decided that I would love to have one for my second baby, so she acquired a large length of fabric, and all we needed to do was cut it in half (one for each of us) and hem the thing.  Sounds easy enough!  It's on my list of things to do.  But now she's offered to do it for me--how sweet is that?  One less thing for me to do before this baby is born!  Another type of sling you can easily make, among others, is a ring sling.  I've seen one of these in action, and they're pretty fabulous.  My friend, Elizabeth, made hers in a nice, feminine fabric.  It's gorgeous, very convenient, and also doubles as a nursing cover.  I did a quick Google search for ring sling and came across these instructions for making your own.  It looks like it only requires very basic sewing skills.  Elizabeth commented below and advised that you should be sure to order your slings from slingrings.com rather than picking them up from a fabric store.  Slingrings have been put through various tests to ensure safety for your child, whereas most fabric store rings are primarily intended for crafts and are probably not safe for carrying an infant.  Thanks Elizabeth!!  Don't you just love moms of 4?  We can learn so much from them! 

• Burp cloths:  These really are a piece of cake to sew.  They're one of the few things that I've simply looked at and copied.  A family friend gave me a few embroidered ones when Isabelle was born, so I've enjoyed copying those and doing the same for baby gifts for other friends.  The most expensive part is the embroidery.  You can also simply sew fabric down the center of a cloth diaper for an easy but decorative burp cloth.  I made a few this weekend for my cousin and it took very little time. 
• Baby bedding: Again, I'm a novice seamstress, but I felt like I might be able to tackle this project.  I was a little unsure, so I asked my husband's aunt if she would be up for it, and she was eager to do it!  We'll be sewing together this weekend, so I'll let you know how it goes.  I'm going to start the piping today during naptime.  I've never made piping before, but again, I got advice from my husband's grandmother (who is visiting us right now) and then stayed up last night watching videos on how to do it.  I'm a visual learner, so it really helped to actually see the entire process. 
• Furniture:  Consider refinishing an old dresser for the nursery.  You can paint or stain, depending on the look you're going for.  If my $20 desk doesn't convince you that it can be done, then I don't know what will!  And again, this is not something I'm especially skilled at.  The first time I refinished anything, I simply followed instructions from a website and confirmed them by talking to my mom before I started.  I stripped and stained the massive antique armoir that had been in our living room growing up.  It had to be stored outside in the garage for a number of years, so it just needed some refinishing to have it back in great condition.  It makes a beautiful bookcase for our bedroom.  

If you consider becoming a do-it-yourselfer, your only limits will be time and energy.  But the money saved and the skills developed will be priceless.  Even on the leanest of budgets, you'll be able to afford "new to me" furniture or a trendy baby wrap.

Any other ideas on baby gear you can make yourself?   

This is the sixth post in a series called Babies on a Budget.  To read more, click here.

Babies on a Budget: Baby Gear. Beg, Borrow, and Steal

Or at least borrow and shop for steals at garage sales and consignment sales.

Before you purchase or make plans to borrow a single piece of baby gear, you should make a list of the essentials.  I considered the following items to be essential:

• crib
• bedding
• dresser
• changing table pad (to put on top the dresser)
• stroller
• car seat
• high chair
• baby swing
• pack and play
• bouncy seat
• baby bath tub
• Boppy

To me, anything else was extraneous, including a bassinet, exersaucer, sling, bumbo, etc.  I made one list of must-haves and another of nice-to-haves.

My mom and step-dad offered to buy the crib for us, and for each of my siblings when they are expecting their first babies.  My husband's family pitched in and purchased the stroller/car seat combo (travel system), and my sisters and aunt purchased a glider for the nursery. That took care of three huge items.

Begging:  Hand-Me-Down Gear
If you have friends or family who are done having children, consider asking them for their hand-me-down baby gear.  Most likely, they would love to help.  Who doesn't like helping out a young couple starting a family?  And most people would rather see someone they know use their old stuff than sell it in a garage sale.  If someone generously offers hand-me-downs, then take them and enjoy.  If it's a friend and you're asking them, then offer to purchase it.  Honestly, as soon as we told people we were pregnant, many of our friends and family were offering us their gear.  Here are the items we received, gently used:  pack and play, 2 high chairs, baby monitor, bassinet, 2 exersaucers, bouncy seat, swing, breast pump, extra car seat bases, and probably something else I'm forgetting.   

What you may want to think twice about receiving used:

• Car Seats:  Car seats should never be used again if they've been in a significant car accident.  According to my insurance adjuster, if a car seat has been through a small fender bender, it's actually OK.  Mine was not a small accident (I was broadsided over a year ago), so my insurance company bought a new one for us, and I can't figure out what to do with the old car seat.  The only thing it's good for now is the junk yard. 
• Cribs and other old furniture:  Lead paint IS a big deal, because ingesting it can cause harm to a developing brain and reduce IQ points (and who of us has brain cells to spare?).  Think twice about using an older crib.  But if it's newer, the only things you need to be concerned about is the spacing of the crib slats and the drop down sides, most of which have now been recalled.  But read the recalls with wisdom.  I'm sure your baby is still safe in a crib with a drop down side. 
• Recalled items:  As I said above, read recalls with wisdom.  One of our high chairs has been recalled because it has an area for storing the tray.  According to the recall, a child could fall and hit the small pegs, causing lacerations.  No big deal!  But I ordered the kit to adjust it anyway, because why not?  Our bassinet has also been recalled for a much more serious reason, but it's only an issue when used as a co-sleeper rather than a bassinet. 

Borrowing Baby Gear
If you know that you're going to have one or two kids, consider borrowing some of the items.  I know it's nice to have things new, but if you want to save as much money as possible, borrowing might be a good option.  Items that are perfect for borrowing are the things that you'll only use for 1-6 months, things like breast pumps, bumbo seat, swing, bassinet, slings (maybe), baby bath tub (if you use it--lots of people bathe their babies in the sink, but I was more comfortable with a baby bath tub and the newborn insert).  We opted not to borrow anything, since we received so many things as gifts or as hand-me-downs, and since we knew we wanted a large family.  Borrowing a crib to have (Lord willing) four or more children makes little sense!

Shopping for Steals
For starters, avoid shopping for anything.  Maybe it's just me, but I'm a sucker for adorable baby items.  I generally avoid the baby section at stores because it makes me want stuff that I don't need.  When I was pregnant, I didn't purchase a single item until after we'd had all four of our baby showers.  It made no sense to buy things when all of our family and friends were so excited about our baby that they were just itching to purchase something for her. 

Check garage sales or tell family and friends who are avid garage salers, and they'll probably do the shopping for you.  I was probably about 10 weeks pregnant with Isabelle when a friend called me from a garage sale.  She'd found gorgeous baby girl bedding for $30.  If I wanted it, she'd buy it for me and I could pay her back.  The problem was that I didn't know if I was having a girl or boy.  I told her to buy it.  For $30, I could sell it at a garage sale and make my money back if I didn't like it or need it.  But I loved it.  It's a beautiful pink and white toile and stripe combo with a matching patchwork quilt, all made by BabyGap.  It likely cost at least $200 brand new.  Friends also had a garage sale when we were pregnant, so we did some early bird shopping when they were setting up and purchased a number of board books and DVDs for the baby at cheap prices (they offered to give them to us, but we wanted to help out their garage sale).

Be sure to shop at local consignment shops or sales.  These can be great places to find deals on larger items.  The sales are never as cheap as a garage sale, but at least you don't have to wake up too early in the morning to find a steal.

The Grand Total:
When it was all said and done, we received nearly everything we needed in the form of hand-me-downs and gifts.  The only baby gear items we purchased were a dresser (full-sized, not infant-sized) and a crib mattress.  Surely, God is a mighty provider.

Next issue on deck:  Baby clothes.  I've mastered the art of storing hand-me-downs, and I'll share what I've learned through trial and error and through reading The Tightwad Gazette.      

To read more in the Babies on a Budget series, click here.

My Sewing Desk, Before and After: A $20 Garage Sale Find

Meet my new sewing desk.  I found it for $20 at a garage sale in early September.  It was one of my birthday gifts from my husband.  The goal was to refinish it and use it in our bedroom for a permanent place to sew. 

It needs love.

Lots and lots of love.

In September, my mom came to town for a birthday visit and to "meet" our new baby through our sonogram.  While here, she stripped the old stain from the majority of the desk, since as a pregnant mama, I shouldn't breathe the fumes from paint stripper.  Damian finished it up over a few afternoons.

This week, I've felt great and the weather has been beautiful, so I've used a few of Isabelle's nap times to get the staining done.  With the hard work done already, staining was a breeze.  I just did one coat of stain and then rubbed in Tung Oil for a little shine.  Here's the finished product:

I love it!

No more ugly scratches.

I can't wait to fill it up with thread, bobbins, ribbons, and other notions.  My first project?  Just a few burp cloths for my cousin and her husband, who just received a newborn baby boy who they will adopt through the foster care system (yay for answers to prayer!).  Then we'll tackle baby bedding for my own little boy next weekend!

Babies on a Budget: Make Your Own Babyfood, Part 2

This is the fourth post in our Babies on a Budget series.  To read more on making your own babyfood, read yesterday's post.

Tools and Tips

When it comes to baby food, follow the KISS method:  Keep It Simple, Stupid.  Anything complex might be too much for you to maintain, and as soon as it becomes a real hassle, you'll switch to pre-made puree in a heartbeat. 

The main tools you'll need are a steamer basket for your pot, a pan for baking, and a food processor.  I outlined the basics on how to get started yesterday.  When you finish making your baby food, you'll need to freeze it, so the other item you'll need are ice cube trays or some other place to store it.  If you opt for ice cube trays, then you'll just pour the puree into the trays and pop them into the freezer.  Once frozen, you can put the squares of puree into ziplock bags, labelled with the food type and date. 

Pea puree:  Doesn't this vivid green puree look much more appetizing than the dark green stuff found at the grocery store? 

BPA-Free Cups
I have to confess, I did purchase one specialty item for making baby food. You probably know I've got a few idiosyncracies, like my insistence on peanut butter with no hydrogenated oils, jelly without high fructose corn syrup, and organic whole milk for my toddler. While I'm quite frugal, there are areas where I don't mind spending extra money for what I consider to be better health for my family.  One such area is BPA-free products.  I personally find the amount of BPA in our daily products to be more than just a little bit disturbing. I know I can't possibly save my family from all the BPA out there, but I can at least not store my child's baby food in something with BPA. I looked for BPA ice cube trays, and there were very few to be found (especially for less than $20). I did find several types of containers specifically designed for storing baby food.  I finally settled on these great little containers from One Step Ahead.  I still use them for storing tiny snacks for Isabelle, like raisins.

Baby Food Cookbook

Another tool I made use of was an incredible baby gift from a friend.  Without knowing that I intended on making my own baby food, she purchased a book for me called Cooking for Baby.  This cookbook does keep it simple.  It categorizes the recipes according to age of introduction.  Each section for a new age group introduces the peculiarities of that age group, such as a desire for texture or flavor.  Then the recipes are given on separate pages, often with pictures.  They always include cooking times, because one veggie may require 6 minutes of steaming while another requires 12.  I  loved my baby food cookbook and found it very helpful.  I've been happy to loan it out to friends, so let me know if you'd like to borrow it.

Baby Food Recipe Website

Had I not been given this cookbook, I would'v e found everything I needed on the WholesomeBabyFood website.  Their site has great recipes and instructions for every imaginable puree.  I also loved the charts that show when foods can be introduced.  I printed a copy of the master chart, with every food and age group in small print.  As we were eating dinner, I would often wonder if Isabelle could enjoy some of our meal with us.  I consulted the chart and would discover that yes, she could have cheddar cheese or baked beans, and that was the start of feeding her table food.  By the time she turned one, she was eating mostly table food, and I wasn't making purees anymore. 

Tips for Saving Money and Keeping it Simple

• Wait until 6 months (or later) to introduce solids, especially if you're nursing.  The APA's new guidelines on nursing recommend waiting until 6 months, probably because it is now thought that a baby's gut is not completely matured until 4-6 months, and waiting until 6 months can possibly prevent food allergies.  We did this and while at 8 months, Isabelle was not eating as much food as other babies her age, it eventually evened out.  Now that she's nearly 2, she's a fabulous eater and probably eats better than most children her age (and older--she has a very healthy appetite and prefers fruits and veggies to anything else).   It will also save money and time.  Nursing is so convenient, unlike baby food.   
• The only food I bought for my infant was rice cereal, which I introduced at 6 1/2 months of age.  You actually can make your own rice cereal, and instructions are given in Cooking for Baby.  However, even the cookbook itself advises against making your own cereal.  Why?  Store-bought cereals are fortified with iron, unlike the homemade variety.  Once your child reaches 6 months of age, he no longer has the iron stores from the womb and will need to get these vitamins from food, either from nursing or from baby food.  So you probably want to buy your cereals.
• Shop in season and look for free or inexpensive food sources.  Yesterday, I mentioned stocking up on sweet potatoes around Thanksgiving.  You can also grow some of your own veggies for baby, like we did with yellow squash.  A friend also found out that I was making baby food and offered to give me some of her home grown pears.  I expected one or two grocery sacks full of pears, which would've been wonderful.  Instead, she gave us three large boxes full of pears, more than enough to make pear puree to last through the rest of 2009, and extras to make pear jam.  At the time, Isabelle did not like applesauce but loved pear puree, so this was a great blessing and a big money saver.  Find out from friends if anyone has any produce they would like to share with you. 
• You can travel longer distances with homemade purees if you pack a very small ice chest.  When you arrive, either freeze the puree or if it has already begun thawing, leave it in the refrigerator for future meals.  You can also stick with bananas, avocados, and cereal and just pack these with you on your trip. 
• Consider Baby-led Weaning (BLW).  I haven't finished doing my homework on this issue, but basically, BLW skips the purees and takes your child straight to feeding himself.  Sounds nice, doesn't it!  I love this idea and am strongly considering using it for baby #2, due to arrive in February. 

Thoughts, questions, ideas?  I'd love to hear them! 



Babies on a Budget: Make Your Own Babyfood, Part 1

While we're on the subject of feeding your baby, we may as well talk about baby food.  I have never, I repeat, never purchased a jar of baby food.

When I was pregnant with Isabelle, I really thought it was a rule or something that you had to buy those cute little jars of babyfood, and my only question was regular Gerber or organic.  To prepare for the big jump from being a two income family to being a single income family, I met with a friend, Debbie, to talk with her about making cheap and yummy meals.  She's the one who first told me that I could make my own baby food.  I had no idea that it was becoming the trendy, SuperMom thing to do, especially in "crunchy" circles. 

It's incredibly easy to make your own baby food.  It sounds like it's such a production, but it isn't.  Everyone will think you're SuperMom or Martha Stewart, but don't let them be fooled.  It's way too easy to make baby food.  It takes very little time or know how--if you can read, you can do it.  I even learned to travel using my homemade purees. 

You can save quite a bit of money making baby food yourself.  I love to cook anyway, so for me, it was also a little bit of a culinary adventure.  I remember being so excited when Isabelle finally liked something--butternut squash.  She'd turned her nose up at our home grown, home made squash puree as well as fresh avocado, but butternut squash finally whet her appetite.  Otherwise, I did try to stick with seasonal veggies and fruits to be truly thrifty.  In November, the cost of yams is ridiculously cheap, so I bought a ton for her, and my mother brought some up from south Louisiana too.  I wish I'd kept my calculations on what I saved on the sweet potatoes alone, but it was quite a bit.  I was probably paying around 20 cents per sweet potato, while a 4 ounce jar of sweet potato baby food would've cost 40-50 cents.

I think an added bonus of making your own baby food is that you're already used to the idea of cooking for your child, and ideally, your baby will easily transition into table foods as soon as he is ready for them.  I frequently fed Isabelle from the table before she turned 1, as long as I knew it was a safe food.  She loved it because she wanted to eat the same things we were eating.  Consequently, she does a much better job of eating adult food than kid food--don't try to make her eat a french fry or she'll cry.  But beef stroganoff or Asian chicken salad with almonds and soy sauce?  She's all over that.   

The Basics
If you really want to be a frugal mama, don't buy any special gear for making baby food.  Sure, there are special products on the market specifically geared towards baby making, but they're just not needed. The Beaba ($150) does your steaming and pureeing for you and the KidCo food mill ($15) can help you get great purees, but really, you don't need either one. I have enough kitchen gear cluttering up my house without having to find a place to store something else.   All you really need is a steamer basket for your pot, a food processor, and a pan for baking (my favorites are glass because they clean up easier). 

Essentially, you'll either steam or bake your vegetable, let it cool, and then puree it.  That's all.  Don't boil your veggies, or the water will leach out all the great vitamins.  After the veggies are pureed, put them in the freezer until you're ready to use them.  You can either microwave the baby food (very carefully to avoid hot spots!) or let it thaw in the fridge. 

Unless you're getting really fancy and creative with your baby food, don't expect to spend more than an hour a week in the kitchen making baby food.  You'll make enough sweet potatoes for feed your child for a few weeks, then next week, do the same with peas.  Eventually, you'll have ziplock bags (labelled and dated, of course) with various foods ready to go in the freezer. 

If you want cooking times and specific details on each veggie, you can use a baby food cook book or a website like Wholesome Baby Food.  I'll give you more specifics on those items tomorrow, as well as the one item I did choose to purchase for my baby food making endeavors. 

I'd love to hear any of your thoughts about making baby food or any tips you've got!

Babies on a Budget: Nursing

Let's start with the most obvious way to save money during your baby's first year of life:  Breastfeeding. 

While I've always known that I would nurse my children, I highly doubt it was something my husband had given much thought.  But at some point in our marriage, we were talking with close friends, and I heard my husband say that he agreed that our children should be breastfed.  His manly logic:  Why pay for something you can get for free? 

I found several estimates on the cost of a year's worth of formula, and most have the price hovering around $1500-$2000, although some say more, especially if your child has special dietary needs or if you opt for liquid formula to save time.  While a nursing mother should consume about 300-500 more calories a day, the cost of additional food pales in comparison to the cost of formula.  And many nursing moms opt for losing weight instead.  Of course it goes without saying that if you're staying at home with your child, you'll rarely need bottles, so again, you'll save money (and time) by breastfeeding. 

Like I said, this is an obvious money-saver.  But what's not so obvious are the other ways in which you can save money by nursing your children. 

The Hidden Savings:  Healthcare costs!
Primarily, nursing your babies will boost their immune systems, resulting in healthier children overall, and fewer trips to the doctor.  If more babies were breastfed, the overall annual healthcare costs in the US could be reduced by as much as $3.6 billion.  Additionally, healthy children means less days missed for mom and dad at work, although this isn't as much of an issue if mom is at home with the children. 

I grew up watching my mother nurse my younger brothers (remember, my twin and I are numbers 2 & 3 in the birth order, out of 7 children), so from a young age, I was aware that breast is best. I didn't know the specific reasons, but it just seemed logical:  In the same way that a cow's milk is best for a new calf, wouldn't a mom's milk be best for her baby?  Gee, I just compared myself to a cow.  I'm sure that's good for my pregnant lady self-esteem. 

At some point in my pregnancy with my first child, I read the list of health benefits of nursing, and my response was to immediately pick up the phone and thank my mother for giving me such a great start in life.  Here's a short list of the health benefits of nursing, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics: 

Breastfeeding can protect against

• bacterial meningitis
• diarrhea (which my 21 month old has never had!)
• respiratory tract infection
• urinary tract infection
• diabetes
• ear infection (None of my mother's 7 children have had tubes put in their ears, and my 21 month old has never had an ear infection.  However, I do know of some breastfed infants who had ear infection issues, due to the formation of the inner ear.)
• obesity
• lymphoma, leukemia, and Hodgkins disease
• possibly certain kinds of cancer
• possibly asthma
• possibly Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Women who nurse are also at a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers. 

Note that the AAP has slighty changed their position on the length of time mothers should spend exclusively nursing their babies.  The 1997 policy stated that women should exclusively nurse their babies for the first 4-6 months of life and can introduce solids at some point after 4-6 months.  Their breastfeeding experts, The Section on Breastfeeding, believed that it was best to wait until after 6 months of life to introduce solids, but the remaining doctors believed solids could be introduced prior to 6 months (but no sooner than 4 months).  The 2005 guidelines seem to be a bit more firm on waiting until baby is 6 months old to introduce solids.  Either way, the AAP still says it is best to nurse for the entire first year, and after that, as long as is mutually desired by both mom and baby.

Reducing the Cost of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding can cost a small amount of money, but even this can be reduced.

• Make or borrow your nursing cover.  I loved having a nursing cover, so I consider them to be essential.
• Don't use a Boppy pillow.  Most people have a Boppy regardless of whether or not they nurse.  It's one of those "in" things when it comes to having babies.  Skip the Boppy if you like and use pillows instead, but personally, I felt that I was already saving a ton of money by nursing, so why not make it as comfortable and convenient as possible?  A family member bought the Boppy for us as a shower gift, and I bought two covers with gift cards from friends, so it was no expense for us at all.  
• Don't use bottles.  Bottles are just a hassle.  If you're going to be with your baby anyway, just use the cover, find a nearby dressing room or quiet place, and nurse that baby.  I personally feel that people need to be more comfortable with the sight of a (covered) nursing mother.
• Don't buy a breast pump, unless you're going back to work.  Borrow a pump from a friend instead.  If you find you use it frequently, then purchase one new or buy one from ebay.  Expensive, $300 breast pumps regularly go for $50-100 on e-bay.  You can sterilize the parts or purchase new ones.  But I would not purchase one unless you're certain you're going to use it.  Many moms find that they don't really need a pump.  I do suggest having a loaner pump on hand for those first few weeks.  I used mine avidly during the first two weeks of nursing issues, and I also think it made engorgement much easier to bear, so I was so thankful that I had a good quality pump.  But I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it.  My sister-in-law gave it to me, and it's a Medela that retailed for around $200-300.  It's currently on loan to my other sister-in-law.  There's no need to buy one when you can borrow one from someone else. 

I'm completely aware that breastfeeding does not work out for everyone.  We struggled so much to make it work for us, so I cannot fault anyone for not breastfeeding.  You can read my personal breastfeeding story on my posts for World Breastfeeding Week.  It is definitely not my intention to make anyone feel guilty for not being able to breastfeed.  However, it cannot be argued with that it is the most perfect free food for a baby, so it's the best way to start talking about having Babies on a Budget.

New Blog Series: Babies on a Budget

Babies Are So Expensive!
Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to tackle the comment that we hear so much in our age of consumerism:  But kids are so expensive!! 

I can only agree that having kids is expensive (as in 9 months of Ob/Gyn appointments + delivery costs.  Ugh!).  But the actual cost of raising kids can be reduced significantly if you choose to put in a little bit of elbow grease and quite a bit of creativity.

One and Done?

Many parents choose to limit the size of their families strictly because of financial considerations.  My generation in particular often waits to have kids until we think we can afford them, or we stop at one or two because of the expense.  After Isabelle was born, my husband and I were frequently asked if we would have more kids one day.  Coming from a large family, I was pretty surprised to hear the question, but I think it's become so normal to stop at one or two children that many people expect us to do the same.

I have no desire to comment on or critique parents' family planning decisions; that's a very personal subject with lots of factors involved, and I think it should be handled very prayerfully.  I'm not in the habit of judging you as a parent or a Christian, based on how many kids you have.  But I will say that money, of all things, should probably not be the chief decision-maker.  It can vary quite a bit from year to year, based on employment, and to be quite honest, there's always this really cool unknown factor called God.  It's unknown because from year to year, we have no way of knowing just exactly how God will provide for some of our family's specific needs.  I've talked with moms of large families who have said that they have no idea how they made ends meet sometimes, but as the kids kept coming, God kept providing.  At the same time, I don't think that all of us are called to have huge families.  Again, that's something to handle very prayerfully.    

Just What is the Cost?

We're often told that kids are expensive, and the media frequently publishes data proving that fact.  MSNMoney's chart on the issue uses data from the USDA to demonstrate the extreme expense of raising a family.  According to their data, raising one child can cost anywhere from $124,800 - $249,180, depending upon your income bracket.  In just the first two years of life, a child can cost you $6,490 - $13,430.  My response?  Not my baby!  No way.   

Be a Rebel

My goal over the next couple of weeks is to show you that there is another way of raising kids.  You don't have to stick to the status quo.  Specifically, we'll discuss some techniques for saving money on babies, and I'll show you how these techniques work in real life.  Sure it's nice to take hand-me-downs from friends, but how in the world do you organize all of that stuff!?!  I'll show you.  I've read extensively on saving money, so I'll share with you from what I've learned.  Honestly, many of these techniques were implemented in previous generations, but have been ignored in recent years in favor of consumerism.  

Win-Win Situations

Most of these techniques will be true win-win situations.  In addition to helping out your budget, most of these techniques are very "green" and environmentally friendly.  And often, you'll find that you can save quite a bit of money for your family, but from the outside, no one will be able to tell.       

Isabelle, 5 weeks old, napping after church.  Her sweet little outfit was a garage sale find from my mother-in-law.

Maybe you want to stretch a budget that's already too tight, or perhaps you're just wanting to save a few bucks here and there to afford something you want.  Maybe you'd like to find ways of being a better steward of what you have.  Or maybe you're like countless women I've talked to who want nothing more than to be at home with their kids, but can't find a way to afford it. 

Some of these techniques may work for you and others may not (I know that cloth diapering is not for everyone!).  So take what works and leave what doesn't.  I'd also love to hear from you on the subject.  What are some of your favorite ways that you save money on your children? 

While I am planning on spending quite a bit of time on each topic, I will not be able to blog on a daily basis.  It simply does not fit into my schedule or my priorities!  Thanks for understanding.  I hope you enjoy the topic, and I look forward to getting your thoughts on the subject too.  -Gabby

Our Family in September

Isabelle
Isabelle continues to develop her little vocabulary.  She understands and communicates more and more every day.  A few weeks ago, we were talking about the new baby in my belly.  She was sitting on my lap, facing me, and she gave my belly a big hug and a kiss.  Then she tried to share her sippy cup of milk with my belly.  I guess she decided that baby Andrew needed some milk too! 

Favorites
She's as musical as ever and loves singing songs, especially ones with hand motions, like Baby Bumblebee or Skinnamarink (am I the only dork who remembers that song?).  She still loves the same foods--fruits, veggies, breads, legumes, & dairy.  She's not a big fan of meat, and she can't stand french fries, nuggets, hamburgers, or hot dogs.  Her favorite toys are active toys, things she can ride or do.  We recently received a play kitchen and food from a friend who was getting rid of it, and the play food has been one of Isabelle's favorite toys.  She dumps the food out and cleans it up or feeds her dolls with it.  Isabelle still loves to "read," and we never go anywhere without a book or two in the diaper bag. 

As a Family
We had fun making a little road trip at the beginning of the month.  My brother and his wife were expecting their first baby, so we went down to Lake Charles for the baby shower on Labor Day weekend.  Their baby was born on September 25, so Isabelle and I drove down there again to meet this sweet little baby girl. 

Harli Faye Aymond, 4 days old

My mom and I took turns spending the night to help out with their newborn, which was really fun.  We were so tired, but it was worth it.  As she kept saying, babies are only born once, so the chance to help out will only be here now.  Isabelle also had a great time with her grandparents.  They even took her with them to work one morning, and from what I hear, she hammed it up for all of their coworkers. 

Rylan, Jerry "Papa," Mom "Nana," Isabelle, and Dominique at JJ's football game.

We're continuing to make strides in preparing for little Andrew.  My mom and Damian stripped the desk I purchased to use for my sewing and scrapbooking nook.  Now it just needs a coat of wood conditioner and stain, and it'll be ready to go.  In addition to doing some scrapbooking, I've also reorganized my craft, sewing, and scrapbooking gear, which made room for Isabelle to move into her new bedroom in the next couple of months.  Slowly but surely, I'm making a dent in that list of Things to Do Before Baby #2. 

Gabby, personally
My pregnancy is going well.  The baby continues to grow wonderfully, and I'm as healthy as ever.  Other than neverending morning sickness, pregnancy is usually pretty easy for me.  I typically don't get the usual heartburn or back issues, and I've never come close to waddling while pregnant. 

That said, the morning sickness is definitely still here.  I'm 22 weeks pregnant today and have gotten sick a number of times in the past few days, so I know without a doubt that morning sickness will not be leaving.  Fortunately we've learned by now how to adapt to it, and I've been able to keep up with the house and meals.  The house isn't as clean as I'd like it to be and our meals haven't been as delicious, since they're subject to change according to my food aversions and energy levels.  But I've learned to be OK with that, and as our family grows, these are good things for us to learn to deal with. 

MOPS is in full swing and I'm loving it.  I'm a discussion group leader, which is a perfect fit for me.  It's such a great ministry and it's a blessing to get to know these moms.  We learn from each other and challenge each other. 

I'm enjoying our latest Ladies Bible Study at Fellowship.  We're reading Loving God with All Your Mind, by Elizabeth George.  It's the kind of book I'd love to pass on to every woman I know.  It's all about refocusing our thoughts on things that honor God.  By getting a grip on our thought life, on our view of God, others, and ourselves, we're able to walk closer with Him and have more joy, regardless of life circumstances.   

I'm about to start a new series of blog posts, so keep an eye out for it!!