Save Some Money with Groupon Coupons!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

This past weekend I had made a trip to the local grocery store, and while I was checking out a couple ladies behind me made a comment about how I had a lot of coupons. They went on to say how they wish they could use coupons as well, and then we get started on how I used to use so many more before kids too (you know, when I had the time to search the web for them too).

My husband and I are all about saving some money here and there. We almost never eat out without a coupon or some sort of deal running, and I never buy any apparel or accessories at retail. In fact, almost anything you can think of I won’t buy at retail (except things like milk, formula, etc.), and if I do pay retail it’s usually generic.

I wouldn’t call myself cheap or frugal, because I usually don’t put a limit on the amount that I spend at once, but why would you ever pay retail if you didn’t HAVE to? Why would you pay full price if there was a coupon out there? I just don’t see the point in wasting money, even if it’s just a couple bucks.

With that said, I’ve recently been informed on Groupon Coupons. Have you heard of them? I know you’ve heard of Groupon, but did you know that had coupons? I didn’t, but I checked it out and I was shocked. It’s not what you’re probably thinking – local restaurants, online deal sites, etc. – it’s big names giving BIG discounts.

Here are some examples of the stores that are on there:

Kate Spade
Amazon
Finish Line
Kohl’s
Office Depot/Max
Saks Fifth Avenue – Off 5^th
Ulta Beauty
Macy’s
World Market
And so many more!

Some of them take you directly to their sale page on their shop site, and some of them give you a coupon code to use (which you wouldn’t have found anywhere else)! Seriously, there are so many. You need to check it out yourself. Click HERE to see a list of coupons by store.

The Kate Spade sale is an awesome deal (and a limited time), the Kohl's coupon is for anything related to swimwear which is right on point with the start of summer, and the Macy's coupon is for 20% off of sale and clearance items! That last one is a doozy. I'll probably be checking that one out first.

I hope that you get as much out of Groupon Coupons as I'm sure I will. Being a Momma of two, I can use all the help I can get to save a buck or two. Especially since I buy the girls too many clothes (my husband's words, not mine, haha).

Do you have any luck with coupons like I do? Share your tips!!! And let me know if you come across any deals too good to pass up in Groupon Coupons! *I’ll do the same!

Now, lemme' see if Groupon has a coupon for some ice cream. ;-) 

**Groupon is also on Social Media! Find them on Facebook and Twitter today.**

I was asked to review Groupon Coupons and post my thoughts. I have given my honest opinion in this post… and that opinion is that they’re awesome! All thoughts, comments and suggestions are my own.

Sleeping Like a Baby

I recently came across an interesting article about SIDS. As you probably know, SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants aged newborn to one year (some resources say up to 18 months). This article in particular talked about sleep positions and habits. I hate seeing/reading these articles, because my kids are probably at a greater risk. Here’s why:

When Emma was a baby, she was the fussiest little thing you’d probably ever meet. She was never happy. She cried probably every thirty minutes. None of us had a clue what to do.

One day, my Mom noticed that she was never happy when she laid in her bed for nap. She’d flinch and scare herself awake, or rock from side to side because… well, who knows why. But, my Mom, who was taught back in her child-rearing days that the belly is best (back then they thought SIDS was mostly from children spitting up and drowning in it while sleeping on their back), decided to put Emma on her belly. And that girl was happy, and QUIET at naptime ever since.

*Yes, I freaked out the first time she did it. I mean, you’re not SUPPOSED to. But, after I sat next to her for multiple naps to listen to her breathing and such, I was okay with trying it for a while.

With all of that relief, how was I supposed to go all technical on my Mom (who put up with me being crazy picky) and be like “no, no, no, you’re not supposed to do that; even if the baby likes it.” Instead, I embraced it. And I checked on her like crazy for months when she napped. I even checked on her through the night for a LONG time.

She still sleeps on her belly to this day. In fact, she even refuses to use a pillow still. I guess old habits die hard.

Flash-forward to Alice.

I told myself that to stay sane, I wasn’t going to put Alice on her belly (I was paranoid a lot when Emma would sleep, and checked on her numerous times a night until she was about two). However, we had another "flincher" on our hands and we resorted to trying the belly again.

Alice actually hates to sleep on her belly, but she will. She is most comfortable on her side. If she does sleep on her belly, it’s usually with her butt up in the air. I feel like the butt-up position is the worst though because to me it would have the least amount of air flow. Have you tried to sleep like that? It’s almost impossible for an adult.

I check on Alice often, just like I did for Emma, not just because of the belly position, but because we also gave her a blanket. Gasp! She hates to have her feet covered. Wait, that’s not 100% accurate. She hates to have her feet covered by a sleep sack. It’s furry feeling, so maybe that’s it? Who knows. All I know is that she sleeps better with a blanket versus a sleep sack or no blanket at all.

With Emma, I was so much “by the book” that I was terrified all the time when she slept. With Alice, I’m not as stressed, but I check on her A LOT still. I’m hoping that she magically decides to start sleeping on her back, but I’m not thinking it’ll happen.

How do your kids sleep at night? I mean, am I the only one whose kids won’t sleep on their backs?!?!

Birthday Party Season!

I don’t know about you, but I love little kids’ birthday parties! I couldn’t even begin to tell you what I like so much about them (the cake, the present-opening, the screaming and fun being had), but I get so excited weeks beforehand and then the day of I’m a bundle of nerves to get there on time so that we don’t miss out on any of the fun. Yes, I’m being 100% honest. I realize you probably don’t feel the same way.

Before I had kids myself, I couldn’t even imagine stepping foot into a birthday party for anyone under 21. If you know me, or are a follower of mine, you’ll know that I never wanted kids until about 12 months before Emma came along (it was like I woke up one day and said “I want kids now!”). But now that I have kids (two amazing girls), I get all kinds of excited when they have fun things going on in their lives!

This past weekend we were invited to not one, but two parties! Of course they were on the same day and almost the same time. I wasn’t going to attempt to be at both, but with a quick change-up, we were able to be at both parties! *I just wish I had more time with Emma’s close friends (and mine) at the first one.

Both parties were outside, and the girls had a ball! Alice didn’t attend both, only one, but she still had enough fun to tucker herself out.

We have another party this coming weekend, which is at a very adventurous gym (it was there last year too, and Emma was terrified to go into it really). We will see how that goes. I’ll bring Gene with me this time though to wrangle the baby; I need time to talk to the Mommas there too!

We are also in full party-planning mode for Alice. Her party will be around the corner, and I can’t wait to do a post about that! Hint – It’s going to be a ONEderful theme!

Do you find yourself getting excited about kids’ parties like I do?

About the Parks (STL Metro):

One park that we went to was Berry Park in Eureka, MO. It was a great park with lots of different options on the playground. It was all very clean, and I didn’t see anything that was broken or unkempt. If you’re out in the South County area, I’d recommend giving it a try sometime.

The other park was actually at the Town Hall in Hamel, IL. Looks to be a very small town, but the park was pretty large! It had odd things that I’ve never seen before, but they were things to climb on which the adventurous kids really loved. My Emma though would only do the slides and swing. And the teeter-totter they had there of course was a big hit for her as well. Alice tried to get into and onto everything she could… shocker.

Mother's Day - 2016

Mother’s Day was this past weekend. It was kind of overcast, but still, a beautiful day! Did you enjoy it?

My day started with my littlest one sleeping all night, but waking right at 6am to play with her crib toys. You know, those toys that you hang on the side of the crib? Anyway, the hubs got up with her to give her a bottle, but my toddler woke up at the same time. This is the girl that usually will sleep past 7!! They must’ve known that I wanted to sleep in; we can’t have any of that. They all came into the bedroom and gave me my gifts (Darius Rucker tickets and a spa certificate).

After a couple minutes of trying unsuccessfully to get Emma to cuddle with me in bed, I gave in and got up. The plan was to go to Denny’s for their killer Pecan Whole Wheat Pancakes. So. Good. We started getting ready right away, and as usual, Emma wanted to wear a dress or skirt. Luckily, she didn’t put up much of a fight and I got her into a matching outfit with her sister. Their Grandma bought the outfits for them as an Easter gift. She picks out the cutest clothes!

We made it to Denny’s, and lemme’ just tell you that Alice is in this phase now where she doesn’t want to sit and wait for her food. She either wants it right then and there or she wants to get up and walk around. So, after we ordered, I took her over to the waiting area and she walked around for a while. I say “walked around,” but in reality she mostly stood there and lifted up her skirt for everyone to see her bloomers. That girl just gets so shy that she can’t stop tugging on her clothes! If she didn’t have a skirt on, she’d tug at her top or onesie until it was all stretched out. She’s so silly.

The food came and we gobbled it all up. Emma is in a phase where she doesn’t want to eat though. She takes a few bites and then she claims to be full; yet she will ask for dessert every time. Alice on the other hand will eat and eat and eat. She is a growing girl! To give you an idea, if she just has formula (like at bedtime), she will have around 11 ounces at once. Emma never ate that much and she was almost twice Alice’s size at this point!

After breakfast we decided to go to the St. Louis Outlet Mall because I needed to pick up some new pajamas for Alice, yet it wasn’t officially open yet. We rode a couple of the little rides in the mall, went to Burlington Coat Factory to waste some time, and then when 11:00am came around I went to Carter’s and the hubs took Emma to the play area to play for a bit. I purchased the pjs, and we left to head to my parents’ house.

My Mom and I were going to go to the movies to see Mother’s Day, but of course they were sold out. So, we went to buy a few things (and look for Shopkins), and then we headed back to their house to eat some BBQ. After “dinner”, Emma napped and my Mom and I ran another errand. We got back, Emma woke up, and then we headed home to get ready for the week.

All-in-all, it was a great Mother’s Day. I spent the day with my girls, and my Mom. I know I do that almost every weekend, but that’s just because that’s what makes me happy! I enjoy my Mom’s time, and I love being with my girls. My hubs did a great job making sure I was spoiled, and my girls gave me lots of love. I’m a happy Momma.

One Box, Lots of Fun!

When I was growing up (ahem, when I was a teenager), there was a hit cartoon called Rugrats that was the funny, yet seemingly real portrayal of babies and toddlers. Remember it? Now, as a Mom of two, I find myself noticing the similarities between the show and my house!

I’m sure you’ve heard the joke that you buy a large toy for your child, and yet all they want to play with is the box that it came in. In that particular episode of Rugrats, the box was a racecar, a space ship, a tv and more. Well I’m here to tell you that it’s no joke! It’s completely legit!

We made a trip to a local grocer that does not provide you with shopping bags, but instead encourages the use of reusable bags of your own, or for you to take home the large boxes that the food comes in. And then low and behold, we had a brand new toy!

One box, and my girls were provided with a couple hours of fun. We did get a few bumps and bruises, and lots of “Alice won’t let me in,” but it was a good time nonetheless.

One simple thing can give a family such good times; great memories in the making!

*We also had a BIG box a few weeks ago, and lemme’ tell you that an even bigger box can lead to more fun, including flipping in it, but then even more tears when we get in trouble for hurting our sister. Here they are pouting after being scolded. LOL!