When it comes time to feeding your baby solid foods, your initial vision might be dipping a spoon into a little jar of pureed peas, carrots or bananas. Did you know that your baby will eat about 600 of these cute little jars of baby food? And that the cost of all these jars can add up $400-$600?

If you are interested in making a HUGE dent in this baby budget line item, we recommend you make your own baby food. Now don’t laugh, roll your eyes or start trembling at the thought of cooking – most people find it surprisingly simple and quick to make baby food. Read the rest »

Breast milk or formula is still the staple for your baby’s diet in the first year. There is no scientific proof of which food is best to serve first to babies. Cultures across the world prepare various traditional recipes for their babies’ first feeding. In general, first foods are easy to digest and preferably a good source of iron. Read the rest »

What percentage of coupons from the Sunday paper do you actually use? Five, maybe ten percent? You are not alone. Most people cut out only a small percentage of the coupons from those weekly inserts. In order to make a serious dent in rising grocery bills, you need to have coupons for many of the products you buy, not just a few each week. The good news is that there are a number of resources other than the Sunday supplement coupons that provide coupons for your favorite brands.

Friends, Family, Co-workers: Instead of buying multiple copies of the newspaper, just to get more coupons, share inserts with friends, co-workers and neighbors. Once you have cut the coupons you want, pass your inserts around to others and have them do the same for you. You will find that many people you know don’t even cut coupons and you will receive complete inserts with all the coupons. Read the rest »

Introducing your baby to real food takes time. Fortunately, there is no need to rush, In fact, going slowly gives your baby a chance to develop a taste for different types of food, and in the long run enables her to make healthier food choices.

There is an enormous selection of fresh, natural food that your little one can eat, but there are also several foods that are not good for babies. Here is a list of many of the foods that you should avoid:

Foods with sugar, salt and caffeine as a main ingredient – Avoid introduction as long as possible: As a general rule, foods containing high amount of these ingredients, usually do not contain much nutritional value and are not very healthy. Read the rest »

There are certain microscopic bacteria that can pose special health risks to pregnant women and to their babies. Although most people can safely eat food containing a type of bacteria called Listeria, pregnant women are ten times more likely to get sick if they eat those same foods. And if they do get sick, the infection can be devastating for the baby. The tricky thing about Listeria is that, unlike many bacteria, they can thrive at refrigerator temperatures. To be sure, ensure your partner avoids the following: Read the rest »

Life is hectic and busy for all of us.

No matter where we work or what we do it can feel, at times, like a balancing act.

As a result, I thought that this time we’d break it all down into easy, bite sized portions.

Things that we can all do *starting today* but which wont take forever to read (I know. I can get verbose) or to understand.

The basics which we all may know but all need reminding of as well. Read the rest »

Grocery coupons have been around since 1894 when Asa Candler handed out handwritten tickets for a free Coca-Cola drink. Over 100 years later, in 2002, shoppers saved $3 billion by redeeming 3.8 billion coupons, according to the Promotion Marketing Association. People of every age and income use coupons and couponing can make a real difference for a family’s bottom line. The question is: Can it make a difference for you?

This month’s topic regarding cutting your grocery bill in half will touch on the advantages and disadvantages of couponing. From here, you can make a decision that is right for your family regarding the benefits of using coupons. For most of you, some level of couponing will make good sense. With that said, couponing is not for everyone and it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before investing your valuable time in the fine art of coupon shopping. Read the rest »