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It's that time of year; school started, holidays are encroaching and before we know it, we'll be looking in the mirror wondering how the hell it was possible that we would be ringing in the New Year already. We have exactly 92 days people! Lets get the goal setting started early and finish the 2016 year with our finances in top shape. Who doesn't love to save some money on a daily basis? Checkout our favorite grocery and finance/budgeting apps. Grocery Savings Basket http://basketsavings.com/ Basket gives you the knowledge you need to make the best grocery purchasing decisions. Create a shopping basket at home, on the go or in the store. Compare in store prices & see available sales and coupons for your favorite items at nearby stores. Shop at stores recommended by Basket and Give back to the community by sharing prices and sales.  Checkout 51 https://www.checkout51.com/ Every Thursday morning Checkout 51 updates your offer list. All you have to do is pick the products you like, purchase them at any store, and upload a photo of your receipt. When your account reaches $20, you can cash out and we'll send you a check!  Ibotta https://ibotta.com/ Ibotta is a free, fun, and easy way to earn cash back for buying your favorite brands at your favorite stores. Ditch the coupons and get cash back the fun and easy way. Ibotta has exclusive rebates at your favorite grocery stores, retailers and online shops, updated all the time. And, they work with other offers, coupons, and discounts, so you know you’ll be getting the best deal every time you shop.  Shrink http://www.shrinktheapp.com/ Shrink is a brand loyalty app that makes it fun and easy to discover awesome brands and earn exclusive perks like discounts and freebies.This app focuses more on the organic, all natural, artisan type brands.  Grocery Pal https://itunes.apple.com/app/grocery-pal/id339684652?mt=8 You can scan your grocery list to match products online at lower prices and free shipping, or you can add items manually and shop by what’s on sale. You can compare prices and add items to your list from various stores near by, providing the best prices. Lists can be organized into aisles and categories, and you can sync your lists between devices. You can even buy items online directly from the app with the "Buy Now" feature.  Farmstand http://www.farmstandapp.com/ Shopping at local farmers markets is a great way to buy seasonal produce and save money on bulk items. For the best pricing, buy in bulk, seconds or make purchases in the last 30 minutes before close. You can also inquire/sign up for a local farmers CSA. The farmstead app will help you locate your local markets information.  Passion for Savings http://www.passionforsavings.com/ This app and online community combines great products with Heather's passion for a great deal! Her goal is to teach you how you can save on all the things you need so that you can splurge on the things you really want. You can also find links to the best Internet Coupons, articles on ways to save and make money online, and links to free samples and product offers. Finances, Money Saving Mint https://www.mint.com/ To help you see, understand and do more with your money every day. Mint, available online and mobile, brings together your total financial life—bank accounts, free credit score, credit cards and investments—and offers personalized tips and advice to help you make the most of your money and get more out of life.  MoneyStrands https://moneystrands.com/ To help you better manage your money to get more out of life, by giving you a personalized, engaging and integrated experience. MoneyStrands is the free mobile-only personal finance app that helps you achieve your goals. Download it and connect your banks. You’ll get instant access to your account balances, transactions, spending habits and budgets. All you need to make smarter decisions.  Level Money
https://www.levelmoney.com/ Level Money simplifies financial control and eliminates the need for antiquated budgets. Level seamlessly and automatically tracks cash flow, reinforces positive habits and provides necessary insights about spending and saving behaviors for an empowered, do-it-yourself approach to personal finance and long-term financial success.
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With all the recent babes arrivals we thought this blog post from our fellow twin mom member Julie was perfect timing. Enjoy.  This post is to all the new mama’s out there who are worried about getting their pre-baby body back. You used to workout, eat right, rocked your swimsuit and felt confident in your own skin. Your body just went through 9 months of growing a perfect little human (in my case 2) and now your itching to get your body back. Let me say that again…your body just went through 9 months of growing a perfect little human! Isn’t that AMAZING!?!? PRAISE your body for what it has accomplished and don’t spend another minute fretting over this. Your doctor may or may not have given you the a-ok to lace up those new, cute Nike’s sitting in your closet that you are just DYING to test out on a run. Here is what’s on my heart that I want to share with you.
Having a new baby (or babies) is one of THE MOST precious times of your life. A time that will pass so quickly and only God knows if you will ever get to experience something so special again. I know it’s constantly on your mind to get back to the “old you” but here is my advice: Don’t worry about it right now! Now I know that’s easy for me to say and not as easy to follow when you’re feeling insecure, but bare with me here. This time when your newborn is little, goes sooooo fast. It’s a time for bonding, for snuggling, for resting and recuperating when they are sleeping, for healing, and for getting to know that little person you brought into the world. You have the REST of your life to get back into shape… Now by no means am I saying to put this off for years, I’m just referring to those first fews months with a newborn. Savor it. Enjoy it. LIVE it. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with that child. If you’re nursing, your primary purpose right now is to feed your child, not to lose weight. I get so many questions about “how can I lose weight while nursing my baby?” Well, I guess it IS possible, as producing milk burns a lot of calories, but you can’t restrict calories if you’re trying to produce enough milk. In my case, I was eating about 2,500 calories a day to feed my twins. I was starving ALL-THE-TIME! So here’s my advice: Eat nutritious meals containing nutrients your child can benefit from. Such as nuts, fruits, veggies, quality proteins, greek yogurt, potatoes, grains, avocados, and flax or chia seeds. These foods are dense in nutrients for you and your baby, and nature has a great way of portion controlling. Listen to your body. It’s ok to eat more if you’re still hungry. But before you reach for those cookies and ice cream, make sure your hydrated and ask yourself “what benefit will this give my child?” Too often, I feel like society pressures us to be perfect and to look like those air-brushed celebrity mom’s who just had babies. So I wanted to be that girl you need in your life. The one who reminds you that you’re beautiful, you have so much to be grateful for, you have the rest of your life to get back into shape, and to tell you it’s OK to take a break. It doesn’t make you a slacker or mean you don’t care. It simply means that you love and honor your body for it’s accomplishment, and love your newborn more. <3  The Bag LadyAs first time parents, my Type A - OCD was out of this world - nesting as most would call it looked like we had an army of organizers in our home prior to the twins arrival. I had lists upon lists, freezer meals, rules for family/friends visiting, coded boxes for month 1, 2, 3, … you get the point. You could say I was wound a bit tight!! The one anticipating qualm I had was my hospital bag and what the first 48-72hrs would look like.
I reached out to my favorite Type A mamas who I knew would rescue me with excel spreadsheets of ideas as I handed the final to do list to the hubby to complete - a sense of relaxation came over me. My go-to's for your hospital/birthing center bags. Just know you can make yourself crazy trying to anticipate everything and gather all your necessary items at home, but the best advice I received was “there is always amazon prime overnight and baby stores open till 9:00pm”. That is why they invented grandmas, sisters and best friends. They better call and ask you what they can pick up for you before walking through that front door to hold those babies of yours! Hospital Bags - I overpack. No matter where I am going, by plane, car or foot. You would think with working in the travel industry and the amount of international travel I did prior to kids that I would have this down to a science, no it's a lie! The night before I go anywhere I’m a hot stressful mess trying to ROLL all of my components to make them fit. I knew I wanted to limit the amount of “bags” we were schlepping into the hospital as can you only imagine at 2am having to make multiple trips to the car just grab the necessities while I'm screaming during a contraction. I did not need to look like a whale sized bag lady walking in. I stuck to 2 bags. 1 large for myself and our largest double diaper bag for the babes. Mama Bag - Lo & Son’s “Catalina” was my go to. It’s so versatile and a staple piece for traveling. Babes Bag - Ju Ju Be “Be Prepared” I still am indecisive about this but it has received use multiple times. It’s HUGE and too big for two babes in cloth to tote around on a daily basis but we have used it every time we travel. Bonus Buy Buy Baby carries it so you can see it in person. Hubby Bag - he was in charge of his own - in theory! Make sure he packs toiletries, pjs, extra change of clothes and snacks for him. We also brought on our own pillows (cuz I'm weird like that). The hospital will allow the mother free food but not the hubby - we just ordered like I was eating for 3 each mealtime and had the grandparents pick up food upon each visit. |
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