10 Spring Life Hacks For Parents

Being that I'm a first-time parent, I feel like each season we start over with buying new clothes and season-appropriate toys (Swim crap) and snacks (Popsicles...).  What really makes it tough is we are a family that lives on a tight budget. Especially, now.  Covid and all...  

So, today I'm sharing a few of my favorite ways to save big on kid things for spring...

1. Make a list: 

I cannot recommend this enough, make a list of the number of shorts, shirts, and shoes that you actually need to start the season, also include seasonal toys and future big buys like bicycles, ride-on toys, balls bats... Having a list will put up guardrails. Only buy what you need! Also, put feelers out with family friends who may have hand-me-downs.

2. Shred those winter clothes: When it comes to outside playtime, kids get to get dirty, so the last thing you want them to do is grime-up the nice new clothes. Go through winter clothes that have holes in the knees or tears in the sleeves, and repurpose them into shorts and t-shirts. This way you save money on spring clothes and you won't cry when you can't get the grass or ketchup stains out.

3. Borrow Budget Busters: For those one-off family portraits or special occasions (wedding) where you normally end up buying an incredibly expensive outfit, your child will most likely only wear once, check out Etsy, eBay, and your friend's closets before paying full price for anything.

4. Secondhand Shops: Children's secondhand shops are full of clothes and everything else you need to cover an entire winter or summer wardrobe, for under $20. (Shoes too! Did you know Crocs are machine washable?)

5. Facebook Finds: I addition to the standard Facebook Market Place,  every city has at least one Facebook mommy group that has clothes exchanges and lists where big family sales are taking place. To find them, ask your Facebook friends if they know of any great mommy groups on Facebook and if they will invite you to join if the group is closed. I bet you'll get plenty of replies!

6. Garage Sale Heaven: Spring garage sales are a great place to pick up big toys that people want to get rid of because they take too much space, but you desperately need because it's time for your toddler to start riding a bike. 

On Fridays, go to your Nextdoor App, Craigslist, or wherever your city lists garage sales, and find ones close by. Look for multi-family sales then grab a friend and some coffee and start shopping!

7. Discount Dealers: I love Groupon and other sites that can offer great things at a huge discount or killer coupon code!  Retailers will be fighting for attention this season, so capitalize on it!  Most are even offering free shipping on the smallest orders.

8. Daily Deals: Did you know hundreds of websites crawl the Internet daily for the best online daily deals? They do, and then list them in an easy-to-search format so you can quickly search for items on your must-have list. My favorite is DealNews.com.

9. DIY For Family Health: When it comes to springtime treats and healthy fruit snacks, the budget can bust very quickly. I make our Popsicles, grow our fruit and cut out juice and soda, we are water drinkers during the warm months. If you have a sunny spot in your yard, patio, or balcony, you have a place to grow your own fruit! Did you know strawberries grow well in a pot? Head to the local nursery and ask for help finding the right fruits to grow for where you live. 

For a total of $20, I have strawberry plants, blueberries, and grapes thriving in pots around my yard. The best part is that I can use that fruit to make Homemade Popsicles!

10. Price Shop From Home.  There are way too many apps and websites available today that make price comparison shopping from home a breeze. Gone are the days of driving from store to store or waiting for the Sunday Paper deals. Pull out the list you made of spring must-haves and start going through each item online and list where the best deal is for that item. Once you've gone through your list, check the entire list for stores that overlap to save you a bundle on shipping and time. Between the coupon apps and the compare-and-save apps, there is no reason to pay full price anymore.

What Families Should Consider Before Booking A Hotel Or AirBnB

There's a new trend in the hotel industry making it easier for families to travel and stay in a serviced home-away-from-Home. Think: Airbnb with Amenities. What is it?  Apart'hotels. 

Photo Credit: Ascott Limited

Offering more than a cubicle with a bed and bathroom, Apart'Hotels provide a fully equipped home away from home, with plenty of room for a family to move around.

I've stayed in three, from Melbourne, Florida to Melbourne, Australia. They are the real deal, super budget-friendly for family travel and offer SO MUCH MORE ROOM!

While in the past, fully equipped serviced apartments were considered only for relocation and extended stays of more than a week or two, times are changing. Serviced apartments or Apart'hotels are popping up in major cities across the world. With comparable nightly rates to traditional hotel rooms, these multi-room apartments are staking their claim on the hotel industry. 

Pictured above is a two bedroom serviced apartment at the Apart'Hotel Citadines on Bourke, in Melbourne Australia. The Hubs, kid and I stayed in that beautiful space our first two nights in Melbourne. Offering two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen (with Dishwasher!), a separate living area and workspace. We were FLOORED! The place was huge, with beautiful views from the 25th floor, and centrally located in the Heart of Melbourne's CBD on the biggest shopping street in the city! 

But that's not all... The room rate was comparable to a traditional hotel room down the street! 

The trend towards Apart'hotel development is showing the growth of serviced apartment units to far exceeded traditional hotel unit expansion over the next two years. According to a survey conducted by the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP), 48 serviced apartment operators show expansion targets both in the UK and globally, at an anticipated global increase in the supply of 145,000 serviced apartment units through 2018. 

The shift towards Apart'hotels is great news for budget-friendly family travel. With the larger room footprint, fully equipped kitchen, and in-room washer and dryer facility, families can pack lighter and prepare meals in the room. This is especially helpful when traveling as a large family, or with young children. The money saved on baggage fees and eating meals out may even pay for the room.

We were able to eat breakfast in the room, store leftovers from meals out, keep bottle waters cold, do laundry, and be centrally located. I cannot stress it enough, before you book a traditional hotel room, look for an Apart'hotel or serviced hotel first. Your family will thank you. YOU, will thank you. Most of all, your family-budget will thank you. 

Do This For Thirty Days And Loose 8-15 Solid Fat Pounds!

For most of us Northern Hemisphere dwellers,  the temps are rising, the birds are chirping and the snow is melting. Meaning, SPRING IS NIGH!

Spring is also the time we start to really notice winter weight gain. This year, instead of freaking out and joining a gym you know you're NEVER going to go to, lace up the shoes and take control of your health, happiness, sleep and fat booty.

Y'all, I've been touting this on my blog every spring for SEVEN years and every year, I get dozens of emails from readers thanking me. With this program, you can lower your heart attack risk, lose weight, add years to your life, sleep better and of course, better your overall health and mood IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS. 

Oh, and, it's FREE.  

All you have to do is walk. No gym membership, diet or personal trainer screaming at you.

        

AND THAT'S NOT ALL!

The best part is this program shows results in just two weeks! Seriously, in two weeks you could be sleeping better, reducing your cholesterol and chances for a heart attack, and be down a few pounds, (Some reported SEVEN POUNDS!)

Bottom line:  Become a healthier, happier person in fourteen days.

How could you not want to at least try?

So, here is the plan: Walk for thirty minutes a day for thirty days. It's that simple.

You can walk fast, slow, or sprint. You can walk three times a day for ten minutes, twice for fifteen or all thirty in one trip. It's up to you. Just walk every day for thirty days!

 Start by making small tweaks to your daily routine:

1. If you take public transportation to work, walk to the next stop or station to catch your ride. 

2. At lunch, walk 15 minutes away from your desk, eat, then walk back--maybe even take the long way back. 

3. On the weekends go explore a nature trail with the family. 

4. New mothers on maternity leave, both your buns and baby will benefit from a daily thirty minute stroll. 

5. Only need a couple things from the store? If one is close enough, walk there! 

6. Walk the kids to anf from school for the month. 

7. On rainy days, clean or organize a closet for 30 minutes, better yet, go to the indoor mall for some retail therapy -- kill two birds with one stone!

8. Set up walk-dates with freinds. Maybe even a different friend three nights a week.

9. Each day walk out of your front door and take a different street or path and see what you find! 

10. Park WAAAAAY in the back at the grocery.

Tell as many people as you can you're doing this. Get a support group to help encourage and hold you accountable. YOU CAN DO THIS!  30 minutes for 30 days. It's not hard or an ongoing commitment. This is a challenge that you know you can do.

Don't forget to let me know how you're doing!

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