Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Stocking Up Before Baby

 You guys know by now that I am a couponer and love to stock up on items for super cheap. I have been spending the last few months trying to fill my stockpile and get items as cheap as possible before Ellie arrives. I always love to save money but I figured with a baby coming I wouldn't really feel like heading out to the store too often once she arrived so it was better to have all sorts of essentials already stocked. I watched a few youtube videos and found a few lists online that shared lists of what to stockpile before baby- not just baby items but household items as well so I thought I would compile my own list and share it here if anyone is interested! I'm also going to share a few photos of my current stockpile because I'm pretty excited with the amount I've accumulated lately.

Stock Up Before Baby List


Baby Items



  • Diapers (Obviously...) Every chart online says a different number but I looked up a few on Pinterest and just sort of guessed what we would need. I am completely stocked up for newborn through size 3, so I will be working on size 4 and holding off to see if I even need size 5 or 6. I wasn't afraid of buying too many because I made sure they were less than 20 cents a diaper and we plan on having at least one more kid in the future. Also, diapers make great gifts for baby showers!
  • Wipes- Again, obvious but make sure they are one cent a wipe or cheaper!
  • Bottles- Just a few free sample bottles to try out and find the kind you like. 
  • Formula- Free samples are available through Enfamil and Similac. Even if you plan on breastfeeding it doesn't hurt to get the samples just in case. You can always donate them!
  • Clothes- Not a ton, but look for clearance clothing and stock up for the next year.
  • Baby Gear- I will share more of the gear we received at our shower and what else we picked up in another post, but we ended up with a lot of stuff. Probably not all necessary, so talk to friends and family and do your research to see what you will actually use and love. I plan on updating once Ellie is here and we actually know what she will use.
Household/Personal Items


  • Paper Towels
  • Toilet Paper
  • Tissues
  • Qtips
  • Shampoo/Conditioner
  • Lotion
  • Shower Gel/Soap
  • Deodorant
  • Laundry Detergent
  • Dryer Sheets
  • Laundry Scent Boosters
  • Sponges
  • Dishwasher Tabs
  • Cleaning Sprays
  • Dish Soap
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Ziploc Bags
  • Parchment Paper
  • Lysol Wipes/ Other Cleaners
  • Garbage Bags
  • Paper Plates
  • Toothpaste
  • Hand Soaps
  • Bathroom Sprays
  • Vitamins
  • Medications- Tylenol, Tums, etc..
  • Razors
  • Batteries
Pet Items
  • Pet Food
  • Pet Treats
  • Pet Medications
Food/Drink Items
  • Water Bottles
  • Soda/Juice/ Other Drinks
  • Snacks
  • Ingredients For Simple Meals
  • Ingredients to Make Freezer Meals
Post Partum Supplies
  • Pads
  • Tucks Wipes
  • Ingredients to Make Padsicles
  • Ice Packs

That's what I've come up with so far! Let me know if you think anything is missing from my list and I will add it! I've been working hard at stocking up for a few months now and would love to know what else I should be grabbing at the store!

Monday, August 9, 2021

July Empties

 



Today we are talking about July empties! Sorry for the lack of posts lately- it's been crazy around here. We are in week 36 of pregnancy and I am still working full time (currently in person) so I have been using my limited time to get ready for Ellie's arrival. Rory also got spayed last Thursday so we currently have a cone-head wandering around our house that we need to keep an eye on constantly. Basically life has been crazy as we look forward to our little girls arrival. I'm guessing things will be slow here on the blog for a bit but I am working on putting together posts about preparing for baby so hopefully those will be sprinkled over the next couple of months for you guys!


Anyways, let's get into the empties!


Downy Unstoppables Fresh Scent- This isn't the first time I've shared these with you guys. They make your laundry smell amazing! I want to try out some of the other scents offered but these are so good I just keep on repurchasing them. 

Lysol Wipes- A staple in our house. I mostly use these in the bathroom because I prefer to make sure everything is super sanitized. Ibotta has had some amazing deals on these lately so I keep stocking up every time I go to the store.

Tide Pods- This huge container of Tide Pods was picked up on a BJs trip and while I don't like purchasing detergent at such a high price point I really loved how big the container was and how long it took me to get through the whole thing. I will be stocking up with couponing deals going forward though because these are just too pricey for me!

Bath and Body Works Malibu Heat Shower Gel- I really liked this shower gel and would definitely repurchase it in the future. I love these mini shower gels because I get to try different scents and don't get stuck using one scent for too long. It helps me not get bored! I would get this again and would even purchase it in a larger size.

Bath and Body Works Watermelon Lemonade Candle- This candle smells so good! I love the watermelon lemonade scent, it's so sweet and this candle had great throw. I would definitely repurchase.

Sensodyne Gum Repair Toothpaste- My gums have been a mess during this pregnancy and this toothpaste really did seem to help. I can only use sensodyne toothpastes since I get bad canker sores with other brands and was so glad to see they had this gum repair version. I will definitely repurchase this in the future to strengthen my gums back after pregnancy.

Dreft Laundry Detergent Sample- So you would think I used this sample on baby clothes...but no. I used this on a load that smelt like dog poop, after we had an issue where Rory got sick and pooped all over her dog bed. After washing the dog bed, everything smelled fine...until I put the next load in and everything came out smelling like dog poop. After using vinegar, deep cleaning the washer and the dryer and using draft detergent, we finally have everything back to normal! 

Bath and Body Works Cactus Blossom Hand Soap- I really liked this hand soap. I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of the BBW foaming hand soaps and I picked up quite a few summer scents this year. I've been working my way through them pretty quickly and this is definitely one I would repurchase in the future. 

Bounce Dryer Sheets-  These are definitely my dryer sheet of choice and I repurchase them quite often. I like the scent of them and they work great!

Philosophy Snow Angel Scrub- I've had this body scrub for a few years and finally finished it. I did like it, but I don't know that I would repurchase it in the future. I have been trying out a bunch of different scrubs and this one wasn't as abrasive as some of the others.

2 Cake Batter Chapsticks- I still have a huge stock of these and am obsessed with them. Always a repurchase for me!


What products have you used up lately? I feel like I didn't have a ton of empties this month but I always want to share what I've finished so you guys can hear my thoughts on everything. I also think it's a good view of what free samples I have bean able to snag and what products are available through couponing. I hope you enjoy empties posts as much as I like writing them!

Have a great day everyone!

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Our Baby Shower

I unintentionally took a break from the blog...sorry guys! It's hard to keep up now that I'm back to work in person full time. Adding in my commute time now, trying to get the nursery put together, and just keeping up with general chores around the house in my third trimester, I've been completely exhausted. 

Today I wanted to share our baby shower which was a few weeks back. We decided to do a drive-by shower so anyone who didn't want to stay. It was very low pressure and just in our front yard. My mom did an amazing job planning, she had cupcakes delivered and a Del's truck parked in the driveway. It was so nice to have so many people we love stop by and wish us well! I was completely exhausted by the end and my feet were super swollen. 

Basically, I'm going to do a major photo dump of the shower so enjoy!!


Sophie and Rory attended the shower and did so great! It was a really hot day, but they were troopers and slept so well that night and the whole next day.


Our attempts at a family picture didn't go really well, but that's okay!


My mom did such an amazing job planning the shower and hosting! 


Ally tagged this picture of us on instagram, I look so tired! 


My dad even stopped by for awhile, I think he is excited for his first human grand baby!


My in-laws also came and stayed awhile! It was so nice that they came by!




My uncle, his girlfriend, and cousins came from Connecticut to celebrate Ellie.


A picture of the set up along the road. We are lucky we have a big front yard. 




The cute sign my mom ordered and the table in the background. 




Sitting with the dogs before guests started to arrive. 



Another family photo attempt. 


It's hard to believe that these three girls were the flower girls at our wedding, and Tyler wasn't even born yet! (Pictures from our ceremony can be found here) They all seem so big now! 


My mom bought beach balls for all the kids to play with and they had a great time chasing them around the yard. 


Some of the cupcakes my mom had delivered. I never even ate one....



My mom truly went overboard. From the goody bags to the guessing game to the hand sanitizer favors, she had so much set up!


If you aren't sure what Dels is, it's a Rhode Island thing! It's frozen lemonade and delicious but guess what, I never even had one! Luckily our guests seemed to enjoy them!


My mom took guesses on when Ellie would be born and sent me the document, it'll be interesting to see who wins! There were a lot of early September guesses but some major outliers as well. My cousin guessed September 25th.... 22 days late! I am already feeling rather uncomfortable so I can't imagine if I was forced to stay pregnant that long. 


I'm so glad that my uncles girlfriend Liz snapped all these pictures of my mom setting up and how the tables looked. 



Alcohol in case anyone wanted to add it to their Dels. 




Rachel and Ant came and I always wish that we had more time to hang out with them!






My mom invited a bunch of her friends and it was so nice that they all stopped by!



Rachel and Brittni who have handed down so many items to us from their kids! It has been such a lifesaver.






We were so lucky to have so many people stop by and hang out with us. 


Derek and Ally are excited to be Uncle Derek and Auntie Ally!


Tim's mom and brother Dan hanging out.


It was so nice to see Marissa! We don't see Marissa and Fred that often so it was great to hang out with them!


Tim's dad and Fred.




The baby daddy himself :)


Callan and Kason, the oldest of the cousins! They have been the only ones for so long, but already gained one cousin this year and soon Ellie will be here too!



My uncle Dave and his fiancé Liz!


It was such a nice shower, and there were a ton of people who dropped by that we didn't get pictures of. I think the only pictures that I took were of the dogs....all the rest were stolen from my mom :)

I didn't take pictures of all the gifts we received but once the nursery is complete I will do a full nursery tour post and share what we received. 

Have a great day everyone!