Baby Cheapskate

1 Day Giveaway: Entire Line of AVEENO Baby Products

2009-11-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

Come enter today's One-Day Giveaway, wherein one lucky BC reader will receive the entire line of 10 AVEENO Baby products. Pretty cool, huh?

Portrait Deals to Make You Smile

2009-11-03T16:48:00.008-05:00

Wow! You won't find a portrait studio that's NOT offering holiday specials right now. Check your favorite studio's website for more holiday offers and coupons.

Picture People:
Free 10x13 portrait plus 25% off your additional portrait purchase with code CGPAA.
Buy two sets of postcards get one free with code CGPAB.

Portrait Innovations (Reader favorite!)
Over 40 portraits and six greeting cards for $9.99.
No sitting fees.

JCPenney Portrait Studio
40% off portrait purchase of $80 or more. (exp. 12/31)
Free 8x10 traditional portrait (exp. 12/31)
$9.99 sitting fee.

Target Portrait Studio (Coupons)
40% off portrait purchase of $80 or more (exp. 12/31)
Free 8x10 traditional portrait (exp. 12/31)
$3.99 ea. traditional portrait sheet
$7.99 traditional portrait package
No sitting fees.

PictureMe Portrait Studio (Walmart)
Deals may vary by location. Type in your ZIP and get a coupon (mine was for 20% off)
Extra 40% off any reg. priced item when you buy any Portrait Collection CD

Sears Portrait Studio (Coupons)
Free "classic montage."
Extra 20% off entire purchase through 12/31 with coupon.
$7.99 Holiday portrait package (35 portraits) No session fee.

Olan Mills
$1.99 sheets when you buy eight at $7.99 (with coupon)
Free new baby portrait package.

Related:
Q&A: Best Portrait Studio?
When to Order Holiday Photo Cards and Gifts
Tips for Taking Holiday Family Portraits @ Coochicoos

Readers: What are your best tips for holiday family portraits?

Toys That Get Played With: 13 Mos. to 2 Years

2009-11-03T15:57:00.010-05:00

Have you ever given your child a toy you thought she'd love only to find it forgotten less than a week later? Ugh. Let's see if we can prevent that from happening. I've polled BC readers and fans and analyzed hundreds of results. Here are two dozen toys for tots 13 months to two years that made it to the top of the toy pile and stayed there for up to a year.

The polls: Last January, a mere month after the great unwrapping, I asked BC readers which of the toys their kids got were still getting a lot of action and which had been duds. I asked the same question in September, nine months later. I'm also including responses from an earlier query I had posed about what toys were still being played with a full year after they were received. Browse the responses at the links above and you'll also learn about toys that were duds.

Still played with after a month:

Little Mommy Doll (13 mo)
FP Grow with Me Kitchen (16 mo)
FP Bounce and Spin Zebra (16 mo)
LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table (17 mo)
Playskool Form Fitter Shape Sorter (17 mo)
Little Tykes Tap a Tune Drum (18 mo)
Hasbro Rose Petal Cottage (21, 22 mo),
Step 2 Front Porch Playhouse (18 mo)
Melissa & Doug Wood Barn (19 mo)
Wooden Melissa and Doug peg puzzles (21 mo)

Still played with after 9 months

GeoTrax Transportation System (Grand Central Station) (20 mo)
Little Tikes Handle Haulers Safari Hauler (22 mo)
FP My First Dollhouse
Kindermusic instruments
Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter
Bouncy Horse (unspecified brand)
FP Laugh & Learn Song & Story Learning Chair
Little Tikes Toy Shopping Cart
Step 2 Lifestyle Kitchen (19 mo)
Wooden play kitchen (2yo)
Melissa & Doug Kitchen (22 mo)

Still played with after a year:

Duplo, Mega Bloks and other building sets
Trains and train table
Musical instruments
FP Little People Playsets (18 mo)
Play kitchens
Dolls

Note: The age in parentheses (if given) is not necessarily the recommended age range for the toy, but rather the age of the particular child who received (and loved!) the toy. I've also linked (where possible) to the manufacturer's site so that you can learn more about the toy.

Readers: all kids are different, of course. Tell us about your experiences with these toys in the comments. Be sure to give the age of your child, too. What toys for kids 13 months to two yearsnwould you add to the list?

Toys That Get Played With: 7 Months to 1 Year

2009-11-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

Have you ever given your child a toy you thought she'd love only to find it forgotten less than a week later? Ugh. Let's see if we can prevent that from happening. I've polled BC readers and fans and analyzed hundreds of results. Here are a dozen toys for babies a year old and younger that made it to the top of the toy pile and stayed there for up to a year.

The polls: Last January, a mere month after the great unwrapping, I asked BC readers which of the toys their kids got were still getting a lot of action and which had been duds. I asked the same question in September, nine months later. I'm also including responses from an earlier query I had posed about what toys were still being played with a full year after they were received. Browse the responses at the links above and you'll also learn about toys that were duds.

Still played with after a month:

Munchkin Mozart Music Cube (7 mo)
LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table (7 months)
FP Crawl and Cruise Musical Jungle (8 months)
FP Rock a Stack (9 mo old)
Parents Zoo Cube (at Target) (11 mo old)
Playskool Busy Ball-tivity Center (11 mo old)
LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Toy Animal Set (1 yo)

Still played with after 9 months:

FP Laugh & Learn Song & Story Learning Chair (11 mo old)
FP Spinnin Around Musical Zoo (13 mos)
Playskool Busy Ball Popper

Still played with after a year:

Stacking Blocks (brand unspecified) (9 mo old)
FP Laugh n Learn Learning Home (12 mos)

Note: The age in parentheses (if given) is not necessarily the recommended age range for the toy, but rather the age of the particular child who received (and loved!) the toy. I've also linked (where possible) to the manufacturer's site so that you can learn more about the toy.

Readers: all babies are different, of course. Tell us about your experiences with these toys in the comments. Be sure to give the age of your child, too. What toys for kids one and under would you add to the list?

Coming Soon:

Toys for the Toddler Set: 13 Months to Two Years
Toys for Twos and Threes

Target Toy Clearance: Four at 50% Off or More

2009-11-03T12:00:00.001-05:00

New at my Upromise deal blog, Mommy Saves Best: Target Toy Clearance: Four at 50% Off or More. Come see what I found for under $13!

NEW $2 Huggies Printable Coupon

2009-11-03T09:51:00.002-05:00

Print a coupon for $2 off any Huggies diapers at Coupons.com. Let me know if this one's regional by including your ZIP in the comments if you can't see it. You can print two.

Related: Another $2 Huggies printable.

Target's Toy Coupons Now Online

2009-11-02T21:50:00.003-05:00

Yippee! Those Target Toy coupons I told you about are now online for your printing pleasure. They expire 11/25. Thanks to Sara at "Deal"icious Mom for the link!

When To Order Holiday Photo Cards and Gifts?

2009-11-02T11:03:00.010-05:00

It may feel like the holidays are right around the corner, but there's no reason to stuff your baby into that holiday bunting from last year's clearance sale and line everybody up for the annual family photo card shot quite yet.

Photo card deals are good now, but they'll get better, with peak discounts from Black Friday (11/27) through around December 12. Based on last year's deals, we should see free shipping deals and up to 50% off cards by December 10 with 30% off deals for cards showing up by December 1 or so. Keep an eye out for enticing "early shopper" deals before that.

So when should you order? Let's say you like to send your cards out by December 20. Order by December 10 or so and you'll get them in plenty of time. Photo gifts can take a bit more time to process, so I'd order them by December 5 if you need to ship them and December 10 if you don't.

Awkward family photo via AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com

Coupon: 30% Off at Gymboree Starting Thursday

2009-11-01T09:59:00.006-05:00

Thanks to Barb for this "leak": Gymboree's Circle of Friends event starts Thursday 11/5. Take 30% off everything with codes CFFRIEND or CFCIRCLE. The Fall Sale's still going on, too. If you need a printable coupon, Barb says to ask at the store or hurry and get on the mailing list.

Got the scoop on the Crazy 8 sale that's sure to go along with this one? Tell us in the comments!

Top Diaper and Formula Deals of the Week

2009-10-31T20:56:00.024-04:00

Print a coupon for $2 off Huggies diaper product and make the following deals even better. [Edited: There's another $2 off Huggies printable coupon at Coupons.com.]

Buy a jumbo of Huggies and get a $3 Single Check Rebate. Plus, Buy 5 Huggies jumbos and get a 6th FREE with SCRs. Plus print a coupon for $4 off $20 at RiteAid at Coupons.com or use this printable coupon for $5 off $25 at RiteAid (.pdf, exp. 12/19). Use a great manny, and this could be a stockupportunity!
Huggies megas are $14.99 at RiteAid less a $2 Single Check Rebate. Use with a manny and this coupon for $4 off $20 at RiteAid at Coupons.com or use this printable coupon for $5 off $25 at RiteAid (.pdf, exp. 12/19). and you could have a Stockupportunity!
Huggies jumbos are $8.99 at Target (.225 ea. for size 3 LMs after the $2 printable)
Huggies big packs are $19.99 at Kmart through 11/9 (about .24 ea. for size 3 Little Movers with the $2 printable above).
PullUps and GoodNites megas are $15.99 at Kmart through 11/9.
Send your Huggies receipts to Caregivers Marketplace and they'll send you .75 back per pack. Think of it as an extra .02 off per diaper.

Don't miss the $1.50 Pampers diaper coupon in the latest brandSAVER insert!
Pampers big packs are $19.99 at RiteAid. Use the $1.50 manny and print a coupon for $4 off $20 at RiteAid at Coupons.com or use this printable coupon for $5 off $25 at RiteAid (.pdf, exp. 12/19). Should be a stockupportunity!
Pampers jumbos are $8.99 at Kroger (includes Easy Ups). Use the $1.50 manny and you'll get size 3 Cruisers for .24 each. If your store will let you (some of you have reported success), add (and use) a coupon for $1 off Pampers to your Kroger shopper's card at P&G eSaver. That makes size 3 Cruisers .21 each--a stockupportunity!.
Pampers jumbos are $8.99 at CVS, Target, and Publix (Publix deal lasts through Wednesday or Thursday, depending on your location). That's about .24 each for size 3 Cruisers with the coupon above.
Pampers big packs are $19.99 at Kmart through 11/7 (.243 ea. for size 3 Cruisers with the coupon).
Pampers jumbos are 2/$20 at Walgreens. That's over .27 each for size 3 Cruisers with the coupon.

Luvs megas are $10 at Kmart through 11/9 (.166 each for size 3).
Luvs big packs are $16.99 at Target. That's about .18 ea. for size 3 unless you have a manny).
Buy a mega of Luvs at RiteAid and get a $2 Single Check Rebate.

Store Brands

Folks in many regions can print a coupon for $3 off Kroger Comforts diapers at Coupons.com.
Publix training pants are $7.99 a jumbo through Wednesday or Thursday, depending on your location.

Formula, Milk and Baby Food

Print a coupon for $5 off a can of Enfamil Premium.
Similac Sensitive is $21.99 a can at Diapers.com
2-packs of Gerber 1st foods are .95 at Target.
Buy two large cans of powdered Enfamil and get $7 off your Publix purchase with this coupon from the Publix circular. Good through Wednesday or Thursday, depending on your location.
Buy a can of RiteAid probiotic infant formula and get a $2 Single Check Rebate. Limit 4.

Coupons (several great coupons below expire TODAY)

Check out the new baby-related rebates here in this the November RiteAid SCR book.

Huggies: Load a coupon for $3 off 2 packs of Huggies to your Kroger (etc.) card or cellphone at Cellfire.com. (in some regions, Cellfire shows a $1 coupon).
Huggies: Load a coupon for $1.50 off Huggies diapers to your Kroger (etc.) card at Shortcuts.com.
PullUps: Load a coupon for $2 off PullUps to your Kroger (etc.) card at Shortcuts.com.
PullUps: Printable: $2 off Pull Ups (Requires registration. Print one per month)

The following coupons are available at PandG eSAVER for use at Kroger (or Kroger-owned stores) or Safeway: (exp. 12/31)

$1 off a pack of Pampers
.25 off Pampers wipes
$1 off UnderJams
$1 off Pampers Extra Protection
$1 off Swaddlers Sensitive
$1 off Luvs (or $2, depending on your area)

Seventh Generation: Print a coupon for $1 off Seventh Generation diapers
Seventh Generation: $2 off Seventh Generation Diapers (must register at site)

Gerber baby food: Printable coupon for $2 off three 2-packs or 6 glass jars.
Earth's Best Baby food: Printable Coupons
Sign up for the newsletter and get Beechnut coupons.

Ongoing Deals

Gear and Furniture:

Clothing and Shoes:

Toys, DVDs, Music and Books:

50% Off Fisher Price Toys at Kohls.com

Misc:

Coupon: 20% off Your Purchase at The Container Store (expires tomorrow, 11/2!)
$4.97 Subscriptions to Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, and Working Mother Magazines

BCNews

Need to get rid of this year's Halloween costume? Give it away to another family on Freepeats. Remember! Lifetime membership in all 54 Freepeats.org local groups is now free. Freepeats is a great (and green!) way to pass on gently-used baby, kid and maternity items, baby coupons, and formula samples to other families that can use them. If course, it's a great place to look for FREE baby, kid and maternity stuff for your own family, too.

November's BC Predicts post is up. Find out what kinds of fabulous baby/kid/toy deals you can expect in November

Preview

Huggies should be $9.88 at CVS next week. There's a great kids' medicine stockupportunity at CVS next week: Buy $20, get $20 in Extra Care Bucks. Walgreens will have a similar deal (buy $20, get $10 in Register Rewards).
Next week's Walgreens circular should have a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase. Huggies jumbos should be $8.99 next week at Wags.

So what are the best diaper and formula deals in your town?

BC Predicts: November Baby Bargain Forecast

2009-10-31T17:00:00.000-04:00

Are you ready for this? Stores are ramping up for your holiday dollars. Expect Black Friday circular leaks starting in week 2 of this month.

The important thing to remember is that although sales will be good before Black Friday, they will most likely be as good or better on BF and in December. There's no no need to rush through your shopping in fear that you'll miss a deal. The exception? Photo gifts and other custom items. You'll find the best deals on them during the second half of this month.

I'll be bringing you tons of money-saving shopping tips and gift ideas starting in week two.

Week 1:

Look for a 30% off coupon code for Gymboree to appear within the next couple of days. They've released one for the past three years. We should also see one for about 20% off at Crazy 8.
Baby gear closeout deals continue as stores try to clear out last year's models. Look for big discounts from Fisher Price, Graco and more at various retailers. Expect 30% to 50% off.
Target releases its toy coupons.
I've got my eye out for a good code for The Children's Place. They usually release one about this time.

Week 2:

Look out for "friends and family" coupons to the tune of 20% to 30% off your purchase. Keep an eye on Gap brands, Kmart, and Sears
The Babies R Us / Toys R Us Veterans Day sale typically offers some coupons and deals. I'll post 'em when I see 'em.
Expect several good coupon codes for shoes from retailers like Shoes.com, Shoebuy.com, and more. We've seen $20 off $50, 20% off, and others.
Look for some good deals on photo gifts. Expect at least 25% off.

Week 3:

The quiet before the storm. Some stores and sites will actually start their sales before Thanksgiving.
Last year we saw a 30% off coupon for PBS.com around the 17th.

Week 4:

Black Friday. Need I say more?

Expect big discounts on toys (25% off and more), a four-day baby sale, and 40% to 70% off kids' shoes from Amazon.
Old Navy's Black Friday sales is one of the best out there. It's my favorite time to stock up on Performance Fleece.
Look for a 50% off sale at Kohls.

In December, week 1: Great deals on photo gifts and prints start in week 1 of December. 20% to 30% off.

What will you be shopping for this holiday season?

2009-10-31T14:00:00.000-04:00

It's early to ask, I know. And don't worry. I'm not going to go all Christmas on you as soon as the last trick or treater has been served. There's a lot of pumpkin pie to be served between now and then.

I'm compiling a list of toy and baby/kid items that readers will be shopping for this holiday season so that I can keep a special eye out for deals on them. Now is the perfect time to get a "base price" on these items so I know a great deal when I see one.

So head over to our Facebook Fan Page or to the "Find Me a Deal" group on BC Cheep Peeps and let me what toy/baby items I should add to my "deals-to-watch-for" list. If you're the plan ahead type, that is.

New TRU/BRU Coupons: $5 off $25 and More

2009-10-31T10:02:00.003-04:00

Here are the latest Toys R Us / Babies R Us coupons (.pdf). Includes diaper and formula coupons as well as a coupon for $5 off a $25 baby purchase (see coupon fine print for exclusions). They're good through 11/6. Thanks, Jennifer!

Hot Deals on Cold Weather Wear for Baby

2009-10-30T16:53:00.003-04:00

New at my Upromise deal blog, Mommy Saves Best: Baby, It's Cold Outside! Outerwear Steals at Sierra Trading Post. Come see what I found...all for under $20.

Seventh Generation Mega Stockupportunity

2009-10-29T21:52:00.001-04:00

Want super-cheap Seventh Gen diapers? Here's how:

First, Grab your $4 Seventh Generation Coupon. Then go find the diapers you need. Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Diapers are 15% off at Amazon. Save another 15% with code 7GENIOO9. Use Subscribe and Save (it's easy to cancel online after just one shipment), and your price drops another 15%.

You'll get a case of size 3 Seventh Generation diapers for .167 each. Free shipping, too. Awesome! Thanks to SwagGrabber, Money Saving Mom, and Thrifty Jenny for the keen eye.

Free Shipping at Old Navy, No Minimum

2009-10-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

It's back! Get free shipping at OldNavy.com with no minimum purchase with code ONSHIPFREE. Ends 11/2. Shipping is usually $7.

Want Huggies Rewards Codes? Just Google

2009-10-29T12:09:00.002-04:00

Here's a time saving tip for ya: Are you into the Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards program?

Here's how to find lots of current codes in seconds: Just Google. A quick search for "Huggies Reward Codes" should bring up links to any that have been posted on blogs like Freebies4Mom, DealSavingMom, yCommon Sense With Money, couponing sites, mom forums, and more. More codes = more chances to win stuff. (Click here to try it.)

Speaking of which, BC reader Brandy sent in these two Huggies Codes:
bcxsf-ddgfc-gxpgb (2 pts)
bcrrn-dtqkc-wppgb (5 pts)
Enjoy!

Free Streaming Halloween Music For Kids

2009-10-29T11:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween! Looking for some spooky tunes? My favorite kiddie radio station, Spare the Rock, has a great line up of streaming Halloween music. Right now, we're rocking to this ghoulish Halloween station from Pandora.com. Photo by riptheskull via Flickr.

5 Products Not to Buy For Your Baby

2009-10-29T09:43:00.005-04:00

I happened across Consumer Reports' list of 5 Items Not to Buy for Your Baby today and I'm so curious to learn what you think. CR has deemed the following items just too dangerous to use:

Bedside and other co-sleeping devices
Baby bath seats
Sleep positioners
Crib bumper pads
Sling carriers

Take a look at the article to find out just why they're so dangerous, and then let us know what you think. Also, are there any baby items that should have made the list, but didn't?

20% Off Everything at Hanna Andersson

2009-10-28T22:21:00.000-04:00

New at my Upromise deal blog, Mommy Saves Best: 20% Off Everything at Hanna Andersson. No, it's still not cheap, but you Hanna fans will enjoy the savings.

Printable Coupon: $4 off $20 at RiteAid

2009-10-28T14:30:00.001-04:00

Print a coupon for $4 off $20 at RiteAid at Coupons.com. These can be regional, so let us know in the comments (leave your ZIP) if these are not available to you.

Huggies jumbos are $9.99 at RiteAid this week. Buy 5 Huggies Jumbo Pack Diapers and Get a 6th FREE with Single Check Rebates. Use with a manny for extra savings. Also, Pampers and Huggies big packs are $19.99.

Coupon: 15% Off at AlbeeBaby

2009-10-28T11:47:00.002-04:00

Marybeth at Baby GoodBuys wrote to let me know about a 15% off coupon at AlbeeBaby.com. Enter code 15OFF (case sensitive) at checkout. Not good on sale/clearance items and some excluded brands.

If you've been reading for a while, you know I'm a pretty big fan of Albee Baby. It's a small(ish) store with great sale prices. If you're in the market for baby gear, take a look around. Do some price comps with Google before you buy. The Avent Isis manual breast pump is $38.24 with the coupon-- a good deal.

Get Cozy with Deals on Fleece Sleepers for Toddlers

2009-10-26T11:46:00.001-04:00

New at my Upromise deal blog, Mommy Saves Best: Get Cozy with Deals on Fleece Sleepers for Toddlers. 'Cause really, what's cuddlier than a toddler in footie PJs that you got for a song?

Also at MSB:
20% Off Your Purchse at The Container Store
40% Off Your Purchase at Justice (Girls' Clothes)

Toy Coupons from Target

2009-10-26T09:11:00.004-04:00

The Target Toys catalog and coupon book is out there! You should be able to find it at your local Target. The coupons expire around Thanksgiving. Want to know what's in it? Check out this post at Big Fat Piggy Bank.