Baby on a Budget Archives - Thrifty Wife Happy Life

KeaBabies Original Diaper Backpack Review

May 8, 2020 by Katie Haller

I guess you can say I’ve become quite the connoisseur of diaper bags over the last 4 years and the funny thing is I rarely used them when Jack was a baby. I’ve tried out all sorts of bags, but I always ended up just throwing everything into one of my big purses. The problem with that is it made it really hard for me to find everything I needed. It also created a big mess in my purse with burp cloths, bottles, and all the other random things that ended up in there. Read more

Baby Girl Cactus Theme Nursery

March 12, 2020 by Katie Haller

I have a confession to make. I am really bad at decorating. I know what I like when I see it, but I don’t know how to make it all work and flow together. That’s why when people started asking me if I had a theme picked out for our new baby girl’s nursery I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t even thought of it yet.

9 Healthy Toddler Meals for Daycare

June 12, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- 9 Healthy Toddler Meals to Pack for Daycare

One of the most challenging things about being a mom for me right now is figuring out what to pack Jack in his lunches for daycare. The daycare we send Jack to does not provide meals for him. This can be a good and bad thing. It’s good because I get to be in control over what I pack for him. He gets a variety from me and I know what kinds of foods he likes. It’s bad because I am constantly trying to figure out what to pack. I try my best to send him to school with a decent lunch. I was flattered that his teacher said to me that Jack has the best lunches in the class. It makes me wonder what the other parents send for their kids to eat because I don’t think I do anything special with his lunches.

Here are a few tips I like to stick to when coming up with meal ideas for my little guy.

1.) Feed your child what you eat- I try not to buy a whole lot of special foods for Jack. I buy food that I can pack in his lunches, my lunches and my husband’s. I don’t want him to only eat kid type food.

2.) Give them a variety- I always try to pack Jack a protein, grain, fruit, and vegetable. This way it lets him try a little bit of everything. I try to give him new foods to try along with something that I know he will eat, like fruit.

3.) Make it colorful- At my school, one thing I like about our food program is that they try to make the meals colorful. For whatever reason, it’s appealing to the children and it makes them want to try all the food. That’s why I try to pack Jack colorful meals. I like to send him with something green, something red, something orange… anything to make the meal more appealing to him.

4.) Pack leftovers- This is perfect for saving money and time. I always pack Jack leftover dinner. It saves me the time of thinking up a meal and it helps me get rid of the extra food from dinner.

5.) Don’t give up on foods- It takes a child at least 7 to 15 times of trying a new food, before they can actually say they don’t like it. I have a hard time getting Jack to eat meat and vegetables, but that doesn’t mean I stop feeding it to him. I think that is one of the things parents do that can create a picky eater, they give up on foods they won’t eat and only feed them foods they will eat. I have worked with young children for a long time. At one of my jobs, I remember a child who’s parents packed them…no joke…. garlic bread and candy every day. That is an example of a parent who just wanted their kid to eat. You can’t give up on food, especially when they are little.

Those are my tips. Here’s a list of different meals that I packed for Jack over the last couple of months.

Main meal- Ravioli with marinara sauce
Veggie- Peas
Fruit- Peaches

Main meal- Ham and cheese slices
Veggie- Avocado
Fruit- Strawberries

Main meal- Turkey and cheese
Veggie- no veggies, extra fruit
Fruit- Blueberries and peaches

Main meal- Gyro meat, cheese and pita
Veggie- no veggie
Fruit- Raspberries

Main meal- Hamburger with whole wheat egg noodles
Veggie- Vegetable medley
Fruit- Grapes

Main meal- Tortellini with marinara sauce
Veggie- Peas and carrots
Fruit- Watermelon

Main meal- Scrambled eggs
Veggie- Mixed vegetables
Fruit- Blueberries

Main meal- Fettuccini
Veggie- Peas and carrots
Fruit- strawberries

Main meal- Ham and Cheese
Veggie- No veggie
Fruit- Blueberries

For a snack, I keep it very simple. I like to pack him yogurt or apple sauce pouches. I also like Nutri-grain bars for his am snack. It’s easiest for me to grab something and go in the morning.

I also pack him 2 cups of milk and 1 water for the day. I know I’m not perfect, I noticed that I don’t pack a vegetable every time, but I do my best to mix it up and introduce my little guy to as many different foods as I can. So far pasta, cheese and fruits are his favorites. (He takes after his mommy)

Let me know if you have any meal ideas that your little ones love.

The Pros and Cons of Child Care

April 10, 2017 by Katie Haller

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while now because I’m sure that there are a lot of new parents out there struggling with the idea of daycare. It’s never easy to think about leaving your baby in someone else’s care, but many parents do it every day. I have been working in early childhood settings ever since I graduated from college with my degree in child development. I’ve been an infant teacher, toddler teacher, and administrator at child care centers, so I know what it’s like to work in a child care center and take care of other people’s children. It’s not always easy. I also understand now just how hard it can be from a parent’s perspective. I dropped off Jack for his first day of daycare when he was just shy of 8 weeks old. It was not an easy day for me. I remember that feeling of having to trust a complete stranger with my precious baby. This is why I feel like I am the perfect person to write a post on the pros and cons of daycare.

It’s often a personal or a financial decision to continue to work after having a child. For me, it was a mix of both. My husband and I felt that we weren’t at the financial place we wanted to be at to support our family with just one income, so I continued to work. Plus, I actually like my job. It has been the best job that I’ve had since I graduated college and I wasn’t ready to give that up yet, so after a short maternity leave, I went back to work. I’m grateful that I don’t work too long of hours and I do have a lot of flexibility with my job if needed, plus it was nice knowing that my husband was able to be home with Jack most days in the beginning. For the first 9 months, my husband stayed home with Jack 2-3 days a week, which was nice. We found a small Christian child care center close to our home that had the right price. At first, I had my concerns about leaving him, but overall I’m happy with the setting and Jack seems to love it. His teachers are very sweet and I can tell when I drop him off that he’s in good hands.

So what are the cons of starting your baby in child care? Here is what I came up with.

1.) It’s not you

If you are planning on heading back to work after having a baby, one thing that you have to accept is that no one is going to take care of your baby the same way that you will. I knew that things would be different if it was just me taking care of Jack. It’s hard for teachers to care for your child the same way that you would because it’s a different setting and there are other children that need their attention too. You have to accept that your baby will eat differently, sleep different and play differently while they are away from you and that’s okay.

2.) Child care staff turn over

Child care jobs are some of the lowest paid jobs out there. Many places require the bare minimum qualifications of their teachers and pay them minimum wages, while other higher quality programs have higher standards for their teachers and still only pay them a little over minimum wage. This is why many child care centers are a constant revolving door. Just in the first few months that Jack was at his center, he had a number of teachers come and go. As a parent it makes you question what is going on behind closed door. All you can really do is trust that anyone who takes a job to work with young children has there heart in the right place.

3.) Germs and Illness

Unfortunately, children can carry lots of germs and with germs comes illness. I’ve seen lots of children start in a child care settings and then get sick quickly, because they have never been exposed to the foreign germs. My best advice for that is to start your baby early. The earlier you expose them to the germs the more their little immune system can build up a tolerance. I’d also recommend breastfeeding. Breastmilk has antibodies in it that help protect against infection. The month that I stopped breastfeeding Jack, he got his first ear infection. He never even had a runny nose before that.

4.) No one-on-one care

Most centers have a 1:4 ratio in the infant room, which means that your precious little one and only is going to have to share the attention. It’s impossible for the teachers to attend to your baby perfectly, so in some cases, they might have to cry and not be held and comforted right away. They might have to wait for their food longer than at home. It’s just the reality of not being the only one to care for.

After listening the cons, I have to end on a positive note and tell you the pros of child care.

1.) SOCIALIZATION!

It is so cute to see Jack start to interact with his friends. He’s the first child in our family, so he doesn’t have any siblings at home to interact with and learn from. I love that he can go to school and play with his little buddies. You would be amazed with how early children start to engage with their peers and learn from each other.

2.) Helps build up their immune systems

I mentioned that illness is a con of daycare, but on the opposite side of that, the germs that they are exposed to can also be a benefit of child care. It definitely helps build a child’s immune system. Parents who keep their kids at home until preschool or kindergarten often find that their kids get sick all the time. As I said before, the earlier you expose them to germs, sometimes the better.

3.) Curriculum

Most child care centers have a curriculum that they follow, even with babies. They do learning activities with them throughout the day. They paint, read books, dance, do sensory exploration, it all helps meet their developmental needs. When choosing a center, I would ask about the curriculum and find out how they implement it with the infants and toddlers.

4.) Cheaper than a Nanny

My husband and I had thought about getting a nanny who could be flexible with our schedule needs, but after doing the math it was just not worth the cost. It was much cheaper for us to pay for full time care at a child care center than it was to pay for part time care with a nanny. When looking into child care, look at the price and see what they offer, but you are almost always going to find that a child care center is cheaper than a private nanny.

Honestly, child care can be a really great thing for you and your baby, but you really need to decide if it’s the right fit for you as a parent. It’s a personal decision that you have to make as a parent.

Are you a parent looking to enroll in child care? I’d be happy to answer any questions from a parent or teacher’s perspective.

Traveling with a Baby- What to Bring on the Airplane

December 19, 2016 by Katie Haller

I am looking forward to traveling to Michigan over the holidays to celebrate Jack’s first Christmas with all our family! However, whenever the thought of traveling with a baby comes up, I tend to get very anxious. There is just so much to think about and so much to pack! I’ve been making lists in my head of all the baby essential I will need for the airplane, so I thought I would share some of the items that I will be bringing with me.

The last time I flew with Jack was in July and he was only 4 months. It was a little easier because we took a red-eye flight and Jack slept the entire way there. This time, we have an early morning flight and Jack is an active 10-month-old. I’m no professional jet setting parent, but each time I travel, I learn a little more about how to make it easier on myself. So here are some of the baby essentials I have come up with for air travel.

1.) Large tote purse- I always bring a big purse on the airplane. On most airlines, you are allowed to bring one personal item and one carry on bag, that’s why I always like to make sure that I have lots of space to pack in my personal item. Plus, I have been using my purse as my diaper bag, so the more space the better!

2.) Ergo Carrier- Last time I traveled with Jack, this was so handy. I liked being able to wear him and have my hands free. He also seemed more content being close to me in his carrier.

3.) Stroller and Car Seat- Last time I traveled, I checked my stroller and car seat at the gate. I kept Jack in his car seat connected to the stroller until we got to security. Once we passed the security, I wore Jack and I used my travel system to put all my bags in. This made it easier to maneuver my way through the airport.

4.) Large tote bag- When we flew in July, I used my diaper bag as my carry on, but I ran out of space. This time I am using a large tote bag as my carry on to be sure I have an extra room, especially if we need to bring home some Christmas presents.

5.) Travel Size Wipes- Wipes are a must and the more the better. I use wipes for everything with Jack. My friend had sent me a care package from The Honest Company right after Jack was born, so I have lots of travel size wipes. An awesome thing about the Honest company is that you can send away for a free trial kit with only having to pay for the shipping. They will send you a bunch of samples, so you can load up on some travel size wipes and other fun travel size products for the next time you fly.

6.) Changing Mat- I hate using public restrooms for changing diapers, but it’s going to happen when you’re traveling with a baby, so it’s best to be prepared. I use the changing mat that came with my diaper bag, but I would love a travel size mat like the one above to fit into my purse.

7.) Diapers- That’s kind of a given. Just make sure that you bring enough for the trip, you never know when your little one is going to have a surprise for you!

8.) Travel size diaper cream and lotion- I use the California baby travel size diaper cream and lotion because I got them in a gift set at my shower. It’s always good to have travel-size toiletries for your baby.

9.) Light Weight Jacket- I like to dress in layers when traveling, so I dress my baby in layers too. You never know if it will be cold or warm on the plane. It’s just best to have a little jacket.

10.) Comfortable 2 piece outfits with Extras!!!- It’s best to dress your baby in comfortable easy to change outfits while traveling. I’d also be sure to pack extra clothes, at least 2 extra outfits in your carry on. You never know what could happen.

11.) Books- I’m going to try bringing books for Jack’s entertainment. I figure that they are a quiet toy and he enjoys them. I’m nervous about keeping him entertained during the flight, so any kind of toy will do.

12.) Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets- We love these blankets! They were one of my favorite shower gifts and they are perfect for traveling. They are so lightweight and easy to pack. They’re perfect for the plane!

13.) Pacifiers– My little guy is loving his pacifier right now, especially while he’s teething. I’ve always heard that it’s a good idea to have a pacifier on hand while flying because of the pressure changes in a baby’s ears. Jack’s favorite brand is Mam Pacifier, everything else he just chews on. I like the glow in the dark pacifiers because they are easy to find in my large purse.

14.) Ready to Feed Formula- You are allowed to bring formula or breast milk through security, so this time I fly, I’m going to buy the ready to feed formula. Last time we flew, I was breastfeeding still, so I wasn’t as concerned about running out of bottles. This time, I need to make sure that I have enough formula and I’d rather not have to worry about mixing a bottle on the plane.

15.)Burp Clothes- My poor baby is a spit up machine. He has been ever since he was born, that’s why lots of burp cloths are always a must for me.

16.) Baby food Pouch- Baby food in a pouch is perfect for traveling. There is little cleanup and they can give your baby a quick healthy meal on the go.

17.) Sippy Cup- I’ll be bringing a sippy cup of water to help make sure Jack stays hydrated and also give him some entertainment. I’ve always liked the Playlex sippy cups, and Jack does too!

18.) Snack bowl- Snacks are a must for the plane. If he gets fussy, I’m hoping that the snacks will keep him quiet.

If that seems like a lot of stuff….it is! I didn’t even mention any of the things that I will be bringing on the plane. Let me know if there is anything I need to add. I’m sure I’ll forget something. Good luck to anyone traveling this holiday season with their little ones! It will all be worth it once you get to your destinations!

Shopping Finds- Thrift Shopping for Baby

November 4, 2016 by Katie Haller

If you follow my blog, you know how much I love to a thrift shop, so I’m sure it’s no surprise that I love to thrift shop for my baby too. Baby clothes can be so expensive at times. I hate to spend a lot of money on baby clothes because they grow out of them so quickly, plus they get their clothes so messy, that’s why a thrift store is a perfect place to buy clothes for my little guy.

I am grateful that our family members and friends have kept Jack clothed for so long. I have so many cute outfits for him that we got as gifts, but he’s quickly growing out of many of his clothes, plus the weather is slowly getting cooler, so it’s time to start shopping for the winter. One nice thing about having a boy is that they are so low maintenance, even as babies. All they need are some onesies, some pants and a jacket of some sort.

Last Friday, I went to my favorite thrift store, Savers. They tend to have a very small boy selection, so when I find cute things, I buy a lot. It was Nevada Day on the day I was there, so all the clothes were 30% off, plus I bought 2 yellow tag items that were 50% off. I ended up buying him 3 pairs of pants, a button down shirt and a fleece jacket all for under $10. That’s not bad considering I already know that my little guy will only wear them for 3 months, then it will be back to summer clothes again. That’s okay, because I will just have another excuse to do some more thrift store shopping.

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