I don't know about you, but I love it when a product can be used for more than one purpose....talk about a good way to save money! That's why I liked Jamie's newest giveaway over at Suburban Saving Mama! This super cute Hide and Seek Frog Messenger Bag could easily be used as a school bag, diaper bag or even purse!! I thought it was too cute not to pass on!

As many of you may already have known...June was Dairy Month. It's a great reminder to us all of the benefits of dairy, not only nutritionally, but also for those who are looking to maintain their healthy lifestyle while still sticking within a budget (especially given the current state of our economy)!

Just a few quick facts on milk and dairy that may be of interest to you....

• Milk packs nine essential nutrients at only 25 cents per glass. Many designer drinks, sodas, and fruit drinks are high in calories and expensive!
• Though protein is one of the most expensive parts of the diet, dairy foods are one of the most economical sources of protein and calcium, both of which are important for the growth and development of strong bones and teeth.
• A 1 oz serving of hard cheese, like cheddar for instance, contains 8 grams of protein, and an 8 oz serving of yogurt provides nearly a third of your suggest daily calcium intake.

These are just a few of many facts which can be found at Dairy Makes Sense. I am thankful to have come across this site after being introduced to it on behalf of the Midwest Dairy Council. It's a wonderful resource where you'll find a variety of nutrition value tips and information, as well as a number of recipes you can try out. I really appreciated the shopping tips that are given.

I am so excited to celebrate the benefits of dairy with you by hosting a giveaway so generously sponsored by the Midwest Dairy Council! They are offering 7 readers a prize pack full of coupons and more! This giveaway is open to those who live in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota. Each of the 7 winners will receive a coupon bundle as well as some other great items as pictured:

• 2 FREE Land O Lakes milk coupons
• 1 Old Home or Gaymont Product Coupon
• 4 Borden Single Sensations Cheese "one free and $1 for a friend" coupon
• Reusable grocery bag
• Jump Rope for Kids (or the kid at heart)
• Recipe Booklets
• Magnetic Fridge Pad

Don't miss out on your chance to continue to stay healthy and get some FREE groceries!!

How To Enter To Win: All you have to do is visit Dairy Makes Sense and leave me a comment letting me know something you learned!

How To Get Extra Entries: (only valid after the required initial entry has been completed)

1. For TWO extra entries, subscribe to A Mom's Balancing Act. Be sure to leave TWO comments so that both entries can be counted.

2. For TWO extra entries, blog about this giveaway (linking to both this post and the Midwest Dairy Council) and leave me a comment with the URL to that post. Also, be sure to leave TWO comments so that both entries can be counted.

3. Post my blog button or blog URL to your blogroll and leave a comment with the URL to your blog. (If it already is, leave me a comment letting me know)

4. Digg this giveaway ("Digg This" can be found at the bottom of this post) and leave me a comment once you have done so.

5. If you have Entrecard, drop your card on me and let me know once you have.

6. Follow me on Twitter here (if you already do, leave me a comment letting me know)

7. Tweet about this giveaway. You may copy and paste the following...Dairy Makes Sense: Midwest Dairy Council Giveaway - dairy coupons/prize pack for MN, IA, ND and SD residents http://bit.ly/QrOCH

8. Enter one of my other giveaways and leave me a comment letting me know that you did (current giveaways can be found at the top in the right-hand column)....ONE entry for EACH giveaway you enter!!

Please be sure to leave me a *separate* comment for each entry you complete above including with each, your e-mail address so that I can easily and accurately contact the winner!!

This giveaway will end July 23rd and is open to residents of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota!

When we had Kaelyn there was never a doubt in my mind that we would use disposable diapers.
I figured they'd be easier and more convenient. The thing I didn't fully realize is how expensive they are! Yikes!! After learning that we have a second baby on the way a few months back....I am now considering switching to cloth diapers for the both of them. Hopefully Kaelyn will be potty trained shortly after the baby arrives, but either way...I'd rather save money in the long run and use cloth diapers I think. Saying goodbye to disposables is also much better for our environment!

As I began my search for the best option for us, I came across AppleCheeks! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review one and can say that I was definitely impressed! They are functional, great fitting, and effective...all the things a parent looks for in a diaper! I really liked that there was elastic at the back AND at the tummy too. This helps to keep in everything and prevents blowouts. It was something I hadn't seen on other cloth diapers I've looked at. Another thing I really appreciated was that they only have two sizes (size 1 fits 7-20 lbs and size 2 fits 18-40 pounds). This means that they fit WAY better than a one-size diaper and it helps to save you money because you're not spending on a multiple-sized system! The snaps were wonderful as well. They ensure that the diaper is going to stay on and fit snuggly....even when those little ones try to take their diaper off!

They offer 10 great colors to choose from, as well as all natural inserts that absorb much better than the alternatives in cotton or microfibre. These inserts easily fall out in the wash because of the perfectly placed pocket opening in the cover. This means you don't have to unstuff a soiled diaper! You have a choice whether or not you want to use the inserts inside the pocket of the cover or on top of it. I think both options have their benefits....putting it inside helps to keep moisture away from your child's skin, while putting it on top of the pocket makes it possible to use the cover again before washing.













The best part about AppleCheeks, besides their great diapers, are the resources offered on their website and their amazing customer service. For those of us just starting out with cloth diapers, having information on care instructions, video tutorials, FAQ's, and a way to contact the company for more information is a must!

Buy It: You can purchase AppleCheeks reusable diapers worldwide at these locations!

How To Enter To Win: AppleCheeks has generously offered one of my readers their very own AppleCheeks cloth diaper! To enter, all you have to do is visit the AppleCheeks website and let me know which color you would choose.

How To Get Extra Entries: (only valid after the initial entry has been completed)

1. For TWO extra entries, subscribe to A Mom's Balancing Act (can be found along the right-hand column) and leave me a comment once you do. (If you already do, leave me a comment letting me know). Also, be sure to leave TWO comments so that both entries can be counted.

2. For TWO extra entries, blog about this giveaway (linking to both this post and AppleCheeks) and leave me a comment with the URL to that post. Also, be sure to leave TWO comments so that both entries can be counted.

3. Follow AppleCheeks on Twitter here

4. Follow me on Twitter here

5. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and include a link back to this post.

6. Join the AppleCheeks Facebook Page

7. Post my blog button or blog URL to your blogroll and leave a comment with the URL to your blog. (If it already is, leave me a comment letting me know)

8. Digg this giveaway ("Digg This" can be found at the bottom of this post) and leave me a comment once you have done so.

9. If you have Entrecard, drop your card on me and let me know once you have.

10. Enter one of my other giveaways and leave me a comment letting me know that you did (current giveaways can be found at the top in the right-hand column).

Please be sure to leave me a *separate* comment for each entry you complete above including with each, your e-mail address so that I can easily and accurately contact the winner!!

This giveaway will end July 3rd and is open to anyone WORLDWIDE!!

Be sure to check out my other giveaways listed along the right-hand column!!

Who doesn't like to save money, right?! I know I do. Whenever I can, I search for the best deals and coupons on everything we buy. I like to pass on any money saving tips or sites I come across...and recently there was one worth noting. The Coupon Trunk is a site which may serve as a valuable resource to many of you! It offers updates daily with the most recent discount offers and promo codes. I was impressed to find a variety of categories covered, as well as stores like Walmart, Amazon, and Overstock just to name a few. I think my favorite aspect about this site though, besides the obvious wealth of information offered, was the professional way it is laid out while still giving a personal blog-like feel with all kinds of resources for those looking to save money while shopping for Father's Day gifts, baby supplies and more! I would urge anyone who has never checked out this site to head over there when you get a chance. It's a fantastic resource that I'm very happy to have had the chance to learn more about.

I happened to come across a great promotion from Tombstone over at Mommies With Cents! Tombstone is willing to pay $15 towards your utility bill! Who wouldn't want that...especially with these hot temps coming, right?!! I know I would!

The details about this promotion, as well as the rebate form can be found over at KraftFoods! Click here for a direct link.

As I woke up this morning to the ultrasound picture lying on my nightstand that was taken yesterday (Yep! I'm pregnant with our second baby!!:)), I was reminded of the many blessings I have in my life to be thankful for! We couldn't be happier about our growing family and the soon to be arrival of our new addition in November!! What a blessing children are from the Lord. Kaelyn has been such a joy in our lives and we can't wait to meet this baby too!!

At 18 1/2 months old, Kaelyn doesn't quite understand what's going on or that she's going to soon be a Big Sister in just a matter of months. However, she does know that there's a baby in Mommy's tummy that she likes to kiss throughout the day! We find her walking around the house rocking her arms from one side to the other and saying "baby" (learned from the Baby Signing Time series no doubt :)). She also was fascinated with the ultrasound pictures and immediately said "baby". I thought that was really neat!

We decided to tell our parents and families a couple of months ago, shortly after we found out, and did so by having Kaelyn walk into the room with her "I'm Going To Be A Big Sister" shirt on. It was quite the surprise for everyone and such an exciting time. As you can see in the picture...Kaelyn was pretty excited too! She knew something big was going on. We always do something special when telling our parents the exciting news! With Kaelyn we did a really neat poem and with this one we decided to do the shirt. I have to mention on a side note, that in looking around for a Big Sister Shirt, I found the best quality and deals at Cafe Press. Not only that...but Cafe Press is connected with Ebates, a great site to shop through and receive money back on your orders. I was so excited to find out that I would not only get money back for my purchase by going through Ebates, but a whopping 10%!! That's pretty good when you consider that most stores are less than 5%.

It's a very exciting time in our lives and we have much to be thankful for, that's for sure!!

If you're looking to save even more money when you shop, you may want to check out All You magazine!! Each issue is full of coupons, recipes, and more! If you're interested in getting a subscription to All You, do I have a deal for you!! Over at Southern Living at Home you will find all the information you need to sign up to receive a two year subscription to All You for just $18!! That's just $.75 per magazine!! With all the great deals each issue offers...it will more than pay for itself in no time!

Thanks to Coupon Dad for the great tip!!

Another great find that I just had to pass along is one from All You magazine!! I happened to check out their site today and saw that they are offering 2 free trial issues to anyone who signs up for them! This is a great find for anyone who enjoys learning more about money saving tips and a resource for some really great coupons! If you decide you want to keep the subscription going it only costs $21.24 for the other 10 for the rest of the year! I thought this was an amazing deal and wanted to share with others who might be interested!

I also came across the "free samples" section on Walmart's website which offers a free sample of All You magazine as well. It would definitely be worth checking out as well. What better way to see if you like all that this wonderful magazine has to offer than to try a free issue first!

If you decide you LOVE this magainze, as I'm sure you will with all the great coupons they offer....you can purchase a full year subscription of All You magazine over at Amazon for 19.97! Check it out today!

One of Walmart's current Free Samples is Parent's Choice Infant formula! I know how expensive formula can be, so I wanted to pass along the information about this free sample today because I'm sure there are many who could use it. Free samples are also a great way to try out the product before you buy. After trying Parent's Choice Infant formula for instance, you may find yourself liking it and wanting to purchase more (Parent's Choice being a lower priced formula than others out there).

I suggest checking back with Walmart's Free Samples daily, as they always have great items to offer. Whether it's diaper samples you're looking for or something else...they seem to offer it all at one time or another. And besides, who doesn't like freebies, right?! All you have to do is fill out your mailing address information for the items you'd like to receive, and they will send them directly to your door step. I've done this many times and think it's great!!

In the past few months, we have been working hard to get Kaelyn's playroom finished. As always, in finishing this project, affordability was key! Many of the items we were able to purchase were thankfully found at consignment sales or eBay shopping...however the bigger things like her toy shelves and book shelves were more difficult. If you've ever looked for something like this before, you know how expensive they can be. When you factor in the price of the item, plus shipping, many times one shelving unit can cost over $100! We were looking for two at the time and this wasn't a price we were wanting to spend on each.

With a little searching, I found ClosetMaid Cube Organizers and was so excited! This was exactly what I had been looking for at a fraction of the cost of most others. At $66.15 with free Super Saver Shipping on Amazon, you can't go wrong with the 6-cube organizer, or $78.15 for the 9-cube organizer!


Not only are they affordable, but they are also durable enough for the purpose we are using them for, and they are attractive looking. You can even personalize them with the ClosetMaid Fabric Drawers sold separately, offered in a variety of colors. Many ClosetMaid items can also be found in Target stores as well.

We have been very happy with our purchase! They look so cute in her playroom and have held up wonderfully! In the beginning I was hoping to find a 6-cube organizer, but only being able to find the 8 cube one we went with that route and couldn't be happier. If you're looking for an affordable organization option for your child's playroom, you may want to consider the ClosetMaid Organizers...I know we're very happy we did!

I received another great tip from Coupon Dad that I wanted to pass along. He let me know that although Natural and Organic Foods are so expensive and have people wondering how they can afford to buy them at times, don't get discouraged....there are options out there which offer coupons and deals that we can take advantage of. I discussed a few of these including Horizon Organic, Stonyfield Farm, and Organic Valley previously...however he shared a couple of other options that are useful as well.

Mambo Sprouts is a great one, as well as Affluent Pauper. I checked them out and was very impressed....I would encourage you to check them out if you get the chance. They offer a variety of coupons and deals on Organic foods and can help to give you big savings! These aren't the only sites though, Coupon Dad also has a site which offers coupons and deals of this kind as well! Start saving today!

Everyone knows how quickly kids grow...especially when they're in their baby and toddler years. I've learned this first hand, watching Kaelyn grow faster than I can even buy clothes for her. Baby clothes are SO expensive, and for the short amount of time kids wear them, it's really not worth the money. Have you found that to be true, also?

Much of our shopping is done in local consignment stores. Thankfully we have a few nearby which offer great items for outstanding prices! Aside from that, I make sure to go to our Just Between Friends Consignment Sale every Spring and Fall as well. If you've never been to one and have kids, you really must find one near you! It's AMAZING! I walk out with huge bags full of clothes and only spend 50 dollar or less on it all. I can purchase clothing for the next year and not spend more than that. If you ask me, that's a good deal! Wow!

Consignment shopping is the absolute best way to save money when buying clothes for your little ones. And better yet, you can make money by participating in these stores and sales once you are finished with the clothing by selling them for a profit. Definitely something to consider.

There are many options out there when it comes to starting your little one on solid foods. For us it was an easy decision...organic baby food was the way to go. I know there is a growing number of parents choosing this route for their own children which is wonderful. Having children is expensive, especially when they're young and are eating baby food and wearing diapers still. For most of us, anytime there is a deal or coupon to help us save money, we jump at it!

I happened to come across a couple of deals that I wanted to share. Two brands of organic baby food which we tried with our daughter and really liked, are Happy Baby and Earth's Best. Both offer many options when it comes to healthy, organic baby food. Earth's Best is currently offering a coupon for $1 off your purhcase of 10 jars of Earth's Best baby food. I also happened to come across a $1 off Coupon for Happy Baby Premium Organic Baby Meals (expires June 2009), over at SuzySaid.

Don't miss out on these great deals!!

Since Kaelyn was born we have been trying our best to eat more organic foods. With that decision, came our transition to organic milk. When she turned 12 months, I began weaning her onto Organic Whole Milk and she took to it amazingly! She absolutely loves it. It feels great to be giving her something that offers everything other kinds of milk offer along with the benefits of organic production. Anyone who buys organic foods knows that it's a healthy choice, but also an expensive one. We have found this with Kaelyn's milk....so I went searching for deals and coupons.

In my search for a cheaper way to purchase organic foods, I came across three sites which offer some amazing deals. I know there are other families out there going organic who would benefit from the offers available, so I thought I'd pass them along.

You can check out Horizon Organic, Organic Valley, and Stonyfield Farm. Horizon Organic allows you to enter your e-mail address and access any coupons available at that time. They will also keep you up to date via e-mail. Organic Valley has many coupons available to print as well, including those for milk! Stonyfield Farm does not have coupons for milk, however does offer many for other organic dairy products including yogurts and more.

Coupon Dad left me a Comment yesterday and has been so kind to inform us that if you shop at Walgreens ever, save those Huggies coupons from Coupons.com until next week (March 8)! They are having a deal where if you buy $25 in Huggies products you get $10 in register rewards (which is basically money to use at your next visit...more money off diapers maybe?!?) Also the Jumbo packs of diapers will be on sale for only $10 and you can use the coupons on those items as well!

Basically it ends up that if you use all the deals available and buy 3 ($30 minus the $15.00 in coupons you print, minus the $10 RR) would be getting 3 Jumbo packs for $5!!!
That's pretty amazing! Be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity!

Thanks Coupon Dad for letting us know of these great deals!!

One of the most expensive items we purchase since having Kaelyn is diapers. I'm sure many parents can relate! I did some searching to find deals on both Pampers and Huggies (both of which we have used) and came across so many great ones that I couldn't help but pass them along to anyone else who could find them as useful as myself. In the process I also came across some wonderful deals for Seventh Generation products (both baby and other) that I wanted to share as well.

Let's start with Huggies. The two very best deals I found are over at Coupons.com! Here is where you'll find daily deals that you won't want to miss for a variety of things, including those for your baby. You can get 5.00 off any 1 Huggies Gentle Care product and/or 3.00 off any Huggies Natural Fit diapers by clicking here. (Thanks Baby Cheapskate!)

Pampers has some great deals going on at the moment as well. One of which I wanted to share with you is over at StartSampling, which I happened to find at Freebies For Mom. (Thanks!) You will find a great offer where you can asking for a coupon to get 1.50 off on Pampers products. With Huggies Diapers you can turn in your receipts to The Caregivers Marketplace and they will give you 75 cents back for each package.

One other great thing about Pampers is that they have codes which you can submit to their Gifts to Grow program and reedem for prizes. About a month ago I found out from my sister in law that there are actually some codes out there available to everyone, no matter if they purchase Pampers Products or not! Since then I've been using many of them. Here are some of which are still current and worth anywhere from 1-3 points each.

GIVE09UNICEFGTG

HAPPYHOLIDAY089

THRIFTYMOMMYGTG

Finally is Seventh Generation. Seventh Generation offers some wonderful products for the Mom who is looking for healthier options for her family. Find non-toxic products with this company. About a week ago I joined Seventh Generation and gained access to some great deals and coupons. A couple which are available right now are $2.00 off diapers, wipes and baby products, as well as $1.00 off any cleaning or baby product.

Before being pregnant with Kaelyn, I have to admit that I wasn't aware of the harmful effects many of our daily cleaning products have on our health. I don't even think it was so much that I didn't know, I guess I just never thought about it before. Then, when I became pregnant, and now having her here with us...my complete mindset has changed. I am now all for Green cleaning products that are safe to use for the sake of our health and hers.

One of my favorite brands, and one I'm still becoming more and more familiar with is Seventh Generation. I love knowing that the products I'm using are not harmful to our health. Not only are their cleaning products great, but the baby products they offer like their chlorine-free wipes, are amazing! If you've never tried them, you definitely should. In fact, it not only can be a healthy decision to make for your family, but one that will save you money as well. If you visit their website, you can sign up for an account and gain access to many useful coupons. I recently came across this option and thought I'd pass it along.

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/coupons