How To Get The Best Bang For Your Buck At Target

I LOVE Target! I am a Target addict and I am not ashamed! I never thought in a million years I would shop there for groceries until I realized what a better selection of natural/organic products they have. They have so much more variety of snack foods and frozen foods in an organic variety and those types of things are always great to have on hand when you need something quick. I just always assumed that they were way more pricier than they grocery store or dare I say Wal-Mart. I am going to insert here that I avoid going to Wal-Mart at all costs. I just do not like the environment of Wal-Mart and it always seems loud and chaotic every time I go in there. So I will pay a little more to not have to go there. I usually shop at Kroger, but I had never thought to compare prices between them and Target until I downloaded Target's Cartwheel App and realized there were some awesome deals on there! Once I started comparing prices I realized Target was very similar and often cheaper than what I had been paying at Kroger. After shopping at Target every week for a while now I have it down to a science. Here is how to get the best bang for your buck at Target:

#1: Cartwheel
Cartwheel is an app you can download on your smartphone to get exclusive coupons to use at Target, no printing required. All you do is select the offers you would like to use (i.e. 25% off Cherokee baby & toddler clothes) and click "add". Then, when you get to the check out at Target you go to your app, hit "my barcode" and let the cashier scan the barcode directly from your phone! The app keeps track of how much you have saved using it so that is always cool to look at! You can use the same offer on multiple items, so if you added the 25% off Cherokee baby & toddler clothes offer and you picked out 3 shirts it will take 25% off all 3 shirts!

#2: Clearance
I absolutely love Target's clearance areas. I know where each one is for every department at our store and I be sure to hit every one when I'm there because you never know when you might come Across I stellar deal. I once got a Doc McStuffins doll house regularly $54.99 for $16 and a Leap Pad 3 for my son regularly $100 for $30! When Target decides to get rid of stuff they mean business. Also, another great thing about Target that I've not really seen in any other store is that they clearance food. Most of the time it's not even food that's getting ready to go out of date. We have been able to try alot of new foods and drinks that way! Recently they clearanced out some of their organic juices so I was able to purchase organic juice for cheaper than regular juice! Also, I have figured out the best time to go for clearance at our store is on Thursday mornings.

#3: Target Debit Card
Target now offers a debit card that you just link up with your normal debit bank account, but you save 5% every time you use that card at Target, the Target cafe, or the Starbucks inside your Target. They also have a Target credit card where you can save 5% on every purchase, but I do not recommend a credit card ;) The debit card is free to sign up for. You just hand them a blank check and they get you set up in just a couple minutes. I usually used my debit card any way at Target so I though "Hey, why not save 5% while doing it!" In our state 5% is the tax rate so I like to pretend I'm getting things "tax free".

#4 Target Sales
Target has been known to run some crazy good sales that often will have a Cartwheel offer to go along with it. My favorites are "Buy so many an get a $5 gift card" or "Buy one get one half off".

#5 Reusable Bags
If you bring your own reusable to put your stuff in instead of the plastic bags, Target will take $0.05 for every bag you use. It doesn't sound like alot, but if you've got a buggy full of stuff it adds up pretty quick and you are saving the planet while saving money! :)

#6 Manufacturer Coupons and Target Coupons
I do not like clipping or printing out coupons so this is a last option for me. Everyone knows what a manufacturers coupon is so I won't elaborate on that , but target has coupons on their website that you can print out and these can be combined with manufacturers coupons for double the savings. This option takes a little more thought and planning than I'm willing to put in, but sometimes I  come across something good that isn't to hard to get the coupons for. Target also has mobile coupons that they will send to your phone and the cashier can scan them from your phone.

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Making Target cheaper than say Wal-Mart or the grocery store does take a little bit of effort, but to
go at my favorite time (on Thursdays usually in the morning) when it's nice and quiet and I can shop practically by myself in store is worth downloading a few offers to my Cartwheel and shopping clearance!

A little humor for you ;) {via}

What's the best deal you've come across at Target?

**I am in no way affiliated with Target or any of their products. This is simply my own advice and what I personally do.** :)

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Cloth Diapering on the Cheap

So today I wanted to share how to cloth diaper from birth to potty training very inexpensively. It's no secret I love cloth diapering, but sometimes I get so wrapped up with the latest and greatest cloth diaper that I burn myself out and just want to get back to the simple way. This is not the very cheapest way to cloth diaper but it is the cheapest, simplest, "guaranteed to work and not have leaks all the time" way. And the answer is..,Prefolds and Covers!

{via}

I have been using these non stop for the last week or so because they are so much easier to fold when they come out of the dryer vs stuffing pocket diapers. When you have two in cloth you can easily spend 30 minutes to an hour folding and stuffing diapers, but with prefolds and you just fold them in half and throw the covers in a pile which takes like 5 minutes. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that next baby, I using prefolds from birth to potty training.

 Here are my reasons why:

1. They are cheap (I'll give you a price breakdown in a minute)

2. Never have stink issues and clean really well

3. Easy to fold and put away

4. Very, very absorbant

5. Hold up well for a long time (multiple children and beyond)

This method has been used for a long time, especially before disposables so I know it is tried and true. They only cons are they aren't as quick to put on and they can be bulky in a diaper bag, but if you've ever needed a burp cloth or a towel in a pinch you can just whip a prefold out and save the day! :)

Cost Breakdown: *for this example I am giving the prices of what I personally use and recommend. There are definitely cheaper prefolds and covers out there but I like to pay a little more and know I'm getting something that will last a long time!* All prefolds mentioned are Diaper rite brand "Natural" (unbleached) prefolds from Diaperjunction.com. These are by far my favorite and the softest. 

24 newborn prefolds (6-12lbs)- $35.85

2 xs Thirsties covers-$23 ($11.50 each)

4 size 1 Thirsties Duo Wraps- $51 ($12.75 each)

18 medium prefolds(14-30lbs)-$41.85 ($13.95 per 6)

*there is a size small prefold but honestly I'd just skip it and go to medium because they won't stay in that size long at all*

4 size 2 Thirsties Duo Wraps-$51 ($12.75 each)

And later on down the road you can buy Large prefolds which fit 26-40 lbs

18 Large prefolds-$44.95

3 pack of Snappis- $9.35

Total: $257 from birth to potty training or you could wait and pay $44.95 of it around 1  yr old or 18 months old for the large prefolds. 

 Diaper Junction usually had the 5% off coupon code (HIGHFIVE) going so that would bring it down the total cost to $244.15! 

Since I wrote this I have found an even better deal on Nickisdiapers.com. When they have their Thirsties covers on sale for 10% off (which they do often) you can get the same thing except 24 prefolds in each size for $240.85! If you want exact details of what to get just ask in the comments. :)

That is almost 1/10th of the price you would pay if you used disposables from birth to potty training (average cost of disposables from birth-2 yrs old is $2,000!)

And if your child is like mine potty training will probably happen around age 3 so tack on another $1,000 in disposables!

I already have most of the things mentioned above. I just need a few more prefolds so for me I could diaper my next baby from birth to potty training for about $50!

But I will say night time diapering can throw a curve in this. I suggest getting pocket diapers and 3 Hemp inserts for night time just because the inside of pockets have a stay dry material that will keep your baby from feeling wet so they can sleep better and the hemp inserts will hold up for about 12 hours so you don't have to wake them to change them! The price of this will vary depending on the brand but you don't need anything real fancy! :)

*Disclaimer: I am not an affiliate of any of the products/brands mentioned above. This is simply what I use and love! :)**

Mama Cloth...Say What??

 **Warning: This post is going to be girl talk. Proceed with caution. ;)**

I am totally new to the mama cloth world, but I'll share what I've figured out about it so far. Mama cloth is cloth pads for that time of the month for girls. I first heard of this concept about a year ago and my immediate reaction was "no way! That is just gross!" Im sure this is most people's first reaction too! Lol But as you know I'm on a mission to detoxify every aspect of my life (or as much as humanly possible without going crazy haha). I have only had one cycle in a year and a half and before that it had been over 2 years since I had a "normal" cycle because I was pregnant then breastfeeding. So other than two rounds of postpartum bleeding I've had two cycles in almost 4 years, until now (welcome back Aunt Flo, welcome back).  So now that I'm back on the market for those types of products, I'm looking for a natural solution. I haven't used tampons in a long time probably about 4 years ago before I was pregnant and now I just can't see using them for myself now especially knowing all the chemicals in them and they are internally in you. Just the thought freaks me out now although they used to be second nature to me in my teens! It's funny how when you get in a natural mindset you perceive things a "toxic". So,I did some research and got a few recommendations. I found Party In My Pants cloth pads (I know right? Awful, but they make high quality pads haha) had a "try cloth pads" giveaway and they will send you a panty liner of your choice for just $3.99 shipping. So I thought that would be a good chance to see one in person. I was really impressed with it once I got it although I haven't had a chance to try it yet. If you like to try out one of their cloth panty liners the giveaway is still going on HERE. You just have to not own any of their cloth pads already or have never made a purchase on their website!

I thought the print was super cute and girly!

They fold up nice and small so they fit nicely in your purse and are more discreet this way as well

 Now with Aunt Flow heading back to town any time now, I decided to order 2 packs of the Pink Daisy stay dry pads from kellyscloset.com. They come in a pack of 3 pads in whatever size (small, medium, large) you need based on your cycle. I ordered all mediums, but if these work out good I plan to order a pack of smalls for the lighter days and a pack of size large for overnight and potentially post partum if we are blessed with another child. 

They are definitely going to be cuter and softer than disposable pads, but I'm still a little iffy on whether I'm going to like them. My concerns are that they will be too thick and will be able to see the outline through pants or a skirt and handling/washing them. I'm used to having my hands in baby poop so I should not be grossed out by anything at this point, but we'll see!

If anybody has any suggestions/ advice on using mama cloth let me know in the comments!

When Living Naturally Doesn't Come So Naturally

I have two posts in my drafts right now that I have yet to post because this has been on my heart lately. It's confession time. I am a perfectionist and it's proably one of my greatest character flaws at times. I always feel like I have to do it all and I start getting a proud heart and God is always the first one to humble me when that happens. I am thankful for that because sometimes I get so caught up in being "perfect" that I forget what's important. 

When I was little my mom asked me what I was doing and I said, "I'm teaching them (probably my dolls and stuffed animals) to be perfect!" That's apparently always been my goal in life is to be "perfect", but the Bible says there are none that are good, no not one. Talk about a piece of humble pie. Maddox has gotten on a kick lately of fixing something and saying, "There! Perfect!" Poor child has inherited my need to have everything perfect.

 My daily expectations for myself are so high they are literally unattainable and secretly I know that, but once again I think I can do it all. I feel like if I can't cook three natural/organic meals a day from scratch, have a solid daily devotion time, exercise, drink 100oz. of water a day, cloth diaper 100%, use essential oils instead of conventional medicines (and heaven forbid you use essential oils not from one specific brand), keep up a blog, keep up with that plethora of vitamins I give myself and my children daily, have a home that looks like it came out of Better Homes and Garden magazine,use only natural cleaning and bath and beauty products, have Pinterest worthy activities for my son to do, do Baby Led Weaning with my daughter, and be a good wife that isn't on the brink of snapping like a twig then I am not good enough. That is my expectation for myself people and the list could go on like bathing at some point during the week! lol 

What has happened is I see these moms say, "My child has never used a disposable a day in their life. I never see a need to use one." And these other moms say, "I never feed my child anything that isn't organic. Do you know how bad that other stuff is for them?" And some more moms saying your not going to produce enough milk if you aren't getting at least 100oz. of water a day. And so what happens is I take snippets of what this mom is "perfect" at and snippets of what another mom is "perfect" at and so on and so on. I put all that together in my mind and think I need to be perfect at all those things.So one mom may seem perfect at only eating natural/organic cooked from scratch meals, but she may not cloth diaper or exercise. Another mom may be perfect at exercising and drinking water,but she may not have a beautiful clean home, but I think I should be able to do all of that in one day!

I love the online community, but sometimes I need to back away because let's be honest we usually put the highlights of our lives on the internet and sometimes as a mom who spends her day in her pajamas covered in baby spit up and constantly cleaning up spills and things my two year old has destroyed it can be a little discouraging to read about or see these moms with make up on, a spotless house, and their Pinterest worthy organic dinner on the table. 

I have a chalk board on my mantle that says "It is finished" from John 19:30. Every time I walk by it and I'm franticking about my to-do list I just take a deep sigh of relief. IT IS FINISHED! Nothing more I need to do. Jesus has taken care of everything and continues to take care of everything. 

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9


Paul said I will boast about my weaknesses! Verse 10 goes on to say, "For when I am weak then I am strong"! 
I can't do it all and that's ok. I am going to focus on what's important and quit worrying so much about processed foods and GMOs and the like! Don't get me wrong I love natural living and there are areas of my life I've went natural and I have no plans to go back , but I am going to allow more of God's grace that he so freely gives to all that are willing. I just need to quit worrying and feeling guilty every time I don't measure up to my own unattainable expectations and start enjoying life more and spending more time where it matters.

With all that being said I plan to continue growing in natural living, but at a much slower pace and with alot more grace! :)

Happy Easter!! :)

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E-Cloth Review

I am so glad I can across this product thanks to Stacy at Stacy Makes Cents! Two of these e-cloths have replaced 90% or more of my cleaning products. I bought two of the general purpose cloths and two of the glass/polishing cloths around Christmas time when they were buy one get one free from Milk Allergy Mom. I gave one of each to my mom as part of her Christmas gift and kept the other two for myself.

General Purpose Cloth

The general purpose cloth feels similar to a microfiber towel but there is something special about the fibers in it that allows it to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria when just wet with hot or cold water! I use this to clean my counters, stainless steel appliances, kitchen table, bath tub/shower, and toilet so it has replaced my multi surface cleaner spray and my bathroom cleaner spray! I will use it through the week in my kitchen and then on Monday I detail clean my bathrooms with it and wash it directly after that so that way no bathroom germs end up in the kitchen. :) After each day of use you just rinse it out really well with hot water and hang to dry. Then once a week you wash it with just a small amount of detergent on a hot wash cycle with no fabric softener or dryer sheets, similar to washing cloth diapers. When the cloth is dry, it works as an amazing dusting cloth, so that replaces dusting spray! This is a very inexpensive and natural way to get rid of most of your harmful spray cleaners!

Glass/Polishing Cloth

The glass/polishing cloth is literally the best glass cloth I have ever used! To clean mirrors, windows, etc. you just wipe them down first with the wet general purpose cloth and then immediately go over it with the glass polishing cloth and it leaves them streak free! And I literally mean streak free! You can look at it from any angle and you won't see any streaks! You are literally cleaning your glass with water and a cloth! It goes against everything in me to put water on my mirrors, but the glass/polishing cloth is incredible. So I have replaced my glass cleaning spray and paper towels!

So if you can't tell I really love these products and if you are looking to declutter all those cleaning bottles and sprays in your cabinets this to me is the best way!

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*Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any links or products in this post. It is just my personal opinion on products I use! :)

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Kitchen Spring Cleaning

Thursday I spent the majority of the day spring cleaning my kitchen. I only got done about 3/4 of what I wanted to get done, but I already feel so much better! We had alot of clutter in our cabinets and they were not very functional so that is where we spent most of the day.
One of the first things I did was clean out our cabinet where we had been storing our plastic grocery bags. I literally had a whole cabinets of nothing but plastic bags. Thanks to Pinterest I found the idea of storing them in an empty wipe container. I put about 50 grocery bags in the wipe container and saved the rest of the bags in the attic for when we have yard sales this summer.

After

Before

Now I had freed up an entire cabinet for more storage! We decided to put our microwave in our largest cabinet and run the cord through the bottom to the nearest outlet because it was taking up a ton of counter space and we don't use the microwave alot. It's not the most convenient place, but for as much as we use it it will be just fine. I am trying to declutter as much as possible while also deep cleaning because I like things to be simple and functional. I like to know that everything has a place and if I can't find a place for it chances are it needs to go!

Before: Everything out of our cabinets!

After

Then, kitchen spring cleaning turned into kitchen reno! I've been wanting to tear down the wallpaper in our kitchen for a long time because it was just not my style. Minus the new dishwasher we hadn't made any changes to our kitchen since we moved in two years ago. So, yesterday I was at the point of either washing down the wallpaper walls or just tearing the wallpaper off. I decided on the latter because it was already starting to peel off in spots. As I began to tear it off I realized that the wallpaper had been put in before the cabinets were even installed so it had been up for about 13-14 years! 

Wallpaper gone! 

Once I got that wallpaper down my gears started turning. I could look at my kitchen now as a blank slate. I sent a picture of my now bare kitchen to Leah at Grace Lee Cottage because she has an amazing eye for home renovations and decor! We also have the same taste in that area so I knew she would have good ideas. After talking with her I have decided to paint the cabinets white and change out the hardware, add beadboard wallpaper under the cabinets (I will probably paint above the cabinets with a light gray I have left over from when we painted our bedroom), take down the beam going across in front of the sink and add shelves instead, and paint the countertops a darker color and replace the sink faucet. This will definitely take time because I rarely have a full day to devote to something, but I'm just keeping the end goal in mind! Eventually, I would like to replace our fridge and range with stainless steel and replace our laminate floor with something else, but I think with just a little paint and wallpaper this kitchen will get a major face lift! :)

Under Construction:
Top cabinet doors removed, taped, sanded, and ready to be primed
 and beam removed above sink
. I still have to remove some wallpaper scraps up top,
 but just focusing on cabinets right now!

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DIY Wednesday:Family/Household Binder

I have been wanting to make a family/household binder for a while, but I could never remember to pick up a binder when I was out, but today I remembered! I've seen some very detailed binders out there with every checklist you could imagine, but I wanted to keep it simple and only pick out the ones I know I would use regularly. So I'm going to give you a tutorial on the simple family binder I made.

The supplies you will need is:

-1" binder

-page protectors

-free printables which I'll link below

-pencils/pens (I prefer pencils because I change my mind a lot)

-optional:mini calendar planner

1" binder. I thought I would go with a fun color!

I found those cute mechanical pencils and the mini 2 year planner in the dollar section of Target! Thanks to the gracious and definitely crafty ladies of I Heart Organizing and Thirty Handmade Days I was able to get some really cute (and free) printables.Unfortunately we only have black ink in our printer right now, but usually these would have amazing color on them.

Here is how I organized my binder:
-Year At A Glance Calendar
-A Peek At The Week
-Meals For This Month
-Grocery List
-Our Family Home Projects
-My Fabulous Blog Ideas
I stuck my mini planner in the front inside pocket for easy access and clipped the pencil to the top ring on the inside of the binder so it will always be handy. If you have a hole punch handy you can leave out the page protctors, but I wanted to try to keep the pages clean and hopefully protected from little hands! :)

These ladies have a ton more free printables on their site, but I just stuck with the basics for now. I figured I needed to do this now more than ever because I missed my dentist appointment last week because I did not write it down! With two small children my brain feels like scrambled eggs most of the time and it seems like I cannot remember anything anymore, so to have a centralized location where I can write down everything I need to remember should do wonders for me!

I'm sure I'll add more to it later, but I'm excited to try this out!

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