Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

How to Make My Child Concentrate More

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If you are a parent, you know getting your child to focus can be difficult. However, learning how to focus and concentrate are essential skills that are essential in life.

As a parent, you are responsible for creating the foundation for these skills and giving your child a chance at a happy and successful life. Knowing this, you might be wondering how to improve focus and concentration in a child and set them on the right path? Fortunately, the answer is pretty simple.

If you are a parent and want to help your child focus and concentrate better, this short and simple guide is for you.

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Free Printable Kids Money for Download

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Getting ready to teach your children or students how to interact with money? That’s fantastic! Not only will this building block help them learn mathematics like counting by fives and tens, but it will also prepare them for the workplace. Let’s take a look at a variety of free printable kids money available on the Web and ways to teach kids about money.

play money for kids

Free Printable Kids Money for Download

Monopoly Money

One of the most recognizable currencies for children (or at least this 90s kid) is the brightly colored money from the Hasbro game, Monopoly. These bills differ from U.S. currency in appearance but offer your children a chance to practice their counting, sorting, and hand-eye coordination skills.

Download your free printable Monopoly money here.

U.S. Coins

Are your children ready to learn coin values? Making change? Let’s take a look at some printable coin sheets for you:

Customized printable sheets of play money – At StemSheets.com, you can customize the number and denomination of play coins you need on each sheet. For example, you can print off 20 coins of each value (up to a quarter) on a single piece of paper. That’s 80 coins – in color – on one sheet.

Printable coins and coloring pages – Head over to EnchantedLearning.com to view printable images of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Also, view a myriad of coloring pages for your child to enjoy as they educate her about U.S. coins.

Printable coin math worksheets – Ready to test your child’s knowledge of counting and making change? These free worksheets are great tools for just that.

Bonus Read: “6 Fun Money Games for Kids“

U.S. Dollars

Got a bank teller in the making? Help your children or students identify the correct face on each piece of currency and count them in quantities of fives, tens, twenties, or even hundreds with these options:

Fake Play Bills – Looking for fake $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills for your kids? Here is a complete list of free and printable play bills. These can engage your young child in a myriad of money lessons like counting, sorting, and even practicing good habits like using the envelope system.

Realistic Bills – Add a Face – A great way to quiz your child on whose face belongs to which bill is to show him this realistic play money with no face in the middle. After printing out these bills by denomination, he can color in his own face for some added fun. No worries. It’s only a federal crime to deface U.S. currency when it’s not play money. 😉

Games and Play to Teach Kids About Money

In the preschool years, kids are just beginning to learn that money has value and can be used to buy goods.  In early elementary, they learn to distinguish between the various bills and coins and their value.  You can help your child become money smart at an early age by playing money games with them.  Consider some of the following:

Buying Groceries

Print, cut, and laminate these terrific flash cards to quiz your child on prices at the grocery store. For example, she can use her fake money to pay for a $2 bag of popcorn or $1 bottle of water or do the math to pay for them both.

As your child gets older and masters this play game, you can take her with you to the grocery store.  Give her a certain amount of money and ask her to buy a few select things from your list.  This is a great time to teach her the difference between name brand and unbranded goods and the price difference between them.

Going to a Restaurant

Free Printable Kids Money
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Take advantage of your child’s love of play to play a game of restaurant.  Present children with a menu using one of these realistic free menu downloads.  Then, let your child choose his food, pay for the meal, and leave a tip.  This is an excellent time to talk about budgeting and staying within a budget when dining out.  Don’t forget to let your child switch roles and practice being the waiter.

Using Printable Play Checks

Is your child old enough to write? Then he’s old enough to learn how to write a check. Paper checks may seem archaic in today’s digital world, but it’s still a foundational skill from which your child will build his financial knowledge upon.

For example, give him a set list of chores to complete, then pay with a check using these free printable checks. Teach him how to understand the information on the check, endorse it properly on the back, and cash it. This will help him understand the role banks and employers will play in his life later, even if his paychecks are directly deposited.

Practicing Estimation

Another fun activity is helping your children practice estimation.  Fill a glass jar with coins, and let your kids guess how much money is in there.  The person with the closest estimate wins a small prize.

Collecting Change

Another idea is to save all your coins in a jar as a family.  Decide together what you’ll use the money for.  Maybe you’ll use it for a fun day out or for a donation to a charity you all agree on.

Teaching about Interest

For older elementary kids, teach them how interest works.  They can deposit money with you for their savings, and every month you can give them interest, at a rate you’ve determined, on their savings.  Your kids will likely be excited by this “free” money they’ve earned and want to save even more.

Final Thoughts

We all want our kids to be savvy when it comes to saving and spending.  Those skills should start being developed early, when kids are three to ten, through printable money and games with the kids.  The earlier you can start them understanding the value of money, the longer you have to teach them how to use money responsibly.

Bonus Read: “How to Teach a Child to Count Money“

Got any favorite ways to teach kids about money? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

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How to Create a Digital Vision Board

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Digital Vision Board

Have you set goals for yourself?  Would you like to utilize a strategy to make those goals reality more quickly?  If so, a vision board may be just what you need.  Since most Americans are on their electronics most of the day, a digital vision board may be even more helpful.

How to Create a Digital Vision Board

Creating a digital vision board should only take an hour or two, but its impact should influence you for the rest of the year.

Determine Your Goals

The first step is to determine your goals.  What do you want to accomplish over the next 12 months?  What is working successfully in your life that you want to maintain?  What inspires you?

Make a list of seven to ten goals and items in your life that you want to maintain.

Then, it’s time for the fun—actually choosing the images for your vision board.

Choose Your Digital Vision Board Images

The next step is to find images that best visualize what you want to achieve in your life.  For instance, if you want to graduate from college, you may have an image of a woman in a cap and gown posing with her children.  If you want to cook at home more, you may have a picture of a luscious homemade meal or a woman cooking.

Pick at least one picture for each of your goals, though you can pick more if you’d like.

In addition, you may want to add in a few inspiring quotes to keep you motivated throughout the year.

Where to Find Images

When you’re looking for images, the best place to start is Pinterest.  Because there are so many pictures there, you can really find one that speaks to you and is unique to your own goals.  You can also find motivational quotes here.

While you’ll likely find all that you need on Pinterest, if you don’t, you can go to a place like Unsplash and find images there.

Digital Vision Board
Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

Remember, you can also use your own personal photos.  If one goal is, “take a family vacation,” use a picture of the family on your last vacation as motivation.

How to Put the Digital Vision Board Together

Finally, to put the digital vision board together, go to Canva.  (It’s free!).  Once you’re in Canva, click on “Create a Design” and choose “Desktop Wallpaper.”

Next, upload all of the photos and quotes that you have chosen.

Click on “Elements” in the side bar and type in “grid.”  Then choose the grid pattern you would like and starting arranging your pictures.

Final Thoughts

For years, athletes have used visualization to help them perform better.  When you visualize something repeatedly, you’re more likely to achieve that goal.

By placing a digital vision board somewhere you will see it repeatedly throughout the day, say on your desktop, you’re subconsciously reinforcing the vision of your future and your likelihood of making that vision a reality.

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7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy Your Kid a Car

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Buying Your Kid a Car

When I was 15, my dad died.  When it was time for me to get my license and a car, my mom gave me my dad’s El Camino truck.  My dad loved El Caminos; he would buy beat-up ones for cheap, refurbish them, and then sell them for a profit.  The one I inherited was a beat-up one he had bought but wasn’t able to begin to fix up before he died.  I took shop class when I was 16, and during downtime, we could bring in our cars for a car wash.  I’ll never forget my humiliation when I brought in the El Camino, and huge, rusted chunks fell off when we washed the car.  The El Camino wasn’t a good car to drive in the winter, so my mom sold it.  She then bought me a beater Ford Escort, and I paid her a payment every month until I’d paid her back in full.   Should you consider buying your kid a car?  My husband and I firmly believe there are many reasons why parents should not buy their children cars.

1. Kids Need to Learn How to Earn What They Get

One of the reasons you shouldn’t buy your kid a car is because they need to learn how to earn what they get. Part of your job as a parent is to teach your kids responsibility.

Of course, you should provide for their basic needs, such as housing, clothes, food, etc. But giving them everything they want in life is not going to teach them to appreciate what they are given.

You could argue that they will have to pay for the gas and any repairs but not the actual car. Even with those financial responsibilities, it may not be enough to teach your kids that they get what they earn for themselves.

There is a saying that if you “give a man a fish you feed him for a day but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime”.  Applying it to this situation means giving your kid a car isn’t the best thing you can do for them.

2.  They Need to Learn Patience

Depending on the type of car your child wants, saving up money for it will take some time.  However, in doing so, she will have learned a valuable lesson.  Hopefully, that patience will continue throughout her life so she doesn’t get into the habit of buying things on credit before she can truly afford them.

As an adult, I’ve had to wait for many things that I wanted until I could afford them.  My husband and I didn’t even buy our first house until we were in our early 40s.

3. Buying Their Own Car Could Help Them Build Credit

Even though it’s preferable that kids save to buy their own car, some argue that a loan could work to their advantage when buying their own car. If they are responsible for making their payments on time, it can help them build their credit for future purchases.

Putting your kid in debt at a young age isn’t necessarily the ideal situation. For one thing, you will probably have to co-sign the loan. But perhaps it’s a better option than buying your kid a car and paying for it yourself.

4.  They Shouldn’t Expect the Best

Many kids now expect that they will have the same standard of living their parents have while they are still quite young.  These kids don’t realize that their parents have been working 10, 20, 30 years to earn the standard of living they currently experience.

When I started out on my own, I struggled, as many of us have.  When I moved out, most of my furniture came from garage sales.  Most of my clothes came from second-hand stores.  Most of my early cars were beaters.

Buying Your Kid a Car
Photo by Steady Hand Co. on Unsplash

One of the things I remember most vividly about reading Michelle Obama’s biography, Becoming, is that Barrack Obama had a car in college that had a hole in the floorboard of the passenger seat.  Michelle Obama wrote about keeping her feet far from the hole and seeing the pavement rushing past.  Clearly, I had a similar experience with my dad’s El Camino, and many of you reading might have also experienced driving a beater car because it was cheap.

5. They May Not Take Care of It

Another one of the reasons you shouldn’t buy your kid a car is because many teens are not good at taking care of their stuff. If yours is one of them, do you really think it’s a good idea to spend thousands on a car for them?

Before shelling out a ton of money on a vehicle, consider whether or not your kid is ready to take responsibility for the car. Talk to them about changing the oil, filters, wiper blades, and other regular maintenance.

If it is clear your kid expects you to pay for repairs and give them gas money, you can certainly say no to the car.

6. Is it the Best Use of Your Money?

Buying your kid a car may not be the best use of your money. This is just one more reason you shouldn’t buy your kid a car.

For instance, you might be able to take the money and invest it for your future retirement. Or, pay down debt instead of buying your kid a car.

7. It May Cause Them to Study Less

If your child is given a car, it may lead him to feel like he is free to come and go as he chooses. This is especially true if you have not given him strict rules on when he should be home at night.

With too much freedom, your teen may spend less time on the things she should be doing, such as studying. This could cause her grades to drop and threaten her ability to get into a good college.

So, what do you think? Should you buy your kid a car?

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Dyper Review

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As a parent to a young child, nothing beats the convenience of disposable diapers.  Even if you feel inclined to use cloth diapers, which most parents don’t, you’re not always able to do so because many daycares only accept disposable diapers.  However, for eco conscious parents, disposable diapers may morally be tough to use.  After all, they take decades to decompose (some estimate as many as five hundred years!).  The decision to use disposable diapers is a bit easier if you consider an eco-friendly company like Dyper.

Dyper Review

Dyper Review

Dyper is an eco-friendly company that offers diapers and services unlike any other on the diaper market.

What Makes Dyper Different

There are many ways that Dyper is different from other diaper companies.

Eco-Friendly Diapers

Dyper’s diapers are made of bamboo.  Unlike other disposable diapers, Dyper’s contain no print or decoration; the diapers are solid white.  These diapers also are free of many chemicals found in other brands.  Specifically, they do NOT contain any of the following:

  • Chlorine,
  • Latex,
  • PVC,
  • TBT,
  • Antioxidants,
  • Perfumes,
  • Lotions, or
  • Phthalates

SOS Program

When you buy from Dyper, you sign up for a monthly delivery of diapers.  However, should you run short on diapers, Dyper has an SOS program.  This program, available a maximum of two times per year to active subscribers, will give you diapers within four hours (if you live in the 12 large cities currently offering this feature.)  Otherwise, diapers will be sent to you the next day.   Even better, they’ll be sent to whatever location you’re currently at, even if it’s at the beach while you’re vacationing.

Recycling Program

Dyper offers a ReDyper program (extra fee applies).  The company will send you eco-friendly bags, a shipping box, and prepaid label.  When you’re ready to empty your diaper pail, don’t put the contents in the garbage, which will go into the landfill.  Instead, put the diapers in the bag in the shipping box, seal and label and put it out by your front door.  Dyper will pick it up and recycle your diapers, keeping them out of the landfill.

This option is something that really sets Dyper apart from other diaper companies.

How Much Is Dyper’s Monthly Service?

A monthly subscription to Dyper is $68 a month.  The first month, you get 30% off, making your total $47.60.

The number of diapers you get per month depends on the size diaper that your child is wearing:

  • Newborn – 264 diapers/delivery
  • Small – 224 diapers/delivery
  • Medium – 184 diapers/delivery
  • Large – 140 diapers/delivery
  • Extra Large – 120 diapers/delivery

Dyper Review

Other Products Dyper Offers

In addition to disposable diapers, Dyper also offers

  • Training pants,
  • Cloth diapers,
  • Baby wipes,
  • Alcohol wipes,
  • Diaper cream,
  • Diaper pail, and several other products

Basically, Dyper has your diapering needs covered.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this review has helped you to see that if you’re looking for an eco-friendly diaper company, look no further than Dyper.  Their convenient subscription service saves you the hassle of making trips to the store for diapers, and their recycling program keeps disposable diapers out of the landfill.

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A Self-Care Guide for Parents of Drug Addicts

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Approximately 23 million Americans are living with at least one addiction, yet only half of them are receiving treatment.

For parents, one of the hardest things you’ll ever do is helping your child through an addiction. You need to be there for your child, but you also need to take care of yourself to stay sane.

Are you seeking help for parents of drug addicts? Keep reading below to learn about what you can do to navigate your child’s addiction and treatment.

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A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Birthday Gifts for Toddlers

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It’s the special moments that make parenthood so worth it. Birthdays and Christmases are times that you get a chance to buy your child things that can put a smile on their face.

You haven’t been a toddler in forever, so you might be scratching your head when thinking about what to buy a child in this age group. We can help you out.

Keep reading to learn more about the best gifts for toddlers that you can purchase.

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Side Hustles for Single Moms

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Sometimes money is so tight that the only way to stay afloat or pay off debt is to get a side hustle.  Years ago, side hustles meant working a second job somewhere outside the home.  For married couples with kids, this might work because one spouse could stay home with the kids.  However, for a single mom, sometimes a side hustle just wasn’t worth it because you’d also have to arrange additional child care, which may take up most of the money you make on the side.  But times are different now.  There are plenty of side hustles for a single moms that you can do from the comfort of your home while the kids are playing, napping, or sleeping.

Side Hustles for Single Moms

Side Hustles for Single Moms

There are so many ways to make extra money in the Internet age.  What you decide to do just depends on your natural talents and proclivity.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Side Hustles You Can Do on Your Own Schedule

These side hustles let you set your own hours.  Prefer to work at midnight when the kids are sleeping?  No problem.  Prefer to work at 5 a.m.?  That’s okay, too.

Writer

There are plenty of writing jobs available.  You can work for brick and mortar businesses, or bloggers, or online businesses.  The hard part is getting your first writing job.  After that, you can let your samples speak for themselves.

Some places to look for writing jobs include Pro Blogger’s job board as well as Media Bistro.

In the beginning, when you’re still trying to get samples, you may need to take low paying jobs.  However, with experience, your rates will rise, and you’ll likely get word-of-mouth referrals, giving you more jobs.

Virtual Assistant

If you aren’t a writer, being a virtual assistant is another great side hustle that’s home based.  You can find a virtual assistant job working for someone like a real estate agent or a blogger.  You’ll likely be given a set of tasks to complete within a certain time frame.  I work as a virtual assistant and have specific jobs I have to complete by Sunday night, but I can do them any time during the week.  Being a virtual assistant often means you have a flexible schedule, though some people may need your services at specific times and specific days.

If you’d like specific training to be a virtual assistant, there are many online classes you can enroll in.  Another excellent resource is the book, The Bootstrap VA by Lisa Morosky.

Etsy Shop Owner

Side Hustles for Single Moms
Photo by Alex Jones on Unsplash

Are you creative?  Crafty?  If so, Etsy may be for you.  However, don’t just think that you’ll make a few items, set up shop and make sales.  It’s not that easy.  To sell on Etsy, you need to not only have professional looking items to sell, but also have a strong marketing plan, excellent pictures, and amazing customer service.

If you open an Etsy shop knowing all that it entails, you have a better chance of being successful.  I’d highly recommend speaking to other Etsy shop owners first.  In addition, there are plenty of web articles both for and against setting up an Etsy shop as well as YouTube videos that can explain what you need to know.

Side Hustles You Must Do at a Designated Time

In addition to side hustles that require you to maintain your own schedule, there are also side hustles that happen at specific times, though you do have a say in what those times are.

Tutoring

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

With so many students still doing virtual schoolwork, the need for tutors has exploded.  Kids seem to have a harder time learning via Zoom, and tutors can fill in that gap.  I’ve even seen jobs advertised to help kids stay on schedule with their Zoom classes.

In addition to helping Americans, you can also find jobs teaching English to children in China.  A homeschooling mom of four I know went this route.  She did her tutoring from 4 to 7 a.m. PST.  She was finished working for the day when her kids woke up.  She worked for VIPKid and loved that the company had the lessons already made for her.  VIPKid does require a bachelor’s degree, but there are other companies that don’t.

Teaching on Outschool

My girls (12 and 10.5 years old) have recently discovered Outschool.  On this platform, teachers have free rein to develop whatever classes they have expertise in, no degree required.  These are high quality classes, monitored by Outschool.

My girls have taken classes on dance, Descendants trivia, and cat behavior.  They’ve also started to learn the Japanese language through Outschool and joined a recurring book club and social club.  Take a peek at Outschool; there are truly an endless array of classes you can teach.

As a teacher on Outschool, you’ll earn 70% of the class fee (Outschool takes a 30% cut).  You’ll be responsible for paying your own self-employment taxes.

Babysitting

Babysitting can be an excellent side hustle.  This job allows you to stay home with your own children while also caring for others’ children.  A single mother I knew ran an after-school program for five neighborhood kids from 3 to 6 p.m.  She charged $7 an hour per child.  Each week she earned $525, for a total of $2,100 a month.  Plus, she didn’t have to worry about after school care for her own kids.

If you don’t know where to look, consider advertising locally and by word-of-mouth.  A more organized option is to join Care.com or Sittercity.com where you can advertise your babysitting services.  When I needed child care for my kids, I found the sitters on Sittercity.com.

Final Thoughts

If you need to make some extra money, know that there are plenty of side hustles for single moms that you can do from the comfort of your own home.  I’ve been working online for over 10 years, and I love the convenience and the extra money I make for my family.  You can do this, too!

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How to Help Your Child Socialize During a Pandemic

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We have three kids who are 16, 12, and 10.  The older two are quite social, and the younger one is introverted and prefers to be at home.  When the stay-at-home order began at the end of March, I wasn’t too worried.  I thought we’d be mostly home for a month or two and then cases would be low enough to resume most normal activities.  Boy, was I wrong!  As our time at home stretched on, all three of my kids started craving social interaction.  If yours do too, here’s how to help your child socialize during a pandemic.

How to Help Your Child Socialize During a Pandemic

Zoom Is Your Friend

Before the pandemic, I hadn’t even heard of Zoom.  Now, it’s a household name.

All three of my kids use Zoom to stay in touch with friends.  There are a variety of ways they have socialized with their friends over Zoom.

Cooking Lessons

My oldest has a friend who loves to cook Mexican food for her large family.  Over Zoom one day, she cooked while my son watched and asked her questions.  He wrote down the recipe and has created the meal himself.

Likewise, your child can cook at the same time their friend is.  Even more fun, your kids and their friends can have a Chopped session.  Each pulls out three unusual ingredients, and over Zoom, they cook a meal and decide who is the winner.

White Board Games

My younger two frequently use the whiteboard feature and play games over Zoom with their friends that way.   They’ve played hangman and tic tac toe.  They’ve even drawn each other pictures and talked about them.

Board Games

Younger kids might enjoy playing board games over Zoom.  Each child would need to have the board game in his or her house and move for the other player.

Watch Movies Together

Have one person the designated movie player.  All that person has to do is share screen and then tap the tab where she has the movie set up and all Zoom participants can watch the movie and chat while watching.

While it’s not quite the same as having your friends lounging on the couch with you watching the movie together, it is the next best thing considering our current times.

Meet in Person, Socially Distanced

Help Your Child Socialize During a Pandemic
Photo by Julian Schiemann on Unsplash

If you feel comfortable with doing this, another option is to have your older kids meet in person.  Have them wear a mask and socially distance.  Some kids do this and play a game like hackey sack where they don’t have to be really close to one another.  Other options would be skateboarding or throwing a frisbee.  Teens could also play a game of tennis or go on a socially distanced hike.  As long as they’re socially distanced, wearing a mask, and outdoors, they should be good for any outdoor meet ups.

Final Thoughts

While some people have gone back to more normal activities such as work and attending schools, other families have chosen to stay mostly at home to protect people in their family who may be high risk.  If you fall into the latter category, there are still ways to help your children socialize during the pandemic.

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How to Make a Diaper Bouquet

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Having a baby can be expensive, especially when it comes to all of the diapers you need to buy.  In the first few months after baby comes home, you might change the baby’s diapers 10 to 12 times a day!  All of those diaper changes mean you’ll likely go through at least 2,000 diapers in the first year!  Some people try to help offset that cost for new parents by giving diapers at the baby shower.  One fun way to do that is to also make the diapers decorative.  If you’re hosting a baby shower and want a fun but practical centerpiece, here’s how to make a diaper bouquet.

Making the bouquet is not that expensive.  Plus, it’s practical and will be much appreciated by the mom to be.

How to Create a Diaper Bouquet

Supplies for the Diaper Bouquet

To make the bouquet, you’ll need the following supplies:

  • 12 Disposable Diapers,
  • 12 Skewers,
  • Tulle,
  • Rubber Bands
  • A Glass Vase
  • Ribbon for a Bow

You may also want the following additional supplies:

  • Tissue Paper,
  • Fabric such as a Receiving Blanket,
  • Small Baby Supplies like Pacifiers, Rattles, Baby Mitts, etc.

How to Make a Diaper Bouquet

There are a few simple steps to make the bouquet:

Step One – Make the Diaper Flower

Take the diaper and roll it into a tube.

Step Two – Add the Diaper Stem

While still holding the diaper roll in your hand, gently insert a skewer in the center.  Then, wrap a rubber band snuggly around the diaper roll, about one inch from the bottom where the skewer is inserted.  Repeat the process until all diapers are on a skewer.

Step Three – Fill the Vase

How to Create a Diaper Bouquet
Photo by Filip Kowalski on Unsplash

Decide what you want at the bottom of the vase.  Some people cover the outside of the vase with fabric (ideally a receiving blanket so the mom will also have that to reuse with baby) and a bow.  Then they don’t have to fill the inside of the vase with anything since it isn’t visible.

Other people fill the inside of the vase with tulle.

Still others fill the inside of the vase with baby items the new mom will need like pacifiers, rattles, etc.

Another idea would be to use clean, small rocks, especially if the diaper bouquet will be used in a baby shower as the centerpiece and you want it to be stable.  If you’re not sure which way you want to go, Etsy has plenty of sample bouquets you can get ideas from.

Step Four – Arrange the Diaper Flowers in the Vase

Put all of the skewered flowers carefully into the vase.

Step Five – Fill Out the Bouquet

Next, decide what you want to finish filling out the diaper flower bouquet.  Some people buy fake flowers in either pink or blue, depending on the sex of the baby, to arrange among the diaper flowers.  Some people also use fake greenery to add a pop of color.

Other people use tulle the color of the baby’s sex and weave it in and out of the diaper flowers to enlarge the diaper bouquet.  The choice is yours.

Final Thoughts

Diaper bouquets are the perfect center piece for the tables at a baby shower.  Not only are they adorable, but they’re also practical.  The mom-to-be will love to have the pretty decorations as well as a stash of diapers when the new baby arrives.

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What Are the Perks of Having Twins?

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Many people think of having twins and immediately think of the negatives.  Twice the expenses at once, twice the chaos. . .But these misconceptions only tell part of the story.  Many moms of twins share that there are incredible perks to being blessed with two babies at once.

The Perks of Having Twins

Perks of Having Twins

There are many benefits of having twins that most people don’t think of.  Consider these.

Double the Tax Deduction Instantly

When you have a new baby, you qualify for an additional tax deduction, but with twins, you immediately get double the tax deduction!  That can make quite a difference on your yearly tax return and can help pay for some of the extra expenses twins incur.

One Pregnancy—Two Babies

If you have easy pregnancies, you likely won’t care about this perk.  However, for women who struggle through pregnancy with morning sickness and discomforts, this can be a true joy.  One pregnancy, but two babies!  If you only want two children, you could reap all the rewards of having two kids but only struggle through one pregnancy.  Yes to that!

Built-In Friends

The Perks of Having Twins
Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

My cousin has twins, and she said the first year was extremely difficult.  After that, though, she felt that she was luckier than other moms because her twin sons each had built-in playmates in one another.  While many kids when they’re young rely on their parents to keep them entertained, she said her boys did that for one another.  She enjoyed watching their “twin language” develop and the way they played with each other for hours.  No play dates required.

Share Clothes

If your twins are the same sex, they can share clothes.  This gives them twice the wardrobe at the same price as buying clothes for singletons.

Easier Homework Time

When you think of the perks of having twins, you likely don’t think of homework time.  Yet, if your twins are in the same class and have the same teacher in elementary school, they both have the same assignments due.  Rather than looking at two or three different sets of homework as you would if you were mom to two singletons, the twins will get the same homework, making your job as homework assistant easier.

Discounts for Twins

Did you know if you have twins you can get discounts at a surprising number of places?  My cousin said that she received discounts on daycare when she registered her twins.  A quick search on the web shows that many, many companies offer parents of twins discounts for all sorts of items from mattresses, to formula, to sleeping pods.  The list goes on and on.

Sure, you’ll be paying more out of pocket when you make a purchase times two, but you may save more overall compared to buying twice with singletons because you get a discount.

Final Thoughts

While it is true that by having twins you can face double the expense at one time, there are also many perks of having twins that save you money and time.

Read More

Tips for Approaching Parents of Twins

What I Love Most about Having Twins

Tips on Buying Gifts for Twins

 

 

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