Simple Ways to Save Money on Baby Gear

Having a baby doesn’t have to cost the earth.  Granted, there are some things you will need to buy before your little one is born, but you don’t need to buy every gadget out there, and you don’t need to buy everything in one go.  If you stick to the essentials and only buy what you need, you should be able to save money.  For more tips, keep reading.

Start Planning When You’re Three Months Pregnant

Once you have reached the three-month mark, you’re usually fine to start planning the items that you will need.  Essentials are newborn-sized clothes, wipes, and diapers, bottles and formula.  You will also need something for your baby to sleep in, and a car seat if you drive.  Before you head out to the closest baby superstore, do some research.  You won’t need to buy every gadget the shop sells, so think about the things that are going to be most important and start with them.  You can always buy the non-essentials once your baby is born.

Buy Used

Babies grow quickly, as I’m sure you know, and this means there is a huge second-hand market for baby items.  Everything from clothes and toys to cots and strollers can be found for as much as 50% less when you buy used.  Often, these items have a lot of wear still left in them too.  The only items we do recommend that you buy new are a cot mattress and a car seat – this is for safety reasons.

Hit the Sales

Parents who shop during the sales and who use coupons can save as much as 30% on the cost of new items, so it’s well worth doing your research into when these happen.  Sites like myfreedeals.com list a lot of freebies and coupons that can help you save money as well.  That said, it is still important to know when to splurge.  There are some baby items that are worth spending a little more money on, such as a breast pump and organic bedding.  Those who plan on walking a lot with their baby will also want to invest in a high-quality stroller.

Ditch the Name Brands

Babies don’t know the difference between Target and the designer brands, so don’t waste money on designer clothing that your baby will outgrow within three months.  In most cases, it’s not worth spending the extra to buy a name brand, when a department store brand is just as good.

Set Up a Baby Registry

Finally, why not set up a baby registry?  A lot of people may want to buy a gift for your little one but will be unsure of what to buy.  A baby registry enables you to create a list of the items that you need and ask people to buy them for you.  Amazon, Target, and Babies R Us all offer this feature on their websites, and all have a comprehensive selection.

Keep the above tips in mind and having a baby won’t be as expensive as you thought!

How to Become a Respiratory Therapist

People suffering from conditions like emphysema and asthma go to respiratory therapists who treat them by administering oxygen to their lungs using ventilation devices. Respiratory therapists can also assist someone who has just had a stroke or a heart attack regain his normal way of breathing. You will find these professionals in nursing homes and hospitals.

Other respiratory therapists travel to a patient’s home to install the respiratory equipment so that they can use it from home. Bestrespiratorytherapyprograms.com has helpful resources to get you started on the journey to becoming a respiratory therapist. The following are the steps you will need to take in that journey:

Step #1: Obtain an Undergraduate Degree

To become a sought-after respiratory therapist, the first step will involve obtaining an undergraduate degree in respiratory care at an accredited university. Typically, the undergraduate degree curriculum will include coursework in, among other things, clinical respiratory procedures and care, pathophysiology, advanced respiratory theory, pharmacology, and mechanical ventilation.

Almost all the programs you can enroll in will require you to pass a competency assessment test. The test is designed to measure your skill level and whether you have the necessary characteristics for success in this challenging field. Practical experience is also extremely crucial. To get this, you will have to record a set number of clinical hours. After attaining your degree, you can work as a patient educator and advocate, a bedside clinician, a pediatric/neonatal/critical care professional as well as a pulmonary rehabilitation expert.

Step #2: Attain Niche-Specific Credentials

To attain these credentials, you will have to sit for and pass an exam administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). This is a multiple-choice test that measures the general knowledge you have in this field. It is only after passing this exam that you can apply to do other exams that further demonstrate your competency as a respiratory therapist, including the NBRC Therapist Multiple Choice Exam and the Clinical Simulation Exam.

Step #3: Obtain a License

You cannot legally practice as a respiratory therapist without a state license. This is true for all states in the United States except Alaska. The minimum requirement to apply for a license is an associate degree. In addition, background checks are necessary in the majority of the 49 states.

While it can take just two years to become a respiratory therapist, most health institutions require at least an undergraduate degree for a chance to work. Therefore, the average time it takes to become a fully credited and industry-competent respiratory therapist is four years. By then, you will have, among other things, completed most of the education requirements for respiratory therapists, including simulation, laboratory and considerable clinical experience in a healthcare institution.

Indeed, respiratory therapy is truly rewarding, especially for people who have the passion for taking care of people most in medical need. While it is a fast-paced career requiring physical and mental endurance, it is also well paying and consistently records impressive future prospects every time surveys and research reports are released.

Busy Beauty Showerless Shave Gel HONEST Review #BusyBeauty

Check out this super old post about my hairy legs when I was huge and pregnant. I sure wish I had Busy Beauty Showerless Shave Gel back then. I could have shaved my legs while sitting on the couch nursing a baby to sleep. Talk about being a Rock Star Mom.

Okay, so I got this product in the mail and waited for my leg hair to grow. It was August, so I needed shaved legs for the shorts and bathing suits that were constantly on my person. I grabbed a razor and the bottle and went down to our family room to watch some TV and shave my legs.

It was the easiest thing I have probably ever done. Pump out some of the gel, rub it on your legs like lotion, and shave. Then rub in the gel because it's moisturizing. A couple of things.

1. Something I hate about shaving in the tub or shower is that, afterward, I have to sit around putting lotion on my legs. It's just one. more. step. I don't have a ton of time for that. This shaves you and moisturizes you LIKE IT RESPECTS YOUR TIME. Yes. Finally.

2. My razor got backed up with hair, so I recommend having a cup of water nearby just to dip it in. Also, put a towel under your legs. If you are on an airplane, for instance, and want to shave your legs with just this product and a razor, you can, but if you are at home I'm telling you to have two extra things on hand ... the towel and the water.

Bottom line: I dig this time saver. It's mind-blowing to think you can do this ANYWHERE. I sure could have used this when the kids were little and I had to keep an eye on them EVERY SECOND ... I could have chased around after them WHILE shaving my legs, no joke. Shave and sit. Shave and sit. Very cool to have this option.

PS This product is also TSA-approved for travel and environmentally conscious. Great for those with sensitive skin and those with mobility issues.

*I received this product for free to post an honest review. Also, if you order through my Amazon affiliate link, I might get a few cents. Just letting you know :-)

Education And Care: Take Your Teaching Career In A New Direction

If you’re well and truly in the swing of January and are ready to take all the new adventures and challenges that 2018 has
in store, then this is the right post for you. Often, a new year encourages you to access the past twelve months so that you
can better understand your successes and the areas of your life that you want to push forward, improve, and develop. A
common thread for many is their career, and getting as much job satisfaction and reward as possible when they get to the
weekend with their family. If you’re happy and enthusiastic about your line of work; your motivation will filter through into
each aspect of your life, which is great if you’re a working mom and have a busy household to maintain.

If you’ve worked in education for a while; you’ll already have developed a variety of skills that could lead you to all sorts of
different avenues. If you’ve been considering taking your job and career in a bit of a new direction and heading for your
ambitions this year; there’s no time like the present to begin planning your actions and discovering all the potential options
that await you. As a mom and a teacher; you’re already pretty prepared for an array of challenges, and you can make this
the year that you take on some new ones and ensure that you’re happy with your work/life balance. The following are some
ideas for those who want to take their qualifications and experience in education and do something different, for a fulfilling
and exciting year ahead.

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/homework-paper-pen-person-267491/

Counseling And Health Care

If you love working with kids and young adults, and your experience have developed your understanding of their behavior
and how to help them through life; heading towards becoming a counselor could be a great option for you. If you’re
concerned about taking up studying on top of your working and family hours; check out accredited online counseling degrees
so that you’ll have more flexibility regarding your time. The work you’re doing within a school or college can often complement
studying counseling, so talk to your colleagues and senior members of staff about your goals so that you can work out the
best plan of action for your future career. Extra qualifications can lead to opportunities to work with young people in a variety
of different environments, so it’s worth thinking about where you can best utilize your skills and the sort of challenges you’re
ready to take on.

Private Tutoring And Flexible Hours

If your resolution this year was to work independently and remotely so that you could focus more on caring for your family
and have a better work/life balance; you could consider becoming a private tutor. You’ll need a space in your home that will
provide an effective learning environment or the means to travel to various homes, places of education, and public spaces
where you can meet your students regularly. You’ll get all the rewards of helping to educate young minds and could assist
students in getting the grades they need to fulfil their potential or gain entry into the college they desire. There are all sorts of
ways to have a positive impact on a young person, so use this time to explore your many options, and you’ll have a year to
look forward to ahead.

Is Your Child's Playroom Ready for a Makeover? - How to Make it Happen on a Limited Budget

Your child’s first playroom or play space is an important part of their development. It gives them a place to explore, create, and learn to be independent. As your child grows from baby, toddler, to school-aged it’s often necessary to give the playroom a makeover as their tastes, toys, and needs will differ as they grow older.

If your child is of school-age and their playroom still looks like something meant for a toddler, then it’s well overdue a makeover. The good news is that you can make some pretty transformative changes that are relatively easy on the budget, giving your child a much more age-appropriate place to play in.

Start with Paint

The very easiest and cheapest place to start is usually with paint. When you first decorated a playroom for your child as a baby or toddler, you probably picked something bright and cheerful. This time around, why not let your child be involved in picking the color. By now they have their own likes and dislikes, as well as unique personality. Their playroom can be a reflection of them, which helps to make them feel more comfortable and happy with the space.

If you want to take the involvement one step further, they can even help with the painting if they are old enough. They may choose to do an accent wall too, complete with their own creations. Remember, it’s just paint and it can always be painted over at a later date.

Work on a Theme Together

As discussed on mashoid.co, your child may also want to pick a theme for their playroom. This can be helpful for you when it comes to décor, as it will give you a basic idea to work with. Popular themes include space, science, superheroes, dinosaurs, animals, under the sea, Lego, and nature.

If your child is stuck on finding a theme, it can be helpful to take a look at Pinterest and show them various ideas.

Get Creative with Storage

One of the most important parts of a playroom is the storage. You want to be sure you have plenty of it and that it is easily accessible to your child. This is where you can get a bit creative in order to save money. Sure, you can purchase those pre-made shelving systems with cubby boxes, but they don't tend to be very cheap.

Instead, look for ways you can repurpose furniture already in the room, or in other areas of the house that you aren’t using, and look for inexpensive items you can purchase that can be turned into a storage solution. Things such as milk crates, buckets, hanging shoe organizers, old tins and jars all make for great ideas. You can add personality to the storage solution with paint, fabric, and other details.

An Age Appropriate and Fun Space

These tips will help you to transform your child’s playroom into a space that is fun, creative, imaginative, and age-appropriate all on a budget.