And Baby Makes Three
By Ellie Kay
Fall 2008
When our children were young, our family was sent to a new base and we were somehow assigned housing close to “colonel’s row.” I just knew it had to be a mistake. We were the lowest-ranking military members in the neighborhood, yet we were awarded a unique position of “high visibility.”
I tried to forget our neighbors’ rank and remind myself that they were just people, like anyone else. Yet while I watched my young children play in the front yard, I was hypersensitive to the fact that a colonel’s or even a general’s wife could drive by at any moment and observe our little brood. I made sure my toddlers stayed out of the mud, didn’t drink from the water sprinkler (again) or throw off their clothes in wild abandon (again).
When we were outside one day, I saw Susie, a colonel’s wife, drive up the road in her new white Cadillac, and I waved a hearty “hello.” To my astonishment, she slowed her car, rolled down her window and stopped in front of my house. I ambled over to the window, smiled and chatted with her for a few minutes. On cue, my 20-month-old son Philip began begging for attention. He persisted in whining, so the kind and gracious woman sensed my preoccupation and waved goodbye.
As I leaned down to pick up Philip, I realized he had been whining because he desperately needed a diaper change. Then I noticed that his hands had been immersed in the brown mess. As I turned to go back into the house, I took a final look at the white car driving away – and I made a horrifying discovery: Philip had removed the contents of his diaper and smeared them on her beautiful car!
I ran into the house, cleaned him up and made a quick call to Susie. I apologized profusely, groveled a bit and offered to come by and clean the car. I learned that people were people, no matter the rank their husbands wore, when Susie replied, “Oh, I just washed it off with the hose. It reminded me of what people say when something goes wrong at work: S--- happens!”
At one time, three of our five children were in diapers at the same time. We were so glad when the last of our brood was fully potty-trained. Often overlooked, diapers can take a surprisingly large chunk out of the family budget. Yet you can find some relatively painless ways to save money on these expensive child-raising necessities:
Manufacturer coupons: If you go to manufacturers’ websites to sign up for promotional offers, you can also get their coupons. Huggies, Pampers and Luvs all have popular websites. For a variety of baby coupons, go to www.momsview.com and www.freebabycoupons.com.
Toll-free numbers: Call the manufacturer’s toll-free number, say how much you like its product and ask for coupon promotions. Two examples are 1-800-PAMPERS and 1-800- NOLEAKS (Luvs).
Shopping websites: Some sites will ship diapers at a discount. It’s important to add postage and handling to the final cost and to check the site with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.com). For example, at www.diaperdandy.com, we discovered 192 medium diapers for $33 plus $6.92 shipping.
eBay: You can find almost anything at eBay. We found 180 medium diapers for $29.99 with free postage and handling, and 140 newborn diapers for $14.50 plus $5 postage and handling. Buyer beware: Be sure the diapers are in their original package and unopened. Also, factor shipping costs (if any) and choose a seller who enjoys high feedback ratings with a reasonable number of total reviews.
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Ellie Kay is an author, radio/TV commentator and motivational speaker at military events. Her newest book is “A Tip a Day with Ellie Kay: Twelve Months’ Worth of Money Savings Ideas” (Moody Press, 2008). She is the wife of an Air Force pilot and mother of seven children. To receive Ellie’s free newsletter or browse money-saving tips, visit www.elliekay.com.
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Baby Wipes
This simple recipe for diaper wipes can save you hundreds of dollars a year, are gentle on baby’s bottom and even work well on a toddler’s messy face, too!
- 1 round plastic container with lid (about 6 inches tall and wide enough to accommodate 1/2 roll of paper towels)
- 1 roll of heavy-duty paper towels (no cheap store brands)
- 4 tablespoons baby oil
- 4 tablespoons baby shampoo
- 4 tablespoons baby bath
- 1 to 2 cups of water (depending on the absorbency of the towel)
Cut a small X about an inch long in the plastic lid of the container. Cut the paper towels in half to make two short rolls of towels. Use one and save one. Put the first three ingredients in the bottom of the container and add one cup of water. Stir well. Place the paper towel, cut side up, in the water for a few minutes. Then turn it over, cut side down, to let the other side absorb the liquid.
Let this sit for five minutes. If the roll of paper towels still contains any dry portions, keep adding water a half-cup at a time in five-minute intervals, until towels are completely damp (not dripping, just damp). After the center of the paper towel tube is wet, gently pull it out of the center of the towels. Pull the towels from the center, and thread through the X in the lid of the plastic container. They should keep fresh for up to one month.