Being a Mom is a tough job and it’s always nice to have a little help. We can’t come do your laundry or cook dinner for your family but we have complied a great list of resources and secrets that every Mom in Birmingham should know about.
Coupons, Savings and Meal Planning:
There is a coupon craze going on now and there are many sites out there to help you master it, some are even narrowed down by store.
IGoBogo – A local site that will help you save money with printable coupons, deals, and frugal living tips and money saving advice.
Southern Savers – Couponing with Grocery Deals, Weekly Ads, and Printable Coupons, at your favorite stores! Stores include: Publix, Kroger, CVS, Walmart, Target and more.
EMealz – Helps you manage your food budget and enjoy delicious dinner recipes at home. Menu plans based on weekly grocery store sales, seasonal discounts or diet preferences.
Zulily – Daily Deal site for Moms Babies and Kids.
Retailmenot – Coupon codes and discounts for 100,000 online stores.
In the spirit of savings, Publix Grocery Stores in Alabama offer a program called “Baby Club.” The program is completely free and from the time you learn you’re expecting until your child turns two years old, they’ve got a bundle of good things for you and your little one. Coupons, Newsletters and for first time parents, you’ll receive the American Academy of Pediatrics’ complete guide to raising a child, “Caring for Your Baby and Young Child”—a $20 value. It’s full of invaluable medical and child-rearing advice from birth to age five.
It’s never too soon to start saving for college, Publix also offers a Upromise Program. A FREE program where you turn your everyday spending into money that you can use to pay down a loan, save for college or just spend on anything you would like! For a great explanation of this program see this post on I Heart Publix.
In case the Baby Club and UPromise aren’t enough to entice you, always remember that if you are grocery shopping with the children in tow, stop by the bakery and grab a FREE cookie to keep them happy while you shop!
Freebies!
InfantSee: free eye checkups for babies under 6 months old, checks for major problems early on.
Eating out as a family can turn into a costly night out, many restaurants around town offer discounts or free meals for children. For a complete list of participating restaurants, visit out “Kids Eat Free in Birmingham” list. It’s sure to save you some dough!
We’ve mentioned this before and will continue to mention it as a reminder for all of our new readers and new Moms, Imagination Library. Free books, yes completely FREE books for your child from birth to age 5, one per month. If you’re a Jefferson County resident, make sure you take advantage of this wonderful literacy program funded by the Dolly Parton Foundation.
Baby Footprint Tile: Baby Toes might be the cutest thing on earth and thanks to Painted By U in Hoover and Do *It* Yourself Crafts in Homewood, you can make a keepsake tile for your little one completely FREE. Restrictions vary for each, so make sure to check their websites before heading out to verify store policies.
Take a Ride the Cookie Train! Buds Best Cookies gives visitors the opportunity to tour their factory for FREE, you might even walk away with a sample! To schedule a tour of the Bud’s Best Cookies factory or learn more about days and times that tours are offered, please call: 205-987-4840 or 1-800-548-1504
All Moms need a little time for themselves and when you can get in a little yoga for FREE it makes it even better. Every Sunday at 6pm at Lulumon at the Summit, you can stop by their store for a free yoga class. 214 Summit Blvd Ste. 350. P 205-977-3643
*Class time subject to change without notice.
Birthday freebies are very popular and they aren’t just for kids. Many retailers such as DSW and Soca clothing like to give you a little birthday treat. If you sign up for their free program you will have a little “gift” waiting for you in the mail or your email box around your birthday. Many restaurants do this too. Think about how fun it would be to spend your birthday collecting free appetizers, meals and discounts on new clothes! So don’t be afraid to sign up!
Best Pregnancy Apps:
It’s hard to believe that we ever managed our lives without the comforts of modern technology. It’s ever changing and getting better especially if you are a smart phone owner. While these apps can’t help with the pain of contractions and childbirth, or tell you how to raise your kids, they can help make the journey a little easier and more organized.
APPS to make life easier:
Pregnancy
FREE! BabyCenter My Pregnancy Todayhelps keep you up-to-date on your pregnancy day by day, fetal development (photos included), body changes, pregnancy checklist, free pregnancy videos, nutrition guide, and pregnancy progress tracker. It’s like the traditional Pregnancy Journal in digital and mobile format!
FREE! I’m Expecting- Pregnancy is ideal for tracking symptoms, weight gain, doctor appointments. It also gives advice regarding common pregnancy symptoms. Weekly updates on progress and you can even take pictures of your growing bump and create a slideshow, if you dare!
New Baby
FREE! Project 365- This is one of our faves, it lets you document how your baby changes every single day. The concept is simple, you take a photo on your phone every day, leaving you with an amazing documentation of your baby’s first year. Capture milestones, and never forget a day!
$.99 Breastfeeding App- This app was created to help nursing mothers remember which breast their baby last drank from. You can input times as well. You only need this in the beginning, so don’t sink a ton of money into it.
Pregnancy Tracker from What to Expect is the perfect companion to the bestselling pregnancy book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff. Keep track of pregnancy with this absolutely free pregnancy app! Available from the iTunes store, Pregnancy Tracker from What to Expect features a due date calculator, week by week details of your baby’s growth and development, illustrations of your baby’s development, updates on body changes to expect, countdown to your due date and more.
Fertility and Pregnancy Calculator is a useful app for both pregnant women and women trying to conceive. If you’re trying to get pregnant, this free app helps calculate your ovulation date and fertile days, and it even tells you when to make love to improve your chance at pregnancy. For pregnant women, it allows you to keep up-to-date on when important pregnancy tests should be done, and when pregnancy events occur. This free pregnancy app was developed by the OB/GYN Dr. Amos Grunebaum in collaboration with BabyMed.com
Pregnancy Buzz by the Bump A very creative and cute pregnancy app that keeps expectant mamas informed at every stage of their pregnancy. This free app from the creators of TheBump.com gives you expert tips and advice on everything you might want to know – including what’s safe to eat (and what foods to avoid), what to expect at your prenatal visits, and almost anything you want to know. You can search questions from other concerned moms-to-be, and you can even ask your own pregnancy questions and get answers from the community.
Budgeting
Grocery Gadget helps keep track of lists and helps you plan.
iReconcile helps you track your monthly budget, allowing you to see exactly where your money is going.
Trying To Conceive
Ovulation Calendars are so easy, and most of them are free.
Sometimes you just need a little babysitter, we like these for those times:
Vocal Zoo, BubbleWrap, Dots and Boxes, Doodle Buddy, AniMatch, Grisly Manor
