helping you help me

October 13, 2009 - 12:01 pm Lee-Anne - 2 - YES diapers are expensive!!! Target brand are not bad....if you have a Costco, their Huggies are not too high either and you buy in bulk, so you go less frequently :) 3 - we use Petscriptions, it is based out of Louisville and a lil cheaper then 1-800-pet-meds and a lil more personal. Also, they are more guarded on what they carry and will advise against certain meds.....and contact your vet for any questions, etc.Hope you are doing well!! That Sloan is SOOOOOOOO precious!!!!!!

October 13, 2009 - 12:04 pm Ariel - Erika, Yes, diapers are expensive!!! I found that Costco has great deals on bulk diapers. You can also try www.1800diapers.com On this site you can find all kinds of baby products at great prices and they will ship them to you, sometimes for free. I used Huggies because nothing else seemed to work for us but I hear that Target makes a great diaper. No help with the pet meds. We too spend a bazillion dollars for flea and heartworm stuff. I'll check back to see the comments on that :)ps - Congratulations on the birth of Sloane. I've been stalking your blog for a while and just love it!!!Ariel

October 13, 2009 - 12:10 pm armchairdesign - I don't have little ones in diapers anymore, but when I did (3 years ago) I used Target brand diapers--they were awesome: they never leaked, were gentle on the skin (I had a baby with very delicate skin and food allergies), and were $14 for 100 or more diapers.

October 13, 2009 - 12:13 pm Pink Wallpaper - target diapers! they are cute and about $7 cheaper then huggies and pampers. i used 1800petmeds and i think it is cheaper...we had to get a note from our vet though saying we could use it.

October 13, 2009 - 12:20 pm Amanda F - In regards to #2: As of now, my Hubby and I have spent almost 5 straight years doing the research on this topic. Before we switched our youngest to cloth, we'd had indepth conversations about it and even devised a rating system. #1: Pampers #2: Huggies or Kirklands #3: Up & Up or Luvs A less expensive but not 'cheaper quality' diaper would be Costco's Kirklands, and sometimes they have coupons. These were our go-to for our 1st daughter. The Luvs sagged, and are the first to leak. Up & Up's are not as saggier, and are our current back-up to cloth. When I could get either Pampers or Huggies on sale with coupon, making them as economical as Kirkland's, I'd stock up. If you save your receipt, you could exchange them in case Baby Sloane outgrew them in between packs. You might find yourself trying one of each multiple times over the next 3 years. Some weeks I just got tired of the cost and went with the cheapos. Hubby would say, why'd you get these? You strayed from our system? ;-) Good luck!

October 13, 2009 - 12:30 pm Susan - (2) We are diaper snobs ... only Pampers. I'm not afraid to admit it. We buy our diapers in bulk at Sam's Club. It is the cheapest per diaper, unless you run upon a sale at Target or other grocery store and have coupons. I have heard that the Costco brand diapers are good, but haven't personally used them. Diapers are one thing I don't do generic.(3) We gave our toy poodle to my parents when baby #2 arrived (in 2008) so it has been a while, but I always used to buy heart worm meds at 1-800-Petmeds.com. It was cheaper and after you become a customer, they start sending coupons in the mail.

October 13, 2009 - 12:30 pm Danene - Hi Erika. Try diapers.com. They are the cheapest.

October 13, 2009 - 12:35 pm Judy - Check out drsfostersmith.com or horse.com...I have found both of these less expensive than petmeds. They each offer regular sales as well. Sorry I don't have any advice on diapers. It has been 20 years since I diapered my last baby. Mine were allergic to the disposable ones so I used cloth diapers. Lots of laundry but I would say cheaper by far.

October 13, 2009 - 12:35 pm Ashley - Hey Erika- Diapers: I am a extreme couponer and I have found that CVS is the best when you match coupons with store promotions. I use Southernsavers.com to find the best deals each week. Also- We tried to use 1800pedmeds.com and our vet wouldn't participate in it. PetMeds has to verify what your heartworm/flea medicine is via fax or phone with the vet (kindof like a human prescription) and my vet wouldn't respond. We then went to another vet when we moved and he said he would just match the price of Petmeds so we would buy it through him. Hope this helps! Ashley

October 13, 2009 - 12:36 pm Christina - Regarding 1800petmeds-I don't use them- my vet told me that they are less expensive but when you buy from them you don't get the "insurance" you get when you purchase from your vet. Meaning,if your dog gets heart worm and you buy from the vet the treatment is free, if you buy online you pay for it. I'd check with your vet on that policy, I dont know if it is standard or not. I can't recommend a cheap diaper, I'm a pampers snob too. I've tired target, walmart and sam's brands with less than desired results. But, as she gets a little older she may not use as many, my son didn't.

October 13, 2009 - 12:37 pm Anna - Hi Erika- I don't have kids yet but my sister in law loves diapers.com. I have heard about it from several friends so maybe that will help. As for the dogs, I used to buy the flea and tick treatments at the vet but now just get them to write me a prescription and I use petcarerx.com I have used them once so far and they were cheaper than everyone else with free shipping. Sometimes you can google for coupon codes to get an additional $5 off..hope that helps!

October 13, 2009 - 12:38 pm Dawn - Erika~~Recently we were hit w/a an astouding bill for pet meds from our vet for "Rimadyl" (pain med). After searching around I found an online site (Foster is in the title..Drs Foster? Foster and Foster?). My vet had to o.k. the order and they were astounded at the savings. They now stock the generic and tell me it is flying off their shelves. Yes, online pet meds can save you mucho dinero!

October 13, 2009 - 12:40 pm Christy - I also am a diaper snob for newborns... only pampers. We ordered our diapers off amazon.com. Free shipping, large quantities, best price (at least around here) and they came to my door. Good luck!

October 13, 2009 - 12:41 pm Jacci - Hi, Erika :)We used to buy diapers at Costco & Sam's Club, but when you do the math, the savings really aren't that great. Honestly, the **absolute** cheapest diapers (Luvs, grocery store brands, etc.) work so terribly that you wind up using far more per day... not to mention washing crib sheets a LOT. The Wal-Mart brand (Parent's Choice) and those cute polka-dot Target diapers Darby uses have been our #1 pics. We buy the largest pack available and several packs at a time - we often have had two children in diapers. This season is a reprieve with our 4th child now nearing potty training age.Hope it helps!!Xo, Jacci

October 13, 2009 - 12:41 pm LEAH - I WOULD highly recommend you look in cloth diapering. stop. don't gag. it is NOT what you think-NOT the cloth diapers of our parents generation. doesn't mean you are a hippy dippy, or dirty, or anything like that. my friend angela started a kick-ass business and if you want to talk to her about the reasons WHY cloth diapering is the way to go, she'll happily tell you more. don't judge before you check it out. average cost savings: 300-600.00 for cloth diapers that take you from 0-POTTY TRAINING vs. over 4K-5K in reg diapers that take you from 0-potty training. www.bumritediapers.com angela is a mom in napa, ca and she is amazing!

October 13, 2009 - 12:43 pm Whitney - Diapers are expensive! We received a lot of different kinds as gifts, so I've tried just about everything (pampers, huggies, toysrus off brand, etc.) I have to say that the BEST (and I think, better quality than the more expensive ones) is Luvs. They're not the absolute cheapest (about 14-16 a box of a LOT), but they don't leak either. I was really tired of cleaning up so much with every diaper change.They're really really great. And the boxes make really good moving boxes. ;-)

October 13, 2009 - 12:43 pm Della @ Della Grace's Life - Yes! Petmeds is totally worth it! If you look around online, there are all kinds of free shipping deals you can use when you check out at Petmeds. I've been using them for years and would highly recommned them!

October 13, 2009 - 12:44 pm Whitney Tolbert - Hey Erika! Like you, I was stunned by the cost of preventative meds for Copper, my 85 lb Golden Retriever. I am always looking for ways to save a buck and looked into 1-800-petmeds. My vet (who just happens to be fellow AU grad Garrett Davis :) says that 1-800-petmeds is not the best way to go because although it may be cheaper, they can't guarantee that the meds are actually 100% protective. He has seen dogs come in with heart worms who have been using their products. So, Dr. Davis actually gave me a generic form of Heartguard called Triheart. It was cheaper and is guaranteed to protect my pooch! Yay! Hope this helps.P.S. Sloane is beautiful.....just like her mama:)

October 13, 2009 - 12:48 pm Jacci - Just popping back in to say that regardless of the diaper, children just need changed often! :) I had a friend who would go on and on about how none of the diapers she bought worked very well on her baby. Eventually, after talking more, I found out she was expecting an infant to go 4-6 daytime hours in a diaper without leaking. Not common ;) They can go that long at night, but most children potty/poo more often in the day.XO, Jacci

October 13, 2009 - 12:48 pm Beth - Hi-While I love many Target brand items including their baby formula to supplement, I do not like the Up and Up diapers. They run big and dont stay fastened as well. I have only used them on my 2 year old. For my babies(I have a 4 month old girl Avery)I use whatever namebrand I have a coupon for. Your best bet is to go to all the big brands websites and sign up and you will get lots of coupons sent to you in the mail. I used to use Pampers with my 1st and then tried Luvs since they were a gift and I think they are just as good as the more expensive ones and almost everytime I go to Target they are on sale or on price cut. I also get lots of Luvs coupons on my receipts there. Just my opinion. Good Luck.

October 13, 2009 - 12:50 pm Kristi - We use only huggies. We tried pampers and she would leak right through them. You can go to all manufactuars and sign up for coupons. I did that for the diapers, enfamil, and gerber (when the baby is old enough). If you ever use formula they also send free cans of formula once in awhile. I even signed my mom up for it so we could get extra coupons and formula! With the flea medicine we use whatever they sell at walmart and it works just fine. Our dogs haven't had fleas in years on the stuff.

October 13, 2009 - 12:55 pm Dan - I've found Costco brand wipes and diapers to be the best. Quality and cost. I never run out of diapers/wipes and only go every two months or so. With the savings in time and gas, and also convenience ... to me Costco is the best deal. BTW, Costco also sells eco-friendly diapers/wipes on their website.

October 13, 2009 - 12:55 pm Angel/TaDa! Creations - We've switched to Target brand diapers and love them. They are adorable (for diapers anyway) and my son leaked more in the expensive Pampers we used to use. I think I've seen them on your nephew (JM) too.

October 13, 2009 - 12:56 pm holland - i was scared to use anything other than pampers or huggies for the longest time... until mine was 9 months... but now i am in love with target diapers. they are cheap AND cute. i love the polka dots. other than that, i would say sams or diapers.com w/ the promo codes! try target sooner than later... you will save some moolah!

October 13, 2009 - 12:58 pm Stefani - Hi Erika, Congrats on Sloane! Ive never commented before, but as a mother a twin two year olds, I have a lot to say about diapers! :) Obviously in the beginning we went through a lot, A LOT, of diapers. We preferred going to Costco and buying their Kirkland brand. They also sell Huggies, but personally, I hate Huggies. They have always leaked overnight and gave my kids rashes. Kirkland brand are great, they don't rub weird or give nasty rashes --they do the job. Now that the twins are older and we aren't going through as many diapers, I use Pampers. I REALLY like Pampers, they are soft and comfy and great for kids that are running around all day! :) Also, another thing I found, don't switch wipes too much. Once you find a brand that works, stick with it. I kept trying to find cheaper ones and the more I switched the more raw my kiddos behinds would get :(. Hope that helps! Stefani

October 13, 2009 - 1:03 pm Melanie - I was wondering about those sheets. I am glad to know that they work.Diapers...can't help you there. I am 13 yrs. removed from them but I know that I loved Pampers with the velcro straps. I can't remember the name though. I also used Luvs because they were cheap.

October 13, 2009 - 1:04 pm Niki R - 1800PetMeds is awesome. Been using it for years, they'll contact your Vet to get Rx approvals and everything. Plus they send you reminder emails when you need to refill your dog's prescriptions. They always have coupons and if you can find one google and you'll get something for at least 10% off. GL!

October 13, 2009 - 1:05 pm Dianne - I have used 1800petmeds for a long time now and it is cheaper. I buy the same stuff my vet recommends and sells for a lot less. Kisses to baby Sloane....oh the expense is just getting started!! ;)

October 13, 2009 - 1:05 pm Jenna - TARGET DIAPERS ROCK!! no leaks ever and cheap! i would also check out costco if you have a membership...i didn't when i needed diapers!

October 13, 2009 - 1:07 pm Karen - Definintely go with Target brand diapers. They work a lot like the name brand ones. However, do NOT try the Wal-Mart brand, parent's choice, I believe is the name. I used 2 or 3 in desperation, then returned the opened box. They were that horrible.

October 13, 2009 - 1:08 pm Kerry - I don't know if there is an alternative to the standard heart worm meds, but I've just recently decided to try a more natural approach to flea prevention (Flea N'Tick Be Gone). If your little guys are flea free at the moment, you may want to give it a try. Here's a link to what Dr. Weil has to say about it:http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00566/ticks-and-fleas-prevention-removal.html

October 13, 2009 - 1:18 pm Stacy Miller - I can't help you out with the diapers, but certainly have you covered on ANY issue you may have with your dogs. I have been using the website carealotpets.com to get all my flea and tick medicine. I have found that they are significantly less expensive on Frontline Plus, pet toys, shampoos, etc. Unfortunately, I continue to get my Heartguard medicine from my veterinarian's office, since it is availble by prescription only. Good Luck!

October 13, 2009 - 1:21 pm Hannah J - I too- am pro-cloth diapering! They have saved us so much $. I have an 8 month old, and 2 year old- who were in diapers at the same time for a couple months after the baby arrivd. Now the 2 year old is potty trained, and the baby is in her old diapers. It's super economical- and really not very difficult to do! Really worth looking into. It's initially an investment, but you save a ton in the long run!

October 13, 2009 - 1:21 pm Lynn Soon - Ever consider cloth diapers? One of the other attorneys I work with (we're both environmental attorneys), uses them for her newborn, and they are more work, but cheaper and environmentally-friendlier!

October 13, 2009 - 1:25 pm Paige - Love the kitchen!I am not a mom, but have given the Target brand diapers as gifts and they seem to work really well.

October 13, 2009 - 1:25 pm Melise - Uggg! Diaper $. Honestly when my daughter potty trained it wasn't the relief from changing them that I was overjoyed about, it was paying $40 every two weeks for diapers! It gets worse the bigger they get because the diapers get bigger so less fit in the same size box but they go through just as many. We too are diaper snobs and only used Pampers and I found Sams was as cheap as Costco and way better than Walmart or Target. But you have to factor in that membership fee if you're not already a member. We're looking to adopt our second in a few months and I swear I'm actually dreading buying diapers again! haha! I never minding changing them, it was always a special bonding time for me cause I couldn't nurse. But it sure is hard to stomach paying so much for a poop catcher!!! haha :-)

October 13, 2009 - 1:26 pm taylor - the first few months, only pampers worked because they were the only ones that didn't leak! dylan was one of those babies that had a good 7-10 blowouts a day...pampers did the best job of making them smaller blowouts, or containing the blowouts all together!] but after we got past blowout stage, target and kroger were my diapers of choice, and my wallets diapers of choice. the kroger brand is great--i think their brand is called "comforts" --the ones in the green packaging, not the maroon packaging.so that is my $0.02! sounds like a lot of other people like target too!we spend a lot of money on flea and heartworm too--but i order them from the vet or Petsmart, so can't help there. the one thing our vet has always told us is that some of the online vet companies only carry the "plus" version of flea and heartworm meds...and to never get the "plus" [ie: frontline plus] version. they are not good for the 4-leggeds! xo

October 13, 2009 - 1:28 pm amanda - We are a pampers only family...Sams Club is the place to buy! Also, oddly enough, walgreens often has good deals on them too...stock-up and believe it or not the diaper changes will down...I think everytime my babies nursed they pooped...nursery tour//!!! any.time.soon?! please, oh please~~~~

October 13, 2009 - 1:29 pm amanda - slow down...they will slow down!

October 13, 2009 - 1:37 pm Rayna - For the 4 legged kids - try entirelypets.com, bullwrinkle.com, petcarerx.com and petshed.com. Usually, all 4 of those sites are cheaper than 800petmeds. I use entirelypets.com the most. Love your blog, your work is amazing and congrats on Sloane!

October 13, 2009 - 1:38 pm Hillary - You do go through diapers like a buzz saw in the beginning but don't worry it will slow down. My son is 6 1/2 months now, but by 2 months we only had to change him 2-3 diapers a day.

October 13, 2009 - 1:40 pm Danielle - I really like Walgreens Brand Diapers. They are similar in fit to Target but a little thicker and they are mostly white which is nice under bloomers. They get as low as 4.50 a pack when they are buy one get one free. Occasionally you can also get a 2$ coupon in the pharmacy and get them for $2.50 a pack! We love their brand and they are the cheapest I have found. I was wondering about 1800 pet meds too so I am interested to see the responses

October 13, 2009 - 1:42 pm Angela - Congrats on your beautiful little girl! Love following your blog. I have a two year old and am expecting our second in a few weeks, so I've been thinking about the diaper thing again (I really had hoped our 2 year old girl would be potty trained. Alas, she is not. So I will have two in diapers. Talk about expensive!)I agree with some of the earlier posts, Pampers were the best for the newborn period. Our little girl had lots of large messy diapers, and pampers was the best at containing blowouts. Once they start on solid type foods and their diaper contents are more, er, solid, we had better luck with cheaper brands. So it will get better! Plus, they don't need nearly so many changes later on, either. We found Luvs worked the best. Best prices seem to be Amazon (LOVE getting them at my door) or Walmart. You can get good pampers deals at Babies R Us when they run specials, and I stock up then.Kudos for everyone who does cloth diapers, I tried to figure out how the cost savings would be enough. And maybe I just didn't check the right brands, but between buying multiple sizes, maybe needing diaper liners, and all the water and utility costs, needing disposables when we were out (I don't think I could carry a nasty diaper around in my bag) I just couldn't figure out how to justify it.

October 13, 2009 - 1:43 pm Virginia - I don't have any babies, so no advice there. However, I do have a doggy baby and yes, 1800PetMeds is great! Our pup will not take pills, so we have to get her this special heart worm medicine that taste like beef. She thinks it's a treat :) It's definitely cheaper then what's at the vet, plus PedMeds has more variety. I also am a huge fan of buying online in general. You can always find a deal.

October 13, 2009 - 1:47 pm rachael - I'm kind of a diaper snob. I really only like/trust Pampers. I would just stock up when they go on sale and sign up for coupons on their website! Someone usually has them on sale for around $9 each week though.As for the flea meds, check out petshed.com. I've ordered from them for years. Their prices are very good, only it does take a few weeks for shipping so order ahead of time. Good luck!

October 13, 2009 - 1:49 pm Lillian - Another vote that you might want to investigate cloth diapers if you have even the slightest interest in them! We love them so so so much and they've saved us a TON of money! I have a store online(just wanted to put in that disclosure;), but I'm closing it so you can't really buy from me, so I'm not replying to this to try to sell anything;) Just wanted to tell you that I can help if you want any help or info - feel free to send me an email and I'd be happy to help! When I buy disposables I usually get them on Amazon since I have prime and it's free shipping. A ton of their brands have the "subscribe and save" option if you buy a case you get an extra 15% off and it makes the more expensive diapers much less expensive.

October 13, 2009 - 1:50 pm Lillian - And ~ that kitchen is FANTASTIC. The mixture of colors is perfection!

October 13, 2009 - 1:50 pm Jamie - We LOVE the Especially For Baby brand diapers that Babies R Us sales. They are around $24 a case all the time but on Black Friday they are $10 a case!!!! Last year I went in and out of the store and bought 15 cases. I am just now having to buy diapers again!

October 13, 2009 - 1:52 pm Jamie - I'm a big dork and just re-read my comment... I promise I know the difference between sales and sells! :)

October 13, 2009 - 2:01 pm Lindsey - 1. Diapers-Costco/Sam's. Occasionally you can get a better deal if you have GREAT coupons, but rarely does that happen.2. The dog meds are cheaper from online places like Foster and Smith, Pet meds, etc. I would not go for the cheaper store brands--they don't work. We found that out the hard way and ending up paying hundreds for an exterminator, flea shampoo, special DAILY meds from the vet when our dog got fleas while on preventative meds. On top of all that had to vacuum and bathe her daily. Not the $ or effort in the long run.Have a great week with the fam at the beach!

October 13, 2009 - 2:01 pm Jan - i'm so glad that you asked about diapers. my little girl is 10 weeks now and even though the number of diaper changes has reduced significantly since the beginning weeks, i'm noticing a HUGE increase in my Target/Grocery bills. i'm going to try the target brand since so many people have recommended them. oh, and i think the weather is finally cooling off where you are. i was just in sandestin for two weeks, and unfortunately it was rather warm. i think it cooled off the day that we left. enjoy your fall temps and sunshine! i miss florida already! can't wait to be back for thanksgiving b/c i love love love the area! (i'm kristen hill's friend in memphis, and she told me about your blog).

October 13, 2009 - 2:03 pm Victoria - I always buy Diapers in bulk, BJ's or Costco! And, Dr. Foster & Smith for the dog stuff. Hope it helps!

October 13, 2009 - 2:05 pm amanda - lol - I think it's great to read over all of the comments because people are SO passionate about diapers & dog meds (apparently)!diapers - I would buy Pampers Swaddlers until she is about 3 mos old. They are a small luxury. We have a BJs (like Costco & Sams) & I also buy them there. Then I would put her in Target's Up & Up or Luvs. You can get Luvs at BJs (with coupon) 180 for $25 - it's an amazing deal & I've NEVER had a problem with Luvs. I always thought the live & learn & then get Luvs thing was silly - it's not - why spend more on diapers when they work. Up & Up are next in line for decent diapers at a good price - but I wouldn't use either until she's a size 2.pet meds - I too would only buy from the vet until it just started to get too pricey. We use 1800PetMeds & haven't had a problem. Your vet will have to fax the heartworm prescription to them or you will have to fax or mail it. The heartworm company will not cover your dog's heartworm (if they get it) if you purchase online as opposed to at the vets though. (Chance we take - we assume if 1800PetMeds was selling bum drugs that they would get a bad reputation.) I can always find great coupon codes for PetMeds too. I just saved $50 in heartworm & flea for my dog for the year over what I would've spent at the vet!Good luck - and congrats on being a new mommy!

October 13, 2009 - 2:09 pm Leigh-Ann - I have two girls about the same ages as Morgan and Paige and I highly recommend the Parent's Choice walmart brand diapers. They worked with both of my girls. Huggies leaked really bad on us for some reason and were more expensive. Stick with huggies wipes. Like those best. Coupons, coupons, coupons all over the internet for diapers and wipes. Sloane is beautiful!

October 13, 2009 - 2:09 pm Kelly - Costco (store brand) diapers are the cheapest I've found and I feel like really decent quality (but I'm so not a diaper snob).

October 13, 2009 - 2:11 pm christy - A lot of people recommend Albertson's (not sure if you have them) store brand of diapers, Costco & Target. I found that my son was allergic to some & could not use them. I was stuck using Huggies, but would buy in bulk at Costco.

October 13, 2009 - 2:11 pm lindsay - I love pampers!! I bought huggies at costco because they were cheaper (like some said above) and I won't ever do it again. I'm not particular about MOST baby things but I'm a diaper snob admittedly. I think huggies kind of stink... like literally they have an odor, so that's my main reason. Also, I put Walmart diapers on Cohen once and he got a diaper rash like I've never seen. Could have also been the fact that we were at the beach and he got sand in his bootie crack... who knows!really thinking of using cloth with our next baby. I have lots of friends here that do and it seems like a BIG money saver. they use these...www.bumgenius.com

October 13, 2009 - 2:15 pm Lane - I've learned my lesson the hard way with cheap diapers....I hate cheap diapers! I've just had to suck it up and buy Pampers (that seems to be my favorite brand out of all the brands...and yes, we've tried them all!) Sign up with Pampers.com and they'll send you coupons in the mail. Pair it with a store coupon or sale and they're really not that bad! And sometimes the bigger packs are actually more money per diaper...doesn't make sense to me, but do the math before buying in bulk. Thanks for the tip on the Purex sheets!

October 13, 2009 - 2:20 pm liz - My husband had a heart attack the first time he went out to buy diapers! I think he was seriously considering turning them inside out and reusing them...ha, ha. :-) The Target brand come out to about .10 per diaper compared to .20 per and beyond for Huggies/Pampers. The are not as soft, but our little guy (3 months old) doesn't seem to mind and I haven't noticed any more blow outs or leaks with them than we had with our initial supply of the expensive stuff. I'm a believer.I haven't ordered from 1800 pet meds, but did price it out...1/2 as much as buying our kitty's Revolution from the vet, so I will definitely be buying there when our supply runs out.Hope you are having a great day with your beautiful little girl and starting to get some more sleep!

October 13, 2009 - 2:29 pm Heather Spencer - try Luvs on Amazon! The are even delivered for free!!

October 13, 2009 - 2:33 pm kickymarcia - We used huggies for my little one and mostly purchased at Sam's Club in the huge case. As she grew I ventured to the target generics and was pleased. I changed her often so I didn't worry about a diaper last for umpteen hours.We purchase heart worm medicine from 1800petmeds and flea treatment from target.Good luck! Diapers cost us about $100 a month then when we added formula to supplement my milk after nine months, it was about a $100 too. I also purchased it by the case at Sam's Club.Enjoy your sweet girl... She's adorable!

October 13, 2009 - 2:35 pm Jennifer - Can't help with the diapers, but the best prices on flea/heartworm meds (that we've found) is on dog.com. I wouldn't try any off-brands, especially for flea prevention. Dad's a vet, and he suggests against it. I do like the Adam's brand (I find it at Wal-Mart) flea shampoo -- though my mom swears Joy dish soap does the trick! -- but not the flea meds, though they are temptingly cheap!

October 13, 2009 - 2:43 pm Wendy - Another plug for cloth....I'm a new grandma who used the "old-fashioned" gauze and pre-fold diapers with plastic pants over them years ago. My daughter is now using the cutest all-in-ones from BumGenius. They make ones that can be adjusted to a larger size as baby grows. They are an investment,but can be used for years with subsequent babies and there's a huge market for well-cared-for used cloth diapers. The best parts, though, are the feel of soft cloth on babies bottom and the adorable prints and solid colors!

October 13, 2009 - 2:45 pm Kristal - I use 1800PetMeds all the time. Drastically less than what I would pay at my vet!

October 13, 2009 - 2:54 pm Devon - I didn't scan through all of the comments but diapers.com is excellent in pricing plus free shipping in 2 days flat for orders over $50 (which you will hit every single time if you buy a couple of bulk boxes). This is, by far, the best place we have found and most convenient. Good luck!!

October 13, 2009 - 2:57 pm brandy - Have you thought about using cloth? It is worth the up front cost, it saves a lot of money in the long run, especially if you start her now! I use bum genius all in ones!

October 13, 2009 - 3:06 pm Elizabeth - I'm just a lurker & your blog (& family) is beyond adorable! I have a friend who swears by diapers.com; she has two little ones in diapers and can order one evening & have them at her door by 11am the next day. Additionally, she can buy other baby related items like laundry detergent. Hope that helps!

October 13, 2009 - 3:07 pm chesley - I'm a diaper snob too. We only used Pampers Swaddlers & now Cruisers. I tried Huggies, but HATED them! I check the Baby Cheapskate blog when I have to buy them to see who has the best deals for the week. Also, you can stack coupons at Target & at Babies R Us (mfr coupon with store coupons) resulting in some great deals. Make sure you sign up at the Pampers website (if you use them) and you'll get coupons in the mail every now & then. no advice on petmeds!

October 13, 2009 - 3:21 pm Whitney - I've had 3 babies, and each one seemed to fit better in a different brand of diaper, but in my experience, huggies and pampers just worked better than the cheaper brands. BUT, my absolute favorite wipes are the Target Up&Up brand! They are bumpy and grip the poop better than the smooth kind. I only wish I had discovered them on my first child!PS- love your blog!

October 13, 2009 - 3:21 pm Chris - I use totalpetsupply.com out of Canada and never had a problem. They are the cheapest on the internet. Plus sometimes this coupon for 10% works: TPS10.The Frontline is over the counter but you have to give your vet info for the Heartworm.Hope that helps!

October 13, 2009 - 3:23 pm Meg Wingfield - I am afraid to admit it as well that we are diaper snobs too. Only Pampers for us. They are the best and I would rather spend more on diapers rather than my time on trying to get out poop stains on clothes because of cheap leaky diapers. My time=A LOT of money. So Pampers it is. I use diapers.com and love the free and ridiculously fast shipping. They often times send me coupons via my email and I can also get other things on there as well, like nursing pads, and hard to find snacks for Alder. Its also a great site once Sloane starts eating solids. Remember though that Sloane will eventually get to a point that she won't be pooping every time you nurse her so this will help with how many diapers you use daily. As far as pet meds, we have used it several times and like it. But my poor Ally B (golden retriever) seems to be forgotten these days and she is lucky to just get feed.....oh life with two children under the age of 2. Hope all is well. Sloane is beautiful. Arranged marriage maybe with one of my boys????? Hmmmmm. Ciao, Meg

October 13, 2009 - 3:24 pm Ronnie - I live in a small town so I had to buy whatever diapers they had at WalMart. I found, though, that the cheap ones can leak, if they're not made well. Therefore, I had to find cheap ones that still worked! That took some trial and error!!As for 1800PetMeds, it is much cheaper. I just bought 1 year's worth of the generic HeartGuard for 12.00. It would have been 22.00, but there was an issue with the prescription from my vet, so I had to cancel the order and then reorder a few days later. They sent me a coupon for 10.00 off on my next order if I would come back all because I canceled my order. I thought it was totally wonderful and will do my future orders through them.Good luck!!

October 13, 2009 - 3:43 pm Rachel S. at Pencil Shavings - For newborns, I'm a Pampers girl all the way. Their little skin is so sweet and sensitive, and Pampers seem to be my fave. However, once they get a little bigger, I am an all-out convert to the Target Up&Up brand. I was otherwise a Huggies Premium or Pampers devotee, but those Target ones are SO cheap and they work SUPER.

October 13, 2009 - 3:43 pm Rachel S. at Pencil Shavings - Oh, and Luvs suck. Totally. Just avoid at all cost.

October 13, 2009 - 3:47 pm Jennifer - UP & UP (TARGET BRAND)I switched from Pampers Baby Dry to these and they are great and A LOT less money! I also heard that DIAPERS.COM is a great place to order diapers from. I think they have free shipping too. I read on article on them in Inc. Magazine and was impressed with their customer service philosophy.

October 13, 2009 - 3:50 pm Molly - Hi Erika! With out first child, we used Target diapers during the day and Pampers only at night or when we took the baby out some where. One thing to keep an eagle eye out for is when they clearance out Pampers and/or Huggies diapers at Target. They are always on end caps. They do this when there is a coupon inside the box that will soon expire or if they change the look of the box/diapers then they have to get rid of them. A few months ago I scored some Pampers for 30% off! When you see them on clearance, stock up! Hope this helps.

October 13, 2009 - 3:52 pm Molly - One more thing.... Pampers Baby Dry diapers are way cheaper than Pampers Cruisers.

October 13, 2009 - 4:36 pm Marcy - I am addicted to the Purex sheets too. I tried the Tide Stain Release tablets, but they don't smell as good as the Purex sheets.For diapers I am huge fan of Pampers because they hold more at night. I gave up on diaper changes in the middle of the night. It was (is) too difficult to get the kids back to sleep. I use diapers.com - reordering is super easy and the diapers are dropped off at my door. When I shop at target or costco, I don't have room for the big box of diapers or wipes. I am already carrying a load of kids. : ) Congrats on baby Sloane. She's adorable.

October 13, 2009 - 4:57 pm Lauren - Target Brand are really good and some of the cheapest! They hold up really well and don't leak. Walgreens and Kroger are horrible! Pampers and Huggies are more expensive, but pretty good. Good luck!

October 13, 2009 - 5:05 pm CC - Erika, check out www.omahavaccine.com For my pet needs they are a bit cheaper then 1-800-PET-MEDS. You may also want to try drsfostersmith.comHugs to both you and sweet baby Sloane!

October 13, 2009 - 5:15 pm Lauren - I'm not sure if anyone else has weighed in on the Wal-Mart brand petmeds -- but DO YOUR RESEARCH on their brands! I did last year and found out that Hartz and other lower-priced brands have a history of being hazardous in horribly tragic ways. I about had a heart attack when I saw all the sad stories posted online. Be careful! Stick with the brand your vet suggests!On that note of death and destruction, I will say that I am so in lu-huve with that kitchen photo it isn't even funny. Also, sorry, can't help you with diapers. Just dogs for me!

October 13, 2009 - 5:26 pm Mag - Having bought more diapers than I care to think about, I would say that the cheaper ones are fine now when Sloane is little. But they are not generally absorbent enough with toddlers. Just sayin. :) Years ago, my father in law put a grocery store brand flea and tick med. on our dog (bless his heart- he was helping) and our Lab had a terrible allergic reaction to it. So only Vet stuff for us, seems to be safer!

October 13, 2009 - 5:29 pm linda @ Lime in the Coconut - Don't imagine I could talk you into cloth? Could I? Some bucks out front...but then cheap. Especially if you are having more than one. Other than that collect coupons online.

October 13, 2009 - 5:56 pm melissa stover - i also like the target brand diapers. we haven't had any leaks. i generally use target brand or luvs.i buy our pet meds from 1800 pet meds. we get the flea stuff too. i like the fast shipping and that i don't have to leave the house to get it.

October 13, 2009 - 6:06 pm http://aspoonfulofdish.blogspot.com/ - Huggies at Costco and Pampers at Sams Club. Babies r Us have good value packs in diapers too. Huggies, to me, leak and Pampers Cruisers work well (they have great newborns diapers that change colors when they pee and they have diapers with extra absorbency) . I've used them on both my boys. Haven't tried other brands. My brother likes costco brand diapers and says they're less expensive than other brands. We use heartguard from Petsmart and it works for our Sheepoo (half shitzu half poodle).

October 13, 2009 - 6:17 pm Elizabeth - We use Dr Foster's and Smith for pet meds. For us, Pet Smart is just not economical. We have two large dogs. Also, I'm a brand snob and only use Pamper's Cruisers. We buy them from Sam's because that's the cheapest per diaper price UNLESS Target is having a sale. At Sam's they also have the Swadler's in a 1-2 size which would stretch the size a little bit.

October 13, 2009 - 6:21 pm Darby - I'm with you... diapers are insane. I love the picture above. When you get all the answers to your questions please let me know! I'll be there soon. Love you! D

October 13, 2009 - 6:37 pm Elizabeth K - I use 1800PetMeds and have been happy with it. Lulu was heart worm free at her check up last week.

October 13, 2009 - 7:01 pm Jennifer - Hi...I've never left comment before but love reading your blog...design ideas and all are awesome! Best advice I can give you about diapers: listen to your baby! We can all tell you what worked for us but it may not be best for your precious one. My personal experience was Pampers were best. However, I have a boy and they do things differently. I know parents that loved Huggies; others, Luvs; still others that could use whatever was on sale.Dog meds: I buy through the vet b/c I'm wary to order online for the same reasons some of the others mentioned. I use a heartworm/flea preventive combo for my 2 mini Dachshunds and I believe it runs about $65-70 from the vet. I would think it would be about the same for your dogs.

October 13, 2009 - 7:20 pm Jade - Hi Erika! We use Target diapers for both my big boy, in size 6 and baby Chloe. They work great!

October 13, 2009 - 7:42 pm Melissa - 1.) Makes me break out,but would be nicer to have prettier smelling laundry.2.) Cloth diapers, man. I thought they would be sooooooo gross-- and sometimes they are. But mostly they are not a big deal and my babies love them. Plus, you cannot beat the cuteness factor. Check out http://www.blueberrydiapers.com/ for the best ones around. Lotta money up front, but you can resell them for 50% or more of their value.3.) They used to pricematch at our vet-- find the cheapest online price you can, copy it off and take it in. Novartis matches it!

October 13, 2009 - 8:46 pm Megan Shropshire - Hey Erika! Ok...I'm not a momma yet...hopefully one day...BUT I do know a couple people who have saved on diapers by going cloth. I know that everybody has their own opinions on the matter but they both have told me that after the initial purchase ($200-$300) that's it. They are supposed to fit newborns up to toddlers, I think so you don't have the regular diaper expenses. Just a thought...As far as 1800PetMeds...I've tried it before and I think it saves a little. It probably depends on what meds you are purchasing. I do know that my dog was on Advantix and The Program for fleas. One killed the fleas the other sterilized the female fleas so they couldn't lay eggs. My vet in Charleston told me about Comfortis which is a pill that lasts 30 days and both kills fleas and sterilizes them. I save money that way. I don't know what the terrihuauas are on but you might want to look into Comfortis. It works really well for Sierra!

October 13, 2009 - 9:05 pm Justine - Hi My two cents worth: My little girl leaks in Target diapers and they are not nearly as soft and cushy as the Pampers brand (Baby Dry). So, we're sticking to Pampers. I buy them at Target and always get coupons in the mail from them or sometimes there is a coupon in the actual package. Yes, it seems like I am constantly running of diaper genie refills, wipes and diapers. Target brand non-scented and alchohol free wipes are cheap and great too.

October 13, 2009 - 9:43 pm Amy - We're past the diapers and Goodnites stage (and enjoying our extra cash), but I do feel strongly about fabric softeners. There are toxic chemicals in the fabric softeners--liquids and sheets--which remain in our clothes and some say get into our bloodstream. Avoid fabric softeners especially on fabrics that come into contact with baby Sloane's skin. I realize you don't have time for a research project at this point, but a quick google search of "fabric softener in bloodstream" yields more than enough to make a momma pause in the laundry aisle.

October 13, 2009 - 10:17 pm chenda - hi erika, yep, diapers are wicked expensive.I found that cloth diapers are the best way to go and earth- friendly. Try gdiapers (sold at Whole Foods) or bumGenius.Some people even sells these cloth diaper on ebay and craigslist for a good bargain and all you need to buy is the insert cotton wipes. Good luck!

October 13, 2009 - 10:22 pm Elizabeth - Erica, Love your blog. There's no substitute for swaddlers when they are teeny...just nothing better truly. BUT..when she gets a little bigger, Luvs are awesome and much much more reasonable! The large box at Target it @ $15

October 13, 2009 - 10:47 pm elizabeth - I have no advice on diapers, but I can make up for it with advice on pets. The OTC flea/tick control products don't work and are dangerous. They are usually pyrethrins and can cause neuro-toxicity. If you are looking for cheaper Frontline/Advantix, you can ask your vet if he/she participates in an online pharmacy like VetCentric. They offer a lot of meds at very reduced prices. 1800 Pet Meds has had problems in the past with providing meds that were not as labeled and did not contain the correct active ingredients. If ticks aren't a huge problem for you, then you might want to try Comfortis. It's a new oral pill that kills fleas for 30 days. We started using it b/c we didn't want pesticides from the dogs all over the house, and our yard doesn't have any ticks. If we take the puppies somewhere tick-infested, then we just put a tick collar on them temporarily. Hope this helps!

October 13, 2009 - 10:53 pm Anne W - We do cloth diapers which I find to be fun (kind of a hobby, which I know may sound weird) and cheaper than disposables...but you have to really want to do cloth and you have to make a committment to do it for at least six months or so in order for the cost savings to be worth it. just a thought :)

October 13, 2009 - 11:31 pm elizabeth - wow....i was just skimming all the comments. are you more confused now? lol! i'll add my 2cents....i'm a diaper snob also. we only use pampers. i just watch for sales, usually wal-mart is the cheapest though and i use the coupons that are in sunday's newspapers. i read a lot of others saying they liked the target brand. i will have to check those out. huggies and luvs? ugh! no likey!as far as the pet meds go, i've heard you end up spending the same amount as you would through your vet....that is coming from my friend who is a vet (graduate of auburn. yaay!) he also said those walmart and knock off brands are a waste and potentially dangerous!

October 14, 2009 - 4:37 am cari - As far as diapers go, we have tried them all... my son has REALLY sensitive skin, so we settled on Huggies supreme. but then when we had my daughter a year later, and we were buying double the diapers (yikes!), I really did some searching. Answer: Kroger Comforts brand. Period. I don't know if you have a Kroger/Smith's/other-affiliate-sister-store, but if you do, its worth trying them out. The thing I hate is leaky diapers in the morning... nothing worse than soaked jammies when they're sleeping! So these win in that category, as we have NEVER had that problem. And they're not plastic-y like other brands, so the sensitive tushies haven't had reactions at all. And here's the kicker- they are almost HALF the price of the huggies! (originally at the store, there was a $3.00 off coupon sticker on the package, saying that you could go online and print off more coupons from their website... awesome savings!) and our store has a baby club, which adds up the dollars you spend on baby items and then they give you a $10 credit, anytime you reach 200 points. It adds up quick! Whew, did you just read all that? sheesh, I need to get a life, right?! :) good luck, hope you find something that works best for you, because everyone has different needs! Thanks for letting us into your lovely world... :)

October 14, 2009 - 7:33 am velvet and linen - Hi Erika. I haven't left a comment in a while, but I do pop in every week to see how things are going. Sloane is beautiful. She looks like a very wise little one (at least when she's sleeping!). I remember diapers being really expensive. We used to buy them in bulk at Costco weekly! It's little things like the expense of diapers that no one tells you. It seems like we should start a diaper account rather than a college account.xo Brooke

October 14, 2009 - 8:13 am Stacy - You mean you haven't started elimination communication yet!?!?! : ) Well I think Luvs and the Target brand are the cheapest! You can buy the luvs at BJS or Costco in bulk which makes them even more cheaper. We have found that www.canadavet.com is cheaper than 1800 pet meds.

October 14, 2009 - 8:35 am Frances Frugal Fairhope - Check out Walgreens this week for $3.25 for a package of Huggies Jumbo.Shop the sales like this one and stock up big time!!! We stocked have stocked up for a year!!!You can also get back $.75 per jumbo package of diaper that you buy.All this information can be found on the website mentioned above.

October 14, 2009 - 8:48 am Erin - Hi erika! Love your blog! This is My 1st comment. I have an 18 month old boy & here is My diapering advice: I know that you are breastfeeding (congrats!) & BF babes just go thru diapers...at first. Usually around the time they start sleeping thru the night their little bellies naturally start being able to hold their food longer. I think we were changing about 12-15 diapers a day before Rutledge started sleeping thru the night @ 8 weeks. Then, we went to about 10-12, then 8-10, then finally 6-8! And @ 18 months we are hanging in @ that number! I would do this: continue to use the swaddlers or whatever soft diaper your using, until Sloane is 2-3 months old. Her skin is really sensitive now and the the pricey diapers are just softer:). Then, I would switch to generic. We use Target brand. I did a ton of research on generics & target brand was the one compared to pampers. Also, don't forget, diapers fit kids differently. So, something that works for Sloane may be the worst diaper for someone else! Also on target products, My son (sadley) weaned @ 7 months! I was so depressed! We started on enfamil lipil. I used it for a while, but that $22 a week gets pretty steep! I switched to the target brand, after comparing ingredients of course! Target brand has the exact ingredients as enfamil. Hope things are well! Congratulations!

October 14, 2009 - 8:53 am Kelley - Hi Darby....as far as flea treatments from Target or Petsmart go...don't use them. A vet friend of mine has told me to never use that stuff on my dogs. He's seen a lot of fatal cases where people treat their dogs with the store brand pesticides. As far as diapers go. I get my diapers and wipes from Costco. I usually wait for the in store coupons to stock up on them.

October 14, 2009 - 9:47 am stephanie - in terms of diapers - pampers are hands down the best. However, they are also the most expensive. Sometimes, TArget will have them on clearance - my husband was a clearance hound and got some great deals on them....else, we buy the babies r us brand - when they have the 2 for $35 deal - they definitely seem "Rougher" in feel than the pampers, but in reality, really have not made much of a difference to my daughter (no rash, no red marks, etc)We use cloth diapers at night or when we are home with her. Daycare gets the cheap diapers because they change them very often.I would advise to get good quality ones for night time, especially when sloane is sleeping through the night. You don't want her to wake up covered in her own pee.And if you think diapers are expensive, wait till you figure out formula!! I tried to b/f as long as possible, but when I went back to work, it was just not happening. hopefully you'll be able to b/f for the whole 1 year, or however long you were intending to.good luck!

October 14, 2009 - 9:59 am Sarah Jones - I have always used these two sites for my horses, but not my dogs. Always buying their flea/heartworm. etc from my local vet, but check them out. www.jefferspet.com & www.smartpak.com Jeffers is really cheap for horse stuff, so maybe dogs too? Also, www.kvvet.com. Good luck, I know how expensive 2 little 4 footed friends can be!

October 14, 2009 - 12:00 pm Natalie - You use less and less as they get older! My little Isla is 4 months and we go through half the diapers these days. Love your site and your photos. So much talent.

October 14, 2009 - 12:05 pm Heather - Don't buy the over the counter flea/tick stuff at Target/PetSmart/Walmart. It's been known to burn the skin of pets and leave bald patches. We typically get a price quote from 1-800-Petmeds and then call our vet to ask them to match the price. Sometimes they can match the price for flea/tick medicine, but they don't normally come close with the heartworm medicine.

October 14, 2009 - 2:38 pm Allyson Etheredge Dozier - Erika! Sam's is the best I can find for diapers. If you are using Swaddler's now, Sam's has them in a size 1-2, which is not a common size. Depending on your baby girls' size she might can fit in them. As for the 800-Petmeds, your will have to BEG your Vet to give you prescriptions. When you go to see Darby, go by Jeffers on your way in. Everytime I go home, we go to get stuff for the dogs and horse. Jeffer's is off 231 South. If you are headed toward the sate line from Dothan, there is a HUGE billboard that directs you to Jeffers. I believe they are open 7 days a week.

October 14, 2009 - 3:49 pm Melanie - Well, I don't have babies, but my dad works for the company that makes Huggies. He says Walmart brand diapers are actually Huggies just in a different wrapper. If you're a Huggies fan, that may save you some $$$$

October 14, 2009 - 4:57 pm Linda - We use petcarerx.com and they are much cheaper than the vet's prices and were also cheaper than other internet sources that I checked--at least for what I buy. You are obviously not going to get pet prescriptions at Target although they have pet supplies of various sots.

October 14, 2009 - 9:01 pm Gillian Bliss - Just found your blog via your old blog. So far love it. Have you thought of cloth diapers. Not cheap at the outset but you recoup your money as you go along. Not easy but well worth the effort. My husband originally envisaged our backyard loaded with disposable diapers and we realized we could not do that to the environment. My preference is for Bum Genius. May be get a couple and try them.

October 14, 2009 - 10:47 pm justine - I used to buy diapers at Sam's club I liked their house brand. I have not tried Pet Meds. After one of my little guys developed horrible hot spots( 2 months in the cone) I changed vets and started titering his vaccinations, they test to see if he has immunity before giving another shot. He has gone down to every other year and has not had ONE hot spot. I also give them heartguard every other month instead of every month. The worm can not grow in one month, I don't know about fleas. I have 2 small terriers and I don't think their little systems can handle all the drugs.

October 14, 2009 - 11:45 pm Sharen - Erica, I work for a large vet. practice in Austin, Tx. One of the largest distributors of Sentinel, which controls heartworm, whipworm, roundworm and hookworm in addition to the life cycle of the flea, is Pfizer. They do not sell to Petmeds and will only distribute to licensed vet. practices. As to where PetMeds gets it's products is a mystery. They could be coming from another country or being sold out the back door of a unscruplous vet. practice. Buyer Beware!!! Purchase from your Vet and Pfizer will reimburse care if your pet is diagnosed with heartworm. j Just thought I'd give you my 2 cents, Sharen

October 15, 2009 - 12:36 am sherry - Diapers, I have tried them all and found that Huggies are the best. My older kids had sensitive skin and I realized that it was getting worse by switching brands to get the sale prices, almost like an allergic reaction. Now I have five kids, so here I am at the end of my long journey of diaper changing and since I have two in diapers I decided that maybe Huggies wasn't the only game in town and tried the Target brand. They are a lot like the Huggies but a lot less and the things I don't like about them are not so important that I need to spend almost double...I have been converted. Important note on diapers, you REALLY want the elastic at the legs because eventually things will leak out and gaps just don't help the situation.

October 15, 2009 - 12:37 am kate - Hi Erika! My diaper (aka dypes) dialog: I hate to say it as they are darn expensive, but I only use Pampers. For the deals, I signed up with pampers.com and received numerous coupons in my email for $1 and $2 dollars off. They also email you monthly updates on your child's development which i think is kind of fun too. You can also find coupons in the paper on Saturdays (not my idea of fun cutting those coupons but if you can land on Pampers it is a gold mine)! Horde em when you can! Target does put them on sale occasionally. I find I always buy the bulk box at target. More bang for your buck and you don't have to go on emergency runs as frequently.

October 15, 2009 - 8:11 am Candace - Hi Erika! I'll give those Purex sheets a try, thanks! Sorry don't have any diaper tips or petmeds info, but wanted to give you this blog post I saw yesterday, I know you will like it - I doubt you have a lot of net-surfing time these days! In case you don't know about this, take a peek: there's a great interview with Elle Decor editor: http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2009/10/habitually-chic-q-with-margaret-russell.html

October 15, 2009 - 9:23 am Sarah - 118 comments so far on diapers...so why not one more. Target brand are the only cheap brand that work!

October 15, 2009 - 9:29 am Ruthie Staalsen - Congrats on getting the Kreativ Award!!!Way to go.Ruthie

October 15, 2009 - 10:55 am Sharon - Love the kitchen. It looks like it would be the heart of their home. Beautiful aga... and love the punch of colour with the orange pots.

October 15, 2009 - 12:13 pm Taryn - Love your blog. Was introduced to it by a friend. That kitchen in amazing!!!!! As far as diapers go, Babies R Us has Fisher-Price Diapers which are a new thing and I loved them. They have combo boxes for day and night, which can cut down on the changings in the middle of the night and no leakage. They are reasonable. Maybe $20 for a combo box. I can't remember how many are in the box. Watch for sales at Publix and sign up on the Huggies and pampers websites and they will send lots of coupons. Publix will often run an in-ad coupon and you can also stack a manufacturer's coupon with it so it can save you money.:) Anyway...love the blog!

October 15, 2009 - 12:57 pm Samantha - Congrats on beautiful Sloane! As for diapers, I really like pampers, even though they are more pricey. I started using amazon.com - they have a subscribe and save option where they automatically send your order every month or two or whatever you specify. The shipping is free and if you subscribe you get an additional discount. It is $12 cheaper than the same box at Sam's Club, and you don't have to think about it. Hope that helps!

October 15, 2009 - 1:35 pm Jane @ the Borrowed Abode - Hi Erika - Just wanted to pop in and share some "I was a veterinary technician for 5 years" knowledge...I did my time in the hospitals. I know some vets charge out the wazoo for heartworm and flea/tick meds. They can never be quite as competitive as online sources, but some online sources are worse than others. 1-800-PetMeds is about as bad as it gets. They get the meds from questionable sources and sometimes, in studies, the products such as heartworm meds were shown to not even have the correct ingredients. Drs. Foster and Smith is one company that IS reputable, and often has good savings.Regarding Flea/tick products in grocery stores: STAY AWAY! They are much cheaper because they are not as safe. So many times we had animals come in that were made ill by them or had severe reactions. Basically those meds are absorbed into bloodstream - you're putting flea poison into your pet's blood. Not good. They're also less effective because the flea has to bite the pet to get the poison. With Frontline or Advantage or other vet-offered products, the poison is only absorbed into the top layer of skin. It's safer, and also the flea (or its egg) only has to touch the skin to be killed.Finally, I will admit that I save $ by skipping heartworm once or twice in the winter months. But no more than that! I also only do flea/tick treatment every other month.Sorry this is so long!

October 15, 2009 - 1:42 pm Bonnie - Hi Erika!I am sure you have all the time in the world to read all these comments but I thought I would leave you one on diapers as well. I recently started using coupons and since then about 5 months now I have spent about $10.00 on diapers total! If you go to southernsavers.com and find the ads that have stores near you, watch to see when they go on sale then stock up. I do CVS and that is how I get mine almost free! Good luck and congrats!

October 15, 2009 - 5:15 pm Donita - Costco!! My kids bought theirs from Costco, wipes too, way cheaper in the long run. Good luck!!

October 16, 2009 - 12:20 pm Teresa Burke - Coming from HMI. We buy Luvs diapers. They are pretty cheap but work great. I have seen them ready to explode with no leaks overnight. Pet supplies, we just got rid of the animals. No seriously. When the baby came, we just kept 1 inside and 1 outside, but we were breeders so we sold them to other breeders.

October 16, 2009 - 2:18 pm Sarah - can we see some more pics of your landscaping. I am in the mood...I guess its the changing weather. Thanks!

October 16, 2009 - 3:05 pm mammaskye - I've some how found your blog and I must say I love it! Before our move I had a similar kitchen, with light blue accents. I'm also a new mom like you, my little girl was born on 9/18. I've found that diapers.com is great site, the only place I can find preemie diapers and they don't have a shipping cost! We've priced it out and it seems that cloth diapers with a disposable pad like thing in them (found at Babies R Us) will be cheaper once she's out of the newborn faze of pooping so much. Good luck and congratulations!

October 16, 2009 - 6:37 pm Shelly - In the beginning we used Pampers..they really are fantastic AND expensive! A friend turned me onto Costco's Kirkland diapers and I LOVE them! So much cheaper and they work great. We also use Kirkland wipes. And I love 1800 Petmeds. It's our go-to!

October 16, 2009 - 6:38 pm Chris W - I'll second or third a vote for amazon - we get 4 packs of 7th Generation (no dyes, chems, perfumes) shipped to our casa the first of every month. Your get a substantial discount for committing to monthly deliveries and free shipping. I can't remember the last time I had to go to the store for diapers (and that's great for a dad!). The cost is about 20% off buying retail...

October 18, 2009 - 12:15 pm faith - I am due around Christmas and since she's the first (baby, grandchild and all), my mom and in-laws took a Grandparent's class. Instructor said that the Target brand disposable diapers are made by Pampers. I have no idea how true this is, but it's worth looking into. Amazon.com used to have a promotion where you sign up for x amount of diapers x times a month.All that aside, we're cloth diapering because economically it is the best option for us. It's not for everyone and who knows we might try it and hate it. We'll see. :-) Good Luck!

October 18, 2009 - 6:16 pm Lindsay Brunson - Hey Erika, The purex sheets are awesome. I love them as well. I have heard that publix has the cheapest diapers around here, but there is a website that you buy them in bulk. I will ask my friend what it is and get it to you. And, I use 1800Petmeds all the time. It is cheaper and they are always sending coupons. Give that baby a kiss from me!

October 19, 2009 - 12:20 am Jeni - Petshed.com is the absolute cheapest place to buy flea preventatives and pet meds. Can't help you with the diapers, though! :)

October 19, 2009 - 7:41 am Dena - Huggies! Less expensive and I think they work better than Pampers. Just got my 3rd child out of diapers. Huggies, huggies, huggies!

October 19, 2009 - 10:55 am joan - Can't help with the diapers, but I would do LOTS of on-line research before buying 'store' flea & heart worm preventatives. There were many reports of deaths this past summer from these products that were 'not' purchased through a vet. Apparently it's the same name, but they are made in a different country than the vet versions. Your pups are adorable, and would hate for anything to happen to them. Good luck. Congratulations on your new bundle!!

October 19, 2009 - 12:43 pm j,fudo - We were brandnamers for about 6 months with our daughter then, we got stranded without diapers and had to buy at a small grocery out of town. they had very limited options, but they had huggies, so we purchased them. we found that their pricing was a bit more reasonable than luves or pampers what we also found is that there are a lot of coupons available and they are also available at the dismount warehouses. Ulimately, we also came to the realization that buying decent diapers was better (and cheaper) than having blow-outs in the diapers and ruined clothing - not just the baby's. good luck to you.

October 19, 2009 - 7:03 pm yourstrulydear - you should look into cloth diapers. they save a ton of money, and are better (obviously) for the environment. and my husband used to work at a vet's office and he said 1800petmeds can be cheaper, but they aren't actually guaranteed. so sometimes it's better to shell out some extra dough. petsmart/petco usually have good products.

October 19, 2009 - 9:47 pm Renae - Been sooo long since I bought diapers, but I would imagine WalMart. On the pet meds...google Australian pet meds, cheaper and don't need prescription for Heart Worm. I got Revolution that covers flea tick and HW. Hang in there girl...being a mom is lots of work but as you know soooo very rewarding. Don't sweat the small stuff, just love on that baby! xx

October 19, 2009 - 10:49 pm Andrea Castor - I know you'll never see this comment WAY at the bottom, but in case you do, I'm another vote for looking into cloth diapers. We used diaposables for our first two years ago and it was such a ain to constantly find deals on coupons, match it up with sales, constantly go but more, change when he went up a size and so on. Not to mention the blow outs and leaks.I'm not cloth diapering my son and daughter now a LOVE it! No problems with rashes, we rarely have leaks (caused by DH not putting them on tight enough), and never have blow outs. My DD is now 5 months and we are loving them still. Highly suggest ooking into BumGenuis diapers. So simple, one size, and after a couple days, you just toss them in the wash. Easy peasy. AND the resale is quite good on them after Sloan potty trains!

October 21, 2009 - 12:49 pm Courtney/Bonnie Blue Rescue - Hi Erika - I own/operate a relatively small animal rescue group and we go through 20-30 doses of heartworm/flea/tick preventative every single month for our foster dogs! Yikes. I always purchase from www.entirelypets.com I've done some MAJOR searching over the years and their prices are phenomenal. They often offer free shipping or coupons, too! I absolutely DO NOT recommend buying "over the counter" heartworm preventative at a place like Target/Petsmart. It is not the same at all and will not protect your fur babies from heartworms. As you know, heartworms are very common, especially down south. It is absolutely important to make sure that they're treated monthly with effective heartworm preventative. An additional way to save money on heartworm/flea/tick medication is to do an "all inclusive" medicine like Revolution (which is preventative for all three). Revolution is topical and goes on once a month. Entirelypets.com will ask you to either fax in a copy of your pups heartworm prescription OR fax a sheet over to your vet to sign off on, but any reputable vet should have no issue doing that (provided that your dogs are current on their heartworm preventative and heartworm negative). The meds that you buy through entirelypets.com come with the same guarantee that medications you buy through your vet do. You can also check out www.deadfleaz.com for additional discounts of flea meds. Those do ship from Austrailia, so they take a little longer to arrive but are just as good (promise!) :) Hope this helps!

October 21, 2009 - 3:57 pm Andrea - Ah, the great diaper debate.Try a bunch and see what works for your little one and your family. I wish I had tried some store brands early on--I would have saved a small fortune!I had the weirded experience with pampers. I don't know why but with a picture on the front and back always ended up with me setting it up backwards and I'd have to start again...single mom of twins, totally exhausted, no desire to deal with even an extra minute of diapering at night. And the smell kind of made me sick in the middle of the night.Huggies from BJs for years when I stumbled on a store brand (can not recall CVS or Walgreens)during a super sale. They were just as good and considerably less.Congrats on your little one!

October 22, 2009 - 4:45 am Heather - Another vote for cloth. Have a look at all in ones. They are put on and off just like a disposable with either velcro or snaps but you wash them. No soaking. Just flick any solids into the toilet (or you can get flushable liners too) then pop the diaper into a sealed bucket or bin. Wash at the end of the day or second day and dry and reuse! Easy! That said, a prefold system works well for newborns as you go through so many each day. You have a fabric pad which is usually folded into 3 then place that in a cover, pop on bubs and you are done. There is lots of info around but I warn you, all the info can get confusing, but don't give up.

October 22, 2009 - 8:59 am Ellie - ONLY USE THE flea/tick products from the vet. Look online for info on the "wal-mart" products. They can be very dangerous. Also, Do not use a generic Heartworm preventive. These do not have to be identical to the branded and the dogs do not take them as well as the beef chew. Plus, you really only save about $1 a month. So...talk to your vet about your concern with the price and go from there. Remember, they make money on these products that turn the lights on everyday, pay the staff, continuing education for staff, special equipment for when your pet is really sick. Don't always look for the "cheaper" way. You do not get the same guarantee onlin as you do from the vet because the product manufacturer stands behind product purchased from the vet.

October 22, 2009 - 5:07 pm Lauren - I vote for cloth too. We use Bum Genius and love them. You can't beat the colors. The diapers are so cute it makes diaper changing fun (believe it or not). They are very easy to launder. Cloth diapers have come a long way in the past 10 years. We spent about $500 on diapers up front and won't have to buy again. Another plus is that cloth diapered kids potty train much earlier.

October 22, 2009 - 7:45 pm Laura S - Diapers.com has the best deals and you can get them in bulk and not worry for a while!

October 23, 2009 - 10:45 pm Sarah Dible - Diapers.com is the best. I can order at 2pm and they are on my doorstep by early afternoon the next day. they are as cheap as costco! Congrats on parenthood!

October 26, 2009 - 1:36 pm Sara - About the Purex sheets ... you should look over the following website. http://www.purex.com/change/ Money is donated to people around the world when you enter the barcode.

October 28, 2009 - 12:41 pm TellaLuca - Congrats on the new baby!! I am a mother of two (6 year old daughter, 17 month old son). Costco is THE place for diapers and wipes. Kirkland brand. Great quality too!

October 29, 2009 - 1:12 am akemi - Try Amazon for diapers. Set up a subscription and they give you a discount. And no more late night driving when you on on your last diaper. LOVE that they come right to the door.

October 30, 2009 - 12:43 pm Michelle - Sorry so late to the party, but here's my two cents: Diapers - I buy at Sams. Huggies. I've found most store brands don't fit well. I don't buy Pampers because I don't buy Proctor&Gamble. Pet stuff - everythingpets.com has consistently lower prices and they send email coupons every few weeks

October 30, 2009 - 4:05 pm Kathy - Have you looked into reusable diapers? They are really making a come back and super cute.

November 4, 2009 - 11:51 am Heather - www.petshed.com for cheaper flea/tick/heartworm medication

December 9, 2009 - 2:34 pm Jecca - Cloth nappies. Totsbots are lovely. Motherease when they get a bit bigger. It seems a big outlay on day one, but then there are no more costs. You don't need to soak them but can get a string bag for the bucket so you never need to touch them again. And a waterproof bag for when you're out and about. It's a bit more hassle than disposables, but your halo will shine, your baby will probably potty train earlier, and you will save a fortune.

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April 8, 2010 - 9:12 am Catherine - Erika-I order my LUVS diapers from Diapers.com. They are the cheapest there, plus they have no tax plus free shipping. So with a little planning (abour 2-3 days in advance) you can buy them and not have to go out to pick them up! As for pet meds, 1800petmeds has a price match guarantee. So I search for the cheapest price on my dogs meds (I use Iverhart for heartworm and Comfortis for fleas, which, by the way, is a GODSEND for fleas!) and then contact 1800petmeds and tell them where I found the cheaper prices. I usually pay around 75 bucks for 6 months of treatment all together. The reason I stick with 1800petmeds instead of just ordering from the cheaper guys is 1800petmeds has the BEST customer service, and they send your dog a treat in the package! Cant get much better than that....:)