To see the full tutorial and more before and after pictures, check out our post on the Home Depot Blog. 

Now that we have been in our own home for close to two years, we have decided to do some upgrades. Our first project is to make some updates to our kitchen to make it look nicer and more welcoming. Earlier this year, I started by refinishing and painting all of our kitchen cabinets and they turned out great! I love the black color and how it looks with the stainless steel appliances.

After we finished that, the next project was to upgrade our kitchen backsplash. The old backsplash that we had was nothing more than an extension of the laminate counter tops and I couldn’t stand them! I couldn’t wait to get them taken care of, so we started looking at different options right away.

We wanted something that was actually going to protect the walls a little better from water and food, but that looked nice as well. Since our ultimate plan is to upgrade to stone counter tops, we were hoping to keep costs down on our backsplash and to do them in one weekend at the most so that we could start working on other projects as soon as possible as well.

That is one of the reasons that we decided to use  Aspect brand subway tile, manufactured by Acoustic Ceiling Products (ACP) for our new backsplash. These are peel and stick tiles, which means that they stick to the wall with a very strong adhesive that is revealed when you peel away the paper from the back and this made installation pretty easy! With that said, if you want to be extra that they stay in place, the instructions state that you can use standard adhesive that is used for other backsplash as well.

Aspect tiles come in a variety of colors and styles so I am sure that you can find something that works for you kitchen. We used the “brushed stainless” subway tile and we love how it turned out.

As you can see in these pictures of the finished product, they turned out really nice and it is definitely an upgrade from what we had before. Aspect also has peel and stick trim pieces that you can use around the edges. We really feel like these trim pieces completed the look and made it look even better!

Overall we were happy with our experience with Aspect tiles and we definitely recommend them, especially if you want to remodel your kitchen on a budget and on a schedule. We were able to finish our entire kitchen in one Saturday with just a few finishing touches on Sunday. The difference that it made in our kitchen was quite drastic and we are excited to continue making more upgrades throughout the next year.

To see the full tutorial and more before and after images, check out our post on the Home Depot Blog here.

The post Kitchen Backsplash Transformation appeared first on My Latina Table.

Whenever I think back on my first pregnancy and the first year of life of my oldest son, I wonder how I survived. At that point everything was new, and while there were plenty of people around to give advice, I still felt like I was lost half the time.

As you can read in my post about long distance relationships, I was living in Mexico for the first 4 months of my first pregnancy, while my husband was in the United States waiting for me to get my visa approved. Those were some of the most difficult 4 months of my life, but luckily I had my mom close by to help me and I was able to go to a pretty good doctor down there.

When I got to the United States, I experienced a pretty heavy dose of culture shock, which made it difficult for me to be completely prepared for the arrival of my little baby just five months later. All that said, my husband and I did the best that we could to get prepare our house, our hearts, and our mind for our sweet little boy. It is hard not to laugh looking back at some of the things that we experienced, but at the same time we learned a lot from our experiences.

Well, we did survive that first year with our little baby, and he is a happy, smart, fun 5 year old today who loves to help with his little brother and who is excited to possibly be a big brother again in the near future, and we are excited as well.

While we did survive, I am amazed by the amount of amazing and helpful baby products that are now available that I truly feel would have helped us during that first year with our first baby. Some of these might have been around at that time, but I didn’t know about them. Now that I do, I definitely want to have them when our next baby comes in the near future. Today I want to share 3 of these great products that I wish I had with my first baby.

Owlet Baby Monitor

See current promotions for the Owlet Baby Monitor here. Select “Affirm at Checkout for Easy Payment Plans.”

The number one product that I wish I would have had with my first baby is the Owlet Baby Monitor which is designed to alert parents if their baby stops breathing.

During the first 6 months of our baby’s life, my husband didn’t get much sleep. It wasn’t because the baby was crying too much (he slept pretty well actually!), but rather because he was so worried that the baby would stop breathing during the night, that he couldn’t sleep for much more than 45 minutes without getting out of bed to check and see.

I had some of the same worries, so I was getting up quite a bit as well to check on him. This usually consisted of either putting our fingers right under his little nostrils to see if we could feel him breathing, or gently putting our hand on his chest to see if it was moving up and down. As the months went by, we felt the effects of not sleeping as well, and that made getting through the days a bit more difficult as well!

With that background, maybe you can see why I am so excited about the Owlet Baby Monitor! We are planning on having our third child within the next year, and this is on the top of my list.

I heard about it for the first time from my sister-in-law who got one when their second little boy was born last year. She faithfully has used it with him and on at least two occasions it has alerted her to situations where my nephew’s oxygen levels were lower than what they should be. This prompted them to take him to the doctor and get him the treatment that he needed in those first few months.

I have to say that we are so fortunate in this day and age to have access to modern technology that helps make our job as parents easier and less stressful. In Mexico and other Latin American countries these products using hospital technology are not available yet, which is sad because I know that they could make a huge difference.

I have a sad story from my own life growing up in Mexico that explains why I believe so strongly in this product. Sadly, 4 out of my grandma’s 10 children died because they stopped breathing during the night for one reason or another.

There was one instance in particular that I believe could have been avoided if my grandma had the Owlet baby monitor at that time. Keep in mind that this happened over 40 years ago, before a lot of the information about safe sleeping practices were well known. One of her babies was sleeping one night with his blanket and somehow during the night it got up over his face and, since he was so little, he wasn’t able to take it off. When my grandma found him in the morning, he was no longer breathing, and there was nothing that they could do at that point.

In the past 10, 20, or 30 years we have learned so much more about safe sleeping practices, which is definitely a blessing to those of us raising babies today. No piece of technology should replace a parent’s obligation to practice these safe sleeping practices, but I can only imagine how different life could have been for my grandma if she, not only had access to the safe sleeping practices that we do today, but if she also had access to something like the Owlet baby monitor that could have alerted her that the oxygen levels were low.

I can’t wait until these products make their way to Latin America and other countries where they are not available!

These are some of the reasons that I am definitely going to buy one of these for our next baby:

1. Over 100,000 hours went into testing the Owlet monitor, so I know that this company is invested in my peace of mind. 
2. You can view your baby’s live oxygen levels anywhere, right from your smartphone – now the app is available for Android and iOS. This is so convenient, because I always have my smartphone nearby. I also love that the Base Station and Smart Sock communicate independently of my smartphone, so even if my phone dies or isn’t near me, I will have access to low oxygen alerts.
3. Owlet uses the same technology hospitals use, pulse oximetry – which is proven, safe and effective and which doctors and nurses have used for decades.
4. Owlet has 10x fewer false alarms than movement monitors.
5. The wireless Smart Sock fits snug on baby’s foot and monitors their heart rate and oxygen levels while they sleep. I love this because it isn’t obtrusive and it provides such great peace of mind. 

The Owlet baby monitor may seem expensive at first, but can you really put a price on the peace of mind that you will receive knowing that if your baby’s oxygen levels are low you have a device that is designed to alert you? I can say with confidence that you cannot.

Owlet has promotions occasionally, and you can see them by clicking on this link. Owlet also offers payment plans to help out with the cost, so this is a great time to purchase! Just select “Affirm” at checkout for details.

Here is a great video that explains even more about the Owlet baby monitor:

I know that I will be getting one of these with my next baby, will you?

Video Baby Monitor

When we had our first baby, my husband was still in school and we were only able to afford a standard audio baby monitor. It was a pretty cheap one and it seems like we heard more static than anything. We ended up using a similar one for our second baby as well. While it wasn’t ideal, it did work well enough, but ever since then I have been dying to have a video baby monitor for my next baby.

This time around, I am definitely going to be getting one. Luckily there are lots of options in different price ranges.

The one that has really caught my eye, however, is the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Monitor. It has really great reviews on Amazon and what I really like about it is that it allows you to adjust the focal length and viewing angle so that you can make sure that you have the best view of your baby when he or she is sleeping.

I know that audio monitors are good too, but there is just something about being able to see the baby that I really think will bring an extra layer of comfort, and that is why I am going to be getting one of these with our next baby. 

Smart Thermometer

Anyone that has had a baby knows that some of the most stressful times are when your baby is sick. It is so hard to watch such a helpless little baby suffer and to feel like there is nothing that you can do about it. With our first baby it seems like we were constantly back and forth to the doctor’s office and we even had to make a few trips to the emergency room.

I remember constantly checking his temperature to see if it was too high and if we needed to take him into the doctor’s office. I tried many different types – oral, under the armpit, ear, and forehead thermometers, but I was always concerned that I was doing it wrong or that the readings were inaccurate. Sometimes it was tough to remember when we had last checked the temperature too.

With our next baby I am planning on buying an Infanttech Smarttemp bluetooth baby thermometer. This is so cool! You just place the thermometer under baby’s armpit with the adhesive pads, download an app on your phone, and it will constantly monitor baby’s temperature in real time. You can set temperature thresholds and get alerts when the temperature goes above that threshold.

It’s great because it tracks the temperature and you can even share the temperature graph with your doctor. Another cool feature is that it can remind  you when it is time to give another dose of medicine.

So far it seems to have good reviews on Amazon, and I am definitely planning on getting one soon!

I am so grateful to live in a time where with such great technology to help us as we do our best to raise our babies. Being a parent is a lot of work, and can take a lot of energy. There will always be things to worry about and I’m sure that parents of younger kids will always be lacking at least a little bit of sleep. That said, the fact that there are so many great products that can provide peace of mind, like the Owlet baby monitor is so wonderful.

There are so many other great products for babies too – check out the “Baby Essentials” section of our store to get free Udder Covers, Nursing Pillows, and Carseat Canopy with our special codes. You will only have to pay shipping.

Are there any other products that you really love for a new baby? Let me know in the comments below!

The post 3 Products I Wish I Had With My First Baby appeared first on My Latina Table.

This month my husband is going to be turning 30! He jokes that he is getting old now, but isn’t really too worried about it. I have been trying to think of some gifts to get for him this year, and I have come up with a quite a few good options. Since I was already looking for some gifts, I decided to write this article to give you some ideas if you are looking trying to figure out some great gift ideas to buy for the man in your life.

These are all great options for birthdays, Christmas, or any other occasion.

1. Impact Driver – My husband got this for Christmas and says that it is so much better than a normal drill/driver. It has extra power and makes projects much easier. Lots of great options here.
2. Bluetooth Earbuds – These are great, especially if the man you are buying for likes to exercise but doesn’t like cords getting in the way.
3. Phone Dock for Car – I know that a lot of cars have navigation and all sorts of music options built in already, but some don’t which means that having a dock in the car for navigation or music can be a great option for a present. There are many different styles to choose from based on how the phone is going to be positioned and more.
4. Amazon Gift Cards – Sometimes you just can’t figure out what someone will want – luckily you can always opt for a gift card. I usually go with Amazon gift cards, just because pretty much anything that my husband could want is available there.
5. New TV – This one is obviously a little bit more on the expensive side, but if you have a bit more in  your budget, there are some great high tech TVs that you can buy to make a great impression!
6. Mixed Tool Kit – What man doesn’t need more tools? With so many household projects to do, it seems like my husband is always using different tools. Luckily there are some mixed tool kits that you can buy that have a good variety of essential tools.
7. Easy Set Up Tent – If he likes camping, this tent is a perfect choice. It can be set up very quickly and will allow him more time to enjoy the outdoors. I bought it for my husband a couple of years ago and he loved it.
8. Vortex Mixer – We don’t have one of these yet, but I have seen some videos, and it looks so cool! My husband would definitely like something like this for his protein shakes after going to the gym.
9. FitBit – FitBit’s are great gifts if the man in your life is trying to get in shapre or stay in shape. It is a great way to stay motivated and you can even compete against friends and family. My husband and I love ours! There is a great selection to choose from for any budget. Check them out here.
10. Kindle Reader – It’s pretty easy to download the Kindle app on nearly any smart phone or tablet now, but the original Kindle readers are easier on the eyes and its probably easier to avoid being distracted than if you are reading on a phone! Plents of options to choose from!
11. Bluetooth Headset – If you are worried about your husband talking on the phone while driving, these bluetooth headsets are a good option. It will allow him to still make and take quick phone calls without using his hands at all.
12. MLB/NFL/MLS/NBA Subscription to watch games – It seems like most men enjoy watching sports, but sometimes they can’t get all of the games that they like to watch on cable or normal TV. Most of the major sports leagues have options to subscribe to be able to watch most games from a smart phone or other device. I would definitely recommend you check this out to see if it is a viable option.
13. Outdoor Grill – Everyone needs to have a nice grill for summer time barbecues! Whether its a small, simple one, or a big one with lots of different options, this is a must have and would make a great gift.
14. Grill Set – To go along with the new grill, you may as well get him a nice grill set as well, complete with all the utensils that he might need to make some delicious food!
15. Tickets to favorite sporting event – Sometimes the best gifts are ones that allow you to spend time together and make memories. If he has a team that he loves, a great gift idea would be to get him some tickets and to go to the game with him (or let him go with your kids or a friend). You can usually find pretty good deals on StubHub!
16. Tickets to a concert – Same idea as above. If he really likes music and you know that one of his favorite artists is coming into town, this would be a great gift idea.
17. New Wallet. I don’t know if all men are like this, but my husband tends to use a wallet until it is completely falling apart. It isn’t really because he loves his current wallet, he just never thinks to get a new one. Whenever I get him a new one, he loves it and is happy to have something that looks a little nicer. Some of these wallets look really sleek, yet functional.
18. New Video Game System – I know that this one might be a little controversial (and expensive)! However, I know that there are some men that are able to control how much they play. My husband doesn’t have one of the newer systems yet, but on his Playstation 3 he only plays maybe once or twice a month – but the rest of the month we use it as a DVD player and to watch stream movies and TV shows, so it can definitely be a good option. Probably the best options right now would be the Playstation 4 or the XBox One.
19. Travel Toiletry Kit – Does the man you are looking for presents for travel a lot? My husband doesn’t have to travel at all for work, but I know that a lot of men do, so really any gift that makes traveling easier and more efficient is a good one. Here are some great options to choose from.
20. Sound Cancelling Headphones – This one is kind of related to the last one, as they can be great for long airplane rides. These are also great for studying or any other siuation when the only thing you want to concentrate on are the thoughts in your head. Once again, there are many to choose from in different price ranges.
21. Tailored Suit – Another option is to get your man a tailored suit, especially if he wears a suit often and needs a new one. This can be pricey, but there are always deals to be found, so keep your eyes open!
22. Golf Bag – Does he like to golf? If so, a golf bag is a great gift. My husband only goes out a few times per year, but he loved the golf bag I got him a couple of years ago. The one he was using before was a hand-me-down, so it was quite the upgrade. Taylor Made Golf is having a great sale through January of 2017 where you can get up to 50% off and free shipping on many golf accessories – click here for access to the sale.
23. Round of Golf – Speaking of golf, what good is a golf bag without a round of golf to play? Why not go ahead and buy him a round of golf to go with the golf bag? There are some great local deals on Groupon for golf, so you can probably find an affordable course for him to play.
24. Camera – I know that most phones come with a pretty nice camera now, but sometimes it is nice to have a traditional camera with some extra features. There are lots of point and shoot cameras to choose from here.
25. Car Accessories – Most men love their car, so getting them any sort of accessory for the car is usually a safe bet. For example, this car trash can would be really helpful for my husband who tends to just leave his water bottles lying around the floor of the car until he decides to clean them up. 🙂
26. Credits for Audiobooks – Perfect for men with a long commute to work that like to listen to Audiobooks. You can buy some credits for them and then let them pick out their own books!
27. Phone Case – With as much as we use our smartphones, having a good case is important. I can’t tell you how many times I have dropped my phone, so I am glad that I have a good case. Just make sure that you get one that will fit his phone!
28. Saw Horse – With all of the projects that my husband and I have been doing around our home, a good saw horse has been very important. For the first few projects, we borrowed my father-in-law’s saw horse, and being the nice man that he is, he bought my husband his own last year. We have gotten a lot of good use out of it, so if your husband, etc. doesn’t have one, this would be a good choice for a present!
29. Hair Cutting Kit – Does the man your are buying for know how to cut his own hair? My husband started cutting his own about 6 years ago and hasn’t been to the barbershop since then. He bought his first hair cutting kit for about 15 dollars and used it for the first 3 years. This has been a huge amount of savings for us, with hair cuts running between 10-20 dollars or more! If he doesn’t know how to cut his own hair, there are lots of resources online to help. Either way, with all of the savings, it is worth it to invest in a nice haircut kit.
30. Nice Men’s Cologne – You want your man to smell nice right? My husband loves getting new cologne, but he never wants to buy it because he thinks it is too expensive. That said, whenever I buy it for him for a present, he is so happy and grateful. There are a wide range of prices available and some of the less expensive ones smell good too!
31. Watches: This is a great practical gift that you can buy! There are many options available whether you are looking for a smart watch or a traditional watch. If you do opt for a smart watch, make sure that you get one that is compatible with the phone that he has. For example, for iPhones you will want to get an Apple Watch, etc. Here are a few options to choose from.  Of course you can always go with a more traditional watch if a Smart Watch isn’t the way to go for you.

I know that there are so many options for presents out there, but sometimes it can be hard to choose, so I hope this list helps and I would love to hear other options in the comments below!

The post Gift Ideas for Men – 30+ Practical Gift Ideas For Any Occasion appeared first on My Latina Table.

I want to start this article out by saying that I really like to spend money. Unfortunately, in order to spend money, you have to make it and save it! In our personal situation, we are not poor, but we also aren’t rich – but sometimes I like to spend like I am. I love to have new clothes and shoes, and to go out to eat for dinner every once in a while. I usually don’t feel too bad about it, because my husband and I set a monthly budget and we try hard to stick to it. That said, I always like to have little bit extra so that I can treat myself or my family every once in a while. So now you may be asking – what do you do to have that extra money? In this article I hope to show you how to save hundreds of dollars per year and how that can allow you to stock up on essential products that your family needs!

I am definitely not an expert, but these tips really have helped me to save hundreds of dollars, so I feel like it is my obligation to share them with all of you as well.

Here in the United State we have so many tools at our disposal to save money, such as coupons and apps on our phones. In other parts of the World, like Mexico where I am from, these tools are not available. While most of this article will focus on the tools that we have here in the United States, there are some other tips that can be applied in any part of the World.

For some background, a few short years ago my husband was in law school, and because he was only working part time, our budget was pretty tight. I was determined to stay at home with my young children, but at the same time I felt like I wasn’t contributing or helping us to have enough money. That is when I started looking into ways to save money. I started learning how to use coupons and after a couple of months I was able to see the results. Now, I have to say – couponing can be addictive. I know people that buy tons of things that they will never use, which can be counterproductive – no matter how cheap something is, if you keep buying things that you don’t need it’s hard to say that you are saving money!

I hope that these tips and tricks can help you, and that you are able to not only have a little bit extra to spend, but that you are able to save hundreds of dollars per year as well.

Be Persistent (aka don’t give up!)

When you start using coupons or doing anything else to save money, it can be very easy to get discouraged. It is so important push through the hard, stressful times, because it will be worth it in the end.

To illustrate this point, I want to share a personal experience. When I had only recently arrived in the United States in 2010, my husband was still doing his undergrad, and our budget was pretty tight. Luckily for me, one of my sisters-in-law lived right around the corner from us, so we got to spend a lot of time together. At that time, she introduced me to couponing. She would always tell us how she was saving lots of money. One day she told us about a great deal that she got at Rite-Aid on diapers. She explained it to me perfectly, and I wrote it down and excitedly told my husband that we had to go that day. Well, we got to Rite-Aid, found the diapers, and thought we were doing everything right. When we got to the cash register and paid, the amount that came up was about 5 times as much as what my sister-in-law had paid. Since I was still new to couponing, I didn’t know what I had done wrong, so instead of questioning the total, we quietly paid and walked out – feeling discouraged.

It took me four years before I decided to pick up a coupon again after that experience, and that is a huge regret.

When I started again in 2014, I had some very discouraging experiences – from my coupons not working, to having extremely rude cashiers, and more. My husband always encouraged me to keep on pushing forward, and as I did I learned more and I couldn’t be happier now that I have seen the results.

So, when you feel like giving up – DON’T!

Use All Available Sources to Find Coupons

You may be surprised to find out that there are many places that you can find coupons. If you are only using coupons from one source, then you are missing out! You can find coupons online, in the newspaper, in the mail, in stores, and by signing up for certain programs. Here are a few sources that I use every week.

1. Local Newspaper – everywhere that I have lived has had a local newspaper that you can subscribe to. They all have had at least 1-3 coupon inserts in every Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday edition. The inserts are usually from Red Plum, P&G, and SmartSource. You should be able to get a subscription for those days only for less than $20 per month. You will also find that you won’t always want all of the coupons because they aren’t useful for you, so what I usually do is look up what coupons will be arriving (as I will discuss later) and only buying the newspaper at a convenience store on the days that I know I will need the coupons. That has saved me from having to get a subscription.
2. Online Coupon Websites – There are quite a few websites online where you can search for manufacturer coupons for specific products, and print them off. Usually you have to download and install a special “coupon printer” that allows you to print them off, but it is free and only takes a few minutes. These are some of my favorite sites: redplum.com, www.smartsource.com, and  www.coupons.com.
3. Specific Products Websites – Many brands like to promote their products by offering exclusive coupons on their website or social media pages. Sometimes they will require that you sign up on their website, or play a game, watch a video, or something else. Whatever it is, it usually is pretty simple and is a great way to multiple your savings, so keep your eyes open for these opportunities on your favorite brands’ social media pages.
4. Store Specific Websites – Many stores offer their own coupons that you can use together with manufacturer coupons. For example, you can go to coupons.target.com and you can find both manufacturer coupons and other coupons that you can only use at Target. Make sure you read what the coupon says, because sometimes the stores will put their logo on it, but they are actually manufacturer coupons that you can use anywhere. If it says “store coupon” or something similar instead of “manufacturer coupon” then you will know. Some other stores, like Kroger, will send you special coupons directly to your house if you join their club or sign up for pharmacy points. For example, Kroger and Kroger affiliates have digital coupons that you can load directly onto your loyalty card and they will automatically take the discount off when you purchase the corresponding product!

Coupon Planning and Organization

While just finding occasional coupons that you can use on your daily or weekly shopping trips can save some money, you will multiply your savings by a lot by taking some time each week to organize your coupons and plan out a coupon strategy.

1. Organization

There are many ways to organize your coupons. Some people like to have a large notebook, separated out by coupon type. You can use any three ring binder that you have, but you will probably want to add sleeves to it, like the ones that you can use for baseball cards. They even have some online that you can buy that are made specifically for coupons, like this one. While there is nothing wrong with this method of organizing coupons, it isn’t always the most convenient option, which is why I chose another method. I have seen many people that take their whole binder to the store and they pull it out and struggle to look through all of the pages to find the right coupons. That may work for some, but I prefer not to carry something so big with me all the time.

I prefer to organize my coupons at home into different categories, and then I create a labeled envelope for each. Some examples of the labels I use are: Laundry, Frozen Food, Dairy, Personal Care, etc. After I have the envelopes ready, I put the corresponding coupons in each one and I put them in a small bag that easily fits inside my purse so that I can take them out easily and I can find what I am looking for quickly.

No matter what way you decide to organize your coupons, it is important to do it. If you know exactly where your coupons are when you get to the store it will make it much easier to make sure you are getting the best deals.

2. Planning

One of the most important parts about using coupons to save money is knowing what coupons to use, how you can combine them with sales, and when is the best time to use them. The best way to plan is to figure out what stores are having sales, and then determining what coupons you can use to save even more off of the sales price.

While it is possible to go through all of the local store ads, and then manually look through your coupons, there are other resources online that do that work for you! My favorite website to find out what coupons to combine with what sales is www.thekrazycouponlady.com. This site is great, because you can search for the specific stores that you have in your area and they have already done most of the research. This is also the site that I check to find out what coupons will be coming in the following weeks’ newspaper. Their posts will also usually tell you the specific coupons that you need to use and what deals to combine them with to get the most savings. The great thing is that sometimes different stores have even better deals going on in your specific area, so you end up saving even more than you expected.

Another way to plan is to go to the clearance section of your favorite stores, and write down any specific products that you see there that you want. Then, when you get home you can check your coupons to see if there are any that you can combine with the clearance prices – I have ended up with many free products using this strategy!

Use Coupon Apps to Multiply Your Savings

When I started using coupons to save, I was pretty much limited to paper coupons that I could print off or cut out of the newspaper. However, a few months later I learned about an amazing app for my phone called Ibotta. This is how it works

• Sign up for an account and then download the app;
• Unlock rebates (watching videos, reading about the products, etc.)
• Go to the store and buy the products that have a rebate;
• When you get home, upload a picture of your receipt and scan the products;
• Wait for the rebate to be approved and added to your account.

Once you accumulate $20, you can have them pay you via PayPal or Venmo. Trust me, it doesn’t take long to get to that threshold! As you can see, I have received hundreds of dollars in rebates in the time that I have been using this app.

There are other apps too that work almost the same way. Some of my favorites are:

• Checkout51
• SavingStar
• Mobisave
• Snap by Groupon
• Shopmium – (use code YKFUKCWE)

The great thing is that you can combine savings by submitting the same receipt in different applications. For example, sometimes Ibotta will have a rebate for $.50, Checkout 51 will have a rebate for $.75 and Mobisave will have a rebate for $1.00 – all for the same product. If you submit your receipt on all three you will end up saving $2.15! Just make sure that you don’t try to submit the same receipt in the same app (even on different accounts), because that is not permitted.

One thing that I love about these apps is that most of them offer rebates on products that you are buying anyway, like bread, milk, eggs, etc.

Lastly, I love to combine these rebates with other sales, paper coupons, and for products that are on clearance. Many times you will end up paying next to nothing (or literally nothing) for these products.

Other Tips to Save Hundreds of Dollars 

I have saved hundreds of dollars using the above strategies, but now I want to end by sharing some other practical tips that will help you have a better, less stress-inducing experience.

1. Create a meal plan every week

This one has been hard for me, but whenever I do it, I end up spending less on groceries. You should start by planning out every meal that you are going to make during the week. Next, make a        list of the ingredients that you will need to make them. Finally, go to the store and stick to your list. This will help you avoid buying products that you don’t need. Of course you can always buy          a few extras, but this is a great place to start.

There are some good meal planners that you can buy that will help you stay organized and that will help you plan out your meals every week. This is the one that I use: Weekly Meal Planner.

2. Don’t go to the Store Hungry

This may seem kind of silly, but it really does make a difference! I find that when I go to the store without eating, everything looks delicious and I end up buying things that I wouldn’t have               otherwise. If you follow my first tip above and are able to stick to your list, that will help too. You can avoid going to the store hungry by eating a small snack or a meal right before going to                 the store.

3. Try to Avoid Taking Your Young Kids To The Store During Nap-Time

Pretty much every mom I know can understand this. We love our kids very much, but there is something about taking them to the store that flips a switch within them that makes everything            more difficult. It is not always possible to go to the store without your kids, especially when they are not in school yet, but if at all possible, try to go when they have a full stomach and have                already taken their nap.

If you know that your child is having a hard day and has been crying or fighting all day, it might be best to put off your trip to the store until they have calmed down or until they can stay                    home. If you are only going for a few things, it isn’t such a big deal, but if you are planning on doing coupons and spending a lot of time, this advice should be helpful!

Concluding Thoughts

It can be a little bit overwhelming when you start using coupons on a regular basis, so I hope that these strategies will help you. There were many times when I wanted to give up, but now that I have seen the results, I am so glad that I didn’t. It feels so good to be able to contribute to the financial security of my family in whatever way that I can. I hope that you have enjoyed this article, and I would love to hear any and all tips that you have as well – please share them in the comments below!

The post How to Save Hundreds of Dollars Per Year (Coupon Strategies for Beginners) appeared first on My Latina Table.

I recently wrote a post titled, “The Breastfeeding Survival Guide for First Time Moms.” In that article I talk a little bit about the difficult experiences that I had breastfeeding my first born and how I survived that difficult stage with lots of help, including these 10 products. They helped me to gain a strong bond with my baby during the breastfeeding process and in the end we were able to learn so much together.

Keep breastfeeding if you can, don’t give up, and I promise that it will get better every day, and before you know it breastfeeding will seem just as natural as taking a drink of water.

1. Electric BreastPump: This tool will quickly become your best friend in this new adventure. It performs a similar role as your baby in that it creates a sucking motion that helps increase your milk supply. I used it quite a bit in the first few days when my baby wasn’t latching on correctly and I needed to avoid an excess accumulation of milk. I also liked to use it about 10 minutes before nursing, because it helped get the milk flowing which kept my baby from getting impatient and crying. 
2. Breastmilk Storage Bags: These don’t need much explanation – if you are using an electric breastpump, you will need somewhere to store the extra milk where it will be safe from bacteria. You can find many options on Amazon.
3. Nursing Bra: You will need a good nursing bra that is comfortable and that provides easy access for your baby. When you are not home, this will be one of your best friends.
4. Nursing Cover: Whether you buy one or make one, you will definitely want to have one of these in your baby bag so that you can comfortably feed your baby in public. If you go to this site, and enter the code SAVE35MLT, you can get one for free and you will just pay a small amount for shipping.
5. Nursing Pillow: This, without a doubt, was one of my favorite products. It allowed me to hold onto my baby more comfortably when I was nursing him. You can get one for free at www.nursingpillow.com using the code A4E56C
6. Nursing Pads: I never had to worry about leaking milk until I started breastfeeding. Of course at first I was filled with pride, because only a few weeks earlier I was so worried that I couldn’t produce enough milk, and now I couldn’t get it to stop! The truth is that it isn’t a great experience to be at a meeting or activity when you start leaking milk. Keeping a pack of these nursing pads in your bag can definitely help you to avoid those embarrassing moments.
7. Clean Towel: It is important to have a clean towel nearby when you are breastfeeding so that you can dry the nipple area after nursing. Humidity in that area creates a perfect environment for bacteria, and you want to avoid that because your baby will be eating from there again very soon.
8. Lanolin: Fortunately there are a lot of great nipple creams on the market, including Lanolin. These are 100% safe for your baby and they provide instant relief for dry, cracked nipples. I used this at least 2-3 times per day in the first few weeks and it was a lifesaver!
9. Gel Pads: These are amazing and they also provide instant relief. I had a couple pairs of these and I always kept one in the refrigerator so that they were ready when I needed them.
10. Nipple Shield: I had never heard of these until one day that my nipples hurt so bad an were so cracked that I thought I couldn’t bear any more. That day, one of my friends suggested that I try these, and although they can be a little bit uncomfortable at first, they definitely do the job and protect your nipples on especially painful days.

Without a doubt there are countless products available to help us in this difficult, but wonderful job of being a mother. If you aren’t sure what some of these products are called where you live, just copy and paste the word and search the internet and you will be able to find lots of options! These products were so helpful for me, ad I hope that they help you as well.

Remember, failure isn’t not being able to do something, failure is never having tried. Good luck and congratulations on your decision to breastfeed!

The post 10 Breastfeeding Essentials For First Time Moms appeared first on My Latina Table.