Playtex Ventaire Bottles

This week was grocery shopping week, and along with Monsters infant formula we also had to stock up on some Playtex Drop-ins Bottle Liners.

I decided on a whim that I was going to compare the price of a box of 100 Playtex bottle liners vs. A couple new Playtex Ventaire Bottles. Monster has not needed to be burped for about 2 months, and I've read the Ventaire bottles are very popular with other moms on my whattoexpect.com homeboard.

Pros to using the Playtex Drop-ins is that they are absolutely perfect for the busy (or lazy) mom who doesn't have all the time in the world to sit and scrub bottles. You toss the liner after each use. I was one of those lazy moms who saw the appeal when Monster was a newborn.

Admittedly I have more time in my day now that I have a partially independent 7 month old, as apposed to a "I want to be held or worn 24/7" newborn. The cheap mom finally beat down the lazy mom and bought the Playtex Ventaire Bottles instead of the Drop-in Liners. It was a dollar difference in price to buy a 100 pack of liners vs a two bottle starter package at Walmart.

Monster loves his food so the change didn't even phase him one bit and aside from the extra 5 minutes cleaning time per day, they're working out great! I can't say they'd be a good bottle for a newborn with the potential to be colicky but for a 7 month old who burps himself they work great, and they're more esthetically pleasing then the regular Drop-ins.

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Baby Model and Shopping Adventures

This mommy just can't get enough cute baby clothes for her little man!

Today was yet another shopping day for my Monster and I, just this time replace auntie TG with my mom. We headed out to Vernon for an appointment and then cruised Walmart and Superstore.

It doesn't matter if I have money to spend or if I'm looking for anything specific we always have to check out the baby section of every store. At the Superstore we found the cutest little beanie hat for Monster to model.







He is such happy little shopper. We didn't buy the hat because it was already a tight fit, but modeling is almost as fun... Right? Grandma did buy him a couple new pajam-jam sets and an adorable outfit though.


Here is my little trooper in the Walmart cart checking out the new toy grandma picked out for him. My mom (who is a first time grandparent by the way) and I were in awe of the toy section today. I dread the time Christmas shopping rolls around, because her and I may go bankrupt just shopping for my Monster!

(Please note his absolutely adorable outfit. Cherokee polo and jeans both on sale $5 a piece at Zellers)

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All Clothes are Not Created Equally.

When it comes to baby clothes, sizes are all over the map for my Monster. Yes, it is overwhelmingly frustrating!

Ok, I get that he is a big boy! Why do the clothing companies have to conspire against us to make me feel like he looks like a toddler at 5 months? Warning: I've gone into dramatic mode.

When Monster was born, he was a little too small for the 0-3 month clothing we had on hand, but he was born far too big to make it worth buying anything in newborn. I was right, as he fit into his 0-3 month clothing by the time he reached about 2 weeks old.

Since then, he hasn't stopped! From what I've found, the infant clothing brands sold at our local big box store (Zellers, HBC); Cherokee and Little Tikes fit generally as the tags say they will. The swim trunks he wore at the beach today were 3-6 months (Little Tikes), fit him perfectly and he is barely 5 months old.

However, if we decide to shop at Walmart for any clothing we have to round up. A lot. Walmart does not have much to chose from in the way of size 6-9 month clothing. Rounding up? Monster is just a little too small for a 12 month outfit from George brand clothing. That is WAY off the charts for clothing sizes.

Please Mum is a higher quality children's clothing store (brand) that thankfully fits Monster dead on! It's obviously a little more expensive then Walmart, but in most cases to do with Walmart, you get what you pay for. I've never actually boughten him anything from Please Mum, except for 4 shirts on major clearance sale. The rest of his Please Mum has been gifts.

The rate of Monster's growth, and the differences in sizing wouldn't be too much trouble if I were a millionaire and could afford to buy him his clothes as he needed it, not having to result in SALE HUNTS! I love a good deal, especially on infant clothing that Monster is going to grow out of in a month or two. Ideally I would like to sale hunt, pre-buy his clothing a season in advance (example: buy out the clearance summer clothes from this year, in a size he can wear next summer) and be set. Who's to say what size he'll be in in a year?

As a parent, how did you live modestly with a growing Monster(s)?