Mommy Tip: Splurge on New Products for Free {SampleSource.com}

Last fall, I started a series on how to get new products delivered to your home for free! We took a break for a few months, but we still have two more product review companies to go. If you missed the first two installments, make sure you jump over to read about Influenster and Smiley360!

It's pretty obvious at this point that I'm not the only Mama to enjoy free products! Often times, products that I get through these review companies are either ones I've never heard of, or something that I wouldn't spend money on without knowing if they work. This has become a great way for me to try new things without spending money...and I've found a few new products that I absolutely love! So many of you responded to the first two posts in the series saying that you love this kind of stuff too. Yay! So glad that I'm in good company!

Today, we are going to explore the product review site: SampleSource.com. I *just* learned about this site a couple of weeks ago, and *just* got a promo box last Friday, so I'm brand new to this site. Normally, I like to thoroughly vet these things before offering them to you, but their next big shipment is going out in two weeks, and I don't want you to miss it! That shipment will be my first official box from them (the one I received was just a teaser box so that I could get an idea of how this works). So if you sign up, we will be in this together!

And don't forget: You don't have to be a blogger to participate in these! :)

A Brief Overview of SampleSource.com
SampleSource.com has three big shipments that go out every year, generally in the spring, summer, and fall. As a member of the site, you can choose what you'd like to receive for free on a first come, first serve basis.

Product samples are offered to people based on the interests that they put in their profile, so you might be offered all sorts of different things to try!

So how does SampleSource.com work?

Signing up as a member of SampleSource.com is super easy! You sign up with an email and password, fill out a brief profile, and you are done! You don't have to apply, sit on a waiting list, or anything. I love the ease of getting to sign up with this company!

Whatever you do, don't just sign up and leave. Make sure that you fill out your profile because SampleSource.com mails out hundreds of thousands of samples every year. Your profile lets them know simple things like, whether you have an infant in the house, own a dog, are single or married, and if you like healthy eating. The samples they offer you will be tailored to you so that you don't have to wade through tons of samples that wouldn't be of interest.

What kind of samples can you expect? All sorts of things! Health/beauty, food, cleaning products, etc, They offer a big range of products, so it shouldn't be hard to find something to interest you.

Once you have signed up and filled out your profile, you just sit back and wait for the email to come through that it's time to select your samples. When you see that email, jump on it! There are limited samples, and although not all samples are offered to everyone, they will probably go quickly.

The best part: Not only does each sample offer include a photo and description, there is no limit to how many samples you can request! And there is no cost associated with trying or shipping the items. It's entirely free!

SampleSource.com promo box!

The fun part begins when your box arrives!
It can take 4-6 weeks for your box to arrive, but once it does, you can explore the different products that you picked out. Try them and see if they work for you and your family. In my promo box, my products came with a couple of coupons as well. Nice!

A few weeks after receiving your box, you will be asked to provide feedback on the products. This helps the companies improve their products and provides other consumers with real-people reviews about the products.

Providing feedback is optional with this product review company, but remember that by opting into review programs like this, they are sending out the products with the understanding that you will let them know your thoughts. Play fair, okay?

So what are your personal thoughts on SampleSource.com?
So far, my impression of SampleSource.com has been neutral. Since I'm so new to this product review program, it's a little early to be forming a full opinion. As I said above, I typically try these out pretty thoroughly before mentioning it to you, but since there are only three waves of products that go out every year, and the next one is in two weeks, I'm taking a chance on it.

Here is what I love so far about SampleSource.com: The fact that I can opt into a bunch of samples at the same time. I know that a lot of companies offer samples on their sites, but going around and requesting each one is not something that I have time for. If I can log into a site, click through and pick a bunch, and then have them mailed all at once, that is much easier for me. I'm happy to offer my opinion in exchange for the ease of the program.

What I'm not as big a fan of is the size of the samples. In the previous product review companies that we've discussed, they send out full-sized samples. The samples that come from SampleSource.com look like they are one-use samples. I really prefer larger samples as it sometimes takes me a few uses to form an opinion.

Also, in my promo box, I received toothpaste and mouthwash. While I can always use more of both, I can also get those for free at my regular dental checkup every six months. Granted, I didn't choose these samples, and they had to pick something pretty accessible for my promo box, but I'm hoping that when I participate in the actual program, the offerings will be a little more fun!

With all that being said, I will for sure be participating in the next wave of boxes to go out! I love getting to try new products without taking away from my family's budget.

And finally, a reminder:
Most product review companies require feedback on the products, but SampleSource.com does not. However, I encourage you to provide that feedback anyway when they send out the email asking for it. By providing the feedback, you are helping to make sure that offers like this continue to come our way. Besides that, it's nice for the companies to receive your thoughts in return for their free products. That's just my opinion, but I think that if we treat companies fairly, they will be more likely to treat us fairly in return!

Do you participate in any product review companies? Let me know which ones, if you do!

This post contains no affiliate links, and I was not compensated for writing it. I just like sharing my fun finds with my fellow Mamas. Enjoy your free product samples! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Last fall, I started a series on how to get new products delivered to your home for free! We took a break for a few months, but we still have two more product review companies to go. If you missed the first two installments, make sure you jump over to read about Influenster and Smiley360!

It's pretty obvious at this point that I'm not the only Mama to enjoy free products! Often times, products that I get through these review companies are either ones I've never heard of, or something that I wouldn't spend money on without knowing if they work. This has become a great way for me to try new things without spending money...and I've found a few new products that I absolutely love! So many of you responded to the first two posts in the series saying that you love this kind of stuff too. Yay! So glad that I'm in good company!

Today, we are going to explore the product review site: SampleSource.com. I *just* learned about this site a couple of weeks ago, and *just* got a promo box last Friday, so I'm brand new to this site. Normally, I like to thoroughly vet these things before offering them to you, but their next big shipment is going out in two weeks, and I don't want you to miss it! That shipment will be my first official box from them (the one I received was just a teaser box so that I could get an idea of how this works). So if you sign up, we will be in this together!

And don't forget: You don't have to be a blogger to participate in these! :)

A Brief Overview of SampleSource.com
SampleSource.com has three big shipments that go out every year, generally in the spring, summer, and fall. As a member of the site, you can choose what you'd like to receive for free on a first come, first serve basis.

Product samples are offered to people based on the interests that they put in their profile, so you might be offered all sorts of different things to try!

So how does SampleSource.com work?

Signing up as a member of SampleSource.com is super easy! You sign up with an email and password, fill out a brief profile, and you are done! You don't have to apply, sit on a waiting list, or anything. I love the ease of getting to sign up with this company!

Whatever you do, don't just sign up and leave. Make sure that you fill out your profile because SampleSource.com mails out hundreds of thousands of samples every year. Your profile lets them know simple things like, whether you have an infant in the house, own a dog, are single or married, and if you like healthy eating. The samples they offer you will be tailored to you so that you don't have to wade through tons of samples that wouldn't be of interest.

What kind of samples can you expect? All sorts of things! Health/beauty, food, cleaning products, etc, They offer a big range of products, so it shouldn't be hard to find something to interest you.

Once you have signed up and filled out your profile, you just sit back and wait for the email to come through that it's time to select your samples. When you see that email, jump on it! There are limited samples, and although not all samples are offered to everyone, they will probably go quickly.

The best part: Not only does each sample offer include a photo and description, there is no limit to how many samples you can request! And there is no cost associated with trying or shipping the items. It's entirely free!

SampleSource.com promo box!

The fun part begins when your box arrives!
It can take 4-6 weeks for your box to arrive, but once it does, you can explore the different products that you picked out. Try them and see if they work for you and your family. In my promo box, my products came with a couple of coupons as well. Nice!

A few weeks after receiving your box, you will be asked to provide feedback on the products. This helps the companies improve their products and provides other consumers with real-people reviews about the products.

Providing feedback is optional with this product review company, but remember that by opting into review programs like this, they are sending out the products with the understanding that you will let them know your thoughts. Play fair, okay?

So what are your personal thoughts on SampleSource.com?
So far, my impression of SampleSource.com has been neutral. Since I'm so new to this product review program, it's a little early to be forming a full opinion. As I said above, I typically try these out pretty thoroughly before mentioning it to you, but since there are only three waves of products that go out every year, and the next one is in two weeks, I'm taking a chance on it.

Here is what I love so far about SampleSource.com: The fact that I can opt into a bunch of samples at the same time. I know that a lot of companies offer samples on their sites, but going around and requesting each one is not something that I have time for. If I can log into a site, click through and pick a bunch, and then have them mailed all at once, that is much easier for me. I'm happy to offer my opinion in exchange for the ease of the program.

What I'm not as big a fan of is the size of the samples. In the previous product review companies that we've discussed, they send out full-sized samples. The samples that come from SampleSource.com look like they are one-use samples. I really prefer larger samples as it sometimes takes me a few uses to form an opinion.

Also, in my promo box, I received toothpaste and mouthwash. While I can always use more of both, I can also get those for free at my regular dental checkup every six months. Granted, I didn't choose these samples, and they had to pick something pretty accessible for my promo box, but I'm hoping that when I participate in the actual program, the offerings will be a little more fun!

With all that being said, I will for sure be participating in the next wave of boxes to go out! I love getting to try new products without taking away from my family's budget.

And finally, a reminder:
Most product review companies require feedback on the products, but SampleSource.com does not. However, I encourage you to provide that feedback anyway when they send out the email asking for it. By providing the feedback, you are helping to make sure that offers like this continue to come our way. Besides that, it's nice for the companies to receive your thoughts in return for their free products. That's just my opinion, but I think that if we treat companies fairly, they will be more likely to treat us fairly in return!

Do you participate in any product review companies? Let me know which ones, if you do!

This post contains no affiliate links, and I was not compensated for writing it. I just like sharing my fun finds with my fellow Mamas. Enjoy your free product samples! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Mommy Tip: Splurge on New Products for Free {Smiley360}

Last month, I wrote the first post in a series about how to get new products for free! If you missed it, make sure you jump over and read about my favorite product review site: Influenster!

I was so excited to hear from several of you who have decided to give product reviewing a try! Thank you for leaving comments or dropping me messages on FaceBook. I love knowing I've helped other moms who might have more time than money (like I do!) I know I've been thrilled to try some products that I otherwise never would have had a chance to try!

Today, I'm going to introduce you to Smiley360. Smiley360 is another product review site that I've been a member of for over a year. While this isn't my favorite site, I want to make sure that you have a chance to hear about all of them so that you can make an informed decision about which sites you'd like to try.

And don't forget: You don't have to be a blogger to participate in these! :)

A Brief Overview of Smiley360

Smiley360 offers opportunities to review individual products. Unlike Influenster, you won't get a box with 4-5 different products, but it's still fun to get a package with one product and occasionally coupons!

There are no particular themes to what they offer. Smiley360 works with different brands, so they offer a range of products that are individual to their campaigns.

So how does Smiley360 work?

The nice thing about Smiley360 is that you don't have to apply and wait on an acceptance email. You just sign up, fill out a little info, and you are ready to start receiving emails in your inbox. Free and easy!

Once you sign up, you will want to do two things: finish filling out your profile and accept your first Smiley Mission.

1. Filling out your profile lets Smiley360 know who you are and what campaigns will best fit you and your family. Once your profile is complete, you will earn "smiles" for it. (I'll explain "smiles" in a minute.)
2. Your first Smiley Mission consists, quite simply, of announcing to your social media friends and followers that you are part of Smiley360 and would love for them to join you over there. For each social media share or other action that you complete in a mission, you will earn more "smiles."

What are these "smiles" that you keep talking about? "Smiles" are the currency that Smiley360 runs on. They will send you email when a campaign might be a good fit. You can apply for it if you are interested, and then they look at the applicants' status and smiles to decide who actually gets to participate. The more "smiles" you have, the better. They see "smiles" as an indication of your influence and follow through on previous campaigns.

There are also five status levels. Get that first Smiley Mission out of the way, and you are already bumped to level 2! You will continue up the status later as you accumulate smiles and finish missions.

Smiles + Status = More Campaigns!

Once your profile is complete and your first Smiley Mission is underway, watch your email for invitations to apply for more campaigns. They will also occassionally send invitations for twitter parties or links to extra coupons. Personally, I'm not a big twitter party person, so I tend to skip those, but I do try to apply for all of the campaigns that might relate to my family.

Applying for a campaign will require you to log into your Smiley360 account and fill out a survey. If your answers match what they are looking for, they will tell you to watch your email for whether or not you are accepted into the mission. Remember to fill out the survey honestly, as your honest opinion is exactly what they are looking for.

If you are accepted into the Mission, they will put your box in the mail!

Campbell's Slow Kettle Style Soup Smiley Mission. It came with coupons and a bonus pair of knee socks!

The fun part begins when your box arrives!
Once your product arrives, you can begin testing it. Smiley360 will give you a set of optional tasks that you can do to earn smiles in your mission.

My suggestion? Do as many as possible. Remember that the more smiles you earn, the better your chances of getting into future missions. There is also the fact that the brands are supplying you with free product in exchange for your opinion and help letting your friends know about it. Play fair, and they will be fair back!

So what are your personal thoughts on Smiley360?
Here's the deal: One of my responsibilities as a blogger is to always, always be honest and truthful with my readers. So with that being said, I'm going to give you my flat out opinion about this program.

I have been disappointed in the number of campaigns that are offered to me as compared to the other product review sites that I participate in. In the more than 18 months that I've been a member, I'm only been accepted to one Campbell's Kettle Soup campaign, and two Advil campaigns. Granted, I've enjoyed getting to know those brands, but I was hoping for something more. I mean, when you are getting Ghirardelli Chocolate, and Transformer toys through the other sites, you are used to the bar being set pretty high!

With that being said, I'm still a member of Smiley360 because I like the items that I do get to review. Because I know that the offers are few and far between, and that I only get accepted to about 1/3 of the ones I apply for, I choose to spend the majority of my time on the other two sites.

Would I recommend that you join Smiley360? Yes, with the hope that you will do so in addition to one or both of the other sites. I think you will have the most fun with product reviewing if you do it that way.

And finally, a reminder:
By agreeing to receive a product, you are agreeing to review it. If you can't or don't want to review it, it's important that you turn it down. I've turned down campaigns before and it hasn't hurt my chances of future campaigns. The companies would much rather you just say "no" up front, than send you a box and not get your feedback in return.

In other words, treat the companies fairly, and they will treat you fairly in return!

Sure, the products are free, but nothing is ever truly free. You are essentially bartering your time for their product. Keep that in mind, and you can't go wrong.

Do you participate in any product review companies? Does

this seem like something that you might want to try?

This post contains referral links. If you sign up for Smiley360 using the link, I get an extra smile. No other compensation was given for writing this post. I just want to help fellow mamas out!

Last month, I wrote the first post in a series about how to get new products for free! If you missed it, make sure you jump over and read about my favorite product review site: Influenster!

I was so excited to hear from several of you who have decided to give product reviewing a try! Thank you for leaving comments or dropping me messages on FaceBook. I love knowing I've helped other moms who might have more time than money (like I do!) I know I've been thrilled to try some products that I otherwise never would have had a chance to try!

Today, I'm going to introduce you to Smiley360. Smiley360 is another product review site that I've been a member of for over a year. While this isn't my favorite site, I want to make sure that you have a chance to hear about all of them so that you can make an informed decision about which sites you'd like to try.

And don't forget: You don't have to be a blogger to participate in these! :)

A Brief Overview of Smiley360

Smiley360 offers opportunities to review individual products. Unlike Influenster, you won't get a box with 4-5 different products, but it's still fun to get a package with one product and occasionally coupons!

There are no particular themes to what they offer. Smiley360 works with different brands, so they offer a range of products that are individual to their campaigns.

So how does Smiley360 work?

The nice thing about Smiley360 is that you don't have to apply and wait on an acceptance email. You just sign up, fill out a little info, and you are ready to start receiving emails in your inbox. Free and easy!

Once you sign up, you will want to do two things: finish filling out your profile and accept your first Smiley Mission.

1. Filling out your profile lets Smiley360 know who you are and what campaigns will best fit you and your family. Once your profile is complete, you will earn "smiles" for it. (I'll explain "smiles" in a minute.)
2. Your first Smiley Mission consists, quite simply, of announcing to your social media friends and followers that you are part of Smiley360 and would love for them to join you over there. For each social media share or other action that you complete in a mission, you will earn more "smiles."

What are these "smiles" that you keep talking about? "Smiles" are the currency that Smiley360 runs on. They will send you email when a campaign might be a good fit. You can apply for it if you are interested, and then they look at the applicants' status and smiles to decide who actually gets to participate. The more "smiles" you have, the better. They see "smiles" as an indication of your influence and follow through on previous campaigns.

There are also five status levels. Get that first Smiley Mission out of the way, and you are already bumped to level 2! You will continue up the status later as you accumulate smiles and finish missions.

Smiles + Status = More Campaigns!

Once your profile is complete and your first Smiley Mission is underway, watch your email for invitations to apply for more campaigns. They will also occassionally send invitations for twitter parties or links to extra coupons. Personally, I'm not a big twitter party person, so I tend to skip those, but I do try to apply for all of the campaigns that might relate to my family.

Applying for a campaign will require you to log into your Smiley360 account and fill out a survey. If your answers match what they are looking for, they will tell you to watch your email for whether or not you are accepted into the mission. Remember to fill out the survey honestly, as your honest opinion is exactly what they are looking for.

If you are accepted into the Mission, they will put your box in the mail!

Campbell's Slow Kettle Style Soup Smiley Mission. It came with coupons and a bonus pair of knee socks!

The fun part begins when your box arrives!
Once your product arrives, you can begin testing it. Smiley360 will give you a set of optional tasks that you can do to earn smiles in your mission.

My suggestion? Do as many as possible. Remember that the more smiles you earn, the better your chances of getting into future missions. There is also the fact that the brands are supplying you with free product in exchange for your opinion and help letting your friends know about it. Play fair, and they will be fair back!

So what are your personal thoughts on Smiley360?
Here's the deal: One of my responsibilities as a blogger is to always, always be honest and truthful with my readers. So with that being said, I'm going to give you my flat out opinion about this program.

I have been disappointed in the number of campaigns that are offered to me as compared to the other product review sites that I participate in. In the more than 18 months that I've been a member, I'm only been accepted to one Campbell's Kettle Soup campaign, and two Advil campaigns. Granted, I've enjoyed getting to know those brands, but I was hoping for something more. I mean, when you are getting Ghirardelli Chocolate, and Transformer toys through the other sites, you are used to the bar being set pretty high!

With that being said, I'm still a member of Smiley360 because I like the items that I do get to review. Because I know that the offers are few and far between, and that I only get accepted to about 1/3 of the ones I apply for, I choose to spend the majority of my time on the other two sites.

Would I recommend that you join Smiley360? Yes, with the hope that you will do so in addition to one or both of the other sites. I think you will have the most fun with product reviewing if you do it that way.

And finally, a reminder:
By agreeing to receive a product, you are agreeing to review it. If you can't or don't want to review it, it's important that you turn it down. I've turned down campaigns before and it hasn't hurt my chances of future campaigns. The companies would much rather you just say "no" up front, than send you a box and not get your feedback in return.

In other words, treat the companies fairly, and they will treat you fairly in return!

Sure, the products are free, but nothing is ever truly free. You are essentially bartering your time for their product. Keep that in mind, and you can't go wrong.

Do you participate in any product review companies? Does

this seem like something that you might want to try?

This post contains referral links. If you sign up for Smiley360 using the link, I get an extra smile. No other compensation was given for writing this post. I just want to help fellow mamas out!

Mommy Tip: Splurge on New Products for Free! {Influenster}

Have you ever been wandering down the store aisle and come across a new item that peaked your interest? I see fun new things at the store all of the time. Some look helpful, some look delicious, and some look ridiculous, but I always find myself wanting to see what it does/is/tastes like.

But, if your family is anything like our family, there isn't a lot of flexible income to spend on items that may or may not be liked. Did you know that there is a way around that? And no. I'm not telling you to go shoplifting. It may be a way to get products, but I like to stay 100% legal.

I do two types of product reviews. Some of them are blog related, and you see them here. Those reviews are only available to bloggers. But the other type of product reviews that I do aren't related to blogging at all!

The non-blogging related product reviews are what we are chatting about today. I've had several people ask how I get so much free stuff, so I want to fill you in on how to do it!

I've been doing product reviews since...well, probably since we got married and before I started blogging! There are companies that exist solely to provide consumers with items in exchange for their honest reviews. It sounds too good to be true, but it is totally legitimate! Now, you can't make a living off of it, but if you have a few minutes of spare time every now and then, it's a nice way to splurge on yourself, without splurging out of your pocket.

I'm currently part of three different product review companies. They all function differently, and offer different products, so I thought it might be nice if I break them down for you in three different posts. Then you can choose the one that best fits you...or you can be like me and do all of them!

Let's start with my favorite product review company: Influenster!

Influenster is a product review company that I only found about a year ago, so I'm still a relative newbie to it. Most review companies send out items one at a time, but Influenster sends out 4-5 different full sized products at a time. I LOVE the way they do it! It's like Christmas when I get to open the box full of items that are just for me!

Typically, Influenster picks a theme for the box. Previous themes that I've participated in are: Sunkissed, Cosmo, and Sugar n' Spice. The products inside might be from different companies, but they all play together to create the theme. Influenster lets you know what the theme is when they are looking for campaign participants, but the contents of the box are a surprise!

The Sunkissed VoxBox: I didn't like BB cream until I tried the Olay version.

I never would have found it if it hadn't have been for this box!

So how does Influester work?

First, all participants have to apply to be part of the program. It took a few weeks for my application to be approved, so be patient if you apply! It's worth it!

Once you receive the email that says that you are officially in, you will want to immediately set up your profile in your dashboard. It's very important that you fill it out as much as possible. When companies are setting up a campaign for their product, they give the review company the demographics of who they are looking for. If you haven't answered any surveys or filled out your profile, you won't get asked to participate because they won't know anything about you. The more information that you provide, the better your chances of being chosen.

Influenster also has something called Expert Badges. You are allowed to choose up to five Expert Badges, so choose carefully! The Expert Badges are basically a way to show them that you are an expert, hobbiest, or just plain really love a certain area of life. For example, my Expert Badges are: Sweet Tooth, Chowhound, Six Pack, Urbanite, and Beauty Queen. So my areas of interest are sweets, food, being healthy, living in an urban area, and wearing makeup. They have a bunch of other ones, so make sure you read through the descriptions before choosing! Those Expert Badges signal to Influenster what types of products you will like to review.

Within each of the Expert Badges are tasks that you can complete to raise your score in that area. Things like writing reviews about products you already have and love in your home, answering questions for other participants about that area, and completeing surveys all raise your score.

And the higher your score goes, the more likely you are to be chosen for an Influenster campaign!

Let's assume that you've completed your profile, you have your five Expert Badges chosen, and you've finished several tasks under each one. So how do you get to the good part? The part where the box shows up on your doorstep??

As products come in, Influenster will match your profile to the demographics required by the product company. If you match, then you just might get an email!

If you get an email, you aren't quite in the campaign yet. They will ask you to fill out a pre-qualification survey directly related to the products to see if you are indeed the right fit. Can you blame them? You are going to be sent a box FULL of stuff to try!

I've been invited to apply for four campaigns, and I been accepted into each one, so as long as you are honest and fill out the pre-qualification questions to the best of your ability, it shouldn't be a big deal.

If you are chosen, then Influesnter will send you an email that your box is on it's way!

Palmolive VoxBox: I really loved the Lime Basil scent!

The fun part begins when your box arrives!
Once your box arrives, Influenster will give you a set of tasks to complete related to it. It's important to know that the tasks are completely optional, but the Post-Campaign Survey (at the end of the campaign) is required. Note: If you miss the Post-Survey at the end of the campaign, you won't be invited back to participate again. No second chances on this, so make sure you follow through to the end if you accept a box!

Personally, I suggest that you do as many of the tasks as you can. I tend to do almost all of them except for Vine (which I haven't figured out yet) and blog about them individually (not sure if you all would like that?). Even though the tasks are optional, it shows a good faith effort on your part. It's true that the products are free, but the company is expecting feedback in exchange for them.

Part way through the campaign, which generally last 4-ish weeks, additional brand specific tasks open up. Again, those are optional, but you can win some really cool prizes by being one of the reviewers who has completed the most activities. I've never won a prize, but maybe someday.

You will get email reminders as the campaign goes on, and after you complete your post-campaign survey, which takes about 20 minutes, you are finished. Well, almost. Make sure everything is up-to-date in your profile so that you are ready when the next batch comes around.

Why is Influenster my favorite product review company?
Although there are more hoops and requirements to jump through with this company, they provide some of the best products that I've been able to try. I also really like that 4-5 products are in every box, so I'm not constantly applying for reviews on single items. And the task list is very easy to understand and follow. I consider it a very user-friendly program!

The downsides, are that campaigns that I qualify for only come around every 4-6 months (in my experience). I'd love to do them more often, but I really enjoy what I do qualify for!

Cosmo VoxBox: Is that Taylor Swift's RED perfume and a Ghiradelli Caramal and Sea Salt Chocolate Bar? Why, yes! Yes, it is! I LOVED this box!

The most important thing to remember if you decide to do product reviews:
By agreeing to receive a product or box, you are agreeing to review it. If you can't or don't want to review it, it's important that you turn it down. I've turned down campaigns before and it hasn't hurt my chances of future campaigns. The companies would much rather you just say "no" up front, than send you a box and not get your feedback in return.

In other words, treat the companies fairly, and they will treat you fairly in return!

I will add that free stuff is never truly free. There is always a cost associated, and in this case, the cost is your time. However, if you have more time than money, product reviews can be a great way to splurge without spending money!

Do you participate in any product review companies? Does

this seem like something that you might want to try?

No affiliate links are contained in this post. I just want to help fellow mamas out!

Have you ever been wandering down the store aisle and come across a new item that peaked your interest? I see fun new things at the store all of the time. Some look helpful, some look delicious, and some look ridiculous, but I always find myself wanting to see what it does/is/tastes like.

But, if your family is anything like our family, there isn't a lot of flexible income to spend on items that may or may not be liked. Did you know that there is a way around that? And no. I'm not telling you to go shoplifting. It may be a way to get products, but I like to stay 100% legal.

I do two types of product reviews. Some of them are blog related, and you see them here. Those reviews are only available to bloggers. But the other type of product reviews that I do aren't related to blogging at all!

The non-blogging related product reviews are what we are chatting about today. I've had several people ask how I get so much free stuff, so I want to fill you in on how to do it!

I've been doing product reviews since...well, probably since we got married and before I started blogging! There are companies that exist solely to provide consumers with items in exchange for their honest reviews. It sounds too good to be true, but it is totally legitimate! Now, you can't make a living off of it, but if you have a few minutes of spare time every now and then, it's a nice way to splurge on yourself, without splurging out of your pocket.

I'm currently part of three different product review companies. They all function differently, and offer different products, so I thought it might be nice if I break them down for you in three different posts. Then you can choose the one that best fits you...or you can be like me and do all of them!

Let's start with my favorite product review company: Influenster!

Influenster is a product review company that I only found about a year ago, so I'm still a relative newbie to it. Most review companies send out items one at a time, but Influenster sends out 4-5 different full sized products at a time. I LOVE the way they do it! It's like Christmas when I get to open the box full of items that are just for me!

Typically, Influenster picks a theme for the box. Previous themes that I've participated in are: Sunkissed, Cosmo, and Sugar n' Spice. The products inside might be from different companies, but they all play together to create the theme. Influenster lets you know what the theme is when they are looking for campaign participants, but the contents of the box are a surprise!

The Sunkissed VoxBox: I didn't like BB cream until I tried the Olay version.

I never would have found it if it hadn't have been for this box!

So how does Influester work?

First, all participants have to apply to be part of the program. It took a few weeks for my application to be approved, so be patient if you apply! It's worth it!

Once you receive the email that says that you are officially in, you will want to immediately set up your profile in your dashboard. It's very important that you fill it out as much as possible. When companies are setting up a campaign for their product, they give the review company the demographics of who they are looking for. If you haven't answered any surveys or filled out your profile, you won't get asked to participate because they won't know anything about you. The more information that you provide, the better your chances of being chosen.

Influenster also has something called Expert Badges. You are allowed to choose up to five Expert Badges, so choose carefully! The Expert Badges are basically a way to show them that you are an expert, hobbiest, or just plain really love a certain area of life. For example, my Expert Badges are: Sweet Tooth, Chowhound, Six Pack, Urbanite, and Beauty Queen. So my areas of interest are sweets, food, being healthy, living in an urban area, and wearing makeup. They have a bunch of other ones, so make sure you read through the descriptions before choosing! Those Expert Badges signal to Influenster what types of products you will like to review.

Within each of the Expert Badges are tasks that you can complete to raise your score in that area. Things like writing reviews about products you already have and love in your home, answering questions for other participants about that area, and completeing surveys all raise your score.

And the higher your score goes, the more likely you are to be chosen for an Influenster campaign!

Let's assume that you've completed your profile, you have your five Expert Badges chosen, and you've finished several tasks under each one. So how do you get to the good part? The part where the box shows up on your doorstep??

As products come in, Influenster will match your profile to the demographics required by the product company. If you match, then you just might get an email!

If you get an email, you aren't quite in the campaign yet. They will ask you to fill out a pre-qualification survey directly related to the products to see if you are indeed the right fit. Can you blame them? You are going to be sent a box FULL of stuff to try!

I've been invited to apply for four campaigns, and I been accepted into each one, so as long as you are honest and fill out the pre-qualification questions to the best of your ability, it shouldn't be a big deal.

If you are chosen, then Influesnter will send you an email that your box is on it's way!

Palmolive VoxBox: I really loved the Lime Basil scent!

The fun part begins when your box arrives!
Once your box arrives, Influenster will give you a set of tasks to complete related to it. It's important to know that the tasks are completely optional, but the Post-Campaign Survey (at the end of the campaign) is required. Note: If you miss the Post-Survey at the end of the campaign, you won't be invited back to participate again. No second chances on this, so make sure you follow through to the end if you accept a box!

Personally, I suggest that you do as many of the tasks as you can. I tend to do almost all of them except for Vine (which I haven't figured out yet) and blog about them individually (not sure if you all would like that?). Even though the tasks are optional, it shows a good faith effort on your part. It's true that the products are free, but the company is expecting feedback in exchange for them.

Part way through the campaign, which generally last 4-ish weeks, additional brand specific tasks open up. Again, those are optional, but you can win some really cool prizes by being one of the reviewers who has completed the most activities. I've never won a prize, but maybe someday.

You will get email reminders as the campaign goes on, and after you complete your post-campaign survey, which takes about 20 minutes, you are finished. Well, almost. Make sure everything is up-to-date in your profile so that you are ready when the next batch comes around.

Why is Influenster my favorite product review company?
Although there are more hoops and requirements to jump through with this company, they provide some of the best products that I've been able to try. I also really like that 4-5 products are in every box, so I'm not constantly applying for reviews on single items. And the task list is very easy to understand and follow. I consider it a very user-friendly program!

The downsides, are that campaigns that I qualify for only come around every 4-6 months (in my experience). I'd love to do them more often, but I really enjoy what I do qualify for!

Cosmo VoxBox: Is that Taylor Swift's RED perfume and a Ghiradelli Caramal and Sea Salt Chocolate Bar? Why, yes! Yes, it is! I LOVED this box!

The most important thing to remember if you decide to do product reviews:
By agreeing to receive a product or box, you are agreeing to review it. If you can't or don't want to review it, it's important that you turn it down. I've turned down campaigns before and it hasn't hurt my chances of future campaigns. The companies would much rather you just say "no" up front, than send you a box and not get your feedback in return.

In other words, treat the companies fairly, and they will treat you fairly in return!

I will add that free stuff is never truly free. There is always a cost associated, and in this case, the cost is your time. However, if you have more time than money, product reviews can be a great way to splurge without spending money!

Do you participate in any product review companies? Does

this seem like something that you might want to try?

No affiliate links are contained in this post. I just want to help fellow mamas out!

Mommy Tip: How To Diaper Quadruplets (or several kids at once!)

Did you know that the average family with quadruplets goes through about 30,000 diapers before their kids are potty trained? How's that for a fun factoid?

We did some research on both cloth diapering and disposable diapering before the kids arrived and decided that under the circumstances, disposables were the way to go for our family. However, because of the insane number of diapers that are needed, it's imperative that we find the most inexpensive way to go about it.

Pin this Tip!

I thought it might be interesting to show you how we buy daytime diapers for our kids. And since the sale we always stock up on starts today, it seemed like an appropriate time to let you know about that too if you are still in the diapering stage at your house.

Starting today, Walgreens has an awesome diaper deal on their store brand diapers! This sale comes around about once every three months, and is how we keep on top of the diaper situation at our house. We have had great luck with using Walgreens store brand diapers as their daytime diapers. No leaks, no allergic reactions. Just cheap diapers! After checking prices on diapers.com, Amazon, Amazon Mom, etc. we've found that this is the easiest, cheapest way to keep our kids tushies clean.

Here is how it works for our family when we are ready to make a big diaper purchase:

The Jumbo Packs of Walgreens Store Brand diapers are usually $8.79 per package. Starting today, they are buy-one-get-one-free. That comes out to $4.40 per package.

Depending on the size you are buying, this is what you will pay per diaper:

Size 1 is $0.09 cents per diaper

Size 2 is $0.11 cents per diaper

Size 3 is $0.12 cents per diaper

Size 4 is $0.14 cents per diaper

Size 5 is $0.16 cents per diaper

Size 6 is $0.19 cents per diaper

In my experience, those are pretty great prices!

So as we are figuring how many diapers to buy for a three month cycle, we have to do a little math. Right now, all four kids still fit in size 3 daytime diapers. (They wear the bigger sizes of name brand diapers at night.)

Our quads go through:

• 20 daytime diapers per day
• 600 daytime diapers per month
• There are 36 diapers in each Size 3 Jumbo Package.
• We will use 17 packages of Size 3 Jumbo Packages per month.
• That works out to 51 packages of Size 3 Jumbo Packages per three month cycle.
• It's buy-one-get-one free so I actually need to order 52 packages (gotta get my free one!)

That is a total of $234 to buy 1872 daytime diapers that should last our quadruplets three months. Not terrible all things considered, and I only have to think about it once every quarter! Now granted, this doesn't include tax, nighttime diapers which are more expensive, or wipes, but this is about as hassle free and cheap as we can get them.

One of my multiple friends asked if I buy these online or go into the store. I always go into the store. I've worked really hard to build a good relationship with the store manager and staff at our local Walgreens. They now know me as "that lady with quadruplets." In fact, the photo department has a picture of our kids posted on their bookshelf! Lol! Anyhow, they know me and my situation and try very hard to accommodate my large orders, even going so far as to load my car for me! They've also gotten to the point where they let me call the order in and pay for it when I pick it up in store. (As the assistant manager told the new store manager last year, "Don't worry. This lady always comes in for her diapers.")

But the main reason I go in is because sometimes they are able to find an extra coupon for me if I ask while checking out. While there isn't always an extra coupon, it's certainly worth being a polite, patient customer. Gratitude goes a long way in all aspects of life!

So if you need diapers, this is a great opportunity to stock up! Now if you will excuse me, the store manager is probably expecting my call any minute...

Oh, and if you liked this post, you might enjoy this photo of how much formula our kids used to eat in a month!

This post DOES NOT contain any affiliate links. It's posted simply to be helpful with no benefit to us!

Did you know that the average family with quadruplets goes through about 30,000 diapers before their kids are potty trained? How's that for a fun factoid?

We did some research on both cloth diapering and disposable diapering before the kids arrived and decided that under the circumstances, disposables were the way to go for our family. However, because of the insane number of diapers that are needed, it's imperative that we find the most inexpensive way to go about it.

Pin this Tip!

I thought it might be interesting to show you how we buy daytime diapers for our kids. And since the sale we always stock up on starts today, it seemed like an appropriate time to let you know about that too if you are still in the diapering stage at your house.

Starting today, Walgreens has an awesome diaper deal on their store brand diapers! This sale comes around about once every three months, and is how we keep on top of the diaper situation at our house. We have had great luck with using Walgreens store brand diapers as their daytime diapers. No leaks, no allergic reactions. Just cheap diapers! After checking prices on diapers.com, Amazon, Amazon Mom, etc. we've found that this is the easiest, cheapest way to keep our kids tushies clean.

Here is how it works for our family when we are ready to make a big diaper purchase:

The Jumbo Packs of Walgreens Store Brand diapers are usually $8.79 per package. Starting today, they are buy-one-get-one-free. That comes out to $4.40 per package.

Depending on the size you are buying, this is what you will pay per diaper:

Size 1 is $0.09 cents per diaper

Size 2 is $0.11 cents per diaper

Size 3 is $0.12 cents per diaper

Size 4 is $0.14 cents per diaper

Size 5 is $0.16 cents per diaper

Size 6 is $0.19 cents per diaper

In my experience, those are pretty great prices!

So as we are figuring how many diapers to buy for a three month cycle, we have to do a little math. Right now, all four kids still fit in size 3 daytime diapers. (They wear the bigger sizes of name brand diapers at night.)

Our quads go through:

• 20 daytime diapers per day
• 600 daytime diapers per month
• There are 36 diapers in each Size 3 Jumbo Package.
• We will use 17 packages of Size 3 Jumbo Packages per month.
• That works out to 51 packages of Size 3 Jumbo Packages per three month cycle.
• It's buy-one-get-one free so I actually need to order 52 packages (gotta get my free one!)

That is a total of $234 to buy 1872 daytime diapers that should last our quadruplets three months. Not terrible all things considered, and I only have to think about it once every quarter! Now granted, this doesn't include tax, nighttime diapers which are more expensive, or wipes, but this is about as hassle free and cheap as we can get them.

One of my multiple friends asked if I buy these online or go into the store. I always go into the store. I've worked really hard to build a good relationship with the store manager and staff at our local Walgreens. They now know me as "that lady with quadruplets." In fact, the photo department has a picture of our kids posted on their bookshelf! Lol! Anyhow, they know me and my situation and try very hard to accommodate my large orders, even going so far as to load my car for me! They've also gotten to the point where they let me call the order in and pay for it when I pick it up in store. (As the assistant manager told the new store manager last year, "Don't worry. This lady always comes in for her diapers.")

But the main reason I go in is because sometimes they are able to find an extra coupon for me if I ask while checking out. While there isn't always an extra coupon, it's certainly worth being a polite, patient customer. Gratitude goes a long way in all aspects of life!

So if you need diapers, this is a great opportunity to stock up! Now if you will excuse me, the store manager is probably expecting my call any minute...

Oh, and if you liked this post, you might enjoy this photo of how much formula our kids used to eat in a month!

This post DOES NOT contain any affiliate links. It's posted simply to be helpful with no benefit to us!

Mommy Tip: Just Bring the Feet

On Friday morning, I hit the first of the spring consignment sales and found a bunch of really great items that we needed. It was definitely a successful trip!

I got to the sale about thirty minutes before the door opened, and managed to snag the second spot in line.With so many little people the same size to shop for, I needed the advantage. I spent a couple of hours combing the racks and shelves for the best deals and then found myself a little corner to sort through my items. I always take a few minutes to double check what's in my bag before checking out since there are no returns.

I had at least three ladies stop me during the few minutes that I was sitting in the corner and comment on my method of shoe shopping for kids. I guess I thought more people used this method? But maybe not. So in an effort to ease the shopping stress of other moms with little kids, this is how I shoe shop for toddlers.

First of all, you have to understand how I shop. I hate shopping, so my mission is to get in, get what I need, and get out as fast as I possibly can. Consignment shopping is the only type of shopping that I sort of enjoy since it's more like a treasure hunt. But I'm still not willing to drag my quadruplet toddlers through a sale with me. That sounds impossible and so far from enjoyable that it makes me squirm even thinking about it.

So instead, I just bring their feet with me.

Every time I go to a sale, I pop a piece of card stock on the kitchen table, and Sean holds the kids' feet in place while I trace them. I make sure that I trace them in their color and write their names at the top so that I can keep track of who I'm trying shoes on.

(It looks like a couple of kids don't have toes because they wiggled so much while I was tracing them. Just make sure the length is accurate!)

On the back of each paper, I write their current size for reference. I also include what shoes and sizes we already own for that particular kid, and what I need to pick up at the sale to get us through the next six months. My goal is to always keep a current size and two sizes larger on hand for each kid to avoid being stuck buying shoes at retail. I didn't quite calculate correctly last fall and had to buy Ellie a pair of shoes at Walmart a couple of months ago. The cheapest pair on the shelf was easily three times more than what I typically spend!

Once I've finished my treasure hunt at a sale, I find myself a little corner and start "trying the shoes on them." I've found that shoes differ about as much as clothing does within sizes. All you have to do is hold the shoe up to the template to "try them on." It lets you check length and width without having the kiddos right there with you.

I will caution that this isn't 100% accurate, but it's close enough to streamline the whole shopping experience. I've definitely saved money (and sanity) this way!

And as a bonus, I'd like to pass on two additional tips for shoe shopping for kids:
1. Their feet can grown insanely fast! The consignment sales I go to are about a month apart. I retrace (or at least check) their feet right before each sale to make sure that there are no major growth spurts that I have to account for.
2. Look for velcro instead of shoe strings! Oh yes, I did learn this one the hard way. Velcro is infinitely easier to deal with when it comes to getting shoes on little wiggly people!

I'd love to know if you have any shoe shopping tips or other shopping tips when it comes to your kids. Please leave a comment if you do! I'm always on a quest to make life a little more streamlined!

Did you like this post? Don't forget to pin it! 

On Friday morning, I hit the first of the spring consignment sales and found a bunch of really great items that we needed. It was definitely a successful trip!

I got to the sale about thirty minutes before the door opened, and managed to snag the second spot in line.With so many little people the same size to shop for, I needed the advantage. I spent a couple of hours combing the racks and shelves for the best deals and then found myself a little corner to sort through my items. I always take a few minutes to double check what's in my bag before checking out since there are no returns.

I had at least three ladies stop me during the few minutes that I was sitting in the corner and comment on my method of shoe shopping for kids. I guess I thought more people used this method? But maybe not. So in an effort to ease the shopping stress of other moms with little kids, this is how I shoe shop for toddlers.

First of all, you have to understand how I shop. I hate shopping, so my mission is to get in, get what I need, and get out as fast as I possibly can. Consignment shopping is the only type of shopping that I sort of enjoy since it's more like a treasure hunt. But I'm still not willing to drag my quadruplet toddlers through a sale with me. That sounds impossible and so far from enjoyable that it makes me squirm even thinking about it.

So instead, I just bring their feet with me.

Every time I go to a sale, I pop a piece of card stock on the kitchen table, and Sean holds the kids' feet in place while I trace them. I make sure that I trace them in their color and write their names at the top so that I can keep track of who I'm trying shoes on.

(It looks like a couple of kids don't have toes because they wiggled so much while I was tracing them. Just make sure the length is accurate!)

On the back of each paper, I write their current size for reference. I also include what shoes and sizes we already own for that particular kid, and what I need to pick up at the sale to get us through the next six months. My goal is to always keep a current size and two sizes larger on hand for each kid to avoid being stuck buying shoes at retail. I didn't quite calculate correctly last fall and had to buy Ellie a pair of shoes at Walmart a couple of months ago. The cheapest pair on the shelf was easily three times more than what I typically spend!

Once I've finished my treasure hunt at a sale, I find myself a little corner and start "trying the shoes on them." I've found that shoes differ about as much as clothing does within sizes. All you have to do is hold the shoe up to the template to "try them on." It lets you check length and width without having the kiddos right there with you.

I will caution that this isn't 100% accurate, but it's close enough to streamline the whole shopping experience. I've definitely saved money (and sanity) this way!

And as a bonus, I'd like to pass on two additional tips for shoe shopping for kids:
1. Their feet can grown insanely fast! The consignment sales I go to are about a month apart. I retrace (or at least check) their feet right before each sale to make sure that there are no major growth spurts that I have to account for.
2. Look for velcro instead of shoe strings! Oh yes, I did learn this one the hard way. Velcro is infinitely easier to deal with when it comes to getting shoes on little wiggly people!

I'd love to know if you have any shoe shopping tips or other shopping tips when it comes to your kids. Please leave a comment if you do! I'm always on a quest to make life a little more streamlined!

Did you like this post? Don't forget to pin it! 

Mommy Tip: Ask for FREE Toothpaste...No Coupons Needed!

I never would have thought to look for toothpaste here!

We took the kids in for their 18 month checkup about five months ago. The checkup went well, and on the way out, we stopped by the front desk to make sure that everything was in order before heading out the door.

As I was checking us out, I glanced over the product samples that were sitting on the front desk. The nurse caught me looking at them and asked if I wanted to take some children's toothpaste to try.

"Sure!" I said grabbing four of them.

"Do you want to take that whole stack?" the nurse followed up.

We had been practicing with the toothbrushing at home, but maybe adding some flavor would help the kids get a little more excited about it. "Really? That would be great!" I grabbed the whole stack and shoved it in a diaper bag.

The nurse was visibly getting excited now, "If I were to go get the rest of the toothpaste samples in the back, would you take all of those too? And how about a bunch of bar soap and body wash?"

"Uh....yeah...we could use all of those..."

I kid you not, we ended up taking a box of toothpaste, two containers of body wash, and a box of bar soap. Holy moley! Score!

Once I took all of the toothpaste samples out of the little packets, I had at least 75 samples and 75 high-dollar coupons. At our kids' age, toothbrushing is more about learning good hygiene and less about using gobs of toothpaste, so those samples are still going strong at our house. I'm hoping their pediatrician's office might have more the next time we go for a checkup. It's so much easier than watching sales, clipping coupons, and hoping I get the last two loss-leader items before they are gone!

The nurse explained that they are constantly getting samples and often can't get rid of them fast enough. It's definitely worth asking about at the front desk of your pediatrician's office. While I wouldn't walk in expecting to get boxes of samples, I would certainly see if there are at least a few individually wrapped samples you could take home and enjoy. Every little bit helps!

Where is the more unique and hassle-free place that you have found a freebie?

I never would have thought to look for toothpaste here!

We took the kids in for their 18 month checkup about five months ago. The checkup went well, and on the way out, we stopped by the front desk to make sure that everything was in order before heading out the door.

As I was checking us out, I glanced over the product samples that were sitting on the front desk. The nurse caught me looking at them and asked if I wanted to take some children's toothpaste to try.

"Sure!" I said grabbing four of them.

"Do you want to take that whole stack?" the nurse followed up.

We had been practicing with the toothbrushing at home, but maybe adding some flavor would help the kids get a little more excited about it. "Really? That would be great!" I grabbed the whole stack and shoved it in a diaper bag.

The nurse was visibly getting excited now, "If I were to go get the rest of the toothpaste samples in the back, would you take all of those too? And how about a bunch of bar soap and body wash?"

"Uh....yeah...we could use all of those..."

I kid you not, we ended up taking a box of toothpaste, two containers of body wash, and a box of bar soap. Holy moley! Score!

Once I took all of the toothpaste samples out of the little packets, I had at least 75 samples and 75 high-dollar coupons. At our kids' age, toothbrushing is more about learning good hygiene and less about using gobs of toothpaste, so those samples are still going strong at our house. I'm hoping their pediatrician's office might have more the next time we go for a checkup. It's so much easier than watching sales, clipping coupons, and hoping I get the last two loss-leader items before they are gone!

The nurse explained that they are constantly getting samples and often can't get rid of them fast enough. It's definitely worth asking about at the front desk of your pediatrician's office. While I wouldn't walk in expecting to get boxes of samples, I would certainly see if there are at least a few individually wrapped samples you could take home and enjoy. Every little bit helps!

Where is the more unique and hassle-free place that you have found a freebie?

Mommy Tip: Fix for a Diaper Rash

We have had surprisingly few diaper rashes, which is practically a miracle given how many kids we have.

Our kids have their diapers changed on a set schedule with additional changes when it gets stinky.  Generally speaking, that seems to head off most diaper rashes before they even have a chance to think about appearing.

But when they do get a diaper rash, it's AWFUL.

Ellie had a horrible diaper rash last week that we just couldn't seem to help her kick. Three days of diarrhea ended up turning her little rumpus into raw meat even though we changed her constantly. Diaper creams really weren't helping, and baking soda baths did little good. I'd pat her rump dry before putting on the diaper cream, but it didn't seem to make any difference. I was even waking her up periodically through the nights to make sure that she wasn't sleeping in a wet diaper.

After a few days, I called a good nurse friend and then our pediatrician's office to see if there was anything else we could do. Other than keeping her hydrated, there really isn't anything to help diarrhea until a child has had it for 10-14 days. Diaper rashes have to become infected before something can be done about them. Not what I wanted to hear.

Nothing makes a mommy's heart hurt worse than seeing her child in pain. Poor thing was even struggling to sit down because it hurt so much.

Diaper Rash Desperation

But there was one suggestion that the nurses made that honestly didn't make much sense to me. Use a hair dryer on a low/cool setting to dry her bottom before applying the diaper cream. I was already patting it dry with a paper towel, so I didn't really understand how using a hair dryer would be any different.

Seeing as how I had tried everything else though, I figured it couldn't hurt.

I shouldn't have doubted them! Within two diaper changes, her rash was looking a million times better and the pain had significantly subsided. Within 24 hours, it was almost gone.

A hair dryer? Really?

Really.

One more Mommy tip in my arsenal. :)

Do you have any diaper rash tips that work for your kids?

We have had surprisingly few diaper rashes, which is practically a miracle given how many kids we have.

Our kids have their diapers changed on a set schedule with additional changes when it gets stinky.  Generally speaking, that seems to head off most diaper rashes before they even have a chance to think about appearing.

But when they do get a diaper rash, it's AWFUL.

Ellie had a horrible diaper rash last week that we just couldn't seem to help her kick. Three days of diarrhea ended up turning her little rumpus into raw meat even though we changed her constantly. Diaper creams really weren't helping, and baking soda baths did little good. I'd pat her rump dry before putting on the diaper cream, but it didn't seem to make any difference. I was even waking her up periodically through the nights to make sure that she wasn't sleeping in a wet diaper.

After a few days, I called a good nurse friend and then our pediatrician's office to see if there was anything else we could do. Other than keeping her hydrated, there really isn't anything to help diarrhea until a child has had it for 10-14 days. Diaper rashes have to become infected before something can be done about them. Not what I wanted to hear.

Nothing makes a mommy's heart hurt worse than seeing her child in pain. Poor thing was even struggling to sit down because it hurt so much.

Diaper Rash Desperation

But there was one suggestion that the nurses made that honestly didn't make much sense to me. Use a hair dryer on a low/cool setting to dry her bottom before applying the diaper cream. I was already patting it dry with a paper towel, so I didn't really understand how using a hair dryer would be any different.

Seeing as how I had tried everything else though, I figured it couldn't hurt.

I shouldn't have doubted them! Within two diaper changes, her rash was looking a million times better and the pain had significantly subsided. Within 24 hours, it was almost gone.

A hair dryer? Really?

Really.

One more Mommy tip in my arsenal. :)

Do you have any diaper rash tips that work for your kids?