The New Parents Guide Blog

What are your Black Friday plans? Will you line up outside your favorite big-box superstore or sit at home and shop in your robe and slippers?  No matter how you choose to shop on Black Friday, we’ve got the best deals and insider tips to help you save the most this year. 

Check out the deals:

$7 off online orders over $70 at Target.com

$10 off orders over $150 at TickCo

15% off your order at Greatskin.com

Lane Bryant: 10% off online orders over $100

Bonus $25 gift card when you spend $100 on gift cards at The Container Store

Of course, this is just a small sample of the deals available! The list is always growing at our Black Friday Sale page!

And take note of the tips. We’ve got tons of tips!

Black Friday Going Online

Black Friday 2009 Sales Predictions

Black Friday Apparel Sales Predictions

Black Friday Doorbusters May Disappoint

Black Friday Promotions Target Frugal Shoppers

Department Stores Hope for Black Friday Rebound

Best Black Friday Deals: Let the Battles Begin

Black Friday Toy Sales Aim Low, Target Frugal Consumers

Black Friday: Mass Merchants Get an Early Start

Black Friday Could be Big for Blu-Ray

Is Black Friday More Productive Online?

Do We Really Buy or Just Browse on Black Friday?

Death and Destruction? Black Friday Safety

What to Buy on Black Friday

Black Friday: Takedowns, Doorbusters and Loss Leaders

The Top Black Friday Retailers

Greening Black Friday

The Brilliant Birth of Black Friday Shopping

Black Friday Ads: Best Buy

Black Friday Ads: KMart

Black Friday Ads: Toys R Us

Black Friday Ads: Wal*Mart

For all the news on the very best Black Friday Coupons, stop by our Black Friday Sale page. And sign up at www.twitter.com/ultimatecoupons for the very latest deals!

It’s time to put the final touches on the travel plans for Thanksgiving!

I’ll be packing up my own kids for a 3-hour (each way) trip to my sister’s for the big turkey dinner. The teenagers won’t be happy that we’ll have to leave the house before 10 AM in order to get the appetizers we’re bringing to my sister’s house in time for them to be enjoyed before dinner. But with iPods and a DVD player in the van, it’s easier traveling with them now than when they were infants and toddlers.

Traveling with kids can definitely be tricky. I know some people who make it work by waking up in the wee hours of the morning, driving all night and getting to their destination for breakfast. If I did that, I’d be sleeping before the turkey dinner.

We’ve got a fabulous “weekend packing checklist” that you shouldn’t travel without. After you’ve finished packing, tuck that list into your diaper bag so you don’t forget anything on the way home (that’s my experience talking, friends.)

Here’s a roundup of some great articles on the subject of traveling with children from FamilyCorner.com.

Travel Tips for Families on the Go

Travel Health & Safety

Taking a Road Trip with Your Baby

Stress-Free Travel with Kids part I and part II

Hotel Stays with Small Children

Car Trips with Kids

Travel Tips

My best advice in terms of traveling with kids: find what works for your family, stick with it, and don’t apologize for it.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

15% off your order at The Children’s Place
During checkout, enter promotion code HHHA9.
Valid through: December 6, 2009
See other Children’s Place coupons!

Free Shipping on orders of $200 or more at littletikes.com
Use discount code GIVE1109 in your shopping cart.
Valid through: November 24, 2009, 11:59pm PT
See other Little Tikes coupon codes!

My mom is the Queen of Nightlights. She has them everywhere: on the stairs, in the bathroom, in the bedrooms. When the lights go off at her house, the nightlights go on.

By contrast, I have no nightlights here at all. There just isn’t a good place to plug one in–once the kids switched from crib to bed, wall space was at a premium and the outlets were often obscured behind the beds. When my daughter was younger, she used to have one of those battery-operated “push lights” and that seemed to be enough for her. To light up our hallway at night, we have a regular 40-watt bulb in the fixture. That’s brighter than I’d like it, believe me!

Since I have no electrical outlets in my hallway, I thought I was out of luck when it came to night lights. But then I heard about the Smart Light by Leaps and Bounds. This light takes 4 AA batteries–no outlets required. It’s motion-activated, turning on when someone walks down the hall. So the light’s not on all the time, keeping people awake; it’s just on when you need to make sure nobody falls down the stairs. And you can place the light right where you need it! I’m thinking that this might work well for the basement corner where I keep tools–there’s no light in there, and I always have to move the toolbox so I can find the right screwdriver for the job.

This is one child-safety item that is useful in any household, whether there are children or not.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

Free shipping on orders of $89 or more at DisneyShopping.com
Enter promotion code SHIP89 in your shopping bag and click “Submit”.
Valid through: December 17, 2009, 11:59pm PT
Valid for Standard Delivery to a single address within the continental US. Certain products are excluded, as noted on specific Product Pages. Qualifying purchase based on pre-tax, post-discount amount and excludes Shipping & Handling charges, gift cards, gift wrap and gift boxes. Additional handling applies for oversized items. If any single order is sent to more than one address, Shipping & Handling charges will be applied to each shipment address. Offer valid only on orders placed online at DisneyShopping.com, DisneyStore.com, and DisneyOutlet.com. Not valid on phone orders or purchases from Disney Store outlet or retail locations.
See other Disney Store coupons!

$10 off orders of $75 or more at RedEnvelope.com
Enter promotion code SAVETEN in your shopping cart.
Valid through: November 30, 2009
Valid online only. Available on discounted items. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Cannot be applied to gift certificates, gifts by the month or corporate orders. Cannot be applied to previous or pending purchases.
See other RedEnvelope coupon codes!

When your little one is finally out of the crib and ready for a toddler bed or even a regular “big” bed, you’ve got to be concerned with whether he’ll be able to sleep through the night without winding up on the floor.

I know that all my kids managed to use ALL of the bed when they were sleeping. There was no “keep your head at the top and feet pointing to the bottom, with your head on the pillow, and stay under the covers” going on. They were all over the place. They’d wake up sideways or even upside-down. They’d drag all the covers off the bed with them or roll up inside them like a burrito.

The best answer to that was a bed rail. Everyone slept a little easier once we put one of those on the bed and positioned the other side of the bed against the wall. Bed rails are inexpensive, portable, and easy to store away when you’re confident that your child has finally gotten the hang of staying in bed once he’s asleep for the night.

If only there were such an easy way of getting kids to stay in bed before they fall asleep…

BASKET OF BARGAINS

TODAY ONLY!
10% off orders of $100 or more at Boscovs.com
Valid through: November 18, 2009
Does not apply to giftcards, electronics & major appliances.
See other Boscov’s coupons!

Free shipping on orders of $75 or more at Constructive Playthings
Use coupon/promo code 2744 during checkout.
Valid through: November 27, 2009
See other Constructive Playthings coupon codes!

I never did get the hang of carrying my babies around in a baby sling. That may be because I’m short and I just didn’t feel like the baby had any room. But I know plenty of moms and dads who are thrilled with the way baby slings and other baby carriers work.

I did use a hip carrier, especially for my boys, when the babies got older. My daughter never much liked it, and she was a fussy little one, so I gave up on it pretty quick with her. But it worked well with the boys. I actually bought the hip carrier out of necessity; my son was getting bigger and my back just couldn’t take carrying him around all the time. My doctor said I needed to find something that would help me carry him until he learned how to walk.

The baby carrier was great when we were on vacation, because it let me keep my hands free (or at least one hand free) while not worrying about having a stroller. We took our children to visit Crystal Cave in Pennsylvania when our youngest child was about 5 months old. Caves are not stroller-friendly places! So I popped him into the hip carrier; he was safe and secure and easy to carry around as we walked through the cave. We went to Hershey Park on the same trip, and again, that carrier came in very handy. While my husband took the older kids on rides, I could carry the baby around so he wouldn’t spend the whole time in the stroller.

Our Baby Carrier buying guide has sections for the soft carriers (including slings) and backpack carriers. Investigate your options!

BASKET OF BARGAINS

Buy 1 Carter’s Clothing item and get one 50% off at BabiesRUs.com
Discount will appear in your shopping cart.
Valid through: November 25, 2009, 11:59pm ET
While supples last. Offer may be modified or terminated at any time without notice. Maximum 1 discount per order.
See other Babies “R” Us coupons!

$5 off any order at The Popcorn Factory
Use coupon code SNOW5.
Valid through: December 31, 2009
Cannot be combined with any other offer.
See other Popcorn Factory coupon codes!

The Silicon Valley Blogger generously shares some advice on developing a financial plan! That’s useful information for parents regardless of the age of their kids. Check out SVB’s Blog at The Didgerati Life.

Effective Steps To Develop Your Financial Plan

When tackling your finances, do you work with a plan or do you just play it by ear? I’ve discovered that most people who have their finances in order are folks who place priority on managing their money and on creating a plan that they adhere to over time. I’ve always wanted to make my money work for me (and not the other way around), and this I worked to achieve by developing a simple financial plan and by sticking to its guidelines. Following are some basic ideas I address in my own financial plan. The steps below follow a natural progression.

1. Set financial goals.
We’ve got lots of reasons why we save, but we can formalize this by formulating our financial goals. When we do so, we are able to focus our energies on what it is that we’d like accomplish. For instance, when I know that I’ve got something to aim for, it inspires me to work harder to get there. Just think of the things you want to save for and start there (e.g. are you saving for a trip, for a new house, for college or your retirement?). You’ll want to take note of your short, medium and long term goals, which will be the basis for your plan and savings strategies.

2. Manage your debt well.
There are many things you can do to make sure your debt load is under control. Your debt to income ratio and your credit score are things you should be aware of. Check out AnnualCreditReport.com and myFICO products to keep abreast of your credit rating. If you carry credit cards, make sure you shop for those with the best rates — 0% APR credit cards offer 0% interest rates for purchases for a limited time period. Or you may consider moving your balance from high interest rate cards to 0% balance transfer credit cards if you know you have the discipline to pay it off before any promotional rates expire. With the right tools and strategies, you can lower your debt payments so that you’re able to pay off your debt much faster.

3. Watch your spending.
Budgeting is one way to keep an eye on your spending patterns, and I believe that a successful budget — one that you’re able to stick to — is essential for a solid financial plan. You can create and manage your budget by using a free budgeting tool like Mint.com or Wesabe.com. Or you can purchase a desktop product like Quicken or You Need A Budget. Using a budget enables you to keep track of your spending and saving activities, and gives you visibility into your finances.

4. Build an emergency fund.
Once you’ve taken care of your debt, you should direct any money you’ve freed up towards building an emergency fund. The rule of thumb is to create a fund that’s equivalent to at least 6 months’ worth of expenses. I’d put the funds in a highly liquid account that’s easy to access while earning a return. High interest savings accounts or free high yield checking accounts are great places to stash your short term savings.

5. Invest in the stock market.
Finally, after you’ve addressed your immediate financial goals such as eliminating your debt and establishing an emergency fund, you’re ready to focus on your longer term savings and investments. Check out an online stock broker or mutual fund company for resources, tools and investment products to add to your diversified portfolio. Use index funds for your core accounts as they are tax efficient, low cost and automatically diversified.

Are you planning every last detail of your baby’s nursery?

Make it easy on yourself. Keep it simple.

There’s no reason that simple can’t be cute. Simple is also much more versatile! When my kids were babies, I tried to do as much as possible in solid colors (bumper pads, crib sheets, blankets) and kept the pattern for things like the comforter. This mix-and-match approach allowed me to save the basic pieces and pass them along to the next child. It also allowed me to easily change out sheets and other pieces when there was a sudden diaper blowout or spit-up emergency.

I also find that simple is more peaceful for the baby. You want the baby to sleep in the nursery. You don’t want to overstimulate your little one with tons of colors and patterns. Save that for the playroom! Your nursery should be a calming environment so that the baby will be soothed into deep, peaceful sleep.

Believe me, your baby won’t notice if every last detail in the nursery doesn’t fit a theme. Your baby only wants to be warm, dry, well-fed and comfortable. Keep your nursery soft, simple and soothing.

We have a great Crib Collection Guide that has everything from sheets to bumpers to diaper stackers in just about any pattern or theme imaginable. Check it out!

BASKET OF BARGAINS

$10 off orders of $75 or more at TysToyBox.com
Enter special offer code Take10 during checkout.
Valid through: November 18, 2009
Only one coupon per purchase.
See other Ty’s Toy Box coupons!

$15 off an Exclusive Animal Alley Stuffed Bear or Dog with orders of $50 or more at Toys R Us
Now only $5!
Add the stuffed animal of your choice to your order. Discount will appear in your shopping cart.
Valid through: November 26
Maximum of 1 discount per order. Store exclusions apply. While supplies last.
See other Toys “R” Us coupon codes!

If this is your first holiday season with a baby in the house, you might be feeling more than a little overwhelmed by how you’re going to manage everything. So I thought that some encouragement might be in order. Here’s a few reasons that handling the holidays will never be so easy again.

–Children who are too young to crawl, let alone walk, are too young to snoop for gifts! They’re also too young to plunder (or tip over) the Christmas tree.

–Baby in the swing, presents in the playpen. Keep them safe from little fingers.

–You can do your holiday shopping with Baby in tow. He’ll never realize the stuff is for him, and he’ll never blab your secret gifts to anyone else.

–Babies have natural immunity to the lure of the most-advertised (and least-available) toys advertised every three minutes on every kids’ TV station.

–Babies also have no expectations. They won’t have a wish-list a mile long. They’re happy to play with the box and eat the wrapping paper.

Remember, babies are a built-in excuse for not making it a Martha-Stewart-perfect holiday. Work it!

Enjoy your weekend, and don’t forget to stop back Monday for a whole new Basket of Bargains!

Legos are the reason I haven’t walked around my house barefoot for the past 15 years.

But there’s nothing like Legos to stimulate a kid’s imagination.  (They’re fun for grownups, too!)  You can build just about anything with Legos, from a house to a pirate ship to a Star Wars vessel.  And then you can take it apart and build something else.  The possibilities are just about endless. 

If you’re planning a visit to California, don’t miss the Legoland theme park.  Located midway between Anaheim and San Diego, Legoland has 128 acres of family fun.

The park is geared to families with children between the ages of 2 and 12.   Your admission ticket gets you access to over 50 rides and attractions; there are a few specialty rides and attractions with additional fees.   You can even purchase a membership if you want to visit the park frequently.

Legoland’s website is extremely comprehensive, so it’s easy to find out everything you need to know to plan a fun day (or two) at the park.  And our Californial Travel Guide will help you plan your trip.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

Free Electronic Sounds Gas Pumper when you buy a select Ride On at littletikes.com
Free item will appear in your shopping cart.
Valid through: November 16, 2009, 11:59pm PT
Pricing and availability subject to change. Please check website for final prices and availability.
See other Little Tikes coupons!

15-50% off select Baby Clothes, Bedding, and Furniture at JCPenney.com
Discounts will appear on item pages.
Valid through: November 20, 2009
See other JCPenney coupon codes!

Earlier this week, a baby-stroller manufacturer voluntarily recalled over one million strollers sold in the USA in the past ten years.

That’s a lot of strollers.   Nine different models are affected, and the manufacturer is providing free repair kits to owners of these strollers.

Hearing about recalls, especially when they involve products used by our children, can be scary to parents.  So it’s important to do a little legwork ahead of time to make sure that you’ll know if something your child uses has been recalled.

Those product-registration cards? They’re not invitations for spam and telemarketing phone calls.  They’re ways for manufacturers to track who owns what product.  In the event of a recall, the manufacturer can contact you.  So take the two minutes to fill in and mail out those little cards–or visit the product website to register online.

Before you shop (or make out a wish list) you can check several useful resources to find out what’s been recalled lately:

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission tracks recalls and even allows you to report unsafe/defective products.
• The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration lists information on recalled car seats and booster seats.  Visit that site before you hit the road!
• Consumer Reports also has information on car-seat recalls as well as recalls of other baby products.

What should you do if you find that you own an item that has been recalled?  First of all, stop using it. Second, do your homework.  Find out whether you should return the item to the store, directly to the manufacturer, or simply contact the manufacturer for a repair kit.  Third, make arrangements for how you will temporarily replace the item until the recall is complete.  Finally, don’t panic.  Recalls are there to protect the consumer.  Be grateful that you (and your child) were not injured by a defective product, and quickly go about getting yours fixed or replaced.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

33% off Photo Prints at Walgreens.com
Use coupon code PRINT33 at checkout in the Photo Center.
Valid through: November 14, 2009, 11:59pm CT
Excludes collage prints, posters, shipping, or taxes. Online only. You must be logged in to use this code. Valid for up to five uses per account.
See other Walgreens coupons!

20% off your order at Bloomingdales.com
Use promo code HOLIDAY in your Brown Bag.
Valid through: November 15, 2009
Offer excludes Women’s Apparel from Chanel, Marc Jacobs, The North Face®, UGG® Australia, Ralph Lauren Pink Pony, and All Saints, Men’s Apparel from Ralph Lauren Black Label, PS Paul Smith, The North Face®, UGG® Australia, and Turnbull & Asser, Kids’ apparel from The North Face® And UGG® Australia, Fendi Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Chanel Handbags, Soft Leather Goods & Sunglasses, Jimmy Choo Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Louis Vuitton Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, Dior Handbags and Soft Leather Goods, UGG® Australia, The North Face®, Chanel Shoes, Jimmy Choo Shoes, David Yurman, Cosmetics, Fragrances, Gift Cards, Martine’s Chocolates, Shop at Home Services, Rug Cleaning Services, Interior Design Special Orders and Fur Services.
See other Bloomingdale’s coupon codes!