Couponing to Disney

You were there when we announced the Baby Bee was on the way. You were there when we revealed it would be a another Princess joining our ranks. You’ve read along as I debated doing Disney pregnant, prepped for a pregnancy friendly Disney trip, and eventually braved the happiest place on earth while riding (and snacking!) for two. You’ve stuck with me through the good grocery trips (I’m pregnant and I’m eating whatever I want!) and the not so good ones (I’m pregnant and all food is the enemy!). We’ve taken this journey together, you and I, Internet friends. With that in mind…

It is with greatest pride and deepest pleasure that the B Family introduces you to…

Our Teacup.

She’s here! Our littlest princess (with the mightiest lungs) joined us on November 19th. I felt like the birth was a lot like going to Disney World, actually. You spend a year saving money and anticipating this trip, you get there, it’s magical beyond your imagining, passes in a blur, and the next thing you know you’re in your mini-van headed home, thinking, “I could have stayed like, four more days.” Though, the food at the Maya Grill was a whole lot better than the food at my hospital.

Before I share approximately 2 million more photos of the Teacup, I would be remiss if I did not mention the unsung hero of hospital stays: the free stuff. Y’all know how I feel about scoring those baby freebies. Now, I know it’s not free free, since we end up paying thousands of dollars to have this baby, but all the more reason to take advantage of the stuff the hospital offers you and offers to send home with you.

I mentioned to our night nurse that I was going to be pumping when we got home. At my next vitals check, she had a Pumping Accessories kit with all the bells and whistles needed for a successful pump, as well as spare parts, milk storage, and bottles. Because I am a SavEar, you know I looked up the value of that kit. $27.99! And I got it for free, all for having a baby.

In fact, it seemed like every time I saw Melissa, the best nurse ever, she had some treat for me. Here is a box of disposable pads for breastfeeding! Here is some Johnson & Johnson baby wash! Here is a bib! Seriously y’all. They gave us a bib. We had so much swag that when we were packing up to leave, all of our stuff did not fit in our luggage. Melissa, considerate nurse extraordinaire, packed up all of our hospital gear in a plastic garment bag. And I’m not convinced she didn’t sneak some extra diapers and wipes in there. Melissa, what did we do to deserve you?

Seriously, let me take a minute to shout out to the nurses. Your job is hard and you are all amazing. You deserve all the thank yous and all the Mickey Bars.

As excited as I was to see all the free stuff, it was nothing at all compared to the greatest gift we got to bring home.

If you’ve been reading along with me this past year, thank you for sharing in our journey. Thank you for the well wishes and the positive thoughts and the prayers you have sent our way. I’ve often talked about “savings tunnel vision”-when you get so focused on the act of saving that you forget the reason why you are saving. It’s with deep joy and gratitude that I head back into blogging our savings journey with a sometimes cranky, often hungry, always gorgeous reminder of why we do what we do.

From the B Family to yours, thank you for welcoming our newest member.

Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!