Five things that are saving my life right now

I haven't blogged much lately. Things have been a little, um, different around our house since we added our third family member. And since I went back to work in January and started taking the little guy to day care, things have been downright hectic -- in large part due to the fact that C.J. has contracted 3-4 cold viruses, bronchitis, stomach flu, and a couple of ear infections in that timeframe, most of which he has also been kind enough to share with his mother and father. Things are supposed to settle down with a 4-month-old baby, but for us that's the time when things heated up and got crazy. Now he's almost six months old and I'm wondering if I could get those two months back.

Being a working mom of a new-ish baby has revealed some things to me that have definitely made my life easier. I'll share them with you here in the event they may be helpful to you as well.

1. The Nap Nanny Chill
When I first ordered this item, I was kind of kicking myself in the face for spending 130 bucks on a piece of contoured styrofoam. But it has been WORTH. EVERY. PENNY. Especially through CJ's colds, congestion, and illness. It's a comfy way for him to sleep upright when he's congested (also good for babies with reflux). I use it as a recliner for him to sit in while hanging out with the family, and it's a great place for bottle feedings when the little guy's a little fidgety. These are awesome, though I won't be buying any as baby gifts since they take up quite a bit of space. I'll leave it to new parents to decide if they need one of these (they do).

2. Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store
I used to wonder why they sold these. Duh. They are awesome. When you don't have a lot of time to took, shredding one of these up and adding to a vegetarian dish (Wednesday night I added some to spicy baked macaroni with tomatoes and spinach), salad, or soup is a super easy way to complete a meal with some protein. Have I mentioned my husband loves meat?

3. Mucinex
I have always hated their gross "talking blobs of mucus" television commercials, but this stuff really works. It will knock out your cold, but not you.

4. OneKingsLane.com (home furnishings), JackThreads.com (men's furnishings) and BabySteals.com (baby gear)
These are three of the best websites I have found to get awesome deals on stuff. I actually shouldn't be telling you about these, should I?

5. Walgreens
I am so happy there is a Walgreens within a stone's throw of my house. I am there at least once a week, and not just to pick up CJ's and my many antibiotic prescriptions. This is the BEST store at which to save money on all kinds of things. If you take the time (and yes, it takes a little bit of time) to clip national coupons, scan the weekly Walgreens ad, cross-reference manufacturers' coupons with Walgreens specials, and (bonus!) clip Walgreens coupons, which can often be combined with manufacturers' coupons, you can often save about half off your bill -- especially if you're willing to buy multiples of the same items (Walgreens loves a BOGO deal) and stock up. Seriously. A couple of weeks ago I shopped in there and felt like I was on the show "Extreme Couponing." The people behind me in line asked how much I saved and cheered when I announced it was 62%. Yes, I am a huge baller for getting free M&Ms, deodorant, and grape juice.