Well, it is officially the day after Christmas and UltimateMama has heard one too many stories involving the burden of unwanted kids presents.  UltimateMama has a few tips for any of you who are overwhelmed with numerous unwanted or duplicate gifts:

– Gift receipts are meant to be used. If the gift-giver was kind enough to include a gift receipt that means that they completely accept the gift may be returned.  Do not feel terrible about putting that gift receipt to good use and exchanging the unwanted gift for something your child will love.

– Re-gifting.  Although this sounds tacky, it is better to re-gift than to leave the unwanted gift sitting on a shelf for years only to become useless, dusty and outdated.

– Donations.  Donating brand new toys or clothing is a wonderful way to teach your child to be a giving individual.  Contact your local hospital, religious organization, family shelter, or school and ask what organizations accept toy donations. Encourage your child to go with you to experience the process of donating to those in need.

– On-reserve.  UltimateMama has placed plenty of presents "on reserve" or in her closet until her children get older.  Whether the pants were too small or the puzzle pieces too tiny, UltimateMama believes that sometimes it is best to "re-gift" or pull out these previously given presents to the children when they are old enough for them.  This works well for duplicate gifts as you can give a younger sibling a brand new doll or truck that was originally meant for an older sibling.

Prepare and organize…these are two words that UltimateMama lives by all year long!  UltimateMama offers a few tips on shopping in advance: 

1. Write down what your children, family members or friends express a need for all year long.  Keep a running list of "potential" gifts for birthdays, special occasions, or holidays. When you see an item on sale go ahead and buy it and save it for the right celebration!

2. Do NOT shop for yourself when shopping for others.  This will save you lots of money and prevent you from unnecessary purchases.

3. Shop brick and mortar but compare prices online.  Many times, your local store has an item that you can find cheaper online (even with shipping costs). 

4. Always clip coupons…and take them shopping with you. Do NOT leave coupons at home!  Create an envelope filled with coupons that you keep in your purse, bag, stroller, or car.  Sometimes, UltimateMama has extra coupons that she gives to people waiting in line with her – a nice and appreciated gesture.

5. Create a secret hiding spot or "toy bin" for presents that you buy throughout the year.  When an occasion calls for a gift, hit the secret stash not the stores!

6. Sign up for loyalty cards in order to receive valuable coupons and offers all year long.

7.  Monitor www.retailmenot.com for offers, discounts, coupons, free shipping, etc. 

UltimateMama was born in the 1970s and is not embarrassed to admit her love of Shrinky Dinks.  She was thrilled when her oldest daughter (preschool-aged) received Shrinky Dinks "Good Time Jewelry" by Alex Toys!

What a great gift under $10 that parent and child can enjoy together!

UltimateMama recommends that you put tape on the ends of the necklace when you are ready to string the shrinky dinks in order to save some time and maximize efficiency (Note – take the tape off when all the shrinky dinks are properly placed on the necklace and just tie the ends together)!

UltimateMama knows that with the holiday season comes lots of gifts — some loved and many hated.  The most important thing as a parent is that your child's presents are safe. 

UltimateMama wants to share with you a terrific website on safety and product recalls that is a MUST READ for all parents and childcare providers.  This website is essential for soon-to-be parents who are organizing a nursery for their future child.  Before you go on a shopping spree please take a look at this wonderful website that is put together by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission – http://www.cpsc.gov.  The website even details a "most wanted" list of products to avoid – including:

– Playskool Tool Benches

– MagnaMan Figures

– Delta Cribs (Spring Peg)

– Simplicity Cribs

– Kolcraft Play Yards

– MEGA Brands Magnetic Toys

UltimateMama has a little secret for you. The beautiful, needlepoint holiday stockings that she has for all four of her family members were purchased post-Christmas at a steep discount…and personalization was free!  This year, sales are popping up even pre-Christmas!

Watch websites such as Lands End for great sales!  UltimateMama just noticed holiday stockings reduced to $10.99 from $22.50 with free monogramming for up to ten letters!

Take it from UltimateMama, compensation is never a pleasant topic to discuss but if
your nanny or babysitter interview is going well you will want to address it upfront.  You should have an idea of what you are
willing to pay the nanny for their services before you enter these discussions
with them.  Wages vary greatly across
geographic regions so there is no rule of thumb regarding compensation.  If you are unsure what is appropriate pay for
your nanny it is a good idea to ask your close neighbors or family members what
they pay their nanny. 

You should consider the following when thinking about nanny
compensation:

– how many children you have (volume discounts usually do
not apply to nanny care)?

– how many hours the nanny will work per day/week?

– is there a certain hourly, daily, or weekly rate you want
to set?

– will the nanny work “non-traditional” hours?

– will the nanny be paid daily, weekly, bi-monthly?

– will you pay for “overtime” (additional hours from the
agreed upon level)?

– will you provide the nanny with certain snacks or meals?

– will you also pay for the nanny’s transportation to and
from your home?

– will you pay for late-night or off-hours transportation
for your nanny to get to their home?

– will you give the nanny a “raise” for good performance?

– will you give the nanny a yearly “bonus” for good
performance?

Would you ask your Dentist for a discount on a filling?  Of course not.  So, do not try to be “cheap” when it comes to
paying your nanny.  Make sure you are
paying the nanny a fair rate that you can afford. 

Giving your nanny the afternoon off (with pay) or coming
home early and allowing her to leave your home a little early are examples of
little ways you can reward your nanny for her childcare efforts and create
goodwill.  Additionally, by giving her a
few surprise breaks she may be more flexible when you need her to stay later
one evening or work a few additional hours on the weekend. 

If your nanny is doing a great job with your child you
may also want to supplement other rewards as tokens of your appreciation!

UltimateMama knows that whether you work the late shift, travel frequently, or
desire an evening alone with your partner away from home then you may need
overnight childcare services.  If you
believe that overnight childcare assistance will be necessary then ask the
nanny candidate upfront if she is comfortable staying in your home alone with
your child overnight.  If she agrees to
stay overnight then make sure you discuss her expected compensation ahead of time. 

You may want to consider the following:

– Was her overnight work in addition to the regular
childcare hours she works for you? 

– Did you adjust her regular childcare hours for her
overnight work?

– Will you provide additional meals for her such as dinner,
breakfast, and various snacks?

– Is she familiar with your child’s nighttime routine? If
she is not then give her a schedule and any additional information she may
need. Take into consideration bathing, additional feedings, bedtime stories,
etc.

– Is she comfortable in your home?  Remember, your big city-living nanny may not
be comfortable sleeping in your home which is in the middle of the woods and
lacks curtains. 

UltimateMama believes that whether your job needs you to stay late or you just want to
have a nice date night with your partner, then you may need a nanny that will
give you additional hours.  If you
require your nanny to work extra hours then compensate her accordingly. 

For example, you may want to consider:

– giving her money for dinner or having dinner available for
her

– paying for her cab fare home or providing her transportation
home

– paying her extra money for the special favor

Many nannies appreciate the extra income that is associated
with additional hours.  One mother was
thrilled when her nanny asked for additional hours around the winter holidays
so she could have more money for holiday shopping. The mother was able to
attend holiday parties while the nanny was happy to put in extra hours.  It was a win-win situation!

Just make sure you are not overworking your nanny because
you do not want her to be burned out from taking care of your children! 

UltimateMama realizes that many parents do not work 9 AM until 5 PM.  While some parents need a few more hours on
the earlier and later side, others need a whole different schedule
altogether.  Be upfront with the hours
you expect your nanny to work on a weekly basis.  Do not be afraid of scaring them or driving
them away.  You need to establish an
honest dialog from the start or else you may be disappointed when you find
out that the nanny cannot alter her schedule to fit yours. 

You may be surprised to discover that you will find certain
nannies are quite happy to work non-traditional hours because they can spend
their “off-work” hours with their own families, furthering their education, or
working in another capacity. 

If you expect your nanny to work non-traditional hours you
should think about the following:

– do the non-traditional hours impact her ability to commute
to your home? (bus schedules, train schedules)

– how many hours total do you need the nanny each week?  will you need her to work “overtime”? (if
YES, then perhaps adjust her pay accordingly)

– what is your back-up plan if the nanny gets sick or cannot
come to work for some reason? 

– are you expecting her to sleep over in your home?  (if so, then you must provide her proper
accommodations)

– will your hours “rotate” day to day, week to week, or
month to month?  (detail your schedule
upfront)

– will you let her watch your child (children) out of her
home? 

– do you expect your nanny to be “on-call” to your needs and
completely flexible with your schedule?  (if
this is the case, make sure you hire a nanny that is extremely mature and
dependable)

UltimateMama knows that every community is very
different and there is no one source to turn to in the nanny or babysitter search.  Moreover, you will most likely have to
conduct your thorough search via several sources which may include: 

– word of mouth (friends/relatives)

– referrals from other parents or other nannies

– religious organizations or religious leaders (newsletters,
weeklies)

– college bulletin boards/college newspapers/college web
classifieds

– local schools

– physician’s offices

– birthing centers

– nurses and receptionists

– health care workers

– prenatal exercise studios

– agencies (be prepared to pay appropriate fees)

– community centers

– local newspapers or publications (hard copy or online)

– local women’s clubs with message boards or networking

– playgrounds or parks