Check-out: This is a game changer. This Wegmans location boasts a whopping 27 check out lines including self-check out. They believe there should never be a line and that’s what you can expect. Whenever there is more than 1 person waiting in line, they open another register. This is a huge time saver, especially when you’re with the kids.

Mobile App: This is the coolest. This iPhone and Android friendly app has so many awesome features! You create an account which will link to your Wegmans Shoppers Card (Click here to register) and you can see all of your previous purchases. You can create your shopping list based on previous purchases, scanning barcodes on the products already in your pantry, or using the search feature. Once you finalize your shopping list, it automatically organizes it by department and gives you an estimated total. They also have tons of recipes that can be categorized by special preferences such as gluten-free, organic, ect.  I highly recommend downloading it and exploring for yourself.

In-Store Dining: Wegmans offers two variations of in-store dining. They have an entire section dedicated to self-serve options. You can pick and choose what you’d like and you pay by the pound. There is plenty of seating inside as well as an outdoor patio. There is also an in-store family friendly restaurant they call “The Pub”. This is a more traditional dining experience.

Coffee Shop: You can skip your starbucks stop before hitting the grocery store! Wegmans offers a coffee shop with specialty drinks, cold brew coffee (I tried it, it’s delicious) Nitro brew, breakfast sandwiches, baked goods and more!

Family Size Discounts: Wegmans offers huge discounts on their family size options on everything from meats and dairy to canned foods and snacks. All of their family sizes give you a discount percent so you know exactly how much you are saving by opting for a larger quantity. (Side note: Their “family size” options are totally manageable so you don’t have to figure out where to store 30 cans of green beans in order to enjoy the discount!)

Pre-made Meals: This might not be something you use on a regular basis, but all have those days. This is a great, healthy option for those hectic days when there is no time to cook and you don’t want to go the fast food route. They have family size main dishes and sides, or individual meals if it’s just you. There are, what feels like, unlimited options, so it’s easy to find something everyone will love.

Organic and Gluten Free Selection: If your family eats organic or gluten-free, you know it’s not always easy to find what you’re looking for. Wegmans has a massive selection of organic and gluten free options in all of their departments. In addition to meats, produce and dairy products, they also have a large section in the center of the store dedicated to natural products where you can find a variety of pantry items to fit your dietary needs.

Kid Friendly: From the life-size coo-coo clock at the entry to the giant train in the back, Wegmans feels like it was designed with kids in mind! They offer kids tables and chairs with a tv and toys in the dining area, family restrooms, and an interactive bakery where kids can watch the sweet treats being made. They also have kids events throughout the year. (Make sure to check out our calendar… we’ll be keeping you up to date on these events!)

We’re so excited to have this exciting new shopping experience in RVA! Make sure to stop by and see it for yourself! The store is located at 12501 Stone Village Way and opens this Sunday at 7:00 am.

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Here is the official press release regarding this service:

Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery Expands to 11 New Metro Areas

Prime members in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fresno, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Stockton, and Tucson can now enjoy unlimited Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery

Over a million items available in more than 1,000 cities and towns nationwide

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 6, 2016–(NASDAQ:AMZN) — Amazon today announced the expansion of Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery to even more metro areas including Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fresno, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Stockton, and Tucson, plus new areas in Central New Jersey, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Prime members can place an order in the morning and receive all Same-Day orders over $35 before bedtime that very same day, seven days a week – even Sunday. With these newly added areas, Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery now serves 27 metro areas in the US, accounting for more than 1,000 cities and towns.

“Prime was developed to make shopping on Amazon fast and convenient, and millions of members have used Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery to make their lives even easier,” said Greg Greeley, Vice President of Prime. “We keep making Prime better, and as our operational capabilities grow, we will continue to invent and expand delivery options that customers love.”

Prime members shopping on Amazon.com can choose from more than a million eligible items for Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery including popular electronics, toys and games, home repair tools, outdoor gear, vacation must-haves and much more. Orders placed in the morning arrive by 9pm the very same day, orders placed in the afternoon or evening arrive the next day.

With Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery, millions of members can shop many of the most popular essentials for Spring and Summer. Some fun facts include:

• Members have ordered enough camping chairs to seat 77 baseball teams around a campfire and enough beach towels to line Santa Monica beach twice, since the program launched.
• Spring break Same-Day Delivery must-haves include SunBum SPF, Ray-ban Sunglasses, Wilson Outdoor Volleyball, and Kindle Paperwhite, to name a few.
• Top selling spring-cleaning essentials include painter’s tape, handheld vacuums, and frame hanging strips.
• Among the most popular items ordered with Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery so far this Spring are the Fire 7” and Fitbit Activity Wristband.

Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery is now available in 27 metro areas, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas-Ft Worth, Fresno, Indianapolis, the greater Los Angeles area, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, greater New York City including North and Central New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay area including Oakland and San Jose, Seattle-Tacoma, Stockton, the Tampa Bay area, Tucson and Washington, D.C. Find eligible zip codes and start shopping atwww.amazon.com/sameday or join Amazon Prime at www.amazon.com/prime.

Fast and Free Comes with Choices

Amazon Prime comes with multiple options for unlimited, fast free shipping. Members can use any of these options in eligible areas including:

• Prime FREE Same-Day: Members in 27 metro areas, which include more than 1,000 cities and towns, can place an order in the morning and have that order delivered before bedtime. Members can choose from a broad selection of more than a million items, seven days a week – even Sunday. Learn more about Prime FREE Same-Day at www.amazon.com/sameday.
• Prime Now: Members in more than 25 metro areas can choose from tens of thousands of everyday essentials for ultra-fast, free two-hour delivery from a dedicated mobile app. Learn more about Prime Now at www.amazon.com/primenow.
• Prime FREE Two-Day: Prime members enjoy unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 30 million items across all product categories. Two-Day Shipping spans the continental US from large cities to rural areas.

More to Prime

Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 30 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 27 metro areas, and one and two-hour delivery with Prime Now on tens of thousands of items available in more than 25 metro areas. In addition to fast, free shipping, members have access to unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs and thousands of curated playlists and stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than one million books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

The post Amazon Prime for RVA Just Got Better appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

1. Tooth Bushes and toothpaste: I like a nicer tooth brush for day to day, but the dollar store has travel toothbrush and toothpaste sets for a buck! I like to keep one in my purse and one in my travel bag. I also have a few toothbrushes on hand for cleaning purposes (they’re great for cleaning tennis shoes).
2. Deodorant: Most dollar stores have all the name brands and at a fraction of the drug store prices.
3. Shaving Cream: While you’re probably better off spending a little more on a razor, you can find several brands of shaving cream for all skin types for $1.
4. Hair Care: While some stores don’t have the widest selection of brands, you can usually save a few dollars on shampoo, conditioner and styling products.
5. Hair brushes, combs and accessories: You can get a brush, a 10 pack of combs, 100 bobby pins and 50 hair ties for a dollar or less each! You can also find really cute headbands and hair accessories for little girls for a fraction of what you would pay at a department store or even Target.
6. Toilet paper: This one is hit or miss depending on your TP preferences. If you’re a Charmin family, you’re not going to find much of a discount at the dollar store, but if you don’t mind the generic, you can get a huge pack that will last you forever that won’t break the bank!
7. Soap: Whether you’re a bar soap or a liquid soap family, you can find what you’re looking for at the dollar store and usually for half the price!
8. Trash Cans and hampers: The dollar store has really cheap basic trash cans and laundry baskets for just a few bucks!
9. Storage Containers: The dollar store has awesome storage containers for a fraction of what you would spend at The Container Store or other home goods stores. These are great for organizing makeup, hair products, or toiletries. These are also great for kids bathrooms so they can keep their things separate and organized!
10. Wash Clothes: These obviously aren’t going to be high quality, but I like to keep a few cheaper wash clothes on hand. These are great to grab to wipe up after an at-home hair color, getting off any left over make-up or cleaning up a messy toddler!

Another thing to keep in mind is that some dollar stores run coupon deals where you can save $5 on a $25 purchase. This is a great time to stock up on some of the bathroom necessities! Comment below what some of your dollar store steals are!

The post Dollar Store Steals: Bathroom Necessities appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

I love a good bargain. I got it from my mom and she got it from her mom. I have early memories of standing at the checkout counter at Macy’s with my Grandma while she argued that the pants she’d purchased were 75% off and not 50% like the receipt reflected (she was always right). Or my mom coming home from Kohls with $600 worth of clothes that she got for $7. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but the point remains that the women in my family live for the thrill of the hunt. The bargain hunt that is.

I really honed my bargain hunting skills when I was in college. I was constantly broke but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from having the apartment I’d always wanted. I didn’t have the money to shop at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware or even Target for that matter (although I watched the clearance bins like a hawk).  Being a neurotic germaphobe put good will out of the equation so that left me with the dollar store and what little creativity I had.

With a new apartment and a strict budget, I became very acquainted with the local dollar stores and 6 years later I’m still opting for these home decor dollar store steals!

1. Artificial Flowers: I don’t know if you guys know this, but fake flowers are expensive! I love the look of flowers and greenery but I’ve proven time and time again that I can’t keep anything alive (RIP to my hermit crab and 7 goldfish). Sometimes you have to do a little rummaging to find the best $1 flowers, but once you find them you’ll never know the difference! Every arrangement in the photos below were put together with dollar store flowers! All of the vases are also dollar store finds.
2. Candles: This one is a little bit of a grey area. I use candles for aesthetic and mood lighting more than scent, so dollar store candles are perfect for me. They’re a fraction of the price and come in a wide variety to colors to match your room tones. TIP: Use a candle warmer or plug ins for a scent booster if you’re used to stronger candles.
3. Mirrors: I love using small mirrors on tables, counters and desks to put candles on or enhance the appearance of decor. I have these on my nightstands, vanity, dresser and the counters in my bathroom. I even used a larger mirror as a table topper for the round table in the photo above. It can add so much to an otherwise boring piece.
4. Storage: I love using little bowls, baskets and glass jars for practical decor. These are great for office supplies, hair tools, makeup brushes, nail polish, paper straws, ect.
5. Decorative Throws: You can find the cutest printed blankets at dollar stores. They aren’t great quality but I love to use them to throw over chairs for some dimension. I paid $5 for the blanket in the photo below!
6. DIY Supplies: I love finding cheap things at the dollar store that I can re-purpose. I bought a 4 pack of white canvases and used painters tape and black spray paint to create some great wall art just by created opposing stripes and hanging the canvases side by side (okay full disclosure, by dad actually did the work). You can see part of it in the corner one of the photos below.
7. Miscellaneous: There are so many other dollar store steals that can add so much to a room. I love painting wooden letters to create monograms or just as an accent piece. Spelling out your child’s name over their bed is a great way to spice up their rooms. I love to stack note books and photo albums with fun prints as a replacement to coffee table books. TIP: Cute glass containers and decorative pieces are usually found near the candles in most dollar stores.

Here are just a few of the areas in my home I’ve used these dollar store steals to decorate!

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Have you ever gotten home from the grocery store and panicked, thinking you left some bags behind because there was absolutely no way you spent $70 on 3 bags of groceries? Same. I hate spending money. Actually, let me clarify. I hate spending money on boring things. One time in college I cried right in the middle of Target because I had to spend money on a water filter and it just felt so unfair. I’ve come a long way since then, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still feel a small twist in my gut when I have to dish out for things like light bulbs and batteries. The way I see it, the less money I spend on the boring stuff, the more I have to spend on the exciting stuff! These are a few of my favorite things to save on in the kitchen!

1) Tin Foil, Wax Paper and Parchment Paper

These are easy. You could easily spend 3-5 dollars at the grocery store. They’re 1 buck at the dollar store and work just as well as the name brands

2) Dish Towels

Kitchen towels take a major beating. Nobody is gentle on their dish towels. They get gross from cooking and after enough washes they begin to look tattered and loose their effectiveness. Some of my most expensive kitchen towels have even begun to smell (fresh out of the wash) after a while. I’ve used nice dish towels and dollar store dish towels and to be honest, i prefer the dollar store towels! The quality is great and they last longer than most of my more expensive towels. Dish towels don’t last forever (especially with kids!), so I’d rather replace a $1 towel than a $15 one. TIP: I also use the dollar store kitchen towels for getting off any extra makeup after washing my face.

3) Spices

I’ve never met someone who can taste the difference between McCormick and Dollar General Garlic Salt and I’d be willing to bet you haven’t either. Building a spice rack can get expensive very quickly so always check the local dollar store for your more common spices before heading to the grocer.

4) Tupperware

WHERE DO ALL THE LIDS GO? Where do the containers themselves go for that matter? I’m convinced that tupperware containers and their lids are part of an elaborate running joke and I’m the punch line (I think socks are in on it too). Having to throw away a lid that’s lost its container is slightly less painful when I know I paid $1 for 4 of them.

5) Plastic Baggies

I’m the first to admit there are certain things you need a good sturdy Ziplock for, like freezing food or anything involving liquids. That being said, the dollar store bags are perfectly fine for packing the kids lunch, storing game pieces and organizing the junk drawer!

6) Food

Stay with me! I was the first to knock buying food at a dollar store, but certain name brand foods are actually much cheaper than at the grocery store (be careful though, some are actually more expensive). Some things that are usually cheaper at the dollar store include: canned foods, certain snacks, breakfast items, coffee, juice, and baking supplies.

Comment below with your favorite dollar store steals!

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Just in time for the holidays, Amazon has launched its Amazon Now service in the Richmond area today.  Amazon Now is a free 2-hour delivery service for Amazon Prime members.  Need something even quicker than that?  They also offer one-hour delivery in the Richmond area for $7.99.  This is a great convenience for people who need something right away without having to get in the car and drive to the store.

There are two requirements in being able to use these delivery options.  First, you must be an Amazon Prime member.  It costs $99 per year but you get much more than the great shipping.  Amazon Prime also includes instant movie & tv streaming, unlimited music streaming, and unlimited photo storage.  Don’t know if you would like it?  Amazon offers a free 30-day trial.  The second requirement is that the free 2-hour delivery service is available only through the their mobile app.  Starting today, you will be able to get quick same-day delivery for the thousands of items that Amazon sells.

There is an extra incentive if you are a new customer.  New customers can get $20 off the first order of $50 or more.  Just enter GETITNOW at checkout!

Click here to learn more about the delivery service and Amazon Prime.

Here is a video explaining Amazon Prime Now even further:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post Just in time for the holidays – Amazon Now available in Richmond today! appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

Small businesses know they can’t compete with those “Big Box” stores on Black Friday, but they’re hoping you’ll do some of your holiday shopping on Small Business Saturday.

After you’ve snagged your deals at department stores (or spent the day at the Science Museum of Virginia) spend a little time supporting your favorite local shop.

Small Business Saturday, which was started by American Express in 2010, has gained a lot of popularity according to their website 88 million visited local businesses last year.  It makes sense that the movement has gained so much popularity;  a study by Civic Economics (seen here) showed that 47.7% of money spent at local businesses went back to the community vs. 13.6% spent at national chains.

If you want to make a day of it, Carytown which is known for it’s locally owned shops and restaurants, has a lot of family-friendly events happening throughout the day. The day kicks off at noon when Santa arrives in a horse drawn carriage escorted by Marines. Santa will be spending Saturdays at Hersch Oriental Rugs (if you bring a new or gently used book for the Children’s Home Society, you can get your picture with Santa for free).  Families will be able to take free carriage rides down Cary Street from 12:00 – 5:00pm.  Of course, there will also be lots of small businesses to support.

Whether you’re a Black Friday shopper or not, we hope you’ll head out for Small Business Saturday!

The post November 28th is Small Business Saturday appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

Be a Noble Kid is hosting a free community event which combines holiday shopping and service!

At the family event, kids can create care packages for patients at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, send thank you cards to troops, make animal toys for furry friends at the Richmond SPCA and more. Hot chocolate, apple cider, and some light snacks will also be available.

The kids won’t be the only one doing good deeds, parents who do a little holiday shopping will be helping too! A portion of the sales at the shopping event will benefit Be A Noble Kid.  Kids will even be able to shop for their parents, siblings and friends at the special Noble Kids holiday shop.

Learn more and share the event with your friends on Facebook.

Find out more about Be A Noble Kid here.

Be A Noble Kid
Sunday, November 15, 2015
2-5pm
The Frontier Project
(3005 W Marshall St.)

from 2-5.

The post Be a Noble Kid Family Day & Holiday Marketplace appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

Time to start stocking up on cooler weather essentials like denim, tunics, leggings, and sweater dresses.

Hip to be Round is making it a little easier with  $25 off $125 and $75 off $300!

Check out their new arrivals for fall (like the most comfortable black jeans from Lilac) or snag a few things off the sale rack for an extra discount.

Sale runs through September 30th but hurry in for the best pick.

Hip to be Round is a sponsor of Richmondmom

The post Hip to be Round SALE! appeared first on RichmondMom.com.

I neglected to mention something that occurs when you combine 4 boys (2 in diapers), 2 dogs, 1 cat in a small space: weird smells.

The truth is I’m kinda funny about the way things smell.  I can’t stand perfume or room fresheners or candles purchased from places you have to hold your nose before entering.  My bath stuff is largely unscented and we use unscented laundry detergent.   Fake, perfum-y smells give me an instant headache.  So I figured if my only choice was to cover up the smells with perfumes then I would just have to live with the boys and pets stink.

But when I came across FreshWave at MommyCon in DC, I was intrigued.

FreshWave is about eliminating odors rather than covering them up using natural ingredients like water and essential oils to eliminate odors on a molecular level.  (Sounds so scientific when you put it that way.)

Okay, whatever, I’ll give it a shot. On a nice day when I can open all the doors and window if it hurts more than it helps.

I placed the room freshener gel under the leaky sink.

I put a small space packet in the car.

I sprayed my son’s shoes that he refuses to wear socks with and subsequently stink to high heaven.

And lo and behold, the leaky sink smell isn’t the first thing that greets me when I walk into the kitchen, the car smells fresher and even my son’s disgusting shoes aren’t NEARLY as offensive as they used to be, and after a second spray they weren’t offensive at all!

So, naturally I kept going…

I sprayed the dog bed. I sprayed the whole area where the dog hangs out…. I considered (but didn’t) spraying the dog.

I put a packet at the bottom of the trash can where I throw the dirty diapers.

I sprayed the fabric shower curtain that smelled mildly of mildew despite the fact that it’s clean.

Finally, I just left the sprayer in the bathroom which I regrettably share with the kids.

The initial scent upon spraying or opening the room freshener has a slightly spicy smell… mostly hints of essential oils from cloves & pine needle but those scents quickly dissipate leaving the sweet smell of absolutely nothing in it’s wake.

There are a few things that seem to have automatic residence in my cart every time I visit Target, and FreshWave is about to be one of them.  I may need a packet for every pair of shoes in the house.

Try it for yourself!

Enter to win a full sized spray, gel and packs from FreshWave.

Can’t wait? Pick up your own at Target.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post What’s That Smell? FreshWave Review and *Giveaway* appeared first on RichmondMom.com.