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Amazon Prime Day 2024 has arrived! The annual two-day sale is full of discounts, promos, and exclusive deals for Amazon Prime subscribers. Amazon Prime Day is a pretty big deal because it is one of the best opportunities to score discounts on a variety of items outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday while stocking up on items you'll need throughout the year like gifts, cleaning supplies, and tech. If you've shopped Amazon Prime Day in the past, we're sure you may have felt overwhelmed by the sea of deals available but not to worry - we've compiled a list of shopping tips and amazing deals to help you navigate your saving adventure! Preparation is Key 🔑 It's incredibly easy to get overwhelmed by the number of deals available on Prime Day and overspend. Remember, this is a time to save money - not spend more than you need to or purchase things you don't need. Take a few deep breaths, grasp your credit card tight, and follow these tips to be prepared. 💳 Membership Check Consider Prime Day your virtual Costco or Sams Club - you can't access the deals without flashing your membership at the door. Make sure your membership is current and that you are logged in before you plan to join in. If you're not a member already, the best news is that Prime Day always includes great incentives to take advantage of Amazon's core products - including: Amazon Prime Membership: Try Amazon Prime free (and participate in Prime Day!) for 30 days! Reminder: you can only take part in Prime Day if you are a Prime member! Amazon Student / Young Adult Membership: Take advantage of a 6-month free trial! 🗒️ Make a list - check it twice! It's inevitable, a great deal is a surefire way to convince you that you NEED that deluxe automatic plant waterer. Save the explanations to your partner when they trip over all of the boxes from your Prime Day haul by making a list and checking it twice. The best way that I've found to avoid overspending is to grab your calendar and make note of all of the important holidays, birthdays, and celebrations coming up. Create a list of names and upcoming events (just make sure you're on that list, too!) and jot down a few gift ideas for each person. Don't forget to also stock up on the household items you'll need and maybe a few big-ticket items (like a new TV or speaker system) if your budget allows. 🛍️ Make sure you're actually getting a deal Prime Day has put a ton of pressure on competitors so be sure to shop around on Prime Day and leading up to it to see if you're scoring the best price. Big box stores like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart are guaranteed to also slash their prices or even price-match Prime deals to remain relevant during this 48-hour sprint so do your research and shop around! 🌩️ Capitalize on Lightning deals Lightning deals are promos that are only available in limited numbers for a short period of time. If you notice a lightning deal on a product you love, you can track the deal and be notified once it's live in the Amazon App. If you miss out, you may also be able to join the waitlist to be notified if more become available. Here's a short list of some of our favorite Prime Day deals! Best Amazon Prime Kid Deals Toniebox Audio Player Starter Set We love our Toniebox! This full set comes with everything your little one needs to get started! (Here's the link to one for kiddos that aren't into princesses). Magna-Tiles 100 Piece Construction Set Magna-Tiles are here to stay! This set is sure to bring on hours of fun for the kids (and you!) and is a great addition to a set you already have or an easy way to introduce your kiddo to the fun of Magna-Tiles. VTech Kidi Star DJ Mixer Budding DJ on your hands? Get your little one mixing with this interactive mixer with over 2,000 sound combinations! Best Amazon Prime College Deals Fast Charging Station Trust me, your college student will need way more outlets than those available in their dorm. This will come in handy! Moving Bags with Handles Wondering how you're going to tote all of their stuff into their dorm? These reusable bags are super sturdy and have handles! Toss them on your arm or wear it as a backpack! These saved us on moving day last year! Shark Vertex Ultralight Corded Stick Vac Your kiddo won't have you around to clean up behind them so they are going to need to take cleaning into their own hands. This quality lightweight vac should last long enough to get them through college and their first apartment! Best Amazon Prime Home Deals BISSELL Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner This little green monster is powerful, check out the over 82k positive reviews! Greenworks Cordless (Push) Lawn Mower This lightweight lawn mower will make your next grass day a breeze! Ninja Foodi Smart 13-in-1 Dual Heat Air Fry Countertop Oven Upgrade your countertop with this mighty little air fry oven that can Air Fry, Sear Crisp, Rapid Bake, Frozen Pizza, Fresh Pizza, Griddle, Air Roast, Bake, Broil, Toast, Bagel, Dehydrate, and Reheat in an all-in-one, powerful, 1800-watt appliance. Not an Amazon Prime Member? Click here to check out all of the deals and start your Prime membership today! *As a 501c3, we are always searching for ways to invest back into NPN and help us continue to grow. For that reason, we may earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products that we link to at zero cost to you. We vow to only feature items that we genuinely love and want to share and that our opinion on each item is our own and not at all influenced by any earnings.

Pitkin Stearns is the US agent for the line of award winning baby sleep products from Rockit Sleep. The Rockit Rocker attaches to a stroller and rocks the baby so that you don't have to. The ZED vibrates the mattress mimicking an automobile's acceleration and deceleration. The Wooshh is a small sound soother with 8 sounds and 4 volume levels. USB rechargeable except for ZED.

Are you stressed out by the idea of writing a college admission essay? Real College Essays can help. We’ve come up with an approach that demystifies the essay writing process and allows you to put your best foot forward when you apply to college. All of our tutors are published authors with PhDs who have 10+ years’ experience helping students write college admissions essays.

Snapology offers the best S.T.E.A.M. camps in the area. Our camps are made for both FUN and learning, utilizing one of the world's most exciting toys, LEGO®. We have camps inspired and associated with many of the top games, activities, movies, and more. We have robotics camps, technical camps, and even camps for the Pre-K kiddos. Your kids will love our fun camp topics and themes, but Shh, don’t tell them it’s educational! We accept children ages ages 5 -12.

Side Quest Social Club is a makerspace and process-inspired boutique social club created-for and curated-by tweens (aged 9-13)!

Mnemon is the secret weapon of spelling bee competitors from TX, GA, FL & more. It is your comprehensive training platform to master any word for the National Spelling Bee. If you are ready to win at Nationals, State, Regionals, and beyond, and don't want to spend over $10,000, then don't wait! Pay a fraction of the cost of traditional methods and get yourself ready for it this summer.

St. Matthias School is the only wall-to-wall Catholic International Baccalaureate (IB) elementary school in Illinois. Located in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago, we are committed to welcoming everyone and creating a love of lifelong learning in our students. We are dedicated to developing faith-centered, service-oriented, compassionate global citizens through a program of differentiated, interdisciplinary, and rigorous inquiry.

At Tutu School, we believe in exposing children at the earliest possible age to creativity, movement, and classical music; and that twirling should be a fundamental part of any childhood. Classes start at 18 months and are always ongoing throughout the year. We can’t wait to twirl with you!

Chicago Psychotherapy is a private therapy practice in Lincoln Park. We offer individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapy, in addition to assessment services, parenting workshops, school-based services, and clinical training. We support clients of all ages, from all walks of life. We believe in seeing clients for their strengths, understanding individuals in context, and working collaboratively with clients and their families in meeting treatment goals.

Chicago Fire FC Camps are the perfect way to introduce your child to the world’s fastest-growing youth sport and develop their soccer skills. In addition to small group instruction centered around technical themes and Social and Emotional Learning traits, participants receive a Chicago Fire camp t-shirt, and a ticket to a Chicago Fire match. Along with the ticket comes a special matchday experience including the opportunity to play at Soldier Field pre-match, player autographs, an appearance by lovable Fire mascot, Sparky, and discounted tickets for the whole family. We accept children ages 6-14.

MB Writing and Editorial Services owner Matt Beardmore leverages 20+ years of editing and writing experience to help his clients create their best content. Matt, an NPN contributing writer, has had work published in the New York Times, Fodor’s Chicago Travel Guide, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, ESPN the Magazine, and numerous other national and local publications.

ACM School of Music has taught thousands of adults and kids to express themselves musically. We offer recitals, jam sessions, karaoke nights, and the chance to create new music for our Molto Tutti Festival. Being at ACM means you’re part of an organization that produces wildly creative events like the Sound of Silent Film Festival, the Thirsty Ears Festival, the PBS series Songs About Buildings and Moods and many others.

At GEMS World Academy Chicago, we use an inquiry based approach to develop creative, adaptable thinkers. We welcome you to visit our learning community to experience our core International Baccalaureate framework, Field Studies program, daily world language classes, and arts instruction. We also host summer camp which will be offered for 7 weeks, from 6/17-8/2, with weekly themed sessions for grades PS-G5. There will be a variety of camps–cooking, arts, sports, and more–offered where we will be taking advantage of our location in the city to learn locally and think globally.

Camp Chippewa is exactly what young people need to thrive. ~ Community ~ Healthy mentorship ~ Nature ~ Time to play, learn, and grow ~ Adventure ~ Friendships with boys from other backgrounds ~ A coming-of-age experience Since 1935 Camp Chippewa has been a second home for boys. It is a summer of adventures in Northern Minnesota and into the Canadian wilderness.

For ART-loving kids ages 4-10. Explore ART through a variety of approaches including drawing, painting, ARTist inspired projects, weekly tie-dye day and slime day, games and more! Lunch break and some ART exploration/play may take place outdoors (weather permitting).

Summer Circus Camp is a fun, safe, supportive environment where children explore the many skills that create the Circus Arts. Camp allows each child to develop self-confidence, self-esteem, physical awareness, and an understanding of the potential they possess. Skills taught may include: trapeze, acrobatics, clowning, juggling, stilt walking, gym wheel, tight wire, rola bola, and mini trampoline. Students enrolled will get to share their excitement and newfound skills with family and friends at the end of the week in a Show-Off performance!

Camp Pillsbury offers four 2 week sessions and one 3 week session. Each session wraps up with end of session performances where our campers proudly showcase what talents they have learned or perfected during their time at camp. The 3 week session (Session 3) provides a wonderful opportunity for our campers to learn and perform a full JR Broadway musical. For many campers, this is their first production. Different productions are performed each summer. From day one, campers will be immersed in the wonderful activities, bonding with their friends, eating meals, adventuring on adventure days and of course, culminating to the Performance day for their family, camp and community. Each session begins with an opening campfire. The following day consists of a 6-minor day where we will hold auditions for performance ensembles and campers will be able to try the different activities that they are interested the most to learn and perfect in a fun way as majors.

Cherry Preschool Summer Camp is full of play based fun indoors and outdoors for children ages 3 to kindergarten. Camp includes special weekly themes, outdoor play at Penny Park, water play, sprinklers, bubbles, and sandbox fun. Children will have fun with messy art, riding toys, our creative playhouse and our spacious outdoor classroom. Healthy snacks provided. We also offer indoor activities when children need a break from the weather with art and play inside or large motor and creative movement activities in our air-conditioned gym.

What do you get when you combine the magic of Broadway with the fun and freedom of Summer? The ultimate Summer Camp experience! Join us for Summer favorites like Encanto, Wicked, SIX, and Zombies or check out one of our NEW camp weeks including Harry Potter, a TSwift inspired Eras camp, and our multi-week Production Camps for campers entering 3-12th Grade.

Innovative Vitality delivers highly personalized medical care. We specialize in longevity medicine, medical weight loss, and preventative primary care. Become a member and optimize your health today.

Bubbles Academy is Chicagoland's premiere early childhood enrichment center and preschool offering classes and child development programs for ages 0-5. Join us as we ignite wonder through music, movement, drama, art, and play! Ignite Wonder Through The Arts & Play! Early childhood education for whole child development, offering caregiver and child classes & preschool.

Otter is perfect for filling part-time and one-off childcare needs. It matches families with reference-vetted, background-checked, skills-assessed sitters. Most of our sitters are Education majors, teachers, nannies, and nurses. Emergency? Sick nanny? No problem, we can help! We can fill requests with as little as two hours' notice.

NPN's biggest fundraiser of the year, which allows us to continue to bring programming, events and school-choice help to Chicago parents, opens for bidding on Wednesday, March 13th! Open to the public, our Online Auction is bigger and better than ever, with more than 150 items up for bid. Once you've had a chance to see our $65,000+ in goodies for Chicago families, make sure to place bids asap! We know how crazy life can get—set your max bid and rest easy. You can stop back in and visit your items or check your email notifications to make sure you are still in the lead. Bidding closes at 10pm CST on Sunday, March 17th. This is the perfect opportunity to buy things you already know you want or need—like summer camps, kids classes, museum memberships, restaurant gift cards, sports tickets, jewelry—and help NPN, a 501(c)3 non-profit that depends on your bids to keep its lights on! How to bid: Go to biddingforgood.com/npnparents. If you are new to Bidding For Good online auctions, click the Register to Bid button in the top center of the homepage. Enter the necessary contact information and click Submit. If you already have a Bidding For Good account, type in your username and password and click Sign In. Click the View All Items button to peruse more than 150 amazing items or click on individual categories to shop item by interest. Select the item(s) on which you’d like to bid. Enter your current bid, maximum bid and/or straight bid. (For more information about these types of bids, see below.) Make sure to click the Confirm Bid button to ensure your bid is properly processed. Track your bids by clicking the My Items button. To update your account or credit card information, click the My Account button. Check your email for updates when there is activity on your items. Frequently asked questions: Do I need to enter credit card information into the system in order to bid? Yes. Your bid is considered your commitment to purchase the item at that price. If you win the item, the credit card used will be charged for the item you purchased. What is a “Maximum Bid”? Your maximum bid is the highest price you are willing to spend on an item via proxy bidding scenario. You can always increase your maximum bid if you’d like or if you’ve been outbid. What is a “Straight Bid”? A straight bid allows you to bid higher than the minimum increment immediately, instead of having to wait until the bidding is increased to that level. Enter the amount you would like to bid on an item, and check the "Straight Bid" option. The bid will be placed immediately at the amount entered. Do all items “close” at the same time? No. Every item’s closing time will continue to extend in 5-minute increments as long as there is continued bidding. Individual items will automatically close when there is a 5-minute extension period with no new bids or after 60 minutes past the original close time. Will I be notified via email if I am outbid? Yes. Bidders are automatically opted in to receive bid alerts when they are outbid. Happy bidding! Thank you for supporting the NPN community. Please contact Amy at amy@npnparents.org if you have any questions or need any help.

At Shef, we’re rebuilding the food system from scratch, redefining who can participate in the food economy, and returning personal connection to the making, eating, and sharing of food. We are an online marketplace for local, food safety certified cooks to connect with customers in their community and earn a meaningful income selling homemade dishes. ‍ Homemade is the aroma of your childhood kitchen, the laughter around a family table, the taste of locally sourced produce; it’s memories, nostalgia, and tradition. It’s building bridges between cultures and people that make us whole. ‍ More than anything, the power of homemade food comes from the love and care of those who make it, all opening up their hearts to provide the gift of a homemade meal to you.

PlayWorks Prep, a therapeutic preschool preparatory program, utilizes a global developmental model with an emphasis on social-emotional development and sensory integration. This program is appropriate for children with speech and language delays, social-emotional needs, sensory processing challenges, behavioral challenges, and cognitive delays. Our programs serve children ages 2 ½ to 6 years old with developmental delays that may include: ~ Speech and language delays ~ Cognitive delays ~ Social-emotional delays and/or difficulties with social interaction ~ Sensory processing challenges ~ Behavioral challenges