Tips and Tricks Edition #1
On occasion, as I move through the journey of parenting, I think to myself, “I wish someone had told me about that” – in regards to a product, a way of doing things, or a resource to use. So I thought I’d share Edition #1 of tips and tricks that have been helpful to me in preparing and caring for Baby.
Changing Table - Consider not buying one. Instead, use a long dresser with a changing pad on top. Here’s why. In 2-3 years, your changing table will become obsolete once your child is potty trained. Your dresser, however, is permanent. This saves you from buying a whole piece of furniture! Especially helpful if a) you’re on a budget or b) your nursery is small.
Formula – If you supplement with formula or opt not to breastfeed, you need to know that Kirkland brand is virtually the same as Similac, but for almost half the price. The ingredients are the same, and it’s obviously been approved by the FDA. It’s perfectly safe and healthy for your baby. I double checked this by asking not one, not two, but three pediatricians, and every one gave the same answer – it is perfectly fine. You can make both your baby and your budget happy simultaneously.
“Happiest Baby On the Block” Video – Watching this video saved my husband’s and my lives! It’s basically a crash course on how to calm your crying newborn AND IT WORKS.
Dr. Harvey Karp offers 5 tips that basically help you flip the “off switch” to your newborn’s crying. They worked like a charm for both of our babies, and my friends swear by it too.
Save yourself hours reading the book, and jump straight to the video.
Containers for Homemade Baby Food – I feel like this is a product that you can easily get sucked into, and, once again, you only use/need them for a short period of time. Rather than buying the whole kit for homemade baby food, just buy little tupperware containers for storing your food. It’s a little more “grass roots” this way, but seriously – I never needed anything more than a food processor, fruits and veggies to puree, and containers to put them in. And I guarantee the baby food tasted just as good out of that set of containers, compared to the expensive kit. ☺
Bibs – I recommend getting the bibs with a pocket that catches the food that gets dropped, they are washable in the sink, and you can throw them in the laundry. There are countless “harder” plastic ones that will suck you in with their style, but they don’t wear well and don’t hold up in the wash. The original Bumpkin bibs we purchased for Dylan are still going strong, 5 years later.
Free & Clear Laundry Detergent – Go ahead. Buy that one container of Dreft for the initial washings of your baby’s clothes. You kinda gotta do it as a rite of passage into motherhood. It’s an exciting moment – tearing off all the tags and washing the clothes before baby comes. You want to make sure you treat them gingerly and keep everything as pure as possible, right? Just don’t buy the 6 pack of Dreft, because you will likely find that your baby’s skin will do just fine with any “free and clear” detergent that’s out there – All, Tide, Cheer, or my personal preference – Kirkland Free & Clear. In the small chance that your baby has extremely, extremely sensitive skin – you will need to revert to Dreft. Possibly even for life. But most likely the “free and clear” stuff will do the trick just fine, and your baby’s skin will feel like, well, baby’s skin.
OxyClean – And while I’m at it – I must highly recommend that your stain remover of choice is OxyClean. It gets out EVERYTHING. Even after sitting on clothes for days. OxyClean is your new best friend for stain removal as a mamma.
