Tips and Tricks Edition #2

I recently wrote about “Tips and Tricks” that you won’t likely encounter in your typical baby advice resources. Additional tips continue to come to mind, so I will continue to share them with you. Here goes edition #2 of tips of tricks based from my own mommy experience:

Bib Drying Rack – Why this product hasn’t gone mainstream, I just don’t know. Before you know it, your baby will have moved on from the cloth bibs that you will use at first (for bottle feeding and catching spit-up) and move on to the plastic washable kind (for eating solids). Make this product purchase, and you will spare yourself from decorating your kitchen with hanging bibs from every cabinet knob to dry them after washing. It is sleek and extremely practical.

Registry Buddy - When it’s time to register for your baby, invite a friend who’s “been there, done that” in the mommy department. Even with the myriad of baby registry checklists available, questions – perhaps many – will still remain. For instance, the list may say “baby thermometer,” but will you be prepared to choose from half of a wall of product choices? Will you know whether to choose digital, digital ear, digital pacifier, or temporal artery? In addition, an experienced mom will also tell you which items you can truly live without. (Wipe warmers and baby timers come to mind!)

Don’t “Go Green” – At least for a little while. One of the best moves my husband and I made after having each of our kids was to ditch our regular tableware in lieu of paper and plastic products. Just for a time period. Let me tell you – when you are trying to get into the swing of things with a newborn, the last thing you will want to – or have time to – deal with is washing dishes. You’ll be doing enough washing with bottles, breast pumps and pacifiers. For just a little while, think “ease of life” and stock up on gobs of paper plates and plastic cups for your meals. When the meal is done, simply throw it away and there is no dish duty. It’s one simple little trick that will make your life that much easier in a season when you will need it.

Boppy Lounger – Here’s another product recommendation that we found incredibly helpful, and yet doesn’t seem to be all that “mainstream.” We loved and constantly used the Boppy Newborn Lounger. It’s a simple and quick place to set baby down in the early months. I preferred to give our babes a change in scenery, and didn’t like setting them down in the same bouncer again and again, whenever I needed to tend to something. We also had many hardwood floors in our condo, which meant simply laying down a blanket on a carpeted floor wasn’t an option. This product is great, and offers removable washable covers to keep things fresh and clean.