My sister and several of my friends are expecting babies in the next few months. I’ve seen them asking for advice on social media. I decided that I would put together a list of what you will actually need to have before you bring your new baby home. There are also included things that would be nice to have but aren’t completely necessary.
A place to sleep is so important. It can be a crib or a pack and play. We used a pack and play with the bassinet attachment for a long time and it worked out great. When Pancake was a year old, we moved him into the fancy crib we’d had set up in his own room for him since before he was born that we never used. 🤦♀️
This is kind of what our pack and play looks like with the bassinet.
Clothes—
I remember when I was packing to go to the hospital I thought it was weird that we were going there, and we were going to come home with an extra person who didn’t come with anything of his own. I even had to bring clothes for him. This one is pretty obvious, but a new baby will need clothes. If you would like more info on finding affordable baby clothes check out my post here.
Food—
Even if you are planning to breastfeed you will want to have some baby formula on hand for emergencies, or if you are struggling to breastfeed and need to supplement. You don’t need to bring it to the hospital as they will have everything you need available there, but you’ll want to have some at home. You can start out with the free samples that you can get at Similac and Enfamil.
Diapers—
This one may seem obvious, but you will need diapers and wipes for your new baby. You will also need diaper cream. I don’t really think it matters what kind of diapers you get. They are all pretty much the same, so I always get the ones that are the cheapest, but you may want to get the ones that are the most convenient. You can sign up on Amazon to have diapers delivered regularly. Just be aware of the sizing issue. You don’t want to have too many in the small sizes because babies grow really fast.
Blankets—
You will need blankets for your new baby. Newborns need to be swaddled to help them sleep. You can buy special swaddle blankets, or just use baby blankets that are big enough for that. They’ll also need blankets to keep them warm. Even if your baby is born in the summer it’s likely that you’ll have the air conditioning on, or that it will get colder at night and you will at least occasionally need to keep them warm. This is something that is often given to new mom’s though, so you probably don’t have to worry about purchasing them yourself. However, if you are going to purchase swaddle blankets I love these. They make the whole thing a lot easier.
Car seat—
A car seat is a definite need. If you are planning to travel home from the hospital in a car you will need to have a car seat to take your baby home. Make sure that the one you buy is not expired. Car seats are made with a lot of plastic in them that can become brittle over time and less safe, so make sure that you have a new one or at least one that is not expired. I have this one. You can get your baby all settled and buckled into the seat inside where it’s warm and then just place it on the base that’s already in your car. We bought two extra bases so that we could have one in each car and one for the babysitter.
Lotion—
The hospital will probably give you a sample size lotion for your new baby’s first bath, but you will need more pretty quickly, and you don’t want to have to be running to the store right away. I love this lotion because it was designed specifically for newborns and it smells sooooo good!
Booger sucker—
Okay okay, they’re called nasal aspirators. This is one of those things you may not think about before you need it. The hospital may provide you with one, but they may not. They are inexpensive so it doesn’t hurt to have an extra one on hand at home. You can get the traditional kind like this or the fancier kind like this.
Thermometer—
No one wants to think about it but, all babies will get sick eventually, hopefully yours doesn’t for a very long time. You’ll still want to have one of these on hand to check your baby before you call your pediatrician. I like this one, but there are a lot of baby-friendly styles out there for you to choose from. Keep in mind that thermometers can be purchased with your FSA funds if you have any available.
Health Insurance—
This isn’t something you necessarily need to buy, and you obviously won’t receive it from a baby shower, but you will want to know your baby’s health insurance situation before you go to the hospital. I was in the hospital trying to figure all of this out. Check with your health insurance provider and your spouses (if they are different) and decide ahead of time which you would like to use and what you need to do to make sure that your baby is taken care of.
These items are not absolutely necessary, but they are items that I believe are nice to have around when you have a new baby.
Nursing cover—
If you’re planning to breastfeed, you’ll probably want a nursing cover of some kind. I’ve seen some that kind of look like an apron. You have a strap that goes around your neck and it kind of looks like a blanket that goes over the baby. These are my least favorite kind because when you have to lift up your shirt it still leaves your back exposed. This poncho kind is much better. It’s stretchy and gives you full coverage. However, my favorite kind is this one. You can wear it around as an infinity scarf if you don’t have somewhere to store it and I’ve even used it as a baby blanket in a pinch. It’s lightweight, stretchy, and it gives you the coverage you need. It’s also really soft.
Nursing pads—
These come in disposable or reusable options. I had both. When Pancake was born I went with the cheap disposable ones from Walmart because I was going to be throwing them away, because they were round, which showed up less under my clothes, and because they were thinner, which made them comfortable and less visible. I also made some reusable ones myself. I went to the fabric store and looked for the most absorbent kind of fabric. I decided on flannel and it seemed to work well for me. Just a little pro-tip if you decide to go that route.
Nursing Bra—
You may already have one of these because they are often more comfortable to wear during pregnancy, but if you’re planning to breastfeed these will make your life much easier. They’re stretchy to accommodate your changing size and they make access easy. I bought this kind and the clips broke pretty quickly. I replaced them once with these and continued to use them for the rest of the time I was nursing without a problem.
Nursing Tank—
This is a great idea. You can wear one under your shirt and it clips around your nursing bra which makes it super convenient and keeps you covered. You can use these with or without a nursing cover, and they’re still super great for if you’re pumping at work. Here is a link to the tutorial I used to make them out of a regular tank.
Breast pump—
If you’re planning to breastfeed, I highly recommend getting a pump. This can help in many ways, even if you’re not planning to go to work. Having a pump allows you to leave your baby with a sitter if you need, for a night out, an errand, or even just to get some extra sleep. A lot of new moms like to use Medea or Spectra pumps because they are covered by insurance. Check with your insurance company, but a lot of them will give you money towards ANY pump.
Willow and Elvie are my favorite pumps. I think traditional pumps make me feel like a cow, and they are cumbersome with lots of cords and wires and you have to find a good way to cover up, the list of reasons I don’t like them goes on and on and on . . . UGH!! Both the Willow and the Elvie allow you to pump with your clothes on and don’t have any wires, so you can go about your day while you are pumping. They fit inside your bra and are battery-powered. They have an app so you can control the pump from your phone if you prefer.
You can pump while you are driving, shopping, hanging out with your baby, whatever. The Willow is more spill proof than the Elvie and uses bags that you can put straight into the freezer, so you don’t have to transfer your milk to another container first. With the Willow, you could even sneak in a nap while you were pumping if you wanted to which is why it’s my favorite, however, the Elvie is also a very good pump. You can also use your FSA dollars towards a pump.
Bottles—
If you’re pumping, you’ll need a way to get that sweet milk to your baby. It is really tough to pick out bottles ahead of time because you can’t know for sure what your baby will accept. Some people will tell you that you absolutely have to get one kind or another, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. I recommend having one or two of a lot of different kinds. You can often get free samples of these too and try them out to see which ones work best for you and your baby, then you can buy more of the ones you need.
Baby monitor—
These are not absolutely necessary, but most parents find them to be convenient. Anytime your baby is sleeping in a different room it’s nice to have so that you know when they wake up. I really think that most baby monitors will do just fine. You can get one with a video camera if you want to check in on them, but we just used one of our spare security cameras and it works fine too.
The only thing you will need to keep in mind with the video camera ones is that if you’re viewing the feed on your phone you won’t be able to do other things on your phone while you’re viewing it. If you have one of the ones that comes with a monitor, you will have to have the monitor as well as your phone with you. If you have one of the security cameras you can use it to check on your baby when you’re not home as well, which is kind of fun.
I also highly recommend an Owlet. These are so great just for your peace of mind. Lots of new parents worry about SIDS, and who wouldn’t? This obviously doesn’t 100% protect your baby from SIDS, but it helps you keep an eye on them when they are sleeping. This is a sock that you wrap around your baby’s foot that connects to a base station with a light on it. It monitors your baby’s oxygen levels and heart rate. It will alert you with an alarm if there is a problem. We would keep the base station in our room. When I woke up in the middle of the night. I could see a soft green glow that would let me know everything was ok. You can view your baby’s stats on your phone and get alerts through your phone too.
Pacifiers—
Some moms forego these completely which is why they’re so far down on the list. I am not one of those moms, they helped my baby to sleep, especially at night, and they lower the risk of SIDS, so I’m all for them. These are similar to bottles though. You don’t know ahead of time which ones your baby will like, so I would recommend having a few different kinds until you know which kind they will like.
Stroller—
A stroller is a nice thing to have if you can. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but you can take it to the store with you or out on a walk without having to carry your baby in your arms. I really like this one because it works with my car seat. The same mechanism that allows my car seat to click into the base in my car allows it to click into the stroller so that I can use it with the car seat for very small babies. I can still use the same stroller when they get bigger. This stroller is also cool because it folds up really really small, but it doesn’t connect to a car seat. It might be a good option for when your baby is a little bit bigger.
Baby carrier—
This is another option for moving about with your hands free. Carrying your baby with you can allow you to cook dinner, or get some other things done with your baby close by. It’s also nice for taking walks before your baby gets too heavy. When Pancake was still small I preferred this to a stroller for walks. I tried a few different kinds but the one by Baby Bjorn is my favorite.
Vitamin D Drops—
At our first visit, my pediatrician told me to get these for Pancake. I had no idea I would need them and had trouble finding them, so I had to order them online. This may be something you will need, and you may want to have ahead of time.
Baby gym—
This is definitely something that is just nice to have. All babies need tummy time, and this gives them a good place to play on a padded floor and gives them things to look at. There are tons of other ways you can have tummy time, so if money or space is tight you don’t need to worry about getting a baby gym.
Well, that’s it. That’s everything that you absolutely need, as well as some things that you may need, or maybe nice to have for a new baby. I hope this helped you out. If there is anything that I forgot please leave it in the comments!
I interviewed my mother in law who studied cosmetology for this post. I do not intend to make you a hairdresser, but to enable you to deal with the long locks that your children have likely grown since they have been able to see a real hairdresser.
Depending on the age of your children you may need to master this art. Since you will be dealing with your child’s charming looks and sharp scissors you will want them to be staying still for the most part, and not paying attention to what you are doing.
You may want to practice before the actual haircut. Tell them what will be happening and set up a reward system. For example, you may want to let them play games on a tablet or phone, or watch a movie during the haircut, then reward them with a treat or a special game after it is done. During the practice distract them with your method of choice and touch their face, hair, and ears. Brush through their hair and make clipping sounds near their ears (without touching them of course).
Preparation
Choose a time when you can be uninterrupted, and when your child will not be tired. You will need:
A cape *
A brush or comb
A spray bottle (optional)
Clippers or the scissors*
Substitutions*
if you do not have a cape, you can try these options instead.
A towel or sheet will work. You can pretend it is a backward superhero cape or whatever else you need to do to get them to keep it on.
A large t-shirt. Tell your child that they get to have a grown-up haircut like mom or dad, and they can wear one of mom’s or dad’s shirts over their clothes.
You could have them wear their regular clothes and give them a bath right after the haircut and wash their clothes.
A cape or other covering is important because you don’t want your child to be itchy from the cut hair that will invariably stick to them and you don’t want it getting all over your house either.
You will only need clippers for a boy’s haircut, but I have included instructions to do a haircut with scissors if you don’t have them. Just find the sharpest scissors you have.
Make a plan
You want to plan out the haircut just by looking at your child before you get started. If you just try to go with it in the moment you will make more mistakes.
Take into account whether you will be working with straight or curly hair. Be aware that wet hair will bounce back up to ½ an inch when it dries and even more than that if it’s curly.
Decide how much length you want to take off. For example, if the hair is down to the bridge of the nose and you want it to just above the eyebrows, make a mental note of about how long that is.
General Tip
You can pull the hair out to its full length and hold it between your fingers while you decide where to make your cut, then bring it back in closer to the head releasing tension on the hair and that will help you to make accurate cuts if your child starts to move around while you are cutting.
If your daughter has bangs you can decide if you want to do them before or after the rest of the haircut, but in either case you will want to cut them separately from the rest of the hair. I recommend cutting the bangs dry.
Start by tying the rest of the hair up in an elastic or clip and get it out of the way. Make sure that you don’t add any more long hairs to the bangs area by mistake.
Pick up the bangs between your first two fingers at about a 90-degree angle, or about 50% of the way between straight down and straight up. Hold the hair this way while you cut straight across. This will make the hairs on top just a little bit shorter than the hair underneath so that she will have nice feathery looking bangs, instead of bangs that are just cut straight across. You can also make a slight curve in the bangs so that they are a little bit longer on the sides and shorter in the middle to soften them up. See the picture.
Back and sides
A girl’s haircut is easier to do wet. This middle in the back will be the longest part as the sides get brushed more and are more likely to break off from brushing and styling. When you brush all of the hair the back may have a little bit of a V-shape for this reason.
Start by parting the hair in the center so that there is the same amount of hair on both sides of her head. If you are not cutting bangs comb the hair on the crown forward with no part (think Cousin It from the Addams Family). Hold the hair out a little bit away from the head and cut straight across. This will help you to make both sides the same length then you can part it in the middle and make sure it blends with the rest of the hair on the sides do the same thing with the sides. For the back of the hair have her tip her chin to her chest if you can. This will cause the underneath hairs to be slightly shorter than the hairs on the top so that they will have a nice edge.
When gauging “inches” to cut off, gauge from the sides, not the back, since the sides are where she will be able to see it the best. She’s probably not aware that it’s longer in the back due to breakage.
Boy cut with clippers
Start with the longest length of clippers and cut all of the hair. Go from underneath and work upwards against the way the hair grows. You can keep cutting with the next shortest level until you get the hair to be the length you want the longest part to be. When you are happy with the length for the longest part you can move on to blending and shortening the back and sides.
Move up one clipper length at a time.
The next level should go from the bottom of the head up to the crown and stop there (see level 1). Continue with this pattern 3 more times. Move down a size each time and stop about where the arrow is on the pictures (see levels 2-4). This will blend the hair nicely so that it is shorter on the sides and the bottom and longer on the top. For level 4 you will go all the way down to the bottom of the hairline.
Finish up by taking the guard off the clippers and drawing a straight line across the bottom of the back of the hair to clean it up.
Use scissors to cut a curve just above the ears. You can clean up any other spots that don’t seem to blend well with the scissors at this point.
Boy haircut with scissors
Use the sharpest scissors you have.
Keep in mind how much you want to cut off from your plan and try to use that as a guide while you are cutting so that you don’t cut any part too short.
Start with cutting the hanging length on dry hair. This is the hair on the forehead, around the ears and the nape of the neck. You can just cut straight across where you want the hair to be.
After you have cut the hanging length you can wet the hair with a wet comb or a spray bottle to help the hair stick together and make the rest of the haircut easier.
Use your first two fingers to hold a section of the hair vertically. Once you have the hair in your fingers you can release the tension on it to help with a wiggly kid. Keep in mind how much you decided to cut off and cut off that much in an even cut. Follow the shape of the skull all the way around the head.
You may have some scissor marks in straight hair, but it will be less apparent in wavy hair. There are ways to completely remove any scissor marks, but they are some advanced techniques and will be difficult to do on a wiggly kid. If you stick to taking sections of the hair vertically you can minimize these.
I hope this post helps you to feel confident in your ability to cut your kid’s hair. Please leave any other tips or suggestions in the comments section and if you enjoyed this post please share it on Pinterest!
Today I want to share some ideas for surviving quarantine with a one-year-old.
Card Drop
I’ve seen this a lot on Pinterest and decided to give it a try. Most of the time when I come up with new ideas for Pancake to try, he ends up just un-doing whatever it is, and it ends up taking me longer to set it back up than it did for him to un-do it. This one is great though because he can take cards out of one bucket and put them through the slot on the other bucket. When he’s out of cards all I have to do is move the lid to the other bucket.
You can use whatever cards and buckets you have lying around. We used some pretzel buckets because my family are pretzel fiends, and I used some flashcards that he got while he was Trick-or-Treating (weird treat, I know.) I love this game because I can store the bucket with cards in it inside the empty bucket so it doesn’t take up as much space. I also like that there is always somewhere for the cards to belong so that they don’t end up all over the place.
This is another one I’ve seen on Pinterest a lot that I decided to try. A lot of people had this set up so that your toddler can sort the balls by color. Pancake’s not really into that yet, I’ve tried, so I just cut three holes in the box so that he can put them in and take them back out. I used balls from his ball pit which are already all over the house all the time, so I don’t really think this is making my house any messier. You can try it with any toy you have, you could even use balled up socks if you want to.
Clothes Pin Box
Again, I saw this on Pinterest but tried to modify it so that I didn’t have to set the whole thing up again after he pulled all of the clothespins off of the box. I started out by giving him a box of clothespins and showing him how he could put them around the edges of the box, and then take them off and put them back in the box. So far, it’s going pretty well. I also like that he can’t destroy the clothespins. They’re pretty sturdy, and if he destroys the box it’s no big deal. I can just give him another one from the recycling.
Walks
This is something I’ve talked about before. I just think that It’s really important to get outside when we can. It’s good for our bodies and our mental health. The kids like it and so do the pups. If you need a little motivation to get started check out my post.
We have been reading a TON of books! Pancake and I were pretty much tenants of the library before it closed. We were here multiple times a week. Luckily when the library closed, we already had a bunch of books and they told us to keep them at home since the library and the book drop would both be closed. SCORE!! Anyway, we’ve been reading a ton.
In addition to the library books we have, we also have a ton of other kids’ books around. Grandma has also been collecting books and sent us some more when we told her we missed the library. There is one of those Little Free Libraries on a trail near our house that we walk by frequently. We love stopping by to see what is there. Sometimes we take one and sometimes we leave one. It’s a fun way to get new books. You can go to their website and see if there are any near your house.
Talk to Friends and Family Members
Pancake spends a lot of time talking to his family members who don’t live close by. We usually use FaceTime, but for our family members who don’t have Apple devices, we use Facebook Messenger for Kids. It’s fun because you can use AR stickers and play games. It’s also good for calling between Apple and Android.
Snacks
Snacks are critical to our survival around here. Pancake will walk up to me out of nowhere and demand a “Nack.” They don’t have to be anything fancy. Since we’re shopping less frequently now, we often don’t have fresh fruit and veggies to give him, so sometimes he gets snacks like pretzels or crackers, and that’s ok. We just need to have “nacks” on hand. I love this cup to keep them all mostly contained.
TV
Let’s face it, sometimes we’re tired or have other things we need to get done. It’s ok to let your kids watch TV sometimes, especially now when we can’t have play dates or go to the library, or anywhere really. Some of my favorite shows are:
Ask the Storybots
You can find the Storybots on Netflix, but they also have a YouTube channel with even more stuff.
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has moved to HBO, but if you don’t have HBO that’s ok. There are still plenty of ways to watch it. There are older episodes available on Prime Video. You can download the PBS Kids app on your phone, tablet, or TV and watch a few episodes there. You can also find episodes on YouTube. There is also a Sesame Street podcast out there that you can find wherever you get podcasts.*
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
This is my least favorite of the shows we watch because the songs are pretty annoying, but Pancake likes it and I think it teaches good things. You can find this on Prime Video, on the PBS kids app, or on YouTube as well. *
Fort
Sometimes it’s fun to break out the pillows and blankets and go to town with a fort. A one-year-old is not too young to enjoy this. You can make a simple fort with a blanket over a table, or you can go all out, just be prepared to adjust it if your little one gets frustrated with the way it works. The other day we pushed the two couches together and filled the middle of it up with ball-pit balls and threw a sheet over the top. It was great!
Little House
We had so much fun the other day building this “little house” out of cardboard boxes. I looked for boxes everywhere I went shopping for the past little while, but I couldn’t find them anywhere, so I went and picked up two extra-large boxes at U-Haul.
I started by measuring out the front and back of the roof like in this picture.
Then I cut it out and taped it together.
I made sure to tape the inside of the box as well since that’s where your toddler will be playing.
When you have your little house fully assembled you can add doors, windows, or any other decorations you would like. I recommend adding at least a few windows so that it isn’t so dark in there and your toddler can see you from inside.
Obstacle Course
This can be as simple or over the top as you like. The other day my husband said he would like to set one up to play with. I didn’t know what he had in mind, so I really went for it. It went from our kitchen all the way down the hall into my office. I set up things to go over, under, and around. Everyone had a lot of fun with it.
* There may be other places to find these titles, this is just where I get them.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and am not advising that you treat depression yourself. If you are dealing with depression please see a doctor. This post is for informational purposes only and shares only my experience.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255
My absolute most favorite thing to do is to walk my dog. I was so sad that most of the time I was pregnant I couldn’t do this. It was so hard for me to walk anywhere, even just around at work, that walking my dog was not really a possibility. My legs and feet were so swollen, and they hurt all the time. I would wake up in the morning with swollen legs and feet and they would get worse as the day went on. I wore compression socks all the time and it didn’t seem to help at all. I would go to bed and hope that the swelling would go down a little bit by the next morning. The swelling didn’t go down until about 2 weeks after Pancake was born.
Shortly after Pancake was born I spent a whole day crying for no reason, so I saw my doctor about possibly having postpartum depression. She started treating me for it and referred me to a therapist. My therapist talked to me about what I like to do. I told her I just really wanted to walk my dog. I love being outside and being with her and it just feels good to me. She encouraged me to call my doctor and see if that was something I could do, even though I wasn’t at 6 weeks postpartum yet. My doctor said that would be just fine, especially if it would make me feel that much better.
At first, we would go on family walks, my husband and Pancake would come with Pepper and me on our walks. Then because we lived in a little town that was pretty safe, I would take Pepper for walks after Pancake went to bed.
It’s been a year and a half since then, and daily walks are still something that is really important for my mental health although now I have to things a little bit differently. Because my husband works such long days and I live in a decidedly less quaint and safe town, I go in the daytime and I take both of them with me.
It’s really not as hard as I anticipated it being, although I do tend to plan my day around when I would like to be out walking the most. I check the weather forecast and decide when would be best and plan my day around that.
I put Pancake in our jogging stroller, which we got as a hand-me-down from my brother in law. Pancake loves going for walks, and we get Pepper all dressed up and ready to go. She wears a collar as well as a front lead harness that keeps her from pulling so badly. I have a carabiner on the end of her leash so that I can just wrap it around the handle of the stroller and not have to worry about holding onto her and the stroller.
Sometimes she gets excited and I have to pull the stroller rather than push it, but I feel like that is a small price to pay for getting to do something that I absolutely love. I don’t listen to music or podcasts when I am walking because I like to just be able to enjoy being outside and having the time to organize my thoughts. I feel like this keeps me safer too because I am able to be more aware of my surroundings, as well as the other dogs that we will inevitably run into on our walks.
My favorite places to walk are on walking paths, sometimes these are in parks, but in a few places, we have lived, including where we live now, there is a trail that goes through the back parts of the neighborhood. It is paved and maintained by the park district, but it sort of goes between people’s backyards. I like this because It’s a long trail, so I don’t have to see the same thing over and over again, but also, I don’t have to worry about streets, you know, waiting for cars, and curbs and such.
I like to just be with my thoughts and relax. Some of my friends ask me why I don’t find a walking partner to go with me, but it really is just because I like the time to myself (with Pancake and Pepper of course). Because Pancake really loves walks, he usually doesn’t complain too much as long as he is dressed appropriately for the weather. Of course, Pepper loves them, what dog doesn’t.
I always make sure to bring water for everyone with me. I have a small collapsible bowl on a carabiner that I keep clipped to the stroller for Pepper and I can store water bottles in the carrier portion of the stroller underneath the seat. I also love that we have a garage now, so I can just leave the jogging stroller set up in the garage and take it out when I am ready to use it.
I used to take Pancake for walks in my Baby Björn baby carrier, but he’s way too big for that now, so the stroller is the way to go.
I usually go on walks for about an hour at a time, although I would go longer if the weather was good and Pancake could tolerate it better.
I believe that walking and getting outside is important for my mental health and I want to instill in Pancake a love for being outside and being active. He’s not really very active on these walks, but he gets to look around a lot and he gets to see that I am being active and that it’s important to me.
Also, one of my favorite ways to explore a new area is to walk around it. There are often paths and trails that can only be accessed on foot. I feel that I don’t really know an area very well until I have walked around and explored to become familiar with it.
Really walking my dog is my Favorite thing to do. I hope that this has inspired you to get out and find something you love to do.
If you are dealing with postpartum depression please see your doctor.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255
I know there is a lot of information out there on the internet about how to remove stains from baby clothes, or other clothes for that matter. For me though, I’m just too busy to be determining what kind of stain it is and how to treat each type. I also don’t have time to go all over town buying stain removing supplies and keeping track of them. I am also allergic to most types of harsh laundry chemicals.
I have a very simple two part process that I don’t have to pin on Pinterest to refer to later or write down somewhere. It’s simple enough just to remember it once I had the supplies I need.
Step 1.
I pre-treat any stains I remember are there before I throw them in the wash with a Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar.
I picked one up at Walmart for less than a dollar, and it’s lasting me forever. I bought one a long time ago and I’m not even halfway through it yet. I just keep it under my sink so that I can quickly wet the clothes and rub them with the bar.
The only thing that’s a little bit weird about it is that the soap is kind of a yellowish-orange color and a lot of baby stains are also yellowish-orange, so sometimes it’s hard to tell if you got the whole stain or not. I always figure better safe than sorry and rub the bar on any parts that might be even a little bit dirty.
This takes care of most of the stains in my baby clothes, even if I don’t catch them before they go through the washer and the dryer. However, if your stains don’t come out you can repeat step 1 or you can move on to step 2.
The second step is to pre-treat with Oxiclean. I don’t do this very often, but I will occasionally follow the instructions on the Oxiclean container to make a mixture of cleaner and water and soak baby clothes in it before washing them.
I alternate between step 1 and step 2 until the stains come out. I haven’t had any stains that haven’t come out yet, except for the ones I forget to treat at all. Oops 😉
That’s it. It’s a pretty easy system, nothing to remember, no charts to refer to, just two simple steps that are pretty easy to add into a laundry routine.
If you have any other stain removing routines that are super easy, I would love to hear about them. Leave a note in the comments.
I think that everyone with a baby and a dog has had this problem. How do you keep the baby out of the dog bowls? They are just so curious, learning and exploring everything. It’s very natural for them to be interested in the dog’s bowls, but it isn’t safe.
Pancake really loves water and baths, so whenever it’s quiet for more than 30 seconds he’s probably splashing in the dog bowl. L
Babies can get sick from the bacteria in dog bowls, or even drown if the circumstances are stacked against them, but how do you keep them out of the dog bowl?
I looked everywhere for an answer, I looked into baby proof dog bowls and there really isn’t much on the market. I found a very expensive RFID tracking bowl that connects to a chip on your dog’s collar (Pepper doesn’t wear a collar when she’s in the house anyway) and it doesn’t even seem to work well. Everything else I found was able to be accessed by a curious baby.
The felt bad taking them away from Pepper and she’s not the kind of dog who eats on a schedule. I just leave food and water out for her all the time and she can access them whenever she wants to.
You really just have to move them to a place where the baby or toddler is less likely to end up because it really is impossible to watch them and keep them out of trouble all of the time.
I eventually had to just move her food out of the kitchen. I ended up putting it in the closet of the bedroom I use as an office, it’s pretty out of the way for Pancake, although he does hang out in there sometimes, and it’s easy for Pepper to access. When Pancake is in there and starts to get interested in the dog bowls, I can just close the closet doors rather than close off an entire room of our house.
If it’s warm outside and you have a doggie door outside might be a good option, or if there is a room that the baby doesn’t go in that would be another good choice. If your dog eats on a schedule you may be able to only put food out when it’s mealtime and set water up on a similar schedule. Maybe you could even teach your dog to give you a signal when they need water.
The other thing I have to watch out for when having the dog bowls in an out of the way place is that sometimes I forget to fill them. You could counter this by setting an alarm on your phone to check them at the same times every day. I try to associate checking the bowls with something else I do every day. Since Pepper’s bowls are in my office, I check them when I start working, which is early in the morning, during nap time and before bed.
Pepper was smart enough to figure out that I had moved her bowls and she didn’t seem to mind at all. She’s even used to looking for them when we go on vacation and have to put them in a different place.
Having the bowls out of the kitchen mostly keeps them out of sight out of mind for Pancake, although when he does get interested it is easy to just close the closet doors for a while and not really miss out on anything.
I hope this helps you. If any of you have come up with a better solution to this all too prevalent problem, I would love to hear it. Let me know in the comments below!
I’ve seen this a lot on Pinterest and decided to give it a try. Most of the time when I come up with new ideas for Pancake to try, he ends up just un-doing whatever it is, and it ends up taking me longer to set it back up than it did for him to un-do it. This one is great though because he can take cards out of one bucket and put them through the slot on the other bucket. When he’s out of cards all I have to do is move the lid to the other bucket.
