A few months ago, Hubs dubbed our home “a house of convenience”. When I asked him what that meant, he said, “Look around. Everything is to make our life easier.” I had to laugh because…it was true! Sure, it wasn’t the prettiest thing to see, but it worked for us. (Tons of mom hacks around.)
I had inadvertently created my new life motto…Mom Hacks: Making Things More Convenient.
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My #1 piece of advice in creating mom hacks is: find what works best for YOU and YOUR life.
Sounds rather generic but it’s completely true. Look at your life. See what you can do to make it easier in any way. Then DO IT.
We live in a three story house. In the beginning, we pretty much stayed put on the first floor. Later, we moved between the second and first floor. Now we are occupying all three floors.
In order to not lose my mind and not make 1,000 trips up and down the stairs per day, I have done the following:
- Put a diaper changing station on each floor. It’s nothing fancy. Literally, a small basket full of diapers, a container of wipes, a tube of Aquaphor, and a small changing mat. DONE. If you only have one floor of living space, you may want to put changing stations on both ends of the house or in several rooms. (Just makes life easier, in my opinion.)
- Moved the majority of Nugget’s clothes to the first floor. Even though our bedrooms are on the second floor and basement, we spend a good chunk of time on the first floor. I definitely don’t want to have to go up and down every time I need a change of clothes or a new bib! Nugget’s closet and dressers are upstairs…but in all honesty, most of her wardrobe has migrated to the first floor. Even if you don’t go as extreme as I did, have a basket full of extra clothes on the level you occupy the most. Again, it’s a time saver when you just need a pair of pants or some socks.
- (Try to) have the diaper bag packed and ready to go. Occasionally, I will get a random invite requiring me to be somewhere 5 minutes ago. In those cases, it’s nice to have the bag packed and ready. What do I have in my diaper bag?
- TONS of diapers (like 14. I like to overpack)
- Package of wipes
- Tube of Aquaphor
- Blanket for laying on changing table
- Pad for changing table
- Blanket for warmth
- Nursing cover
- Bibs and more bibs
- Ziplock bag with extra clothes (footed jammies, fleece footed jammies, short sleeve onesie, long sleeve onesie, pants, 2 pairs of socks, sweater, hat)
- A few toys, including things to chew, like pacifier, teething ring
- Snacks, formula, and water bottle I will add right before leaving
One of my friends has TWO diaper bags…one for inside the house and one for the car. If that works for you, go for it! I feel like that’s too much work…and what is the point of the diaper bag in the house then?
- Put things back after you’re done using them/put things in the same place. This might be an obvious one but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to search for my keys! I’ve started putting things I need all the time in the same place: keys, purse, baby’s winter suit, baby’s hat, etc. IT SAVES SO MUCH TIME.
- Have a small basket of toys in every room you will be with the baby in. By this, I mean, literally, put a small basket of “stuff” in rooms you will be with baby in…the kitchen…the bathroom…the bedroom..even the car. For me, this was a lifesaver. I need to occupy Nugget when I’m cooking…on the toilet…folding laundry…small basket does the trick. Leave a few toys in the car for those long car rides too!
- Never run out of diapers or wipes. What could possibly be more stressful than running out of diapers or wipes (more so diapers)??? Especially in the middle of the night or while on the road? Make sure to always be aware of your supply. I do the Subscribe and Save on Amazon Prime so I know I’ve got my bases covered! But while I was traveling, I came perilously close to running out of wipes…oh my, was that stressful!
- Blue Dawn = Stain Remover Maximus. I learned early on NOT to wash stained baby clothes in warm water because it will set the stain. I also learned that Blue Dawn is the bomb! So far, it has gotten out pretty much every single stain (save a few extreme ones) I’ve run across. Blue Dawn is my friend. (For stains that Blue Dawn could not remove, I put clothing out in the sun–when we had some.) I set Nugget’s clothes aside and try to scrub them as soon as they get dirty. I’m saving her clothes for Nugget #2!
- Keep bibs and wipes near the high chair. Honestly, as moms, we all have so much going on that sometimes it takes a visual cue for ideas to click. This one is also an obvious hack…but I hadn’t thought of it until I saw it at my girlfriend’s house. And then the lightbulb went on and I went, “YES!! Why didn’t I think of that????”
- Never run out of essentials. By that I mean, diapers and wipes mainly, but anything you need/use on a regular basis. Make sure to order/buy ahead of time and try not to let yourself run out. It will save you from unnecessary stress!
Mom Hack #2: Safety First!
- Keep keys on a lanyard and wear around neck, especially when loading kiddos, groceries, etc. into car.
- Make sure to always have at least a quarter tank of gas at all times.
- Always have a “plan of containment” with you (stroller, baby carrier, etc.) in case you need it.
- Always have phone charged/charger with you.
- Have cash or credit card on you.
Update: Since the original post, I had another baby (Peanut)! Read how to go places alone with 2 under 2 for more mama hacks.
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Wishing you convenience in your day,
