From Rookie to Rock Star: Tricks of the Trade

A few of these tricks will be for new moms. So, if they seem obvious, just disregard. But, they’re things I would’ve appreciated knowing. Figured ‘em out, but always nice to know ahead of time.

Trick #16: Buy a Back-Up Blankie

Of course, you won’t know which stuffed animal or blanket is going to end up being the favorite, but soon enough, YOU’LL KNOW! My mother-in-law bought this “lamby” for Cooper and this is most certainly his, can you tell? So, we bought the same one for Allie, and guess what? I’m pretty sure this is gonna be hers, too. We’ve “borrowed” hers a couple of times for Cooper. I should probably call my MIL and ask her to buy an extra now that I think about it. That way, one can be in the wash, and they can still have their precious loveys.

Trick #17: Robeez – to help keep socks on!

I have little houdinis who remove their socks before I can even get the second sock on! During the winter months, this can be a problem, especially when our babies are in that teeny tiny stage when we really do need to keep their toes warm! THANK YOU ROBEEZ! They’re not super cheap, but they are worth the splurge. So, keep an eye out at Home Goods or Marshall’s or the like. My daughter has worn hers out already. Love ‘em!

Trick #18: Nightlight Timer

Is your precious child receiving your “not so happy face” in the mornings because they are strolling in long before you’re ready to get up? I was spoiled, and my son has been a phenomenal sleeper! BUT…when we switched him over to a big boy bed, he did start prancing into our room slightly earlier than I was ready to greet him in the manner that I would LOVE to. (ahem…let me have my coffee first please? Then I can greet you with a smile and a great big hug. ;)

So, we simply purchased a digital wall timer to attach to his nightlight. You know, like the ones you’d use to time your Christmas lights? (which, by the way, if you don’t have one for your Christmas lights, get one! So fun to drive home and see them on already) It has multiple settings, so we set his for both bedtime and naptime. This way, he knows that he cannot come out until his nightlight has turned off. And it’s not an alarm, so IF he happened to sleep later than the nightlight, it’s not waking him up (although occasionally the “click” it makes when it turns off does, but…I’m ready for him! So it doesn’t matter). It’s not pretty, but it does the job!

Heads up…we did have to teach him not to push buttons on it. They have to push a LOT, but they can mess up the setting. We joked about getting one of those wall lock boxes like they put around thermostats, but he’s pretty much over it now. =)

If you wanna spend money, here are some professional options that look well worth the money:

Trick #19: Holiday Clothing on Clearance

I tried to tell myself I didn’t need these cute little holiday shirts…but when push came to shove, they’re just so stinkin’ cute! But it feels ridiculous to pay full price for them to wear them, like, once. So, I’ve been trying to keep my eyes peeled for holiday clothing on clearance post-holidays. Often times, they’ll be out of the size you need, but with my daughter being so young, I can really buy almost any size and have it work. So, if you find one you like, snatch it up and store it away for the next year!

Trick #20: Back-2-Back Swings

I can’t take credit for this one…my friends introduced me to the back-to-back swing idea. When your baby is still a bit too small to support themselves well in the swing, toss ‘em in with an older sibling! Allie absolutely loved it! So precious. She was only 4 months here. I forgot about how bad the Donald Trump hairstyle was. Ha!