WFMW: Baby Steps toward Organization

Things have been a bit chaotic around my house since...um...well, since I got pregnant with David. (That was September of 2008.) Since then, I don't think I've even once felt like the house was all the way clean, or organized, or peaceful. I desire that so much, and it's so hard to attain!

I'm kind of an all-or-nothing person. When I decide to change something, I go in with high energy, wading deep into the mess and re-doing a whole room in an afternoon. The problem is that right now I don't have the time, energy, or attention to devote to finishing a project like that. I can't revamp my whole house in a weekend. I can't schedule our days down to 15-minute increments. Someday those things might be possible, but not in this particular crazy-wonderful season.

Instead of tackling everything at once (or ignoring it since I can't do it all), I'm trying to take baby steps.

So I can't organize the whole dining room (which is our catch-all place)...
I can organize that one shelf over there.

So I don't have time to straighten the entire downstairs so that I can vacuum...
I can pick up the toys in the kids' room and vacuum in there, at least.

So I don't have time to fold all of the accumulated laundry and put it all away...
I can fold one basket of clothes & put it away while the kids are watching Dora.

Baby steps toward organization might just save my sanity!

For more great ideas, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Weaning from the Binky

I haven't joined the Works-For-Me Wednesday carnival in a long time, but I'm back! I have a great suggestion for weaning a baby/toddler from a pacifier!

I read this advice somewhere on the internet when Wendy was a toddler, and gave it a try. Within a week, she was completely Binky-free, with zero tears. Now that David is that age (our pediatrician recommends weaning from the pacifier by 18 months), I've done it again. And guess what?

It worked even better. He is Binky-free after only a few days.

How did I do it? It's easy!

When your baby/toddler isn't watching, cut about 1/4" off of the tip of the pacifier. That's it! That's all! Let your baby have the pacifier at all the usual times, without any restriction. In two days, if baby is still wanting the pacifier, cut another 1/4" off. Repeat as needed until baby decides that the pacifier isn't necessary.

My favorite thing about this method weaning from the Binky is that I am not the Mean Mommy. The decision to give up the pacifier came from the baby, and I didn't have to fight any battles over it.

Two additional points:
*Make sure that your cut is smooth. You don't want baby's mouth to get irritated if he decides to keep sucking on the pacifier.
*Make sure to keep the pacifier clean. Once the bulb is cut, it can trap all kinds of dirt and germs.

Good luck! For more tips and advice, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: No More High Chair!

I finally had it with our old high chair. Sure, it was great - comfy, adjustable, sturdy, and easy to use. What it was not? Easy to clean! There were so many nooks and crannies for food to hide, little grooves and joints and flaps.

David, at nearly 13 months old, still needs to be strapped into something at the table, or he's likely to fall/climb/slide right out.

Enter the Fisher-Price Heathy Care Deluxe booster seat! Despite the fancy name, it's quite affordable. I brought it home, strapped it on to one of our dining room chairs, and haven't looked back! It's fantastic. The straps are very secure, both the ones that attach it to the chair and the ones that hold David in the seat. The tray is smaller than a regular high chair, so it fits in the dishwasher quite nicely.

But the best part? The whole seat bottom is one molded piece of plastic. Other than the very thin slot where the strap comes through, there is nowhere for food to go! One quick wipe, and it's clean! *cue angels singing*

We took the booster seat on our recent trip, and it was great! It folds up easily and stays folded, and there is a little lid for the tray so that the tray stays clean while you're traveling. I can't praise it enough!!

For more great tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Picasa

I am by no means a great photographer. I would like to be, but I don't have the equipment or know-how to take really good pictures. I have a point & shoot Olympus that is about 5 years old, and I mainly just take candid shots of the kids.

I daydream of having a great camera and Photoshop one day, but it's just not in the budget right now. What is in the budget right now? Picasa.

Picasa is a free, downloadable photo-editing software from Google. It has all the basic tools you would need for casual editing - red-eye correction, retouching, lighting correction - plus a few extra "special effects" tools. It's easy to use and you can't beat the price!

Picasa works for me!
For more great tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Cutting Spaghetti

Spaghetti is a staple in our house. We make regular spaghetti, Greek-flavored spaghetti, chili spaghetti...we just love it! What we don't love, though, is the mess that results when Wendy feeds herself spaghetti. Sure, it's cute when a kid is covered head-to-toe in sauce & noodles, but that quickly loses its charm when you realize that you are the one who will have to clean it up!

I tried various things to make the spaghetti easier for Wendy to eat, and finally stumbled across just the right thing.

Ready?

I put it in one of Wendy's bowls, then cut it up with kitchen shears.

I know, right? I'm sure other people do the same thing. It's a great way of making the spaghetti more manageable, and it's so quick - just a few seconds and I'm spared all the mess that we used to have.

Using kitchen scissors to cut up my 3 year old's spaghetti works for me!

For more great Works-For-Me Wednesday tips, visit We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Backwards Edition

This week at We Are THAT Family, the weekly Works-For-Me Wednesday tip carnival is a backwards edition. That means that instead of offering up my incredibly insightful and life-saving advice (ha!) I get to ask a question, and hopefully you comment & give me some ideas.

I am going to a wedding in a few weeks, and wearing this beautiful black dress. [Aside: I know it's not typical to wear a black dress to a wedding, but the bride suggested that people dress in the wedding colors, which are black and red. I look awful in red - hello, Rosacea! - so black it is!] It's a lovely dress, but it needs something. The ceremony will be held indoors in the late afternoon with an evening reception.

What kind of shoes should I wear? Keep in mind that I will be chasing a 3 1/2 year old and a 1 year old; beautiful but terribly uncomfortable shoes will simply not work.

What kind of jewelry or other accessories?

Help?

For more Works-For-Me Wednesday, visit We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Chicken in the Crock-Pot

I love my Crock-Pot.

I love chicken.

I love saving time and money.

When I first heard people talking about cooking a whole chicken in a Crock-Pot, I was skeptical. As much as I love my slow-cooker, I couldn't imagine that a whole chicken would turn out right. Whenever I roasted a whole chicken in the oven, it was a hassle and the meat was a little dry, so it wasn't worth it. Wouldn't doing it in the Crock-Pot just make a long process longer?

Boy, was I wrong!

I gave it a try and was immediately hooked. It's easy! Cheap! And best of all, it's yummy and moist.

Here's what I do:

1. Buy a whole chicken.
2. Early the next morning, rinse the chicken & put it in the Crock-Pot, breast side down.
3. Top with whatever seasonings tickle your fancy. I've used garlic salt + Italian seasoning, Lawry's seasoned salt, oregano + lemon peel...it all turns out good!
4. Put the lid on, and turn the Crock-Pot on low.
5. Ignore it for 8-10 hours.

That's it! That's all there is to it. Rinse chicken, sprinkle w/ seasoning, turn on Crock-Pot. When the chicken is done, I pull it out & let it cool before removing the meat from the bones. Then I take all of the skin, bones, fat, etc. and return it to the cooking juices in the Crock-Pot. I add about 4 cups of water, put the lid on, and cook it on low overnight. In the morning, I've got the most beautiful chicken broth just waiting to be strained & put in the freezer!

An additional tip: I have this big oval Crock-Pot, which is a pretty common model. I usually get a two-pack of whole chickens at Sam's Club, and I can cook them at the same time, side by side. It doesn't take any more effort, but it doubles the result - and I can always use more cooked chicken & broth in the freezer!

Saving money & time...yummy & moist chicken...works for me!

For more great tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Busy Mom's Pedicure

I like the idea of a pedicure, but I never get one. I almost always have two munchkins in tow wherever I go, so stopping for a pedicure isn't really practical. I'm also very ticklish and have a hard time relaxing to enjoy the pampering.

Here is what I do instead, about once a week:

1) Before showering, plug the tub & squirt a bit of your favorite body wash in the bottom. Run the water on HOT to fill the tub with about an inch of water, then adjust the shower as usual. Climb in & enjoy soaking while showering!

2) After showering, towel dry & file rough spots with implement of choice. I've heard great things about the PedEgg, but I just use an inexpensive file.

3) Smooth your favorite lotion over your feet, making sure to massage into the heel & any other rough spots. Put on thick cotton socks while you finish dressing, to allow the lotion time to absorb into your skin.

4) Optional - after steps 1-3 are done, put a quick coat of polish on those toes! I'm currently wearing this one in Racey Rouge. Polish isn't necessary, though; just doing steps 1-3 will keep your feet smooth & healthy-looking!

Quick, inexpensive, at-home pedicures work for me! For more Works-For-Me Wednesday, visit We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Quick Chocolate Fix

Hi, my name is Jeni, and I'm a chocoholic.

(All together now..."Hi, Jeni!")

I try not to keep chocolate readily available in the house, because I have no willpower. I'll have one piece of candy or one cookie and then go back for a couple more...and one more...until they're all gone. Trying to keep temptations out of the house helps a great deal.

But then there are times when the chocolate craving cannot be denied. I'll go rifling through the cupboards, looking for something, anything chocolate. One of my favorite things to do when that intense craving strikes is make No-Bake Cookies. They're fast, they use ingredients I always have on hand, and they're very yummy. Plus, they are made with oatmeal, so that's practically healthy, right?!

No-Bake Cookies
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup butter
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa powder. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto waxed paper. Cool until hardened.

What do you do when that irresistible craving strikes?
For more great tips and ideas, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Rice - with a caveat

I was all excited about Works-For-Me Wednesday this week, because I actually had an idea! An honest-to-goodness idea! I hadn't put it into practice yet, but surely it would work - it would be great!

My idea? An indoor sandbox for Wendy. No, I'm not crazy enough to bring actual sand into the house; I can just imagine it sifting down into our deep-pile carpet... *shudder*

I bought a medium-sized plastic tote, about twice the size of a shoebox. It has a lid that snaps on securely, which is essential if you're going to do this. Then I bought a 10 lb bag of white rice at the grocery store, and dumped it into the tote. (Are you taking notes? Because this is complicated.) I grabbed a funnel and some toy kitchen tools, plopped them into the rice, and let Wendy play! She had a great time, and I got some peace and quiet in which to cook dinner!

For about $7, we now have a nice indoor "sandbox." If the rice spills, Wendy can just sweep it up & dump it back into the box!

Caveat:
If you do this, please, for the love of your vacuum cleaner, do not leave your child unattended until it has been drilled into her head to not dump the entire 10 lb of rice onto the floor because it will make Mommy's head explode. I'm sure you're more intelligent than I am, and so you would never encounter this situation. You wouldn't turn your back on a child who is playing with bazillions of tiny pieces of rice. Good for you. Your vacuum will have a longer lifespan than mine.

For more tips and advice, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Preheating the Covers

I've mentioned before that our house is old. According to the paperwork, it was built in 1940, and everyone says it has "character." If you've ever been house shopping, you know that "character" can mean: a) foundation problems, b) plumbing problems, c) wiring problems, d) cosmetic problems, e) window/roof/siding/insulation problems, or f) all of the above. Let me just say that I do love our little house; it's charming and cute and good for our little family. But it's definitely in character category f) all of the above!

Our house is drafty and cold in the winter. The cold comes up through the floors, whistles through the windows, and breezes under the doors. There's even a strange (COLD) current of air that whooshes through our bathroom if it's windy outside. When it gets very cold, as it has been here for the last week or so, the combined efforts of our furnace & gas fireplace keep the temperature hovering in the mid-60s.

We've lived here for 3 years, and really, we're accustomed to the cold.

But at night...when you're already cold...and you slip between cold covers...that's just not nice. It takes much longer to fall asleep if you're cold. If you do fall asleep before you get warm, you won't sleep deeply. I shivered & complained & piled blankets on the bed in years past, in feeble attempts to get warm - until I had a flash of inspiration this year.

I have a heating pad.

So now, about ten minutes before I want to go to bed, I tuck that heating pad into the bed, under the covers, and crank that baby up on high. Now when I get into bed, it's toasty and warm. I can relax more quickly and fall asleep faster.

I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. It's made a huge difference in the quality & amount of sleep I get - and believe me, with a fiery 3 year old and a busy 7 month old, I need all the sleep I can get!

For more great ideas, check out Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Toy Segregation

(Today's post is part of a Backwards Works-For-Me Wednesday - instead of sharing a tip with you, I'm asking for advice!)

We are in the process of getting our house organized. When you live in a small house with very little closet space, it can be quite a challenge! On our "things to do" list is the creation of a playroom for Wendy and David. Instead of them each having a bedroom with their own separate things, they are going to share a bedroom and share a playroom, in the hopes that keeping all of the toys in one location will help things stay a bit neater.

That leads me to a few questions for you:

What are some good, inexpensive ways to control toy clutter?

What features would a good playroom include?

Is there a good way to keep an older child's small (choking hazard) toys away from an active baby?

If you've got any suggestions for me, please let me know! I have Pottery Barn dreams on a Wal-Mart budget, so I could use all the help I can get!

For more Backwards Works-For-Me Wednesday posts, visit We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Cleaning Scorched Pans

A few months ago, when we were still adjusting to life with a preschooler and a newborn, I made a mistake. One I wasn't sure I could correct.

I scorched an entire saucepan full of white sauce. Scorched it badly, too - the layer of black on the bottom of the pan was nearly 1/4" thick in spots. (Aside: women who are caring for a newborn and a 3 year old, and running on very little sleep, should not attempt to multi-task when it comes to cooking.)

I soaked. I scrubbed. I soaked more. I Googled. I tried baking soda. Soaking with baking soda. Boiling the baking soda. Mixing the baking soda with vinegar and soaking. Boiling vinegar. All of those methods were successful - if you measure success a few molecules at a time.

I mentioned my problem to my mother, and she said, "Don't you have any oven cleaner?"

"Oven cleaner?" I replied. "I haven't bought oven cleaner in years and years, not since we got our first self-cleaning oven."

She suggested that I give it a try, and it worked WONDERS. Wonders, I tell you. I followed the directions on the can, and it took two applications, but the scorched-on food came right off. The saucepan has never looked better! I have since used the oven cleaner on some cookie sheets, and they look brand new!

Oven cleaner works for me! For more tips and ideas, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

WFMW: Train Table

While running errands yesterday, I discovered a new FREE way to reward Wendy for good behavior. We were in the middle of a day of shopping, and one of our stops was at Books-A-Million. Wendy remembered that they have a train table in the Children's Section and she made a beeline for it.

She happily spent about 45 minutes quietly playing with the trains, which gave me a chance to sit down, feed David, and just relax. It was great! I think we may be making Books-A-Million our regular "rest stop" when we're in the area.

Free entertainment works for me! For more great ideas, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Laundry Organization

With a toddler, a baby, and a puppy in the house, I do quite a bit of laundry. Attempting to keep up with it has always felt a little overwhelming, until I put a few new things into practice. Using this strategy, I'm able to keep within two loads of being caught up all the time, even now that we're using cloth diapers.

Here's what works for me:

1. Get caught up. This took several hours of work, and James helped me get it done. We got everything washed, dried, folded, and put away, so that we could start fresh.

2. Put two hampers in the bathroom. If we had a real laundry room, the hampers would live there - but we don't. Fortunately, we have enough space in our bathroom for two full-size hampers. One is for light clothes and one is for dark clothes. All of our clothes go into these hampers - adult clothes, Wendy clothes, baby clothes, etc. The only things we keep separate are the cloth diapers, since they have to be washed in a different way. (And they're icky. Dirty cloth diapers mixed with our regular clothes? Yuck.)

3. Make a point to do one load of laundry every day. Even at our messiest, doing one load a day, start to finish, keeps us caught up. I take a glance at the hampers every morning and see which one is the most full, and that's what gets washed that day.

4. Start the laundry early in the day. It only takes a few minutes to throw a load in the washer if it is pre-sorted. I usually do this while my coffee is brewing or while David is playing after having his first bottle of the day. If the washer has been started early, it is easy to find little blocks of time during the day to switch it to the dryer (or hang the clothes on the line) and then fold them & put them away.

Now, with only separating our clothes into "lights" and "darks," the white clothes seem to gradually get a little dingy. When I notice that they aren't very bright, I just set them aside & run a big load of white clothes in hot water with a little bleach, and the problem is solved. I only have to do that about once a month, so it isn't a big deal to me.

This laundry strategy works for me. I stay at home all day; if you work outside the home you would obviously need to tweak things a bit. I think you could still start the washer in the morning, and perhaps put the clothes in the dryer when you first come home from work.

What laundry tips work for you?

For other organizational tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Rag Curls

My daughter has very fine, straight, shoulder-length hair, and it's still baby-fluff hair that is hard to style. I decided to try rag curls last week, and didn't have much success. After doing some more research, I decided to try again - and they certainly worked this time!


Here's what I did:

1. Cut 1" x 8" strips from an old T-shirt. I used 10 strips for her little head; for a bigger girl or thicker hair, you'd need more strips.
2. Washed her hair, conditioned well, let air dry.
3. Gathered comb, mousse, rag strips, and child, and turned on a fun DVD. (For an almost-3 year old, that last bit is essential if you want her to hold still!)
4. Combed her hair out, and liberally applied mousse. Lots and lots of mousse.
5. Sectioned the hair, starting at the top of the head, and rolled each little section on a rag strip, then tied the strip in a knot to keep it in place.
   

I rolled her hair in the late afternoon, and before bedtime I had to re-roll a few curls, because her play had loosened them. In the morning, all I did was carefully untie the strips & unroll the curls, and run my fingers through them to loosen them up a little.

The curls were a bit tighter than I would prefer, but I'm sure with more practice I'll get it just right. I may try sponge rollers, too, if I can ever find them at the store. These rag curls were really quite easy, and they were comfortable for Wendy - she wore them for over 12 hours, and didn't seem to be bothered by them at all.

Rag curls work for me! For more tips & ideas, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Cutting the Facebook Clutter

Today's tip is a really simple one, but it makes a big difference in how I use Facebook. During Facebook's recent update, they changed the flow of the home page. Now there are quiz results, game scores, and all kinds of other items cluttering up the home page.

A friend walked me through an easy fix for this, and I love it! If you're interested in seeing just the status updates of your friends, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Facebook home page.

2. In the upper left, there is a list of options. It may say things like, "News Feed," "Family," etc. based on how your friends are labeled. Underneath that list is a little tab that says, "More."

3. Click on "More" to display a bigger list, and find "Status Updates."

4. Click on "Status Updates" and drag it to the top of the list of options, above "News Feed."

5. That's it! Now, when you go to your home page, the default view will be of new status updates. You can still access everything else by clicking on the "News Feed" option.


I hope that helps! I'm certainly happier with my home page set this way.

For more tips & advice, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: The Double Swaddle

Swaddling has been used for centuries to soothe & calm young babies. We swaddled Wendy for every nap & bedtime until she was seven months old; it really helped her to sleep better. It was easy when she was a newborn, but as she grew & became stronger, it was harder to get her swaddled securely enough that she would stay that way. David is only 12 weeks old, but we were already having trouble keeping his arms secure - until I figured out this trick, which I call a double swaddle.

(The idea isn't original with me; I figured this out after watching a video about the Miracle Blanket. I thought it was a great idea, and then realized I could accomplish the same thing just using two thin receiving blankets - of which I have a whole stack!)

It starts like a traditional swaddle, except that you lay out two blankets, one on top of the other, both with the top corner folded down.

Place your baby right in the middle, with his head above the top edge of the blankets. (Be sure to smooch his baby cheeks when you do this; it's essential for the swaddling process.)

Here's where it is different. Take his left arm and pull it down against his left side. Take the top layer of blanket on that side, wrap it around his arm, and tuck it under his rump.

Do the same with the other arm. At this point, his arms are pretty effectively pinned against his sides, with the blanket tucked up under his behind.


Then use the outer blanket to swaddle him like you normally would, tucking one side in snugly, and wrapping the other around & tucking it underneath.


And there you have it! A securely wrapped bundle of cuteness. I wish I had figured this out when Wendy was a baby, because it would have saved us a lot of frustration from her getting loose & waking herself up. David can't budge at all when he's wrapped like this, and he loves it - he usually grins up at me once he's securely wrapped.

Because there are two layers of blankets, make sure you don't over-dress your baby before swaddling him like this. David usually just wears a onesie & socks to bed, and he seems to be perfectly comfortable with his two flannel receiving blankets around him. (The only reason he was in a footed sleeper for these pictures is because he was fresh from a bath.)

Double-swaddling definitely Works for Me! For more great tips & ideas, head over to Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

For my previous WFMW entries, click here.

WFMW: Hymns as Lullabies

Because I have a newborn at home - he's 7 weeks old today! - I do a lot of rocking & singing. It's a great time to bond with David, and it helps to calm us both down if we've had a stressful day. Instead of relying on traditional lullabies, I sing hymns & devotional songs to him. There are many that are perfectly suited for use as a lullaby.

I know that he is too young right now to understand the words of whatever lullaby I choose to sing, but that won't always be the case. Before I know it, he will be old enough to really listen and start understanding the words & maybe even ask questions. In the meantime, the songs minister to me and serve as a special time of private praise, a bonding and rededicating of my life & my son to my God.

Here are some hymns or devotional songs that I've found work particularly well as lullabies:

• Trust and Obey
• Seek Ye First
• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
• Jesus Loves Me (of course)
• What a Friend We Have in Jesus
• Here We Are But Straying Pilgrims
• Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross
• Day By Day
• Peace, Perfect Peace
• Holy, Holy, Holy

What songs do you use as lullabies?

For more tips and ideas, head over to Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

WFMW: Packing for Hospital

If you read my blog at all, you know that we'll be having a baby next Wednesday, if all goes according to the new plan. I spent some time this weekend getting a bag ready to take to the hospital, so that we're ready to go when the time comes.

Before beginning my packing, I asked around for suggestions of things to pack. We've been through this before, but when we had Wendy, I didn't do such a good job of packing. I took too much stuff to the hospital, and was missing some things I could have really used. Anyway, here's a compilation of suggestions from folks who are much smarter than I am:

• 3-4 changes of comfy clothes, depending on how long you anticipate your hospital stay to be. Comfort is key!
• Nursing bras if you're planning to breastfeed
  
• Extra socks, comfy slippers
• Light sweater, no matter the season - sometimes hospitals are COLD.
• Toiletries. Don't forget some basics for your husband - he'd appreciate being able to brush his teeth.
• Maxi pads. From what I remember, this is no time for the thin & trim styles!
  
• Clothes for your husband if he's staying with you the whole time.
• Chapstick & lotion - must stay hydrated!
  
• A comfy pillow - can stay in the car if not needed
• Camera/camcorder
  
• Chargers for cell phones/camera/camcorder
• Laptop and/or iPod if you're into that.
  
• Light reading/crossword puzzles/sudoku book - nothing too heavy, but something to occupy your mind if you can't sleep or get bored with the TV!
• List of people to call when baby arrives
• Snacks - we're taking peanut-butter crackers & trail mix for between-meal munching.
• Things for baby - two going-home outfits (just in case), socks/booties, hat, receiving blanket, Binkie, baby nail trimmers
  
• Gift for older child or children - we have a baby doll for Wendy that looks a lot like a newborn baby. It even has hospital bracelets. When she first comes to see us in the hospital, she'll get her very own baby to take home with her - I think that'll help with the idea of a baby brother.
• And don't forget to install that car seat! Can't take baby home without it!

Looking at this list, it sounds like a lot of stuff. It really isn't; ours is mostly packed into a smallish rolling duffle bag. Also keep in mind that my list is based on a scheduled C-section - I would imagine that if you're going through labor, you may want a few additional things.

Please, let me know in the comments if you have other suggestions! There's still some room in the duffle bag!

Being prepared for our hospital stay works for me. For more tips & ideas, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!