Half a Dozen Helpful Mommy Hints

Though I’m no Michelle Duggar with 18 kids worth of experience under my belt, I have learned a thing or two over the past couple of years.
I still oodles more to learn, but I thought I’d share some of the best tips I have figured out thus far.

SMART PHONE – Now if you are one of those people that is not addicted to the internet then this one is not that applicable to you. For me, my Blackberry was my best friend. When I was up nursing in the middle of the night I would sometimes come up with the best crafty ideas that I would jot down in my phone. When Tallulah would fall asleep on me and all I had was one hand free my Blackberry made it easy to read Perez Hilton, check email and peruse Facebook.


CHOW – I’m not talking about Hungry Man TV dinners, I mean frozen casseroles and such. When I was pregnant with Tallulah about a month before I was due I started doubling all the freezer friendly meals I cooked. We would have one for dinner and freeze the other. When you have a new baby in the house (I imagine it is even harder with a toddler and a newborn) you will be thankful for some yummy home cooked meals. If I could afford to do take out and delivery every night I would, but alas that is not an option. Santa brought me oodles of BPA free freezer storage so I have been filling it up and popping it in the deep freeze. SIDE NOTE: Before Tallulah was born Chris and I bought a deep freeze. It was great for not only frozen meals, but frozen breast milk. Plus when Tallulah got older I made all her baby food and it was handy to make and freeze big batches.

GERMAPHOBE – When I got pregnant I became a bit of a germaphobe. Given, some of my friends and family might think I’m a little neurotic (they might be right) but Tallulah has only been sick twice in two years and that is saying something. Anyone who came near Tallulah when she was a newborn I promptly instructed to wash their hands and use a hand sanitizer. I still use a cart cover whenever I go shopping with Tallulah and most time I prefer to keep her in a stroller. We use the cart cover for high chairs too when eating out. Sure we wash hands before we eat around here, but I always wash Tallulah’s hands after trips to story time at the library, afternoons at Jumpy Gym or play dates at friends houses. I’m sure the nursing for over a year part helped too.


NOISE MACHINE – No one told me the beauty of a noise machine when Tallulah was a newborn and man do I wish they had. It seems as soon as we got one around the age of 6 months the difference in her sleep was huge. We started because our large dogs walked up and down the halls outside her room and their fingernails on the hard floors were louder than you might imagine. At 2 years old she still sleeps with a noise machine and I already have one for the new baby in the ready position.

TV – Sure I could have read books all those hours I sat on the couch and up at night in bed nursing, but why when there is reality TV. During those long stretches a DVR was my best friend. I still find myself hoarding TV shows and movies on my DVR. Santa brought me a Roku to watch streaming Netflix so I feel even more prepared this time around. I can’t tell you how many episodes of Bones, Angel and Charmed I endured in the middle of the night sitting up with a newborn Tallulah. Missing the sleep will still suck, but at least I can watch something a little better.


WORK AHEAD – Before Tallulah was born I blogged 6 weeks ahead and put all the blogs on a timer. I have been doing the same thing with this baby. For instance I am writing this in late January, but you are reading it in months later. Another option bloggers utilize is lining up guest bloggers for their blog. You can also do the same thing with your Twitter feed if you have applications like Hoot Suite. Setting blogs and Tweets on a timer can take a load off of a busy pregnant social networker.

Got any helpful tips you would like to share? I'm always in the market for more ideas to make my life easier.