My grocery bill did go up a little bit. (as I predicted). It was about $150 increase. I lump gas and groceries together.
My shopping budget improved by 83%. Meaning I saved a lot of money here. My goal was zero dollars, but I cheated. I bought a $81 / rug for my son's room that was on a super sale and I had been looking at for months. I decided to buy it as it was the lowest price I have seen. I cut spending by a ton! I hope I did the math correctly. I saved a ton and won't put my actual values on here, but know I didn't do zero, but did save a lot.
My 7.50 a day work day budget was super hard. I ended up doing pretty well on that. I cheated in that I counted toward an order that I sold in February and also counted my ebates quarterly check (which was $69 - mainly from holiday shopping). I tried to get on ebates anytime I bought holiday gifts online.
My comparison was based on December where my budget is pretty high due to holiday shopping.
I said that I would not book travel, but did spend this much on travel. Not much, but still beyond my plan. I did this because I wanted to go to a city where travel would book quickly due to an event in April.
7 - Travel -230.44
I also got satellite radio - and paid for one year - which was not part of my plan.
For me, I have to network for work and go to happy hour, so I did spend more money on that - than December. December my work lunches were less likely due to holidays and also I didn't go to happy hour much due to the holidays. I counted this under my eatingoutwithoutkids budget.
I actually came up under my $175 a month budget, but like I said I cheated a little. My husband took me out to lunch two days. I counted my happy hour budget on this - I believe - and I brought down the spending by counting my left over money (really lots of change from all of january).
--------
Positives:
1) using money that I received and my ebates check to counter my lunch spending. (as stated previously). I don't get an ebates check every month, so I can't.
2) Another positive. I hand made all gifts for 3 parties that my kids were invited to. I had the tshirts already, but I did spend time workign on them. I will say try to set a budget for kid parties. $10. Of course, if they are a close friend, I spend more. We were invited to more parties than I anticipated due to lots of parties due to turning 4, etc.
3) I also made home made valentine cards to save money.
4) Understand how much you are spending. I categorize everything into buckets.
5) I took all my change (mainly my husband's change, but part of my change) from the month of january and took it to coin star. It was $35.08 in change and that was including all the change in my purse. So I subtracted 35.08 from my shopping budget.
I'm doing another month, but won't be as strict on my $7.50 a day budget. I will be mindful of it, but continue to save. I will say that I do have some items that I planned to buy in March for my son's room. I know they will go beyond my shopping budget, but I may try to buy stuff in pieces (like I bought the rug in February).
Friday, March 1, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Do you buy too much organic stuff?
Maybe your grocery bill is too big due to buying organic food - that maybe you don't need to get.
Here is a good article that talks about what are the main foods to buy if you only have so much to spend on organic foods.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#slide-1
A few of these surprised me. I do try to buy organic strawberries, but don't buy organic potatoes.
One of the other few items that I buy organic is milk.
I don't buy organic meats most times, but try to get low fat or lean meat. I also prefer free range meats or eggs but free range doesn't mean organic nccessarily.
Here is a good article that talks about what are the main foods to buy if you only have so much to spend on organic foods.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#slide-1
A few of these surprised me. I do try to buy organic strawberries, but don't buy organic potatoes.
One of the other few items that I buy organic is milk.
I don't buy organic meats most times, but try to get low fat or lean meat. I also prefer free range meats or eggs but free range doesn't mean organic nccessarily.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
What do you do on Valentine's Day?
Valentine's Day is next week.
Do you buy your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, signficiant other something expensive? Flowers?
My husband usually doesn't get me flowers and I'm fine with that. We usually do a card and some chocolates. If he does get me flowers, it is from the grocery store (not delivered).
We do not buy each other expensive jewelry, etc.
How much do you spend on this holiday? it is nice to get your significant other something once in awhile, but does it have to be on 2/14?
Go to lunch or dinner another day when the restaurants don't charge an upcharge. Buy her flowers when they are also not jacked up prices - maybe on February 1st. My parents have an anniversary in February around Valentine's Day and I just sent thm flowers on 2/1 to avoid expensive flowers/upcharges.
Right now, Ebates has 20% cash back on Teleflora or FTD. I don't know if it will be going on - on 2/14, but why do you need to celebrate on a day that companies take advantage and charge people more money for dinner or flowers.
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=43NFNJ3KT02nsPut0%2FwDtg%3D%3D
My husband and I will never go to dinner on valentine's night. We may go during the day while the kids are in school.
Do you buy your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, signficiant other something expensive? Flowers?
My husband usually doesn't get me flowers and I'm fine with that. We usually do a card and some chocolates. If he does get me flowers, it is from the grocery store (not delivered).
We do not buy each other expensive jewelry, etc.
How much do you spend on this holiday? it is nice to get your significant other something once in awhile, but does it have to be on 2/14?
Go to lunch or dinner another day when the restaurants don't charge an upcharge. Buy her flowers when they are also not jacked up prices - maybe on February 1st. My parents have an anniversary in February around Valentine's Day and I just sent thm flowers on 2/1 to avoid expensive flowers/upcharges.
Right now, Ebates has 20% cash back on Teleflora or FTD. I don't know if it will be going on - on 2/14, but why do you need to celebrate on a day that companies take advantage and charge people more money for dinner or flowers.
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=43NFNJ3KT02nsPut0%2FwDtg%3D%3D
My husband and I will never go to dinner on valentine's night. We may go during the day while the kids are in school.
Monday, January 28, 2013
How much do you spend on lunch?
Several coworkers have said that they cannot do $7.50 a day. How much do you spend on lunch? If you work at home taking care of kids or work from home or work at work - how much do you spend a day? Do you know? If not look at your monthly expenses. Most credit cards companies do tell you how you are spending, but I think that is done every year unless you run your own reports. I pay for a lot via credit card, so don't know how much I spend on lunch daily.
I'll be paying cash each day during February while at work.
As part of my budget challenge starting in a few days, I'll be limiting myself to $7.50 a day (for all meals during the day at work - snack, tea, coffee, lunch,etc).
Many have told me that $7.50 is just too little. I selected that amount because I decided to cut my monthly expense by a certain amount. Some of my coworkers are doing $10 a day.
I can get tea at work by brining my own and getting hot water for 11 cents. I think they even hot water from a free dispenser. I bring coffee in the morning from home most days, so I'm fairly good at that. If I feel like being social at work in the afternoon, I do usually get tea, but try to avoid starbucks coffee that is a minimum of 1.94. 11 cents is much better.
Lunch is hard. At my work cafeteria most meals will put you over 7.50 just by themselves. I try to do a half sandwich with chips or even a sandwich is under this amount usually with a drink (tea).
Going out to eat while at work is extremely hard. I used to get iced tea all the time because I live in Texas and even winter is hot. I'm trying to get more waters at restaurants. I ate at Chipoltle one day - before my budget crunch started - and it was 6.75 plus tax I think for a entree. With no water, that is close to my budget crunch.
A lot of people won't sacrifice their lunch and feel that eating something than at a sit down restaurant will add more calories for them. That's ok, I get that. I'm trying to lose weight with my challenge too. Let's say you go somewhere that has an entree for 11.50 and you get a water. You don't have to eat the whole thing and maybe you can split your meal for tomorrow's lunch (or for dinner). In that way, you have met the 7.50 budget per day. You are also saving calories that add up over time if you only eat half your food. Sometimes I have the restaurant give me a to go container before I even start eating, so I can stick to my half amount.
Also try to save on tips by going to counter service restaurants like chipotle, jason's deli, etc.
How much do you think is appropriate for lunch?
Even if you bring your lunch every day, you are spending money buying groceries to make your meal.
I'll be paying cash each day during February while at work.
As part of my budget challenge starting in a few days, I'll be limiting myself to $7.50 a day (for all meals during the day at work - snack, tea, coffee, lunch,etc).
Many have told me that $7.50 is just too little. I selected that amount because I decided to cut my monthly expense by a certain amount. Some of my coworkers are doing $10 a day.
I can get tea at work by brining my own and getting hot water for 11 cents. I think they even hot water from a free dispenser. I bring coffee in the morning from home most days, so I'm fairly good at that. If I feel like being social at work in the afternoon, I do usually get tea, but try to avoid starbucks coffee that is a minimum of 1.94. 11 cents is much better.
Lunch is hard. At my work cafeteria most meals will put you over 7.50 just by themselves. I try to do a half sandwich with chips or even a sandwich is under this amount usually with a drink (tea).
Going out to eat while at work is extremely hard. I used to get iced tea all the time because I live in Texas and even winter is hot. I'm trying to get more waters at restaurants. I ate at Chipoltle one day - before my budget crunch started - and it was 6.75 plus tax I think for a entree. With no water, that is close to my budget crunch.
A lot of people won't sacrifice their lunch and feel that eating something than at a sit down restaurant will add more calories for them. That's ok, I get that. I'm trying to lose weight with my challenge too. Let's say you go somewhere that has an entree for 11.50 and you get a water. You don't have to eat the whole thing and maybe you can split your meal for tomorrow's lunch (or for dinner). In that way, you have met the 7.50 budget per day. You are also saving calories that add up over time if you only eat half your food. Sometimes I have the restaurant give me a to go container before I even start eating, so I can stick to my half amount.
Also try to save on tips by going to counter service restaurants like chipotle, jason's deli, etc.
How much do you think is appropriate for lunch?
Even if you bring your lunch every day, you are spending money buying groceries to make your meal.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Thinking about Retirement
You may not be in your 50s, but you should start thinking about retirement. There is some good advice in here on how to save. Contribute to your company's 401K or start your own if you don't work. Pay off something. Put $50 away each month.
http://money.msn.com/baby-boomers/c_galleryregular.aspx?cp-documentid=250412236
I definitely didn't start when I was 25 like you should. I did save some, but needed to pay for college, etc. I was also barely able to afford my living and work and go to school.
Save now and enjoy later. I would much rather take vacations when I am retired than take a vacation every month now and spend way too much money. This is one thing that my husband and I are good at. We do vacation, but we don't go as much as some of my friends and we try to do stuff that is cheaper (stay with friends or family to save money, etc).
One of the top items on here is talking about budget. I think I'll take my februrary crunch and budget check beyond the month (of course we haven't started yet). I do think the article makes a point that if you wait to check what you spent at the end of the year - you have spent too much. Do it month by month and be on a budget.
Of course there are times when you need to spend - you need a new car, etc. You should do that, but just keep an eye on what you are spending on. Little things add up over time. If you are like most moms or dads I know, you go to target or other stores and you make many impulse buys. You are not sticking to a list and you buy stuff that is just there or just on sale. I do this a lot and sometimes buy things on sale and only just because they are on sale. It really adds up especially if the sale is 30% of less and you really didn't need the item to begin with.
http://money.msn.com/baby-boomers/c_galleryregular.aspx?cp-documentid=250412236
I definitely didn't start when I was 25 like you should. I did save some, but needed to pay for college, etc. I was also barely able to afford my living and work and go to school.
Save now and enjoy later. I would much rather take vacations when I am retired than take a vacation every month now and spend way too much money. This is one thing that my husband and I are good at. We do vacation, but we don't go as much as some of my friends and we try to do stuff that is cheaper (stay with friends or family to save money, etc).
One of the top items on here is talking about budget. I think I'll take my februrary crunch and budget check beyond the month (of course we haven't started yet). I do think the article makes a point that if you wait to check what you spent at the end of the year - you have spent too much. Do it month by month and be on a budget.
Of course there are times when you need to spend - you need a new car, etc. You should do that, but just keep an eye on what you are spending on. Little things add up over time. If you are like most moms or dads I know, you go to target or other stores and you make many impulse buys. You are not sticking to a list and you buy stuff that is just there or just on sale. I do this a lot and sometimes buy things on sale and only just because they are on sale. It really adds up especially if the sale is 30% of less and you really didn't need the item to begin with.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Budget Crunch
Budget crunch for the month of February. February 1st start.
Soft rules:
1) Set your own budget cuts and rules (your plan). You can communicate it or not.
2) It is ok to mess up.
3) If someone gives you money, you can add that to your budget. EX: Your mom gives your $20 for your anniversary or birthday - spend it!
4) If you happen to sell something (and get income besides work income), you can add that to your budget. EX: If someone buys something from you on etsy or something that you have (old golf clubs, etc), you can add that to your spending cash.
5) If your car breaks down, fix it no matter what.
6) If you have a health issue, fix it. (go to doctor).
7) Please do not put specifics, if you don’t feel comfortable.
8) Try to categorize where you spend and where you need to focus. I took an extract from my accounts for one month and then categorized my spending. Do this before 2/1.
9) If you want to buy something online, save it in a cart for later (and think about it). For amazon, you can add to your wish list. (it may even go down).
10) You can buy stuff, but try buying stuff in March – especially something you don’t need now (golf clubs, crafts, etc).
11) Gifts like for valentines or birthdays – buy them if you wish.
12) You can go out to lunch – just do what you feel is right for your budget cuts.
13) You can drop out at any time.
14) Starts on February 1st – mainly for 20 work days (plus how much you can do on your own).
15) Gas and groceries are fine – unless you spend way too much on groceries and that is where you want to cut.
16) Try not to cheat – no your friends can’t pay for your lunch every day.
17) If you feel like you might cheat, ask the group for motivation. (maybe you need a website for cheaper homemade meals and someone has that info).
18) If you have a child's birthday or you are having a party, do another month.
19) Keep track of what you are spending.
My plan:
I’m going to:
Put myself on a daily lunch budget and use cash. I am going to try to spend less than $7.50 a day (including coffee/morning snack/lunch, anything at work, etc). If I spend nothing one day, I can spend more on another day as long as my 20 day budget is met. Others may do $10/day.
Try not to buy stuff on amazon or target or really anything besides groceries. This is my focus area.
I can go out to lunch but cannot over my daily budget. (or not eat much the next day).
Afternoon coffee will be tea mostly for me as hot water is 11 cents as opposed to several dollars for a coffee. I bring my own tea.
Grocery budget stays the same or may go up slightly due to eating at my desk more.
Make a valentine card and no gift for husband.
Any travel plans – will be made after February.
I am still able to eat out on the weekends with family as this is not my focus area and I don’t mind spending here. My focus is work eating and frivolous spending online.
What is your plan?
This is extreme, but use it for guideline:
http://smallnotebook.org/2010/07/01/the-no-spend-month/
Soft rules:
1) Set your own budget cuts and rules (your plan). You can communicate it or not.
2) It is ok to mess up.
3) If someone gives you money, you can add that to your budget. EX: Your mom gives your $20 for your anniversary or birthday - spend it!
4) If you happen to sell something (and get income besides work income), you can add that to your budget. EX: If someone buys something from you on etsy or something that you have (old golf clubs, etc), you can add that to your spending cash.
5) If your car breaks down, fix it no matter what.
6) If you have a health issue, fix it. (go to doctor).
7) Please do not put specifics, if you don’t feel comfortable.
8) Try to categorize where you spend and where you need to focus. I took an extract from my accounts for one month and then categorized my spending. Do this before 2/1.
9) If you want to buy something online, save it in a cart for later (and think about it). For amazon, you can add to your wish list. (it may even go down).
10) You can buy stuff, but try buying stuff in March – especially something you don’t need now (golf clubs, crafts, etc).
11) Gifts like for valentines or birthdays – buy them if you wish.
12) You can go out to lunch – just do what you feel is right for your budget cuts.
13) You can drop out at any time.
14) Starts on February 1st – mainly for 20 work days (plus how much you can do on your own).
15) Gas and groceries are fine – unless you spend way too much on groceries and that is where you want to cut.
16) Try not to cheat – no your friends can’t pay for your lunch every day.
17) If you feel like you might cheat, ask the group for motivation. (maybe you need a website for cheaper homemade meals and someone has that info).
18) If you have a child's birthday or you are having a party, do another month.
19) Keep track of what you are spending.
My plan:
I’m going to:
Put myself on a daily lunch budget and use cash. I am going to try to spend less than $7.50 a day (including coffee/morning snack/lunch, anything at work, etc). If I spend nothing one day, I can spend more on another day as long as my 20 day budget is met. Others may do $10/day.
Try not to buy stuff on amazon or target or really anything besides groceries. This is my focus area.
I can go out to lunch but cannot over my daily budget. (or not eat much the next day).
Afternoon coffee will be tea mostly for me as hot water is 11 cents as opposed to several dollars for a coffee. I bring my own tea.
Grocery budget stays the same or may go up slightly due to eating at my desk more.
Make a valentine card and no gift for husband.
Any travel plans – will be made after February.
I am still able to eat out on the weekends with family as this is not my focus area and I don’t mind spending here. My focus is work eating and frivolous spending online.
What is your plan?
This is extreme, but use it for guideline:
http://smallnotebook.org/2010/07/01/the-no-spend-month/
Sunday, December 5, 2010
New mom check list
My friend created this for her friend. Is it nice for her to do for a friend?
I hope she doesn't mind that I am pasting it here as I think she has a lot of good advice. (and not just because she references my blog about breastfeeding expectations. ;)
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I compiled this list for my 27 weeks pregnant next door neighbor - thanks to all who helped me the other day. It strikes me that some folks here might also find it helpful.
Here ya go - it's long - and the crunchy mama musings within are my opinion only, of course feel free to ignore. Some of the info is Pittsburgh based too.
Here is a list of some of my favorite things (or others’ favorite things that they’ve told me about.)
Swaddle Blankets – you need ‘em. And not those small flannel receiving blankets (although those are great to use as burp rags or light blankets to cover baby.) Aden and Anais make GREAT swaddling blankets, Kiddopatomus does too (and theirs are available at BRU – theirs are called “Swaddle Me”.)
www.adenandanais.com
Here are some other really nice ones with good info about swaddling too:
http://www.swaddledesigns.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?search=action&keywords=all&template=PDGCommTemplates/HTN/CategorySwaddling.html
Halo Sleep Sacks – once you are done swaddling – these are AWESOME. We just stopped using them about 3 months ago.
www.halosleep.com
Best DVD to watch (TWICE!!) BEFORE you have the baby:
Happiest Baby on the Block – you want the DVD not the book – and you and Matt need to watch it together.
www.happiestbaby.com
Best places to get help with breastfeeding:
www.kellymom.com – awesome website that answers every question you could think of and I think there’s a chat board too where you can ask questions..
Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh – you can get an appointment there right after you have baby – it’s covered by insurance – and they will help you and baby get on/stay on the right track..
www.breastfeedingcenterofpittsburgh.com
Allegheny County Breastfeeding Helpline
412-247-1000 – answers weekends and holidays too! 8am – 10pm every day – provides counseling over the phone.
Local La Leche League – great to attend a meeting while still pregnant and reach out for help ASAP if you are having trouble once baby is born:
http://www.llli.org/
Also – THIS is an excellent, VERY realistic description of breastfeeding a newborn. It is 100 percent accurate – from how often you feed, to how long it takes some newborns to feed (anyone who tells you “15 minutes only” or any other BS like that is WRONG.)
http://grapemama.blogspot.com/2010/10/breastfeeding-realistic-expectations.html
A final thought – if breastfeeding does NOT work out – do not beat yourself up. Jack got mostly breastmilk but because he could not latch and I had to exclusively pump, I was not able to make enough milk. So he got some formula every day. I liked Earth's Best organic formula. Before we switched to Earth’s Best I gave him Similac ready to feed – the ready to feed is sometimes easier on newborn’s tummies than the powder mixes at first. When we switched to powder, I always used FILTERED tap water and we did warm up bottles with a bottle warmer – the First Years bottle warmer. Also – water goes in the bottle first, then you add the powder. This is so you have the correct ratio of water to powder. Use dairy based formula unless baby is allergic and you have to go to soy based or something else.
Other things we loved:
Swing (couldn’t have lived without it – it was the only place Jack would sleep sometimes)
Bouncy Seat – a place to put baby down sometimes – and they usually like them a lot.
Arm’s Reach co-sleeper – Jack slept in one in our room for 6 months – first in a mini that my sister gave me, then the regular size one. LOVE this product. He also slept in our bed quite a bit – it is safe to cosleep/bedshare IF you take the proper precautions. Here are some links that describes those precautions:
http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/safe-cosleeping.html
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/familybed.html#linkssafety
Sometimes, it’s the only way to get ANY sleep. We also always ran a fan in our room to keep air circulating (this is smart to do wherever baby sleeps) – you also don’t want baby’s sleeping area to be too warm – don’t overdress your baby at night, regardless of where baby sleeps. A cool sleeping area is best.
Here is a link for arm’s reach cosleeper too: www.armsreach.com
Moby Wrap – AWESOME PRODUCT! Allows you to “hold” baby while still having both of your arms and hands free. Here’s a link with description and instructions on how to use it.
http://www.mobywrap.com
Ergo – another one of my favorite babywearing products! You’ve seen me carry Jack in this one:
http://www.ergobabycarrier.com
Can’t stress enough how great these babywearing products are – it is really good for baby to be close to you (and anyone who tells you that you’re holding baby too much or baby will get “spoiled” is spouting really outdated notions, don’t listen, it actually is good for their physical and mental development to be held – a lot – these products make that possible while still being able to do other things too.)
More great stuff:
Lansinoh breast creme - you will need this if you are breastfeeding!!
Best pumps – Medela or Ameda – you want a good, expensive pump. Lots of info about pumping to be found on Kelly Mom website too.
You’ll need some disposable breast pads too (you will leak, it’s CRAZY at first) – I did NOT like the lansinoh brand breast pads – I liked Avent.
Breast soothies are also good – cooling gel pads. Your nips WILL hurt from breastfeeding – no matter what anybody says. Doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong either, that’s a lot of hooey. The Lansinoh breast crème will be your friend!
Onesies – these are the little bodysuits that snap under the crotch – I used one every day – I liked Gap, Old Navy and Carter’s.
I also loved the snap up “sleep and plays” – these are the all one piece, little footed outfits that you see small babies wearing – some moms prefer the ones that zip rather than snap. Kohl’s has GREAT prices on this type of stuff – super cheap.
Baby Aquaphor – love this stuff. Great for chapped cheeks, rashes of unknown origin and more!
Triple Paste Diaper Cream – THE BEST in my opinion. Thicker than the others, really helps to heal and prevent diaper rash. Love it.
California Baby shampoo and body wash – I love the California Baby baby lotion and cream too – I also like Method baby products too. Both Cal Baby and Method are available at BRU.
www.californiababy.com
Seventh Generation are my favorite disposable diapers – no chlorine bleach, no fragrance, no weird dyes.
I like Huggies Natural Care, fragrance free wipes too – strong and don’t irritate Jack’s skin.
Strollers – go for a good one. NOT necessarily a “travel system” either – they are big, bulky, and not that great. Pretty much any stroller can be adapted to work with your infant carseat, so it’s really not an issue. We have one bigger stroller for neighborhood walks (a Jeep Limited Urban Terrain, it’s OK) and a lightweight one that stays in the car (city micro jogger – like it a LOT! They make a city mini jogger too and I know a lot of people like it. They are not jogging strollers – don’t know why they’re called “joggers!”)
I loved our snap and go stroller too – it’s like a frame – you can click graco infant carseat into it very easily.
Crib mattress – I went with a really expensive organic mattress. Probably wasn’t necessary, but that’s the one I got.
www.naturepedic.com
I also liked the organic cotton sheets I got at BRU.
You need a changing table and changing pad – most frequently used piece of baby furniture in our entire house! Get 2 or 3 soft changing pad covers too.
Other faves:
Gerber cloth diapers – great shoulder spit up cloths!
Gripe water – good for babies with colic – same goes for mylicon gas drops, get those too.
Bibs - a multipack of the cotton ones
Don’t get a lot of NB size clothes and diapers – just a few outfits – baby will outgrow them and move on to 0-3 pretty quick.
A lot of people like Soothie binkies – although if you breastfeed it’s recommended you don’t introduce a pacifier for a while at first.
Sandra Boynton books – of course you can’t start reading to baby too early (teacher mom knows that, ha ha!)
Other thoughts:
Tummy time – SO important. You remember Jack’s little helmet he had to wear – his plagiocephaly (flat spot on the right rear side of his head) started in the womb due to his being breech – but it can start outside the womb if babies are on their heads on the same spot too much. You want to make sure your baby gets plenty of tummy time – and also lays on your chest or Matt’s (tummy down so “facing” you) – don’t always hold her on the same side (whether cradling her or when she up on your shoulder) and make sure she doesn’t always turn her head the same way when she sleeps – rotate it for her every nap and at night so she’s laying on a different spot every time. Also lay her across your legs on her tummy – that counts as “tummy time” too. Babies hate tummy time usually. Do it anyway. Wearing your baby in Moby and Ergo a lot will also prevent flattening. And if you start to notice a flat spot – tell me! And I’ll have a lot more info for you.
Another tip that just popped into my head - when you start bathing her in a little baby tub (we got a simple one from BRU that also had a little "sling" - it was great) - you'll start that after her umbilical cord falls off, before it does, you'll just "sponge" bath her with a damp warm cloth or whatever (and - they don't get dirty so do not feel like you have to do this often) - ANYWAY - when you bathe her in the tub - lay a warm, wet guest sized towel over her entire body so very little naked skin is being hit by cold air. It's amazing how this calms them and helps them enjoy the bath (instead of shrieking and crying because their skin is being hit by the cool air in your house.) And then you just move the towel around as needed to pour water over her little body, etc. I think I have a pic of Jack in his little tubby.. going to find it.. oh, good found it! You can see the little blue tub (it fit crossways in our kitchen sink,) the sling that's he in (it stretches the length of the baby tub and supports their little body as they lay in the water) and the towel we have on him - he was happy as a little clam!
I hope she doesn't mind that I am pasting it here as I think she has a lot of good advice. (and not just because she references my blog about breastfeeding expectations. ;)
------------------------------
I compiled this list for my 27 weeks pregnant next door neighbor - thanks to all who helped me the other day. It strikes me that some folks here might also find it helpful.
Here ya go - it's long - and the crunchy mama musings within are my opinion only, of course feel free to ignore. Some of the info is Pittsburgh based too.
Here is a list of some of my favorite things (or others’ favorite things that they’ve told me about.)
Swaddle Blankets – you need ‘em. And not those small flannel receiving blankets (although those are great to use as burp rags or light blankets to cover baby.) Aden and Anais make GREAT swaddling blankets, Kiddopatomus does too (and theirs are available at BRU – theirs are called “Swaddle Me”.)
www.adenandanais.com
Here are some other really nice ones with good info about swaddling too:
http://www.swaddledesigns.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?search=action&keywords=all&template=PDGCommTemplates/HTN/CategorySwaddling.html
Halo Sleep Sacks – once you are done swaddling – these are AWESOME. We just stopped using them about 3 months ago.
www.halosleep.com
Best DVD to watch (TWICE!!) BEFORE you have the baby:
Happiest Baby on the Block – you want the DVD not the book – and you and Matt need to watch it together.
www.happiestbaby.com
Best places to get help with breastfeeding:
www.kellymom.com – awesome website that answers every question you could think of and I think there’s a chat board too where you can ask questions..
Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh – you can get an appointment there right after you have baby – it’s covered by insurance – and they will help you and baby get on/stay on the right track..
www.breastfeedingcenterofpittsburgh.com
Allegheny County Breastfeeding Helpline
412-247-1000 – answers weekends and holidays too! 8am – 10pm every day – provides counseling over the phone.
Local La Leche League – great to attend a meeting while still pregnant and reach out for help ASAP if you are having trouble once baby is born:
http://www.llli.org/
Also – THIS is an excellent, VERY realistic description of breastfeeding a newborn. It is 100 percent accurate – from how often you feed, to how long it takes some newborns to feed (anyone who tells you “15 minutes only” or any other BS like that is WRONG.)
http://grapemama.blogspot.com/2010/10/breastfeeding-realistic-expectations.html
A final thought – if breastfeeding does NOT work out – do not beat yourself up. Jack got mostly breastmilk but because he could not latch and I had to exclusively pump, I was not able to make enough milk. So he got some formula every day. I liked Earth's Best organic formula. Before we switched to Earth’s Best I gave him Similac ready to feed – the ready to feed is sometimes easier on newborn’s tummies than the powder mixes at first. When we switched to powder, I always used FILTERED tap water and we did warm up bottles with a bottle warmer – the First Years bottle warmer. Also – water goes in the bottle first, then you add the powder. This is so you have the correct ratio of water to powder. Use dairy based formula unless baby is allergic and you have to go to soy based or something else.
Other things we loved:
Swing (couldn’t have lived without it – it was the only place Jack would sleep sometimes)
Bouncy Seat – a place to put baby down sometimes – and they usually like them a lot.
Arm’s Reach co-sleeper – Jack slept in one in our room for 6 months – first in a mini that my sister gave me, then the regular size one. LOVE this product. He also slept in our bed quite a bit – it is safe to cosleep/bedshare IF you take the proper precautions. Here are some links that describes those precautions:
http://drjaygordon.com/attachment/safe-cosleeping.html
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/familybed.html#linkssafety
Sometimes, it’s the only way to get ANY sleep. We also always ran a fan in our room to keep air circulating (this is smart to do wherever baby sleeps) – you also don’t want baby’s sleeping area to be too warm – don’t overdress your baby at night, regardless of where baby sleeps. A cool sleeping area is best.
Here is a link for arm’s reach cosleeper too: www.armsreach.com
Moby Wrap – AWESOME PRODUCT! Allows you to “hold” baby while still having both of your arms and hands free. Here’s a link with description and instructions on how to use it.
http://www.mobywrap.com
Ergo – another one of my favorite babywearing products! You’ve seen me carry Jack in this one:
http://www.ergobabycarrier.com
Can’t stress enough how great these babywearing products are – it is really good for baby to be close to you (and anyone who tells you that you’re holding baby too much or baby will get “spoiled” is spouting really outdated notions, don’t listen, it actually is good for their physical and mental development to be held – a lot – these products make that possible while still being able to do other things too.)
More great stuff:
Lansinoh breast creme - you will need this if you are breastfeeding!!
Best pumps – Medela or Ameda – you want a good, expensive pump. Lots of info about pumping to be found on Kelly Mom website too.
You’ll need some disposable breast pads too (you will leak, it’s CRAZY at first) – I did NOT like the lansinoh brand breast pads – I liked Avent.
Breast soothies are also good – cooling gel pads. Your nips WILL hurt from breastfeeding – no matter what anybody says. Doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong either, that’s a lot of hooey. The Lansinoh breast crème will be your friend!
Onesies – these are the little bodysuits that snap under the crotch – I used one every day – I liked Gap, Old Navy and Carter’s.
I also loved the snap up “sleep and plays” – these are the all one piece, little footed outfits that you see small babies wearing – some moms prefer the ones that zip rather than snap. Kohl’s has GREAT prices on this type of stuff – super cheap.
Baby Aquaphor – love this stuff. Great for chapped cheeks, rashes of unknown origin and more!
Triple Paste Diaper Cream – THE BEST in my opinion. Thicker than the others, really helps to heal and prevent diaper rash. Love it.
California Baby shampoo and body wash – I love the California Baby baby lotion and cream too – I also like Method baby products too. Both Cal Baby and Method are available at BRU.
www.californiababy.com
Seventh Generation are my favorite disposable diapers – no chlorine bleach, no fragrance, no weird dyes.
I like Huggies Natural Care, fragrance free wipes too – strong and don’t irritate Jack’s skin.
Strollers – go for a good one. NOT necessarily a “travel system” either – they are big, bulky, and not that great. Pretty much any stroller can be adapted to work with your infant carseat, so it’s really not an issue. We have one bigger stroller for neighborhood walks (a Jeep Limited Urban Terrain, it’s OK) and a lightweight one that stays in the car (city micro jogger – like it a LOT! They make a city mini jogger too and I know a lot of people like it. They are not jogging strollers – don’t know why they’re called “joggers!”)
I loved our snap and go stroller too – it’s like a frame – you can click graco infant carseat into it very easily.
Crib mattress – I went with a really expensive organic mattress. Probably wasn’t necessary, but that’s the one I got.
www.naturepedic.com
I also liked the organic cotton sheets I got at BRU.
You need a changing table and changing pad – most frequently used piece of baby furniture in our entire house! Get 2 or 3 soft changing pad covers too.
Other faves:
Gerber cloth diapers – great shoulder spit up cloths!
Gripe water – good for babies with colic – same goes for mylicon gas drops, get those too.
Bibs - a multipack of the cotton ones
Don’t get a lot of NB size clothes and diapers – just a few outfits – baby will outgrow them and move on to 0-3 pretty quick.
A lot of people like Soothie binkies – although if you breastfeed it’s recommended you don’t introduce a pacifier for a while at first.
Sandra Boynton books – of course you can’t start reading to baby too early (teacher mom knows that, ha ha!)
Other thoughts:
Tummy time – SO important. You remember Jack’s little helmet he had to wear – his plagiocephaly (flat spot on the right rear side of his head) started in the womb due to his being breech – but it can start outside the womb if babies are on their heads on the same spot too much. You want to make sure your baby gets plenty of tummy time – and also lays on your chest or Matt’s (tummy down so “facing” you) – don’t always hold her on the same side (whether cradling her or when she up on your shoulder) and make sure she doesn’t always turn her head the same way when she sleeps – rotate it for her every nap and at night so she’s laying on a different spot every time. Also lay her across your legs on her tummy – that counts as “tummy time” too. Babies hate tummy time usually. Do it anyway. Wearing your baby in Moby and Ergo a lot will also prevent flattening. And if you start to notice a flat spot – tell me! And I’ll have a lot more info for you.
Another tip that just popped into my head - when you start bathing her in a little baby tub (we got a simple one from BRU that also had a little "sling" - it was great) - you'll start that after her umbilical cord falls off, before it does, you'll just "sponge" bath her with a damp warm cloth or whatever (and - they don't get dirty so do not feel like you have to do this often) - ANYWAY - when you bathe her in the tub - lay a warm, wet guest sized towel over her entire body so very little naked skin is being hit by cold air. It's amazing how this calms them and helps them enjoy the bath (instead of shrieking and crying because their skin is being hit by the cool air in your house.) And then you just move the towel around as needed to pour water over her little body, etc. I think I have a pic of Jack in his little tubby.. going to find it.. oh, good found it! You can see the little blue tub (it fit crossways in our kitchen sink,) the sling that's he in (it stretches the length of the baby tub and supports their little body as they lay in the water) and the towel we have on him - he was happy as a little clam!
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