Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Helpful Hints For New Mamas



Happy Wednesday y'all!  "Oh Deer" is right!  This post is coming to you a bit later than intended thanks to technology 🙄.  I had the whole blog post written and when I hit publish it all disappeared.  Nothing is more infuriating to me than technology that doesn't work as intended.  Ok rant over....moving on!

We had a great weekend here and as promised Franco did indeed finish our basement.  We just have some cleaning up/organizing to do and then I will post very raw, undecorated pictures.  I am so excited for Franco to finally have an office space.  I know he has been very cramped working upstairs with all the hustle and bustle of daily life with a baby.  We will also have a den-like area for TV and then a play space for Frankie J./workout space for me.

I am super excited with the thought of a workout space.  That was something I really wanted to focus on for me in the new year.  I had initial thoughts of joining a gym, but quickly realized that in the season of life I am currently in that was not going to work schedule (or lack there of) wise.  I also cannot wait to design a fun play area for Frankie J.  I love the idea of a dedicated space to have for all of his toys so that upstairs can be less crowded and more of a living space.  If you know me, you know that I will now be on Pinterest non-stop until I figure out how I want to arrange his space.

I had a thought this weekend of all the things that I found helpful to make life more convenient upon the arrival of Frankie J. and thought I would share them with you all.

1.  Freezer Meals.  This was definitely one of the best things I did before Frankie arrived.  We survived off of these meals for at least two months if not more.  I made a whole bunch of pulled porkchili, pasta al forno, chicken pot pies (thanks mom), zucchini pies (thanks to my aunt), and cannelloni courtesy of my mother-in-law.  We used the pulled pork for barbecue nights, tacos, and even nachos!

**For the chili recipe, I only brown the meat in the pan.  I throw the rest of the ingredients into the crock pot raw and let the crock pot do the work.**

2.  Duplicate loved items.  We have a two floor home and I knew that I would not want to be constantly going up and down the stairs for diaper changes and naps.  This ended up being so important because I had a c-section (unplanned) and was not allowed to be doing stairs.  I added a pack and play to my registry and used it as a changing/napping station for downstairs.  I made a basket of all necessary diapering items and also added some swaddles.  I found these SwaddleMe  to be super easy and functional.  Franco and I could not master the art of swaddling using the adorable muslin blankets we had.  We did not register for these and were gifted them and they were life-changing.  I also highly recommend the Sleepea 5-second swaddle.  It is the same swaddle that we use in the Snoo minus the tethers needed for the Snoo.  We were also given a travel white noise machine which I highly advise you keep in your second nap space as well.  We have the Cloud B Sleep Sheep, which I love, except that it turns off after 45 minutes.  If purchasing/registering for a travel one I would find one that does not turn off because that can cause your child to wake up.   

3.  Grocery Delivery Service.  This is actually something I started a few weeks before Frankie J. arrived because I found the task of grocery shopping daunting and uncomfortable.  We use Amazon Prime Now who partners with Whole Foods.  I know this may sound a bit pricey, however I feel that it ends up being comparable to going to the store because I avoid putting random items in my cart.  I also love that it saves me my time, which is something that is very scarce these days and I would much rather do it while Frankie is napping and spend our time playing together.  Delivery is free and you have the option to leave a tip.  

4.  Nursing Friendly Clothing.  This is only applicable if you are able/wish to nurse (and we all know that fed=happy no matter how you feed your child).  I spend a majority of my time in athleisure wear now and wanted to find the best nursing options.  I am pretty sure I have tried every nursing cami and bra out there.  I really like the Medela Slimming Nursing Cami for daytime use under workout tops and sweatshirts.  I find these to be awesome for nighttime wear and a more comfortable,   loose fit.  As far as nursing bras are concerned, this is where I had the most difficulty.  I was unable to use any of the wireless nursing bras because they were not supportive enough for me.  I find this bra to be my favorite for the times I decide to actually where real clothes and leave the house!

I hope that this was helpful and I would love to know things that you find save you time and energy in your parenting journey!  Here is to a smooth finish to the week, as it has been a bit of a rough start here with sleeping and technology!




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