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This machine-wash, knit pink blazer at Zulily looks very shiny in the photos, but I expect it’s more like a typical jersey knit blazer. I haven’t seen a pink color like this anywhere else this season, and I like that this is very affordable at $30 and has lots of sizes. Pink Blazer – Plus Too Here are a couple of options in plus sizes (that are dry clean, but not dry clean only). We also just rounded up five great blazers under $50 yesterday on Corporette! ICYMI: Please take the CorporetteMoms reader survey — you can still be entered to win a $200 giftcard to Amazon through tonight at 11:59 PM ET! See more details (and a general discussion about the site content) here. Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Splashing out for baby says
I did my first visit to a baby shop and was a bit surprised and overwhelmed by the quantity of stuff. I’ve been lucky enough to receive a ton of handmedowns which leaves me with a bit of wriggle room in the budget to make a few splurges? Anything you’d recommend? What was worth the money? What wasn’t?
mascot says
Gearwise- a swing and an UBV stroller were worth it.
We also bought Pali furniture including the convertible crib that is now a double bed. It’s a neutral style in dark wood so it should last decades if needed.
anne-on says
Ditto on Pali – totally worth it and going strong 5+ years in.
Famouscait says
We embraced hand-me-downs (furniture, clothes, bottles, etc.) and it is a great help. We splurged on car seats and strollers. They’re gear you interact with everyday, multiple times, in less than ideal circumstances (parking lots, etc.) so I;m glad we got what we liked.
Since I buy/get so many used clothes, I also allow myself to splurge on the fancy pants, typical Southern baby dress-up clothes I want for special occasions and photos.
Splashing out for baby says
Very true! I’ve gotten loads of handmedown clothes so I’ve given myself permission to buy the occasional stupidly cute / expensive mini boden outfit
AnonMN says
+1 We splurged on car seats and strollers and have never regretted it. I recently bought a cheaper car seat because it was rated for a high weight and was shocked at the quality/ease of use/etc difference. I ended up trading it during one of those trade in events for a nicer one.
Other than those, I splurge on what I enoy, which for me means kid clothes.
Katherine says
As someone who bought a $200 stroller instead of an $800 stroller, I’d argue there’s no need to totally splurge (though I recognize there are cheaper options than even the $200 one; I just mean an Uppa Baby Vista is so not required). We’ve gotten tons of mileage out of our stroller now over two kids, and I have no ease-of-use complaints at all.
anne-on says
I think a lot of your ‘splurges’ depend on your location and home. We were pretty sure we were only going to have 1 child (or 2, spaced far apart) so we went with a nicer convertible crib that is now my son’s full size bed. If you plan to co sleep, you may avoid a crib and just do a floor mattress. We were also in a smallish apartment and I walked a lot with him as a baby, so I went with the uppababy Vista since it folded and stored upright, and had the bassinet (and bassinet stand) which we used a ton. In suburbia, you can probably get away with a snap and go at first, and wait till you need an umbrella stroller.
That being said, we also LOVED our Oxo high chair and would rebuy that in a hot second. Swing – my kid lived in it, but the plug in fisher price one worked better than the fancy mamaroo one my SIL had. We didn’t travel much when he was tiny, but I’ve heard great things about the travel cribs. I liked having one or two of the boppy infant loungers, but if you have carpet, a good thick blanket works just as well.
Oh – if you are going to pump, or do daycare, save yourself the hassle and buy two sets of pump parts, and A LOT of bottles (like a dozen), not having to wash them up every single day was a godsend.
Splashing out for baby says
That’s really helpful, thanks! We’re pretty sure we’re one and done but also planning on moving from a 2 bed apartment to a slightly bigger house in the next 4-5 years. Will drive to nursery but lots of buses and walking while I’m on maternity leave (really need to learn to drive….)
I think the stroller will be a bit of a splurge – looking at the Quinny Zapp and Babyzen Yoyo, can’t quite stomach the cost of the Bee.
AIMS says
This may not matter to you, but the Babyzen yoyo is really short. Like super low to the ground. If you or your partner are tall, that’s one issue, but for me it was more that the baby was lower to the asphalt than felt comfortable. Might depend on where you live, but in NYC walking on crowded streets or on the subway, this was a deal-breaker for us (which is sad b/c the compactness is otherwise awesome for the city).
FWIW, we got the UP Cruz and coordinating car seat and were very happy with it.
Splashing out for baby says
I saw it on the street today and it did seem very, very low. I’m 5’7 and felt quite comfortable with it but am taking my husband tomorrow as he’s 6’0 and grandpa/nanny is a bit taller.
Anon in NYC says
AIMS – if you’re still looking for a compact umbrella stroller for running around the city, I just got the GB pockit and like it. It has a higher weight limit than the yoyo too. They’re coming out with a new model that has a better sun shade (the one on the model I have is terrible at best) and also reclines, but it’s perfect for running to the playground, on/off buses, in the subway, etc.
Anonymous says
Also love the Cruz + Mesa combo. We were gifted the Uppa bassinet which was awesome for sleeping and also walking when baby was really little (and especially for not interrupting naps to go on a walk, like when the dog had to go out right that second but the baby was asleep). We live in close in burbs and walk everywhere, fwiw.
AIMS says
Thanks, Anon in NYC! I may wait for the recline model. I love the fold on this one but we’re often out for naps and being able to recline is pretty important. For the time being, we borrowed a summer infant 3D lite and are pretty happy with it as an umbrella stroller (decent sun shade and it reclines). The GB pockit looks like it would be better in a small trunk though.
Anonymous says
I had a Quinny Buzz and loved it passionately. Highly recommend. Order the all terrain wheel for the front though which makes it better on trails (we got ours on UK Amazon). Quinny Buzz stroller works great with the Maxi Cosi car seat. We also had the Quinny bassinette which pops on and off the stroller. Great to pop it off after a walk and carry it into the house.
We had a crib in our bedroom and used the bassinette on the jolly jumper stand for when baby napped in the main living areas. We did a basic Ikea crib because we knew we would be moving when baby was about 2 and didn’t want to commit to a furniture set/style until I got to design his big boy room.
For babywearing I recommend the Manduca. It’s the most popular one in Europe – no separate infant insert needed like with Ergo and Tula.
shortperson says
i think the mountain buggy nano is similar to but better than the yoyo, and cheaper. but it’s not in the fancy baby stores.
anon says
If you will be taking the bus, do you need to fold your stroller on the bus? That is the rule in NYC, so getting a stroller that can be folded easily and with one hand (the other hand holding the baby) is important.
It sounds like splurging on a carrier might make sense for you, but you also might want to wait until the baby is born to figure out which one you like. I had visions of using a sling and could not figure it out, and the other carrier I had (an old style Baby Bjorn with not hip belt) hurt my back more than I anticipated. I ended up with a Becco Gemini, but I think there are other better options now.
I had a ton of handmedown stuff, including a nice crib, high chair, and the car seat I would have picked anyway, but spent $$ on a stroller, baby carrier, and bras. So much money on bras, you have no idea. Extra pump parts and the miracle blanket are worth their weight in gold. I agree to save on swings and baby seats that have a short lifespan – you can get them so cheap used, it’s not worth buying new.
AIMS says
I’d say that if you’re going to pump, splurge on a second pump (or see if a friend has one and just get new parts for it). Best thing I did was leave the pump at work. Not having to lug it back and forth (even if you’re driving) is priceless.
For a swing (and bouncy chair and other “big” items), I’d see if you can get one from a friend. My kid was very meh about it and it’s such a pain to store that the friend I borrowed it from still keeps finding excuses not to come pick it up (I suppose this is only a problem if you think you’ll have more than one kid). Best thing we got was a rock and play because a) it’s easy to move throughout the house when baby is little (easier than any pack and play) and b) it’s much easier to take with you for a sleepover or long visit. If you’re going to splurge, I’d get one of the fancier self-rocking models.
Meg Murry says
I agree with this, but I wouldn’t splurge on a second pump until you know for a fact that b-feeding and pumping is going to work out for you and that you don’t hate the pump you bought the first time around.
Since it sounds like you can handle it, it’s probably also a good idea to leave some room for later purchases so if it turns out you hate stroller X, you can buy stroller Y (for example) instead with less guilt about reselling stroller X on Craigslist and taking a loss on it.
Ms B says
Best splurges: Baby Jogger City Mini stroller (in retrospect, would have skipped the Snap N Go and gone right to the City Mini with seat bar and now would get the AT if you can), Tripp Trapp (in color to match kitchen table; 5+ years in an still in daily use), PB hoodie towels, Ultimate Crib Sheets (get 4).
Not worth it: Swing (Kid hated it, so we sent it back), jumperoo (they had one at school so we were able to avoid it, plus its huge and only used a short time), Bumbo seat (luckily were just given a used one that we gave away after its 2 month useful period ended), changing table.
CLMom says
The swing and bumbo were two of our most used items. In fact, we still use bumbo at 17 months.
YMMV
AIMS says
We also use the bumbo still in place of a high chair.
AIMS says
Should add, we have the kind that attaches to a regular chair.
Anon in NYC says
We splurged on furniture (I wanted green guard certified manufacturing – basically low emission), but did not buy a convertible crib because a lot of the cribs converted to a full sized bed and we weren’t sure if that was going to be too big for our space.
Fancy gift that we received that I absolutely would have splurged on if we were buying it ourselves: our stroller. We got the Bugaboo Bee, which is perfect for our lifestyle (a lot of walking, up and down stairs, maneuvering city streets and tight spaces). The runner up was the Uppababy Cruz.
Things that made my life easier returning to work: an extra pump, extra parts + bottles, and a cooler lunch bag (a packit) that I could slip into my large bag for commuting.
Not super expensive, but things that I would absolutely buy again: Fisher Price Rock and Play with vibration. Miracle Blanket.
shortperson says
monte design gliderand ottoman was our most worthwhile splurge
HSAL says
Oh man, this didn’t occur to me on first read but YES to a comfy chair in baby’s room. We got a LaZBoy gliding recliner and it has saved us on rough nights. I wanted something that we could eventually use as living room furniture.
NewMomAnon says
If you’re planning to pump, splurge on an extra pump. And a postpartum doula. Consider hiring a house cleaning service, food delivery, yard help, or a laundry service (or a dog walker if you have a dog).
I don’t remember any material possessions being really important postpartum; you’ll want a comfy chair (probably glider), a baby carrier, and a stroller/carseat, but you don’t really need to splurge on any of those. Postpartum help is worth every dime.
SBJ says
My #1 recommendation would be a carrier, or carriers plural. In the early days, a stretchy wrap was absolutely amazing (and well worth the time to learn how to use–if you have a babywearing friend who can teach you or you can take a babywearing class before the baby arrives, it’s well worth the time). After about three months or so, I started to use a soft structured carrier more. We had the Beco Gemini; I also hear good things about Tula and Lillebaby. Definitely something to go try out and see which one works best for you. A quick folding, compact, and light but still fully functional stroller is the City Mini or the City Mini GT.
For carseats, we splurged on the Nuna Pipa and now have a Nuna Rava as our convertible seat, neither of which were cheap, but I’ve never had any issues or complaints with them.
I agree that having two pumps if you’re going to pump is great. Also consider renting a hospital grade pump (Medela Symphony)–it’s so much more comfortable than a PISA. I hear great things about the Spectra pumps, too.
Lastly, there are lots more things to keep splurging on past these initial start up costs, so consider socking away some of that money for future purchases. For example, the Rava wasn’t cheap, but I loved the Pipa so much that it was worth it to me to stick with the Nuna brand. Or we started with the IKEA high chair, which was $20 and great for the first 6-8 months of solids, but then we got a Keekaroo Right Height, which was a lot more expensive, but allows kiddo to sit at the table with us and will hopefully work for a long time. All of which to say, you have may opportunities to splurge in the future, too….
Anon says
Yes, sock some of it away! Unlike SBJ we are still using and LOVING our Ikea high chair at 25 mo and 37 inches. You can just snap the tray off to have the kid sit at the table. So I’d hate to have spring for a fancier chair– but other hidden expenses did pop up that we wouldn’t have thought of. (Grandparents needed carseats and we wanted the pricy ones that could keep our tall kid rear facing longer, etc.)
Onlyworkingmomintulsa says
I found the UppaBaby Vista and the Mamaroom swing were worth their weight in gold!
Anon says
Keekaroo peanut. A glider we actually like. Strollers if you are somewhere you will use them.
Definitely don’t splurge on highchair.
Anonymous says
+1 to keekaroo peanut changing pad
But I’d splurge on a Stokke high chair. Our 9 year old niece still uses hers and the 6 year old neighbor still uses his.
I’d really double check with people who live a similar life style as you about strollers / car seats / infant carriers. Most strollers people here love would not have worked when we lived in a third floor walk up. And I got Cybex car seat because it installed in cabs so easily, but probably would have gone with a Diono if I had a car.
Walnut says
I love my Stokke high chair. Will splurge on another one for kid #2.
Anon says
Oh man, I take it back. Get a Stokke. I regret our Peg Perego chair.
So so tired says
My four month old, who had been sleeping between 8-11 hours at a stretch since eight weeks old, is suddenly up and screaming all night and taking lousy naps. Classic four month sleep regression, I think, brought on when we took her from the east coast to California and back in the course of 5 days (got back about a week ago). She started rolling and so we had to get rid of the swaddle–switched to Merlin but last night was way too hot for it. The problem is that she can’t fall asleep on her own (we’ve been putting her down asleep), and all the baby sleep sites say to put her down drowsy but awake, but she won’t fall asleep that way even when we give her the chance! HOW do you teach your kid to fall asleep on their own? Or is it time for Ferber? We see ped for her 4-month checkup tomorrow. Can’t wait to add post-vaccine fussiness to the mix.
Signed, a miserable mom who is struggling to stay awake during her morning pumping session but is so grateful to be at work and away from the baby, which makes me feel like a horrible person
AIMS says
We used swaddle blankets and at first would unswaddle baby after she fell asleep and then moved on to swaddling her with arms out and then went to no swaddle. Hang in there. It will pass and after not very long you’ll actually struggle to remember this period.
Anonymous says
Right there with you. My LO did the same thing, and it was awful. Just keep on trying stuff. Whatever you try, do the same thing for a week. My biggest mistake (my LO is now 3 years old) was trying different techniques every day. It takes baby time to get used to a routine, so try to keep it the same for a week, then reevaluate.
Anonymous says
Sounds like it might be teething. Babies are often less bothered during the day when there are lots of things to look at to distract them. Maybe try some advil or tylenol and see if it helps tonight?
Baby might also be having a growth spurt 8-11 hours is a pretty long stretch for an 8-16 week old to go without eating. Trying nursing/feeding at first wake up (if you’re not already) and see if that helps resettle for a longer stretch.
Whether you CIO or not is a personal choice. I still rock my 2 year old to sleep because I love the snuggles.
So so tired says
You may be onto something. Just googled, and she has every symptom of teething. Drool faucet, rubbing face, chewing bottle nipple (and my nipple…), irritable, putting everything in her mouth. If it’s a tooth, I’ll be both relieved that she didn’t forget how to sleep and terrified that we have to do this 20 more times until all her teeth come in.
Anonymous says
if it helps, teeth don’t always come one at a time. You might have a rough week and then 3 will break through within a week and then nothing for a month. They are often fussiest right before the teeth break through.
HSAL says
Yep – mine got all four molars in less than a month, and then all four canines in about three weeks. They were real unpleasant but I’m glad we got through them quickly.
AnonMN says
This is such a hard age for sleeping, I say the books/sites are full of garbage, because i’ve never seen a drowsy but awake 4 month old put themselves to sleep.
For coping, can you have your partner switch nights with you? So you can each get a full nights sleep every other night. If you’re breastfeeding, you might want to do atleast one night feed, but he can bring baby to you and then do the after feed soothing, etc. I feel like this is the only way I could maintain sanity at this age.
As for teaching your baby to sleep, we didn’t really do much and we have two great sleepers (14 months and 3.5 years). I was/am pro rock them as long as they will let me. Once they hit six months, we try to consistently put them in their crib once they are asleep (rock, rince, repeat a million times if they wake up every time you put them down). And this eventually led to them being okay with sleeping in their crib for longer periods. Both of my boys have started sleeping well on their own between 11-14 months.
All of that to say, you only have to go the teach them to sleep route if you want too. I feel like there is so much pressure when you’re sleep deprived and desperate to sleep train, and the best advice I got during this period was to trust my instinct and do whatever I felt was right. For us, that was switching nights so we could both sleep, but also going to baby whenever he cried. I really had to let go of the weird standard that my baby needed to be sleeping better, and once I let that go, I felt a huge weight lifted.
Good luck in whatever you decide! This is the hardest period of sleep deprivation in my opinion, but it does end!!
layered bob says
+1. Do what you and your baby are telling you is right. When I stopped believing that my baby “should” be sleeping better and that I “should” be getting more sleep, everyone felt better/coped better.
Anon says
I rock my baby to sleep and it works for us. If he wakes up in the middle of the night I do the same thing. Rock, sing, kiss, baby falls asleep, put him down. Done.
So so tired says
Unfortunately, mine pops awake the second she can tell that I’m lowering her into the crib/bassinet. It’s like she has a freaking altitude detector even when dead asleep. Last night I had to try, literally, seven times in a row to put her back down until I gave up, got my husband to take a turn, went to bed, and wasted my husband’s 45 minute shift crying because I was so frustrated.
Anonymous says
Is she hungry? 4 months is prime time for a growth spurt plus if they’re teething they often don’t drink as much because it irritates their mouth. Sometimes they fall asleep before they’ve filled themselves up. If she wakes up when you try to put her down, I would offer more milk and see if you get a deeper sleep. Hang in there, it’s tough some days.
Anon in NYC says
Mine does that too. It’s so so terrible. Even now, at 22 months she’ll cling to me if I try to put her back in her crib. I also have realized that because my daughter is such a great sleeper in general that when she has bad stretches that it’s really difficult for me to cope – both with trying to figure out how to solve the immediate problem (getting her to sleep) and also just functioning on so little sleep.
If you don’t want to do CIO yet, something that worked for us / still sort of works is to just lean into it. Accept that you’re going to be awake for 30+ minutes. Hold her until she calms down. When she’s calm, put her back into her crib. If she is still awake, keep your hand on her stomach for a minute or two. Then remove your hand but stay by the crib. Then move farther away, etc., until you leave. I will say that our success rate with this is about 50%, so YMMV.
Sabba says
You can’t put her down right after she falls asleep. You need to do it after she enters a deeper sleep cycle. For mine, I needed to move her 12 to 15 minutes after she fell asleep. Only worked at night. Naps, I just had to hold her.
Sleep training says
My daughter is 15.5 months and has been sleeping through the night since 6 months, but I still so clearly remember being outraged at the lack of specific direction regarding getting a 3-6 month old to sleep. As you say, all the books reference putting an “awake but drowsy” baby down to sleep and then letting the baby fall asleep on his/her own. I swear my baby was either completely awake or asleep (because I fed her until she passed out). During her 4-6 month sleep regression/first teeth, I just did what I could to minimize the amount of time she was up during the night, which meant I fed her whenever she got up until she fell asleep again. Then, at six months, we sleep trained her using a modified ferber method (put her down awake, went in after 5 minutes of sustained crying, then after 10 minutes of sustained crying, but never picked her up when we went in, just patted her on her back and told her it was time for bed and that we loved her). Within 5 days she was sleeping through the night. It is such a relief now, knowing that she can put herself to sleep. Nights are adult time, and even if she wakes up, 95% of the time she puts herself back to sleep. The other 5% of the time, we employ the same modified Ferber method, or on very rare occasions, go in and give her baby advil if teething is bad. I would definitely ask your pediatrician if you can sleep train now or after this round of teething ends – it is worth it!
Anon says
Yes, our baby was NEVER drowsy. Around 3 mo he started refusing to settle through rocking as he always had done — we had been rocking to sleep– and we discovered he wanted to be put down wide awake to put himself to sleep. It was counter intuitive because it felt like I should be helping him settle, but he knew what he wanted and it was to be left alone. Would cry 15 or more minutes if holding him, 3-5 if put down (and later none). So you might try putting down sooner rather than later!! Of course my marvelous self settling infant is now a toddler who just wanted to be rocked for a half hour so these things do change over time.
anon says
You can buckle a swaddled baby into a swing so they can sleep safely even if they know how to roll over. My son learned to roll swaddled the very day before I went back to work at 12 weeks, so we relied on this crutch for a couple of months. Not sure it helped but worth a try. He had reflux so sleeping upright was probably better for him anyway.
We also tried putting him down while “drowsy but awake” (read: seems like he ought to be tired about now, is awake and not happy about it, I’m spending more time rocking him than he is sleeping) starting when he was about 8-10 weeks old with mixed results; he actually became more likely to nurse himself to sleep as he got older. We were admittedly inconsistent and not very systematic. We would let him cry a bit and go in and check on him every few minutes until he fell asleep. This was more at naptime than at night though. But I figured if he could learn to self-soothe during the day, he’d figure it out at night too eventually.
4 months hit us too – he went from waking up 1x/night to 3x/night. We tried moving out of the room – we were sharing a bedroom – and sleeping on the couch. The first night, he still woke up 2x, the second, he slept for 12 hours straight. He did this for 2 more nights, then resumed waking up 1x a night for at least another 5 months (and then intermittently for a year or so). In hindsight I don’t think moving out of the room had anything to do with it, i think he was just finished with his developmental leap and exhausted from it, but those blissful 3 days of 12 uninterrupted hours made us stay on the couch for months.
Does your baby fall asleep on her own during the day (at daycare or with nanny)? If she can in that circumstance, then at least you know she is capable of self-soothing.
So so tired says
So that’s what that mysterious hole in the back of the swaddleme is for!
shortperson says
ours did too so we did CIO at four months. (we had always been planning to do CIO at some point. obv not for everyone.) i still fed her at night (thru 9 mos) but once she was fed and changed, i popped her into her crib. it only took 3 days or so and we havent rocked to sleep since other than the occasional illness. but she was an easy baby in general, ymmv.
Strategy Mom says
We did CIO to help him learn how to fall asleep.
Anonymous says
We did a floor bed and our baby was/is NEVER DROWSY, so we’re still laying down with her at night to get her to sleep. I would CIO if I was you. (And I doubt we’d use a floor bed again.)
NewMomAnon says
I never understood the “drowsy but awake” line. My kid is binary; either sleeping or wide awake.
POSITA says
I would add that you don’t need to buys stuff ahead of time. For example, you can look at high chairs while you’re pregnant, but your baby is unlikely to use a high chair until they’re at least 4 months old. Just make a wish list somewhere of your faves. Amazon has two day shipping so you can just wait and buy as needed.
You also don’t need to stock up on things that you may or may not use. My kids weren’t big spitters or droolers so we didn’t need many bibs or burp cloths. Others needed dozens. Wait and meet your baby to see what you need. The same goes for all sorts of feeding, sleeping, swaddling, gadgets.
anne-on says
Agreed on you not needing to stock up, but I can totally see adding these things to your registry if you anticipate having a shower or being given items before baby. Plus registering for useful gear will help mitigate (some) of the influx of blankets/towels/bibs. Seriously, we were SWIMMING in blankets.
JP says
Haha, agreed. We have, count em, TWELVE muslin swaddle blankets. Ask me how many times our bodybuilder baby has stayed in a blanket swaddle for more than 10 minutes. (yes, I know they have many other uses). And baby clothes that are for the wrong season. And lovies (blanket w head). I think we got like 7-8 of those.
Pigpen's Mama says
We had about the same number — and then about 6 months after I gave away most of them, my toddler became obsessed with them and I had to go and get a few ‘spares’ in case her favorites were lost/left at daycare!
Splashing out for baby says
That’s a good point, we don’t have loads of storage and I’m keen to move things in and out as needed.
Butter says
We did this. We stocked up on very little before kiddo was born – stroller, carseat, crib, clothes for first few months, and some hand me downs – ugly bouncer and swing. Then as we needed stuff we’d get it from a parent swap (had a local listserve that was a amazing) or buy it and sell it as we used it. The longest things have been in our home has been 2-3 months, and I love it. Swing went around 7 months, both bouncers were gone around the same time, toys LO aged out of, walker was in and out the door, etc.
If you can find a local parents listserve or Facebook group, we have saved so much money by borrowing and trading things. We’ve also borrowed just to see if something resonated with the little dude – like the Mamaroo? Kiddo was unimpressed. But the Bjorn bouncer? Loved it. So happy to be able to testdrive something in our home before deciding to purchase ourselves. And as a side benefit you get to meet parents of kiddos in close age proximity to yours.
Mrs. Jones says
This is very true: wait to buy some stuff. We had a bassinet that we never used. We also barely used a swing. We got so many blankets I literally never used half of them. But I used every bib we got because son drooled SO MUCH.
I would splurge on stroller and car seat and maybe crib. Everything else you can get used, no problem.
ElisaR says
SO many blankets.
Momata says
Anyone have a favorite make-ahead egg dish that does not contain ham or potatoes? I’m in charge of eggs for Easter brunch and have been informed that ham and potatoes will also be on the menu. All my go-to make-ahead egg strata have ham and potatoes in them. Thanks in advance!
mascot says
An assortment of deviled eggs? If you make them in a steamer basket, you shouldn’t have issues removing the shells even on super fresh eggs.
JP says
smitten kitchen spinach egg strata or cheddar corn strata. Or Once Upon a Chef zucchini cheddar frittata
Anon in NYC says
Quiche? I would make one that has a bunch of spring vegetables – asparagus, peas, maybe some ramps if you can find them (or scallions if not) + gruyere.
AnonMN says
Pioneer Woman’s Sleepin’ In Omelette is pretty much heaven in your mouth and my go to egg dish when I have people over. I lessen the butter, but it’s still not the healthiest dish. But so so so good.
Meg Murry says
You can do this recipe with all turkey, or turkey + broccoli and/or spinach if you don’t want to use ham. Or even just cheese, bread and eggs if you think there will be a picky crowd:
http://www.food.com/recipe/monte-cristo-strata-365207
Any of the Bisquick “Impossibly Easy” Pie variations – broccoli, spinach and feta, etc could also work.
If you think you’ll have picky eaters there that will eat scrambled eggs, you could also just do oven baked scrambled eggs – that would be a safe bet for my kids to make sure there is something they will eat.
Anonymous says
quiche or frittata
Kat G says
Two questions: a) does anyone have any best practices for a “dream pee”? My toddler is refusing pullups at night and keeps waking up at 4 in the morning because he has to pee (or just peeing the bed and THEN waking up at 4 in the morning) so I’m trying to wake him up and put him on the toilet before I go to bed. I’ve read lots on line about it but little about the practicality of it — does anyone have any best practices?
b) Related Q but different — does anyone know of any apps to help you gauge when your child’s sleep cycle is ending? I use SleepCycle for myself but can’t figure out how I’d use it with him except to set the “30-min window” for waking and then wait outside his room in total silence for 30 minutes until the alarm goes off. Less than ideal… but I guess I could only do it for a few nights and get a sense of it. (But wouldn’t such a thing be awesome? Clearly someone must have thought of this before me.) I also know that children’s sleep cycles are different so I’m not whether the app would work.
mascot says
a) We would pick up our son out of bed, carry him to the bathroom, pull down his pjs for him, and then have him sit on the toilet (standing up woke him up too much). Then pick him back up, pjs back up, and slip him in bed. Lights off or nightlights only. Our kid is a sound sleeper so he was usually half asleep the whole time. We also talked a lot about how he was big enough to go to the bathroom by himself at night whenever he needed to, but he needed to go back to bed/sleep when he was done. If the light on his OK to Wake clock wasn’t green, then it was too early to get up.
b) No idea, I’ve never needed to track it. What are you trying to figure out?
Meg Murry says
Yup, this is what we do/did too, usually without turning on the bathroom light, but with only a hallway light or bathroom nightlight on. My son went to sleep between 8-9, and we would do it before we went to sleep (so between 10-midnight).
You don’t necessarily want/need to fully wake him up, it’s not so much about teaching them to wake up as it is about saving your sanity so you don’t have 4 am sheet-changing sessions. The cold air on their backside is usually enough to slightly startly them awake enough to pee.
We don’t have to do it much anymore (my son is 5 now) – we pretty much only do it now if he passes out early somewhere and doesn’t get the usually bedtime routine.
Anonymama says
Dream pee: we’d get him up without really waking him up all the way (lift him out of bed, put him on his feet and guide him to toilet, help pull down pants and then whisper “go pee” when he was in position. No lights, just nightlight. Pull pants back up and help tuck him back into bed.
What do you need to track the sleep cycle for? Often you can tell just by listening for when they move, or go in and shake him slightly and see how he responds. If bedtime is consistent you should be able to get a handle on their regular cycle in a night or two, maybe have him wear a Fitbit or other sleep tracking device.
shortperson says
16 weeks and moved into maternity pants this week and it’s amazing!!
HSAL says
I’m not even pregnant and I’m already looking forward to wearing maternity pants again.
Anon says
I think I cried in the dressing room the first time I tried them on, at around 14 weeks. Heaven!
Splashing out for baby says
I’m an avowed pants hater – should I still try maternity pants? A friend loaned me some jeans in my size but they are really, really big through the legs. I’m nearly 6 months and haven’t made the maternity switch yet, wondering if it is worth it at this point.
Maddie Ross says
Similarly not a fan of pants, but I did actually wear maternity pants some because of the chub rub issues I had during pregnancy. I couldn’t wear dresses without shorts underneath or tights because of the chafing and sometimes I just couldn’t deal with the layering, so pants it was.
lsw says
I personally hated maternity jeans but loved other maternity pants. My two favorites were a chino-style pair (in a muted red) from Loft with the side panels and a knit pair with elastic waist from Isabella Oliver. I was pregnant in the dead of summer and sweated too much in dresses.
NewMomAnon says
It depends on why you hate pants. If you hate waistbands, then maternity pants are wonderful. If you hate saggy crotches, strange fit through the thighs, or just the general look of pants…then skip. I have a problematic relationship with pants, and found that I relied exclusively on leggings and dresses by the end of my pregnancy.
HSAL says
In normal life, I seldom wear dresses, but I was all over the dresses while pregnant. I had several pairs of maternity pants that I liked, but I hated the maternity jeans. I say stick with what works. You’ll probably at least want skimmies under your dresses when it gets warmer, though.
Pogo says
Maternity leggings are amazing (over the bump style). Generally the full panel/over the bump is more comfortable to me.
rosie says
+1 for maternity leggings. I actually like both under and over the bump style. I wore mostly dresses before the pregnancy, but the idea of tights is pretty unappealing to me while pregnant, so I either did leggings under a dress if I could get away with it for the occasion, or pants. And the chub rub issue also means that as it’s getting warmer, I’ll probably alternate skirts/dresses with cropped pants (I’m a fan of the ON Pixie maternity styles).
I think part of the answer to this question is what seasons you will need maternity clothes to get you through. Assuming you are in a place where the next few months will be hot and you need to dress semi-professionally, I would suggest trying a pair or two of lightweight pants.
Anon says
I don’t love pants, but the pregnancy hair growth is insane. Shaving is more by feel than sight at 21 weeks, and between the unsightly stubble (dark hair irish white skin) and the chafing, I have to shave my legs if I am wearing a dress that day. Maternity pants for the win and maternity jeans on Fridays – I maybe wear a dress 1-2 days a week. Currently living in a black and grey pair of the old navy every day boot cut for work.
Frozen Peach says
Need a little vent and certainly welcome tips on this one.
My LO (almost 2) has suddenly started getting up in the middle of the night and coming into bed with us. This has never happened– she is almost always a good sleeper who might need some snuggles or help getting back in bed. This is different– she’s coming into our room and DH is pulling her up in bed with us because, hey, he’s asleep and she will nest on me. I do not sleep when she’s in bed with me– I am half asleep but not in REM sleep– and so two days of this and I am a total zombie. I don’t want to be mean about enforcing this rule– and I know this is a common issue– but I’ve never had to solve sleep issues like this and could really use some thoughts. I think I just keep putting her back in bed. I don’t know what else to do. I am talking like a stroke victim– lots of verbal aphasia– which is a predictable symptom of this level of sleep deprivation.
Meg Murry says
I don’t have a good answer, just solidarity. My husband will absolutely pull the kids in our bed when he’s half asleep and then wake up in the morning and say “how did kiddo wind up in our bed”? Kids quickly figured out that Daddy pulls them into bed, Mommy takes them back to their room, so they walk the long way around my side to get to his.
The only things I have found to do is go put the kid back in their bed myself, or now that they are older and have real beds, give up and go sleep in their twin bed (or on the couch). Trying to wake up my husband and make him put them back in bed does nothing but make all of us mad and wide awake and then super grumpy the next day. Even talking to him about it during the day doesn’t do much good because he’s such a bear to wake up in the middle of the night. However, he *is* willing to be the one to get up early in the morning with them and let me sleep in on weekends, so that’s the only part that’s kind of a fair trade off.
Anonymous says
Very important to TALK to your kid about this. They understand far more than they let on. Tell them that they have to sleep in their bed (maybe get an OK to wake clock, and tell them when it turns green, they can come cuddle?). Then yes, in the middle of the night, take them back to bed, no matter who pulls them up into bed. You’re not being mean — you’re teaching good sleep habits.
PinkKeyboard says
Total first world problem: husband is at home taking out a wall as I’m due in July with #2. We are moving 1.5 year old to the new room (which we got new furniture for) and plopping the baby into the already prepped nursery. I am completely uninspired to design her a cute room, which I would like to do as it will be a big upheaval in her not quite two year old life to move rooms and get a baby sister. Her main interests are playing outside, cats, and birds. Does anyone have any inspiration for me? I’m not looking to spend a fortune but I’d like to make something bright/fun and welcoming for her so she can be excited in her new space.
mascot says
Have you looked at wall decals? They aren’t that expensive and you can change them out as her interests change. Also, cute sheet sets or accessories are something that she might like and because she’s 2, you can guide her to a couple of pre-vetted options.
anne-on says
+1 to wall decals. We used a lot of them because pictures over a crib/bed made me nervous, and they are so so easy to swap out (and easier for me than hanging a bunch of pictures up).
OCAssociate says
+1 Etsy has tons of options, and they are so easy!
Em says
Depending on what you consider a fortune, wallpapering a statement wall may be a good option (and you can find awesome nature/cat/bird ones).
Blueberry says
Hyyge and West has some awesome bird wallpaper (that is not too cutesy so could in theory last a while) that I’ve been dying to put in a kid room.
shortperson says
we have hyggge and west wallpaper on a statement wall in the baby room and it’s very good quality.
the emily & meritt collection at pbk has some cute and non-babyish cat decor accessories. in general land of nod is my first stop for cute kids stuff. i’m also trying to plan the big girls room now as we move all the furniture for the baby and am finding it much harder than figuring out a nursery.
anon says
We have Hygee and West wallpaper too, and while lovely it was not that easy for us to install ourselves. It is relatively paper-y and not prepasted. My husband is a skilled and fearless DIYer, but it took us a couple of strips to figure out how much paste we needed. We used too much on the first piece and then when we tried to trim the excess the paper started ripping and shredding rather than cutting evenly. The second piece didn’t get enough or dried too much before we put it up so didn’t stick that well. All this to say, this might be something to hire out, or prepare for a learning curve. And paint the wall a coordinating color with the background of the paper before you hang it in case you get gaps.
PinkKeyboard says
I would love this but I have a feeling that if I stick wallpaper to a wall my husband just drywalled/spackled/sanded I might be moving into my post divorce townhouse with said wallpaper.
AIMS says
Check out Target kid room ideas. Very reminiscent of Land of Nod but much cheaper. I’d get big kid a fun tent to play in (if she doesn’t have one already), some fun wall decals, a nice rug and cute curtains.
Ikea also has cute kid room ideas on its sebs*te.
Here’s a link to the target: http://www.target.com/c/kids-room-ideas/-/N-4sm56
AIMS says
One additional idea – if she doesn’t have one, get a growth chart to measure her as she moves into her big girl room. I just got one at target and am very happy with it. They have lots of nature themed ones. We got the folding paper tree one with lots of animals and I like the idea of saving it as a keepsake.
H says
A simple thing to do would be create a gallery wall of prints of her favorite things. You can find several on etsy. Also, cute bedding and pillows and maybe curtains would be fun.
Rainbow Hair says
Depending on your style, IKEA has some cool cat curtains (black and white, kind of design-y) and Crayola makes some pastel, girly ones.
Rainbow Hair says
Is she into making ‘art’ yet? There are lots of cute and simple ways you can make a gallery to display her art. I would do something with magnets (you can get galvanized steel ‘hanger strap’ for pipes at the hardware store, and stick magnets on it) or with clothespins — something she can use to put her art up. Lots of ideas on pinterest. You could also put a chalk board or dry erase board on her wall (depending on whether you trust her not to color OFF the board).
Another thing that’s easy and cute and fun is bunting/banners/garlands. You can buy cute banners that say things or are just in colors that she likes, but it’s also super easy to DIY.
One other thing we’ve done is collaborate on large art pieces (can you tell i’m unrepentantly craftsy?) — check out Cosmo Cricket Just Add Watercolor stuff on Amazon. Basically kiddo water colors on paper or ‘canvases’ that already have resist fluid applied in pretty designs. Throw those in a frame! Make a gallery wall! Kiddo is very proud when she points out the things that she made.
Anonymous says
Go to the biggest Target in your area. Their Pillowfort line is super cute, the rugs are washable and it all matches without being matchy matchy.
Walnut says
I’m in your exact shoes, minus the new wall. For my 1.5 year old son, we moved some of his toys/books into his new room and he was thrilled with it. Buying a shelf was easier than decorating anything. It also helps that the nursery is a little barren right now and doesn’t feel like “his” room anymore.
Blueberry says
Has anyone here tried the PattyBoutik maternity brand on Amazon? I like the look of their stuff, but their prices look a little too good to be true.
Also, on the other end of the spectrum, Hatch? It would be a total splurge, but I find some of their jumpsuits strangely appealing and can see spending every weekend of the summer in them. Should I be talked out of this?
MSJ says
Yes. I lived in the rouched dresses. One long sleeve, one short sleeve. Through on a blazer as needed. Washed easily (hung to dry).
MSJ says
*threw
Pogo says
If you can rock a jumpsuit while pregnant, go for it! I like the idea of Hatch (sorta Eileen Fisher for pregnancy?) but I don’t think I could pull it off.
Blueberry says
I think I’m the kind of person who *wants* to be the kind of person who can rock a jumpsuit while pregnant :) I guess there is only one way to find out! I also don’t really need it, but my maternity clothes from two pregnancies feel stale and I want something fun to look forward to during these weeks of morning sickness.
Meg Murry says
I’m not a jumpsuit person and the only thing I can think of is that stripping out of a jumpsuit every time I needed to pee (which during pregnancy, was pretty much hourly) sounds like more trouble than it’s worth.
But that’s coming from someone who hasn’t worn a jumpsuit since elementary school – if it works for you, rock it!
Anon says
I bought a jumpsuit when I was 7 months preg .. it was such a pain to get undone when I had to go to the restroom every 10 minutes. I just ended up with a bunch of maxi dresses which were good enough.
Blueberry says
Ah, yes, thanks to you and Meg Murry for the reminders that biological necessity trumps fashion. Sigh…
Work travel? says
I ordered a bunch of pattyboutik dresses and tops to try on and didn’t keep any of them because it was all polyester. The quality was no worse than maternity stuff from motherhood or the other major brands at Macy’s, which also are all polyester and no go for me. If the material doesn’t bother you and you like the style I think it’s.l a good deal. I do recall that the sizing was weird though- like small by a couple of sizes.
Blueberry says
Thanks, good to know. Free returns, so I’ll probably give it a shot.
dc anon says
My feet are swelling as we speak(type). 5 months pregnant and with a hot, humid DC summer in front of me, I need new shoes. Any recs for ones that will expand with me? I have chubby, wide feet to begin with. Looking flats for biz cas office, sneaks or sandals for errands and taking toddler to park.
HSAL says
My feet were more swollen on top, rather than the sides, so I could only wear shoes with low vamps/no straps or anything. I am a huge fan of the Ona ballet flats. I bought four pair two summers ago and I’m still wearing them. They have some colors in wide widths.
lsw says
I had major troubles with this and bought a pair of extra wide flats (Soft Style Darlene flat) on Zappos and a pair of Sanuk yoga sandals.
anon says
Birkenstock Gizeh for weekend.
Betty says
I really liked the Puma Zandy ballet flats while pregnant. They stretched with my feet, had some support and were acceptable even in my business formal work environment (largely because I was pregnant).
Anonymous says
For office, look at trotters and ahnu. You’ll need to filter styles, but they are wide and comfortable.
Ditto birkenstocks for weekends.
D. Meagle says
Yesterday’s post on bath time made me think — when do you stop bathing girls and boys together? I’ve got a 4yo girl and a 2 yo boy, who for convenience sake (and because they can’t hear bath water running without trying to climb into the tub), I generally bathe together. They do not seem to care, but I am wondering how much longer I can, or should, keep it up.
Anonymous says
my reply got eaten. sorry if this double posts. I bathe my 5 yr old girl and 2 year old boy together. Will stop when oldest is ready/requests. I think I was around 8/9 when I wanted to bathe without parents helping or siblings in the tub.
Betty says
I bathe my 6 year old boy and 3 year old girl together. When someone asks to bathe on their own, we will follow suit, but right now, it is prime playtime for them in the bath.
Sabba says
Just keep going until one of the parties is uncomfortable with it or wants to change, including yourself.
Anonymous says
When they ask to be separate or don’t fit. My drop dead date would probably be puberty, but I anticipate them dropping it well before.
My 5 year old daughter bathes with my 2 year old son. Their 7 year old sibling bathes solo because she just doesn’t fit that well in a shared tub and can handle a shower (which is so much easier), but I wouldn’t have a qualm with bathing her with the 2 year old. She knows he has a pen*s. We still use family changing rooms at the pool, etc.
Anonymous says
A colleague wore a blazer similar to this one (PINK and SHINY) to a multisite meeting with ~20 ppl and it was so distracting. We don’t normally comment on people’s clothing, but literally everyone from my site – even the men who probably couldn’t have named a single item of clothing anyone else in the room was wearing – left the meeting and immediately said “What was up with that blazer???”
So maybe keep it to church, Easter gathering, or perhaps a wedding…