Mom Hacks -- Postpartum Mom Gift Basket

Recently, I went to a good friend's baby shower.  (Okay, by "recently," I mean it was almost two months ago, but still...)  I love shopping for baby items, but one thing I felt really compelled to do for her shower was to give her something.  So many gifts are given for baby, from adorable outfits to diapers to nursery necessities, but Mom-to-be doesn't get many things for herself. 

I started thinking to myself, "What did I need/appreciate the most after Z was born? What totally saved my ass when I was exhausted and recovering and adjusting to life as a newborn?"

The answer?

Padsicles!

There are tons of "recipes" for padsicles online and on Pinterest, but I sort of modified the procedure for myself ("ingredients" further down in this post), and I ended up being so grateful that I'd made them ahead of time,while I was still pregnant!  The coldness of the pad mixed with the aloe and the witch hazel was soothing and healing, and the lavender essential oil helped me to feel more calm and, sorry to be gross, but, fresh on those yucky postpartum days. 

I also remember being glad that I had packed my own toiletries for the hospital, and that I had a set of fuzzy socks to wear in those cold rooms.  I threw in a few other items just for Mom, and before too long I had the perfect Postpartum Mom Gift Basket!

(click on picture for a larger image)

1) Always overnight pads with wings
2) Dermaplast spray
3) Spray bottle
4) Witch Hazel (organic and natural foods stores sometimes sell the scented kind! lavender, rose, etc.)
5) Aloe vera gel
6) Aura Cacia lavender essential oil
7) Tucks medicated wipes
8) Fuzzy, aloe-infused socks
9) Wipes (unscented, could be used for mom or for baby!)
10) Travel toiletries for the hospital (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, loofah, lotion, hand sanitizer, extra strength Tylenol, etc.)
11) Boppy brand Nursing cover
12) Breastfeeding book (The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding published by La Leche League International)
13) A journal -- for recording feedings, diapers, thoughts, memories, etc.
14) My pair of Belly Buds as a loaner
15) A card just for Mama
16) An extra frozen hospital pad, just in case she likes those better!

I have it on good authority from my friend that the padsicles were "the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given [her]," so I definitely recommend putting the necessary items into any Postpartum Mom Gift Basket you make for an expectant mother!

How to Make Padsicles 

• Unfold an overnight pad, but leave it stuck to the wrapper.  Peel back the wings.
• Spray a good amount of Witch Hazel onto the pad with a spray bottle
• Spread a thin layer of aloe vera gel onto the pad (I used the back of a spoon)
• Add a few drops of lavender essential oil (or any essential oil of your choice). A little goes a long way!  Here are some benefits of using lavender oil. 
• Carefully fold the wings back down and replace adhesive paper.
• Fold pad back together in its wrapping
• Store all padsicles in a clearly labeled Ziploc freezer bag in your freezer

What did you love/appreciate the most when you were first home with your baby? What was your favorite gift at your baby shower?

Mom Hacks -- Two Bottles Only

(But which two am I talking about?? hahaha)

Wanna hear something that will probably blow your mind if you're a mom?

I only have two bottles for feeding my son.

Yep.  Two.  Dos. Deux. Zwei. 

Why, you ask?  Well, really it's a lot simpler than having a whole bunch of bottles.  And if there's anything my life could use more of, it is simplicity.  Especially with a baby in the house and a mom (me) who tends to overthink and overanalyze everything. 

Here's the thing: we live in a very old house with no dishwasher and very little storage space.  If we had a dishwasher, this would be a different blog post entirely. I'd have exactly the amount of bottles that Z takes in a day, plus a few to spare, and I could just put them all into the dishwasher after he went to bed and voila! Clean bottles for the next day!

However, if I had that many bottles now and had a sink full of them at the end of every night, I would cry and cry and cry at the thought of handwashing them all.

With only two bottles, we wash as we go.  There's always a clean bottle ready and usually only one to wash at a time.  At the worst, we wash two.  When we're really on top of our game, both bottles are clean and pre-filled with water for His Highness's next two feedings.

Honestly?  It's the easiest thing in the world. 

Sometimes we moms feel like we have to have backups of everything (and I do...I have a gifted Dr. Brown's bottle, washed and ready in the baby cabinet), and this can lead to an overflow of too much stuff. 

This saves me precious counter space and precious time with my husband after the baby goes to bed.  Instead of spending time leaning over the sink washing a million bottles/parts/nipples, I get us each our own bottle and we sit down together to relax.

As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

Outfit of the Day

I wasn't sure I'd start off this week doing Outfit of the Day every day...and I'm still not sure that I'll do it every day this week, but I did like how much these blog posts kept me accountable. As the week progressed and my general fatigue increased (why do 4-month-olds need so much attention anyway??) (also ALCS and World Series baseball games go late into the night sometimes!), I felt more and more inclined to just throw my hair up in a half ponytail and put on jeans (or yoga pants) and a long-sleeved shirt.

Today would have been the perfect day for that.

I woke up at 7:10 (I should have been out the door by 7:30) and still needed to shower. I hadn't planned what I was going to wear today. I could have blown out my hair, but I decided that just a few minutes with my smiling baby trumped that, so I left with wet hair (at 7:40...oops) wearing an outfit that I threw together after staring at my closet for a few minutes with slightly crazed eyes.

I'm not always a planner by nature but, when it comes to my clothes, I usually think ahead the night before about what I might want to wear.  Luckily, today didn't end up a total disaster.  I think sequins cover a multitude of sins, but that's just my personal philosophy.

Pants: Kohls (last seen here)

Camisole: Old Navy

Sequined shrug: Kohls (I think)

Shoes: Nine West

One thing I noticed in my crazed search for something to wear this morning is that I own very few structured, professional blouses/tops. This cami is old and soft and comfortable, but, as you can see, it hangs funny and would be better suited with a pair of pajama pants than with work slacks. It clings to the waist of the pants, and does nothing to flatter that area of my body.

However, the length of the cami paired with the cropped sweater gives the illusion of a longer torso.  Since I'm very short-waisted, this is a good thing.

As for the hair...here's a closer look:

My hair is getting LONG, and besides the fact that it takes forever to dry, it's falling out thanks to more lovely postpartum symptoms that nobody ever warns you about til it's too late and you're wondering if you could make a wig with what you find in the shower.

Here's my New Mom hair tip: ALWAYS have the following in your purse or at work: a small can of hairspray, a fold up brush (with a mirror! they sell them at Walmart), and a sleeve of bobby pins.  I did this in the bathroom at work in about 10 minutes. 

There are a bazillion hair tutorials online and on Pinterest, but let me sum this one up for you very easily:

1. Make two braided pigtails
2. Fold one up over your head and pin til it feels secure.
3. Fold the other one around the back of your head and pin the ends up into the start of the first braid. Pin until secure.
4. Spray all over with hairspray.

Today was another classic example of "hurried Mom" syndrome, but I'm learning little tips and tricks that help me get out the door feeling slightly put together and not quite so messy and frumpy. 

Happy Monday!