Are you expecting soon? More babies are born during the summer than any other season, so I thought it would be a good time to do a round up of my most-pinned baby posts. Here are printable checklists for your third trimester, registry, hospital bag and diaper bag. Also included are the best lullabies, baby book ideas, how to make baby food and a printable “baby is sleeping” sign for the front door. All together these posts have about 462,000 pins!
Let’s take a look.
Third trimester checklist
It seems like things are pretty well stocked up by month 8 and you’re maybe even feeling good about welcoming you new bundle into the family — except there’s a few more things to wash. And I should get my hospital bag in order and maybe get some batteries for the bouncer …
Newborn basics registry checklist
A friend who was in her third trimester asked me what basic things I was using for our second baby boy. As many of us have, she went to Babies ‘R Us to register for her precious little one and was overwhelmed by the hundreds of products and choices. All those towering shelves are a lot to digest! How much does one tiny person need?
Get the newborn basics checklist here.
Hospital bag checklist
My best advice for packing a hospital bag is to pack light, but thoughtfully. Having less stuff is is helpful because you will most likely change rooms after giving birth, and you’ll have an extra bundle leaving with you when it’s time to head for the car! It will also make it easier for the person you will be asking to root around in your bag if you have an IV.
Get the printable baby hospital bag list here.
Diaper bag checklist
While visiting my parents’ house with my boys when they were smaller I forgot diapers. “They call it a diaper bag for a reason,” my mom pointed out. Diapers are pretty obvious, but I’ve also forgotten baby food, water, my wallet (thank you, lady at Starbucks who gave me a free hot tea), nursing cover — you get the idea. So I decided to have a printed checklist close by so I can see it in a rush. I jazzed it up a bit for you, if you want to print it off.
Get the printable diaper bag list here.
Best lullabies
When I brought our first son home I realized I didn’t know any lullabies! I relearned some old classics and found some great new songs and mantras along the way as well. My favorite songs to sing to Clara now are old hymns, my favorite being “Come Thou Fount.” She tries to sing along and it melts my heart.
Listen to the lullaby Spotify playlist here.
Baby book ideas
Does creating a baby book sound too daunting? I’ve got some simple ideas to follow that can get it done in no time and even keep it personal! Just take a few of these ideas and make it your own. A baby book doesn’t have to include every picture ever taken of your little darling. In fact my favorite album of the three I’ve made is much more edited than the other two.
Get all 16 baby book ideas and more photos here.
Monthly baby pictures of first year
I took the photos on his daddy’s pretty blue baby blanket that his grandmother made. The blanket happened to be the perfect size because I could fill my camera frame to the edges of it, so each picture is proportional and sized the same. That way you get a true idea of month to month growth.
Get rest of the monthly baby picture tips here.
“Baby is sleeping” printable sign
I order practically everything online — from toothpaste to clothing to weather stripping for the door. I just can’t get much done with three little ones. They’ll give me one errand a day, tops. So that means a lot of deliveries and a lot of door-bell ringing. And a lot of door-bell ringing will send a mother of a sleeping child into A TIZZY. An irrational, hair-pulling, I-will-kill-you-until-you-die-from-it tizzy. Do NOT mess with our rare moment of peace and quiet. Am I right? Ahem. I mean the poor child needs his rest …
So this is my gift to the poor unsuspecting delivery men and women who don’t know what they’re walking into — a warning sign. Consider yourself warned.
Go here to download the printable “please knock, baby is sleeping” sign.
Home remedies and tricks for teething
Here’s a round up of some favorite home remedies, along with my kids’ favorite teething toy picks.
See how to make this frozen pacifier here.
How to make baby food
The biggest reason I started making baby food is to give my kids the most fresh and nutritious food I could in their first year of life. The second is to save money. And the third is for the environment, because God knows I owe it after putting three babies in diapers! Find an introduction order and lots of easy recipes in this article.
How to make baby food in 45 minutes a week and save 50 percent.
How I afford to stay home with the kids
I get down to the nitty gritty in this long post with all the details on how we live off one income. We’ll go through all the bills, talk about bulk shopping, strategies and budget. You can do it!
To see how we live off one income, go here.
I’ve scoured articles searching for the best foods for pregnancy, healthy snack ideas, power pregnancy foods, etc., to make a printable list to post on the fridge. I’m making this list of yummy, healthy snacks to choose from, hoping to make my junk choices the exception and not the norm.
Go here for more healthy pregnancy snack ideas.
Building an affordable maternity wardrobe
Looking online I see so many beautiful maternity clothing options! There’s just one problem — my budget. If you’re like me, you don’t want to invest a lot in clothes you’ll wear for about six months, so we gotta have a plan. I’m looking for stylish maternity basics that will mostly work in any season and interchange easily.
Here’s my plan: maternity wardrobe capsule.