Love Luvs Diapers

There is a brand of diapers that is the unsung hero of motherhood. Most people use well-known brands such as Pampers and Huggies. Well, you are missing out. While on vacation, I somehow managed to miscalculate the number of Huggies diapers I would need (due to all of the sudden consistent leaks). The spot we picked was an island with one drugstore and the only diapers they had in my son's size were Luvs. Well I'm thankful that this forced me to try them. They are soft but mighty affordable diapers that do a fantastic job. Keeping out all the leaks while staying super soft against baby’s body.

Need a Shoe to Stay on Baby's Feet?

For some reason your little one can not seem to keep those darn shoes on. They kick or knock them off and you frantically try to retrace your steps and find the lone ranger. Or the shoes are too tight to squeeze onto baby's foot. But what is a mom to do when simply wearing socks is not acceptable in public? The answer is Pediped. These soft-soled cute shoes are easy to slip on baby's feet and miraculously don't come off. While they typically are pricier then others (ERV $32), one versatile pair is all you will need.

For Boys:
Check out the style Jake in Navy or Harvey in brown for Summer.


For girls, check out Grace or Olivia for Summer:

Official site for all Pediped styles: http://www.pediped.com
Other online retailers: Piperlime, Zappos, Amazon

Wholesale Clubs: Mom's Best Penny Saved

If you are a mom with children in diapers, you should investigate if you have wholesale retailer near your home. Check if they sell the same or comparable brands to what you are using for:

• Diapers
• Baby Wipes
• Formula
  

Buying these items in bulk will save you both time and money. And typical most of these retailers offer additional coupons on these items. Make sure you make a list and stick to it. Otherwise you will be tempted to buy items that you don't need and your cost savings is washed down the drain.

A few wholesale retailer examples: Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Warehouse

The Death of 32B

I find it funny that no where in pregnancy books, blogs or websites is a certain topic covered. In my opinion, it is a very important one that should be discussed and shared openly. While they all discuss the joys of motherhood and that you will lose those extra pounds by breast feeding (yeah right), the stretch marks will go away with special creams (think again), etc... But a major point that is ignored is that your breasts not only sag but drop a size. There is no one on this planet that says "oh my boobs were better after my baby". This is absolutely not true. Once you are done breast feeding, they are completely different and quite frankly smaller. I mean really small. Of course they sag and look different but they really feel different. Think of what a balloon looks like after it has been blown up and starts deflating. That is what you are left with thanks to mommyhood. If you see a mom who does not fit this bill, most likely she has had something enhanced. While the rest of us mourn our loses. And mine well... that is the death of my 32Bs. Boy did I take you small but mighty twins for granted.

Just Do It

I wish I could be mad that Nike stole the one marketing phrase that sums up my everyday life as a mom. The first time I used it was when I had to deliver my son. You see unfortunately (and some say luckily) he was ready to arrive very quickly into this world. So by the time I was in the hospital, there was no time for an epidural. So... I just had to do it. The second time it came from my mother. Well maybe second through say fiftieth time I would say. Anyhow, I had a follow up doctor's appointment and was terrified to take my six week old baby by myself. What if he freaked out in the car seat and I could not console him? What if he gets hungry? What if he cries during it? All my mother said was "You just do it. Everyone does it. You'll get through it. And by the way I'm sure they have had crying babies there before." Well, I did it. And he was an angel the entire time. What had I been worrying about? Since then he has had public melt downs. I don't panic anymore or get embarrassed. What am I going to do? Not leave the house? You just do it. And so does every other mom on the planet.

Journey

My journey through motherhood has opened up my eyes, my heart and my soul to a world I knew little about. Up until about a year ago, my life had been pretty simple and care free. I now see how extremely naive I was about motherhood and the challenges that go with the job. Yes, it was a job. And no the challenge is not simply sleep deprivation. Everything is the unknown and once you master something you quickly need to adapt and adjust to something new. And no two kids are alike and no stage is alike. It is probably the greatest game that no single person can master.