Today's question is: how do you store all the baby gear that your baby has outgrown? My baby is already 9 months old (how is that possible??) so this past weekend I spent some time putting away the baby gear she is no longer using.  Here is how I did it.

My first tip is to make sure you remove the batteries so they don't corrode during storage.

Next tip for things with batteries is to take a Sharpie and write how many and what type of battery is needed on the battery compartment.  That way when you go to use it again, you can check and see if you have the right number and size of batteries before you even open the compartment.  I like this tip especially since most baby things with batteries require a screwdriver to open, and it annoys me to go to the trouble of opening it and then not have the right batteries for it.

Most of the stuff I had to store is odd-shaped so I decided to use 55 gallon landscaping bags tied in a knot at the top.  I figured those will keep water, dust and other things out while the stuff is in the garage.

I bought some tags and rubber bands and used the rubber bands to secure the tags around the knot on the bag.

Now we'll be able to tell what we have in each bag if we need the baby gear again!

Hello everyone.  Today we have another post about breastfeeding. 

I work in a job that lets me wear scrubs all day, which is great, because it's like working in your pajamas.  Before I started pumping at work, I wore sports bras.  When I went back to work I bought one of those "bustier" style pumping bras that you wrap around your torso and zip.  It never really worked well for me for several reasons.  I find it awkward to put on and hard to zip, and the holes for the breastshields to fit through did not line up very well for me. 

In addition, in order to use the bustier bra, you have to be wearing a regular nursing bra, or if you're wearing a sports bra like I like to, you have to pull it up which isn't very comfortable.

So I wanted a way to use my sports bras as pumping bras.  There are several blogs and sites that talk about converting sports bras to pumping bras so I thought I'd give it a try.

The first thing I did was put the bra on and mark where the holes need to go.  I used a Sharpie, but you can use a fabric pen if you want the marks to disappear.

Then you just cut holes about 1/2 inch long at the spots you marked.  They don't need to be very big because the fabric stretches.

Then grab your breastshield:

and insert it into the hole to stretch it out:

Don't worry about the holes when you're wearing the bra, your nursing pads will cover them.

Now when you're ready to pump you just put the shields through, connect your pump and you're hands-free pumping!

I am breastfeeding my daughter, and for the most part, it is great. I also went back to work full-time when she was 12 weeks old, so I pump while I'm at work so she has milk for during the day. Pumping sucks, but we'll get into that in subsequent posts.

For the first 6 weeks or so after the baby was born, I used disposable nursing pads in my bras to absorb milk leaks. However, I didn't find them terribly comfortable, and they tended to shift around and bunch up, plus the adhesive didn't last long. So I decided to try the reusable, washable nursing pads. I had some cotton ones that a friend had given me and I also bought some Bamboobies.

(Anyone else think cutesie names like "Bamboobies" are kind of ridiculous? I think the only one that might be worse is "My Brest Friend," which is a nursing pillow. But I digress.)

So to me the reusable pads were way more comfortable. The only problem was, they didn't stay in place very well. So inspired by the adhesive on the disposable pads I bought some double-sided fashion tape. It's usually used to stick low cut necklines to your skin so you don't titillate the paparrazi, but I thought it might work to adhere the pad to my bra.

I just put a small 1-2 inch piece of the tape on the back of the pad, and then adhere it to the inside of my bra. I lasts all day and keeps the pad in place. The first picture is the Bamboobies without tape, and the second photo shows how I put the tape on the back side.

I hope that this tip helps someone out with their breastfeeding journey!

Here is my first tip. We bought a changing table like you're supposed to, but when we got it home and I looked at the table pad I realized that it was the perfect size to fit on my guest bathroom counter top. And trust me, when you've changed a few overflowing newborn diapers, you'll be thankful for the handy sink! So if your bathroom layout lends itself to this hack, give it a try and see what you think.

Hello everyone. This blog is where I hope to share some of the tips and tricks that have helped me get through the first 9 months of parenthood. Some are my own ideas, others will be things I've seen other places that work for me. I hope you can find something useful here!