Smart Mommy: Tips and Tricks for a New Baby

As a soon-to-be mother of twins, I've done some research on what moms recommend and don't recommend. I have become a living sponge for any information anyone is willing to give.

Between talking to the many mothers and thinking up a few of these on my own, I've come up with a few tricks and tips to save a little money and time when you have a new baby and wanted to share them here.

Buy Johnson's Baby Head-to-Toe wash instead of Shampoo

I suggest only buying Johnson's Baby Head to Toe Wash and leave out the shampoo.

Taking a closer look at the Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo and head-to-toe wash, I only found three differences in the ingredients. The shampoo included phenoxyethanol, potassium acrylates copolymers and yellow dyes.

Not that any of these ingredients are inherently bad, I opted to go with the  head to toe wash  because there were less ingredients and simply because I could use it for baby's hair and body--saving some money by not buying the shampoo too.

Re-purposed Emergency Diaper Stash Bag

The cute crib sheets from Target come packed in a small velcro bag. My mom suggested that I re-purpose the bag and this is what I came up with-- an emergency diaper stash bag for the car! It will be perfect for those times when I run out of diapers, forget or leave my diaper bag behind. This bag is the perfect place for those free samples you've got! Here's some ideas for your emergency diaper stash:

Diapers
Small bottle of Desitin/Ointment
Package of sample wipes
Extra pacifier 
Toy or small book

You can usually fit your emergency bag in the door compartment of your car or in the glove compartment. I also just received some sample formula packages for making a 4 oz. bottle and will include a couple of those too! Since we already needed sheets, we had a cute and functional bag and by using free samples, this little project could be essentially free! This will hopefully help you out if you're ever in a bind so that your not totally stranded.

IKEA Diaper Cart

This one is pretty simple, but boy will it be functional. We bought this "kitchen cart" at IKEA for around $40, to be used as a side table. It will be great for late night feedings in the dark because bottles won't be easily knocked off because of the great side panel design. Another great feature is that it has casters so it can be moved around the room, even on carpet.

I've decided to use it to hold all my diapering items: diapers, wipes, ointment as well as burp cloths, pacifiers and any extra odds and ends that I may need!

The best part...not only is the cart functional, but super cute!

Get a Simple Sponge Baby Bath Cushion

This is an awesome product I've heard about from multiple mommies that saves hassle and money. Instead of getting the bulky and expensive bathers with all the bells and whistles that you may not use, many mommies are opting for the simple and cost effective sponge baby bath cushions.  

I've been told you can use them in the tub--Just fill the tub up about an inch or so and lay the baby on the cushion and use a wash towel to clean baby. 

When they are super young, some moms place the cushion on the bathroom counter and give their little one a sponge bath with a wash rag. The sponge soaks up any extra water-so easy clean up!

When you're done, simply wring out the water and set out to dry! You can find these at Babies R' Us, Buy Buy Baby or on Amazon for about $7 each.

Think Ahead Furniture

To save on money and space my husband and I decided that we would get our twins convertible cribs and because of space, we opted to get a larger upright dresser. 

Both of these options will allow the furniture to grow with the child.

Another thing to I tried to be conscientious of is buying gender neutral swings, bouncers etc. so I wouldn't mind using it for either gender later on down the road.

Hope this tips helped you to get planning for that little one! Happy planning!