Welcoming Home Baby and #Seventh Generation

I have to admit I've got the baby bug. Really bad. Monkey is almost two years old and we've recently been talking about adding a new little one to our family. My heart longs for a baby girl but really we'd be happy with a health baby. The first time I was pregnant I admit I had no clue on what baby's needed. So like any clueless mom, I hit the books and magazines. But in reality preparing for babies homecoming starts with what comes from the heart.

1. Nursery Essentials. You have to have the basics a car seat, crib, swing, changing station and comfy rocking chair. You can always register for these items, borrow from family or hit the resale shops. If you prefer to buy new items it's important to send in any registration card so that you'll know of possible recalls. Also check the government recall list. Have your baby's car seat checked for free at hospitals or fire stations to make sure it's installed correctly.

2. A well stocked changing station. This spot will become your homes "Command Center". Trust me it really pays to have all of your diapers, wipes, creams, and powders in one central location. It saves you from running up and down the stairs in search of diapers. We have two changing stations because we have a two story home. It also pays to have a few toys or books on hand to keep baby occupied while you change them. I have both stations stocked with Seventh Generation diapers, Seventh Generation wipes and a baby toy.

3. De-Clutter. This is very important if your on your second or third baby. You'll want to clean out the closet and arrange your baby clothes by months. I have a hanging bin that is filled with shorts, pants, and jammies. I also have my son's clothing all arranged by months: newborn, 0-3 months, 6-9 months, etc. It helps to have them all in-order so that I can remove old clothes and have an idea of what I need to stock up on. I also place extra diapers and wipes in the closet. I have a small bookshelf next to my rocking chair so that I can easily grab a book to read to him before he sleeps.

4. Baby proofing. Once you bring baby home you really don't think you'll have to start baby proofing right away, right? Wrong. You really should get started on it before you bring baby home. Start with the nursery first. Have a designated safe playing place that is free of any small objects that baby can choke on. Remove that silly crib bumper bedding. Then once baby starts to get moving you should cover all electrical outlets, hang up any window blind cords, install safety gates near stairs, install cabinet locks, etc. Whatever you think may be dangerous for baby take care of it before you bring them home.

5. Go Natural. If you can afford to, then switch to all natural cleaning products. Seventh Generation carries a full line of natural Household cleaning products, laundry products, baby products and yes even personal care products. Baby's have very sensitive skin that can pick up rashes and skin irritants from just washed cloths. Before we brought Monkey home we washed all of the crib bedding, clothing newborn to three months, and toys with all natural cleaning products. We even washed his bottles, binkies, and sippy cups in natural dish washing liquid. Give the whole nursery a quick clean. You want your baby to be safe and fee from all the chemicals.

6. Baby ER. No, it does not have to be that dramatic but at least stock up on the basics for your babies medicine box. We have a box in the nursery closet that is filled with two types of digital thermometers, acetaminophen, bulb syringe, saline drops, bottled water and pedialyte. We also have nail clippers, bubble bath, shampoo, and cream set up in there as well. Have your baby's doctor's emergency number on the door as well.

7. Baby Meets Family. If you have pets or older children it's important to prepare your family for the baby's arrival. Have older children talk to your belly and tell them baby is in there ready to meet them. Read books about baby's or have them hold a doll to get used to the idea of a new addition to the house. If you have pets let them see the nursery or have a relative bring home an item of clothing from the new baby before you bring them home. Once the baby arrives give them time to all meet and greet in the nursery. This helps them understand this is were baby stays.

8. Pump it up! If your going to breastfeed your baby, do invest in a high quality breast pump. Those hand pump models are not worth it especially if you're going back to work. You want a breast pump that does the job quickly and is comfortable at the same time. I have an electrical double breast pump that quickly became my "breast friend". It also pays to have a good breastfeeding pillow for baby to lay down on. I did most of my breastfeeding in the nursery so I had all of my breastfeeding items near by with a few water bottles to keep me hydrated.

9. Sleep. When baby sleeps so should momma. I know it's very tempting to clean house, read a book, or do a load of laundry while your baby takes a nap. But you'll both be happy when you've both had a good nap. If you just have to keep busy then to one thing and then take your nap. Taking care of a new born is a lot of hard work. Never mind late night feedings or diaper changes. At times you won't know if the sun is coming up or going down! When you put baby down for a nap in the nursery be sure to remove any stuffed animals or blankets from the crib.

10. A Helping Hand. Once baby comes home you'll have a lot of visitors who will offer to help. Take it! There will come a time when you just need to have a hour or two to yourself. Say to take a quick shower. I learned the hard way that you can't ALWAYS be SuperMom. Here is where it helps to have a great husband. Take turns changing diapers, feeding, and playing with baby. Have Daddy read a book to the baby in the nursery. It also helps create Daddy bonding time.

What are your tips for bringing baby home?

About Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation is the nation’s leading brand of household and personal care products that help protect human health and the environment. Established in 1988, the Burlington, Vermont based company remains an independent, privately-held company distributing products to natural food stores, supermarkets, mass merchants, and online retailers across the United States and Canada.

More info on Seventh Generation: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/
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“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seventh Generation blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

FREE Sample of Disney Character Vitamin Gummies

Snag a FREE Sample of Disney Character Vitamin Gummies! You can choose between Cars or Princess shapes! Your FREE Sample should arrive within 8 weeks!

Outside Family Fun #C2Play2Day

As a kid when I was growing up, I remember always playing with my friends outside of the house. We would always find something to do to keep us entertained and our imaginations growing. Whether it was a nature walk in the park to discover bugs, riding our bikes around the neighborhood, or just playing hop-scotch in our drive way there was ALWAYS something to do.

Now days, I only find the preschoolers in my neighborhood playing outside. Most of the other older kids are tucked away inside the house playing video games, on the computer, or watching TV. My little sister in-law is one of those kids. When she stayed with us she never left her room because she was too busy playing on the computer, just had to watch the next TV show, or was simply not interested in outdoor activities.

My husband and I want to make the most of our son’s childhood and expose him to a variety of activities that he can do outside of the house. Part of being a kid is getting dirty and having fun! Here is a list of Outside activities we do:

Sidewalk Art. Grab a bucket of sidewalk chalk and decorate your driveway. We brought a tub of brightly colored sidewalk chalk which we keep by our garage so that our son can create and learn. We make it a learning experience by drawing animals, learning our colors, counting, and our ABC’s all with sidewalk chalk! Most of the time we just let him have fun and let out his inner Picasso!

Sports. We have a storage tub filled with all types of sports balls for our son to play with: basketball, baseball, soccer ball, and football. He loves to play basketball so we purchased a small toddler basketball hoop and ball set. After dinner he plays catch with daddy and helps develop his coordination. Plus it’s extra “Daddy Time” which he loves.

Water Fun. Our neighborhood has a community pool with a very nice toddler area. We try to go out to the pool on weekends so that he can have fun playing in the water. When it’s just too crowded or too hot, we have a small kiddy pool to set up in our backyard for him. You don't have to head out to a water park to cool off during the summer, have fun at home. We also brought him a small toddler water and sand table. We set it up in the shade and give him toys to play with. Most of time we end up with mud but that’s okay as long as he’s having fun.

Beach Fun. We recently spent a weekend at the beach as a short family vacation. It was our son’s first time at the beach. So we took plenty of beach toys for him to play with: bucket, shovel, rake, sand molds, and strainers. He had a blast making a sandcastle with his dad and enjoyed the sand molds. We also took short walking strolls along the shore looking for sea shells. He really had a ton of fun playing outside in the water and sand. Kids of every age can enjoy hours of fun building sandcastles at the beach.

Getting outside and getting dirty is one of the best parts of being a healthy and happy kid. On September 24, 2011, kids and families are encouraged to participate in the Worldwide Day of Play to turn off the TV and play outside. In honor of the Worldwide Day of Play take the Clorox2® Play 2Day pledge to play outside! Get dirty with your kids and play outside. To learn more visit http://clorox2play2day.com What's your favorite outside family activity?

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Child Passenger Safety Week

Each year, thousands of children are tragically injured and killed in motor vehicle crashes. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1-13.

The reason? Most parents and caregivers don’t understand how car seats work and are not familiar with the milestones a child must reach before he or she can be safely transitioned to the next car seat type or seat belt. The National Highway Safety Transportation Administration is aiming to increase awareness during Child Passenger Safety Week (September 18-24) by educating parents and caregivers about this issue and motivate those who thinkthey are securing their child properly to seek help, even if they’re sure their child is correctly restrained.

Child Passenger Safety Week concludes with National Seat Check Saturday on September 24, where community events nationwide will have Certified Child Passengr Safety Technicians available to provide hands-on car seat inspections and advice — for free!

•A brand-new, beautiful, informational infographic about proper car seat safety (downloadable here)
•A locator to find nearby car seat inspection stations on National Seat Check Saturday and throughout the year
•Please visit the Child Car Safety Website which is filled with instructional videos, handy informational flyers, and links to product ratings and recall lists.

Disclaimer: No compensation was received for this post.