There are several things that a couple is not going to need to buy for their new baby. I know you’re busy as a new parent though, so this list is short and sweet!

Baby Wipe Warmer
If you want to warm the baby wipe before it touches the baby’s bottom, then all you have to do is rub it in between your hands before swiping it.

Diaper Pail
There is no point in buying something that you are going to have to throw away once the child is out of diapers. The best thing to do is to take the baby’s diapers outside to the trashcan, to help avoid any of the nasty odors inside of your house.

Changing Table
You can easily turn a dresser into a changing table, just by putting a changing pad on the level surface of the dresser. You can also turn any nook in your home into an instant changing station by putting a changing pad on the nook, just as long as you don’t leave the baby alone!

Baby Laundry Detergent
The average person is going to pay a lot more for laundry detergent that is made especially for babies. But as long as you use a laundry detergent that does not have any toxins or dyes in it, then you can wash the baby’s clothes in the same detergent that you wash your clothes in.

Crib
This is mostly because the baby is going to end up sleeping with you most of the time. Then the kid will probably go straight to their big kid bed. I would only buy a baby crib if you are absolutely sure that the baby is not going to sleep with you.

Toys
Most of the time, a baby is going to be more entertained by their mommy and daddy then any toy that you could buy. All a person has to do is interact with their baby.

Fluffy Blankets
A lot of the time, a baby is going to become very overheated if you wrap your baby up in a blanket. Instead, use a thin receiving blanket or swaddling blanket to wrap your baby up and make sure the baby has on warm clothing, like pajamas.

Shoes
A baby is not going to need to wear any shoes until they start standing or walking. As long as the baby has a pair of socks on, the baby’s feet are going to stay warm. In fact, a baby’s feet might not develop properly if they wear a lot of shoes during the winter months.

Designer Clothes
A baby does NOT need a lot of fancy clothes, since they are going to grow out of them so quickly anyway! If you want to spend a little bit more money on clothes that you are going to want to pass down generations and generations to come, then maybe it’s fine, but you probably know as well as I do that trends are gone as quickly as they arrive.

A Bigger House
You don’t need to buy a bigger house until the child gets a little older. The baby is only going to take up a little bit of room! The only thing that a person might need to do is to get rid of some of the things that they no longer need. Then, you’ll have more room than you ever imagined!

Melissa Hillman writes about parenting, finance & saving money at www.termlifeinsurance.org.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the many toys on your children’s wish list. Alone, they’re not too expensive, but if you go too crazy, everything will add up in the end. Aside from browsing through sale and clearance items, we’ve put together some hot tips that will make your kids happy without putting too big of a dent in your wallet.

Ask early – If you’re like most parents, your kids have been throwing you ideas left and right for months. A few days before Black Friday, ask them to write down a list of the things they want the most. Having this ahead of time will help you plan your shopping trip.

Grab more than one newspaper – Thanksgiving Day newspapers are filled with great sales and coupons for Black Friday. Although stores usually limit you to one coupon per person, cutting out two or three will be a big help if you have friends or family members come shopping with you.

Make a budget – Don’t just use the list your kids gave you. Instead, make a list of everyone you want to shop for (not just those who want toys) and write down how much you want to spend for each. At the bottom of the page, total up your budget and circle it with a colorful pen. Try your best to stick to this amount when you’re out shopping…even if you walk past a great deal that’s hard to pass up.

Make a plan – After finding the best sales and cutting the best coupons, make a plan of where you want to go on Black Friday. You can base this on several factors like who’s having the best sale, when each store opens, and more.

Be an early bird – Although you’ll have to fight the crowds, being an early bird usually pays off. Many stores offer the hottest toys in limited quantities and it’s always at the beginning of the day. So, waiting in line and bearing the crowds at 5 a.m. might be your ticket to great savings.

Make sure you’re actually getting a deal – Just because a deal is offered for Black Friday doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best deal you’re going to get. Do some research before heading out to shop. You may find you can get the exact same toy somewhere else without spending quite as much money.

Look beyond the brand – Some stores may carry generic toys that are very similar to the name brand ones…so similar that your kids won’t know the difference. When you can, shop these toys and save yourself a few bucks. It’ll add up in the long run.

Save even more with “triple plays” – Most shoppers have two things in mind – in-store sales and coupons. But have you ever thought about cash back rebates? Check for these offers when you’re out shopping because mailing in this rebates could mean an extra $20 or $30 back in your pocket.

Keep in mind the above tips to save yourself much time and stress when shopping for toys over the holiday season.

About the Author:

Jon Vincent turned his obsession with Black Friday ads into a website – and a career! He’s been interviewed about his website, BlackFriday.info, by the New York Times, CNN, Tech Crunch and more. When he’s not hunting down Black Friday ad leaks he stays busy by writing frugality and savings advice.

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I reviewed it and love this product! Check out the review!

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Here’s how to enter- You can do any or all of these things for entry:

1. MANDATORY- ‘Leave a Reply’ on this article stating why you want a ReadyBox – 1 entry

2. Like NMO on Facebook- 1 entry (or tell us if you already are a faithful fan )
   

3. Follow NMO on Twitter- 1 entry (or tell us if you’re already a faithful follower )
   

4. Follow ReadyBox on Twitter- 1 entry (or tell us if you’re already a faithful follower)

5. Like ReadyBox on Facebook- 1 entry (or tell us if you’re already a faithful follower)

6. Tweet about our giveaway (must have at least 50 followers to qualify)- up to 4 entries per day

   • TWEET: RT Enter to WIN a  ReadyBox ($100 value) – Get your family prepared for any disaster @ReadyBoxNation thru @NewMommyOasis  http://www.newmommyoasis.com

7. Post giveaway link on your Facebook page (must have at least 50 friends to qualify)- 1 entry per day

   • Enter to WIN a  ReadyBox ($100 value) – Get your family prepared for any disaster @ReadyBoxNation thru @NewMommyOasis  http://www.newmommyoasis.com

How do we know you’ve made an entry!? You need to “Leave a Reply” to this article telling us what you’ve done for each qualifying entry listed above!

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Contest begins at 12:01am on October 7, 2011.  All entries must be in before 11:59pm PST on October 31, 2011. One winner will be selected via random.org and announced on November 3, 2011. The winner will be notified via email, so please make sure your email address is correct. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, if no response is received, then another winner will be selected. We will not share your email address with any third parties.

I live in Southern California- prime earthquake country.  The first large earthquake I experienced was in 1994 when the Northridge quake hit. I was sleeping and was dreaming that a friend was shaking me by the shoulders. I’ll never forget walking out of my bedroom and seeing my mom mesmerized at the back door staring at the pool as the water splashed into our living room. This set the stage for my earthquake fear – and my earthquake preparedness.

At that time there was no internet to look to for advice on what to do to be prepared for the next big earthquake. The local news did multiple stories on what to keep at home to be prepared so I promptly went into our pantry and pulled out a few cans of food and a hand can opener.   I put them in a bag under my bed and that bag came with me to college, then to San Francisco (where I lived briefly after college) and so on.

When I got pregnant with Brett I realized that my plastic bag of food under the bed wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I went online and purchased, for $120, a 10-gallon tub of earthquake prep gear.  When it arrived on my doorstep I had my husband put it in our hall closet and I haven’t really thought about it since.

Fast-forward to two weeks ago (6-years-post-earthquake-tub-purchase) and all of San Diego and much of southern Orange County lost power. Oh, and the AT&T cell phones were also out of service (not sure which was worse). My husband and I went looking for the earthquake tub because I knew it had a wind-up radio. Unfortunately, it took some time to get to it (buried in the closet) and my husband (an ex-football player) had trouble opening it! Can you imagine if we had been in an actual disaster?

Enter ReadyBox.  This is truly all you need to keep your family safe in the event that a disaster happens in your area.  This box is small yet has everything that is important for you to make it through a couple days until you can get to medical care, to the store, etc. The box itself glows in the dark so you can find it. It only takes twenty minutes to charge it and make it ‘glow’ for hours. It also floats in case you are in flood.

Once you easily locate the ReadyBox after the disaster you have everything you need inside- and everything is professional grade (not some chinsey dollar-store items).  And when I say ‘professional,’ I mean it. Many of the items are the exact items that the Coast Guard uses.  You’ll find a wind-up radio/flashlight so that you can tune into news and hear the important updates that you need. This wind-up radio also will charge your cell phone! Cell phone dies? No problem- ReadyBox comes with almost every connector so you can wind-up your phone!

Each box contains two antiviral masks. These aren’t what you buy at the drugstore. These masks will keep out Anthrax (god-forbid) but more likely smoke.  Each box also contains two thermal blankets that contains 90% of your body heat.

Hungry? Thirsty? There are 3 1L Tetra Paks of water (keeping water from contamination) and 2 packages of protein bars that are KID FRIENDLY. Yes- they taste like lemon cookies!

Yes, there are medical supplies as well. For a full list of what is in the box check out this link.

ReadyBox really thought of everything and I feel safe and comfortable now that I have a ReadyBox under my bed. I plan on purchasing one for my car, one for my parents home and one for my grandfather. What better gift to give someone at the holidays than the gift of safety?

Every family should have at least 1 ReadyBox in their home (1 box has enough supplies for 2 people) and one in each car because, lets face it, how often are you at home during an emergency?

ENTER TO WIN a READYBOX!

If you don’t win and decide to purchase a ReadyBox, please indicate that you heard about it through New Mommy Oasis (or NMO). Thank you!

I was provided a review product.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are purely my own and any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified by the above mentioned company.

So, imagine my surprise when I turned on the season premiere of The Office on NBC and saw a very pregnant Pam (Jenna Fischer)! My husband looks and me and exclaims, “is she REALLY pregnant?” Wow, sure looked like it. She doesn’t look fat but she looks pregnant. A full face with a beautiful pregnancy glow. Of course, I immediately Googled it and found the following article. I thought the real moms out there would appreciate it. Click through to the actual article to see clips from the The Office.

One thing that is kind of deflating for “fake pregnant” actresses and their fans, is when a real pregnancy rolls around. During that “pretend pregnancy” all they have is a perfect basketball belly,they don’t gain a pound anywhere else, no sweating or blotchy skin and from behind you’d never know they were 9 months along. It’s almost offensive for a true pregnant woman. But hey, it’s fiction so we move past it. (see episode clip above)

But then, it happens. They become pregnant in real life. This time that perfect little basketball belly is a dream of the past. Now the fans see it all, the puffy face, the glisteny sweat and the weight gain that happens everywhere. The real pregnancy just isn’t the same as that perfect faux pregnancy they feigned in the past and the fans notice. (see episode below)

A similar situation is currently being played out by Jenna Fischer who plays Pam Halpert on The Office. Not to say Jenna Fischer isn’t beyond beautiful pregnant, but this time she is rocking her baby belly for real and it’s great, it’s real and not the same as it was last time. Fischer and her husband Lee Kirk will welcome their first child, a boy, in September! Congrats to the happy couple. I promise your life will never be the same, in a good way of course.

*Another star who had a perfect faux pregnancy followed up by a realistic actual pregnancy was Holly Marie Combs who played Piper Halliwell on Charmed.

Is Jenna Fischer Pregnant courtesy of Entertainment Exactlee

WHY CLOTH DIAPER?

If you’re just starting your cloth diapering journey, you may be surprised by the degree of passion people feel about their choice to cover their baby’s booty in cloth. If you ask a zealot why you should cloth diaper, they may talk to you for an hour. We’ll try to be more concise.

Better for Baby: Disposable diapers contain dioxin, a highly-toxic carcinogen and Tibutyl-tin (TBT), a toxic pollutant and hormonal disruptor. Disposables are so absorbent because they contain sodium polyacrylate, which was used in tampons until the early 1980’s when it was linked to toxic shock syndrome. If you’ve ever changed a baby’s disposable diaper and noticed little blue beads of gel on their bottom, that was sodium polyacrylate. Since skin is your baby’s largest organ, it goes without saying you’d rather not cover it in toxic chemicals like these.

Better for the Planet: All those chemicals that don’t absorb into your baby’s bloodstream will be dumped into a landfill and eventually reach your water source when using disposable diapers. The same is true for the feces, which is meant to be dumped in the toilet even when using disposables, but almost never is. We can’t know for sure, but the estimate is that a single-use diaper takes between 250-500 years to decompose, and more than 27 billion disposable diapers are used every year in the US. And finally, over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce the disposable diapers ONE baby needs for ONE YEAR

Better for Your Pocketbook: The savings you will get out of cloth diapering vary depending on which type of diapers you use and the capacity and efficiency of your washing system. But overall, you can spend between $2000-3000 to put disposable diapers on a baby from newborn to potty-learning (depending on the brand you buy). Your costs for a babyhood of cloth will range from around $300 for the most economical system to about $700 for a premium system (and those numbers include water and energy costs). So even if we round that premium system up to $1000, you’re saving at least $1000 per child. Add to THAT the fact that you can reuse those diapers for your next child, and your savings simply multiply.

And Just Plain Cute: Okay, this one is not as compelling as the others. But there’s no denying that a poofy, cloth-clad booty is far cuter than its crinkly, paper-clad equivalent.

(For lots of great statistics and information on environmental impact, costs, etc. with formal annotation, check out the website of the non-profit Real Diaper Association at www.realdiaperassociation.org)

DIFFERENT DIAPERING SYSTEMS

• Prefolds and Covers: The most economical system, a prefold (or flat) diaper is folded in the style of your choice, usually pinned or snappied into place, and then enclosed with a waterproof cover.

• Fitteds and Covers: Slightly more money and less learning curve than a prefold and cover, a fitted and cover system requires an absorbent fitted diaper which usually snaps or velcros closed, and is then enclosed with a waterproof cover.

• Pockets and Inserts: A popular choice for convenience, a pocket diaper must be stuffed with the inserts of your choice, but requires no cover and keeps the moisture away from your baby’s skin.

• One-size Diapers: One-size diapers may be fitteds that require a cover, pockets that require inserts, or covers that require an absorbent layer inside. Whichever style you get, one-size diapers snap up or down to fit an infant or a toddler, and eliminate the need to buy different sizes as your baby grows.

• All-in-Ones: All-in-ones include the waterproof outer and absorbent inner in one simple diaper that requires no assembly. They are the most like disposable diapers when it comes to putting them on the baby. On the downside, they can take a long time to dry.

• Hybrid diapers include an insert that lays against the baby’s skin and it’s changed with every diaper change and a reusable waterproof cover that is used more than once throughout the day. These are a favorite among new parents interested in cloth diapering.

BUT ISN’T CLOTH DIAPERING HARD???

Probably not as hard as you think. On the one hand, it’s not as simple as disposable diapering, though most cloth diaper converts think the benefits far outweigh the bit of effort. And there are even some that say it’s easier, since the number of poopy blowouts you will see with cloth is usually far fewer than with disposables. But here are a few answers to burning questions:

How often do I change cloth diapers?
More often than disposable diapers. Because they are not loaded with the lovely absorbent chemicals we mentioned before, cloth diapers simply don’t have the capacity of disposable diapers. Ideally, they need to be changed every two hours or so, but this depends on your baby and your diaper system (ie, a pocket diaper that keeps the moisture away from the baby’s skin can be left on longer, particularly if it is stuffed with a lot of absorbent material).

How many do I need?
For a newborn, you’ll want to have 10-12 diapers per day, so if you’re planning to wash every other day you should shoot for around 24 diapers (but remember you’ll need fewer covers). When they hit around 5-6 months, you’ll generally need 6-8 diapers per day.

How often do I wash cloth diapers?
This depends partly on how many cloth diapers you have in your stash, and how often you change them (ie, if you have a frequent pooper or heavy wetter). With a small stash, you might wash every day, but even with a large stash, every other day is ideal. You don’t want to let them sit for too long before washing. While every other day may sound like a lot, it probably takes a grand total of five minutes to throw diapers in the washer and transfer them to the dryer. Calculate more time if you’re hanging them up to line dry, or stuffing pocket diapers when they’re done.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

The best advice is to try a variety of things when you’re first starting out. Pockets may appeal to you, but you may find you hate stuffing them and prefer AIO’s. You may think folding prefolds sounds intimidating, and it turns out you love them. Even the best brands don’t fit every single baby, depending on how your little guy is proportioned. So don’t go out and buy 24 of one brand and one size.

We offer diaper packages designed to let you try a variety of different diapers at one go. Or just put together a hodge podge of what appeals to you. Try them out and order more when you know what you and your baby likes. (And also be aware that may change as your baby grows and their elimination needs change.)

A WORD ON LAUNDRY

Laundry routines are as varied and personal as cloth diaper systems, and you will have to figure out what works for you, your diapers, and your washing machine. But here are a few things to keep in mind:

• All detergents are NOT created equally. Never use a diaper detergent with fragrances, dyes, enzymes or brighteners. Some detergents that are popular in the cloth-diapering world are Rockin Green (available at Granola Babies) Allen’s Naturally, Charlie’s Soap, Country Save, and Sport-Wash. Some people have good luck with “free and clear” brands and others don’t.

• It seems counter-intuitive, but you want to use less detergent on diapers than you would on clothes, or you will get a stinky build-up. Generally, use about half the recommended amount of detergent in a top loader and a quarter of the recommended amount in a front-loader.

• You will find what works for you, but some variation on a cold pre-wash, hot/cold wash, and extra cold rinse is common when laundering cloth diapers. Line drying is great for the planet, but any diapers with a PUL layer need to have a hot dryer cycle from time to time to seal up the waterproof barrier.

• Baking soda and vinegar are popular (and economical) additions to cloth diaper laundry routines, when troubleshooting stink and build-up.

• Wet pails (soaking soiled diapers until washing time) used to be the norm, but they are used with less and less frequency. Most people keep soiled diapers in a dry pail (and a bit of breathing room actually helps control the stink) until they are ready to be washed. The stink many people associate with diapers today actually comes from the reaction between urine and the chemicals in disposables. You will likely be surprised by how little you smell the dirty diapers.

• Setting diapers out in the sun makes a world of difference in removing stains.

WOOL COVERS AND PUL COVERS

Prefolds and fitted cloth diapers, require a diaper cover. Most often parents use either a wool or a polyurethane laminated (PUL) diaper cover.

With a wool diaper cover, you only need to wash it every 3-4 weeks. In between changes, you simply air dry the cover. If it’s soiled, you can spot clean it between washes.  Wool does not retain smell and it’s a natural fiber that is breathable. When properly lanolized, it will work just like a waterproof cover. Lanolizing means soaking your wool cover with lanolin mixed in water, which then creates a waterproof layer on your wool cover.

To wash a wool diaper cover, use a wool wash and warm water to wash by hand or on machine cycle that is gentle enough for washing wool. After rinsing, squeeze the diaper cover in your hands to remove the excess water. And then finish removing the water by laying the cover between a towel and pressing the water out. Finally, air dry flat.

To lanolize a wool diaper cover, wash first and then in a bowl or sink, add warm water and mix in about a 1 teaspoon of lanolin. Then place the wool cover in the water for about 15 minutes. After that time, with the cover in your hands, press as much water out of the wool diaper as possible and then continue to remove the water by pressing it between a towel. Air dry flat. Now your cover is lanolized and  doesn’t need to be done again until it wears out. You’ll know when that happens if the cover starts to get too moist when in use. I like to lanolize after every other washing, since I wash my wool covers with wool wash that already has some lanolin in it.

A waterproof cover is made from Polyurethane laminated (PUL) fabric. You can rotate a PUL covers between changes, unless it’s soiled. At the end of the day, the covers you used that day go in your diaper pail for the next washing.

When my daughter was born two years ago I was an avid Pampers diapers user.  The outside of the Pampers were (and still are) super soft. I LOVED the swaddlers and, more than that, loved the Sensitive type with the stripe that turns blue when the diaper is wet. Gimmicky? Maybe, but my husband and I thought it was great since she is our first child and we didn’t want to be overzealous when it came to diaper changes.  We used Pampers until we switched to Huggies when my daughter moved to a size 3 and I realized that we could get them at Costco. Price won in that situation.

When my son was born I registered, and received, about a dozen packages of Pampers Swaddlers and/or Sensitive diapers. I was excited to use the super-soft diapers on my newborn.  Our hospital uses Pampers on the newborn babies so the transition on my son should have been easy when we got home. Unfortunately, he started to get a terrible diaper rash on his bottom. It looked raw after a few days. I couldn’t believe it. I tried Desitin and Butt Paste but neither were working. I put a bit of neosporin on and that started to help. I decided I would go buy a package of Huggies and try that out. Within two days the rash was gone. Odd…

After the rash went away I switched back to Pampers because they are, after all, my favorite. That same day the rash came back. I’m not sure why, but something about the diaper wasn’t agreeing with my sons skin. I switched back the Huggies diapers and the rash has been gone ever since. In fact, he hasn’t had a diaper rash at all since I changed back to Huggies.

As for wipes, I am a Pampers wipes girl through and through (see previous blog My Word on Wipes) but when it comes to diapers it’s Huggies on my babies now.

Manufacturer: Earth Mama Angel Baby

Reviewed By: Holly

Date Reviewed:  1/27/11

Available for Purchase:

Pros: easily wraps around breast, soft material

Cons:  contents inside shift away from the middle

Review:

When I received the Booby Tubes for review I giggled at the name but wasn’t sure when I would need to use them. I didn’t get overly engorged this time so I didn’t have the need to freeze them and use them.  I was sure I wouldn’t need them for any other reason but I was, unfortunately wrong.

I got mastitis the day before my daughters second birthday and I have never been so sick in my life. I was achy, had terrible chills and had a fever of 101.4.  I couldn’t get out of bed and my mom and my husband had to care for my children (minus the breastfeedling).  I remembered that I had received the Booby Tubes and asked my hubby to put them in the microwave. In just 30 seconds the tubes were hot and I applied one to my breast under my bra.  That along with massage (and, unfortunately, antibiotics) my mastitis slowly went away.  I continued to use the Booby Tubes even after the pain went away.

The only downside to these is that they have a natural fold in the middle and the beads inside go to both sides so the you have to move the beads back into the middle area so that the area is covered.

These were very comforting and definitely soothed my breast during mastitis. I would definitely recommend them to new moms- keep them in the cupboard just in case!

Overall Rating: (based on 5 palm tree rating system- 5 palm trees is a Mommy Oasis)

December 20, 2010 I remember waking up thinking will today be the day? I had an appointment for my blood pressure to get checked and was really hoping I had made progress being dilated over the weekend! So I could have my baby that day. My blood pressure was not high and I had not dilated anymore than before. The lady decided to see if my Dr. was working at the hospital that day and she was. So they asked my Dr. if she would check me to see if I could be induced! Well, she agreed and about 2 hours later I was admitted and the Pitocin was started! The phone calls to all the family were made. I was 4-5 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced! I was excited, I thought this was going to be a fast labor. I had my epidural, and I assumed things were progressing.

About 3 hours went by, and a midwife came in and said she was going to check me to see if she could break my water. Well, I had not dilated anymore, and my daughter was still up pretty high. So they did a ultrasound. The ultrasound showed my daughters head was tilted to the side a bit. So they were afraid if they broke my water the cord would flow out in the waters ahead of the head. Which would flatten the cord and she would not get any oxygen. So she turned me onto my side to see if her head would drop to the normal position. Well, about an hour later my Dr. came in with a couple of other Drs. and they checked my dilation, and saw that her head had dropped to the position they wanted it in. So the broke my water. About 15 minutes went by and they were having a hard time getting my daughters heart rate on the monitors, so they went in to put an internal monitor on her, and felt the cord. So the nurse yelled cord, and suddenly, everything that was happening is a blur. The last thing I can remember is Code C being yelled over the intercom system through out labor and delivery. Code c stands for pro-lapsed cord. Which meant more Drs. and nurses rushed in. This is what I was told. They were pulling out my epidural, and Pitocin and IV and rushing me into the emergency room for an emergency C-section. There was a nurse on the gurney with me holding my daughters head in so the cord did not come out and cut off her Oxygen.

15 minutes labor my daughter Makayla Rose was born. She weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz, and was born at 4:31 on December 20th, 2010. She was 20 inches long. Everything went smoothly and she was perfectly healthy! Not the way I wanted my baby to come, and was a pretty scary experience. But overall, I got what I wanted to have my baby home with me by Christmas! Life is crazy now, with 2 under 2 but it’s great!