Whether you are exclusively pumping or pumping at work, there are a few things that will make pumping easier and a better experience. I am not an expert, just a mama who has pumped to build a supply and while working. These are some of my favorite must have breast pumping items.
Breast Pump
A good pump is obviously an important thing to have. Having a good pump will help with milk production and the amount you pump. I have the Medela Pump in Style pump. It is easy to learn the settings and use. This was a pump I was able to get 100% free through insurance.
Water and Snacks
Water and eating enough calories is extremely important for milk production. Every time I sit down to nurse I get extremely thirsty, so I always make sure to have a bottle of water when I pump too. Eating a good snack while pumping is a great way to get in a few extra calories for the day also.
Hands-free pumping bra
A pumping bra is nice to have to hold the pump in place and free up your hands. When I pumped at work, a pumping bra allowed me to answer a few emails during that time instead of holding the pump in place. This is definitely a must for comfort.
Today I’m excited to share what’s in my diaper bag with a newborn and toddler. Before I had my daughter, I did share a what’s in my toddler diaper bag post, but now that we have a newborn too, I needed to add some things to our bag. I still use the TWELVElittle Diaper backpack. If you would like to see a full review of this diaper bag, click here.
Newborn Items
Diapers and wipes- It is recommended that you bring one diaper for every hour that you plan to be gone.
Change of clothes- We need our spare outfit more time than not, so this is something I always make sure to replace.
Swaddle blanket- My daughter was born in December in Michigan, so I make sure to have a swaddle in case it is cold where we go. If you have your baby in the summer, this may be an item you can skip.
Burp clothes
Nursing cover- This is a preference item for me as I prefer to cover up when I nurse.
Changing pad- Many diaper bags come with a changing pad. I leave mine in the bag just in case we need it.
Additional items you may want to include in your newborn diaper bag: Pacifier, formula/bottle, diaper cream
Having a baby is such an exciting time, but the to-do list before baby comes can be overwhelming. With so many products on the market, it is hard to know exactly what you need for pregnancy and when baby arrives. Here are my 10 tips to save money during pregnancy.
Don’t Spend Full Price on Maternity clothes
Maternity clothes are needed, but it is hard to justify and expensive price tag when they are only worn for a short amount of time. There are a few ways to avoid spending retail price. Check out the best ways to find inexpensive maternity clothes.
Over the course of 20 years kindergarten has changed so much and the requirements have increased immensely. Kindergarten isn’t just a time for students to learn letter names and sounds, but by the end of the school year they are also expected to put letter sounds together to read and write. As a kindergarten teacher, we spend the first few months of school reviewing letter names and sounds, but this moves at a quick pace. In general, students who come into kindergarten having some letter and sounds knowledge have an easier time later on when we begin to put sounds together to read and write.
Teaching toddlers and preschoolers letters is a great way to give children an introduction to letter names and sounds that will make kindergarten easier later on. Learning the alphabet can be fun and should be incorporated into play. By starting them early they become immersed in letters and sounds that will later help them be successful in reading.
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Start by teaching meaningful letters
Don’t worry about teaching letter names in order from A to Z as this is often not the best approach. Picking one or two meaningful letters to focus on at first is a good start so your child doesn’t get overwhelmed. Once your child learns a letter, add another one to practice (but don’t stop practicing the first, you don’t want them to forget what they already learned)
Teaching a child the letters in their name is a great way to start introducing letter names. Connecting letters to something important to them helps get them interested and helps them retain the information. Other letters to teach when first getting started could be M for mom, D for dad, B for ball, S for Superman etc. Focus on what your child is interested in. Dawson is into animals right now so we have taught him E for elephant, L for lion and T for tiger.
Dawson is 2.5 years old, so right now we are only focusing on uppercase letter names. If you are teaching a child that is a little bit older they may do well with learning the letter name and sound. For younger children I recommend starting with capital letters because they are a bit easier for kids to remember.
Alphabet Books
Part of our nightly routine is to read a book or two before bed. For the past week or so, Dawson has chosen to read his animal alphabet book. As we read each page
Since starting our journey to becoming debt-free, we have been looking for ways to cut our budget and save money. Groceries is an area I knew we could cut down on, but I want to make sure we aren’t sacrificing quality for a cheaper price tag. Here are 10 tips to save money at the grocery store that do not involve couponing.
1. Meal Plan
Meal planning takes the guess work out of “what’s for dinner.” My husband and I like to sit down once a week and create a list of dinner’s for the week. By creating a plan for the week you know exactly what needs to be purchased from the grocery store.
2. Create a list
Going grocery shopping without a list is a sure way to overspend. As you are meal planning, write down the things you need and when your at the grocery store, stick to your list!
