You don't need a diaper bag!!!

You don't need a diaper bag!  You need a tote bag (I am a huge fan of Tumi bags) and your baby in the carrier.  Use a gallon sized Ziplok bag to hold 8 diapers, wipes and cream.  Shove in a diaper changing pad and you are good to go. I bought a small cooler (take a bottle with you) that fit 2 bottles.  If you are using formula, pick up a travel case for formula.  Only carry one bag, and make it one you like! 

High chair vs booster seat

One thing that is very important to my husband and me is that we sit down for dinner everynight...together.  Even when Ella was a week old, we made it a daily priority to sit down and eat together.  When she was very little we loved her high chair because the seat tilted back so if she was sleeping, we could sit her there while we ate. 

When she got older, we moved to a booster seat.  It is nice because there is less 'stuff' in my dining room.  However, I recently discovered that is is scratching up my wood dining room chairs.  My solution?  I put a dish sponge between the chair and the booster seat and tightened the straps.  No more scraping!  BTW, the booster seat is fantastic for traveling.  We even saw people take it to the beach so their kids had somewhere to sit with a tray to eat.

Things that are so good you should have 2 (or more)!

We live in a 4 story town home in Philadelphia.  That means there are a lot of stairs.  A lot.  1 week into my daughter being home (and 1 week too late) I quickly realized that I needed duplicates of the essentials.  Here is what I doubled up on. 

1. diaper bins - have one on every floor your child visits.  we liked our Diaper Genies.
2. bottle warmers - we kept ours in our bedroom.  at 2 in the morning, 2 flights of stairs don't make for quick feedings.  also makes it easier for dad to help!  we used the First Years steamer bottle warmers. get 2 of the same kind so once you figure out exactly how long to leave the bottles in, it is the same for both.  
3. travel changing pads - keep one in your diaper bag, under your couch, in  your car, in your stroller.  public changing tables are gross and there is nothing worse than having to change a diaper on one without one.  Buy cheap ones that fold up small and flat.  they are easier to tuck away and you won't be upset if one gets ruined and you need to throw it away.
4. bouncy chair or papasan chair  - have one that you can keep in your bathroom.  the sound of the water is soothing for the baby, the steam helps with congestion if they happen to be, and you get to take a shower while keeping an eye on things.  this was my sanity. a long shower during a nap was (and still is) amazing! 
5. car seat base - have a base in each car for your baby carrier.  nothing more annoying than having to deal with that equipment since it often seems like you need a degree in engineering to install it properly. same goes for car seats once your child is ready for one.  much easier to jump in and go.
6. toy bins - keep a small basket of toys in each room your child plays in.  less lugging things around and easier to clean up.  for a while, i even had a little bin in my master bathroom so I could get dressed for work and my daughter was entertained.  

Here we go!

I am hoping to spend the next few blogs back-filling this blog with tips and tricks I discovered or learned from friends during the first 2 years of my daughter's life.  Everyone is quick to give you opinions about how you should do things but not many people have good tips on how to actually do it or make it work.

Some things seem obvious, but in the heat of the moment, nothing is obvious, logical, easy.

It may be out of order, but I hope it helps!