Swap-bot: Digital Photo Email Scavenger Hunt - February

I enjoy a community of swappers at Swap-bot.com. One of the regular swaps I join is a photo scavenger hunt. This is my swap for February. Swap-bot username: 3stairs

1 - Something messy
My desk - and this is actually relatively clean! I know know it's a disaster compared to most people's desks, though.

2 - Something that crawls
a doll at the church nursery where I work - you set her down and she crawls and turns her head back and forth and babbles

3 - Something with multiple buttons or levers
the radio/CD player at the nursery

4 - A landscape or cityscape you find interesting
the view up the hill to my house - the driveway is on the right up there where the road curves off

Bonus: the view from the other direction during our day of snow here in east Texas - a rarity!

5 - Something layered
the skirt on one of the baby dolls in the nursery

6 - A group of people
worshipers during the early, contemporary service at the church where I work in the nursery

First-Time Parents Guide

By: Julie McCaffrey, www.pishposhbaby.com

As a first-time parent, are you constantly on the lookout for ways to simplify your new life with baby? For example, are you in need of quick tips for making feeding cleanups easier? Or, would you like advice on calming baby down when a massive fussy fit strikes? How about insight on helping baby sleep better in the crib or while at daycare?

Look no further! We at Pish Posh Baby have been there, done that, and have helpful hacks for making your life with baby easier and more efficient.  From health and sleeping tips to advice for bathing, teething, and feeding, the below insight is sure to keep your day-to-day routine with baby stress-free and fun!

Sleeping Tips

• Blanket: To aid in a daycare transition (or out of co-sleeping), sleep with your baby’s blanket or sheet overnight, so that when they are using it they are comforted by your familiar smell.

• Crib: To aid with reflux or even just a stuffed-up baby, place a thick book under the crib mattress or lower the mattress settings at one end to give a slight recline to the crib.

Crying Tips

• Bath: Try taking a bath or shower with your baby, as the skin-to-skin contact and warm water can be calming.

• The 5 S’s: Correctly use the 5 S’s to instantly calm a fussy baby.
• Swaddling
• Side or stomach position
• Shushing noises
• Swinging (rocking baby from side to side)
• Sucking (bottle, nipple, or pacifier)

Health Tips

• Skin Irritation: Use coconut oil to combat dry skin, diaper rash, or any other skin irritation

• Fever: Take off your baby’s socks to help break the fever faster.

• Medicine: To help your child take medicine, blow in their face after you’ve gotten it into their mouth. This will help stimulate their swallowing reflex.
• Congestion: Run a hot shower, and close the bathroom door to trap in the steam. Fill the tub with warm water and sit with your baby, as the steam will help clear the sinuses.

• Earache: For fast and natural earache relief (temporary, not used in place of a doctor visit), put a drop of olive oil in the affected ear.

Bathing Tips

• Water Temperature: Most babies prefer water that is warmer than what the “temperature warning” gauges say. Test the water with your elbow rather than your hand.

• Towel: Use an adult towel if your baby cries at the end of the bath. Most baby towels are too thin to provide any warmth.

Feeding Tip

-    Easy Cleanup: Buy a cheap shower curtain or shower liner to put under the highchair for easy cleanup.

Safety Tips

• Contact card: Tape an index card with your emergency contact information and your baby’s stats to the side of the car seat.

• Errands: Park next to the cart return bins in the grocery store parking lots. Then you can put your baby carrier in a cart immediately and wheel it to the store. This also allows you to return the cart after shopping without having to leave your child.

• Furniture Corners: To soften hard furniture or fireplace edges, look for pipe insulation in a home improvement store. It’s cheaper than what they sell in baby stores and comes in a variety of colors.

Teething Tips

• Frozen Food: Put frozen grapes, apples, or any other food, including formula or breast milk, into a mesh feeder for instant relief.

• Apple Sauce: Place applesauce into the center of a washcloth, twist the washcloth around it, and freeze. You can also wet the center of a washcloth to achieve the same effect.

Laundry and Dressing Tips

• Lost Socks: If you have a front loader, check the rubber ring around the door…baby socks love to hide there.

• Poop Stains: To get poop stains out, dampen the garment and put it in the sun (even in the winter or through a window)

• Clothing: Use dresses as tunics and tops over pants or leggings once they no longer work as dresses.

• Sleepers: If you have sleepers that snap up the legs, snap the legs before you put them on the baby and then just snap up the front while it’s worn. It’s much quicker and easier, and you’re less likely to make a mistake.

These helpful tips are sure to help all new parents navigate their new life with baby. Happy parenting!

About Julie McCaffrey

Parenting expert Julie McCaffrey is a proud mommy to 3 kids and offers personalized consultation to new and expecting parents along with functioning as the Chief Brand Officer at PishPoshBaby.com—the high-quality baby store that supplies the facts and advice, along with the right choice, to parents who are completely lost in the whirlwind of baby gear. She loves to help moms and dads navigate everything from baby gear, preparing for multiples, getting back to work and getting the whole family on a routine.