Milk cubes

You probably all know about freezing your breast milk and how convenient it is to have on hand. Heck, you probably even have a stash of those little "Mommy's Milk" freezer bags. Well here's a way to make milk storage even more convenient!

1. Invest in an ice cube tray that holds one-ounce cubes, like this:

2. Pump milk as usual

3. Pour it into your tray and freeze

4. Pop the frozen cubes in a Ziplock, label and return to the freezer

Working in one-ounce increments, you'll always have just the right amount of milk on hand, without having to waste any. This comes in especially handy when your baby starts eating cereal. And the trays are great for baby food making too, but that's for another day...

Mommy 'minder stickers

If your mom didn't keep a baby book for you, I'm sorry. But as sweet (and important!) as they are, I'll be the first to admit that they're hard to stay on top of when the milestones are flying by as quickly as the hours of missed sleep.

Here's a solution. I have a regular old calendar hanging above the highchair in the kitchen. This keeps regular old dates like doctor's appointments and birthdays and whatnot. But what it also keeps are my Mommy 'minder stickers. You see, when Bastien does something amazing, I just pull out a sticker from the calendar pocket and put it on that date. Sometimes, if I have a free hand, I'll write down what the amazing thing was just for a little added insurance against my tired and forgetful brain. Then, on a predetermined date (I choose the 20th, for the date he was born; but you could do the last day of the month, or whatever), I tally up the month's stickers and post it all in his baby book.

I got this idea from my marathon days when I put stickers in my running log on days that were particularly worth remembering. So I'm sure there are other times when these stickers come in handy. Potty training comes to mind... If you've got baby book ideas, be sure to share!

Washcloths Aplenty

This is one thing you won't realize until you bring baby home - you can never have enough washcloths. Specifically, those thin, (thankfully) cheap baby washcloths that come in a pack of five or ten, like these. Stock up on at least three of those (yes, you need at least 15 washcloths) and you'll be all set. Speaking of five-packs, here's one, regarding the non-obvious things a washcloth's good for:

1. Put a warm one on your baby's belly during every bath. He'll love it.
2. If you have a boy, toss one on him during changing. An instant way to save your walls, clothes and dignity.
3. Once he starts eating solids, just hand him a wet one when he's done eating. He'll pretty much do the clean-up for you.
4. Freeze them for a favorite teether. (Also comes in handy for boo boos).
5. Runny noses get sore fast. A warm washcloth on a runny nose is much more welcome than a scratchy tissue. Trust me.
Got more washcloth ideas? Help a mom out and share them in a comment.