Safe Toys

If you're in the market for PVC-free toys that are fun, educational and best of all, SAFE, the great blog coolmompicks.com has compiled quite a list. PS. Don't miss the savings codes at the bottom of the list if you plan on ordering anything. Happy playtime! Here's the list.

Double Up

Living in a two-story home presents its own set of baby-care challenges. So I've learned to have two of a few things on hand, to make my life easier (and my legs less tired!) If you live on two floors like me, definitely double up on:

*Changing stations (even if one is just a basket of supplies tucked somewhere).
*Bottles of Children's Tylenol--one in the diaper bag and one in the nursery.
*Lovies, pacifiers, or whatever your baby can't live without.

Another thing that is making my life more efficient is a stash of basic supplies in each bathroom - extra tp, facial tissue and paper towels.

Save us a trip upstairs...What do you stock up on that makes baby care easier?

The Ultimate Crib Sheet

Yes it really is called that. And yes, it really lives up to its name. My baby was a major spit-upper for 6 solid months and then some. It seemed like we (well,I -- let's face it, Dads do not care about dirty sheets) were changing the crib sheet almost daily. We also had a very tricky crib to work with. Fortunately, I have two of these Ultimate Crib Sheets and they are really a snap (pun intended) to work with. They work as a sheet and mattress pad all-in-one and they lay right on top of your pretty sheets, snapping around the bars of your crib. So instead of lifting the mattress or trying to get those corners on just right, this bed change takes little effort. And this is a good thing, especially at 3AM! If you are fed up with your crib sheets, I highly recommend you check this one out.

Costco Mamas

If you're like me, you enjoy Costco for its get-everything-done-for-the-month-in-one-hour property. You can buy your postage, pick up the photos you webbed in for printing an hour earlier, save on a case of Earth's Best baby food, wipes or diapers... not to mention all the stuff you need for those other members of your family. Here's a tip: save your receipts! Not only do they have the most excellent return policy going (pretty much unlimited)-- you can also get adjustments on your receipts if they send you coupons for your purchased items as much as 90 days later! They usually have a special line just for these adjustments, making it that much easier. We have a small family of three (not counting cat and dog) and we still love buying in bulk at Costco for its cost, time and planet savings!