Back to school time is here and parents everywhere are rejoicing. The school year ahead brings so many opportunities for learning, fun and growth. It also brings the not-so-fun struggles of getting children ready and out the door before the sun has even risen. We can’t change what time our kids must arrive at school. But there are a few things we can do to help make school mornings easier.
This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.
Set an early enough bedtime
It is no secret that it is harder to wake up when you haven’t gotten enough sleep. The CDC recommends that preschool age kids get 10-13 hours of sleep a night. That school age kids get 9-12 and that teenagers get 8-10 hours. We always aim for the higher end of the ranges. So even when bedtime takes a little longer, everyone is still getting enough sleep.
Pack lunch/snack the night before.
There is nothing worse than scrambling to make lunch in the morning. While also juggling to get kids dressed and fed and get their teeth brushed. Oh and surprise, you are out of the turkey you planned to put on their sandwich. SO much stress can be avoided by making lunch and packing snacks ahead of time. Don’t forget to pre-fill their drink containers! We love using the Bentgo lunchboxes for our preschool and school age kids.
Pick out clothes for kids AND yourself the night before.
Check the weather and grab an outfit for each of your kids to wear. Make sure to include everything they will need- underwear, socks, jacket, etc. Don’t forget to also pick out what you will wear. You can even have your children sleep in the clothes they will be wearing the next day, if those clothes are appropriate for sleeping.
Pre-make or preselect what will be served for breakfast
If possible, you can can even set out food for each of your kids ahead of time. Any time and effort put in the night before is time and effort that you can save in the morning.
Bedtime Double Check
Before I go to bed for the night, I do a double check to make sure everything is ready for the next day. Any necessary forms are filled out, tuition check is ready, notes to the teachers are written and gas is in my car. If the kids need to bring something to school for show and tell or for any other reason, it is already in their bags and ready to go.
Give yourself extra time
No matter how much you plan and prepare, things will ultimately pop up from time to time that will derail your school mornings. Giving yourself some cushion time helps ensure that even when things do come up, your kids will not end up being tardy.
Get kids dressed AFTER eating breakfast
If you kids didn’t sleep in the clothes they are wearing to school, this helps to avoid needing an early change of outfit if any spills or drips happen during breakfast. We keep our pre-picked outfits for the kids downstairs so they can change into their school clothes without needing to go back upstairs. The shoes they will wear are also already there and waiting.
No TV on school mornings
Television creates what I lovingly call the slow poke effect in kids. While they are tired and paying attention to the TV, they become infinitely slower at everything else they are doing. And in mornings where time is a factor, slow pokes are not welcome. TV can also create reluctance to leave for school, since it is unlikely that their show will end at the exact moment that it is time to go. We instead opt for listening to cheery kids music with Amazon Music, so we can bring it along with us when we transition to the car.
Like with all things, what works for one family, may not work for another. Does something else help your school mornings go smoother? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
If you have landed on this post, chances are that you are considering making the switch to a shared bedroom for your kids. Or you have already made the switch and the transition is not going well. Whatever the reason, you are in the right place.
We never planned to have our kids share a bedroom, but when our third child was born and we were living in a 3 bedroom house, we had to. At the time, the two kids that would be sharing were 2 and 4. The 2 year old was still in her crib. We dove right into the switch and failed miserably. Bedtime became a MESS. Mornings became unbearable with kids waking up 2 hours earlier than normal. I DEEPLY regretted not coming up with a solution that didn’t require my kids to share a bedroom.
Something HAD to give. We have made a lot of changes since then. So here are the tips I wish I would have known before making the switch.
If the bedroom is new to both kids, move one in first.
We ended up using the bonus room as our shared bedroom. The bedroom was new to both kids. We moved my 4 year old son first so that he could get all of his new room exploration out before we moved his sister in.
Potty Breaks before bed
Nothing wakes up the entire room more than one kid getting out of bed and opening the door. Empty bladders help discourage them from getting up.
Use a sound machine (or two if the room is large) to make the kids less likely to hear one another
We have a bunch of different sound machines, but our Hatch sound machine was by far the loudest. It helps so much to drown out the noises that they make. Running a humidifier also helps to add a bit of white noise. Read about my favorite one here.
Put one kid to sleep first (preferably the loudest kid) before the other comes in the bedroom
This is doesn’t have to last forever. But it really helps if bedtime has become a circus because of room sharing. I would put my 2 year old down to bed first and once she was asleep, my 4 year old would quietly sneak in and go lay in bed.
Play Music WITH lyrics at bedtime.
A great way to discourage kids from talking with one another, screaming or fighting is to give them something else to focus on. The easiest solution for us was playing a CD of kids music.
No nightlight in the bedroom
It may sound mean, but my kids are 800% more likely to get up and play around in their room when they can see well. A dark room encourages them to stay in bed. Our compromise is that we put glow in the dark stars on their ceiling. They LOVE them and love laying in bed staring up at them.
Star constellations above Riley’s bed
Visual Barrier between kids
Maybe your children are angels and don’t ever fight. But mine do. All the time. A single look from my 4 year old to my 2 year old and she will immediately start crying. Our kids bedroom is the bonus room, so we arranged their beds so that they were in the dormers. When in their beds, they are very separated.
Okay to Wake clock to encourage kids to stay in bed in the mornings
Our Hatch white noice machine comes with an okay to wake feature. It glows red starting around 5am and then turns green at 7:15am. The green light gives them permission to get out of bed. If they stay in bed until the green light then they get a bribe reward .
Since making these changes, we have far more good nights than we do bad. Many nights where both kids are in bed by 7:15pm and asleep shortly thereafter. Halle-freaking-lujah! Life is finally back to normal and mama gets time to herself in the evenings!
Is there something that worked for you that isn’t on my list? Drop it in the comments below.
When I was pregnant for the first time, I quickly registered for a humidifier that had good reviews and seemed to be well liked by parents everywhere. My son was born in December and immediately slept in our room. We didn’t use the humidifier until months later. Very quickly I decided that what we had was absolute CRAP. It left the ground around it soaking wet. It ran out of water within a few hours. The tank molded and was impossible to clean.
I knew I needed a different humidifier but was weary of making another poor purchasing decision. My criteria for a humidifier was pretty reasonable:
Large enough tank to run overnight without running out
Easy to clean parts
No mold
Doesn’t soak the ground around it
Ideally, no filter would be needed
This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.
I searched and searched for another humidifier. A mom in one of my FB mom groups wrote a raving review about her humidifier. It did have a filter, but she was so happy with it, that I decided to take a leap of faith and try it out. Y’all- this humidifier is the BEST!
The opening of the tank is huge, making cleaning easy. PLUS, it is dishwasher safe.
It uses evaporation to humidify the air. This means it blows moisture off a wicking filter, helping it evaporative into the air quickly.
**Major Selling Point** There is a UV light inside that sanitizes the water before it reaches the filter. It kills up to 99.9% of bacteria, mold, fungus, and virus that could be present in the water.
I ordered my first unit in February of 2018 and another a year later. They run for a majority of the year in both of my kids’ rooms. I have never seen mold on either humidifier. It can run on high overnight for 12+ hours before running out of water (depending on how dry the air is). I replace the filter monthly, but using this off brand replacement filter keeps the cost very reasonable. The Honeywell Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier is now one of my main recommend items for all my pregnant friends.
Whether you are a month into your breastfeeding journey or are a seasoned pro, the search for breastfeeding clothing is a challenge. Finding the best nursing friendly shirts is not easy. Many tops that are cute are expensive, or they are unflattering on most postpartum bodies. Other tops look weird in order to be able to accommodate breastfeeding access. Who wants to spend money on clothing that will be discarded after nursing is over.
I am a SAHM of three littles, so finding nursing friendly clothing is important since I wear it every moment of my life. My standards are high.
This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.
My requirements when looking were:
Easy access for nursing
Easy to keep shirt out of the way so it doesn’t get wet with milk
Does not get milk stains that don’t wash out
Long enough to hit below the waist
Loose enough that my postpartum curves are not highlighted
Attractive colors
BONUS: Available in a long and short sleeve option
The fabric is so freaking soft. The waffle material makes it look so much nicer and dressier than it is. The buttons are easy to unbutton one handed. The shirt opens wide enough to get out of the way so it doesn’t get soaked with milk. IT. IS. THE. BEST. The cut makes it loose and flowy without looking frumpy. Can you tell I love this top? I have five of them and another four are on their way to me this week! I wear them with leggings or with jeans (okay, jeggings).
There are so many color and pattern options available. 35 options to be exact. And there is a long-sleeve version that is just as flattering. I wear this shirt in size small and it fits well on my 5’7″ size 6 frame. I have had some of my tops for over 2 years and they still look great. For the two months that I had in between breastfeeding my second baby and my third pregnant belly popping out, I wore these shirts. Even when I don’t need the nursing feature, they are still a favorite. Plus, you can Amazon PRIME them to your house with free 2 day shipping!!!
Still looking for more nursing friendly clothes? Check out my other blogs:
My son went to daycare for years, so when he started preschool I wasn’t overly emotional. It may just be the pregnancy hormones but having my daughter start preschool in the fall after being home with me for two years is making this mama feel all the feels.
I know that she is going to thrive in the environment our church preschool offers, I am just not ready for my baby to grow up.
I am expecting a new baby in June, so I am trying to get everything we will need in the fall prepared now so that it will be one less thing to worry about later.
Our preschool runs a half day program that involves each child bringing their own lunch each day. Every child is also required to have extra clothes available in case of accidents. It isn’t a surprise that with all the kids that attend the school, they ask that everything be labeled.
This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.
We have tried a lot of different products with my son and here is what we have found to work best:
Inchbug Orbit Labels for water bottles
On the bottle itself is a silicon band that has our daughter’s name on it. InchBug has a bunch of colors and design options. They come in a pack of 4 so we can easily have multiple cups labeled for her. These bands can also be used on snack cups.
Name Labels to label ALL THE PRESCHOOL THINGS!
Pretty much everything that we send to school is required to have her name on it. I like to keep a pack of name labels handy so that I can quickly and legibly label things for her. Name Bubbles has a great multi pack that comes with a bunch of sorted sizes. I haven’t used these exact labels from Name Bubbles, but I have used others they make. There are a ton of fun designs that you can choose between. These labels are also dishwasher and steam sterilizer safe. Use this link to save $5 off your first order from Name Bubbles!
Allergy Alert Labels for Preschool Peace of Mind
My daughter has a dairy allergy which makes me even more nervous about her going to preschool. There are a bunch of great options on the market for us. Here are some of my top picks:
Name Bubbles Allergy Alert Labels-
These labels include your child’s name and you can then customize what the alert says. These would be great in the event that your child has multiple allergies or if you also need a name label. Use this link to save $5 off your first order from Name Bubbles!
Inchbug Allergy Alert Labels-
Inchbug has two options for allergy alerts. One with a name option and one without. These labels are definitely a cuter option and allow for a more customized look.
No Iron Name Tags for Jackets-
These are one of the most recommended items I have gotten from my readers. Save time, mess and effort apply these no iron kids daycare labels directly onto the surface without bothering with an iron. Name labels are water resistant and durable enough to withstand multiple washing machine and dryer cycles!! Find them here.
Bentgo Lunch Container
My favorite lunch container for packing lunches in is the Bentgo Leak-Proof, 5-Compartment Bento-Style Kids Lunch Box. It makes it so easy to pack a bunch of kid friendly items and even has a little compartment that is perfect for dip. This lunch box also comes in six fun prints option that includes unicorn, rocket, mermaid and shark.
My son is very proud of his Bentgo and loves to get to help pick what he will be eating at lunch each day he goes to school.
Lunchbox for Preschool
If you are packing anything that needs to stay cold, you will need an insulated lunchbox to hold your Bentgo container. I splurged with my son and bought him a Pottery Barn Kids lunchbox and I was disappointed. The Bentgo barely fits even though other reviews said it would fit well. With my daughter we are saving money and getting a cheaper option off of Amazon. Wildkin offers a ton of prints for girls and boys and fits the Bentgo container much easier.
Flat Ice Pack
While the Bentgo container will fit into a lunchbox, it doesn’t leave a ton of room for an ice pack. Thankfully there are a ton of thinner ice packs on the market. This one is top rated. Pro-tip: make sure to put your name on your ice packs. We lost a few before we started doing this.
Water Bottle
I am a sucker for matching items, so Adalyn’s primary water bottle for school will also be from Wildkin so it can match her lunchbox. Their water bottles are made from ultra-durable, stain-resistant, and taste-free Tritan plastic. Free of BPA, BPS, and BPF, you can feel comfortable giving your child Wildkin’s Water Bottle. It has a shatter resistant design.
Disclaimer: Jord Watch sent me this unique wooden timepiece in exchange for this blog post and review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% mine.
After months and months of planning, our European vacation is finally upon us. Packing for two small children while trying to minimize the amount of things that you pack, is no joke. There is nothing quite like quality time with family, seeing the world and making memories.
As we were making our travel plans, I was given the opportunity to check out one of these unique wooden timepieces from JORD Watches. Let’s just say I am in LOVE with it! I have been stalking JORD (pronounced Yode) for a long time on social media. Their unique wooden timepieces are so eye catching and stylish. I am thrilled that I received my timepiece before we left so that I can wear it throughout our trip. Travel can make you feel anything but glamorous, but this watch makes me feel like a million bucks. Not only does the watch make me feel great but it is incredibly lightweight which makes it perfect for travel.
Meet Cassia
The timepiece I selected was a beautiful watch in theCassia series. Made from ebony wood, which is known for its durability and hardness, this watch features a beautiful sable face. The wooden band integrates seamlessly into the face of the watch which allows it to be an uninterrupted circular design. I have never seen another wooden timepiece with such an innovative design.
Strikingly bold and beautiful, this unique wooden timepiece has a domed sapphire crystal glass. Sapphire glass is nearly twice as hard as normal glass and almost as hard as diamond. This means that it is almost impossible to scratch. Finally a watch that can handle it all, from vacationing in Europe with my kids, to surviving the normal challenges in the day in the life of a SAHM, without becoming scratched. I have ruined quite a few watches over the years from normal daily wear so I am thrilled that this unique wooden timepiece was built to last.
My JORD Watch came with a polishing cloth and a cleaning pen. The pen contains 4 applications of a custom-formulated cleaning oil created specifically for the care of wood watches.
Besides the fact that JORD Watches make the perfect travel and life accessory due to how durable and lightweight they are, another thing that makes the Cassia perfect for travel is that she will match so well with a variety of clothing options. The dark wood tones and neutral sable face will compliment my dressed down sightseeing attire. Just as easily as it will compliment my date night dress.
More Reasons to Love JORD Watches
Most watch backplates and all Cedar humidor presentation boxes are engravable.
The watches may be sized for the recipient.
Most watches have additional options for customization — mixing and matching faces and woods!
JORD offers free worldwide standard shipping!
Every watch comes with a one year warranty and options for return & exchange
JORD Wood Watches Giveaway
JORD is a St. Louis based company that offers many unique men’s and women’s watches, so you’re sure to find the perfect watch! Everyone who enters will receive 10% off AND the chance to win a $100 discount code towards a JORD watch of their own!
Elderberries have been shown to boost immunity, decrease mucous production during colds and to fight the flu. FIGHT THE FLU??? Sign me (and my family) up!! For a long time, I was able to give my son his daily dose (1 tsp) of Elderberry syrup mixed in a bowl of yogurt. Lately, he has been refusing to eat yogurt. This left me searching for new ways to get him to take his daily dose.
I’ve been playing around with making my own gummy bears for a few months now, so I decided to make some Elderberry Gummy Bears! I had a few goals in mind when I crafted my recipe.
Make them yummy so that my son would be excited to eat them.
Be able to know how many gummies would make a daily dose.
I wanted a texture to the bears that would be similar to real gummy bears
What you need:
3/4 cup juice or water – I used Grape Juice because I wanted these to be YUMMY and because I already had it at my house!
1 tsp of Local Honey – my mom is a beekeeper so I use her honey!
You will also need Gummy Bear silicon molds – I bought these on Amazon
A cookie sheet
Step by Step Instructions
1.In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, add the 3/4 cup of juice or water.
2. Slowing sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of gelatin over the COLD juice or water.
3. Allow a couple of minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve (this is called letting your gelatin “bloom”). This prevents clumps in your gelatin later on.
4. Microwave your mixture for 30 seconds. Stir. If there are still undissolved bits of gelatin, microwave for another 20-30 seconds. Your goal is to get the mixture just hot enough to dissolve the gelatin. YOU DO NOT WANT THE MIXTURE TOO HOT (this will destroy many of the benefits of honey).
5. If you did heat your mixture to the point of bubbling, wait a few minutes for it to cool down before moving on to the next step.
6. Add 1 teaspoon of local honey. Stir
7. Add in your 1/2 cup of Elderberry Syrup. Stir.
8. Place 3 of the gummy bear molds onto a cookie sheet. This will make it easier to transfer to the fridge without spilling any Elderberry goodness.
9. Using the eyedroppers that came with your gummy bear molds, start filling your bears. Move fast, because your gelatin will start hardening in the measuring cup if you go too slow! Pro tip: If your toddler demands to help, set them up with a small bowl of water and let them fill one of your extra gummy bear molds with an extra eyedropper while you work!
10. Place in the fridge and allow to set up.
11. Once fully hardened, you can easily pop out the bears. In my experience, if the bears are tearing when you try to pop them out, you have not given them enough time in the fridge.
Safety
Honey should NEVER be given to children under the age of 12 months. Aside from the actual honey in this recipe, the Elderberry syrup I use also contains honey.
Elderberry Gummy Bear Dosing:
8 bears a day for the children’s dose of 1 teaspoon a day
24 bears a day for the adult dose of 1 tablespoon a day
If you are thinking – holy cow, 24 bears a day is A LOT of bears. I 100% agree. I still plan on taking my daily shot of Elderberry syrup instead. But 8 bears a day will be such a great treat for my son.
Note: If you alter this recipe or use different gummy bear molds, you may have to do a little bit of math (-sorry) to figure out how many bears equal a kid dose.
Maybe it is the nerd in me, but every time I go somewhere busy with my kids, I think of the quote from Lord of the Rings “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” My toddler is a mad man who loves to explore everywhere, to pet strange dogs and to see ALL the things there are to see when we are out and about. He generally leaves his listening skills in the car, which can make going places stressful.
My husband and I take the divide and conquer approach with our two kids. I usually have our youngest and he takes the lead with our toddler. I have always felt like I could, like I should, do more to ensure the safety of my child. Specifically, the toddler since he is the one on the move. This feeling lead me to discover My Buddy Tag. It is a tag that is wearable as a wristband that connects to your phone through Bluetooth.
My Buddy Tag offers three main functions:
Helps keep your kid close: an alert will be sent to your phone if your child ventures out of your proximity
Allows your kid to alert you if they need your assistance: My Buddy Tag has a panic button your child can press
Helps avoid drowning: A Water Safety Alert that will send you an alert if the wristband is submerged in water
We have taken My Buddy Tag along on a few adventures and overall we like it. At a $39.99 price point, it is extremely affordable. There is no monthly service fee. Because the device is waterproof, you do have to send your tag in for a replacement battery (~$15). The company states that the battery should last for a year, so even with the additional cost to replace a battery, this GPS tracker is still much more affordable than other options on the market.
My son loves wearing a watch like daddy. Once on, it cannot be removed without the use of a screwdriver. This means a stranger cannot easily remove it. The app is easy to use and allows you to adjust the distance your child can wander before an alarm is sent.
The wristband is available in multiple colors. You can purchase your own My Buddy Tag, here!
Overall, we love our My Buddy Tag wristband. It is easy to use and gives this mama extra peace of mind when we venture out into the world.
Have you ever heard of a silicon breast pump? The most well known brand in the game is the Haakaa. Right after I weaned my first baby I learned about them. If you haven’t, don’t feel bad. I didn’t learn about these until after my first baby had weaned. After my second baby was born, I couldn’t wait to give them a try! The second night after I got home from the hospital, I started using the pump during my night feedings. To my delight, I immediately began collecting large amounts of breast milk. Total game changer for me!
How does it work?:
The concept is pretty easy. You attach the Haakaa it to the breast that you are not feeding your baby on. Rather than losing the breast milk that would normally be released during your let down, you collect it in the silicon pump. The silicon pump provides suction, so it collects more breast milk than other passive breast milk collection devices. I found that I could easily collect 2-3 ounces from the side that I was not feeding on.
How to use:
In order to put the pump in place, you flip back the flange.
2. Squeeze the bulb of the pump to create a suction.
3. Then you position it so that your nipple is inside of the opening of the pump.
4. Before releasing the pressure on the bulb, flip the flange back so that it is cupping your breast.
5. If done correctly, it should stay in place when you completely let go of the pump.
Tips:
Angle the bottom of the pump to the outside of your body to create more leg room for baby. If you are an over producer, keep a second pump on hand so that you can collect even more milk! Remove the pump before you move baby- this reduces the chances of an accidental spill. The pump will lose its hold on your breast as it fills up. Keep an eye on the breast milk level and be ready so that your breast milk doesn’t spill.
Other benefits:
If you are like me, than you have woken up more times that you would like to admit, covered in breast milk. Having half my shirt sopping wet, isn’t comfortable and it definitely isn’t an attractive look. The silicon breast pump helps to avoid that, because rather than feeding baby and going back to sleep with incompletely drained breasts, you are removing more of the milk. Using the pump during your let down also keeps you from soaking your breast pad or a cloth diaper. I always used a cloth diaper to catch the milk on the side I wasn’t feeding from and hated how much laundry I created each week. Feeding Adalyn has been less of a hassle because of this!
Limitations
I have attempted to use my silicon breast pumps to actually pump instead of simply using them to collect my let down. I find that while they will express some milk, they do not empty my breast completely. I maybe can express 1 oz whereas I usually could collect 4-5 oz from the same breast if I were using an electric pump. They are good though, when you will be away from baby for a short while and do not want to return with completely empty breasts.
Which to buy?
A quick search of silicon breast pumps will show you that there are a ton of options. The best option is the Haakaa version that comes with a lid and a suction cup base. Why? Because these two features make a HUGE difference in terms of limiting the chances of you accidentally spilling your pumped milk before you are able to get it into a bottle.
I am a breastfeeding mama that also works full-time away from home. That means that while I am at work, I have to pump. When I return from work each day, I have to prepare bottles for the next day at daycare. I love my babies, but the routine of pumping bottles can become a quick frustration. Our daycare requires our child’s name and the date on both the bottle and the bottle cap.
I won’t lie, the best part of my son weaning was that I no longer had to pump at work or prep bottles for daycare. My daughter has just started going to daycare 4 days a week, so we are back to the daycare bottle grind. I have searched and searched for products that help to make the process of prepping bottles faster and easier. Her bottles are also required to come in a labeled Ziploc bag each day. Here is my bottle set up:
This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclosure here.
InchBug Orbit Labels
On the bottle itself is a silicon band that has our daughter’s name on it. InchBug has a bunch of colors and design options. We send 4 bottles with her each day, so I have 2 sets. 1 will go with her and the other will come to work with me to pump directly into. These bands can be reused on sippy cups later down the road.
InchBug Circle Label
Also from InchBug are the round name labels. These labels can withstand the dishwasher or being steam sterilized. These also come in a bunch of different colors and design options. They come in a pack of 20, so after labeling your bottle lids, you will likely have a few left over. I find it much easier to have her name permanently on her bottles and caps, rather than to have to rewrite it again each day on a piece of tape.
Why buy the cow when you get mama’s milk for free?
Name Bubbles Date Labels
We tried a BUNCH of different options for dating the bottles. I found that I really did not like to have to physically remove a sticker each day. Then make replacement labels. AND then replace them onto all of the bottles. The write-on labels from Name Bubbles are placed onto the bottles and bottle lids. They come with a marker and a pencil that allow you to write directly onto the labels. The pencil marking can be removed by being rubbed with your finger and warm water. The marker can be removed with rubbing alcohol. We just use the pencil and make sure to rub off the date when we are rinsing the bottles at the end of the day. At the end of each day, while prepping the bottles with nipples, I simply add the date to the lid and bottle. This system is SO MUCH EASIER for us. These labels are also dishwasher and steam sterilizer safe. Use this link to save $5 off your first order from Name Bubbles!
Reusable Ziploc Bag
Rather than using and throwing away a new Ziploc bag every day or every week, we have opted to use reusable ziploc bags this time around. To wash, you can hand wash or use the top rack of the dishwasher. We have two bags and use each for a week. We use the Planet Wise gallon sized bag. Besides clear, you can get this bag in a few different fun colors. Because we will be reusing these, I even used one of our Round InchBug labels to label her bags!
Breast milk is better than any udder milk!
When you are a pumping mom, the every day routines can start to feel so draining. This set up has made the bottle prep process less frustrating and less time-consuming for us. I can’t imagine ever going back to the time that we were writing names and dates on new pieces of tape each day.
Looking for a way to label clothing and other personal items? Look no farther…!
These are one of the most recommended items I have gotten from my readers. Save time, mess and effort apply these no iron kids daycare labels directly onto the surface without bothering with an iron. Name labels are water resistant and durable enough to withstand multiple washing machine and dryer cycles !!
Keep reading for more tips…!
I am going to let you all in on a little secret… pumping sucks. When my son was born, I was on a mission to breastfeed to at least a year, and nothing was going to stop me. My twelve week maternity leave came to an end and I was shocked at how much I hated the entire process of pumping. Carrying everything I needed to work was difficult. Storing all of my pump parts was a pain. Washing all those parts at the end of the day was such a strain on my husband and I. During my 14 months of pumping at work for my son, I picked up a few tricks to make the daily routine more manageable.
Invest in a Pump Bag
When I first started back at work, I would carry my purse, a lunchbox and a tote bag with my pump. I looked and felt ridiculous. At the three-month mark of pumping, I figured that there HAD to be a better option out there. Thankfully, there was! I discovered Sarah Wells’ pump bags and have never looked back! I am currently on baby number 2 and am using a Sarah Wells’ bag that I love. It has two insulated pockets on the sides. I fit my Spectra S2 pump and parts on one side and use the other side for an ice pack and 4-5 5oz bottles. In the main compartment of the bag I can easily fit my wallet, 1 bag filled with snacks, a cosmetics bag, my lunch and an insulated water bottle.
I make milk. What’s your superpower?
Use a Hands Free Pumping Bra
These allow you to have free use of your hands during your pumping sessions. Need I say more? There are a bunch of different options out there. I prefer the Simple Wishes hands free bra, because it has a huge range that it can be adjusted. Compared to other hands-free bras that I tried, I also found that this one held its shape and didn’t get floppy over time.
Rinse And Refrigerate Your Pump Parts Throughout The Day
In between pumping sessions, you can store your pump parts in the fridge and reuse them for your next pumping session. Just give them a quick rinse to remove any milk after your pumping session. Full disclaimer, sometimes I don’t even rinse them and just stick them into my wet bag. This will save you space in your bag from needing to bring another set of pump parts. It will also save you time from having to fully clean the pump parts after each pump session.
Pump Into The Bottles You Will Be Sending To Daycare
Pumping into bags may take up less space in your bag, but unless you will be freezing the milk, you are making more work for yourself later on. If you pump directly into the bottles that your baby will be using tomorrow, you will save so much time prepping bottles once you are home.
Keep a Spare set of Pump Parts at Work
This is a lesson that I learned the HARD way. I was already 20 minutes behind my pumping schedule, my boobs felt like they were going to explode and surprise, no membranes for my pump. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing worse than going to pump and discovering that you are missing parts. Balancing work and motherhood is hard enough without having a mid-day crisis. Do you attempt to hand express? Do you leave work and go home to pump? Learn from my mistake and have a spare set of parts at work as a back up.
I used to POP bottles and now I PUMP them!
If You Can, Leave Your Pump At Work
If you don’t utilize your pump at home or on the weekends, then there may not be a need for you to ever bring it home. My Spectra S2 weights 3.3 lbs. That’s a lot of extra weight to lug around when you consider all the other things that are also in your bag. If you do use it on the weekends, but not during the night, you can also leave it at work during the week and just bring it home for the weekend.
Use Machine Washable Wet Bags To Store Your Pump Parts Between Pumping Sessions
I have seen and tried a bunch of different options for storing my pump parts throughout the day. Tupperware is bulky in my bag and is not at all discreet sitting in the work refrigerator. Some bags specifically made for pump parts have to be hand washed and hung dry. I found this to be a pain in the butt during the week. Plus, those bags usually cost more. My perfect solution is machine washable wet bags. At the end of the week, they get washed and are ready for the next week. Having a bag ready to go the night before also helped by making it possible to pre-pack my pump parts the night before. The bags I use each have 2 compartments, so I can use each bag twice (one day in each compartment). These are super affordable on Amazon.
Invest in a Bottle Sterilizer
I stumbled across these while pregnant with my second baby and I am still mad that I didn’t have one while pumping for my first. With my bottle sterilizer, I now only have to lightly rinse my bottles and pump parts. They then go into the sterilizer and 45 minutes later they come out completely dry. Every day we save at least 10 minutes that used to be dedicated to cleaning bottles and pump parts. I also love the fact that each and every day my pump parts are actually sterilized, not just washed. I can fit 6 bottles and my pump parts in this sterilizer. We purchased this from Amazon and my husband refers to our bottle sterilizer as the best money we have ever spent.
I hope these tips help make your pumping journey better! Happy Pumping!
2. Squeeze the bulb of the pump to create a suction.
3. Then you position it so that your nipple is inside of the opening of the pump. 
4. Before releasing the pressure on the bulb, flip the flange back so that it is cupping your breast.
5. If done correctly, it should stay in place when you completely let go of the pump.
Rather than using and throwing away a new Ziploc bag every day or every week, we have opted to use reusable ziploc bags this time around. To wash, you can hand wash or use the top rack of the dishwasher. We have two bags and use each for a week. We use the 
