Hey mom friends! Yesterday and today I’m talking with Dr. Dobson about Real Moms…Real Jesus. If you need some mom encouragement today you can listen online HERE.
My friend Carrie shared some mom tips that I could pass along to all of you. I thought I’d share her tips and then see what tips you could add to the discussion! If there are enough tips shared, I can make up a list of mom tips to turn into a free download.
Carrie’s tips:
To handle changing your child’s bed sheets in the middle of the night:
When you have a little one who wets through the sheets at night or a child who is sick, layer their bed: mattress cover/bed sheet/mattress cover/bed sheet/mattress cover/bed sheet. Then when your little one gets sick in the night or you find them wet in the night, just strip off the top bed sheet and mattress cover to reveal the next layer! A little bit of extra preparation can make a 2am “emergency” go so much easier!
To protect your car upholstery:
Buy an inexpensive bath towel that is the same color of your car upholstery. Cut some holes in it to accommodate seat belts and then set your child’s car seat on the bath towel. Now crumbs will fall on the towel and every once in a while you can take the towel out and shake it or wash it.
Here’s a tip we used when our kids were little:
To distract fussy kids when you’re driving:
Keep a bottle of bubbles in a front cup holder of your car. When you’ve got fussy kids in the back, turn the air conditioner or heater on high, put the bubble wand in front of the air vent, and let the car fill with bubbles. It’s an instant distraction! This also works great when you’re stuck in a traffic jam. Fill the car with bubbles and then open your windows. You’ll entertain all the cars around you as bubbles flow generously out your windows!
I wish I would have know sooner about the car seat covers…I have all types of stains…juice, marker, and who knows!
I have several “mom tips”, but time to mention just one, right now:
Keep a small box, with tight-fitting lid (I use a plastic container with handle on the lid), stocked with individually wrapped snack items in the car. Things like granola bars, puddings that don’t need refrigeration (and plastic spoons), 8 oz. water bottle or two, pretzels, cookies, fruit snack packs, etc… This way, no matter where you are, there is something to eat for the kids (or you), while you are out and about.
I also like to bring cut up fruit or grapes in ziplock bags whenever we leave the house on an errand, especially if we’ll be gone around a meal or snack time, so that the kids have something fresh and healthy, along with the snack-type items.
🙂
This is a great budget tip, too! It keeps you from stopping to buy a snack along the way!
In the summer time I like to put a few beach stuff in the car. A couple of towels sand toys and sunscreen. If it’s a really hot day and we’re running around doing errands we can stop off at a lake or splash pad and cool off and we can do this because the basics in the car until we get home.
We have a minivan with “stow and go” and I keep those compartments filled with the “essentials”. Each kid has a clear shoebox sized bin with a full change of clothes, and since my youngest is still in diapers I keep those there too, and wipes up near where I can reach them (as they are for so much more than just dirty bottoms). I also carry 100% juice boxes and other non-perishable snacks in another bin-for those time we get caught out near a meal or snack time. Friends joke I can live out of my van (and if it had a “potty” I could ;). We also keep sunscreen and a full first aid kit down there too.
I have to keep my strollers in the garage for storage. To keep them clean and “dust-free” I put the rain covers over them. Makes a big difference. (and yes I have used both my single and my double stroller in the rain!)
Didn’t have a dresser for our nursery so I bought some clear sterilite type stacked drawers to hold sheets, blankets, bibs, burp clothes, socks, ect. Was cheaper than buying a dresser (and we got a free hand-me-down one 2 years ago!) and we have re-purposed one of the tower drawers in our pop-up camper!
I love your ideas, Heather! Thank you for sharing!
We had towels under our carseats, but at a carseat check by our local police, we were told that they were not safe. It can make your car seat slide and you can’t get the seat in as tight (at least that’s what the police officer told us). So we took ours out. So I would advise checking your local car seat laws before adding the towel.
I have been praying (and will continue to) that God will give me direction in what I should be doing for a career for the remainder of my working life. I have had a successful career for 22+ years outside the home and am good at what I do, but have always felt like I am not using what is in my heart. I admire the leap of faith Julie took in the story that was shared and her art is beautiful! Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!