Between naps, feedings and diaper changes -- new moms rarely have a moment free. Pulling it all together doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Making some simple changes in your daily routine can mean extra time for enjoying your new baby.
“I always tell my friends that the key to spending more time with their new baby is to simplify their day,” says Victoria Pericon, editor of SavvyMommy.com and mother of three. “Try to combine errands into fewer trips and reduce the number of activities you're involved in. That way, you can spend more time with your loved ones and make more time for yourself.”
Pericon shares some of her favorite time-saving tips that are sure to help new moms protect the precious time they have with their new baby:
* Get organized: Caring for a new baby and keeping up with household and family activities is a challenge. The easiest way to stay on track with managing household chores and outside activities is to make a schedule. Buy a large wall calendar to organize your family’s play dates, practices, weekly errands and social events so everyone has a clear picture of what the week holds. Color code activities by family member.
* Go digital: Cutting and pasting your baby photos into an album is a thing of the past. Not only is this time-consuming but it's also costly. Why not create your baby book online instead of doing it all yourself? Photo sharing sites such as Shutterfly.com let you customize your baby book according to your own preferences. Also, you can share pictures of your new little one with friends and family in no time flat.
* Simplify feeding: Breast milk is the ideal nutrition as it provides all the nutrients a young infant needs, and it also helps build the baby's immunity. For moms who choose to feed with formula, it's important to choose one that provides both nutrition and convenience. Similac Advance EarlyShield has important immunity building-blocks similar to those found in breast milk. Great for saving mom time, Similac Advance EarlyShield comes in Similac SimplePac powder packages -- with design features that offer a simplified approach to feeding time -- and 8-fluid-ounce Similac Ready Right Now reclosable plastic bottles which require no mixing or measuring.
* Streamline sleepy time: Sleep is an all-too-precious commodity for new parents. Set a bedtime routine that lulls baby to sleep faster, so you can share a few precious minutes unwinding with your partner or a cup of tea. While good, old-fashioned rocking, reading books and singing lullabies makes bedtime rituals a bonding time, sleep-inducing crib toys, like the Fisher-Price Rainforest Waterfall Peek-a-Boo Soother, can trigger baby's time-for-sleep reflex by lulling baby with gentle moving water and soft music.
* Get healthy: Finding time to get back into shape can be tricky for any new mom.
One quick way is to check out your local gym -- many offer child care services for their members. Get out of the house for an hour or two and start getting back into shape while knowing that your child is in good hands and close by. You’ll get much needed “me” time and feel better.
Try these small, yet effective time-savers and have more time to spend with your new baby or with yourself. For more information, visit http://www.earlyshield.com/.
As a proud new parent, you want to make sure that you capture every precious moment of your new baby’s life. It’s tempting to hit the nearest photography studio for a quick professional session, but in these tough times, that can be costly and time-consuming. For families on a budget, learning how to take great photography at home can be easy and fun.
“Taking beautiful pictures of your new baby is a great way to preserve life-long memories. By following a few simple steps, anyone can learn to take baby photos that they can be proud of,” says Jodie Otte, the photographer behind the Similac Advance EarlyShield advertising campaign.
Here, Otte reveals her tips on how to take and archive the best shots of your newborn and protect your memories.
* Get natural: When taking a picture of your newborn, you want the “soft glow” to emanate. The best way to achieve that is through natural lighting. Place your baby in a spot that is exposed to a lot of bright, indirect light void of shadows. Do not use a flash and raise your ISO speed to about 400.
* Practice patience: Infants are fueled by curiosity. Everything captures their attention. Try to get them to focus on one object throughout the shoot. Also, it’s a great idea to take a few test shots to ensure you have the perfect light and that your baby is comfortable. Once you have the best shot possible, snap away.
* Go black and white: Although color prints are vibrant and fun, make sure to print an array of photos in black and white. Not only are these photos classic and timeless, but they’re also the best option when trying to attain that professional look.
* Sharing is caring: Once you have the perfect shot of your new tot, make sure to share with friends and family. Cutting and pasting baby photos into an album is a thing of the past. To save time and cash, upload photos to free Web sites such as Shutterfly.com and create a personalized baby photo book. Need to add more photos? No problem -- simply insert another page in your virtual baby book.
* Store safely: After countless captured memories, be sure to have hard copies as well and archive photos with care. Choose albums that are acid- and lignin-free in order to prevent photos from yellowing or becoming damaged. Look for plain pages without adhesives and always make sure to use page protectors and pocket corners. Store photo albums in a cool, dry, dark place that does not have dramatic temperature fluctuations.
Learning how to take professional baby photos has never been easier with these simple steps. Make sure you don’t miss another opportunity to capture a memory with your baby. For more baby tips and information, visit http://www.earlyshield.com/.
With the summer season upon us, many families will be flocking to the highways to embark on amusement ride-filled vacations, to camp at majestic national parks or to drive across the country to visit grandma and grandpa on the opposite coast. But with all of the excitement and fun away from home come missed naps and overstimulated kids who don’t want to sleep at night.
Many parents wonder if a summer trip is even worth it if it means dealing with cranky, tired kids for a week. Yes, according to Dr. Chris Drake, a bioscientific investigator at the Henry Ford Sleep Research Center in Detroit and resident sleep expert for AmericInn Hotels’ "Sleep Better America” program.
"While parents and kids often come back from family vacations more exhausted than before they left, the bonding time between parent and child in a vacation setting is essential to healthy child development and growth,” says Drake. “Plus trips are a time for families to have fun and learn together. Experiences away from home are often educational for young minds and it’s good to expose children to new geographic areas, languages, cultures and foods.”
Drake, a father himself, knows firsthand the benefits of connecting while on a family vacation, yet he also knows how lost hours of sleep can be unhealthy for kids and cause big headaches for parents. To ease parents’ minds, Drake offers the following tips to help children achieve the best sleep possible while traveling:
Stick with your kids’ nap schedule -- Plan activities around your children’s nap schedules while on vacation. If naptime is regularly after lunch, make an effort to have this meal close to your hotel, campground or relative’s house. Even on long car trips, do your best to keep kids awake with energizing music, games and conversation at times they’re usually active. Long car rides make all of us a bit lethargic, so it may feel like a necessary respite to let your kids fall asleep for long intervals, but you’ll pay in the middle of the night.
Consider light and sun exposure -- Research has shown that light exposure impacts everything from brain activity to seasonal depression to length and quality of sleep. Kids, like adults, need natural light exposure every day to stay alert. They also sleep better in dark, calming environments. When traveling, find quiet, dim spaces for naps and nighttime sleeping. Draw curtains whenever possible.
Stick to healthy meals and regular mealtimes -- Eating while on vacation usually means higher calorie meals and more treats like ice cream and cookies. Allow your kids some treats to enjoy, but don’t overdo it and stick to your regular meal schedule. Don’t let your kids order french fries with every entrée. Choose a veggie option instead. Watching your kids’ sugar and salt intake while away from home and having them drink more water will be better for their digestive systems and quality of sleep.
Try preventing unfamiliar noise interruptions -- In an unfamiliar setting, kids can get excited or scared by foreign noises. When scouting out the best sleep arrangement for the kids while traveling, consider hotels like the AmericInn brand, which is known for specially insulating its properties to offer guests a quieter stay. Or when camping, find a spot away from the road, train tracks or any sort of entertainment venue. When at grandma and grandpa’s house, if possible select a private space away from cousins and other family members.
Start bedtime routines earlier on the road -- Since it most likely will take longer to get kids settled for bed while on a trip, unless they’re wiped out from the day’s activities, start your usual bedtime routines of putting on pajamas, brushing teeth and reading books one hour earlier. Turning out the lights well before bedtime is a good way to start the physiological and behavioral processes of sleep even before kids are in bed. TV is the most problematic, particularly in a hotel where the living room is often the bedroom as well, so avoid turning it on when trying to get your kids down for the night.
Pack familiar and comforting items -- You may feel like you’ve packed too much, but don’t leave out your kids’ favorite PJs, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals or pacifiers because you’ll be glad to have them when your child throws a temper tantrum right before bed. Items that are comforting and familiar help calm children down despite being in a bed and room that isn’t as inviting as their kid-friendly rooms at home.
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