Happy Wednesday friends! I've received some travel questions lately so today's post is for all my new nursing Mamas with a trip on the calendar. So since our baby was born, my husband and I have been on two getaways without her, which does require some extra planning on the mom front, but it is possible even with an exclusive breastfed baby! Here are my top travel tips!
Car Travel:
So our first getaway was to Charleston, which for us was a simple 3 hour car ride. At this point baby was 6 months old and had not started solids yet, so I made sure that my freezer stash was plentiful. I added in a couple extra pumping sessions a week or two before we left for my own peace of mind, and pumped while we were gone to replenish.
Choosing a destination that was just a car ride away for our first getaway was ideal because I pumped on the way down (placed milk in cooler), when we arrived and checked into our hotel, before we headed out for the evening and then before bed.
While our hotel did have a refrigerator in our room it was not quite cold enough, so the hotel informed us to call the front desk after each session, and they would come pick up the milk, and store it for us in their kitchen. This was amazing! Before we checked out the following afternoon, I just asked for all the milk to be sent up and packed it away in the cooler for the car.
When booking your stay, let your hotel know you are nursing and be sure to ask about the in room accommodations. This is something that is so common and handled easily.
Air Travel:
My husband and I just celebrated our five year wedding anniversary, and originally we had hoped to return to The Exuma Islands, where we traveled on our honeymoon. However, with the risk of zika and me still nursing, this just did not seem like the best time or option for that location. Instead we ended up in New York City, which was perfect! A quick hour and a half direct flight and we were there.
With this getaway, our baby was 10 months old which required less milk and less pumping. Before we left I did some research and discovered that your pump is actually considered a medical device, so always carry it on. This saves any kind of issue too if it were to get lost in baggage. Once we arrived and checked into our hotel, I just stored the pumped milk in our rooms refrigerator. Also, to keep things as simple as possible I packed the pump wipes that easily clean all the parts to avoid having to wash them in the bathroom.
The night before it was time to head home, we called down to the front desk and asked them to place our ice packs in their freezer. While flying be sure to use the ice packs that will remain a solid once they thaw as opposed to the gel packs. We placed the ice packs and milk in a small collapsible cooler that I had packed and were good to go.
Once at the airport and headed through security, I just informed the officer that I did have milk in the cooler. They took out the bags and placed them in what looked like a microwave, to ensure that it was in fact breast milk, because you know I looked very questionable with my pump and monogrammed cooler. In all honesty, it was quick and easy and they never opened any of the bags and sent me on my way.
Traveling while nursing was so much easier than I had even anticipated! Absolutely no hiccups with a little extra planning, and everyone from the hotel staff to the airport security could not have been more accommodating. Hope this was helpful to you! Happy traveling!
Before:
Hi friends! It's been a little busy over here with all the summer fun and traveling but this post is long overdue. Today, I am giving a glimpse into the heart of our home, our kitchen! We actually wrapped up our kitchen reno in early June but life has been hectic, and so here it is. Also, real talk. The quality of these photos is less than ideal, but instead of waiting for just the right light and time of day, I took advantage of the one day my kitchen was semi clean, and snapped these.
Not pictured, the million baby items (highchair, walker, bumbo seat, drying lawn, etc) that live in here. Also, friends happened to be over hence the goodies. Typically we wouldn't have these sitting out because ya know we would scarf them up.
So just a few details on the final product! The renovation was strictly cosmetic, and made a huge impact. We swapped counter tops, painted our cabinets and island, switched our sink and traded the hardware. Never in my life have I wanted to go darker with a paint color but we ended up doing just that TWICE with the island. Eventually, this light gray color was exactly what we had hoped for, but you wouldn't believe how much darker it looked on the swatch.
Also, I ordered all of the hardware and our new faucet from Overstock and could not have been more pleased. Each pull and knob came individually packaged to keep from scratching and everything was a fraction of the price from other retailers.
Overall, we have been so happy with the end result, and feel like it flows much better with the overall feel of our home...and Everette is a big fan of all the sink baths.
Happy Tuesday friends! Everyone knows that babies/children are not cheap, but they don't necessarily have to be super expensive either. I have always prided myself on a good deal, and buying for our baby is no different. Below are my top 5 ways to keep you from blowing your budget! What is one way you save when shopping?
1. Register and subscribe. When we created our baby registry, someone along the way gave us the genius advice to register for diapers and wipes, and not just newborn or size 1, so we did. We registered for diapers all the way up to size 3, and we were so fortunate to receive enough diapers to last us over 9 months. That's right, we just bought our first box of diapers and it's been close to a year. Yes, I realize that diapers and wipes are not the fun gift to give at a baby shower, but I promise it will be so appreciated! Also, once our diaper train ran out, I did my research and went and ahead and subscribed through amazon for our diapers and wipes. This way we keep a stock pile, and avoid having to go out and buy and then lug boxes of diapers home. They are dropped on our door step and we save.
2. Buy used clothing, and in advance! Now, I'm a girl Mama and I know how much fun it is to dress my baby, but it can also be pricey! Almost all of Everette's clothes are used, and sometimes we are the third or fourth owners. The day after our gender reveal one of my girlfriends added me to multiple baby resale groups, and that's where I have purchased ever since. I keep my eye out for certain holiday outfits and always buy in advance and put back for later. You are so much more likely to save money when you aren't in a hurry to get something for next week. That being said, I try to keep her clothes in great shape in hopes of reselling in the future.
3. Borrow it. One of my girlfriends so graciously loaned me her entire maternity wardrobe, and because we are the same size, and our babies were due during the same time of year, it was a huge savings for us! Maternity clothes are expensive, especially cute ones so consider borrowing something from a friend for that wedding you are attending, instead of purchasing something new to wear maybe twice. The same is true with baby items, borrow first! If you aren't sure if your baby will like something, ask to borrow from a friend and check it out before you make the purchase.
4. You do you. Obviously breastmilk is free, making it much cheaper than formula, so if nursing is easy for you, and works well for your family, it's a savings. However, you can't put a price on your sanity, and it's worth a lot more than the formula. The same is true for baby food. When Everette started solids, I began making her baby food because I was meal planning and cooking anyway, it worked for us, and it was a huge savings. However, I am firmly in the camp of you do you, and if buying baby food makes your week run smoother, do it all day long.
5. Memberships vs. more things. Everette is only 10 months old and I already kind of feel like our house is overtaken by baby. Every parent knows that anything can be a baby toy, so instead of purchasing the latest and greatest, look around your house and see what you already have. Did you know that it's actually better for a baby's development for them to discover everyday items as a toy? Also, for Everette's first birthday we are thinking of purchasing a yearly membership to our children's museum and aquarium. Why buy more items when you can invest in an experience. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
These are just a couple things that we have implemented, and I am sure as we go we will find more! Veteran mamas, what is one way you save vs. splurge?
