Diaper Bag

The essentials of a diaper bag are compartments to put your wipes and diapers in, and a changing pad. This means almost any bag can become a diaper bag if it just has enough compartments and you have a changing pad you can stick in it.

This DIY project of turning two thrift store rain jackets into my own changing pad with extra pockets, cost me less than $10, and I can just throw it in any bag and go.

I turned these:








Into this:








Click here for detailed directions.

Of course, if you are in need of the essential bag component of the Diaper Bag you can find lots of new and fun bags. Most come with a changing pad, and there are a lot out there that would be great to use even after you are done with the diapers. This is one of my favorites available at Giggle: Fleurville MotherShip Bag

Old Pony, New Trick

Sleep sacks are great. Baby can’t kick them off in the course of the night, and they stay warm and cozy no matter how acrobatic their wiggling may be. In Texas – where I live – the thick fleece style sleep sacks are often just too warm, but you still want something covering baby while they snooze. My solution was to create my own out of an old pony hoodie that was made of a thick knit. The bottom catch for the zipper on the hoodie did not work right, so this was a perfect way to re-use and recycle. For the sleep sack pattern, and detailed directions click here.

If you are one who lives in colder climates or you don't have the time and/or inclination for a DIY project, you can find some really cute sleepsacks out there. They often come with just a couple of snaps, instead of the zipper style like the one I made, but both are easy to use and keep baby tucked in all night.

Here is a nice thick sleep sack I thought was cute that is available from giggle.

Lighting Matters

I hate the overhead light glaring in my eyes when I lay down in bed. I don’t know what babies think about it exactly, but I do think it is important to have some more ambient lighting in the room for when a baby is playing, or resting.

So many lamps for nurseries are over the top. I do like the one that goes with the bedding set I listed in my last post from Dreamtime Baby

But unless you find the perfect thing, I say just go with a simple lamp you like. You can always spruce it up to match your décor if you want. I like to take a sheet of primed canvas – you can buy a pad of this from almost any craft store. It is forgiving and flexible and will not yellow or turn brittle under the heat of a bulb. Then cut out a cute pattern you like and simply adhere it to the inside of your lampshade. You can do your child’s name or a pattern that matches the nursery using this technique. Here is a simple owl design I made. For detailed directions and the owl template click here.