To Genie or Not to Genie?

In almost every house I walk in, there are diaper genies.  It goes with the territory.  In almost every case, upon walking into the children’s room, the parent says,”Oh, I need to change that diaper genie.  It smells in here!”.  It doesn’t matter if it needs to be changed, or was just changed, the diaper genie has a hanging odor that can be nauseating at times.  If you want to avoid this, I would purchase a regular old trashcan, line it with a kitchen bag, and wrap up those poopie diapers in a plastic bag.  The room may smell for a short period, but at least you control when to dispose of those diapers.  Additionally, taking out the baby “garbage” is much easier than changing a diaper genie!

Bottle Warmer vs Electric Tea Kettle

My experience with bottle warmers is they generally seem to be a waste of space, not to mention they don’t seem to work most of the time.  I suggest you skip the bottle warmer, and purchase an electric tea kettle.  An electric tea kettle allows you to put either tap or purified water in it, and when you are ready to  prepare baby’s bottle, (either by thawing breast milk, or preparing formula, hot water is ready in less than one minute!

While you’re at it, pour yourself a cup of tea! And now, you haven’t wasted your money and space on a strictly “for baby” item!

Electric tea kettles range from $20-$80.  Target has a wide, decently priced selection. www.target.com

Infant Tubs Vs the Kitchen Sink

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his is one of those items that I just can’t wrap my mind around.  While I understand it probably makes daily life easier, there really is no use for it once babe can sit up unassisted (and refuses to lie down in an infant tub anymore!)  My mom bathed me in the sink.  Once I reached toddler hood I she transferred me to the bath tub.  Scattered through out my photo albums are evidence of this.  How embarrassing.  I digress.  This is an item you’ll probably use for about 6 months or so then you will be faced with realization you just spent $30 on an item that you will most likely have to toss or give away.

If you feel uncomfortable bathing your child in the sink, I suggest you purchase a bus boy tub.  They are just deep enough for a comfortable infant bath, and when baby has outgrown it, it can be used for storage! Shown is picture of a 7″ restaurant tub, selling for around $8.

Changing Table Pad vs. Changing Table

If you looking to save some space and eliminate the items you toss when baby is grown, consider swapping that changing table for just a regular old dresser with a changing table pad on top.  These ergonomically designed pads ($25) can fit most dressers.  A suitable dresser dimension to fit a changing table pad is 30Lx16W.

These easy to find pads can be found at your local Target or Walmart.