I'm Cheap and Easy.... With Gift Wrap

I take so much pride in wrapping my gifts. Pretty packages tied with festive bows make me just as happy as what is inside! Here are a few tips that make my wrapping festive, frugal, and earth friendly... 1. Tulle: I use tulle instead of ribbon because it is so much cheaper and a little goes a long way. You can get on a spool or by the yard. There are so many different colors and the fullness of the tulle is really eye catching! 2. Cloth Bags: My mom and I have been trading the little holly Bath and Body Works bag back and forth for a few years now. And I don't think Adam has caught on, but every year he gets something in the felt Santa bag from the dollar store. I just make sure whoever receives the cloth bags will reuse it! Some of those Hallmark gift bags are $5- so ya save every year when you reuse the cloth ones.

3. Tags: I make my own tags with a punch or my Circut. You can use scrap paper and some stickers- so easy and Mike is into putting on the stickers!

4. Tape: I invested into this new Scotch Tape Pop-Up dispenser... LOVE IT! You wear on your wrist so you are not constantly lifting up your body and all that paper searching for the darn tape. I bought a refill pack, thinking that would be the catch- not enough tape, but I wrapped all my packages without having to reload! So now if they would make scissors the wear around my neck I will be set!

5. $1 Bags: I know it is more fun to get the fancy bags with glittered Santa or a Die-cut Tree, but skip them and go for the cheap bags. Use one sheet of cute tissue paper (solid white on the inside- it is cheaper) and let your kids add the stickers or draw that cute Santa!

I would love to hear your wrapping ideas- What Works for you While Wrapping?

Works For Me Wednesday

Tips and Tricks for Mommies of Newborns.

#1. Although we are breastfeeding, we sometimes need to top Adelyn off and every once in awhile I want Adam to take that 5:00 feeding. We LOVE Dr. Brown's bottles, but they have so many parts it is hard to assemble and prepare when you are tired or have a hungry baby, so my sister had the great idea of storing the bottles almost made. Now all we have to do is dump in the pre- measured formula and shake! #2. I use these Quick Clean sacks to sterilize EVERYTHING... from my breast pump supplies, bottles. pacifiers, and toys. It is so easy and works in 3 minutes... All you do is dump in your stuff, add 2 oz of water, and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. You can use the same bag for up to 20 times! #3. The swaddle... both of my babies will settle down in seconds when they get a good swaddle. But we do have a few tricks... first try to keep a few of the blankets from the hospital. These blankets are just a bit bigger than the ones you can buy. Then, before you wrap them up, put the blanket in the dryer for a few minutes. This works so well! Next, don't be afraid to get the swaddle good and tight... the tighter the better. Adam is really good at this! Lastly, remember you can still swaddle at 6 months... actually Mike still likes to be tucked in extra tight! #4. This tip came from one of Adam's co-workers. He is from India and gave us this bottle for a baby gift. I know what you are thinking... it looks like booze... I too was "not giving that to my baby" However, desperate times call for anything that might work! Mike had awful acid reflex and at times could not be settled for anything... I broke down and tired it. Woodwards Gripe Water, also known as 'baby crack' to us! We have tried other brands and trust me they are not the same. We get ours from amazon and now we like to give as a gift. #5. I am sure we have all read Happiest Baby on the Block- the best baby book ever. (check out the link) However, what we discovered about the "sushing step" is that the noise has to be loud and constant. We tried the teddy bear with the heart beat and the noise machine that attaches to the crib, but they just were not loud enough. With Mike we had to run the hairdryer or the vacuum... what a hassle! But my mom came across a great noise machine that gets really loud. Although, we never found her exact one we did find this Sharper Image one at Macy's. It was $50, but worth every penny. It has 20 sounds, including Adelyn's favorite "white noise" and "heartbeat". Bottom line, if your "sushing" is not working... turn up the volume! I hope these tips are helpful. If you have good newborn tricks of the trade- leave me a comment! We mommies have to stick together!