Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from all of us here at Belly Rubs 2 Baby Hugs!

In celebration of the new year, all orders placed between 12:00 a.m. January 1, 2008 and 11:59 p.m. EST January 1, 2008 will receive free shipping. Just make a note at check out that you visited our blog and we will deduct your shipping charges.

Hope to see you next year!

New Parent Tip-of-the-Week: Quick sheet change at 3 a.m.

It's 3 a.m. and baby's diaper has overflowed on the sheets. Sleep deprivation makes this job harder than normal. Is the sheet inside out? Which side is longer? Meanwhile, baby is crying from hunger, lack of comfort, or is just plain sleepy. We have lived through this scenerio more times than I can remember--or care to remember. In many cases, Dad was still at work so I had to juggle baby and the sheet.

Here is an easy way to do a quick sheet change to get you and baby back to bed with little effort.

When you put sheets on baby's bed, put your fitted sheet on as normal. Second, get a waterproof mattress pad and place over the sheet where baby will lay. (You can use a changing pad size waterproof pad until baby is more mobile, and then switch to a crib size mattress pad.) Next, place another sheet over the mattress pad. This allows you to pull the top sheet and mattress pad off of the bed and still have a clean sheet for baby. Now, tuck baby in and worry about the sheets in the morning!

Sweet Dreams!
Belly Rubs 2 Baby Hugs

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our family to yours!!

The Hagan Family
Belly Rubs 2 Baby Hugs

Easy packing for baby

If you plan to travel during the holiday season, we have a tip that can make packing for baby a cinch! Since baby clothes are small, they often get lost amongst adult clothes or sets get separated in the suitcase or diaper bag. To keep sets together and make packing more compact, place each one of baby's outfits (shirt, pants, dress, diaper cover, onesie/t-shirt, socks, tights) in a sandwich size Ziploc bag and squeeze the air out before sealing. Now, all you have to do is grab a bag and you are ready to fully dress baby. No more lost socks or missing shirts! When you take baby's clothes off, drop them back in the bag so you arrive home with all the clothes you took with you.

This also works well for keeping a change of clothing in your vehicle. The bags are compact enough to throw in the glove compartment or console while still keeping clothes clean and fresh. The bag also serves as a great 'dirty duds' bag for messy clothes after changing. This can be a lifesaver if you have one of those babies that seems to overflow every diaper you put on him/her.

Have toddlers? Upgrade to quart or gallon size bags. Pack their suitcase and then your toddler can choose his/her own outfit each day. This can make your little one feel like a 'big kid'!

Please note: We do not recommend placing wet or soiled clothing back in the bag for an extended period of time as they may mold or mildew, especially in warmer temperatures.

Safety warning: As with all plastic bags, please keep bags away from babies and small children as they pose a choking hazard.

Happy Holidays and safe traveling!

Awesome Holiday Offer

Don't forget those parents-2-be and new parents on your shopping list. Babies can never have too many presents and Bink Links and Pedoodles make great stocking stuffers! :-)

We realize the holiday shopping season is in full swing so we are going to offer our blog readers a great deal. From now through December 12, 2007, enter the discount coupon 'shipship' at checkout and receive free shipping on all purchases within the United States. This does not apply to Express Mail shipments or international shipments.

If you're at a loss as to what to buy, gift certificates are always just perfect. You never have to worry about getting the wrong size or color or whether the recipient will like the gift. No keeping up with gift receipts or standing in long return lines either. Give them a gift certificate from Belly Rubs 2 Baby Hugs and let them shop. Click here to purchase a gift certificate from Belly Rubs 2 Baby Hugs.

Parent-tip-of-the-week: How to keep baby wipes from drying out on top

Ever went to change baby's diaper only to find the wipes on top were dried out? This happens quite frequently with the plastic storage containers wipes are sold in because they are not air tight. It occurs even more so if you are like us and have a container in almost every room but do not use them on a daily basis.

To solve that 'dried out wipes' problem, close the lid and flip your container of wipes upside down when you are finished. This will keep the moisture on the 'bottom' and your top wipes will be moist the next time you use them. After doing this several times, it will become a habit to always flip the container after use. (Please do not try this trick with electric wipes warmers.)

Happy diapering from Belly Rubs 2 Baby Hugs!