6 Organization Hacks for Your Nursery

Your nursery can be a busy place. You may have to spend some extra time rocking your baby to sleep there. You may pop in and out for quick diaper changes, or you could enjoy quite a bit of time on the floor with a little one learning to move and crawl. 

When you’re in your nursery, you want to make sure frequently used items are within reach. And if your nursery is a little crowded, you may need to get creative with storage solutions. Whether you’re still putting together your nursery or already have one, here are six organization hacks that can help.

Maximize Under Crib Space

If you have a drawer under your crib, use it. Some moms neatly store extra diapers in these drawers so they can ditch the bulky boxes after they bring them home from the store. You can also find storage bins that fit under the crib if you have space but no drawer down below. If you use a bin and have things in it you need to access regularly, make sure the container slides in and out easily.

Door Storage

The back of a door is a great hideaway for quick grab items. Whether it’s a wire, plastic or other hanging system, it can be a place to stash extra diaper cream, lotions, shampoo, cloths and wipes. Some systems with deeper pockets can even house small blankets, clothes, shoes, and more.

Once you create a system just make sure you are aware of the extra weight it places on the door and adjust how hard you push or pull the handle when opening and closing the door. If you pull the handle hastily some items may fall on the floor if the storage system is packed full.

Use a Utility Cart

You can find some smaller utility carts as narrow as nine inches in depth but plenty more that are 18 or 24 inches wide and deep. The great thing about utility carts, obviously, is the mobility they bring. You can either leave them next to your changing station full-time and keep wipes, diapers and diaper cream on the top tray, or you can keep the cart off to the side and create a routine of pulling it over to the changing station when needed.

Some families just love the look of carts, too. They decorate them, paint them, and show them off. If that’s not your style, you have the freedom to wheel your cart into a closet, if you’d like. As a general rule, use the top tray for items you’ll need to grab frequently, and you can store back-up items, towels and blankets in the bottom trays. And as your little one begins to crawl, for safety, keep things on the lower trays that won’t harm them.

Use the Wall Behind Your Changing Station

It’s pretty common to leave the wall space behind a changing station free of anything within a baby’s reach. That’s understandable because as your baby grows and becomes more mobile, you don’t want them reaching for something dangerous. But if the wall is completely empty and you can set up a hanging rack for diapers, cream and wipes in a safe spot, do it. The move will keep all necessary items within reach. You can even install slatwall with bins and trays. That way you can adjust the height and location of the storage unit over time.

Get the Most out of Your Closet

If you are setting up your nursery for the first time, you’ll want to see how much space you have in your closet. Measure areas between top shelves and the ceiling. Obviously, these hard-to-reach spots will be for seasonal or rarely used things. If it’s a larger closet, a cubby system may work well. You can also take advantage of small outfit sizes by installing double-hanging closet rods. Or if you like a single rod, install shelves above and below the rod.

Buy Furniture With Storage

When shopping for a nursery’s primary furniture pieces like cribs and changing stations, it’s easy to only focus on their size. If you’re tight on space, you may even prioritize making sure they fit into one specific area, too.

But some pieces are designed with storage, and even if they’re a little larger, it may be worth doing some re-configuring in the room to accommodate them. Storage-friendly furniture can save you a lot of space and add convenience. In addition, other pieces of furniture like benches with storage under them, cube systems with flexible ways to set them up, and even simple cribs with room underneath could be just what you need.

As you lay out or re-imagine your nursery, it’s a good idea to keep an open mind about storage and organizational strategies. Check the internet out for ideas, too. Everyone has a unique way of tackling storage and organization in a nursery. Someone else’s ideas could bring the inspiration you need to your nursery a safe, functional and fun place to share moments with your baby.

What to Consider When Furnishing the Baby's Bedroom

Having a baby requires you to make all kinds of decisions regarding their general wellbeing. While some of these decisions can seem a bit daunting, knowing what to do and how to go about furnishing the baby bedroom can lessen the work for you.

When raising a tiny human, one of the most significant decisions you can make is to design a nursery that’s not only comfortable but also causes you to smile. After all, you will find yourself spending a considerable chunk of your time in this room.

You may as well as try to make it as relaxing as you can.

The Crib

Your child’s crib ought to be the investment piece for the nursery. While it’s normal to assume that this is a temporary item that shouldn’t cost much, you need to note that most kids use their cribs for around three years.

Additionally, if you intend to have more children, you will want to invest in a sturdy and comfortable bed for baby. Before taking it home, make sure to confirm that it satisfies all the necessary safety standards.

The Crib Bedding

The chosen crib and the baby bedding will naturally combine to form the showpiece of the baby’s room. Designing the baby bed set doesn’t have to be a tedious exercise. You can choose to infuse some fun as you pull in your unique style.

Selecting the bedding also enables you to build a color palette or to incorporate your favored theme into the area. Make it a point to invest in tons of crib fitted sheets. Ideally, you need to have a minimum of six or seven sheets.

It’s not uncommon for you to find yourself going through more than two or three sheets in a single day.

A Changing Table

As a parent, there’s no way around changing diapers. The only way for you to make this pleasant is to ensure all the baby essentials are close at all times. And this is why you need to get a changing table for the baby bedroom.

You will need a place where you can change the baby. Here, you can select to get a changing pad or a changing table, which you can then add to an existing dresser. Either of the two will work fine. All that matters is that you have some space to do what is needed.

The Nursery Chair

A nursery chair is among the most important purchase decisions you will get to make for the bedroom. It’s where you will sit when rocking the baby to sleep, when feeding her, and even when cuddling her.

You, therefore, need something comfortable. The nursery chair is when most of the bonding with your baby will occur. Take your time to choose the right chair, and you will have no trouble caring for the little one.

You can consider investing in a glider or a rocking chair. Its movements will help to lull the two of you to sleep. The chair’s fabric should be something that can hold up to a lot of use and which also cleans easily.

Baby Room Decor

Now that all the functional pieces of your nursery are in place, it’s now time to start decorating the bedroom. You can start by selecting a rug. The perfect rug will add some personality to this space.

If your home has wood flooring, go for a shag rug or a plush wool rug. It will help in cushioning the baby when she learns how to crawl, walk, and sit.

Summary

If you find the entire process intimidating, start by looking for color inspiration. You can do this by finding a photograph of a landscape, room, or outfit that you like. Start pulling from this as you continue to visualize how you would want the space to turn out.

Guest Post - 5 Nursery Décor Tips That Your New Baby Will Love

Are you expecting or looking to revamp your little one’s nursery? While we want our little ones to love it, let’s be honest—secretly nursery décor is really for the tired, sleep-deprived parents. You want a space that is both welcoming and calming that both you and the baby enjoy being in. One of the biggest trends in nursery décor is to keep it gender neutral, which means minimizing the baby pink and baby blue and picking a color scheme that is appealing no matter what gender your little one is. If you’re ready to turn your nursery into the oasis of peace that you’ve been dreaming of, here are 5 nursery décor tips that your new baby will love. 

Call on Nature

Bringing nature inside is a popular choice for nursery décor. The beauty of this is you can take it as far as you want. You can channel your inner Mariah Carey can get giant stuffed safari animals, or you take it in a different direction by choosing a statement wall with wallpaper covered in palm leaves. If doing something as bold as a statement wall isn’t for you, you can still bring nature into your baby’s room. Actually adding green plants into your nursery décor not only helps you bring nature into the room but can have health benefits as well. Certain plants, such as Boston Ferns, Areca Palms, Spider Plants, and Snake Plants are good at purifying the air in your baby’s room and are safe as they are non-toxic. You can also opt to go for natural, light finishes on wood furniture and natural materials such as hemp fiber storage bins. 

Be Bold

Gone are the days of pastels and fluffy animals. Modern nursery trends make use of bold colors to create a welcoming vibe in the room. To keep the room from getting too busy, it’s important to stick with a certain color family or group of colors. One popular option is jewel tones, such as sapphire, ruby, or emerald, coupled with gold. Another unique option is to go with the classic Kelly Green. Did you know green is one of the most calming colors? It is best paired with yellows and blues. These colors go together given their proximity to each other on the color wheel. The pairing of the yellows and blues with the Kelly Green make an excellent combination. This décor tip can easily be paired with any of the others on this list to make a truly stunning nursery design. However, it’s important to remember that you want to design your space so that it is calm and appealing to you even on those sleepless nights. 

Make it Pop!

Let’s face it, it is easy to go overboard with colors. To help you pull the whole look of your nursery together take advantage of neutral colors. Follow this rule: 10% color and 90% neutral. This will help keep you from overwhelming yourself with colors. (This is especially important if you are going with bold colors). One fun way to do this is to keep your walls the neutral color—white, light grey, eggshell, beige, and so forth. Then add your color in with your furniture and other accent pieces throughout the room. The crib where your little one will dream sweet dreams? Paint it Kelly Green! Your Curtains? Go with a navy and white pattern. And for your baskets, pillows, linens, and such go for a combination of greens, blues, and yellows. The possibilities are truly endless. Just make sure to stay within a select group of colors and keep the majority of the room neutral. The best part about this is that this works whether you are decorating a nursery for a boy or a girl. 

Go Minimalistic

Minimalism is a growing trend so it’s no surprise that it’s on our list of décor tips for your new baby’s nursery. Applying this trend to your nursery means keeping things clean and simple. To achieve this look you simply need less. This means fewer toys, less furniture, and fewer accessories and gadgets to clutter the room. Achieving this can prove to be difficult, especially with all of the lists out there telling you all the “must haves” for your nursery. Decide whether you really need the full-size crib AND the changing table. In short, you only need the things you really need—the essentials for your baby and maybe a few small wooden or stuffed toys. Anything beyond that really and you begin to lose the minimalistic look and feel that can create a calm, soothing environment in your little one’s nursery. However, there are things that you want to make sure you do have, such as window treatments that darken the room, lighting that can be layered, and a good nursery chair.

Geometric Patterns

If you’re looking to bring playful energy into your new baby’s nursery, then this décor tip is for you. Geometric patterns are being brought into nursery designs more and more as a way to add visual interest. It’s easy to find the perfect piece for your nursery with a geometric pattern on it, whether it is a wallpaper with triangles or circles, or a carpet with zigzags or stars, such a piece can help pull your design together. Other popular geometric patterns include arrows, crosses, squares, stripes, rectangles, and diamonds. These patterns can be used with your accent colors (think a blue zigzag carpet in a neutral colored room) or can be used within the neutral colors themselves (think two-toned beige striped walls), so have fun with it. But be advised, using too many different patterns can be overwhelming. Try to stick to one or two that you really love.  

It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

As a soon-to-be parent or a new parent, there are countless things that you can worry about. Your nursery design shouldn’t be one of them. Find a piece that you really love that speaks to who you are as a couple and what you want for your little one and go from there. You can use these five décor tips to help you. But the most important thing to remember is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Even if you don’t have all the artwork you want on the wall or you can’t find just the right linens, don’t worry. Once your sweet little one is mooning away in their crib, the last little design details won’t matter. Relax, have fun, and create a space that you enjoy that you can share with your bundle of joy!

Author Bio: Jules Hopkins is a writer and editor. She enjoys writing about home decor, DIY projects, and renovations, as well as gardening and lawn-care.

Guest Post - How to Baby Proof Your Kitchen Efficiently

Babies are so playful and curious, right? It’s very cute to watch how they do naughty things and play around with their environment.

However, the cute could quickly turn into dangerous, especially in the kitchen where there are many sharp, toxic, and hot items and appliances that could seriously injure your baby.

So how do you baby-proof your kitchen efficiently?

Fortunately, there are quite many things you could do for that. And we’ll be talking today exactly about that!

Store away your cleaning chemicals

If you are using any detergents, pesticides, or cleaning products containing toxic elements, make sure to lock them up in a place that is out-of-reach for your baby.

Aside from storing away harmful chemicals, you might want to consider switching to something safer. For example, use non-chlorine bleach, mineral oil, vinegar, borax, and other products.

Still, you would need to make sure that you keep them away from the baby since those safer solutions could be harmful anyway, albeit much less than the more harmful chemicals.

Buy products with child-resistant caps

A child-resistant cap is a good way of restricting the baby’s access to stuff that he shouldn’t be touching. However, it is more of a last-resort thing since babies could figure out how to open them anyway.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission even once stated that the child-resistant packaging is the parents’ last line of defense, so don’t just rely on buying a product in a child-proof container.

Store dangerous items as high up as possible

Cutlery, plastic bags, boxes of cling wrap, aluminum foil, and other hazardous items should be kept as high up as possible. If you just store all those dangerous items in a floor cabinet, your baby might be able to easily reach them.

Instead, make sure to put all those items in wall cabinets.

Unplug your appliances when not in use

You may be too lazy to unplug your appliances after using them, but that’s a thing that you should definitely do.

First of all, your baby could trip over the wires. Not only will he fall down, but he may also get injured from the appliance coming down on his head.

Aside from that, your baby may injure himself while playing with a plugged-in blender or coffee maker.

So, don’t be lazy and turn off your kitchen appliances after use.

Never leave glassware or hot food unattended

Even if it’s just for a few moments, never leave glassware, china, and hot food and beverages unattended. Besides, don’t use tablecloths in the kitchen since the baby could just pull on them and then get injured from whatever falls down on him.

Put latches on the knobs and doors of your appliances

All those knobs on your oven or stove sure could be of great interest to your child. While he may not injure himself directly while playing with them, he could cause a serious fire hazard that could end very badly for your home.

To make sure that this doesn’t happen, use knob covers and/or latches on the knobs that you don’t want your child to play with.

Use the back burners of your stove

Whenever possible, use the back burners of your stove so your kid doesn’t have access to them. If you have got the stove crowded and have no other choice than to put pots in the front, make sure to turn their handles inward so your baby can’t grab onto them.

Use a safety gate to keep your baby out of the kitchen

Possibly the most efficient way of keeping your baby away from all the kitchen hazards is just not letting him accessing the kitchen. If he simply doesn’t have any access to the kitchen, then how possibly could he injure himself with a knife or a stove?

As great as this method is, you may not be feeling right about not allowing your baby to explore the house. In fact, he should do that, so you may want to opt for the other options we have talked about.

In the end, even if you go for restricting your baby’s access to the kitchen, you should probably still use all the other child-proof stuff: if your child manages to get into the kitchen in spite of all the baby-proof gates you put, he will still be safe because your kitchen is baby-safe.

Cover all the power outlets in the kitchen

It just sometimes seems that there is some kind of a magic connection between babies and power outlets. Some mysterious force just urges them to stick their fingers in.

You have to prevent that.

Cover any outlets in the kitchen that you don’t use with baby-proof outlet plugs. You should also do this for every outlet in your house as well.

Set up a special corner for your baby in the kitchen

It is an excellent idea to dedicate one cabinet in your kitchen for your baby to open and explore. This cabinet should be located far away from your kitchen appliances.

Fill that cabinet with interesting and safe objects that would keep the baby occupied so he doesn’t even think about playing with stove knobs. And besides, such a playing space would allow you not to put any restrictions on your baby’s access to the kitchen.

Never leave your baby unattended

Regardless of how many safety precautions you take, never leave your baby unattended in the kitchen, not even for one second. Your baby may still be able to figure out ways to bypass all the mechanisms that you’ve put to stop him with.

You should never rely on all those baby-proof measures since they could just not work when they are necessary. They aren’t 100% fail-proof, though they still are able to do a great job.

Instead, perceive the safety precautions in your kitchen just as some kind of a helping hand. If you have looked away for just a second, your baby probably won’t be able to bypass all the restrictions you put.

But if you just leave him in the kitchen unattended, he will have all the time in the world to do some stuff that could end up badly.

About the Author: Hey all, I am Morgan & I run my own home blog, Tools Inside. Being a mom and a home-maker, I get to play with a lot of tools and I review them on my spare hours.