Tips & Tricks for Trips. Volume One.

Today, I felt the urge to share with all of you a few things I've found helpful while parenting multiples. Even if you don't have multiples, they may come in handy for you and your family. These are tips based on my experience and I will not accept responsibility if you do not agree or have a bad experience. You can take my advice, or leave it, just don't sue me, please.

This is a handy item I picked up at Walmart. It is an Overdoor Organizer made by the brand Mainstays home.

It has 21 pockets plus each one has a second pocket on the outside, so there are actually 42. It was very easy to hang and I love it. I plan to purchase a few more to hang on other doors in our house. If you have a lot of little feet, like we do, it is perfect for stashing all their shoes. Plus, I plan to stick pairs of socks in the outside pockets so they are easily available when we are rushing out the door. In the top couple of rows, I put hats and mittens. There was plenty of room to put the hat in the big pocket and the mittens in the outside pocket. Ashlyn had fun helping me and should be able to get her own shoes when needed. The picture on the package it came in shows the pockets containing shoes, socks, belts, small purses, hats, mittens, toys, and beauty products. I plan to hang one just for the kids to play with. The babies will love sticking small toys in it and taking them out again.

A week ago I purchased a Eureka cordless Quick-up. I had read many reviews online about it and it was actually on sale. This model is a 96F and there is a newer model out but I have had no problems with this one and liked the cheaper price.

If you have small children, pets, or messy husbands (like I do) this vacuum is a great investment. It can be mounted on your wall to be recharged, holds it's charge well (I can lightly clean my kitchen, living room, bathroom, and stairs before it starts slowing down) and is very light. You do have to keep in mind that this is meant to be an in-between vacuum. You will still need a full size vacuum for major cleaning. I was finding it hard to find time to drag my full size out. Plus it was loud so I couldn't use it when the kids were sleeping. Therefore, my floors were not getting cleaned very often. I use this one every day, at least once. It has great suction. It has a removable dust cup with a filter. It has the option of carpet or floor. The brush will turn for carpets and won't for bare floors. It is light enough that Ashlyn can use it, which is a huge bonus. The only complaint I have is that the dust cup is a little tough to open and close, but not too difficult.

I can't say enough about both the crib tent and the baby cam. I posted links to the websites on previous posts if you want more details. I posted a link for Amazon.com for the crib tent but actually found it cheaper at Walmart.com. Also I ordered the Summer Infant Video Monitor and an additional camera, so I could see the whole room. Well, I made a mistake and the extra camera is not compatible with the main set that I ordered. So I will return it and I emailed the company to see if there is one that is compatible. The set that I ordered is an older set which cost less but may not have the option to add a second camera. I hope I can find a way to get a second camera because with one, we can see all babies if they are in a certain spot, but if they move out of view, you can't see them. Even with one, we usually are able to see who is crying and if they really need us or are just fussing. The crib tent is a definite must in Brooke's case. Having her out and about in a toddler bed was a nightmare. She was keeping everyone awake, including herself. Since putting her back in a crib, everyone is sleeping better......especially me. I ordered another one for Ryan since he fell out of the crib yesterday. I was working on this post while they were supposed to be napping and heard very loud crying coming from the top of the stairs. There he was with a big bump on his forehead. I'm not too worried about Gaby. She seems to like her crib and isn't quite as agile as the others. She does like to bounce though, maybe if she gets worked up enough, she might just catapult herself out.

If you have kids that like to undress themselves here is what I do for Brooke and sometimes Ryan. I snap their onesies, which they can't yet get unsnapped, over their pants. So far this has always worked. Usually if I don't do this to Brooke she will remove her pants within 15 minutes. Can you tell which of my children is the most difficult? Now that I think of it, she has been giving me grief since before birth. She had her little butt stuck up under my ribs for about the last 2 months of pregnancy. Good thing a mother's love is strong.

This is a protective faucet cover made by Boon(http://booninc.com/flo.html). It is a great invention. Not only does it prevent my kids from knocking their heads on the faucet but it is very entertaining. Ryan especially loves it and tries to drink every drop of water that comes out. His diapers are very soggy the morning after a bath. Although this photo looks like Ashlyn, it's actually taken from the Boon website. I thought it captured the spray of water much better than my amateur photography skills could. What I also love about Boon is that they donate 10% of each sale to a children's charity. Well, that's it for now, my breaks over, and it's back to work. I plan to post more tips and tricks every now and then. Feel free to pass yours along as well.