So, in our new financial situation, shopping has been on my mind a lot lately. At my Bunco group last week, fresh off another $200+ shopping trip to Costco by my husband to buy what was supposed to have been 5 items (a few more snuck in there), I asked the other Moms where they shopped to help control household expenditures. What I learned? There’s a lot of different – and even contradictory – perceptions out there about where to get the best deals on household goods.

• “I love Target, but I can’t get out of there for under $100.”
• “I go to Kroger. It’s easy, close, they’ve got good selection on groceries. For paper products and cleaners, I go to Target.”
• “I avoid Target, even though it’s probably cheaper, because there are too many impulse purchases. We go to Costco because I’m not as tempted.”
• “I avoid Costco because of the impulse purchases. I see some cool thing there every time I go and have to have it. I stick with Target.”

So, after posing the question, the only thing I for sure learned was that controlling impulse purchases was going to be important. This, I figure, is just going to have to be managed no matter what shopping venue. (And anytime I feel myself waning on this, I’ll just conjure up images of some past impulse purchases, like the outdoor shower I just had to have for my backyard – three houses ago – that is still in its box.)

But figuring out the facts on actual pricing – that’s a job for Moms Out Loud!

We went comparison shopping on 20 basic grocery and household items across Costco, Target, and Kroger. The details can be found in the blog entry of this same title, but labeled “Shopping Challenge Details”. For those of you who are in a hurry, with two screaming kids, a dog that has to go potty, and/or a smoking oven, here is the bottom line:

For the overall bundle, Costco was cheapest on a per unit basis.

To determine this, we added the price per unit for each product at each store. The total for Kroger without a Plus Card was: $20.77 and with a Plus card was: $18.50 – an 11% savings with the card. Target’s total price for the bundle was $17.14, saving 8% versus the Kroger Plus card. Costco’s winning price per unit was an incredible $13.45 – a 20% savings over Target and a 28% savings over Kroger Plus card bundle. Of course, you have to buy in bulk, carry heavy items into your home, find a place to store your great deals, and eat a LOT of baby carrots before they go bad – but overall, hands down, you will save money at Costco.

On 3 items, however, Target was cheaper.

For milk (store brand), boxed cereal (Cheerios brand), and toilet paper (Charmin), Target actually beat Costco by a few percentage points. Toilet paper?!? That was one item we were convinced Costco would win on. I personally am glad to know I don’t need to buy 30 rolls at a time anymore because each time I stock up I have toilet paper stacked in all sorts of odd places. They did, however, win in paper towels, so I will continue to have the Bounty man piled high in my pantry.

Even with the Kroger Plus Card discount, no items at Kroger cost less on a per unit basis than Target or Costco.

That fact was stunning to me. I had always assumed if you timed it right and bought on deal, Kroger (or other supermarkets) would provide significant savings to encourage you to stock up. BUT – for the three items that were on deal during out check at Kroger (pasta, lunch meat, cereal), their deal price per unit was anywhere from 3-7% higher than Target’s. Guess Every Day Low Prices is accurate.

For perishables like produce, be careful of “overstocking” from Costco.

My husband is a wonderful man and father, and one of his favorite things to do on the weekend is to take our three-year old to Costco. They generally come home with a trunkful of items, including pounds upon pounds of produce…half of which often ends up getting thrown away having gone bad before we could eat it all. I have had angst about doing this in the past just for the sheer waste of it, and now I have proof of the financial impact to us. With produce costing around 25% less per pound at Costco than Target, it is tempting to buy the big bags of carrots, grapes, etc. However, if you only eat a pound of the baby carrots you bought in a 3-lb bag for $3, they didn’t cost you $1/lb…they cost you $3/lb. So only buy what you truly will eat (at least most of). One of my Bunco buddies had the best advice on this: “I send my husband to Costco and let him pick no more than 2 fruits and 1 vegetable for the week and that’s what we eat.”

Now, ladies, you have the facts-at least as they were at these three stores on Monday, July 14. We hope this has at least inspired you to pay a little closer attention to what you’re paying where for what things (for those of you who are even partially oblivious). Additionally, there are a lot of elaborate coupon games and websites out there set up to help you save on grocery expenditures, perhaps one of you wants to write a review of one of them for our fellow Moms?

As for me, keeping up with two toddlers and getting a business off the ground is consuming all of my time, so armed with these basic facts, I’ll be sticking to Costco and Target for my shopping. But only 2 fruits and 1 veggie a week in bulk.

1. Laundry Detergent
2. Dishwasher Soap
3. Windex
4. box of Pasta
5. Cheese sticks
6. Loaf of Bread
7. Lunch meat
8. Milk
9. 2-Liter of Coke
10. Box of cereal
11. baby carrots
12. Ground beef
13. Bananas
14. Grapes
15. eggs
16. can of soup
17. bag of salad
18. Toilet paper
19. Paper towels
20. Shampoo

In an effort to be fair, we decided to stick with one brand across the three stores. For a thorough examination of the data collected, read below. If you have two screaming kids, a dog that has to go potty, and a smoking oven, here is the bottom line: Costco was cheapest. To determine this, we added the price per unit for each product at each store. The total for Kroger without a Plus Card was: $20.77 and with a Plus card was: $18.50. Target’s total price per unit was: $17.14, making Target the first runner up. Finally, Costco’s winning price per unit was: $13.65! Incredible! Of course, you have to buy in bulk, carry heavy items into your home, and find a place to store your great deals, but overall, you will save money at Costco. (At least according to our completely unofficial statistics!) A few other notes: all of these prices were accurate at the Kroger at Lebanon and Legacy in Frisco, the Target at Preston and Warren in Frisco, and the Costco at Park in Plano on Monday, July 14th, 2008.

Here’s the breakdown of what we found…

1. 2X Ultra Tide: For 100 oz, you will pay $12.8 at Target and $16.19 at Kroger. At Costco, of course you have to buy in bulk, and will spend $19.49 on 170 oz. By price per ounce, Target is $.13, Kroger is $.16 and Costco wins at $.11. Of course, then you have to lug 17 oz of Tide home with you!

2. Cascade Actionpacs: At Target you will spend $3.54 for a bag of 20 pouches or $.17/pouch. The same bag at Kroger will cost you $3.59 or $.18/pouch. At Costco you have to purchase the 90 pack bag, but it will only cost you $12.89 which is just $.14 a pouch.

3. Original Windex: If you have seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you know the fantastic uses of Windex. To purchase this 32.5 fl. oz. bottle at Target you will pay $2.33 or $.07 per ounce. At Kroger you will pay $3.39 or $.11/ounce. At Costco, you get the same 32.5 oz spray bottle, but you also get a 172 ounce refill bottle for $10.89 or $.05/ounce.

4. Barilla Penne Pasta: At Target you will pay $1.24 for a 16 oz. box of pasta ($.08/ounce). Kroger’s plus card will get you this same box for $1.29 (without the card you will pay $1.39 or $.08 and $.09/ounce respectively). Costco did not carry a non-organic box of pasta, so the only equivilant was 6 (1.1 lb. or 105.6 oz.) bags of organic pasta for $6.99 or $.06 per ounce.

5. Kraft String-ums: These are a staple in my house! For a 12 pack at Target you will pay $4.99. At Kroger, you will pay just $.20 cheaper at $4.79. Costco did not have Kraft, but their Precious Stringsters were $$9.65 for 48 sticks. This means Target’s price per stick is $.42, Kroger is $.40 and Costco is $.20.

6. Mrs. Baird’s Split Top wheat Bread: Everyone needs bread to make PB&J, toast, and turkey sandwiches. If you want to make the most cost-effective sandwich, you are going to want to get your bread at Costco! You have to purchase two loaves at a time, but per loaf you are only paying $1.75 at Costco. A loaf of Mrs. Baird’s will cost you $2.99 at both Kroger and Target.

7. Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Turkey: After you buy a great loaf of bread, you will need turkey to make a sandwich! Kroger and Target were just pennies different in their price for turkey. You can purchase turkey lunch meat at both stores for about $.32 per ounce. (Without your Kroger card you will pay $.49/ounce!) At Costco you cannot purchase Oscar Meyer, but you can get Butterball turkey breast for just $.20/ounce. A great deal!

8. 2% Milk: If your house is like mine, you go through a lot of milk! Target was the cheapest place that we found to purchase milk at just $3.00/gallon of store-brand 2% milk. Costco was next at $3.19/gallon and Kroger was the most expensive at $3.99/gallon.

9. 2-liter of Coke: This one product had the power to completely destroy all of our data! Costco does not sell 2-liter soda, but sells cases of 16.9 oz. bottles. For this reason, Costco’s price per ounce was much higher than Kroger and Target so we removed this from the totals as it seemed unfair to include. But between Kroger and Target, Target was $.20 cheaper on a 2-liter of Coke. (Or diet coke!)

10. Cheerios: A 14 oz. box of Cheerios will cost you $1.75 at Target and $1.88 with your Kroger card ($3.30 without!). At Costco you must buy your cereal in two packs for $4.99. This clearly makes Costco the best choice for cereal…as long as you have somewhere to store it!

11. Baby Carrots: Buying carrots already peeled and sliced is fantastic and if you find a good deal, it’s worth it! At Target you will pay $1.33/lb while at Kroger these little carrots are $1.99/lb. At Costco you buy these carrots in 3 lb. bags, but your price per pound is only $.99! If your family can eat 3 lbs. of carrots before they go bad, Costco is definitely the economical choice.

12. 25% fat ground beef: For information on organic food, please read our other blog entry *****here*****. This is just your standard ground beef. Kroger wins the best place to purchase cheap ground meat because you can get a pound of meat for just $1.86 as compared to Target at $2.99 and Costco at $2.39.

13. Bananas: For this standard fruit you are going to want to go to Costco. At just $.39/lb. bananas are cheaper than Kroger ($.57) AND Target ($.54).

14. Green, seedless grapes: These refreshing summer snacks won’t break the bank if you know where to shop. Costco is the cheapest at just $1.49/lb. Kroger is exactly a dollar more, with Target falling in the middle at $1.99/lb.

15. White eggs: No matter where you buy eggs, you are going to pay about the same price. Each of the three stores we visited were selling regular white eggs (medium, large, or XL) for about $.12/egg. Don’t worry about shopping around for eggs; you’ll pay the same price no matter where you end up!

16. Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup: We know it is far too hot outside to think about soup, but we know you buy it during the year, so we thought we’d price it for you! At Target, a can of this soup will cost you $1.52. At Kroger, the same 19 oz. can is $2.19. Of course, at Costco you will get a deal, as long as you are willing to purchase 8 cans! If you are willing to store the extra cans, you will only pay $1.37/can at Costco.

17. Dole Greener Selections: For a salad-in-a-bag you will pay $2.49 at Target and Kroger both, but at Costco you will pay $2.19 for the same bag…times three. If you are going to eat a lot of salad, Costco is definitely the best choice!

18. Charmin Basic: This basic toilet paper was one of the only products that was cheapest at Target and NOT Costco! The price per roll at Target was $.49 while at Kroger and Costco each roll was $.63 each. Even buying 30 rolls at Costco doesn’t beat the deal you get at Target!

19. Bounty Paper Towels: While buying in bulk doesn’t get you the best deal in toilet paper, it will get you the best price on paper towels! At Costco you need to purchase 12 rolls to get the deal, but you will only pay $1.50/roll. The same rolls will cost you $1.94 at Target and $2.00 at Kroger.

20. Suave Professional Line Shampoo: We love this shampoo line at MomsOutLoud because it is inexpensive and works great! At Target and Kroger the cost for this 14.5 oz bottle was just $1.97 and $2.09 respectively. Costco does not carry this shampoo, but does have something similar called Kirkland Signature and comes in a large 80 oz bottle for $6.99. If you have extra storage space in your shower, Costco is definitely the way to go!

MomsOutLoud hopes that next time you are ready to go grocery shopping you think about this list and save your family some money!

We spotted a fashionable woman wearing a sparkly pair of brown flip flops in the grocery section of Target. She told me that the cute shoes came from…Target! We marched our way to the shoe department and found that the flip flops come in brown, black, white, pink and blue and are just $6.99! (Pink, brown, and blue shown above. The colors are a little off because the pictures were taken with Leanne’s camera phone!) They are just sparkly enough to dress up a cute skirt but are simple enough to wear to the pool. These flop flops are not on the target.com website, but there were plenty of them at the Super Target in South Frisco and Plano. The brand is Xhilaration and they are simple, rubber flip flops with glitter on the straps.

Of course, purses are also very noticeable items – especially the ones Moms tend to carry based on all our “Mommy-needs”, so we had to pay attention to them and report back our favorite. As you would imagine, we noticed lots of beautiful bags, like Coach, Louis Vuitton, and other big-name brands…..but, really, do you want to carry around sippy cups and gold fish crackers in purses that cost that much? Not us. One mom that we met had found the perfect balance of fashion and reasonable function. Her beautiful bag caught our eye at Super Target and we heard “cha-ching” in our ears, especially when we saw that she had a matching wallet. After talking with her about it, we found that she purchased both at Sam Moon for less than $30 total. We also found out that this bag is made of vinyl, which she says wipes clean in a snap no matter what’s been spilled on it. We are sure that most savvy moms know all about Sam Moon, but for this steal it might be time to go before they’re gone!

Another amazing mom-product that we discovered this week was the Eddie Bauer 2-in-1 Harness Buddy. We saw Susan with her adorable 2-yr. old twins Haley and Wesley in a parking lot with their “walking buddies.” This backpack comes in several cute styles (bear, monkey, and dog) easily fits on your toddler with arm straps and two chest buckles (the pack can also be worn in the front of the child). The removable tail of the animal doubles as a leash that loops around an adult wrist. This is perfect for children who are growing impatient with strollers and carts, but have not yet mastered their impulses enough to get unlimited freedom in the mall or other stores. Susan has been using the walking buddies for about 6 months and credits them for helping her twins safely learn how to hold hands in parking lots and sidewalks. While she doesn’t use the harnesses as much anymore, she does keep them in her mini-van just in case, and says her twins are always happy to get their buddies out.

Marilee, of The Whimsical Stork (a great place to order custom gifts for baby AND mom) emailed in this fantastic diaper bag that looks great and keeps all of your mom-necessities organized. Celeta at ABK Couture makes these custom diaper bags out of Chinese brocade material on the outside, and cotton on the inside. Celeta designed the first bag for herself, and has now perfected it according to Marilee: while the fabric is elegant and fashionable, eight pockets on the inside make the bag functional. And at $85, it’s in line with some of the other high end bags on the market – plus you get to pick your own fabric.

While at the pool, we discovered this cute float for baby! The Swimways Frog Baby Swim Float is a great option to get your littlest one in the water this summer. It’s so cute, how could they resist? The original Baby Swim Float doesn’t look like a little frog, but it does provide some shade from the sun with a detachable canopy. These can both be purchased for less than $20 at Walmart or Target.

We all know how much kids like to have their names on every item they own. The cutest personalized items we’ve seen in a while are the “My Name” collection by John Hinde, which we saw at Learning Express this past week. These cute personalized cups, sippy cups and water bottles are great for your child to carry at the mall, playground, or just around the house. The outside of the cup is rubber and easy for little hands to hold. The bright colors and fun designs help younger children learn the letters in their name. These cute cups can be purchased at The Learning Express for between $7.99 – $9.99.

Finding the perfect stroller is a challenge. According to several moms at the soft play area at Willow Bend Mall, Maclaren is the only way to go. The Maclaren Volo is a light-weight umbrella stroller that can easily be maneuvered through tight corners, folded up one handed in 5 seconds (according to their website), all while being heavy duty and with a lifetime warranty! The Volo can be purchased at Target for $99.99. Maclaren also offers more substantial strollers including a twin side-by-side stroller in your choice of a variety of colors.

Also at the mall, we happily discovered that Pumpkin Patch has put ALL of their summer clothes on CLEARANCE and will begin bringing out their fall clothes this week. The summer clothes will be on sale until they sell out, so get there quick! (For those of you who do not know about Pumpkin Patch, it is a kids clothing store that sells fantastic and reasonably priced clothing and outerwear for kids. It is located right next to the soft play area at Willow Bend in Plano.)

2. Dove Energy Glow Body Lotion: This product is slightly less subtle than Jergen’s, so results are seen much faster. To avoid that orange look, this should be used every other day. The lotion comes in different skin shades, so if you are normally very fair complected, you can use the fair/medium lotion and still look natural. Or for those with darker skin, the medium/dark shade may be best. You can find it for about $10 at any pharmacy or grocery store.

3. Mary Kay Tinted Moisturizer: This product is also only used for the face, does not change the physical color of your skin, and it moisturizes while providing you with a temporary tan that washes off at the end of the day. This product is SPF 20, so it helps protect skin under that hot summer sun. The moisturizer costs about $18.00 and can be purchased here.

4. Lancome Soleil Flash Bronzer: This product is strictly for the face and is oil free, so no grease and no streaks. Your natural looking tan starts to show within an hour. The lotion absorbs, so no sticky residue. Price is around $27 in department stores.

5. Mystic Tan: This choice is slightly more expensive than the at-home products, but the results may be worth the price. OK, I know you may be skeptical….after all, didn’t we watch Ross totally botch this up on Friends back in 199?-something. (For those of you who missed it, check out this excerpt on YouTube here.) But, seriously, our Moms say it’s come a long way from then. Just step into the booth, face one direction, then turn around and you’re all done – all in about 5 minutes! Throughout the day, the color gets darker, but never too dark. To avoid any orange on problem areas like knees, feet, and hands, rub normal every day lotion in those places before entering the booth. You can find Mystic Tan in places like Planet Beach and Palm Beach Tan all over DFW. Their prices are around $25 per session.

With several friends who are having their first (or second or third) babies soon, and because, to these new Moms at least, I’m considered an “expert” (after all, I’ve got two boys who are now almost-3 and almost-1 year old), I’m being asked a lot nowadays for advice on What to Buy for Baby. In a prior life (with more time on my hands than as an entrepreneur), I might have gone registry shopping with a friend, or spent time over lunch leisurely perusing a registry list and offering advice. But now, this advice becomes a blog entry, which will actually serve a triple purpose: helping my friends, the Moms Out Loud Mom community, and myself. Yes, Jim and I are officially trying for our third (the ovulation kit is on my shopping list for this weekend).

WHAT TO BUY FOR BABY

DIAPERING – My own simple calculation suggests that you will change just over 8000 diapers per baby from birth to potty-training (at age 3). That’s a lot. So you want to get this right.

1. Diaper Bag: I’m probably breaking some rule of blogging here, but I have to confess on this one: I don’t know the best answer. I bought a unisex-looking Eddie Bauer backpack for Jack, thinking this would be a great way for my husband or me to haul diapering supplies around. I hated it every day until the strap literally broke when he was just over 1 year old. (They no longer sell this, so maybe they figured out it was crap). For now, we are using (I’m blushing) literally the free Similac bag that we got at the hospital when Luke was born (for me) and a standard Jansport backpack (for Jim). Why are we using these? Other than me being a horrible shopper (why go find something else when you have something that works, even though it is ugly and made of the cheapest fake vinyl stuff), they’ve got the most pockets – and I’ve found organization is key in traveling with your baby. You need to be able to find wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, extra diapers, extra clothes, etc. at a second’s notice. A friend of mine swears by her J.J. Cole System diaper bag ($56). Would love to hear your ideas, so please comment back!

2. Diapers: With a newborn who basically truly only eats, sleeps, and poops, diapers are an essential. The best I found are Pampers Swaddlers, although other Moms have told me that they also tried several and ended up with Huggies Gentle Care or even the Kirkland brand from Costco. You should have a pack at home for when the baby arrives (read my blog on “How Many Diapers a Day?” for an idea of quantities required, at least initially). Because both my babies were large (8+ lbs. each), we skipped the newborn size entirely and went with size 1. Plus, just like Momma likes her clothes a little baggy, I’m a fan of slightly bigger diapers than the size guide says.

3. Wipes: Due to quantity used (my record is seven in one diaper change) and the fact that I can’t tell a real difference between effectiveness of different brands, I stick with Kirkland brand from Costco. They’re a good size, so you can do simple changes with one wipe without feeling like you need a little more and also not feeling like you’re wasting anything and hurting the environment. My only complaint is the packaging; generally the plastic pack is OK, but because I keep a pack in every well-used room of my house and both cars, it would be nice to have a nice holder. (When will they come up with a wipes holder like they have for facial tissue? I can picture one with pink flowers or blue airplanes for the nursery, green/brown stripe for the mini-van, etc.)

4. Boudreaux Butt Paste: This is, quite simply, the best over-the-counter diaper rash cream I’ve (and my other Mom friends) have found. You will need Boudreaux in a large size for every changing station and a travel size for every diaper bag.

5. Changing Pad/Cover with Waterproof Pad: You will definitely need a set place to change the baby, that is not on the floor and not on the bed. Reason: you will want leverage (i.e., standing up) to change them, especially when they get squirmy around 5-6months. For both boys, we opted for a 3-drawer chest instead of the standard changing table for its height (it’s taller than standard changing tables) and because we wanted closed drawers instead of shelves. (Read my blog on Gravity if you wonder why this is important; less temptation the better.) You will want a two-side contoured changing pad with a changing pad cover that matches your nursery. Your registry list will tell you to buy more than one cover (which are $15-25 each), but skip that and just get three or four waterproof pads ($8.99 for 3, or $3 each) and throw them in the laundry as needed.

6. Wipes Warmer: The wipes warmer was an item I originally didn’t register for, and I wished I had. When your baby wakes up in the middle of the night for their feedings/diaper change, you want them to go back to sleep asap. For some reason, having those wipes warm seemed like it would allow them to slip back into dreamland a bit easier. We’ve gone through two Prince Lionhart Wipes Warmers, and I would recommend them to everyone.

7. Dimmer switch for a lamp: Again, in the middle of the night, you will want to keep the room as dark as possible when changing the baby. We opted for a standard lamp and added a lamp dimmer switch ($10.97) to it so we could control the amount of light and also how quickly the baby needs to adjust to it. If you are a real Sleep Nazi like me, you may even opt for a trick I found with my second baby – using a LED reading light for middle of the night changings (recommended only once you are a diapering expert).

NURSING/FEEDING: Whether breast or bottle, feeding will take up most of your time with your infant for the first few months. Investments (and a few tricks) here will pay off.

8. Boppy Pillow: A baby staple, this pillow is extremely useful for feedings, for helping your baby with tummy time, and for giving him a place to rest on his back with an improved vantage point that laying down flat. You probably already either have one or have registered for one. Smart.

9. A breastfeeding class: This was one class I took before having my first son that paid off. While I will never tell anyone that breastfeeding is easy, this class helped me. Hospitals in your area will offer these at multiple times; sign up for one. At the least, take advantage of the lactation consultant who will come by to see you during your hospital stay to get some instruction. And if you still don’t have the hang of it, find a good lactation consultant (hospitals have a list – so will Moms Out Loud when we go live!).

10. Lansinoh cream: A friend of mine from college sent me one item when she heard I was pregnant: Lansinoh cream. When I got it (at 7 months pregnant), I didn’t quite know why she thought it was so important to send this one item, in quite a large size. After two days of trying to breastfeed, I understood. I went through that value-size plus several more during the 12 weeks I breast fed Jack. You will need this, even with good eaters.

11. Nursing bra: While I did not buy a lot of nursing tops because I found I spent most days in T-shirts or my husband’s button down shirts, my search for a good nursing bra ended with one I wore almost all the time (a $12 cotton bra from Motherhood Maternity) and several I pulled out when my favorite was in the wash, including more expensive options. At night, I slept in the basic sleeping nurse bra ($14.98), again from Motherhood Maternity.

12. A selection of bottles and nipples: A big mistake I made with Jack was registering for a “starter pack” of Dr. Brown’s bottles because that was the bottle in vogue at the time. And I got it. And then, those bottles became our measuring devices (they’ve got great labeling on the sides) for the water we then poured into our Playtex nursing drop-ins (by the way, the Target private label drop ins work just as well, but NOT the Wal-Mart Parent’s Choice ones of which I used two and threw the rest of the box away). My point: your baby will have to tell you what bottle/nipple system is right for them. Try a few and see what works best.

13. Breast Pump: DON’T buy a breast pump until after you know for sure you will be breastfeeding and pumping. With Jack, I pumped a few times a day because he had a very weak suck and was not making me produce enough milk, so I pumped to get my production up. With Luke, I pumped once during the entire 10 weeks I breast fed. The Medela Pump In Style was a good choice for me, but honestly I would have come out ahead if we had rented a pump (you can do so at lactationconnection.com). Or, just borrow a pump from a friend and bring home the plastic parts that the hospital will give you with their breast pump. It really works fine.

14. Breast Pump Bra: A product I heard about at a recent baby shower is a hands-free breast pumping bra. There are different types out there, but one is the Easy Expression Bustier – Hands Free Nursing Bra ($29.95 – $42.00). Basically, it holds the suction cups on your breast pump in place so that your hands are free to do other things while pumping – giving you back at least 20 min per pumping session. BUT – an even better idea is to take a sports bra and cut out small holes over the nipple area. Works the same way and you can save $15-20+. Maybe I would have pumped more with Luke had I known about this trick!

15. Nursing Pads: I heard about the Lily Padz when my second son was born, and ordered them right away. When I first tried the Lily Padz, I thought I had scored big. They were comfortable, breathable, felt great, and were supposed to be constantly reusable. But…they lasted about 2 weeks. I thought I had followed the usage and washing instructions, tried everything I could to get the “suction” back, but it didn’t work. Out they went. Back in came my standard washable cotton nursing pads, a bit more expensive (4/$4.90) than disposable but easy to wash (you’re doing laundry all the time anyway) and much more comfortable than the throwaways due to better breathability.

16. Gerber Breast Milk Bags: If you do pump, you will need to store your milk at some point. Don’t buy the plastic storage bottles; they’re too expensive and you will likely need to many of them if you plan to freeze any of your milk. The best bags I found are the Gerber Seal ‘n Go bags (25/$5.99) they actually do stand up after you fill them, which makes storage a lot easier. They are a little more expensive than the Lansinoh option (50/$9.99) but worth it.

TRANSPORTING: You spend a lot of time on-the-go, so your baby will, too. Here are a couple of things I learned along the way with my two little-ones.

17. Check car compatability. Not every car seat fits in every car. Check out www.CarSeatData.org to search your vehicle compatability with different car seats that you have in mind. This is web forum where users (like you!) enter compatability scores, so it’s not perfect. If you can’t find the information you need, check the car seat in your car before you buy. When you get serious about a certain style, your retailer should allow you the chance to test fit before you buy.

18. Test the feel of lot of different kinds. Do as I say, not as I did – which was basically to pick an infant car seat based on how well it matched my car by color of car seat cover. Bad idea. Test several for feel carrying, ease of getting in/out of stroller base and car seat base, etc.

19. Research the latest technology. I won’t pretend to know the best car seat/stroller. After all, I purchased mine almost three years ago – and even in that short amount of time things have changed dramatically. A quick trip to Lone Star Baby & Kids had my head spinning as I watched a very helpful sales associate demonstrate a car seat/stroller combination option to an expectant mother. A floor display on a new car seat/stroller called Teutonia gave me the impression of buying a customized couch, not a car seat. What I did decide is that when we do have our third, we’ll be getting a new infant seat/stroller.

SLEEPING: My first encounter with sleep deprivation was with my my first son, and almost pushed me over the edge. I went back to work at 11 weeks and was a basketcase by 16 weeks due to lack of sleep. Lots of lessons learned here; you get to benefit from them.

20. Moses basket: When my former employer sent a Moses basket to my hospital room the day I delivered my first son, I had to ask the nurse what it was for. Quickly, I learned, and it became both son’s sleeping spot until they literally grew out of it by two months old. In the early days, when they can sleep anywhere and everywhere, it was wonderful because you could bring them around room to room with you as you went about your daily activities. At night, we had them sleep in the Moses basket that we put in our hand-me-down bassinet because it seemed so much cozier. When we decided it was time to have the boys sleep in the nursery instead of our room, we introduced them to the crib by placing them in the Moses basket in the crib initially. There are a lot of options out there now, including these from Lilly Bean Designs and The Nursery Window.

21. Baby Swing: Another book I highly recommend is The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Dr. Harvey Karp. But – don’t buy it, just borrow your friend’s or the library’s, because once you learn the 5 S’s from the book, you’re golden. Another friend I know of says 20 minutes of the video is all you need. One of his “S’s” is Swinging, and since it was the only thing that would calm Jack down at the “witching hours” late in the day right around dinner, I have to say I’m a convert. The best swing I’ve seen (sadly, not mine) is this one from Graco, the Lovin’ Hug Swing ($130).

22. Healthy Sleep Habits/Happy Child: When I had Jack, encountering sleep deprivation for the first time in my life literally sent me almost off the deep end. I read every book out there on the market on infant sleep and made color coded Excel-based sleep charts so I could track every moment of sleep. The only book out there on sleep worth its salt (in my opinion) is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth. I didn’t find it particularly well-written, but he gives good practical advice in his vignettes and there are several fundamental premises he bases his sleep training on which I identified with. I now have two great sleepers – Jack from 4 months on and Luke from about 6 months on.

23. Video Monitor: I remember seeing these in the store when Jim and I were registering and making the comment: “Wow. Who would need that? Isn’t that overkill?” Seven weeks later, we were back in the store, buying one because as we were trying to get Jack to fall asleep on his own, I couldn’t handle just hearing him and needed to also see him. (Please see my blog “Judge Not…” if I’ve just offended you; I’ve learned my lessons!) We are on our second type now; the first one we bought, the Safety First Sights & Sounds Video Monitor ($144) stopped working at 11 months (which, according to reviews we’ve now seen online is not unusual and in fact is almost like clock-work). Our second, this Summer Infant Baby Quiet Sounds Color Handheld Monitor ($181), has been going strong for two years and we also have added another camera (available on the Summer website for $100) to it so that we can switch between views of Jack’s room and Luke’s room.

24. Swaddle blanket: I am a firm believer in swaddling babies, especially until they’ve outgrown their startle reflex (around 3 months or older). (This is another one of the Happiest Baby S’s – Swaddle.) Receiving blankets might work for the first week or so, but your baby will quickly outgrow them. The Miracle Blanket ($29.95) was the only one that worked for us; both boys were far to strong (and big) for The Swaddle Me by Kiddopotamus ($10-$13) or the Boppy swaddle blanket ($10). I’ve also heard from some Moms that the SwaddleDesigns Ultimate Receiving Blanket ($24.99) works great – at 40×40, it’s a generous size for swaddling (though you’ll have to learn how yourself versus “wrapping” your child up like a burrito like the Miracle Blanket).

25. Pacifier: I had grand plans of not giving my babies pacifiers…until I actually had children and knew what the term “strong need to suck” actually meant. Once I figured out that “feeding on demand” for Jack was actually a form of using me as a human pacifier, we quickly bought several different types of pacifiers for him to try. The one he and Luke both settled on was the Mam paci, available everywhere. (This is actually also one of the S’s from the Happiest Baby book – Sucking.)

26. Noise machine: White noise can also help babies sleep, blocking out some of the noise of the household. You can buy these anywhere, including this Conair model at Target ($19.99). (You guessed it – another one of the S’s – Shushing.)

27. Heartbeat CD: I learned a hard lesson about rocking your babies to sleep with Jack. Simply put, the lesson is: DON’T. You will be tempted, but don’t do it. The crying later as you try to train them to sleep on their own is not worth it. What I did like from those rocking sessions is this CD: Jesus Loves Me Fast Asleep (Amazon, $14.99). It has your favorite songs from Vacation Bible School with heartbeats playing in the backdrop. I used it at various times with my boys and just loved it, though it will not magically make your child fall asleep (as it claims).

28. Ocean Wonders Aquarium: What did help Jack sleep (besides the paci) was the Ocean Wonders Aquarium ($37) that we hung on his crib. By four months old, he could kick it to turn it back on, so we would hear him in the middle of the night kick it back on to hear “Brahm’s Lullaby” if he woke up.

29. Room-darkening curtains: One thing I strongly believe in is that giving your child a set place to sleep (as much as you can, which can be hard when you have older kids with their own schedules and activities) can help them learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep on their own. For good naps, room-darkening curtains are key (especially in this bright Texas summer sun). Here’s a set you can use behind any standard curtains that match your nursery. (By the way, for those of you paying attention and thinking that the other S might be “shade?”. Nope – it’s side/stomach. Read more here.)

BATHING: For both my boys, bathing was a fun ritual from the start and remains so today. Enjoy this time with them; it just might be your favorite part of the day.

30. Infant tub: We tried, no kidding, four different baby tubs with Jack. Nothing worked well, but I had settled for our third choice – until my sister came in and announced I needed the “blue one”. She went to the store for me and came home with the First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn to Toddler Tub ($17.99). Sure enough, she was right. The green hammock is great for when they are infants (even when you can only do sponge baths), and the tub itself worked for the boys until they were ~6 months. It’s now my standard baby gift basket for my new Mom friends.

31. Aveeno bath wash: I figure bathing our boys in the Baby Aveeno Wash & Shampoo ($4.29/8oz) is splurging on them like buying myself the Bath & Body Works Sensual Amber Body Splash. Although it costs 15X more per ounce than my own personal shampoo (yes, I buy the good old standard Suave for me), it’s worth it when I smell their yummy clean hair when we’re reading books before bed. The Aveeno Lavendar lotion ($4) is also great for keeping their buttery soft skin buttery soft.

PLAYING: The lack of play my boys engaged in early on was actually a surprise for me. I don’t know what I expected – or that I even had any expectations, in fact – but I guess when people said all babies do are “eat, sleep, poop”, I didn’t quite believe them. I do now. But – I did find a few things that kept them engaged during those awake play times.

32. Play Mat: From almost day 1, we had both Jack and Luke playing on their mats. Who knows if they got anything out of it, but we felt like we were good parents for giving them lots of interesting things to look at. Eventually they learned to kick the music on and touch the different parts of the mat to make different sounds. Our favorite, and that of many of our friends, is the Infantino play gym ($60), although several less expensive options are available.

33. Bouncer chair: Another essential; we bought one of the lower-end options and have been very pleased with it. Luke spent more time in it than he probably should have (as evidenced by his late crawling at 11 months), but it kept him happy. It’s the Bright Starts Bouncing Buddies Bouncer ($20).

34. Mirror: This was the only thing that would keep Jack or Luke on tummy time – being able to look at the “baby” in the mirror. A cheap, fun toy option is the Sassy Me in the Mirror ($12.99).

CLOTHING: Obviously, there’s an endless variety out there. Here are just a couple of suggestions.

35. Onesies: Unless you are a much more efficient diaper-er than I am, or your baby is the first baby in the world not to spit up a lot, you will likely go through 2-3 onesies/outfits per day, especially in the first few months. You will need a variety of different options. As much as I love Target, the onesies that come in a pack of 5 are only worth the money if you wear them under other things. In my experience, spending a little more for some thicker, more substantial onesies is the best option if your baby will wear them alone (like summer babies). Try these from Old Navy and The Children’s Place, or if you want to spend a little more (though, honestly, why?) Baby Gap has some good ones that are ultra-cute.

36. Pants: With my first son, I dressed him in one-piece play rompers consistently, until he was around 9 months old. Then I discovered pants. His bottom rarely saw another romper, and his brother only wore them on the occasions where we had run out of pants and we were backed up on laundry. My point: Pants are better than rompers. It’s the same principle for why, as a tall woman, I prefer tankinis over 1 piece swimsuits (even “long torso” ones) – having a top + a pant fits a wider variety of babies and you don’t have to worry about longer torsos/longer legs/etc. (Yes, one size does not fit all with babies, either.) My favorites, once again, were from Old Navy and The Children’s Place – great staples that look good and have lasted through two boys now.