Here’s a list of everything I have put/still use in the cart:

• Top Shelf – wipes, a few diapers, baby lotion & hand sanitizer. I also use the top drawer of the dresser/changing table to put the rest of the diapers, extra wipes & wash cloths.
• Drawer 1 – pacifiers, thermometer, medicines, diaper cream, hair brush/comb, tissues, nose suction bulb, nail clippers, & small toys to keep her occupied while I change her diaper/clothes
• Drawer 2 – bibs & burp cloths
• Drawer 3 – hair accessories (bows, headbands & hats)
• Drawer 4 – socks & larger sized shoes (in the back)
• Drawer 5 – shoes that she can currently wear

If you’d rather use your changing table/dresser instead of a cart, you could use storage cubes & drawer dividers inside the drawers to keep everything organized and separated.

**Unfortunately the cart that I use is no longer sold at Bed Bath & Beyond. It is sold on Amazon, but it’s a little more expensive. There are similar options available though. Ultimately, find what you think will work best for you.

3. The Promptly Journal – a way to record all the milestones & memories

I LOVE The Promptly Journal! It starts during pregnancy and lasts until they turn 18 years old! For the first 12 months of their life, there are prompts to fill out each month for different milestones and memories that I know I’ll want to remember. After they turn 1 year old, the prompts only require me to use the journal once per year. However, knowing that she will still change a lot during these first few years, I plan to use the journal every 3-6 months for those new milestones & memories.

There are places to write letters to your child and even add photos of each stage of their life. It really takes the guess work out of making sure I remember all these different milestones throughout her childhood and will absolutely be one of my most treasured possessions as she gets older.

4. Devote One Kitchen Cabinet just for Baby

Between bottles, food, snacks, utensils, plates, bowls, and bibs, having a cabinet in the kitchen that is just for Caroline has been wonderful. I try to keep it organized as best I can. A great way to help with that is having a set of mini plastic drawers for all of the little things like utensils, lids, bottle accessories, etc. Depending on the size of your cabinet you can get a larger drawer set that could hold even more.

5. Create Closet Dividers to Separate Clothing Sizes

By the time your baby is born, you most likely have multiple sizes of clothes ranging from newborn-24 months! A great way to keep all of those sizes organized in your closet is to create closet dividers. They are very easy create and I’ve provided a step-by-step tutorial below!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 10 pieces of paper card stock (craft stores like Hobby Lobby & Michael’s have lots of different colors & patterns to choose from)
• tape
• scissors
• sharpie or pen

Step 1:

Cut out 2 pieces of card stock for each divider. This will give the divider more thickness & durability. For myself, I created 7 dividers (newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months), so I cut out 14 pieces.

Measurements: 4 inches (width) by 5.5 inches (height)

Step 2: 

Tape 2 pieces together. If you chose a patterned card stock, make sure the pattern on each side is facing outward.

Step 3:

Trace out the hole. Make sure the circle isn’t too far away from the top of your divider.

Step 4:

Cut a slit in the paper from the upper right hand corner down to your traced circle and continue cutting out the circle.

Step 5: 

Write out the clothing sizes on each divider. If you chose a pattern that might be a little hard to read on, cut out a small piece of solid or lighter paper to write on and tape it to the divider on each side.