Following is a glimpse of what Ralph (7th grade) and Maude (6th grade) are wearing to middle school this year. I’ll update with sources asap. UPDATE: You can find sources below. …

What to Wear to Middle SchoolRead More »

Ask Design Mom Question: Hi Gabrielle. My best friend just bought a house and I’m looking for a housewarming gift idea. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks! — Isabelle Design Mom Answer: How thoughtful of you, Isabelle! One of my favorite housewarming gifts to give is actually very small, but very practical. I like to find a good-looking tape measure that can be kept in a purse. (The tape measure and tools pictured here, by Cynthia Rowley, would be perfect.) When you move into a home — whether it’s a fixer upper or brand new — a tape measure will come in handy over and over again as you figure out what furniture fits where and how long the blinds or drapes should be. What about you, Dear Readers? What do you like to give as a house warming gift?

Ask Design Mom Question: Hi Design Mom! A few months back you mentioned your husband made homemade granola every Sunday. I would love a good granola recipe. Would you mind sharing? Thanks! — Angie Potter Design Mom Answer: I’d love to share, Angie. Thanks for asking. Here’s Ben Blair’s recipe. (It can be halved.) Ingredients: -4 cups rolled oats (not quick) -1/2 cup slivered almonds -1/2 cup sunflower seeds (no shells) -1/2 cup chopped walnuts -1/2 cup chopped pecans -1/2 cup pumpkin seeds -1/2 cup pepitas Note: Ben uses any combination of the listed seeds and nuts (depending what we have in our cupboard) to equal approx. 3 cups. -1 cup honey (sometimes a honey/maple syrup combo if we’re low on honey) -1/2 cup canola oil -1 cup raisins Directions: Put all the ingredients except the honey, oil and raisins in a big bowl and stir them together. In a separate bowl, stir together the oil and honey. Then add the oil-honey mixture to the rest of the ingredients (except the raisins) and stir till everything is coated. Spread mixture onto two greased cookie sheets and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir the mixture after 20 minutes of cooking. After it’s done cooking, spread the granola onto two pieces of tin foil, then mix in the raisins while it’s hot. Let it cool and then break it into clumps. We store ours in a big rubbermaid container, but you can also store it in freezer bags and save it for later. Here’s another great granola recipe from Stephmodo (pictured above). What about you, Dear Readers? Do you like granola? Do you have a favorite recipe?

Oh. I’m so excited! I get to share June’s Birth Announcement with you today. It was illustrated by the tremendously talented Apryl Stott and continues the birth announcement series we started with baby Ralph. I love that it shows June in a mountain-y Colorado backdrop. And the fox and bunny? We’ve actually seen them both in our backyard here. What do you think? Adorable, right?

Apryl sent the finished artwork in a mat, ready to be framed. I can’t wait to frame it and add it to our collection in the nursery. We adore having all the original artwork in our home! Apryl also included a disk with a high-resolution scan so we can easily print these announcements at a smaller size and mail them to friends and family.

June is clearly delighted with how it turned out:

If you’re curious what the process is like working with an illustrator, here’s a brief description. 1) I contacted Apryl and asked her to illustrate the birth announcement. We discussed a few ideas, but really, I knew Apryl would come up with something wonderful. 2) Apryl sent back a sketch in black and white:

3) I loved it! I showed the sketch to the kids and we decided to switch out the stuffed animals for a fox and rabbit. We sent our feedback to Apryl and she sent us an updated sketch. 4) We gave the updated sketch two thumbs up, at which point, Apryl made the final drawing and mailed it to us. Yay!

Apryl is the best kind of person to work with. If you’re interested in something like this for your birth announcements, I can’t recommend her enough.

Since both Ben Blair and I can work from anywhere, we are dreaming of living abroad for a year (and even making some tentative plans!). Ben Blair has been looking into housing and found this Master’s House. It’s located in a small French village, 2 hours from Paris and 2 miles from the beach. It sits on 4 landscaped acres and shockingly, it’s in our budget. In fact, it’s less than the rent we paid in New York. A dining room for 30, 8 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 6 fireplaces. Oh. And a tennis court. More space than we need. Maybe you will come to visit us and help fill it up. : ) I’m sure it will be taken between now and when we’re actually ready to move, but it’s fun to think about. What do you think? Would you like living abroad with your family? If you could work from anywhere, where would you pick?

Have I told you about my crazy breasts? They are vastly different sizes. I am so lopsided that when I catch a glimpse of myself just out of the shower, I have to call Ben Blair to come witness the insanity (Ben! Come see! You will not believe this!!). …

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On Saturday, I was sitting in the living room — folding laundry, catching up on email and generally recovering from our trip. I looked up and Maude was standing in front of me dressed as a mime. Why? Not sure. I guess inspiration struck and she went with it. Olive saw Maude and joined in. I love these girls. Do your kids ever surprise you with funny things like this? P.S. — Speaking of our trip, you can find my photo set of our vacation here — including more photos of the pool tilework (for those of you who requested them).

Hello, Friends! Did you have a wonderful Father’s Day? We had such a fun, traditional weekend. During church, I led the primary children while they sang Father’s Day songs. They were adorable. And we had a big BBQ yesterday afternoon with Ben Blair at the grill. I was thinking of my dad yesterday and looked up some photos of him. I really like these two. The snowmobile one is when my family lived in a little fishing village in Alaska. My parents taught in the local school. At the time there were only 3 kids: my brother Jake, my sisters Rachel and Sara. We still have the giant orange parka my dad is wearing. The other one is the baptism day of my brother Jared (you may know Jared’s wife if you read Say Yes To Hoboken). Mormon kids get baptized when they’re 8 years old and often, the child’s father performs the baptism. Here, my dad is holding two rolled towels under his arm so they can dry off after my brother gets dunked. I like Jared’s little madras tie. Is it just me, or do you find Father’s Day more emotionally charged than Mother’s Day?

Two weeks ago, between photoshoots in New York and Australia, Wendy from Blue Lily flew in from California for a photoshoot with June.

Wendy is all about color. And I’m a color addict too. So it was a good fit.

Wendy came in with armloads of props and equipment, assessed the light in the house and got right to work. She picked up June and rocked her to sleep. She kept a white-noise app at the ready in case the baby woke. She was super speedy. And clearly a master.

We have never had newborn portraits taken before so I was fascinated with the process. Plus Wendy herself is super-interesting so I kept chatting her up. Finally, I had to hole-up in the office because I was afraid of distracting her while she worked.

While I was keeping busy in the office, Wendy finished up the backdrop shots and tried snapping June in various colorful places around the house. She kept these shots a surprise and it was so fun to see them when she sent the finished photos. This bookshelf shot is terrific.

What do you think about this image? June is so embryo-like. And that bowl was a gift from Ben Blair. It’s my favorite bowl.

Just as Wendy finished clearing up all the photo-shoot-accessories-and-equipment, the rest of my kids came home from their various schools. Although it was really just a Baby June shoot, Wendy graciously snapped some photos of all the kids together at my request. The all-kid shots are so full of energy. Ben Blair and I can’t stop grinning at them.

This last one is perfection — I think it totally captures the craziness-but-happiness that is our household:

What do you think? Will June survive this big family? Have you ever had a newborn photoshoot?

P.S. — If you’re hoping to have a newborn photo session, try to get it scheduled before the baby actually arrives. I hear the shots are best if taken within the first two weeks of the birth. And don’t worry if it seems too overwhelming to have a photographer at your house when the baby is so young. I was totally in my pjs during the whole shoot. Wendy didn’t mind at all.

Do you live near your parents? Near your brother or sister? Your favorite cousins? Your grandparents? I (mostly) do not. Things like graduate school and work have taken us far from home. And who knows where home is anyway? My parents are no longer in my hometown of St. George, Utah. Two out of 8 siblings live there, but before recently settling down, they moved around too. Here in Denver, we have some cousins — and we can’t believe how lucky we are to live near (a tiny fraction of) our family. Ben Blair and I both love the families we come from, and I would expect that living away from them would be pretty darn emotional. Every once in awhile it is. But for us, technology mostly solves the geography problem. Cheap long-distance service and the world wide web have allowed us to figure out our careers, while moving across the country and back again, without sacrificing our relationships. It’s incredibly easy, and incredibly inexpensive, to stay in touch. Some of my favorite examples: -A dozen years ago, we were living in Greece and I announced the fact that we were having a baby boy via email. I remember being delighted that I could tell all those people at once (we have BIG families) without paying more than a small internet café fee. -More recently, Ben Blair texted the safe arrival of June to our siblings and parents in an instant. -I like feeling connected to my teenage nieces and nephews on Facebook (and really, why would they have reason to communicate with their stay-at-home aunt otherwise?). -My kids share a group blog with their cousins — they take turns updating it whenever the mood strikes — no grownup contributors allowed. -We loved Skypeing with my mom when she was recently living in Russia — I talked to her as often as if she still lived in the states. And it was free. Which continues to blow my mind. -I love using Flickr to share lots of images from birthday parties or other events so Grandma and Grandpa don’t feel like they’re missing out. Technology has advanced quickly enough in my adult life that I still find it pretty miraculous. I wonder if I would have had a harder time leaving my home and family if writing letters and an occasional long-distance phone call was the only way to stay in touch? What about you? Do you use technology to stay connected to your family and friends? What are your favorites for staying in touch — Facebook? Texting? Skype? Also. Do you remember typewriters? I think the last time I used one was to type up my college applications. Now I want a vintage red one, just because they’re so charming. Also. Do you remember futuristic movies when you were a kid where people could talk to others on a screen?  

Did I tell you we had a photographer arranged for June’s birth? And did I tell you that the first time we met in real life was in the hospital room while I was mostly naked? And I did I further tell you that the birth was so speedy that the baby arrived before the photographer?

It’s true. It’s all true.

The photographer’s name is Michelle. She’s one-half of the talented husband-wife duo that makes up Revert Photo. Michelle sent the birth photos yesterday (I guess technically they are the after-the-birth photos). I think they turned out wonderfully and I’m so glad we have a record of that night. I’m including a few of my favorites here.

Glistening eyes after receiving eyedrops.

Why am I still in agony? Because those after-birth contractions hurt like the devil. Like. The. Devil.

We’ve never had a photographer at a birth before, and thought it was great to have someone there recording everything so that Ben Blair and I could love on the baby and experience what was happening. What about you? Did you have a photographer at your child’s birth? Would you if you could do it again?

I keep meaning to tell you about the awesome mural we painted on Ralph’s bedroom wall. I’m so pleased with how it turned out. The idea actually started as a wall-size poster of a movie still. But when I priced out the poster, it was coming in around $500. More than I wanted to spend. So I started thinking about other possibilities. At some point, I recalled helping my mother decorate bulletin boards in my dad’s classroom when I was a child. We would project images with an overhead projector and then trace them. I thought I could try the same technique with wall paint. So I recruited my mom to do this project with me when she came to visit a few weeks ago. Why Napoleon Dynamite? Well. Ralph is deeply into all-things-film. He likes making movies, writing scripts, editing footage, directing, watching movies, studying movies, etc. But he’s 12. And many of the movie images out there are highly sexualized or hyper-violent — not something we want on the wall of Ralph’s room. We wanted something fairly asexual, but still iconic and kid-approved. Our first thought was the professor from Back to the Future, but then Ralph found this image of Napoleon Dynamite and we knew it was perfect. The best thing is, there is absolutely no art skill involved in this project. I mean it. You could take virtually any photo (What? You don’t want a giant Jon Heder in your house? Weird.) and paint it on your wall with this technique. It’s almost like paint by number. For reals. Want to give it a try? This is how it went down: 1) We found an image we liked: 2) We used Photoshop to reduce the image to flat shapes. Basic steps in Photoshop: make the image grayscale, increase the contrast, then make the image bitmap, with a 50% threshhold: 3) Use a projector to shine the image onto the wall. Trace the image with a pencil: 4) Fill in the shapes you traced with wall paint. We used a variety of paint brush sizes. Cheap foam ones to fill in large fields and small, better quality brushes for the details: And that’s it. Instead of $500, the cost was under $20. Below are a few more pics of the finished room (and there are even more pics here): Notes: -The bed we painted in metallic silver (it used to look like this). The paint was super-fume-y. So my mother wouldn’t let my very pregnant self anywhere near it. -Bedding is from Target. -We covered the closet doors with chalkboard paint. -The little metal cube to the left of the bed opens up. It’s a little cubby. Ralph keeps his wallet and watch and ipod in there. -The nightstand is a metal table with wheels. It has expandable sides. We’ve had it for ages. We freshened it up with a coat of green paint. Ralph’s iPod speaker is on the table. -The lamp is from HomeGoods. -Over the window we used Jenny’s technique to build an inexpensive pelmet box. What do you think? Did we hit the right balance between cool and kid friendly? Would your tween approve? (Ralph gives it two thumbs up.) Would you ever try something like this? What image would you want on your wall? More images of the room here.

Have I told you about Flora June’s homecoming? It was joyous. I think it was my favorite part of her birth.

June was born a little after 9:00 on a Friday night. Ben Blair and I woke up Saturday morning, feeling good and ready to get home, so we checked out of the hospital right away, about 12 hours after the birth. When we arrived home the house was peaceful and welcoming. Full of pretty Spring light, with a kid-made welcome banner in the window. The five older siblings were playing at the Lattin’s house (our dear friends), and the house was still clean and shiny thanks to a housekeeper visit the day before. We settled Baby June, unpacked the hospital bags and took a very content nap.

An hour later the kids arrived home and it was like Christmas morning — all smiles and discovery. The siblings couldn’t get enough of their new sister. Everyone took lots of turns holding her. Voices would start quiet and hushed, taking in this new little creature, and then get loud and boisterous because it was just so exciting.

I wish I could bottle the happy that was in the room that day. It was very clear to me that June will be as loved and adored as any human being ever has been.

PS — You can see lots more pics from June’s Homecoming here, including one of me still looking very pregnant the morning after her birth.

Ask Design Mom Question: Hello Design Mom. I’m looking for inexpensive but useful teacher gift ideas. Got anything up your sleeve? Thanks in advance. Courtney C. Design Mom Answer: Great question, Courtney. And you’re in luck. Just yesterday, Jill Means sent me a terrific idea for a teacher gift. It’s something every school teacher uses in their classroom. She sent photos, a full tutorial, and a free pdf template. Take a look at what Jill created. “This upcoming week is the last week of school for my kids. We usually do a little appreciation gift for each of their teachers. This year they wanted to give something to ALL their teachers, not just their homeroom teacher. And my daughter Sydney is now in middle school with 7 teachers. That’s 15 teacher gifts! I saw this idea of putting a personal message inside a soap bottle at my mother-in-law’s house and decided to see if it would work. (I’m not sure where the original idea came from.) Teachers do lots of hand washing in their classrooms, so at least it’s useful. -I bought the soap at Target… on sale for $1 per bottle. -We removed the labels with “Goo Gone”. -I created the new label template using my kids’ personal silhouettes, but you could also have each child draw a little picture with pencil in that space and trace it with black marker. -Take your print to a copy shop and have them print it on transparency. Mine was $1 per sheet that included 8 labels. -Next, cut the squares — cut INSIDE the black guide lines of each label so you don’t see the edges of the transparency in the soap. -Open the soap, slightly roll the square and put it in. Use the tube of the spout to guide it into place. -Screw the top back on and it’s done.” Click here to download the free label template — just add the name and a simple illustration. Also. If you want a custom silhouette, Jill can create one for you for a small design fee — you’ll find lot’s of uses for them. Contact Jill here. What about you, Clever Readers? What are you doing for the teachers in your life this spring?

The amount of diaper changes a newborn requires is absolutely mind-blowing. I set up this changing station on a dresser in my bedroom. It’s nice to have a pretty little space to enjoy — especially when I end up spending so much time there. The vintage jars make me smile. Where do you change your baby’s diapers? PS — The gorgeous wooden teether rattle is from Little Alouette.

Introducing Flora June Blair. But we call her June. She was born Friday night, May 7th, a little after 9:00. She weighed 6 lbs, and she’s 19 inches long. We adore her. And think she’s extra cute when she yawns. PS — I’ll be taking a blogging break this week. But Monday to Friday, I have all sorts of fantastic pregnancy and birth and adoption stories that will be posted in my absence. Yay!

This is part five of a five part answer. You can find links to the other parts here. Yesterday, I went on a little shopping spree to BabyGap to pick up everything I needed layette wise. It was one of those perfect errands where I felt like I had the store to myself and had plenty of attention from the staff to answer my questions or help me find sizes. I’m feeling so much more prepared for this little one now. Also. Can you tell by the photos, I’m craving super pale colors and neutrals? In the Layette (or clothing) Category, this is what I like to have for a newborn baby: – 5 gowns (sometimes called bundlers). Not everyone likes to use these, but I adore little newborn sleeping gowns. For both my boys and my girls. I like the easy-access diaper changes and I think they look so cozy! These white ones are my favorite. They’re cut a little longer and leaner than most and seem to fit my long, skinny babies the best. – 5 footless one-pieces. I could probably just stick with gowns, but I like the little playsuits that snap or zip down the front to mix things up. These typically come in footed or footless varieties. I prefer the footless. – 10 (or more) onesies. For this ever-changing Spring weather, I’m using a combination of long and short sleeves. – Knit cap. I don’t think I’ll need more than one or two of these during this season, because I think it will get warm here pretty quickly. But I like to have a soft knit cap for my newborns. – 10 (or more) pairs of socks. I like the newborn sizes, because they seem to stay on the best. Also. I don’t really buy baby shoes till my babies are older, but I do love having some little crochet slippers on hand. They’re just so cute — even when they’re not being worn and are just resting on the dresser. – 3 or 4 everyday outfits. Babies go from sleeping to awake, sleeping to awake, all day and all night. So I’m usually content to have them hang out in their little pajama-like one pieces or gowns or onesies most of the time. But it’s nice to have something not quite as pajama-y, in case we venture out. Plus. Tiny baby clothes are pretty much irresistible. Just try to resist these little flutter sleeves. I could not. I had to have one. Also. I seem to favor pretty much anything with a kimono cut. – A couple of Sunday outfits. These aren’t technically necessary, but as long as we’re making the effort to get to church, it’s nice to have something cute to put on your little guy. Yesterday, I had to have this pintucked, ivory perfection (the sash!). I also picked up a little coordinating sweater. – Outerwear. This part of the list changes by the season of course. For my little May baby, I’m thinking a soft jacket and some lightweight sweaters are what I’ll need. I should note that my babies have all been small, so I stock up on 0-3 month sizes. But if your doctor/midwife is predicting a big baby, you might want to buy more of the 3-6 months sizes. Your turn, Lovelies. What do you like for a layette? Are you a footed or footless playsuit fan? Do you buy baby shoes? Do you prefer to put your new babies in an outfit each day? Or do you keep them in lounging layette wear all the time?

This is part 3 of a 5 part answer. You can find links to the other parts here. In the Bathing/Diapering category, this is what I like to have for a new baby: Umbilicus Care. For the first week or so, I just sponge bathe the baby till the umbilical cord stump dries out and falls off. To care for the stump, I like to have rubbing alcohol and cotton balls and q-tips on hand. Although, I hear that rubbing alcohol isn’t even necessary. Apparently water works just fine. Bathtub. I’ve typically used a baby bath on the bathroom counter or kitchen table until the baby can properly sit up. But have you seen this new collapsible one by Puj? I really want to try it. It seems like such a space saver and I could fill it directly in the sink. Washcloths. It’s nice to have a fresh set of washcloths available for baby baths. A set that hasn’t already been used by all the other siblings. : ) Towel. My friend Tania gives out the cutest hooded towels as baby gifts. I have two (one was given to Oscar and one to Betty). If you don’t have a friend like Tania, you can find hooded towels on etsy or pretty much any store with baby supplies. Baby wash and baby lotion. I like to have a bottle of each on hand. Remember the pretty basket of Erbaviva products? I’m looking forward to trying them out. My favorite drug-store brand for baby is Aveeno. Oh. And I’ve only tried their lip balm, but I’m guessing the rest of Baby Bear Shop’s products are just as terrific. Baby Scrub Brush. I don’t know if these have an official name. I don’t think I’ve ever even purchased one, because the hospital has always sent one home with me. Anyway. My babies are prone to cradle cap, and the soft little scrub brush takes care of it easily. Diapers. Want to try cloth diapers? Here’s a really helpful post Guest Mom Amy wrote. I still haven’t converted (should I even admit that the day before Earth Day? Yikes.) For my newborns, I like the tiny Huggies diapers with the cut-out piece for the umbilical cord. Wipes. Until the baby is ready for solid foods, I fill my wipes container with plain old damp paper towels. But I still keep regular baby wipes around for all sorts of things. Even when my babies are out of diapers, I keep a travel-size container of wipes in my purse — it’s like having a sink with you. Diaper Ointment. Every single one of my babies has had a diaper rash at least once. So I like to have a tube of diaper ointment on hand. There are natural versions, and old school stuff like Desitin. Whatever type you prefer, definitely buy the big tube/tub/bottle, because diaper ointment works best if you use a thick, thick coat. Your turn, Dear Readers. What’s on your bathing/diapering list? Do you use cloth diapers? Have a favorite brand of disposable? Any tips for diaper rash? Do you use a baby bath?

This is part 2 of a five part answer. See links to the other parts here. In the feeding category, this is what I like to have for a new baby: Nursing. There’s not too much to prepare for nursing-wise. Have the baby and few days later your chest will magically fill with milk. : ) When I can, I also love to figure out a favorite nursing spot where I keep water, burb cloths, a stack of books, the phone and a tube of Lansinoh (or this more-natural-remedy from Least Likely To Breed). Burp cloths. Babies spit up. It’s nice to have a stack of burb cloths on hand. I like using old-school cloth diapers. Pump. Not all new mothers make use of a pump, but I’m so small-chested that when my milk comes in, it’s crazy painful. The pump relieves some of the pressure so the baby can eat properly. Then I can freeze the extra-milk  — in case I need to miss a feeding. Since pumping is not an everyday thing for me, the simple, non-motorized ones (like this Avent version) are just right. But if you plan to pump regularly, you may want to rent or buy or borrow a hospital-grade version. Bottles & Nipples. Although I do nurse, I still keep a couple of bottles on hand, so that Ben Blair can take over a feeding once in awhile and in case of emergencies. There are all sorts of bottles available. I look for something that’s BPA-free. I think I might try these this time. (I love the bright colors!) Nipples come in different sizes (newborn, 3-6 months, etc). I like to have 2 of each size. Bottle Brush. It’s surprisingly hard to clean a bottle without a bottle brush. Pacifiers. I know there are worries about nipple confusion, but lucky for me, my babies have been able to go from nursing to bottles to pacifiers without a problem. I keep a bunch of pacifiers around. Five or more. I favor the one-piece versions that are often handed out at the hospital and the Nuks. Which brand does your baby prefer? Other Stuff: If you’re learning to nurse and feeling self-conscious about it (you’re not alone, I promise), consider a nursing cover. They allow you some hands-free privacy while you’re figuring things out. And. I’ve never used one, but many moms swear by their nursing pillow (Blessed Nest is one popular brand). What about you, Dear Readers? What did I miss? What’s on your indispensable feeding list for a new baby?

[Note: this is part one of a five-part answer. You can find links to the other parts at the end of this post] Ask Design Mom Question: I’m due with my first baby this summer. How do you prepare for a new baby? Any specific gear you like? Thanks so much. — Michelle Design Mom Answer: Michelle. Congrats on your baby and perfect timing on this question! Because I went into serious nesting mode this weekend. Seriously serious. I could not stop with the list making. It was a little bit ridiculous. And while there’s a part of me that absolutely realizes people have been making and having babies for eons and that essentially all you need is a piece of cloth (or animal skin? maybe a large leaf?) to wrap this little being in and the human race will survive just fine, the other part of me is a total boy scout and wants to be prepared with all my favorite baby stuff. The lists I came up with covered: Sleeping, Feeding, Bathing/Diapering, Mom and Clothing. So I thought we could cover one topic every day this week. And maybe by the weekend, I’ll feel prepared to meet this wee one. How does that sound? Let’s start with sleeping. In the sleeping category, this is what I like to have for a new baby: -A bassinet (or cradle or moses basket or baby hammock). You could use a crib right from the beginning, but for the first few months I like to have the baby sleep in my bedroom. And I like the smaller footprint of something like a bassinet. Note: since bassinets are used for such a short time, this is a great item to borrow from a friend or find on Craigs List. -Sheets for the bassinet. At least three. If I can’t find the right size for the bassinet I’m using, I buy some fabric and hire a more-competent-seamtress-than-I to whip some up for me. -A crib. There are a million great choices for cribs. And the prices vary hugely. We’ve owned a variety of cribs, but our favorite was a wooden hotel-size one we found on the street in New York. (Yay for free!) We had a new mattress cut for it. Scrubbed it up and it was good to go. -Crib bedding. Depending on our house and the crib and my mood and whatever else, sometimes I’ve used the full set of crib bedding and sometimes I’ve just used a sheet. If we’re going for full bedding, I like to have a bumper, a bedskirt, at least 3 crib sheets, at least 3 mattress covers, and a blanket. I’m also fine to skip the bumper and bedskirt. -Blankets. Lots of blankets. I love to have a good-size stack of receiving blankets and swaddlers at the ready. Ten or more. I especially like having an assortment. Some sweet little felt ones I sewed for my first baby that are soft as can be. An heirloom one from Grandma Lucille that looks pretty in photos. Some fleece for outdoor walks. Oversize cotton ones for swaddling. So there it is — my “Sleeping” list. People have such strong opinions on baby gear that I’m sure many of you would make a very different list. Feel free to share. What are your preferences? Do you use a bassinet or go straight to a crib? Do you like crib bumpers? Have you ever tried a baby hammock? (I haven’t but I want to. In fact, if you have one for sale — especially the Leander or Kanoe, please let me know…) What works for you? FYI: Here’s a link to answer part two: Feeding. And here’s part three: Bathing/Diapering. Part four: Mom’s Needs. And here’s part five: Layette (or clothing).