How to Child-Proof Your New Home Before Moving In

Moving into a new home is an exciting time for any family. But if you have little ones, safety is a paramount concern that can't be overlooked. Child-proofing your new home is an essential step to creating a safe and friendly environment for your children to explore and grow. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive plan to effectively child-proof your new home before moving in, ensuring peace of mind as your children embark on new adventures in their new surroundings.

Storing Dangerous Items

One of the first things you should do before moving in is to gather all potentially dangerous items and store them out of reach or in secured cabinets. This includes cleaning products, sharp objects such as knives and scissors, medications, and any other hazardous materials. Consider installing child-proof locks on your cabinets for an added layer of security. 

It's also a good idea to invest in child-proof containers for items like medications, which can be easily opened by curious little hands. The folks at https://everlastingsafes.com/pages/best-gun-safes note that a gun safe is a must-have for any household with firearms, especially with children around. Properly storing and securing dangerous items will greatly reduce the risk of accidents or injuries.

Living Area Safety

Your living room needs to be a safe place for play and relaxation. Cover all electrical outlets with safety caps and keep cords and blinds out of reach to prevent choking or strangulation. Secure tall furniture pieces like bookcases and TV stands to the wall to prevent them from tipping over.

When it comes to the fireplace, consider using a safety gate or a fireplace screen to keep children at a safe distance. Ensure that any small decorative items that could be a choking hazard are removed or kept out of reach.

As with the kitchen and bathroom, use corner guards on coffee tables, TV stands, or any other furniture with sharp edges. Always keep remote controls, batteries, and other small items that can be swallowed out of reach.

Securing the Kitchen

The kitchen can be a dangerous place for little explorers. Keep cleaning supplies, sharp utensils, and other hazardous items out of reach or locked away. Install safety latches on drawers and cabinets, and consider adding stove knob covers to prevent your child from accidentally turning on the burners.

Appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens could potentially tip over if a child tries to climb on them. Secure these with appliance straps or anchor them to the wall. Don't forget to make sure garbage cans have child-resistant lids to keep curious hands out of harm's way.

For added precaution, use corner guards on sharp-edged furniture such as tables and chairs to prevent injuries. Install door and drawer pinch guards to prevent little fingers from getting caught. Remember to keep chairs and stools away from counters and stove tops to discourage climbing.

Baby-Proofing the Bathroom

Similar to the kitchen, the bathroom poses several risks to small children. Always keep the toilet lid closed, or better yet, install a toilet lock. Never leave your child unattended in a bath and ensure bath water is at a safe temperature. 

Medicines, cosmetics, and other personal care products should be stored in a locked cabinet. Make sure to keep small items that can be easily swallowed like hairpins, razors, or toothpaste caps out of reach. 

Remember to secure the bathroom door with a child-proof door knob cover to ensure your child cannot enter without adult supervision. Also, consider adding a non-slip mat to the bathtub and bathroom floor to prevent falls and injuries.

Making the Bedrooms Safe

In your children's bedrooms, ensure all furniture is sturdy and secure. Anchor heavy furniture, such as dressers and bookcases, to the wall to prevent them from toppling over. Avoid using drop-side cribs as they can pose a risk of injury.

Ensure windows have locks and limit how much they can be opened with window guards. Keep blind cords out of reach, and never place a crib or bed near a window.

Remove small toys, pillows, and blankets from cribs as they can pose a suffocation risk for younger children. For older children, ensure toys are age-appropriate and without small parts that can be a choking hazard.

Safeguarding the Garage and Garden

Garages and gardens can hold a multitude of dangers for small children. Keep all tools, garden equipment, and chemicals locked away. Ensure vehicles are always locked, and never leave your child unattended in a car.

Garden ponds or pools should be securely fenced off. Install self-locking gates to prevent children from wandering into potentially dangerous areas. Always supervise your child when they are playing outside.

Check outdoor play equipment regularly for wear and tear. Make sure they are securely anchored and have no sharp edges. Keep sandboxes covered when not in use to prevent animals from getting in.

In conclusion, child-proofing your new home before moving in is a crucial step to ensuring the safety of your children. By following these guidelines and constantly staying vigilant, you can create a safe and nurturing environment for your little ones to thrive in. Remember, accidents can happen at any time, but with proper precautions and preparation, you can greatly reduce the risk and provide peace of mind for you and your family.  

Five Tips To Organizing Your Baby’s Wardrobe

The early stages of parenting are stressful, especially when it is your first child. Buying nappies, purchasing new clothes and receiving gifts from your family and friends are all stressful at the start. Not to mention the room you need to decorate for them. All of these things can make the initial stage of having a child very stressful. 

Hanging and Folding Groups

One of the first steps you make when arranging your child’s wardrobe. Buy a miniature wardrobe so you can store all the clothes you have received. Once you have filled your wardrobe, put the rest in small storage boxes. Ideally, you will hang up your most favourable clothes in the wardrobe whilst the others would be pyjamas, weaning bibs, t-shirts and anything else that can be folded and easily stored in a small tub.

Arrange Them Into Categories

Your next step when arranging your baby’s wardrobe is to put them into categories. It will make things easier, especially when you are getting ready to go out for the day. As soon as you know where everything is, you will save time getting ready. 

Gather all the jumpers and put them in one section of the wardrobe and small dungarees can be placed in another section. Whatever you think needs to be sectioned together, just put them next to one another. It will make things easier instead of quickly rummaging through the wardrobe or drawers. 

Put Them In Size Order

The next task is to put those clothes in size order. Again, this will save a lot of time. Not to mention that we guarantee you will receive clothes in many different sizes from friends and family. For those sections that you arranged in the wardrobe before, we suggest putting them in age/size order. Babies grow very quickly so you don’t need to worry about them taking too long to grow into those clothes. 

Grab Yourself Some Drawer Dividers

Another organising tip for your baby’s clothes is to buy drawer dividers. Furthermore, the baby’s clothes are small and will easily move around in the drawer. Another positive to these is that they stop everything from getting mixed as one. They are a fantastic investment to keep everything organised and separate those clothes. If you don’t want to buy drawer dividers, rip up a cardboard box which will easily keep everything organised. 

Label Your Boxes 

Another great way to keep everything organised for the little one is by labelling the boxes. It is so easy to forget what you put where. That is why making some labels that you can then stick on the side of drawers and boxes will make things far easier. 

There are a couple of ways you can do this as well. Writing on a piece of paper and sellotaping it onto the drawer or box is one method. Another way to do this is by writing, on the drawer yourself with a piece of chalk. That will also do the job and you can rub it off whenever you are switching things around. 

Summary

There you have it, five tips for organising your baby’s wardrobe. It is something that takes some time but you will thank yourself for it later on. Once you have finally got around to organising those clothes, you will thank yourself for it at a later date, especially when you are in a rush to get them ready. It is time to start organising your home and redecorating for the little one. 

Guest Post - 5 Practical Nursery Organization Tips for a Cute, Picture-Perfect Nursery

Preparing for your baby's arrival can be an exhilarating and overwhelming experience at the same time. There are a few important considerations you should take into account when designing your baby's room. It should be safe first and foremost, but also well-organized and aesthetically pleasing. 

In today’s post, we’ll take a look at the top five tips for organizing a cute, picture-perfect nursery for your little one!

Make a list of everything you'll need beforehand

Make a list of all the items you'll need before you begin organizing your nursery. This is an important first step that will help you avoid falling into a trap of overspending. A few essentials include items such as:

• crib, 

• changing table, 

• dresser, 

• storage options like baskets or shelves

These items and furniture pieces should all be given priority on your shopping list. 

Once you have a checklist, you can begin prioritizing according to your needs and budget. Think about buying furniture that will grow with your child and may be used in a variety of different ways. For instance, a dresser can be used to hold toys and games while a changing table can be converted into a desk. 

Optimize your existing closet space

Since closet space is typically quite limited, optimization is essential. Start by clearing out any clutter and sorting clothing by size or season. To make the most of vertical space, use hanging organizers; for more storage, think about installing shelves or cubbies. 

If there is room, think about putting in a dresser or a storage bench to put blankets and other things. To keep tiny items like socks, hats, and mittens organized, hang a shoe organizer on the back of the closet door. 

Don't also forget to periodically check through your baby's wardrobe and discard or put away anything that doesn't fit anymore. Make sure that all of your baby's clothes are well-organized and accessible by making the most of your existing closet space.

Choose only high-quality clothes and accessories

When picking your baby’s clothes, comfort and quality should always come first. Choose knitwear made of natural fibers (such as cotton or wool) that won't irritate your baby's delicate skin. Investing in comfy high-quality baby knitwear is something that will pay off in the long run because it will withstand repeated washings and wearings and may even be handed down to future siblings. 

Seek for knit clothing with simple zippers or buttons that will make changing your infant a breeze. You might also want to think about buying knitwear from a company that makes use of sustainable and eco-friendly resources and manufacturing techniques.

Maximize your wall space

Wall space is often overlooked, yet it can be a terrific storage solution for any room. Think about installing shelves, hooks, or pegboards to store and display objects like books, toys, and clothing. Using a pegboard to arrange your baby's necessities, such as diapers, wipes, and creams can be both entertaining and useful. 

Your baby's favorite books can also be kept and displayed on a wall-mounted bookshelf, making it simple to pick one out when it’s storytime. You can also choose some creative wall decorations that are both adorable and instructive or inspirational.

Label and categorize everything

It's important to label and categorize all your stuff. You can use labels, tags, or even colored bins to sort products by size, season, or type. One container may be used for blankets, another for burp cloths, and yet another for hats and mittens. The possibilities are endless. 

If you have more than one child and want to categorize their clothing, think about using different colors to identify their belongings. To make sure that everything has a place, you can also design a labeling system for the drawers in your dresser or closet. 

In addition to keeping you organized, doing this will make it simpler for other caregivers to locate and use your baby's belongings.

Wrapping up

Building, decorating, and organizing your nursery can sometimes feel tedious and stressful. But with the right mindset and a little bit of patience you can turn it into a fun, enjoyable, and memorable experience. 

We hope these tips will help you create a cute, healthy, and comfortable nursery your whole family will love spending time in.

By Mike Johnston

Too Much Baby Stuff? Here Are 7 Tips To Control Baby Clutter

Everyone loves babies, and many people enjoy purchasing attractive baby items, but this is how you find yourself with many baby items even before you give birth. 

When it comes to baby clutter, there is so much going on: first birthdays, holidays, family gatherings, and diapers and bottles. If you're feeling overwhelmed by all of the baby gear, clothing, and toys, don't worry - we got you. Here are seven ways to take control of the baby clutter and create a more organized and less chaotic home.

7 ways to keep baby clutter under control

Make a particular area for baby stuff

Designate a space for keeping all things baby-related, whether a shelf in the closet or an entire room. It will help you be more aware of how much clutter collects and make it simpler to get rid of unused goods. It also helps to declutter toys by sorting them into categories.

Declutter by category

Think about it. It's simpler to pick out the favorites and ones that provide value when everything is laid out in one place, but it's also easier to spot the excess. A dozen plush animals scattered over the home may not look like much, but a large pile in the middle of the room certainly does. Gather all toys in the center of the room. If you have a lot of toys or want to break them up, start with one category at a time, place them into bins, and don't forget to label them. The major categories are:

• Dolls and stuffed animals

• Building toys (Legos)

• Arts and crafts

• Active toys (bats and balls)

• Musical instruments

Storage bins are your friend

Storage bins are great because they have handles you can hold onto and pull. Look for containers that are made of soft material. If a kid falls onto one, they won't get hurt and no damage is done to the bin. Bins are also helpful for bringing out toys, playing with them, putting them back in, and returning the crates to the shelf unit. It makes cleaning up much more accessible and makes this a routine, a schedule for cleaning up storage areas. 

Make time to declutter

Do you have trouble making time to declutter? It is possible to carve out time to simplify your life while raising children. Set out an afternoon once a week, once a month, or whatever it takes to tidy your home. You could ask your children to participate by making it exciting. Letting them help you clean their mess will establish responsibility and convince them by offering a reward after the task is done. Remind yourself that your efforts will be worthwhile in the long run. However, if you're having difficulty getting all these things done, especially if it's your first kid, you might want to ask for help. House To Home Organizing can help you organize your family's things, whether you’re preparing for a new kid or school. H2H can transform areas into a cozy child-friendly space. Removing unnecessary items from your home means you will never have to spend time tidying them again! But what should you do with unused items? 

Get rid of unused items.

Repurpose unused toys, as well as any clothing that is too small or other things that your child has outgrown. Some items can be sold, given, recycled, or just discarded. However, I prefer to dispose of items in a manner that is both environmentally friendly and potentially profitable. You might want to sell your stuff on Craigslist, Facebook, or through yard sales. 

If you plan to have another kid, it is recommended that you keep larger goods such as the cot, stroller, bouncer, and bathtub to be used later. Consider how to avoid this from happening again once you've sorted through all the mess and organized them.

Think of multipurpose items

When you live in a small place, you have to be creative with your purchase. Avoid single-purpose products; think of items that can be used in several ways, such as a 2-in-1 play gym or a changing table with drawers for storing baby clothing. Look for ones with a flat top so that after your child outgrows diapers, they can be used as drawers and storage in the room.

Buy only what you need

As tempting as "mommy-Facebook-groups" may seem, do not browse until you have something specific in mind. If you do, use the search box; if you don't utilize the search box to get what you're searching for, you'll wind up buying a lot more unnecessary baby things that will clutter your home. Plus, people love babies; they will buy you something. 

Final thoughts

You've got this, mommy! Remember, being organized and owning less baby stuff will help you physically and emotionally. So start by finding a space for your baby's things, sort them out, place them into bins, make time, get rid of unused items, think multipurpose, and buy what you need. Having too much stuff will affect your well-being, so keep everything simple.