I’ve partnered with Munchkin LATCH bottles for this post to remind moms to take some time for ourselves #LatchLetsMe
Do you know what the hardest part of being a mom is? It’s not the middle of the night feedings or figuring out how to do it all with one hand. The hardest part is finding time to be you. And “you” is not necessarily the person you were before kids. No matter how much you declared “this baby won’t change who I am” you are changed. In a great way!
You are a mom. Which basically makes you a cape-less super hero. So the struggle is finding time for the new you. The new you who now understands just how valuable time is.
Before Kayla came along I had no idea that I would find happiness in making things. In hindsight, one of the things that made the first couple of years with her so tough is I didn’t allow myself time to enjoy life beyond caring for her.
With Blake I’ve been a bit better about making time for passion projects and I’ve had some help in getting that time. My passion projects almost always involve scissors or paint. Today it’s scissors and I’m making pom pom baskets.
And of course just when I think I’m me time ready, there is always something hiding that needs to be cleaned. A few months back I’d be finding bottles randomly discarded in piles of toys. Like ticking milk time bombs. Just waiting for me to *think* I was done with those dishes.
So if you’re in the market for baby bottles, as a woman who has tried SO many let me tell you this. My top tips are to find bottles that make the breast to bottle transition easy and to try to choose ones with only a few parts.
Less parts = less things to clean AND less ways to put a bottle together improperly. That’s one thing I really like about Munchkin LATCH bottles. They are low on parts and high on design. Without lots of weird grooves and hiding places, cleaning goes fast. Saving an extra 5 minutes a day washing bottles quickly adds up to about 2.5 extra hours of me time a month!
And their anti-colic vent is pretty revolutionary since as you may know, most vents are at the top of bottles. This one is in the bottom of the bottle and prevents any bubbles from flowing towards your baby.
LATCH bottles are also different from most other bottles you’ll find in the bottle sections of stores because the nipple is designed to move and stretch like the real thing. Which means less nipple confusion for your baby. Finding the right bottle can make such a difference in the stress level that new parents feel. For our family it meant that Craig could help with feeding Blake which gave me a little break here and there and also let him feel more connected as a dad early on.
Now Blake has graduated to a sippy cup and after trying some very fancy brands I came right back to Munchkin because they have both babies and parents in mind with the design of their products. We love the LATCH transition cup because it has a flexible spout, easy grip handles and cleans just as easily as the bottles.
He is all too happy to drink his milk snuggled up with “bear bear” while Kayla dances around like a nut in front of him, asking to watch her perform. That’s what siblings are for!
Which means that I get more time to pursue passion projects. Taking a few minutes here and there to do something I love helps me feel recharged and better able to be the mom I want to be for our kids. So back to those pom poms…
I made a few during my little mom break and used them to turn an ordinary basket into a fun one!
It’s perfect for storing Blake’s prized possessions and I enjoyed making it. Want the full tutorial? You can see how to make my DIY pom pom baskets right here.
