Oh, baby.

If you didn't already know- I have two babies! Both girls- one is almost 3 and the other one is 1 1/2. Well, they're not really babies anymore, they are toddlers but they are still very small and I carry them everywhere. They have names on their birth certificate : Leighton Harper & Holland Day, however I call them almost everything but. The Bear and the Bean, Munch and Crunch, Tiny Bot, Sweetsie Railroad, Babette, Bonkie, Muncher, Bear Cub, Bean Louise, Teence the Weence, Pumpky, Holl Doll, Holly Wog, Bean Cake...the list goes on and on. I know they won't be little forever, but I don't foresee me ever not using their nick names. I will be dropping them off at the DMV for their driver's test one day yelling, "good luck little Bonkie doodle!" and they will in turn look at me the way I looked at my mother at 17, with a face that says: "good God, woman- pull yourself together!" But while I will have to eventually let go of things like that, there are a few things I will continue to hold onto even when they are no longer my tiny baby buglets. Like, nipple cream for example. Yes, NIP-PLE CREEEEAM. Having a baby opens you up to a world of toiletries and products that you otherwise would have assumed you didn't need because you no longer poop your pants. I hope. These are some that I have found alternative uses for and will continue to purchase long after diapers and Dora the Explorer.

Baby Powder

Most women know the shortcut of dusting some on your roots for days when you don't wash your hair. It absorbs the oil and creates volume. I wouldn't suggest it if you're brunette though, it might look like dandruff.

A less commonly known trick is to bring it to the beach. If you shake baby powder onto sandy legs or feet it makes it makes the sand brush off easily and gently. My parents live at the beach, and this is super helpful for getting sand off of a small child. It's not painful for them, so you don't have to look like that crazy person restraining a screaming 5 year old.

Lanolin a.k.a Nipple Cream

Used for cracked or irritated skin from breast feeding.
Sorry, I'm not gonna put up a picture of any crackling nips.



I got a small sample size tube of Medela Lanolin in a gift basket at a baby shower and I keep it in my makeup drawer. I always put it on my lips after I wash my face or before make up. It literally makes them feel like butter and when they are chapped, it heals them better than Carmex, Burt's Bee's, or any chapstick I've ever had- combined. It's not at all sticky and it's pretty shiny.

I swear by it.

Baby Wipes

I have baby wipes planted all over my house and car. I use them for everything. I keep a box in my nightstand because I am soo lazy about washing off my makeup after a late night. I know that cosmetic and skincare companies make make-up remover towelettes, but they only have like 30 in a pack for about $12. A box of baby wipes usually contains about 80-100 and is around $2. They're also way more gentle and don't have a ton of fragrances and chemicals. I don't usually wear makeup during the day (also too lazy), but when I do, I always use a baby wipe before I wash my face to get off all the initial bronzer, eyeliner, mascara, etc. Pampers Sensitive Skin is my favorite, they are super soft. The Huggies are a little tough. #justsayin



Diaper Cream

Even though diaper cream is intended for a baby's bottom, the irritation it is made to prevent/ treat is essentially the same type of skin inflammation as a shaving rash or "razor burn." I have super sensitive legs and have a whole routine I have to do to prevent getting a rash, but when I do break out -I cover my legs in Desitin or Balmex and it calms the redness and cools the burn.  

Baby Oil

Obviously, adults use baby oil for the same reasons babies do- to moisturize, but I also use it to exfoliate.

I mix one part baby oil and two parts granulated sugar together to make an exfoliating body scrub. It makes you feel really clean but really soft and shiny too. If I have it in the fridge, I squirt a little lemon juice in. Even mid-range body scrubs can be over $20 for a small jar, but a bottle of baby oil is around $4 and a bag of sugar is around $2 -so for about $6 you get about 20 times as much.

"Don't wait. The time will never be just right." - Napoleon Hill