Baby Nursery Space Savers

When we moved into our three bedroom townhouse I had it all planned out: The master bedroom was obvious, the larger of the two spare bedrooms would be the guest room (the paint already matched the comforter) and the remaining room would one day be the baby nursery. Why, oh why, didn't I pick the larger of the two rooms to be the nursery? Oh, probably because I had NO idea how much baby stuff we'd soon have. But I've since found some pretty creative ways to maximize the limited square footage in my daughter's itty-bitty room.


Not only is my daughter's nursery little...I bought a lot of baby furniture for it. She has the crib, which will one day convert to a toddler bed and then a full size bed (clearly not in this room, it would take up the entire room); we have the dresser/changing table; then we have the tall dresser, and the glider. The ottoman would take up any remaining walking room, so we had to do without.

For one thing, the tall dresser is used for nothing except clothes that don't fit. By this I mean clothes that are too small, as well as clothes she has yet to grow into. The dresser/changing table is used for socks (56 pairs, I swear), pants, onesies, pjs, headbands (yes, I have a whole drawer's worth), bibs, and bathing suits (again, yes, I have enough for a small drawer already). The teeny-tiny closet, that's hidden behind the door is stocked full of more clothes. These are mostly clothes she's currently wearing and things she'll soon be growing into. Many of them still have tags on them...it's all part of my master plan to go an entire year without buying any baby clothes. I don't think that closet knew what was coming when Olivia moved in! She had a closet full of (new) clothes before she was bigger than a grain of rice. I also keep baby clothes that no longer fit in vacuum sealed bags and stuff them either under the crib or in the guest room dresser. Sorry, guests! (You should see the closet in that room!)

But it's not just clothes that take up space in the nursery, it's the baby shoes, the diapers, the wipes, the stuffed animals, the knickknacks, the pictures, the books, the medicine, you name it, we've got it!

All I can say is thank goodness for closet organizers and floor lamps that double as shelving units (see below). They've come to my rescue and I know they'll come to yours because no matter how much storage space you have, you never have enough!

Recommended Reading:

How to Organize a Small Baby Nursery
Tips on Buying Baby Furniture for a Small Nursery
Get a Year's Worth of Free Baby Clothes

How to Take Free Pottery Barn Decorating Classes

Recommended Nursery Organizers

Diaper Rash

If you've ever opened up your baby's diaper, to find her bum looking a little raw, it can be a scary sight. Diaper rash comes in several different varieties...but the most common is a bright red bum. Thankfully, it's rather easy to cure and even easier to prevent diaper rash.


If your little guy already has a case of diaper rash, lather a generous amount of ointment on there every time you change a diaper. Make sure you change wet and soiled diapers quickly so your baby isn't left sitting in it. A messy diaper can irritate a baby's sensitive skin causing it to break out in a rash. But messy diapers aren't the only things that cause diaper rash. Your baby's diaper could be rubbing causing chaffing. The wipes you're using could be irritating his sensitive bottom. Introducing new foods can even cause an outbreak of diaper rash.

Make sure you towel dry the area very well after you bathe your baby. Letting him air dry for a few minutes will also help clear up the diaper rash.

If you can't seem to get rid of the diaper rash after 24-48 hours or if your baby develops a fever, has open sores, blisters or pus or discharge call your baby's doctor. The doctor may advise you to simply change diapers brands or use larger diapers at night so any mess isn't so close to your baby's skin. Or your baby may need to be put on medication for a few days until the infection clears up. Either way, diaper rash isn't something to ignore. Left untreated it can develop into something a lot more serious.

If you're lucky enough that your baby's bottom is still sitting pretty...it's important to keep it that way. Here are some easy ways to prevent diaper rash.