Home Work: Life Hacks for Work from Home Professionals

Whether you work for yourself or a company that allows you to clock hours from your home office, working in the house is a reality for many professionals these days, including moms. For women who are juggling raising an infant with their professional life, this list is designed to help make life a tad bit easier. From a home security system that also does baby monitor duty to an educational play gym for infants, these devices take some of the stress out of working from home with kids. 

Motorola Baby Monitors also offers a baby watching option, with a product that lets you spy on baby from the 3.5 in-home monitor screen or from your smart phone when baby is staying with the sitter. We especially love this company because you don’t have to have a background in IT to set up your nursery monitoring system.

RAYCOP (starting at $189.99)

Allergens can make life miserable for the whole family, and this will become especially noticeable when working and living at home. So we dig these allergen vacuums by RAYCOP, which are designed by a medical doctor and meant to not only scoop up dirt, dust and dog hair, but also rid your home of allergens and bacteria to provide a safe, clean working and living environment. RAYCOP vacuums are adept at knocking out dust mites, which feed of dead skin and live in mattresses and bedding. RAYCOP allergen vacuums contain a HEPA filter and a   dual filtration system proven to capture 99.9% of common allergens.

Sakura Bloom

Working mom’s looking for quality baby sling should consider Sakura Bloom. The company that not only makes an array of safe, calming sling wraps crafted out of all-natural fibers with a minimalist, modern design, but also has a mission statement to support and give back to local communities. Since starting in 2006, founder Lynne Banach has made it a priority to offer work, and exposure to local artists, like the Brooklyn textile artist whose hand dyed silks are used in the silk slings. The slings come in a number of styles, but we love the silk (starting at $180), not only for the designs, but because it is the most breathable and compact fabric, which makes it great for travel. It’s also the company’s most supportive, designed to last through toddlerhood.  

Shop 4 Moms: Rockaroo (starting at $159.99)

When mom needs to work, let baby sleep at your side with the 4moms rockaRoo, which provides the front to back gliding motion babies love, in a compact size. Its sleek and modern design is 70% smaller than traditional swings, so the rockaRoo looks and fits great in small spaces. The front to back gliding motion has five speed options and you can connect it to an MP3 device to provide more soothing sounds. Best of all, baby is kept entertained by the removable, reversible toy balls that comes with the rocker. Choose from a softy velvety or woven fabric surface.

Bumbo: Playtop Safari and Multi-Seat

Bumbo makes to products we particularly love. The Playtop Safari instantly turns any smooth surface into a fun play area. It features a colorful, activity-filled design to offer hours of entertainment for your little one, while also helping with important motor skills development. It is also easy to attach and release thanks to its suction cup technology.

Also from Bumbo, The Multi Seat is perfect for making life a little easier for busy parents. Designed for babies who have already mastered the Bumbo Floor Seat, it will see your child through to the toddler stage with a seat that grows along with your little one. It features attachment straps that easily convert from a floor seat to a booster seat, so you can begin enjoying key developmental milestones from feeding to playtime as soon as your child can begin to sit unassisted. The seat’s foam pad cushions your baby when he or she is small, but can then be removed for space as they get older. We love the removable tray that attaches to the back of the Multi Seat for easy storage and transport. When attached, it is super easy to clean and can just be wiped down with a disinfectant wipe or soapy cloth, rather than having to be washed in the dishwasher or sink after each use. 

Child Safety Kit ($13.66)

Childproofing a home can be an exhausting, overwhelming task. From fastening high bookcases and wall furnishings to remembering to never place a crib near windows and getting rid of the cords on blinds, there is just so many potential hazards you’re not used to looking for. Which is why we love the Safety Essentials Set from Safety 1st. This 46 piece child proofing kit covers most of the key dangers in your home (including those you might not naturally think of) and comes with items like cabinet and door latches to keep these from prying little hands as well as door knob covers to help keep your little explore away from out of bound rooms. There are also 30 plug protectors included so you can prevent access to open outlets around the house.   

The Stair Barrier (starting at $119.99)

Do you have a staircase with a banister and a toddler? If so you’ll likely be scratching your head about how to place a safety gate on their stairs that doesn’t require jerry-rigging a gate or drilling into the bannisters to keep your little one safe. If so, check out The Stair Barrier. It’s a banister to banister gate that installs without tools in just a few minutes and weighs in at just 6 pounds, which makes it travel convenient as well. The Stair Barrier’s gates are designed specifically for the bottom of staircases, feature a unique buckle system works with banisters of all shapes and sizes and do not require two flat surfaces for installation. Additionally, the fabric construction of Stair Barriers helps prevent common staircase gate injuries by eliminating gaps and notches children can use for climbing.

Playgro: Ball Activity Nest ($69.99)

Keep baby entertained for longer while you are working with Playgro’s Ball Activity Nest Gym, which  offers four fun stages of play in one item. The gym features engaging hanging toys, a water-filled teether, mirror for learning reflections and soft plush characters with click-clack beads. The gym also comes with 32 colorful plastic balls that can be secured around its edge for batting or left loose for play. What we love most about this product is the ability it has to grow with your little one — as your baby gets taller you can remove the playgym arms for instance — and you can also adjust the wall of the gym itself by height. 

Tray Buddi ($34.99)

Eating with a toddler is hard enough from a time perspective, but it’s been more frustrating for working moms on the clock when your little one takes the meal you just spent 20 minutes prepping and thrown the tray on the floor. Which is where Tray Buddi  comes in: it’s designed to attach to most highchairs, booster seats and even strollers to keep food, cups, toys and objects on the tray and off the floor. It’s also really easy to clean and is top rack dishwasher-safe.

Miracle Sleeper ($29.95)

When transitioning from baby from swaddle to sleeper during the first year, we love the  Miracle Sleeper for its simplicity. It features a zip front, snap top and reinforced seams that keeps your little one cozy, comfy and warm. Designed to be used up until 24 months, this wearable blanket comes in four sizes and a variety of colors and patterns. Other favorite details include a scoop neck to keep the blanket from baby’s chin to avoid triggering the rooting response and the sleeveless factor to allow freedom of movement and to keep from overheating.