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Hey mamas!

I’m so excited to bring you this month’s newsletter. Y’all know I started this email to bring you access to all of the tips and resources I’ve picked up as I’ve ventured into mamahood. My files are stocked with checklists and cheat sheets that have helped me keep #momlife manageable. And this month, wow, I think I’m dishing out two of my best resources yet.

This newsletter is brought to you in partnership with Bambino, the first of those amazing resources. They’ve been a total life changer when it’s come to finding and hiring great babysitters. The second amazing resource? Well you’ll just have to keep reading to find out!

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A NOTE ABOUT SITTERS

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since becoming a mom it’s that it truly does take a village to raise a child. Grant and I have lived away from our families for well over a decade. That means, we’ve had to build our village with the support of a nanny and a network of babysitters. It’s been the only way to allow us both to work, enjoy date nights, and still go out with friends past 6 pm.

Every family and situation is different. Your village might be your mom, mother-in-law, and aunts. Whatever yours looks like, there may be a time and place you need to call on a sitter. And when that time comes, this newsletter is for you : )

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WHERE TO FIND GREAT SITTERS

When I first set out to find a trustworthy babysitter I honestly had no idea how to go about the process. I started by asking my network, posting to online job boards, and poking around Facebook. I had a few hits but ultimately the process was too time consuming and didn’t cut it for making last minute plans. And then I found Bambino.

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Bambino

Bambino is a social network for parents and sitters. As a parent, you can see which sitters your friends have hired, who lives in your neighborhood, and what their experience is. Every sitter has a profile that includes a short bio, skills (e.g. CPR certified), star rating, and reviews from past clients. It also shows their hourly price and distance from your home. When you need a sitter you simply submit a booking request with the date and time and Bambino pushes it out to sitters in your network. You see who accepts and then confirm whomever looks like the best fit.

Once we discovered Bambino we were hooked! We’ve found the best babysitters and it's made hiring someone so incredibly easy. The best part is that we’ve now built out a community of sitters in our neighborhood who we’ve gotten to know and trust. There is always someone available when we need help.

Bambino is free with an optional paid upgrade that gives you access to a few extra perks.

Here's some more good news, they’re offering a $10 credit for new users. Just follow this link to sign up!

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Back to those job boards and Facebook Groups

I feel like I bashed a little too hard on these sources. So, let me go back and say, they definitely have their use case. I’ve used Care.com to hire our nannies and they have all been amazing! It’s been such a wonderful place to find outstanding long-term help. The types of folks who you come daily for months to years. Likewise, Facebook Groups have been an excellent resource for better understanding the local landscape - the going rates for nannies and sitters, typical schedules, and questions that have come up from other moms. These are great resources, but for babysitters, I’d go for Bambino.

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ONBOARDING NEW SITTERS

After discovering Bambino, the challenge of finding trustworthy sitters was solved. But the rotation of new sitters coming each week presented a new one - how to efficiently onboard them to our home and Libby’s routines. Anyone who has gone through this process knows it can be a lot of work to train someone new each time. After having my fill of talking through the intricacies of Libby’s nap schedule and habits, I decided to write these things down. Well, I decided to do more than write them down. I went full mom-mode and created a booklet of information.
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Now, when we hire a sitter I ask if I can email them the booklet ahead of time. This gives them a chance to review it before they show up and come prepared with questions. I also keep a printed copy that I set out upon their arrival. This booklet contains all of the need-to-know information about Libby’s schedule, routines, our house, emergency contacts. Everything I could think of that might be useful. I also made it easy to edit since, let’s be honest, nothing stays the same for too long.

Sounds like a dream, right? Good news. I already made it and I’m giving it to you for free. Just follow the link below to head to the editable version.

​>> CLICK HERE TO GET THE BABYSITTER WELCOME BOOKLET​

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SITTER SAFETY

What I love about Bambino is that I feel safe hiring their babysitters. That said, I know it can be scary to leave your baby alone with a relative stranger while you head out for a much deserved cocktail. I’d be lying if I said Grant and I were 100% chill about this. The truth is, we have systems in place to put our mind at ease.

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Ring cameras

Our front door is monitored by a Ring camera which we can see from our Ring apps. That means if anyone were to try and leave with Libby we’d know.

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​Lollipop camera​

I’ve talked about these before but they are worth mentioning again. We love our Lollipop baby cameras. They are Wifi vs bluetooth connected. That means the monitor is an app on your phone and you can view the feed from anywhere with an internet connection. We have one camera that gives us a full view of the nursery and a second a close up of her crib.

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License plates

Lastly, we do note the license plate number of our sitters. Call us crazy but in the highly unlikely event that they took off with the baby, we’d be able to track ‘em down! Keep in mind, Grant is the guy who fills our bathtubs with water whenever there’s a potential emergency situation. So, you might say we’re a little on the overcautious side ; )

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Want to try Bambino? Get $10 off your first sit! ​

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Missed previous newsletters? You can find the archive here.​

• November (nanny jds, checklists, photography, books)
• December (travel tips part 1)
• January (travel tips part 2)
• February (3rd trimester & postpartum)
• March (all things naps)

Looking for all the resources in one place?

• ​Newsletter resources folder​
• ​My Amazon shop
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Do you know mamas who would love this newsletter? Send me their email and I’ll add them to the list!

Got a tip / tool / document you want to share? Email me and I’ll loop it into a future newsletter.

Thanks mamas!

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Jen Miller