Favorite Things Friday - Toddler Gear Edition

Toddlers are clumsy, messy little people! Here are a few items my 'favorites' in the category of Toddler Gear. What have been some of your favorite Toddler Gear items?

Dex Baby Dura-Bibs

When I first saw these bibs, the crazy loud patterns and size weren't #1 on my list. I thought we could get by on the cutesy velcro bibs from Babies R Us, and we could until the boys started pulling them off. The velco bibs were weak and the boys still aren't able to pull these bibs off. They are large enough to cover their whole belly and have a deep pocket to catch anything that they drop. I've only been able to find them in Meijer in Detroit, but I'm sure they are available in other places.

Especially for Baby Spout Cover

When the boys first started standing, all they wanted to do was stand up in the bathtub. The problem was that they spent more time falling than they did standing. They still aren't able to pull it off the spout and it's inflatable, so they don't get hurt if they fall into it. For $3.29 at Babies R Us, it's worth every penny.

Blender Baby Food

I made almost all of the boys' baby food when they were first starting on solids and this book was my bible for recipes. The recipes were super simple to follow and the book was divided into chapters for 6, 7, 8, and 9-12 months old. As the baby grows, the recipes become more diverse and chunky, which allows for an easier transition to table food. If you're at all interested in making your own food, I highly recommend this book. I took it out from the library and wrote down recipes for the month, then took it out again when the boys were ready for different foods.

Munchkin Snack Cups

There are a few things that I really love about these cups: you can attach a paci clip to the handle so the cup doesn't fall on the floor, the lids are almost impossible for kids to pull off, and even if shaken, the snack doesn't fall out. They are diswasher safe and easy for kids to pull their hands out of. The only problem is that the boys aren't quite coordinated enough to pull out one piece at a time, but it at least takes them longer to eat a snack than it would to just put it on their tray. Great for the car or on the go!

Those are a few of my favorite things... how about you?

Favorite Things Friday - Toddler Toy Edition

Time to share some of my favorite things - toddler style! Here are a couple things that have made life easier, more convenient or just more fun. Enjoy!

V-Tech Sit to Stand Walker

This handy little toy took our boys from cruising along furniture to walking solo in about two weeks. The wheels rolled at just the right pace to keep them from falling (usually!) and the activities on the front provided hours of entertainment. Even after they were seasoned walkers, they still enjoyed pushing the walker around.

LeapFrog Fridge Wash n Go Magnetic Vehicle Set

This one is a must have for little boys! It didn't take long at all for them to figure out how to spin the pieces to get them to lock into place, and it is so fun watching them dance to the songs that the toy sings. It's a 'must pack toy' when we're travelling.

Parents Magazine Ready Set Go Cars

These cars are great even for crawlers. When you pull the car backwards, it will zoom forward across the floor making a really fun 'zzzzz' sound that the boys loved. They quickly figured out how to engage the car themselves and would race them across the floor.

Fisher Price Little People DVDs

Maybe we're alone in this one, but the boys LOVE the Little People DVDs. They are so super cheesy that it's almost ridiculous, but I can't tell you how many times just singing the theme song to them calmed them down from a fit. They episodes are super short too, only about 5 minutes, so the whole DVD is only about 25 minutes - hardly something to feel guilty about! We got our first disc for free with the Little People Barn, another current favorite, and have expanded our collection from there.

Playskool Wheel Pals Triple Stack Tower

Instant hit! Not only does this come with little race cars, but any Playskool car fits on the tracks. Don't stop there though, the boys will 'race' anything within reach, including Hot Wheels, Leap Frog pieces and Little People animals and people. There's also a button that they can push to let all the cars go at once that makes a fun 'zooming' sound and 'honking' sound.

I know that these are especially boy focused (sorry, it's all I know right now!)... what are YOUR kids favorites?

Favorite Things Friday - Newborn Gear Edition

I don't generally jump on the bandwagons of 'Not Me Mondays' and 'Favorite Things Fridays'... not because I don't love reading them but because I don't usually have the brain power working for me to come up with a decent post. However, reading this one on Amy's blog combined with the fact that we're expecting #3, I thought that I would play along and help myself remember all the things that I couldn't live without during the baby stage.

Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker

What a lifesaver! We would swaddle the boys and lay them down in the living room, then carry the whole chair up to their room for bedtime. They were able to stay inclined while they slept, which really helped for those early reflux days, and we were able to keep them sleeping while we transitioned them from one floor to the other. The vibrating feature was instantly calming and the 'kickstand' could be tucked away to turn the chair into a rocker - crucial when nursing one and trying to keep the other from screaming.

Target or Walmart Brand Infant Gas Drops
Don't let the picture fool you... we never paid for the Mylicon brand name. We went through countless bottles of gas drops in our house, and it became part of the feeding routine to give them a squirt each time they nursed. We would stock up on these bottles 4-5 at a time and definitely noticed a huge difference when we forgot to use them. The name brand is over $10 a bottle, the store brand is less than $4. We had just as effective results with the cheaper option.

Summer Infant Day & Night Video Monitor

Especially in the early days when the boys shared a crib, this monitor was awesome. We were able to tell who was crying and why (came unswaddled, lost a binkie, getting punched in the face by their brother!), which was really helpful in knowing if I had to get up to feed someone or if Charlie could handle getting them back to bed. We did A LOT of tag-teaming in the middle of the night and knowing who was crying was really helpful for both of us to get a little extra sleep. Later, it was helpful to know how long they actually slept vs. played in their crib during naptime.

Carter's Receiving Blankets

Yes, I am a Carter's snob, but these blankets really are the very best when it comes to swaddling. I think what makes them so great is that they aren't perfect squares, they are 30"x40", which makes the burrito tucking so much easier as the baby grows. They are super soft and wash up great. Our boys were swaddled in these for months before we finally upgraded to the sleep sacks, which I also loved by the way.

What are one or two things YOU couldn't live without during the infant stage? Tell us!

Product Review: Sippy Cups

I'm a sucker for a cute or trendy looking sippy. My rationale is that the transition would be easier for the boys if they enjoyed drinking from the cup. I have tried five different cups so far and have found that each have pros and cons. For those of you who are about to embark on the sippy cup phase, I thought you'd appreciate a little feedback on the ones I've tried. Hopefully other people will chime in with which ones they found especially great (or useless) too.

I'm actually wondering if anyone has had good luck with a hard spout cup. Please share your experience (good or bad!)

Nuk Learner Cup (by Gerber)

• Price: about $6.50 for one
• Pros: Only holds about 5 oz. of fluid, so it isn't too heavy for small hands to hold up; easy grip handles; locking cap; any Nuk bottle will fit in the handles
• Cons: incredibly difficult to suck from (I even tried it and couldn't get it to work!)
• Final Verdict: Waste of money. For as difficult as it is to suck from, I can't believe any baby ever learns how to use a cup.

Nuby Flip-n-Sip Straw Cup

• Price: about $4.99 for one
• Pros: Doesn't leak when straw is contained; easy grip handles; holds 8 oz
• Cons: Confusing to babies because they have to keep the cup down to drink from a straw; difficult to clean (I'll only use water in it so milk doesn't get stuck in the cracks); won't fit in a cup holder because of the handles
• Final Verdict: These cups are fun and exciting for the boys to use. Since they have figured out the straw, they are much easier for them to use. I still wouldn't use milk in these cups, but for juice and/or water, I really like them.

Nuby Handle Cup with Spout - 2 pack

• Price: about $6.50 for two
• Pros: price; soft spout
• Cons: very difficult to screw the top on (the handles get in the way and the bottom is too fat to get a good grip on); nipple collapses when baby sucks too hard; leaks
• Final Verdict: I hate this cup and would never recommend it to anyone

Nuby Leak Resistant Cup

• Price: about $4.99 for one
• Pros: soft spout makes learning easy; easy grip handles; easy to clean
• Cons: food particles get stuck in crevices when washed in the dishwasher and don't come out; very easy for babies to push nipple through the ring (which spills out all contents); because of the handles, it won't fit in a cup holder
• Final Verdict: this is usually our everyday cup, though I have to keep a close eye on the boys so they don't push in the nipple

Nuby No Spill Gripper Cup

• Price: about $5.50 for two (but even cheaper at Walmart)
• Pros: easy to clean; inexpensive; soft spout
• Cons: No handles and heaviers, which makes it hard for slippery, small hands to hold up
• Final Verdict: Now that the boys are better with cups and their hands, this is a great option