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Top Educational Toys for Babies and Toddlers: Play to Learn
(Posted on Thursday, December 5, 2019)
Looking for a fun AND educational gift for a baby or toddler? Look no further! We have found the perfect Block Set and monthly Play Kits from Lovevery, a child development toy company! Their goal, much like my goal here on this blog, is to “help every parent feel confident.” Their play products “are designed by child development experts and distilled to their simplest, purest purpose: to be exactly what children need at each stage.”
As a Lovevery affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can count on me only recommending products which I know and love!
First, check out Lovevery’s amazing Block Set which is fun for all ages!
Did you know blocks teach children about structure, balance, physics and math in a way that no other toy can? They provide a foundation for early learning. Early experiences with blocks help children develop spatial, language, cognitive, and problem-solving skills!
The Lovevery block set is the most comprehensive block set ever! It comes with an activity guide which shows us exactly how we can play with blocks with our children at each and every stage.
I didn’t realize just how much my children loved blocks, until we received this set and I was able to check out the accompanying guide which showed me ideas of how children can use blocks in play at each age and stage. These blocks are now a go-to for my one, four, and six year old, and we have spent hours playing with them.
There are so many ways to learn with these blocks:
Explore cause and effect, force, magnetism, velocity, and gravity by rolling the wheels down a hill.
Plan ahead and reach a goal by making a car or wagon.
The magnetic wheels make it super fun and easy.
Develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination at the same time. and experiment with pattern play by threading beads.
Learn about rhythm by making music.
Upon opening the box, my littlest one immediately began drumming with the sticks and dancing along.
Learn how to sort and categorize—and how things fit together spatially by sorting shapes.
Practice equilibrium by finding how things stack, balance, or fall.
Use the wooden people/ figurines to imagine, talk about feelings, and even build empathy.
When they are a little older, build confidence, strength and balance by setting up a small hurdle to jump over!
Plus make paths, count towers, make letters, sculpt feelings, build a house, or a city… the options are endless.
I started playing with these with my youngest, and soon, my older two had jumped in.
My son (4) cannot get enough of engineering different buildings and using the magnetic portion of the wheels to make all kinds of fun creations (you can see one of his creations above). My oldest daughter (6) loves to set up the blocks to make a store, a restaurant, and a house, and then play with the doll shaped blocks included. She has since even added in her own little dolls for more play.
I would highly recommend the Lovevery Block Set to any parent. What a great set of blocks which will grow with your child! The set would also be a great gift for a toddler or even for a baby shower… baby’s first set of blocks!
Another favorite from Lovevery is their monthly subscription Montessori-based Play Kits!
We have tried “The Companion Play Kit” for our 22 month old. This box is full of toys designed for toddlers to use from 22 to 24 months of age. I am sure we will use these toys well beyond when my littlest turns 24 months.
The kit has been perfect for our little one. She can use all of the toys now, and there are so many ways she can continue to grow by using and playing with each.
Included in the Play Kit is a play guide. Here is a snippet from the guide under, “Real Life is Where It’s At”:
“Right now, her brain is craving real-world experiences: she wants to be involved with whatever exists around her and use her developing senses to understand what things are and how they work. She wants to take in the smell of the laundry soap, tip the cup over and watch how the thick liquid pours into the machine, open and close the dryer door over and over, feel the dampness of clean laundry, work to pull warm, dry clothes out herself, and heap them in a basket.”
This is another reason I love the company, Lovevery, so much! Did you hear that? Toddlers are happy and learn SO much by just doing what we are doing and helping us! No more guilt for doing chores over playing with our children. They are learning just as much from simply working along side us.
In addition to descriptions and guides for every toy in the box, which teach multiple ways to play, there is an entire section on “Real Life Play.” In this section, many additional activities are shared which you can complete with regular household items!
Check out all the ways these toys teach:
Stemming from my school counseling background, I just love a toy that teaches! And, these toys teach in so many ways!
Learn about executive functions and learn to control impulse behavior by playing pretend with Little Quinn.
Show your toddler routines can happen even in unfamiliar places with the “Bea Gets a Checkup” Book.
Learn about perceiving, categorizing, and comparing with the Animal Match.
I love that this activity can help practice animal sounds, which are the beginning of language. You can also practice matching from left to right, to train the eye for when your child eventually starts to read!
Practice “coloring” with the Carry-Along Kit.
And, the accompanying stickers help your toddler work on the pincer grasp too!
Practice Bilateral Coordination with the Buckle Barrel.
This neat tool teaches using both hands together, finger dexterity, the pincer grasp, and hand-eye coordination as your child buckles and unbuckles!
Teach sizes, stacking, and transfer objects using the Stacking Dripdrop Cups, Tweezers and Felt Stars.
These cups are fun to stack and also encourage water play! Transferring the felt stars with the tweezers helps develop fine motor skills and concentration as well! Triple win!
Strengthen the muscles and skills needed for writing with the Mosaic Button Board.
Use simple two-piece puzzles to help your toddler learn what puzzles are all about!
Or, use the chunky puzzle to teach spatial skills! Lovevery shares that early puzzle skills are a predictor of spatial skills in preschoolers! You will find lots of tips like this in the play guide!
Learn how to process and manage emotions by reading the book, “Graham Turns Two.”
There you have it! A Lovevery Play kit is an excellent gift idea for any baby, toddler, or mom! Or, subscribe and receive a box full of educational toys every two months (babies) or three months (toddlers) for you and your little one. Who doesn’t love high quality, educational toys to explore with their baby or toddler? I would highly recommend the company, their toys, and their amazing play guides which help us moms feel confident as we raise our little ones into who they will one day become!
Shop Lovevery now, by clicking here!
To learn more about me and my blog, check out: About Lauren
You may also enjoy: Are Parents Setting Themselves Up to Fail? Or 10 Things I’ve Learned From My Parenting “Mistakes”
Top Products for Moms!
(Posted on Thursday, August 29, 2019)
Check out our storefront here: They Say Parenting’s Favorite Things
As an Amazon Associate and Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. You can count on me only recommending products which I know and love!
Some of our favorites included in our storefront are:
For Mom:
The best instant iced latte!
The Wet Brush
Our favorite double decker diaper bag
…and more!
For Baby:
The Happi Tummi – incredible for calming gas pains!
The best cradle cap brush
Our favorite diaper creams and ointments
The most convenient cabinet closures ever (baby proofing)!
Our favorite sippy cups
…and more!
For Children:
The easier way to store stuffed animals!
Our favorite full potty seat covers
A conditioning spray which also prevents lice!
Our favorite hooded towels
…and more!
Plus, a link to my newly released parenting book, toys and games, items for the home, pregnancy, and fashion! Check out all of our favorite things here: They Say Parenting Amazon Storefront
To learn more about me and by blog, check out: About Lauren
You may also enjoy: Looking Back – When My Heart Went Off to Kindergarten or Parenting with Grace
How to Rock the Transitions as Your Baby Turns One
(Posted on Thursday, April 25, 2019)
My baby is turning one! Now what?
“They say” congratulations you made it past the first year!
“They say” it’s so exciting when you reach age one—like whew! Things are easier, smooth-sailing now! You did it! It truly is exciting and many things DO become easier, BUT, there are a lot of changes happening as baby turns one! To be honest, for me transitions can be anxiety producing.
At age one, babies are transitioning from baby food to “big kid” food, switching from formula to regular milk (this can be especially challenging if you have a milk or soy intolerant baby like us), and they are moving from a bottle to a sippy cup. They are becoming more mobile, and as they meet milestones, it may affect their sleep. You may even be transitioning away from sleep aides like a sound machine or wearable blanket.
When making these transitions, sometimes it seems there are more questions than answers:
What if my baby won’t drop the bottle?
What if they hate milk?
During a regression—What if they never sleep through the night again? Ahh!
… and so on.
Well, they will sleep again, AND here are some tips which have helped us with our three kiddos! Hopefully these tips will help you rock the transitions as your baby turns one and make the transitions smoother for you.
Transitioning to the Sippy Cup
First, start the sippy cup early. As soon as it is okay with the pediatrician, and before age one, you can begin offering liquids in a sippy cup. I have found this helps our babies get used to holding and drinking from a cup.
Try different sippy cups. My kids have all struggled moving from the bottle nipple to a hard sippy cup spout. Here are two cups which have worked wonders for us.
This Nuk Learner Sippy Cup worked wonders for my first two children. They easily transitioned from the bottle to the soft cup spout.
This Mam Trainer Cup worked for our third baby when she would take nothing else. It was such a life-saver. This sippy cup comes with two different nipples. One looks almost like a flat bottle nipple. We used this one first to transition her off of the Dr. Brown bottles. Then, we switched to the other included nipple which looks more like a soft sippy spout.
Another great option is a sippy cup with a straw. Here is our favorite. Our youngest does well with these too!
Start slow. Remember, it’s not a race and there is no rush. For me, realizing this helped take the pressure off a bit and decreased some anxiety.
Transitioning to Milk
Transitioning from formula or breastmilk to regular milk is another big transition for our little ones. Here are some tips we have learned along the way:
One change at a time. If you find your baby is having a hard time with a transition, sometimes I have found it beneficial to go back and make only one change at a time. For example, when my baby refused to go from a room-temperature bottle of formula to a cold sippy cup of milk, I broke it down and changed one thing at a time. You can mix the formula or breastmilk with the regular milk and decrease the amount of formula over-time, for example. This was so important for my third baby. She is dairy and soy intolerant, and refused anything we tried at first. This was key for finally getting her onto the almond milk which she needed.
You can warm up the milk to start and then slowly warm it less and less until they are drinking regular cold milk. You can also replace one bottle with a sippy cup at a time, rather than stopping all bottles “cold-turkey.” Every baby and every family is different, so I find it best to try different approaches and find an approach which works for you. Hang in there, it will happen!
If your child is not into milk, try not to worry. My first child went from hating milk to milk now being her drink of choice. I can’t even keep it stocked in the fridge she drinks it so fast. In the mean time, keep offering it and remember, vitamins come from other foods besides milk.
Foods containing Vitamin D are: Fatty fish, some dairy products (like cheese), egg yolks, and fortified orange juice and cereals.
Foods containing Calcium: Cheese, yogurt, but also leafy greens like spinach and kale, soybeans or white beans, and fortified orange juice
For the full list check out: Top Foods for Calcium and Vitamin D
Protein can be found in seafood, meats, eggs, beans, yogurt, cheese, and soy.
For the full list: Good Protein Sources
I also found myself worrying because my child was taking in less milk than they were formula or breast milk. But remember, as their food intake increases, they are getting more and more vitamins and calories from that food. Our pediatrician recommended removing baby food by 15 months, so if you are worried about liquid intake, take your time in transitioning away from baby food. We also give fruit pouches from time to time for more liquid along with their meals.
More “Big Kid” Food and Less “Baby Food”
I have learned some kids have a food texture issue, including a couple of my own. My first two children didn’t like texture of meats for the longest time. My biggest tip is to keep offering it, while also trying thinly sliced lunch meat, eggs, peanut butter (when the pediatrician allows), beans—even baked beans—for the protein. See a great list of high-protein foods in the previous section.
For extra vitamins, one key word: Smoothies! Hide everything in there!
We like to hide veggies in our food around here. Ours loved spinach mixed into eggs. We used frozen, chopped spinach—so easy. Simply fry it up in the pan and add eggs. Kale works well too.
Sleep Transitions and Regressions
With turning one, all three of my babies had sleep regressions… or sleep “transitions” as Motherly’s sleep expert calls them. Read more about this here: This Expert Wants You To Know: Sleep Regressions Aren’t Real.
Whether it is from meeting a milestone/ walking, teething, or the molars are coming in something fierce, it happens.
The best thing we did was try to remain consistent with bed time. We also used “cry it out.” Every family is different, this may or may not be for you [and you know we are ALL about going with what works for you], but this technique simply worked for us. When baby started crying, we came in to check on them at increasing increments, for example, first after 2 minutes, then returned after 5 minutes, then 10, and so on. Depending on the child, the first night could be rough, but after that, the sleep was progressively better… and so was my sanity.
To top it all off, you may be considering taking baby out of a wearable blanket or removing a white noise sound machine around this time. I almost typed time machine… if that’s not telling, I don’t know what is. They grow too fast! I’m still in shock that my last baby is one.
Back to the point… for us, we decided to remove the white noise sound machine we had been using and the wearable blanket a couple of months after our babies turned one. We waited for any sleep regressions to pass, and then one at a time, we made these changes. Our babies did fine without these sleep aids and transitioned with no issues. You may decide to keep these longer. The most important thing here is to do what you feel is best. In my book, using that parenting intuition is always best.
Always Remember
Babies grow and develop at different rates! Even my own three kids developed differently. Don’t let it get to you if you see other’s—friends… other parents on social media—with babies developing more quickly than yours. Here is a great article from Baby Center about the ranges for development which may bring you some peace of mind – Developmental Milestones: What to Expect From Birth to Age 3. Of course, if you have any concerns, always check with your pediatrician.
I’ve learned that sometimes the best transition is not a transition at all. It is just to leave things alone. When we feel we are not ready for a transition or that baby isn’t ready, sometimes it’s best to simply go with our gut and wait.
This post is not a substitute for medical advice. I am not a medical professional. Always speak with your pediatrician when you have medical concerns.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You can count on me only recommending products which I know and love!
To learn more about me and my blog, check out – About Lauren
You may also enjoy – Motherhood: What We Don’t Talk About
17 Time-Saving Parenting Tips
(Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2019)
What is it “they say” about time? Time is money. Time is gold.Yep, it’s gold. It is something I always wish I had, but it’s really hard to find.
Sometimes I feel like nothing gets done. With so many interruptions it’s hard to finish any of the tasks I start.
One day while I was in the middle of doing laundry, my toddler was calling for me, “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”
I thought to myself before responding, If I hurry, I can finish folding this laundry really quick. After all, I am almost done.
The next thing I knew, he was coming up the stairs carrying the little training potty. He said, “Look mama, I went poop and pee!” He was so excited.
On the other hand, I was NOT excited and yelled out, “Please tell me you did NOT spill that!”
There is never a dull moment in my house, and this is why I get nothing done.
Over time, as a mom of three, I have learned some tips and tricks which save me time… and save my sanity.
Tips and Tricks for Babies:
1. Fels-Naptha Stain Bar
Not a day goes by where my baby has stain-free clothes. At the end of the day, I end up with at least one pair of stained clothing. Soaking took way too much time, so I needed to find something which worked fast. The Fels-Naptha Stain Bar is quick, easy to use, and inexpensive. I simply wet the clothing, rub it on the stain, let it sit for a minute, and throw it in the wash. That’s it! The stain is gone.
2. Wash bottles in a large bowl.
We use Dr. Brown’s Bottles and there are so many pieces to wash! Washing and rinsing each piece one by one takes so long. This technique is much faster:
Grab a large bowl.
Add some soap and water.
Throw all the parts in.
Scrub each piece with a bottle brush at once.
Rinse.
Done.
My five-year-old likes to help with this one which saves me even more time. There is nothing like making chores fun so the kids want to help.
3. BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush
Never want to touch diaper cream again? It can happen. This BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush is a life-saver. I simply put the ointment on the brush, rub it on baby’s bottom, and clean it with a wipe.
4. Use stickers to label breast milk with the date.
When pumping and breastfeeding, we bought these simple stickers. If milk was going into the fridge, I would simply write the date and time on a sticker and stick it on the container I pumped into. This made my life easier because when pumping in the early morning or middle of the night, I was usually in a daze. I always forgot which milk came from which pump session. If freezing the milk right away, we used these breastmilk storage bags and simply wrote the date and time on the bag.
5. Zip-up sleepers are key, because who has time for buttons?
With three children to take care of, I simply did not have time to button up baby sleepers. There are so many buttons! In my haste, I could never find which buttons were supposed to snap together. I always ended up with a hole somewhere due to a missed button. Zip-up sleepers are the best, especially in the dark during middle-of-the-night feeds and changes.
6. Use bibs with plastic backing.
My baby is a messy eater. Food gets everywhere. Why she loves to smash her food in her hands and then rub it on her face, I will never know. Bibs with plastic backing ensure the food doesn’t soak through and onto baby’s clothing. One less outfit to wash is always a win.
7. Put extra pacifiers in the crib.
If you have a pacifier-lover, put more than one pacifier in the crib so they can easily find them during naptime and nighttime. Less interrupted infant sleep equals more time, or rest, for us. There is no such thing as too much sleep these days. We use the WubbaNub pacifiers which are super easy to find in the crib.
8. Cradle Cap Brush
We used this cradle cap brush from the beginning and it removed and prevented cradle cap. Simply add shampoo and gently rub this brush all over baby’s head. Then, rinse. It is easy, quick, and effective.
9. Pull the onesie down after diaper blow outs.
When a blowout happens, poop can literally end up everywhere while trying to remove the onesie. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure this tip out. The top of most onesies have little folds. You can simply pull the onesie down and off the feet. Viola! Less mess and no poop in baby’s hair!
Tricks and Tips for Toddlers:
10. Wet Brush
This brush may be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Where have you been all my life? I am not even kidding. My oldest has long hair, and let me tell you, brushing it out after a bath is NOT fun. That is, until I started using this brush. It detangles and there are no more tears. Win!
11. Pulls for light-switches
The amount of times I am in the middle of something and my toddler has to go potty “RIGHT NOW” is unbelievable. I am pretty sure they wait until we are in the middle of something to ask. He is too tiny to reach the light-switch so I always had to stop everything I was doing and run to turn on the light. Now, with this light switch extender, he can turn on the light by himself.
12. Place a coffee filter in the bottom of the toddler potty.
Adding a simple coffee filter in the bottom of a training potty really helps when it comes to poop. Way less residue is left in the potty. Win! This tip is thanks to a blog post by onecrazyhouse.com.
During potty training, we keep a toddler potty in the car in case of emergencies. I learned this tip the hard way. It is especially helpful to have a few coffee filters and diaper disposal bags on hand for the car in case of a toddler poop emergency. There is no harm in doubling or tripling them up either!
13. Hershey syrup can make medicine taste better.
One of my children struggles with taking medicine. Often when medicine is required, there are tears, screams, and sometimes even vomiting. Our pediatrician recommended mixing the yucky-tasting medicine with Hershey’s Chocolate syrup. This trick has worked wonders for us.
14. Put all stuffed animals in a bean bag chair.
Over the years, we have accumulated a lot of stuffed animals. This is probably the understatement of the year. The amount of time we spent cleaning up and re-organizing stuffed animals was mind-blowing. Now, when our stuffed animals aren’t in use, we simply zip them all up in this Stuffed Animal Storage Bean Bag Chair. It looks so cute in the kids’ rooms, and it doubles as a comfy place to sit.
15. Use mattress pads to protect the bed.
My kids have double and queen beds, so we use two of these waterproof mattress pads under the sheets which cover most of the mattress. I keep an extra in the closet in case it is needed in the middle of the night. This makes changing sheets due to an accident or illness much easier.
16. Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Lice Prevention Conditioning Spray
We spray this Rosemary Repel Lice Prevention Leave-In Conditioning Spray on our daughter’s long hair before school. So far, no lice. Enough said.
17. Disposable Placemats
These disposable placemats have been so great when I am short on time. I simply ball them up and toss them after meals. There is way less mess for me to clean.
I hope these hacks will save you as much time as they have saved me! What is your favorite time-saving hack? Share it in the comments. Let’s help each other out.
To learn more about me and my blog check out: About Lauren
You may also enjoy: My Mom Life in Pop Song Lyrics
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You can count on me only recommending products which I know and love!
Top 10 Products for Toddlers on the Go
(Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2018)
1. Toilet Seat Covers
If you have a potty trained toddler, you will find yourself helping them use a public toilet at some point or another. If you are like me, you will find yourself getting frustrated or disgusted because either their bottom, their hands, or the back of their pants will touch the toilet. We found potty seat covers which cover the entire potty. They stick to the toilet seat so that they won’t move and they offer full coverage you guys! They cover the full seat and edges of the toilet. This means no more hands or pants touching the potty. Check out how they work here. Another option is the folding potty seat. We have also used these, and they work great!2. Snack Container
If you have a toddler like mine, you will almost never leave the house without bringing along a snack. This bbluv snack container is awesome! There are three storage areas, so you can bring three different snacks. The top has a lid like the top of a bottle, so you can even store juice or water here. It’s cute, easy, and a space-saver! It’s also leak-proof and dishwasher and microwave safe.
3. Stroller Clips
With a toddler in tow, you will have plenty to carry with you. We love these dreambaby stroller clips. You can clip your purse or diaper bag directly onto the stroller. You can even clip grocery bags on your way out of the store. When we know we will be walking with the stroller quite a bit, we even clip our favorite straw sippy cups directed onto these clips.
4. Placemat/ Meal Mat
I love a good placemat at a restaurant. We all know what happens when you give a toddler a glass plate… and it’s not always pretty. Here are three of our favorites. We switch them up when we go out. The Gerber Meal Mat: This is a silicon plate with separate areas for each food item. The silicon helps it stay put on the table. The best part about this one is it comes in a container. This makes it super easy to bring back home even if it is covered in food. Click the link to see how it works. Silicone Coloring Placemat: This placemat is loads of fun. You can literally ball it up into a ball and throw it into the diaper bag and it will keep it’s shape. Kids can use either dry erase or regular washable markers to color it and then it can be used as a placemat when the food arrives. The best part is, it’s dishwasher safe! Klean Kids Disposable Placemats: Thanks to Home Worthy Goods for gifting us these! They are great for dining at a restaurant. Even if your toddler decides to lick the table, it’s clean. We ball these up and throw them away after, which means leaving less of a mess for the server. Double win!
5. Wipe Clean Books or Cards
The kids will likely need something to do to keep them busy at some point during the outing. We especially like to bring along activities when we are eating at a restaurant. Wipe clean books can be used over and over again and they never seem to get old. Both dry erase markers and dry erase crayons work on these books. You can also find wipe clean activity cards.6. Sippy Cup Strap
The sippy cup strap is essential for my toddlers, because I am pretty sure their drink spends more time on the floor than on the table. What is it with a young toddlers desire to drop things to the floor? At least with the sippy cup strap, it will not actually hit the floor. Yay for less germs! This one is our favorite because it can easily adjust to fit around toys.7. Pacifier Clip
Along the same lines, if you have a pacifier lover, the pacifier clip is essential. One pacifier in reach equals a much happier baby. There are so many options, but here is a simple one we like to use.
8. High Chair Cover/ Cart Cover
We love these shopping cart covers because they can be used to cover both the highchair at a restaurant and the shopping cart in the store. I am all for items which serve multiple purposes. I swear the first thing my toddlers want to do is bite the cart. With the cover, it’s one less thing I need to worry about.
9. Travel Bags
These Bumkins bags are great. I love that they are reusable and waterproof. It’s a great place to store pacifiers, teethers, crayons or markers for the kids, and pretty much any small item you don’t want lost in the diaper bag. This package comes with three different sizes. These are also TSA compliant which is great for plane rides.
10. Disposable Diaper Bags and Dispenser
Finally, the baby always poops at a restaurant or while out and about. And why are these always the blowouts? These Munchkin disposable diaper bags are great because I hate leaving a smelly diaper behind in a bathroom. I mean, no one wants to smell that. Seriously! I just toss the diaper inside one of these, tie it up and throw it in the trash. These are also nice for those blowouts, because once the shirt and pants are covered in poo, there are pretty hard to carry home. So, we just stick the soiled clothes right in a bag, tie it up, and take them home. I hope these items will help make your next outing a bit easier! Let me know what you think in the comments! To learn more about me and my blog check out: About Lauren You may also enjoy: Fed Is Best As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can count on me only recommending products which I know and love!Baby Must-Haves You May Not Know You Need
(Posted on Thursday, September 6, 2018)
For Comfort
HappiTummi: This tummy wrap is a lifesaver. When our baby was experiencing colic and reflux, this tool calmed her down right away. You simply heat the herbal insert in the microwave, place it into the comfy tummy wrap, and wrap it around your babies lower stomach. This calmed my colicky, need-to-be-held baby down in an instant.For Sleeping
Monitor: A baby monitor is a must. I prefer the monitors where you can actually see the baby. This gives me peace of mind, but any baby monitor will do. Here is the one we use and love. White noise sound machine: I am so thankful a friend told me about white noise! It is basically a sound machine placed in baby’s room which plays some type of white noise all night long. The first time we used a sound machine, our newborn slept over an hour longer than she usually did. We never looked back. Find an example of a white noise machine here. Swaddle Me swaddles: These velcro swaddles are our absolute favorite. If at first your baby doesn’t seem to like being swaddled, try swaddling them right before bedtime and breastfeeding them straight away. Usually mine would calm down and sleep much better and longer. Sleep Sacks: We love these Halo SleepSacks. We transitioned our babies from the swaddle to the sleep sack around four or five months old.
Baby Carrier
Baby carriers are great for any baby, especially when you leave the house, but I found them essential when I had my second child. I wore my second and third child a lot so that I would have my hands free to care for and entertain my toddlers. My favorite for my newborn was the Moby Wrap. Check it out here. For older babies, I love the Ergo carrier.For Bath Time
Bath Sponge: My children hated the plastic bathtubs. I was delighted to find this bath sponge. We place it directly into the bathtub, lay baby down, and bathe them right on it. I use a bath cup to continue pouring water over them during the bath to keep them nice and warm. Hair brush which helps prevent cradle cap: Check out this baby brush. We were given a baby brush just like this when we left the hospital with our first child. I was so happy to find one for purchase when we needed a replacement for baby number 3! It works wonders at preventing and removing cradle cap. I just apply some baby soap and massage baby’s scalp gently in circular motions. Washcloths: Soft washcloths are wonderful for bath time. I recently came across these super soft washcloths which we love.
For Diaper Changes
BabyBum Brush for applying diaper cream: I wondered and wondered if this product would actually work. I hated having diaper ointment residue on my hands even after washing with soap, so I gave it a try. The BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush is absolutely amazing. I can apply diaper cream now in one easy swipe and my hands are completely goo-free! Baby Wipe Clutch: The Huggies wipe clutch is my favorite. I can unzip and refill and place it directly into the diaper bag. It has a nice little strap for carrying and can even be hooked directly onto a bag. Diaper Ointment: We love the tried and true A&D diaper ointment for everyday changes and the Medline Remedy Olivamine Ointment for diaper rash. It works like a charm at removing tough diaper rashes!For Sleep and Play
Pack ‘N Play: We use the Pack N’ Play for traveling or as a safe place for baby (out of my toddlers’ reach). This one is our favorite as it has a little bassinet and changing area for baby. Rock ‘N Play: My infants spent a ton of time in their Rock ‘N Play. The incline was awesome for my babies with reflux and the rocking and vibration features make it even better! Play Nest: This is a favorite in our house. There comes a time where baby wants to sit up so bad, but they can’t do it quite yet. They become frustrated laying down, but would fall if you sat them up without support. The Play Nest was the perfect solution. It even helped my babies practice and learn to sit up. This particular play nest can be flipped to the other side for an infant insert: Check it out here.
For Feeding
Medela Sterilizer bags: These bags are great for sterilizing pump parts and bottles. Many different brands make these neat and easy-to-use sterilizer bags! Breast Pump: We used the Medela Pump in Style. If you are breastfeeding, this may be the most important baby item. This pump lasted me through all three kiddos. I simply replaced the tubing each time. Formula dispenser: If you are formula feeding, the AVENT formula dispenser is so convenient for on-the-go feeds. This one holds three bottles of formula and easily converts to a snack cup when baby becomes a toddler. It is perfect for any outing or trip. Boon “grass” drying rack: We love this drying rack. Ours is over five years old and is still going strong! You can even get a fun flower or tree to hold your bottle nipples. It doesn’t hurt that it looks cute on the counter either! Bibs with plastic backing: My babies make a huge mess while eating, while burping, while drinking. I had to invest in some bibs with plastic backing, so their clothes could stay dry. Less laundry equals a happy mama!
Diaper Cloths: We love these Gerber flat fold birdseye cloth diapers for burping baby. Their extra large size provides nice coverage which keeps baby and I clean and spit-up free. They get softer each and every wash.
Boppy: The Boppy is an item I use every day. It helps keep baby in a nice position while nursing. Later, it can be used to help baby learn to sit up.
I hope you will find this list of must-haves helpful! These items have sure helped me through my three babies… and let’s be honest… with three, I will take all the help I can get.
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