Baby Loves. Edition: The 2nd Time Around

I was stopped twice in 10 minutes at the mall yesterday by other moms asking about baby products.  I’ve been meaning to write a post with my favorite baby products the second time around for awhile now and that was a good reminder to get it done!  I won’t waste anymore time with intros, but instead I’ll link to my favorite products the first time around with Hadley…

Favorite Baby Products 0-3 Months

Favorite Baby Products 3-6 Months

Favorite Baby Products 6-9 Months

Just about all of those items (minus the strollers) would still make my list this time (and a couple of them earned a second mention!). 

1. Monitor: If you have more than one child, a monitor with the ability to add a camera is a great option.  We originally had a Motorola one which I loved, but after going through 2 in 2 years, we switched brands.  I like this Summer Infant one (not quite as much as the Motorola one) and have had good luck with it so far!

2. Teether: In my experience, most babies start to show signs of teething around 4 months.  I never really found anything Hadley liked chewing on, but I found these Lifefactory ones for Harper and she LOVES them.  They are light enough for her to hold, soft enough that it doesn’t hurt if she hits herself in the face with, and hard enough to feel good on her gums.  And you can freeze them!

3. Angel Dear Lovey/Blankie: I learned with Hadley that these are not just any old lovey.  Something about them makes them superior to other loveys in a baby’s eyes.  **TIP: I’d suggest buying the “Pair & a Spare” or “Cuddle Twins” sets that you can find on Amazon.**

4. Paci Clip: I bought a bunch of these from The Posh Tots on Etsy when Hadley was born and they are still my favorite. **TIP: The ribbon end makes these universal, so you can use them for any pacifier**

5. Wubbanub: These help the pacifier stay in baby’s mouth, and are also just incredibly cute!

6. Baby Carrier: I have used the K’Tan probably every other day since Harper was born.  It’s really similar to the Moby (but easier/quicker to get on), which is also great.  The other one I have heard great things about is the Ergo.  I haven’t used it, but if I were buying another one, that’s the next one I’d get.

7. Woombie: I bought this on a whim for Harper and ended up rush-ordering 3 more because we loved it so much.  So much easier than any swaddle blanket, and no busting out of it in the middle of the night!  The 2-way zipper is also great for middle of the night diaper changes.

8. Rock & Play: I was lucky enough to borrow this from a good friend this time around.  Harper slept in it for probably the first 3 months of her life.  It still floats around the house from room to room as a place for her to hang out when I’m cooking or cleaning.

9. Double Stroller: There are a million options out there for this, but I LOVE my City Select.  So many different seat configurations, easy to fold and a HUGE basket on the bottom.

10. Wipeable changing pad and diaper clutch: The one shown is a random picture I found online, but my favorite combination is a wet bag like this (http://www.etsy.com/listing/60829627/wet-bag-with-waterproof-lining-and?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=wet+bag&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all) and this set from Couture Mama on Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/listing/119016799/the-couture-mama-diaper-bag-set-in-aqua?ref=shop_home_active 

11. ComoTomo Bottles: Hadley refused to take a bottle past about 4 1/2 months, so I was determined to find a bottle that Harper liked from the beginning.  After doing a lot of research, ComoTomo bottles appeared to be the most similar to breastfeeding, so I thought I’d give them a try.  They are the BEST bottles I’ve tried (and we tried a bunch with Hadley).  SUPER easy to clean and Harper never gulps with them like she does with other bottles.  They’re made out of silicone and are bacteria resistant, shatterproof, scratch Resistant, dishwasher Safe and leak-proof. **TIP: Don’t bother buying the 5oz ounce ones – go straight for the 8oz ones.  You’ll only use the 5oz for a couple months, then you’ll have to go buy bigger ones. And they aren’t exactly cheap.**

12. Infant Seat & Canopy: The Chicco Keyfit was on my list with Hadley and I added it again because we’re using it again for Harper.  It’s so easy to install and clean and looks brand new almost 3 years later.  I ordered a carseat canopy from Oh Sew Cute Designs on Etsy, but you can search Etsy and find thousands of them!  I loved having it to be able to keep Harper covered up in the winter and keep big sister’s hands away!

I think that’s all I’ve got!  What items could you not live without?

Wardrobe Wednesday: Toddler Edition

Having two girls is dangerous on my wallet.  There are just so many endless options out there clothing-wise and it seems like I discover a new one that I like even more than the last each day.  As I’m unpacking Hadley’s old clothes for Harper I’m realizing that my taste has changed a lot in terms of how I like to dress them.  I thought I’d do a clothing round-up of some of my new favorite clothing addictions (and some tried & true ones, too). 

I’ll start with accessories.  We’re in the south, so obviously the girls have to have a bow on their heads!  My two favorite places to buy bows are:

The Hairbow Company – this is where Harper’s monthly onesies came from, as well as most of the bows that the girls wear.  Harper and Patty’s sweet girl Dahlia are their monthly onesie models!

and

Polkadot Posies

You can find good unique headbands on etsy, too!

My newest clothing addiction is Persnickety.  I’ll warn you now: it’s PRICEY.  Like more than I would spend on myself.  But, as seasons change you can catch a good sale, and I found some resale groups on facebook which make it a little more affordable.  They just released their first fall line for the year (which I will not be purchasing because their new stuff is out of my price range, but I’ll keep and eye out for it on sale or resale!) and it’s adorable!  I love that the designs can coordinate for both younger and older girls.  The first picture with the red bell pants is an outfit I’m drooling over.  I want it in every size for both of my girls!

I mean, really?  Cuteness overload.

Another favorite of mine is Kelly’s Kids.  They have the best quality basics that last through wash after wash.  They have a bunch of items that literally come out of the wash looking brand new – ZERO wash wear and no ironing!

I LOVE this little denim dress – you could wear it with ANYTHING!

Kelly’s Kids does monogramming on a lot of their outfits, but I also have a couple favorite shops for monogrammed and appliqued tops/outfits.  My friend Hether is the owner of Ditsy Daisy Boutique.  She’s in the process of setting up her website, but in the meantime you can find her on Facebook.   These are a couple outfits/tops I’ve gotten from her…

As far as every day play clothes go, pretty much everything else I buy comes from either Target, Old Navy, Children’s Place or H&M.  I also just discovered Naartjie and like their stuff for more unique, affordable basics!

Hope that helps answer any outstanding questions!  It surprises me how often I get emails asking where I get Hadley’s clothes because they’re usually just Old Navy or H&M!  I LOVE to discover new clothes for the girls (despite Matt’s pleading with me to stop), so please share some of your favorites if I didn’t mention them!

Harper’s One Month Pictures

Taking pictures this time around is proving to be MUCH more difficult than it was with Hadley.  Not only do I not have as much time, but I also have a little “helper” photo-bombing half of my pictures. 

However, I am excited to take Harper’s pictures each month because The Hairbow Company sent me some AMAZING goodies for her pictures!  They just started carrying these adorable glitter number onesies (which also have the cutest little tulle ruffles on the bum – can’t wait til Harper is a little bigger so I can get some good shots of that, too!), and they have every accessory under the sun – from bows, headbands, flowers to leg warmers and tutus.  On top of all of the fun stuff they carry, they have great prices and some of the best customer service.  They have been one of my favorite places to shop since I discovered them when Hadley was little!

So, challenges aside, here are our best attempts at a one month picture for Harper!

And photo-bombed by big sister…

This is what I was looking at between every picture I took of Harper…

And, I know this is probably overdone, but I thought I’d make an attempt to do the laundry basket pictures every month to see how she grows.

{I also got a couple newborn pictures of Harper a couple weeks ago and used a couple different goodies from The Hairbow Company, so I’ll share those soon!}

Baby Loves and must haves: Months 6 - 9

Time for another edition of our baby must-haves.  If you missed the earlier editions, you can see months 0-3 here and months 3-6 here.

1. Balboa Baby Shopping Cart Cover.  Unfortunately, I haven’t figure out how to make this fit the SuperTarget carts yet, but it fits every other cart, and high chair, so it still makes the list.  It folds up into itself, has a large strap to keep her in and two loops on the corners for attaching toys or her sippy strap.  Plus, I think it’s pretty. :)  I know these aren’t for everyone, and some people think they are too much of a hassle, but after reading an article that talked about how shopping carts are dirtier than most public restrooms, I think I will stick to using this and washing it when we’re done. 

2.  Puffs.  Is it cheating to put a food item on here?  These aren’t the healthiest thing, but they are a “must-have” because having a handful of these with me at all times enables me to finish grocery shopping or running an errand.  Hadley LOVES her puffs – especially the sweet potato flavor (M thinks they taste like fortune cookies??).  Is it wrong to use food to keep my daughter occupied while I run errands?

3. Convertible Car Seat.  (Not everyone will need this so soon, but we’ve got a big girl on our hands!)  After doing a lot of research, and purchasing and returning one, we ended up with the Britax Boulevard 70CS.  We plan to keep Hadley rear-facing in her seat until she is at least 2 years old (For why – see here or here or – this is a really good link) so I wanted a seat that had high weight & height limits for rear-facing.  Also, because we have captain’s chairs in the Tahoe, I can’t have her in the center of the car, so I wanted a seat that had extra side-impact protection.  This seat was really easy to install using the LATCH system in the car (although it took me a couple tries to get the recline angle right), has an easily adjustable harness, little velcro spots to keep the straps out of the way while you’re trying to get a wiggly baby in there, and the cover (which was one of the few that I thought was cute) can come off and be washed without uninstalling the seat!

 

4.  Sippy Cups.  The two that Hadley loves are the Playtex Little Gripper Straw Trainer cup…

and the Munchkin Mighty Grip Sippy Cup…

We started sippy cups around 6 months with Hadley, and it wasn’t until about 8 1/2 months that she really caught on and could drink out of them consistently, but they still make this list because I think it was important for her to get the practice!  That, and she loved to chew on the Munchkin cup.  I think it felt good on those sore little gums!  We also tried the Dr. Brown’s and Tommy Tippee cups, but she doesn’t like them. 

5.  Speaking of sippy cups – I couldn’t live without our sippy strap!  Hadley thinks it is SO fun to pick up her sippy and throw it down, and this keeps me from washing it over and over and over.  We got ours from Oh Sew Cute Designs and Amanda is great to work with if you need one! 

That’s all I’ve got this time.  Everything else that I “can’t live without” right now is something that I’ve already mentioned on one of the previous lists!  Happy Friday, friends!

I Love A Good Deal

Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Erin Condren’s Life Planner by now in the blogging world.  They came out this summer and go through December of 2012.  They are a lot more expensive than what I would usually pay for a planner, but I found a coupon code for mine and managed to get it for half off!  Add the fact that it’s got a personalized, laminated cover, tabs for all the months, plus a ton of super cute personalized goodies and I was sold.  :)  I was SO excited when mine came in the mail! 

This is the one I got… only it says “The Coleman Family” on it with our names below.  Love. It. 

I am old school in that I just can’t get used to using only an electronic planner – I NEED to write down our schedules somewhere, and I love to do it somewhere this cute!  Anyways, because I love a good deal, I thought I’d share with y’all today that Zulilly has a deal going on where you can pay $25 for a $50 credit at Erin Condren!    Add that to the fact that you can enter in the code WELCOME10 to get another $10 off and you can get your planner and free shipping for just the cost of the voucher.  That’s a steal.  And if that voucher was going to be good through next summer, I would totally buy it so I could use it to get my planner next year. 

That’s all I’ve got for today.  Just wanted to share a good deal – I certainly don’t have any ties to Erin Condren (although if they wanted to hire me I wouldn’t complain!) nor am I being compensated (although if you sign up at Zulilly through that link, and order something, I do get a credit).  

Okay – let me know if y’all get one! (Or if you already have one!)  I’d love to see what design others picked out!