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?

Spring!

Spring may technically be another week away, but most schools I know are on Spring Break this week, and so I think it counts as Spring already. 

(And why do schools take Spring Break before it’s actually Spring?)

Anyway, after some seriously long and exhausting days in the Coleman household, Hadley and I decided to do a little shopping recently.  She found a great deal on ruffled leggings at Gymboree for $3.  I was proud of her bargain hunting.  I mean, seriously when can you ever find those deals in your size? 

I spent a little more than she did at Bath & Body Works.  I honestly haven’t shopped there (until this Christmas) for years, but I was lured in by deals and the promise of an amazingly scented home.  (When you are constantly spraying febreeze around a diaper pail, the idea of something actually smelling good is enticing.)  I bought a few wallflowers at Christmastime and found some scents that I LOVED.  They were still plugged in up until now.  I think it’s time for our house to stop smelling like a Christmas tree, yes? 

Well, once again, I found a scent I LOVE.  It’s called Spring.  That’s it.  No “Tropically Fresh Coconutty Mango” or anything like that.  Just Spring.  And it smells like a flower shop.  Just fresh cut flowers without being flowery and girly smelling.  I love it.  I might have to go back and stock up in case they don’t bring it back again.  I even bought the candle and I love the little touch it adds on the mantel.  Isn’t that zebra holder super cute too?

Do you have any favorite scents?  Or have you been avoiding bath & body works since high school like I was? 

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! 

Baby Loves & Must Haves Months 3-6

I wrote a post awhile ago about the bigger items that we used all the time and thought I’d do another edition for the items we “couldn’t live without” in the 3-6 month age. 

1. The first item on the list is the Circo brand (from Target) flannel lap pads – we’ve actually been using these since day 1 and I just keep finding more uses for them.  Initially I just used them on the changing pad on her Pack-N-Play.  Now, in addition to using them on her boppy changing pad (in place of the boppy waterproof cover b/c that one always stuck to her little bottom), I use one in her crib so I don’t have to change the crib sheet as often.  They are also great for traveling when you won’t have a changing table somewhere.  They wash up well (as long as you don’t wash something with velcro in the same load) and fold up nicely.  I started with one pack of these and now have about 10 of them total.  Love them.  Oh – and the brand is important.  I bought some similar ones from Babies R Us and they have not stood up to washing the way the Circo brand has.  The BRU ones pill and lose their softness. 

2. Exersaucer.  The one we have was a generous hand me down from one of Matt’s co-workers.  It’s the Evenflo 3 Stage Triple Fun Exersaucer.  The first couple times I put Hadley in this she cried, but you would never know that now.  She LOVES this thing.  She can spin around in the chair so she doesn’t get bored looking at the same toy, and it bounces, which has become her favorite thing to do in here.  It keeps her entertained easily while I make dinner or do laundry.  It’s also a lovely decorating addition to our family room.   

3. Angel Dear Cuddle Blankie.  We have been given a handful of different “loveys” and at first I thought they were interchangeable.  I was wrong.  Although she will tolerate other ones, she clearly loves this one above and beyond the others.  I actually just bought another one on Amazon to have as a backup when one is dirty or lost.  From reading the reviews, it sounds like there is something about this brand that babies love!  Another girlfriend of mine also swears by these – her 18 month old is still carrying his around.  We have the floppy eared bunny (below), but click here to see all the different ones they offer!  LOTS of cute ones!

4. OXO Tot feeding spoons.  Yes, other spoons will work, but these are far and beyond my favorite.  They are sturdy, easy to wash, soft enough for her to gum on when she takes a bite, but strong enough to show no signs of wear.  They are also great for scraping the last little bit out of a container.  (I guess these aren’t really “baby” must haves, but more of “mom” must haves.)

5. Paci Wipes.  These are “food grade” wipes, so they are safe to use for something you eat off of, making them my wipe of choice when we are out and about.  I use these for her paci, spoon/bowl after a lunch out, and to wipe her face off when she’s done eating. 

6.  Baby Tylenol.  I know this seems a little silly to put on here, but with the teething pains we’ve Hadley’s been having, it had to make the “must have” list.   Now that she is older than 6 months, we also alternate with Baby Advil.

 

7. RoSK Sun Blanket.  This blanket has UPF 30 and can tie to her stroller or car seat, and we have used it pretty much every day this summer.   It’s also lightweight and breathable, so if we’re out in the sun, I feel like it actually keeps her cooler.  

 

8. Apple Tree Boutique Bibs.   To be completely honest with you, I don’t love the majority of the fabrics she uses, but I picked out 3 and had her make some and they are by far the best bibs we have.  On a normal, teething day, Hadley can go through about 7-8 regular bibs.  With these, we use the same one all day unless she gets food on it or spits up all over.  I take it off for nap and it’s dry by the time she wakes up.  She has yet to drool through one of them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. And last – the video monitor.  We have this one by Motorola, but I think just about any would do.  Since Hadley has been in her room from about 4 months, I use this constantly.  It’s nice to be able to keep an eye on her without going in to disturb her! 

Some of the things from the last list I made would still be on here, as well, such as the paci and the City Mini stroller.  You can see that list here – Baby Loves. 

What things can you not live without? 

Pinterest

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Pinterest by now, but on the off chance that some of you haven’t, I wanted to spread the word!  I am pretty obsessed with it already – it’s such a great way to get inspiration for anything!  Picture all of your bookmarks/favorite pages in one place with perfect little thumbnail pictures to represent them!  And then imagine a glimpse into your favorite people’s bookmarks and a way to search for things by category! 

Here’s a screenshot of one of my boards (For the home…).  It’s where I save inspiration for home decorating & organization. 

Here’s a glimpse at my main page with my different “boards” that I’ve made.  You can follow people who have similar taste and they can follow you so you can share ideas! 

It’s super addicting, so if you don’t have time in your day for anything else, I’d highly recommend staying away!  However, if you want to try it out, let me know and I’ll be glad to send an invite your way to join! 

If you’re already on Pinterest, leave me a comment with your name on there so I can follow you! 

Quick Review & Giveaway!

So I’ve been talking about this for awhile now; I figured I’d better get my act together and get it up! I've never done a giveaway before, but I'm excited to share this one with y'all!

I discovered Amanda from Oh Sew Cute Designs when I was just searching through Etsy vendors one day.  I really wanted some car seat strap covers, but I was having a tough time finding designs that I liked (I might be a little bit picky and extremely indecisive). 
I liked her shop, so I contacted her and within the hour I had a response back about making some custom ones for me! 
{sidenote: I know a lot of people out there are weary of adding anything to a car seat for safety reasons.  I’m the same way, but since our car seat came with strap covers, I just didn’t like them, I really wasn’t too worried about that.  They don’t change the way anything sits or buckles, and they are so much softer and easier to clean!}
Here are a couple pictures of the ones she made for me…  (excuse the poor quality of the pictures, these were taken with my phone.)

These are the same set – they are reversible, which I LOVE! 

Here’s a quick picture of the other set I got.  I actually use these about the same amount as the others, but for whatever reason didn’t have any pictures so I took a quick one before our walk today.  I especially love these in her “big girl stroller” because the adjustment thingamajigs and clips to attach to the back are right up by her ears and this keeps the straps nice and soft for her sweet little face!
 

(They had just come out of the wash, and the pink side wasn’t quite dry.)

Which brings me to my next point, I love love love that I can just take these off and pop them in the wash.  Hadley spits up a lot, and now that we are teething she is like a water faucet that is constantly leaking.  I can’t imagine how gross our car seat straps and stroller straps would be without these!  LOVE.

In addition to these, Amanda has a ton of other cute things in her shop…

With Hadley about to start solids, a couple of these are next on my list…

They have laminated cotton on the inside so you can just wipe them clean!  These would be great to re-use for a bigger kids lunch box, too! 

And I love these appliqued turkey shirts that she makes.  The only reason I haven’t bought one yet is because I can’t decide what size to get!  Hadley is in 9 month sleepers already and she’s not even 5 months old.  That makes it tough to predict future sizes!  She does all kinds of other applique shirts, too.

She also makes cute little keychain fobs :


Sippy straps…

And burp cloths!  These would make a perfect gift for a shower!
AND, she is great to work with.  So, have I sold you on her shop, yet? 
{sidenote: I’m not being compensated in any way to promote this stuff, I just really liked her shop, and thought it would be fun to offer something to one of my readers!}
Here’s where the giveaway comes in.  Amanda has graciously offered to let one winner choose one item in her shop for free!  All you have to do is enter! 
Here’s how to enter:
1. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know that you are a follower.
2. Check out her shop and “Like” Oh Sew Cute Designs on facebook and leave a separate comment here letting me know you did and what you would choose if you won!
And that’s it!  Since we’ve got a holiday weekend coming up, I’ll leave the giveaway open for ONE WEEK, so you have until May 31st to enter! 
**Make sure you leave an email address when you comment so that I have a way to contact you if you win!**
Linking up to:




Edit:  I realize the "follow" button hasn't been working properly on blogger the past day or so.  You are still welcome to leave a comment to enter the giveaway and you can come back to check if the follow button is working later! Thanks!

Baby Loves

Well, “What’s Cookin Wednesday” has come and gone – without a recipe.  I just have been slacking in the meal planning department this week.  Hopefully I’ll pick it back up next week.  Anyways, with 3 months under our belts (that basically makes me an expert, right?), I thought I’d post about all of the baby “gear” that Hadley has loved, and the things we could live without. 

First up – Soothie Pacifiers.  Not just any paci will do for this girl, and Soothie is the way to go.  I think we have about 10 of these floating around the house at all times.  She is getting to where she doesn’t take them quite as often, she really only takes one when she’s going to sleep, but they have been a God-send in the car as well.

Fisher-Price Deluxe Infant to Toddler Comfort Rocker.  This thing is basically the same shape as the oh-so-popular Fisher Price Rock –n- play, but I liked that it had the toy bar as well and can easily rock or be stationary.  Because of Hadley’s reflux, she has spent a LOT of time sleeping in this.  I think we started her sleeping in this around 4 weeks and she’s still in it at night. (She just started napping in her crib during the day – yay!)

 

For swaddling – the only one I found that Hadley couldn’t bust out of was the Halo Infant sleep sack/swaddle.  The downside to this was that the velcro was SO loud, it was impossible to do a “quiet” diaper change in the middle of the night.  She was wide awake the second you open that velcro.  We also used the Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blankets – they are HUGE so you get plenty to work with. Unfortunately, Hadley decided swaddling was for babies and was SO. over it by about 7 weeks.  The swaddle sleep sacks have been packed away, but the A+A blankets are the perfect weight for a car seat cover or stroller blanket.  I use them every day!

The Boppy pillow is still used daily in this house, as well.  I use it to nurse Hadley, and when she was smaller, it was great for other people to hold her.   I’d recommend getting at least 2 slip covers for it – we’ve had lots of spit up on ours!

Chicco® Lullaby LX 4-in-1 Playard in Romantic.  The biggest thing I have loved about this is the changing table.  We have this in our room (even though H is sleeping in her bouncy seat) and use it as another changing station.  It can hold diapers and wipes in the side (although I just keep a little basket in the actual bassinet part of it) and the mattress part converts to a playmat as well.  Not to mention that this brand just felt “sturdier” than a lot of the others we checked out. 

Sticking with the Chicco theme – we really like our infant seat as well.  The Chicco Keyfit 30 (which means the weight limit is 30 lbs) in Romantic.  I like that it’s neutral colors and comes with an infant insert & headrest, and that little foot- muff thing.  (That’s the technical term for it.)  We tried to get a lot of our big-ticket items in neutral colors so they can be used for another kiddo down the road. 

Instead of going with the big travel system for our stroller, we opted for the snap & go stroller.  The car seat just pops right into the top and you strap it in and you’re good to go.  It’s super light weight, has a huge basket, 2 cup holders and a spot for keys & your phone.  We have gotten a TON of use out of this, and I’ll be sad when she can’t fit into her infant seat anymore (or wants to face forward instead of staring at me all the time).  However, I’m really excited about our second stroller once Hadley gets a little bigger…

This is the Baby Jogger City Mini.  It has a car seat adaptor, so we could be using it right now, but rather than spend the money on that, we are just waiting until she’s big enough to sit in the seat on her own.  Maybe we’ll try out the car seat adaptor for another kiddo.  The biggest selling point to this one, if you haven’t already seen it, is the way it folds up.  SO. stinkin. easy.  LOVE.  If you haven’t seen it – click over and “watch it in action.”  Not to mention it’s light weight, has a HUGE sunshade, and maneuvers really easily.  I can’t wait to start using it!

Speaking of neutral, big-ticket items, this swing has gotten a lot of use in our house as well.  In fact, there was a stretch of about 3 weeks where Hadley wouldn’t nap ANYWHERE except in this swing.  Now it’s more of an entertainment item and will keep her occupied while I’m doing the dishes or drying my hair.  It has 2 positions – a recline for infants and a more upright position for when they’re bigger – and swings both side to side and front to back.  Hadley really liked the side to side for being rocked to sleep. 

The Bright Starts – Start Your Senses play mat has gotten a lot of use as well.  Hadley loves the little lights, music and little bee/bugs that hang from the mobile.  I always like that the mobile part can come off and attach to the car seat handle, too!

On the list of things we could live without – the Diaper Champ.  I honestly don’t think there’s a huge difference between this and your basic trash can with a lid.  It does the job, and I think it looks cuter for her nursery than a trash can, but it fills up quickly and is sort of a pain to wipe down. 

There are a lot of other items we use, but these stand out as the ones we use the most.  Hopefully this can help someone else out there, and help me to remember what we’ve gotten a lot of use out of!  I’m thinking about doing a post on my favorite Etsy sellers too – it’s addicting to shop on there for Hadley!  Let me know if you’ve got any favorites!

 

Sidenote: These are all just my opinions – I’m certainly not being endorsed by any of the above companies (although if any of them wanted to pay me for singing their praises I wouldn’t be opposed )

BBBlocks

How cute are these?  I was clicking through my blog reader today and came across an ad for this adorable product!  I love the idea of documenting baby's age with a picture, and up until now I had only seen it done with a little sign, either hand written or printed off the computer (which is what I had planned on doing).  You get 2 square number blocks and one rectangular block that says weeks, months and years.  They seem a little bit expensive (although if you look on the website, they are a pretty good size - much larger than you'd think), maybe I'll look for some blocks and try to make my own for a fun craft project?  I think these would make a great shower gift too for anyone not wanting them for yourself; totally unique and thoughtful!