Top Baby Items That I Love

It's getting pretty close to Tank's 1st birthday and I don't know where time has gone.  My little chunkers is officially 10 months.  Before I forget, I just wanted to share a few baby items that made my life easier and that I recommend to any soon-to-be mommy whether it's their 1st time and any time after.

Muslin Blankets

These blankets are so versatile and amazing.  Light weight, breathable and soft.  They can be use for many things.  I primarily used it as a nursing cloth and stroller cover.  It is Tank's personal blankie of choice and he does not fall asleep with out hugging one of these.   They are huge, mine are 44 x 44 inches, and are great for swaddling.  Tink was born in the Spring and I don't feel like she was overheating when wrapped and Tank was born in the fall and I can say the same.  They can be pricey but I think they are worth it.  Aden & Anais make a set for Target that at times goes on sale.

NoseFrida

I always felt like it hurt the babies when I had to use a bulb syringe.  And I never felt like I did a good job at extracting all those nasty boogies.  Then I came across the NoseFrida.  Some might think this is gross but I don't.  Don't worry it has a filter and the boogies never make it to filter anyway.  It is does a very good job of extracting and not hurting baby's nose.  My pediatrician has even recommended it.

Safety 1st 360 Ultrasonic Humidifier

I like this one because of the movable 360 spouts.  It's compact and quiet.  A full tank will last about 12 hours.  You can't go wrong with the price either.

Fisher-Price Rock n Play Sleeper

I didn't have this when my daughter was born but I sure wish I had.  She was a terrible sleeper in the bassinet.  I learned my lesson and got one when Tank was born.  Oh how sweet it was to sleep!  The baby lays on an incline and it just feels cozy for them to be in it.  The weight capacity is 25 pounds and some babies use it up until their 1st birthday.  Mine didn't (see pic below).

Just make sure to was the cover periodically to avoid any excess moisture (sweat, leaky diaper, etc) staying on the cover.

This is when I knew he had out grown it!

Stroller Frame

I debated for a while whether to get a travel system the second time around.  My experience with my first child and a travel system was that it was so big and bulky. Once she was out of the infant carseat and could sit up she truly only used it only twice.  We just went straight to an umbrella stroller.  It was less bulky, much lighter and easy to open, not mention cheaper! So between deciding on another travel system or a bulky double stroller, I remembered that stroller frames existed.  They are sooo light weight and simple to open especially when you have two kids with you.  It cost under a $100 and I am still using it. We ending up getting a double stroller anyway but a much lighter umbrella type.

Baby Brezza

I always knew I wanted to make both baby's food and this little machine sure made it easy to do it.  It steams and also blends the food in the same cup.  Less to dirty and less time to be washing up dishes and parts.  When you work full time and then need to make baby some food, it's not a big deal when you have this.  I will post a full review on this soon.

Booginhead SippyGrip

I have used this little strap to secure toys, pacifiers, and cups.  You just strap up the item and go.  It's good to use in restaurants while they sit in the high chair and stroller when you are on the go.  Our poor Sofie the Giraffe gets strapped all the time!

The items mentioned above are not necessary but they sure helped me a ton.  If your budget allows I definitely recommend looking into them.

Spanish Flash Cards

My husband and I always said that we would speak strictly Spanish at home to the kids.  They would eventually pick up English in school.  That is how we grew up, our parents only spoke Spanish.  I  personally didn't learn English until I was 5 years old, in kindergarten.

I found these flash cards on Amazon a while back and I really like them.  My daughter likes them just as much because they mimic things she is learning at daycare.  They have letters, numbers, colors, and shapes.  And even a few animals and action words all in Spanish.  The makers of the flashcards, FlashKids, have a pretty cool website with even a few freebie items to download.

Interesting that there are no Spanish words for the letter "W".  I tried googling it and only Spanglish words popped up.  I guess putting "Whiskey" on children's flashcard would not be a smart thing to do.  If anyone finds one please let me know, very curious!

These flashcards below are not in Spanish but they make it very easy for me to translate and help my daughter expand her vocabulary.  They are based the character Max the Monkey.  They go through his day such as breakfast, at school, at the park, etc.  It leaves rooms to ask questions about what they see and also goes through things that may be familiar to them and you can build from that.  I like them very much.  They also come with a cute little canvas bag.

Happy flashing!

Yeah Kiddie Thermos!

Back to school is one of my favorite times of the year.  That means fall is getting closer, the weather will soon be enjoyable, the colors of trees will be vibrant, and it is an awesome time for my hair management (say NO to frizz)!  The weeks leading up to school make me excited because I see all the cool supplies and it just brings back memories of how excited it felt to get brand new everything.  Once my kids are old enough for Back To School shopping, I have a feeling I will be sneaking a few products in the shopping cart for myself. Shhhhh, don't tell my husband!

A friend of mine highly recommended these great beverage Thermos containers a little over a year ago. I always looked them over because they aren't exactly cheap.  I will say that I am glad I made the investment.  Let me tell you, they are awesome!

The label on the container says that it will keep anything hot for 5 hours and anything cold for 7 hours.  I testify that anything really cold sometimes stays longer than that.  I have put in ice with water and forgot to empty it out until the next day and when I do it STILL has ice in it.  The hot option also keeps things warm, maybe not as long as the cold but definitely warm for 4-5 hours.

Why do I like it for my kids if they are not carrying lunch boxes yet?  The temperature control, the lid locks, and being able to put hot or cold beverages/food.  It's so much better than any sippy cup we've had.  If you notice in the pics below I also bought the food container.  My husband thought I was crazy and that it wouldn't be used.  I personally liked the cuteness (gets me into shopping trouble) but I truly have used them.  I take yogurt for my son while we are out and about.  I have cut up cheese and fruit for on the road snacks and it keeps cool always.  I have also taken hot oatmeal for those rushed mornings when they don't want to eat but know very darn well that they will an hour later.

I haven't had to replace the straws yet but as I was researching to plan ahead, reviews have mentioned to contact Thermos customer service because it's a better deal.  I will definitely be going that route.

My daughter likes this handle, perfect for little fingers. 

Pieces easily come apart for cleaning.

Love that you can fit a good amount in the container.  A heads up, you will need a tiny brush to clean the lid since has a very narrow space along the edge that traps food.

Hope everyone has a fabulous school year!

August = National Breastfeeding Month

Breastfeeding has been a big part of my life for the past 2 1/2 years and I couldn't be prouder of myself.  There have been many ups and downs and I never thought I would come this far.  I am now nursing my 2nd baby who is eight months and its going strong.  I can talk and talk about breastfeeding forever but I just wanted to point out some tips that surely helped me.  Any mom who decides they want to breastfeed will know that it takes extreme dedication and hard work in the beginning months, but it's all well worth it. 

What made me decide to breastfeed?  I just wanted to give the best I could to my baby, simple as that.  My husband and I took a couples breastfeeding class, I read about, researched it, and couldn't stop digging around for info on it.  The more I learned, the more I knew it was right for baby and me.

One great resource that helped me with any questions and/or concerns was KellyMom.com.  Anything and everything you may think of can be found there.  In addition to that I was addicted to breastfeeding forum found on the What to Expect When You Are Expecting website.  There I was able to see that I was not the only mom with the same exact concerns. It also helped me learn from other mom's experiences.  The forums was also were I learned of a couple of products that helped me have a successful breastfeeding experience.  

• Medela Tender Care Lanolin Nipple Cream
• Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
• Medela Pump-In-Style Advanced
• Pumpin Pals Flanges
• Medela Harmony Manual Breastpump

If your budget allows, all or most of the above may help in your nursing experience.  Here is the breakdown why it helped me.

Medela Tender Care Lanolin Nipple Cream

My 1st time breastfeeding was new to me and also to my daughter.  Which translated to improper latch in the beginning.  Some babies are awesome at latching from the get-go and some are not.  My daughter had a bit of a lazy latch which caused redness and cracks around my nipples.  This lanolin cream helped ease it a little along with manually expressing milk to apply on the cracks.  Just make sure to let it air dry and you will be good.

Brest Friend Nursing Pillow

This became my breastfeeding tutu.  With the round the clock nursing on demand, I found myself walking around the house wearing this pillow all the time.  That is why it felt like a tutu.  I tried a Boppy pillow initially but I didn't feel the support I needed.  So I researched a little and came across this one.  Boy, did this make a difference!  I finally felt that baby was in a good position and so did my back!  I think this just took away one less worry.

Medela Pump-In-Style Advance 

I initially thought that a single electric pump (Swing Breastpump) would do the job when I was going to get ready to head back to work.  But after researching on that friendly forum I saw the benefit of this awesome double electric breast pump.  My trusty pump has been everywhere with me.  I have pumped at home and in my car (many times) and it has truly been awesome.  I don't know what I would have done with it.  It helped me express enough milk to freeze that it gave my first baby enough to milk to drink until she was 14 months after weening herself at 11 months.  Might I add that it is still doing a great job with baby #2.  I love how easy it is to pick up and go. 

Pumpin Pals Flanges

This was another find from the forums that I was extremely happy I invested in. At first I was like, "Darn something else to buy", but this truly made a different for me.  I bought a couple different Medela sizes and they just didn't feel right or work for me.  After checking out Pumpin Pals' website it totally made sense how the angled flanges felt more natural.  So I gave it a try and haven't used anything else.  I even use it with my manual pump.

Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump

You are probably asking if I have an electric pump, why do I need a manual one?  Well for me it worked on multiple occasions.  I don't use it as often as the electric but it is there when I most need it.  For moments that I need a quick expression this was the best.  Long car rides, date night, on breaks when at a meeting.  It was not a necessary item but it sure helped.  It also worked to pump the breast that baby was not latched to in order to help increase my supply a bit.  Happy I invested in it. 

Harmony Pump fitted with Pumpin Pals Flange