Products I Love For My Kids Pt. 4

1.) Juice Box Holder

I've been wanting one of these for some time now.  I bought 2 Dwink holders but there are various other brands out there that probably work just as well.

It is seemingly impossible for little ones to hold a drink box without squeezing it.  My old method was making my daughter keep her hands off until I got the straw in her mouth, thus catching that first squeeze.  In the car, this was not an easy task.  So this will save me some laundry issues and some frustrations.





 2.) Ziploc Divided Rectangle Container

There are a lot of fancy lunch containers with divided sections.  Often labeled or marketed toward Mom's sending their kids to school with lunch, they are trendy for the "green" movement.  Unfortunately they are also pretty pricey ranging from $15-$40 for one box.  My kids don't need fancy at this point or even something of their own choosing.  Instead, I need easy options with few pieces and dishwasher safe.

I was picking up some plastic freezer bags and saw these in that aisle.  They come in a 2 pack so it can work for more than one lunch or for one in the wash one in the diaper bag.  The large section is big enough for 2 sandwiches (not huge loaded ones, but like PB & J for the kids.) The 2 small side compartments are good for fruit or veggies and a treat or crackers.  I've also used the main compartment for miscellaneous foods like string cheese and fruit snacks and a small ice pack for a morning at the park when hand held food is needed. These are easy to clean and don't leak (so far) and best of all if they break or I need more its not a big investment. Find these in the plastic bag aisle of your local supermarket or Target/Walmart type store for about $3 for 2.

3.) Annie's Food/Snack Products





This line of crackers, snacks, and meals like macaroni and cheese is great.   I'm not super strict about organic stuff in general.  I cook most of the food my kids eat rather than buy pre-made stuff.  But there are times when snacks and easy foods are great options.  The problem is most of these foods are just loaded with weird stuff and with salt and sugar.  Annie's has Natural & Organic options that are made with real food ingredients and they taste good too.  My daughter loves the mac and cheese or shells and cheese mixed with frozen peas that are cooked in the noodles the last minute or two.

Products I Love for My Kids Part 3

1.) Soilove

I don't know what it's made of but by the smell of it, it is not organic or fancy or anything that people love to use.  It is however really inexpensive and really effective.  You can find this at the 99 cent store or the grocery store for under $2.  It is one of the only things that I have found works on baby poop (you know the absurdly yellow stuff that blows out of their diaper on so many cute clothes for the first 5 months.)   Other than this product the only thing I have found that works is laying the offending stain in the sun before washing it and sometimes that is just not convenient.

So instead I squirt some of this on the stain immediately and wash as soon as I can and IT WORKS so I don't ask too many questions about how or why.  I am just happy that it does the job.

2.) Take N Toss Straw cups and sippy cups.

 
 I really like the straw cups with a disposable bendy straw instead of the actual straw.  Those plastic straws are nuts to clean.  My daughter never used a bottle and went straight into sippys and straws.

3.) Sterlite Small Storage containers

These come in several sizes and are great for holding toy sets or small toys that don't come with a container.  They are stackable and easy for my toddler to carry and open/close.  I believe there are different brands (maybe Rubbermaid) that have similar containers.  The parts that make this great are: the see through box so you know what's in it, the locking top so things don't spill out if its dropped or knocked over, the handle on top so its easily portable around the house, and of course the ability to stack in a closet or bookshelf. 

Bib from Dad's Shirt.

I got this idea from another blog, but I didn't use a pattern or their tutorial so I don't remember where I saw it.  If you saw something like this somewhere else, I'm not taking credit for the idea, just sharing my version of it.

My husband was getting rid of a shirt that didn't fit him well anymore.  Aside from some wear in areas from age, the shirt was still good and I thought I could make something out of it.  My first thought was a dress for my 2 year old but seeing as how I was swamped with Christmas stuff, I wasn't willing to commit my time to that.

Therefore we have the Shirt Bib.

All I did was get a bib that I liked the shape and size of and use it as a pattern.  I pinned it  to the front of the shirt where it buttoned and cut it with about 1/4 inch seam allowance.  I bought a coordinating hand towel (probably $1.50) and cut out the same pattern.  I stitched the two together (right sides facing each other) and left a 2-3 inch opening to allow me to turn the bib.  Then I top-stitched around the whole thing which closed the opening and helped the bib to "sit" flatter when on.  Because of where I cut the shirt, there was only one button attached so I cut off another one and it helped to keep the two layers from shifting.  I cut some Velcro for the neck and sewed it on.  The whole thing took a couple of days on and off (like 5 minutes here and there) and I think it looks pretty cute. :)

Sorry for the lack of step by step pictures.  I wasn't sure it would work the way I wanted and didn't think to take any pictures as I went.  But its pretty easy I swear.

Baby Legs

Tutorials for DIY Baby Legs are in abundance online.  So I'm not trying to add to the noise.  I am, however, using this tutorial, which I was directed to by Make It and Love It.   The directions are so straight forward and easy I am upset I never made these for my daughter.  She was forced to be stuck in pants or leggings during her crawling months and I missed out on such a cute accessory option.  Real Baby Legs cost more than I'd like to pay and they tend to be patterned which, in my opinion, can limit their usability.

So, I bought 3 pairs of socks in neutral "boy" colors.  It probably took less than 30 minutes total to make all 3, but that's a hard estimate because I did it over a couple days since I don't have a sewing room ready at hand.

I am anticipating the mobility of my little guy who I am sure will crawl much sooner than his sister did.  Also with the cooler weather coming I may have need for more cover up options in the house as well as outside.  With my Ergo I have noticed his pants pull up and don't cover his calves so I'm hoping this will be one solution to that as well.

Cheap and Easy, Travel Bed Rail.

Do you have a toddler who doesn't fit in a play yard anymore? Or perhaps you co sleep and can't bring all the comforts of home on your trip.  Well I found a solution.

POOL NOODLES!!!

I can't take credit for this idea.  I read it on an online message board but it was too good and easy not to try.

First, buy 1 or 2 pool noodles for each bed you will use it on.
Next place the pool noodle under the fitted sheet just at the edge of the mattress.

Now tuck the sheet in tight under the mattress so it won't shift.  I added the flat sheet too so I could tuck it more since my daughter doesn't really sleep with a sheet yet.

After the bed is all made it makes a really simple bed rail so your child won't roll off the bed.  We set the fold out bed in our cabin against the wall so we only needed one noodle.

I don't have pictures of the other use because the explanation is the same.  If you co sleep use the noodle in your bed (at home or traveling) so you don't have to worry about the baby rolling off the edge.  Also for an infant, this is great to have in the trunk of your car.  You would only need half a noodle or two halves.  Keep them there and when you stop by a friends or a relatives and need to give your infant a nap you can make a safe little space so they won't roll off the bed and you don't have to haul the pack and play to those short day trips.***NOTE: If you are putting a child under the age of 1 on a bed please keep the area clear of blankets and pillows.  Using the noodles as a bed rail can leave a place for a baby to suffocate if there is too much fabric.  Check on your baby regularly if you do this. ( I realized after posting that since this is public there usually needs to be these disclaimers for those of us that may need them.)


Featured on... 

Products I Love for My Kids Part 2

1.) Crane brand Cool Mist Humidifier






This is one of those items that you know you will need but some how no one gets it for your baby shower.  Its not "gifty" enough or "cutesy" enough I guess.  But you will need it and when you do you will not want to have to go searching for one during cold season.

I have not tried out a bunch of these, just this one but I like it for several reasons.  1.) It is decorative (sort of) and cute.  2.) The trunk helps to direct the flow of the vapor. 3.) It is reasonably priced at around $35, in my opinion, for an item that will be used several times throughout the baby, toddler, and preschool years and maybe beyond.  Also, if you have a child with eczema or dry skin humidifiers are recommended and might be used for a whole season.

2.) A Basic Play Yard

I know there are AWESOME play yards with various features and attachments.  Here is the thing, I have huge kids.   All of those extra attachments would be useful for about 1-2 months for me.  Seeing that those ultra cool, decorative, battery powered playyards can run into the $200 range, while a basic one runs closer to $60-$70 I am saving over $100 by not getting all the fancy stuff.  Given that play yard sheets cost around $6-$10 bucks each as well (and I would make them if I had the time) the extra saved $ makes me feel less bad about buying a couple nice padded sheets that are super soft.

3.)Baby Medicine syringe.
 

This comes in a set but the syringe part is the best.   I don't know if this is the brand I get but I find mine at Walmart in the medical section near the thermometers.  Focus on the middle syringe and topper.  That bottle topper fits any sized medicine bottle and does double duty.  First, it makes for easy mess free measurements of the meds.  Second, and this is my favorite part, it allows you to get the meds out without sticking the dropper into the medicine bottle which contaminates the whole bottle with saliva or with whatever illness your baby has.  I want to get several of these syringes for the different types of meds my kids take so I don't have to deal with those dang droppers.  Also the syringe doesn't drip out the medicine like a dropper does so you have more control when getting it in a wiggling kid's mouth.

Products to pass on. Part 1

As I have some favorites I also have some products that haven't worked so well for me.

1.) Any snack container that was "spill proof".

If it was meant to trap food in while letting your kid get food out I tried it and my daughter found a way to prove the claims wrong.  The flaps they put on the lids bothered her.  She didn't like the way they felt.  But she still wanted the food.  She would start by shaking it and food would fly out if she shook hard enough or at the right angle. If that didn't work or wasn't fast enough, she would work on prying off the lid. 

Let's assume my daughter is just your average monkey of a kid (not the genius I assume she is).  If one kid trying these stack containers out between 10-24 months can do this, I would think there are others out there that can too.  So for $3-$10 that it costs for one of these "magic" containers, its not worth it. 

I got some cute flip top ones from the dollar store and they have worked best because they are easy to get into and easy to close, and I really don't care if they get scratched or dented because they are only $1.

2.)  Teethers

Sadly, I haven't given up the search for the perfect teether.  So far though, everything I have tried has not served its purpose.  Anything specifically meant to be used to chew, gnaw, and drool on, held no interest for my daughter.  She would much rather go after board books, soft training spoons, hair brush handles, medicine droppers (the rubber part), blankets, other toys, and so on.

My 4 month old son is now teething and I have excitedly brought out all the paraphernalia I could find and I have even added to the collection.  I have not given up hope that these will all work for him, but the realistic side of me knows he will probably end up chewing on one of his sisters dolls or on some random household object rather than the wonderfully designed, BPA free thingamabobs that were purchased for the sole purpose of relieving his teething discomfort.

3.) The Infant Car Seat/Carrier

This one isn't really the product's fault at all. I actually love my seat and the stroller it came with.  The problem is one of genetics.  My kids have been above average in size from day 1.  My daughter was born at 8 pounds 13 ounces and my son was 9 pounds 3 ounces.  At that point they already didn't fit in newborn sized clothing and newborn diapers lasted a week.  So the infant car seat that we got with our travel system is supposed to last the baby's first year (in theory anyway.)  The weight limit is 22 lbs and the height limit is 30 inches.  My daughter was 20 lbs at 6 months and my son is on his way to meeting or beating that weight by then.  So we had to invest in a convertable seat for my daughter at around 5  months when their was a sale.  We just did the same for our 4 month old in anticipation of having to change his seat soon.

As for the "carrier" feature. Yeah right, is all I have to say.  Those seats weigh about 8-10 pounds on their own.  Sticking an 8-10 pound baby in with it made it ridiculous to carry.  It got worse when both kids were 15 lbs by 2 months old.  I, for one, am not fond of lugging around almost 25 lbs of awkward weight with a packed diaper bag and a 2 year old in tow.

The good news is about a year after we bought our system companies started making seats with higher limits, but the carrier will still not be convenient what-so-ever if you have a big, heavy baby.  Keep that in mind before spending $200-$300 on a travel system. You will have to invest in a convertible seat that will last up to 65 lbs at some point and it would be good to have a baby carrier like an Ergo or a Beco Butterfly II, which will both last through about 2 years or 35 lbs.

Products I Love for my Kids. Part 1.

1). Infant-to-Toddler Rocker by Fisher Price



This chair is perfect if you have a baby and a toddler.  If you do, you know that your toddler will want to play with all the toys and equipment that is meant for your new baby.  My 2 year old is over 30 lbs and I could just see the destruction she would cause on another chair or bouncer.  This chair holds up to 40 lbs.  It can be used as a rocker which sits your baby at a good reclining angle or it has a kickstand that lays the chair further back at a great angle for sleeping (at least for the first few months when your baby will sleep in any room anytime.)  The vibrating switch allows me to put my baby in there and he stays happy for a few minutes while I take care of my toddler or get dressed.  If you don't have a lot of space and can't have 5 different pieces of play equipment this chair is nice because it is versatile and will last into toddler-hood

2.) A Backpack instead of a diaper bag.

I know there are certain people who long for those $200 designer bags.  I am not one of them.  I need function and practicality.  With my first baby I had a black messanger bag.  It was adequate but I was frustrated that it would slip off my shoulder while I was lugging my heavy baby around.  When I got pregnant with the second one I knew I wanted a backpack.  I was lucky enough to get one for christmas while I was still pregnant and that helped a ton because my belly was already in the way and a diaper bag would only take up more needed space around me.  I suggest one with two large zipper sections.  You can separate things by child or by purpose.  I use one side for feeding (nursing cover, burp cloth, snacks/food for my toddler etc) and the other side for diapering (changing pad, diapers, change of clothes for each child, etc).  This is also an excellent option if you babywear which will bring me to my next topic.


3.) Baby carriers

If you haven't gotten on this train yet, I highly recommend it.  With my first baby I didn't have a carrier.  My biceps did all the work as my 8 lb 13 oz newborn turned into a 15 lb 2 month old and a 20 lb 5 month old.  I was seriously buff after that first year lugging her around.  She was also a needy, gassy baby and was held and carried most of the day.  That was hard and I wish I would have had known then what I know now.

I have 2 carriers that are the most useful to me at this point. One is a Ring Sling by Sleeping Baby Productions.  Again I did not go for anything fancy just neutral utilitarian and inexpensive though she makes some beautiful slings.  This sling is great for carrying in church and around the house, or anywhere that I won't need to be too active for too long.  It holds my toddler too, though we've done this more for fun than out of need.

My other go-to carrier is the ERGObaby carrier.  I got mine when babysteals.com had them for about 50% off retail.  Woo Hoo!  I use this at least 4 out of 7 days of the week, much more than my double stroller so far.  My baby sleeps in it when we are at the park, library, grocery store etc.  Without it I would be stuck at home or would be forced to leave him in his infant seat which weighs almost 10 lbs on its own so carrying him in it is no small feat.  If I could afford it I would buy one of these for anyone having a baby.  I already want another on in their Sport or Performance version for the warm weather.  If you are considering a carrier PLEASE ignore the Bjorn and the Snugli (which hold the baby in a crotch dangling position that can harm their hips and spine) and check out the ERGO.

 
4) Canon PowerShot S5 IS

Now this is not technically a baby product but is a must have with babies.  We purchased this just before my first was born.  I was adamant that our other camera was inadequate and we would NEED a new one.  This one is not compact but not huge.  I keep it in my backpack/diaper bag usually.  It runs on AA batteries (which is a bummer but if you get one I would suggest to buy rechargeable batteries).  It takes pictures in almost any light very quickly (great for catching those cute faces and action shots.) It also has a high quality video recorder so I can switch quickly between photos and videos if my kids do something brilliant that needs to be filmed.  There are probably newer versions and I would love an even better camera with the same features but one thing I try to tell my friends having kids it to get a camera that takes pictures quickly and takes them indoors well.  If you aren't worried about a little bulk for better pictures get a camera like this. :o)


I will add more products I have found useful as time allows so stay tuned. :o)

Part 2 Baby Quilt

I decided to use 12 x 12 squares and make the quilt itself square.  This helps for a couple reasons.  The total size will be about 42 inches square.  It will be useful as a play blanket when the baby is little and due to the symmetry there is no top or bottom of the blanket.  I made a blanket for my daughter and it is a rectangle.  I find that I always turn in so that I can wrap the long side around her so I won't have to worry about that with this blanket.

The actual cuts were 12.5 x 12.5 for the internal blocks, 3.5 x 3.5 for the corner blocks, 3.5 x 36.75 for the border strips. Everything was done with a 1/4 inch seam.

I have never made a quilt before (not with actual pieces).  The most challenging part was the corner pieces and getting the boarder, corner and blocks to make a nice corner where they meet.  I didn't follow any directions on this so I was just going on assumptions, some of which turned out wrong but hey, at least I learned.

I still have to iron the top, cut the batting and the back and sew that all together.  Then I will do a cheater sort of quilt with embroidery floss.  The point of quilting, in general, is to keep the inner batting layer from shifting.   Its also decorative but I'm more utilitarian and time saving.  All I did was get several coordinating colors of embroidery floss and tack down each corner on each intersection of fabric with a small stitch through the back.  I would leave about a 2 inch thread coming out of each end and tie a square knot.

Baby Quilt

Well, I made a blanket for Isabella last time around.  I thought she might be willing to let me use it for her little brother this time, but it seems she is quite attached to it.  So I ventured out to JoAnn's to get some fabric.  And here is what I came up with:

I plan on making a square quilt as opposed to one that "fits" the crib.  My reasons are 1) blankets are not usable for babies in a crib and are dangerous so I want it to be useful besides that. 2) once we do use it in the crib I find that the actual crib sized blankets are too narrow and don't wrap the baby well since they kick it off so easily anyway 3) if it is square there is no right or wrong end so I won't have to worry about it 4) its much easier to plan a quilt that is square. :o).

As you can see I went the primary route with bedding (for both Isabella and Alexander) because I like it and it will be useful beyond the toddler years.

Here is a link to an "easy" quilt to make that I used as a reference/starting point.

Things to make before Baby #2 arrives.

Car Seat Organizer
This is a much needed addition to my car.  Before my daughter was born and I was the only one in it, I had my work life occupy most of the space (think mass amounts of teacher stuff).  After she was born, it became a place that needed toys, snacks, tissue, wet wipes, water bottles etc. on hand all the time.  It is basically a large moving diaper bag.  So I'm guessing that with a toddler and a newborn it can only get worse.  I need to intervene before my Corolla gets out of hand.

*UPDATE: I did not end up making these.  I still am considering making one but with a rear facing seat on one side and my Forward Facing seat for my toddler on the other there is even more limited space.

 Bear hooded towel

I received numerous "cute" baby towels at my baby shower and all of them except one were thin and small and would barely wrap around my newborn let alone absorb water.  The one that did work was more expensive but still not that good at coverage.  I want to make this for my daughter and the one on the way because it will be so much easier to wrap them.  Also, I can make a few so I am not waiting for laundry to dry to have a towel ready.

*Note: if you are getting a baby shower gift skip the hooded towels and make a few of these.  Also, I would wash the towel at least twice in a "free and clear" type of detergent.  There are threads and snags that will show up, especially on the hood and areas that were cut, and it would be good to cut them after each dry cycle before giving to the mom to be or kid.

Place mat Diaper Case

I want to make 2-4 of these (yes all for myself.) There is a likelihood that my daughter, who will be 2 at the time of baby #2's arrival, will be potty trained.  But on the chance she isn't I will have to deal with 2 separate diaper sizes everywhere I go.  I figure I can find place mats pretty cheap, and if the potty training sticks I can give some away or use them as back ups in the car or at the grandparents houses.