Favorite Things

My Favorite Things

Looking for something to do while I'm up with a house full of sick kiddos, I thought I'd jot down a few of my favorite baby-toddler items. Take a look & then tell me about your favorite things. I always love hearing what other mom's have discovered.

Strollers, car seats (rear-facing), swings, & high-chairs:

Graco all the way. I find their products very safe and sturdy as well as easy to clean. They always get high ratings on consumer reports. And I love that the car seat can be used so versatilely - just click it into the car, swing, and stroller.

Changing table:

Stokke: A Norwegian company that specializes in kids furniture. It is very modern & fits well in small, city spaces. My favorite is the changing table. It is a great option if you're tall (I'm 5' 10") and the primary diaper changer of the house. I also like the child is head on instead of perpendicular. I find traditional changing tables hurt my back.

Bibs:

Silly Billyz are my favorite. They have a snap in the back & wear well. My son learned how to pull the velcro bibs off by six months so I was forced to find something else. And these are great! Plus, they last through wash after wash after wash...We also like the long-sleeve version for art projects.

Diaper Bags:

I've tried so many I've lost count. But my favorite came from Land's End. If you are a type-A personality and like to be hyper-organized, this is the bag for you, too. And you can make it all your own by monogramming it for an additional $5.

I swapped out the changing pad it comes with for the patemm changing pad (it's made in the US!). My boys are really tall so this changing pad works great. It fold up nicely into the diaper bag & is easy to clean. Plus, it offers great coverage on community changing tables.

Travel:

It's probably come through in this blog that I'm a clean freak; somehow having kids transformed me into Jerry Seinfeld. And I've found it tough to keep things clean on the road. So I always pack an electric teapot to sanitize pacifiers & bottles. It works great and can run quietly while the kids are sleeping.

I also like to travel with the American Red Cross First Aid Kit. We always seem to need it & it is nice and compact. If you're flying, you'll need to check it through since it does include scissors.

And, of course, we never go anywhere without a Graco Pack & Play. We've tried less bulky items to disastrous results. For a little extra comfort, I like their padded mattress cover.

I have heard about companies that will deliver baby items to your hotel room, like Jet Set Babies. I haven't tried them, but I assume it would make travel a whole heck of a lot easier - for a price, of course....

One last travel note....I find Southwest Airlines the most family friendly. We go way out of our way to fly Southwest because the airline provides a much better family experience. When we have tried the other airlines, it has been a disaster - nasty flight attendants, delayed flights, items stolen, and on and on.

Clothing:

For everyday clothes, I like Baby Gap, Target, & Carter's. They outgrow everything so quickly it's hard to spend a lot of money. But for special occasions I like Shrimp & Grits kids. Their clothes are too cute!

You can't beat the shoe department at Nordstrom, especially if you have kids with unique shoe needs. And they give your child a balloon at each visit!

I've been disappointed by Halo sleep sacks. I still like the original product, the sleep sack, but the cotton layettes do not last through more than two washes. And I actually had to cut my baby out of a cotton layette when the zipper broke. That was truly terrifying!

Books:

I feel like we could open a library. We love books! Here are a few of our particular favorites:

• I Love You Through & Through by Bernadette Rosetti-Shustak & Caroline Church
• Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton
• Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
• My Truck is Stuck, Tugga Tugga Tugboat, Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis
• Summer by Alice Low
• This is San Francisco by Miroslav Sasek
• All Dr. Suess (even little know favorites like I Wish That I Had Duck Feet)
• All Maurice Sendak
• The Harold & The Purple Crayon series
• The Berenstain Bears series

Again, I would love to hear about your favorite things. So please post below!