There are some things around my house that have proven to be worth every penny I've spent on them. I know some of these things may not be relevant to some of you with older children, but I thought I'd share some "tried and true" products that I've been ever so grateful to have at my disposal!
1. Aquaphor -- my first son had a pretty good case of eczema the first year or so of his life (he still gets dry scaly patches every now and then). We tried many different lotions, expensive oils, and even prescription steroids. Nothing works as well as a good slathering of greasy Aquaphor.
2. The Boppy Chair -- The Boppy nursing pillow is great, but I wasn't able to put it to use (I can't nurse). But this Boppy chair has gotten so much use from both my boys. They love(d) it. Not only does it cradle them, it can play music and vibrate on demand. If only they made one of these my size!
3. Cloth Diapers -- no, I don't use cloth diapers on my babies' butts. Don't have the stomach for that. I use them as burp rags and they do an exceptional job. So soft and so absorbent and just the right size (the prefolded ones). Can't live without 'em.
4. Munchkin Formula Dispenser -- soooooo much easier to carry around in the diaper bag than a size 10 can of powdered formula! I have the 3 compartment one and it's as handy as mudflaps on a speedboat (sorry, saw that saying on a t-shirt once).
5. Munchkin Inflatable Duck Bath -- I love this as an intermediate bathtub. My son did as well. It's fun, it uses less water, makes duck noises, is cushy, has one of those "too hot" indicators. And it has little suction cups so that you can hang it on the shower wall to dry. Oh, and it only costs $10 at Target! I even used it once as a holder for drinks at a baby shower. Love this thing.
6. Miss Spider Books -- I only have one of these (Miss Spider's New Car) that I was lucky enough to pick up at Deseret Industries. I hadn't heard of Miss Spider before this, but boy was I in for a treat! It has such bold, bright pictures and such fun, rhyming text. My son loves looking at the pictures by himself and I really enjoy reading the funny story to him. I hope to invest in more Miss Spider adventures one day!
7. The Little Series Music CDs -- We have the box set of these that I picked up at a Christian book store. Included are Smile a Little (well-known kid songs like Old McDonald), Dream a Little (lullabies for bedtime), Play a Little (religious songs like This Little Light of Mine), and Laugh a Little (more well-known songs). I really like this particular set because not only are there are a lot of songs on each cd, it's actual kids who sing the songs. We also own a Little Series Christmas cd that is super cool as well.
8. Corn Popper Ride-On -- We gave this to our son on his first birthday. He didn't sit on it right away, but he LOVED pushing it around the house. This is still one of his favorite toys even now that he's two. He loves giving his monkey and various other "friends" rides on it. Mostly he just loves to see how much noise he can make with it. Especially when little brother is sleeping. So it seems anyway...
9. Little People Zoo Train -- Little People are cool. Small chunky people and small chunky animals can occupy my child for minutes at a time (yes, only minutes, but still). His particular favorite is this musical zoo train. Perhaps if he owned a Thomas train or some other wooden variety, he would lose interest in this one. But for now, this is one toy that he goes back to quite often.
10. Swimways 60" Spring Pool -- I love love love this pool. We purchased it last summer and got a lot of use out of it. Can't wait to break it out again in a couple months. What makes it so great is: a) you don't have to inflate the whole thing (just a ring around the top), b) it folds back up and is easily portable (we took it with us on a trip to Idaho), c) my big body can fit in there too.
What are some of your "tried and trues"?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
tried and true
Posted by Shayla at 8:19 AM
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6 comments:
Aquaphor is a must have at our house. And we love that pool too!
Some things my kids love are
1. Books. My oldest didn't really like sitting for a book until he hit 3 but now he loves being read to. His sister also loves books.
I really enjoy books by David Shannon (as do my kids). Some of our favorites by him are How I Became a Pirate, A Bad Case of The Stripes, Too Many Toys, and Alice the Fairy. I also really like a lot of Mo Willem's books.
2. They Might Be Giants: Here Come the 123's. My kids love this CD, and my husband and I also enjoy it. Fun kids songs about numbers.
3.Diecast cars. My boy loves them, as do my girls.
I'm no young mom, but as a once young dad and now young grandpa, my grandsons love building blocks; any brand. Sounds cheap, but I think they enjoy the time spent with them as much as creating make-believe things they make. Boys sure like kicking and throwing stuff too - indoor nerf-type balls are great!
1).Stories on CD- Grandma Ginger's been great
2). Eureka Optima Leightweight Upright vacuum- compact and leightweight so I can pull it out several times a day for quick cleanings, works on my hardwood, adjustable handle height so it can be short enough for my kids to do some work.
3) Leap Frog "Fridge Words" magnetic word builder- put magnetic letters into the airplne to build three-letter words. let's kids build your own words and they sound out each sound when you're done and tell you the word. Or they give you a word and your child figures out how to spell it. Emma's really expanding her word list with this delightful toy.
I have always wondered if that "Fridge Words" toy was worth getting. I was going to buy my almost 2 year old the alphabet fridge set for her birthday but now I will have to look into also getting my 4 year old the fridge word set . Thanks Gina!
Why am I shamlessly blogging at the wee hours of night? Tax time. Yes, I was just doing my taxes & needed some easy reading before bed! I guess I'l make this an endorsement for Turbo Tax, but of course I had to also endorse Aquaphor! I've heard great things of Cerave, too. I have a friend who's son had such very terrible exema that he was treated at the Ronald McDonald house in Denver for TWO WEEKS, but now his skin is ALL better! She posted the treatment on her blog for anyone in need, lmk & I'll post her link so you can DIY.
Other endorsements: yourbabycanread.com, I thought about buying it for months because of the price, but I'm sooo glad! The movies are interactive, educational, & entertaining. They make her smile around the clock!
Evenflo Triumph carseat, rf to 35lbs & ff to 55lbs, but my fave's are that the harnesses adjust SO easy -great for unpredictable wheather-, & it's super easy to wash, & comfy too!
Good night ya'll! I need to check in here more often!!!
Oh, we all love her lullaby cd of LDS songs. =D
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