What I’m loving this week…
Hi! I've been into such a variety of useful things lately that I figured I'd round em all up and share them with you today! It's kind of an eclectic list, so bear with me. :) Here goes....
Making Baby Food
I've been blending either steamed sweet potatoes, raw pear, or avocado into a smooth (or now, rougher) puree for Cooper since about 4.5 months old. We bought this Ninja blender back when Itsy was born and it's awesome. Daily, we use the big one for green smoothies for us and the older kids, and the little one for Cooper. LOVING this!!
Sleeping Thru the Night via Swing + Noise by Day
I've had a few baby swings in my day, and this is the ONE. Completely in love with it! It runs off of "C" batteries, which is a negative because we use it for every single nap, but we can use rechargeables so that's good. This swing is so small and portable and purty. It is the #1 reason why Cooper is now sleeping through the night (at least 7 hours, sometimes 10) each night. NOT because he sleeps in the swing at night...no!!!! But he DOES in the daytime! I don't nurse him to sleep in the day, religiously since 2 months of age, and that keeps him from night-waking. The swing puts him to sleep instead of my breast. Btw the music shuts off at 10-15 minutes, but I run white noise in the background to keep it goin'. Speaking of white noise: this one!! Crickets! Love!
We Were Gifted a Goat - Or Rather...
One of our relatives gave the gift of a goat instead of toys (oh bless them for not sending more toys!!!) this past Christmas. They sent us a book plus sent a family in Africa a goat to bless their family! I mean, come on, how amazing a gift is that? It was done via heifer.org, and if you're in need of a great gift-giving idea for any occasion, this is definitely a wise, globe-friendly choice. (And one to keep your toybox less crowded, for sure.) We are in LOVE with the book, Beatrice's Goat, which is directly related with the gift-giving part of Heifer.
My Fave Potty, To Date
The bEco. Hands down. And the tophat has been my bedside go-to for all 3 babies. I have to say that the bEcoPotty is great because my 2 year old can still use it. We have one bathroom (currently)! And that's crazy!! And the tophat? Well, if you have a 0-8 month baby you're missing out if you don't have one. I <3 the tophat, majorly. And it has to have a cozy, or it's just not worth it. Yes, you can use a mixing bowl. I have. You can use the sink or toilet. I do. Or the Baby Bjorn Smart Potty removable bowl. Check. But a totally discreet bowl you can hold between your legs without it popping out? Priceless.
Elephant Humidifiers to Keep Noses Moist
I got the elephant humidifier. It's kind of embarrassing, but true. At first I thought they were a bit too silly, but they were cheaper than the regular water drop shape, so I went for it. These guys, by Crane, have not failed me yet. We run one in each of the kid's rooms every night that we have the central heat on (which is pretty much daily during these Winter months) and they are great. The spout emits cool mist which is the best kind for moistening dry noses and mouths. Keeps those coughs under control, which there have been less of lately, thank goodness.
Pley - Delivered Legos for the 5 year old
We were gifted a subscription to Pley when Cooper was born - "to keep the two older ones occupied so Mama can rest." Such a thoughtful gift!! We set up a wishlist and they send us a set of Legos in a mesh bag, complete with prepaid return postage, every time they get a bag returned from us. It's a constant rotation of FRESH, new Lego challenges...but without the permanent influx (and expense) of new Legos! Those of you with older kids can probably understand the challenges. Pley rocks. When we get a baby blue bag in our mailbox, Kaiva goes over the moon with excitement! Then he's occupied for several hours while he completes the task, plays for a few days with the new creation, then disassembles (his least favorite part) and returns.
My Grandma Turns 80 This Week
I'm sure you saw my flash sale notice yesterday (see it here if you missed it - it ends Thurs Feb 25 at midnight) that is in honor of GG turning 80. All she wants for her bday is a card from each of her grandkids and great-grandkids. So we got out our stash of Trader Joe's greeting cards. I LOVE these. They are always 99 cents and always cute and sweet. We each picked our own and colored or wrote words in them, posted separately and off they went! She's gonna be so surprised. Every time I visit Trader Joe's I buy cards. I <3 Stationery, don't you?
Artisan Donuts
I don't think you can get them delivered to your house, but if you could, you would. We have been HOOKED on Vortex Doughnuts since they opened last year. A Sunday ritual. From flavors like maple bacon to lavender blueberry, these homemade donuts have made a mark on my LOVE list. You gotta treat yourself every so often, ya know?! And they make baby-sized donuts for the toddlers. Love, love, love.
The Ole Trusty: Beco Gemini Baby Carrier
I've probably mentioned before that I used to love my Ergo (lost that one in the breakup with the ex), and I don't like one-shoulder slings (rather, my back doesn't like them!). And that I got a Beco Gemini before Isa's birth and have religiously used it with her and Coop. From birth. Yep, no infant insert necessary! And it converts for forward-facing, inward-facing, side hip...you name it. Much more versatile than the Ergo and you can extend the top into a hood by using one of these. I'm still in love with this carrier. Even our 2.5 year old gets rides in it on long Blue Ridge Mountain hikes.
Our WubbaNub Paci Monkey!
I'm not a pacifier Mama, but I do love this toy more than anything we own. Cooper loves his WubbaNub because he can play with the tag, the paci, or just eat the monkey's feet. He is constantly sucking on it in the car to put himself to sleep instead of bawling because he wants out (priceless). It comes in all sorts of other animal styles. It's seriously ingenious. I wish I would have thought of this!!!!
Itsy's LEARN Undies
You also may have heard about my new LEARN Undies over at Tiny Undies. (Pssst...preorders are now open here, and there's a new video up.) Basically, it rocks that my 2.5 year old daughter can put on her own undies in 10 seconds because of their patent-pending design. Serious genius! LOL...I am totally tooting my own horn because I don't have to say "I wish I would have thought of this!" about this one!. :)
And that's it. An eclectic list, at best.
If there is anything you're in love with right now, please let us know by leaving a comment below!
Warmly,
PS - Also, you know we all love helpful stuff...so you can absolutely share this post if you like. :)
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