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Reusable squeezies are a hit in our house! We have cheapie ones from Amazon like this; because of the kindergartener I got the bigger size (we totally use them for yogurt or smoothies in her lunches) but the bigger ones are still hard for the toddler to manage (some food gets left at the bottom, so I use a binder clip to pinch it up). You can prep a bunch at once and even freeze them. I haven't gotten too adventurous with them, but it is worth mentioning that rolled oats or quick oats will soften if left to soak over night in milk/water/fruit juice. So my usual breakfast pouch for the baby is a large handful of fruit, dry oats, a scoop or two of plain yogurt, and enough milk to cover it and soak the oats. It is also really easy to add spinach, leftover cooked squash, and other soft veggies. I put it in a mason jar so it screws right onto my blender base the next day and I can make 3 large pouches or 4 small ones from a mostly-filled quart jar. We also buy store pouches on occasion, but they're really not that hard to do on your own!
Hurricane prep here! The storm is predicted to hit south of us so we likely won't have heavy winds but the fact we're on the dirty side of it means it will dump tons of water on us and it's supposed to linger till fucking Tuesday make flooding a very very likely possibility. I kept forgetting and am now kicking myself for not getting Finn's doctor to fill out a form to be sent to the electric companies to put us on a priority list to get power back since it's pretty much required to make his food. I'm going to blend up like three days worth of food Friday night but anything past that you're risking spoilage of keeping it that long. I do have some shelf stable pouches that I'd gotten off Amazon that have a good mix of everything that I could use to feed him in a pinch, and I know they fit through his tube which is a problem with a lot of the more mixed item pouches have chunks that will clog his tube, but we don't have many left and not a single freaking store around here carries them.
We have compression sheets on both kids’ beds which have been more manageable than weighted blankets. They’re not hot and can’t get twisted.
Sensory Compression Blanket | Lycra Bed Sheet for Kids & Adults | Deep Relaxing Feeling, Release Oxytocin | Helps With: SPD, Anxiety, ADHD, Autism and More | Breathable, Cool & Stretchable | Twin Size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081NJDGWC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HS8R6CKY4SXKTQF46DP8
Yes, even harder with kids. Glad he seems to be doing okay now!
I hope it doesn't come to it, but we found this book really helpful for C.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1438001886/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_Z9ZFT0XHGY6E23AQFR9G
We have some of these and they've always made lunches simple. You can put together homemade lunchables that are way cheaper and healthier than store-bought.
Hooray Hamilton tickets!!!
My husband and I have been dragging our heels about it but plan to set up a 529 for G so we can ask the grandparents, etc. to consider donating to that instead of getting big gifts. I don’t think I have room for much more stuff! I have an Amazon wishlist for G that’s shared with people, and have taken to putting specific articles of clothing and gear that he needs in addition to some less space-consuming toys.
If people absolutely must get a gift for toddler-age little ones, I can’t say enough good things about this set of Sesame Street figures; G plays with them every day in some way or another, and they don’t make noise or take up a bunch of space: https://www.amazon.com/Playskool-Sesame-Street-Collector-Figures/dp/B01C5TFNPA/
We have the KidCraft “vintage” style kitchen. It’s held up to a lot of abuse and G still loves it (he got it at Christmas when he was 13 months). It’s a little taller than some of the other kitchens, which is great for my super tall kid. We do have it anchored to the wall so it can’t tip. My husband got annoyed with the fact that all of the doors except the microwave have latches, so the microwave door wouldn’t stay closed in our super not-level house - he wound up drilling a small hole and using some super strong magnets with epoxy so it has a magnetic latch now. I will note that the kitchen was a huge pain to assemble, but I did it on my own so it would have gone much faster with two people.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-Vintage-Kitchen-in-Blue/dp/B0040MK48W
I know a few people who have the Ikea play kitchen and love it. It has a slightly smaller footprint than the one we have, in case that’s something you’re looking for. I didn’t want to deal with an Ikea trip and my FIL wanted to buy the kitchen, so it was easiest for us to get one through Amazon. I definitely recommend anchoring whatever you get to the wall so it can’t tip with rough play. We used the same furniture anchoring straps we used for anchoring dressers, etc.
We have a bunch of the Ikea fabric play food - I love that if it gets gross, you can machine wash and air dry it all, but we haven’t had to do that yet.
The only pots and pans/utensils we have are the little skillet and lidded pot set from Green Toys, which comes with a ladle and spatula. They’re the perfect size for the KidCraft kitchen and super durable. We got them when G was at peak throwing phase so they’ve survived a lot of abuse and still look like-new.
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Locket-Nancy-Drew-Notebooks/dp/0671879464
This is the book I got for L recently. It's like Nancy Drew Lite. Says ages 6-9 on the back but I think it's totally appropriate for our kindergartners!
Starting swim lessons was the turning point for our kid who would freak out about water on her face. Also, I have a cup like this where you top their head back a bit and the silicone part of the cup seals to their forehead. That helped. https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Clean-Shampoo-Rinser-Protecting/dp/B07LFMFK9X/ref=asc_df_B07LFMFK9X/
If you enjoy baking to the maximalists I would highly recommend Bravetart from Stella Parks. It is a great cookbook that walks through a bunch of classic American deserts fully from scratch, like Oreos and animal crackers. It has an ice cream section, which is where I found the cookie dough mix in.
When I say fully from scratch, I looked at her key lime pie, and the first thing you have to do is make graham crackers, then make sweetened condensed milk, to then make the pie.
I say that but I have loved all the recipes I’ve tried from it.
This is a really good book about how kids can cope with tough stuff going on in the world, in case anyone has kids that are picking up on adult stress.
Okay, so not parenting related, but I found the most delicious snacks...
I've tried the salted caramel cashews, lemon almonds and dark chocolate almonds...they're all SO TASTY! They've been my dessert most nights this week.
I'm so sorry about the testing. I am so discouraged by the lack of testing or delays in results. There are several testing places on my route to and from the kids' school and the lines have stretched around the blocks morning, noon and afternoon. But what does any of it matter if the results don't get back for days and days?!
For L's long and curly hair, I have to spray it and braid it. French braids stay in better. I've been slowly training my husband to do a basic braid though. Otherwise it's tangle city. I like this spray.
Plus Plus blocks are all the rage around here recently. They played with them at zoo camp and J described them as "not Lego Legos." We finally found what he was talking about on Amazon and he ordered some and had to pay me back with some of his birthday money. I showed him different ways to make $20 using different bills. Having previously not had as much interest in the "not Lego Legos," today L decided she needed to order some, too. It looks like they make some little specialty colored tubes with fewer pieces and I think Santa would love to put these in stockings. I'm mostly excited because they've spent several hours with these working together.
I'm still fighting off a slight drainage tickle in my throat. Maybe what M had, maybe allergies, maybe wildfire haze.
I am so sorry. That is a wild weekend. Wasn't your nanny fairly young? That will be so difficult for the kids. I haven't read this book, but I've heard good things about it. I hope the kids just have a cold, and that it's a nasal swab and not the spit collection. And the possible mold, yeah, you have to be really serious. My cousins got mold after a flood and they had to rip out their basement, remediate and start over.
For learning to read sight words, one of Big G’s teachers highly recommended the game Zingo Sight Words: https://www.amazon.com/ThinkFun-Zingo-Sight-Words-Reading/dp/B008RU8GC4/
The kids’ version of Ticket to Ride has been a big hit for Big G, who loves maps. He’s learned more about the geography of the US and he practices counting/adding with it. It was especially helpful when talking him through our good family friend moving far away - Big G was able to better understand the distance involved and where our friend is now in relation to us (the whole different time zone thing is still difficult for him to grasp, but he understands why we can’t just drive or walk to see our friend for impromptu visits anymore).
Graphic novels/comics for early readers have been really great for building Big G’s confidence in reading. We also do a lot of visual schedules/routines that include the written words too. Big G does struggle with words he hasn’t seen before so we’re working on sounding stuff out and generally building his vocabulary.
The half days would make sense for kids that aren't used to full day care, but it doesn't seem super relevant for you.
The twins' old daycare was peanut-free, and you kind of get used to it. I got the Yumbox and honestly just mostly followed the directions on the bottom of the box! Fruit, veggies, protein, dairy, grains... we did a lot of salami, string cheese, crackers, and the fruits and veggies are pretty easy. The twins also liked shredded cheese rolled up in tortillas (fits in the dairy compartment!) and sometimes I sent a thermos of frozen mac & cheese that I microwaved that morning - it was still plenty hot for them by lunchtime. Or even just plain pasta not even trying to keep it hot worked for them too.
One good thing about our complete lack of "weather" out here is that the kids all eat outside and they're keeping them really distanced when unmasked. I'm still nervous for the fall though. We have a bunch of kid sized N95s from Wellbefore, but they're currently out of stock. I also got some of these as a backup.
This is my favorite parenting book: Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges
I also really liked Untigering, which was a fast and easy read, but very meaningful.
Oh no!!! My worst nightmare.
We have these on our doors that came with the house. Super useful.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00D2K367Y/
(Sorry the link is a smile link - I like purchasing through smile to benefit some charity)
I should have mentioned that when our daughter was going through this phase, her grandmother found the Indestructibles books for our daughter and they were great. You can literally wash them wish soap and water and they're fine. They don't tear either and they're made with non-toxic materials and safe for babies to chew on. They have a pretty good variety of books as well.
We received this Haba set as a gift - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0735XWGYN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_4zMXFbC9R8YGS only trick for the section cup toys we've gotten is they will not stick long to our tiles. So we usually attached these right to the tub edge or onto an unbreakable mirror I got from IKEA (attached that to the tile with command velcro strips).
We have these and they really like them. Other than that, maybe pipettes?
I bought Jane a ballerina outfit a few months ago, and she LOVED it, so then I got two more, and then that was all she wore, and they are out of sync with our regular laundry because they dry flat, so she was frequently getting annoyed that her ballerina outfits weren't clean, so this weekend I broke down and bought three more in three new colors. Now that's all she'll ever wear, until the day she decides she doesn't like them anymore.
She's a little fussy about how clothes feel when she wears them, so I'm ok with having some solid go-tos.
We got this one: https://www.amazon.com/Step2-Naturally-Playful-Woodland-Climber/dp/B001QUZJDQ
It’s big but the overall footprint isn’t too bad; the prices and stock availability have fluctuated a lot but we got it for about $280 so I figured that wasn’t too bad. I looked at a lot of options and the smaller ones all seemed way too small for Big G to enjoy. This is definitely robust enough for him to play with for some time, and there aren’t any issues with both kids on it at the same time. My only slight complaint is that the bottom of the slide is propped up off of the ground, which Little G doesn’t like. But I was able to nestle our old Boppy pillow at the base of the slide to give her a softer landing, and we have foam tiles all over as well. She’s a little apprehensive about doing the slide on her own but figured out climbing up the ladder steps in half a day, so she’s happy to climb and enjoy it. My husband thinks when we move it outside, there’s a way to put sand inside the base pieces to weigh it down more, but it seems plenty sturdy indoors with Big G jumping and roughhousing all over it, so I’m not overly concerned.
We got these catch and release traps off Amazon. No mess and the mouse only looked mildly traumatized. We released it into a field about 1/4 mi from our house.
My company has a butterfly as our logo so I’ve become adept at finding butterfly stuff. Amazon has these cool 3-d magnetic butterflies that you can decorate using push pins. Dollar tree has butterfly mirrors and vinyl. If you know someone with a cricut, you can cut a ton of cute butterfly decorations. Holler if you want/need ideas.
72 Pcs 3d Butterfly Stickers Home... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013PGDMKU?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I'm not sure if Costco sells it, but its on Amazon Prime. I get this three pack, which are technically refills for their big plastic dispenser, but I just use it right from the pouches. There is definitely no scent though.
HAHA, that is exactly the letter we're working on right now.... and pretty much how I do it. Oh too, Ben has to use one of the little pencil holder things, and it helps a lot for holding but YMMV on if this version will work. Otherwise he will palmar grip the thing.
For writing, get some of those spiral bound dry erase books - we have superheroes and princesses (I found them at Costco but don't see them online). Buy some colorful dry erase markers (the ones that come with the books suck) and at least one actual eraser (two for twins to prevent fights because they're inexpensive). J and L will sit and trace words and letters for quiet time sometimes. Spiral bound last longer since they'll be pushing down - something like this. They have the guide lines, so that helps.
For cutting, get a big bunch of construction paper and some round-tipped Fiskars scissors (they had them in Pre-K and the teacher in kindergarten specifically asked for that brand). Practice cutting away from themselves and scissor safety (no running, no playing). They can start with strips and then once they get that, cutting shapes that you draw - squares, flowers, hearts, pumpkins, Christmas trees, etc. The Elmer's purple glue sticks are good and easy to use. Pipe cleaners, paper muffin cups and stickers are good to have on hand. Lots of easy craft kits at Michael's - and they show the age range and time on the package. Maybe start with the foam sticker kits they have in the seasonal section. Note: they may cut their hair or shirt. It happens.
Learning Resources counters are good for correspondence counting (not just listing numbers out loud but actually counting objects and for making patterns (ie. red yellow green, red yellow green or blue blue purple blue blue purple, etc.). We have bugs but they make all sorts of shapes.
Read lots of books. It helps so much. Even if the books are slightly older, get whatever they're interested in and will sit through.
We've been thinking about the climbing structure for a while too, but we already have an indoor slide and bounce house so I'm trying to decide how much she'll actually use something like it. This is the one that we've been looking at.
We are definitely into the board games this year as well! I can't wait for her to be old enough to play something like Ticket to Ride, but it's still fun playing some of the preschool aged games. Your custom memory match is such a great idea!
I found this book, Listen last week, which is about how to manage upset kids, and I feel like it's this giant light bulb coming on. I loved Unconditional Parenting, but always sort of felt like it was short on details of how to actually deal with resisting children, but I feel like Listen has all the practical information.
I have tried implementing the concept of not being afraid to set limits, but then not punishing/trying to stop the crying and fussing that follows, but just offer a listening ear. I have been really happy with how well it's been working.
Jane especially is getting much quicker to shift from annoyed noises at me to coming (in tears) and telling me what's wrong. Then after we sit together for a while, she's fine. At the end of one session yesterday she told me she was ready to stop chasing Henry now (which was why she'd been pulled aside), and then they went and played happily (for a while... it never lasts!).
Our favorite for apples is usually apple crisp. We normally use the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, so I'm not sure if this one is exactly the same but it looks close (we leave out the nuts).
We made baby food when our daughter was a baby and used these things to freeze them. I like them particularly because they have a nice tight lid to go with. Once they were frozen we'd pop them out and store them in a freezer bag. If you want exactly half a cup, you could try freezing them in freezer bags (like breast milk) in exactly half cup servings.
I grew up with a father who was beyond critical of people's bodies (at one point when I was at my [anorexic] lowest weight, he excitedly asked if he could weigh me. Yeah, it's messed up). I won't have any of that nonsense with R. This book is really great for learning about all the things people can do no matter what their body looks like.
She's still in the range to learn holding a marker/crayon correctly. I know J and L improved and got consistent with the help of their Pre-K teacher, but I'd help them too. Crayola makes tripod markers and tripod crayons, which help reinforce the proper grip.
Also, Daniel Tiger is the best and the worst. I will know some of those songs forever. Finally, three is hard. Way harder than two. It will get better.
Bissell Portable Carpet/Upholstery cleaner
This isn't the exact one I have, but it's pretty similar. It's small enough to store under the sink.
We got this book from Costco (so cheaper) and it's kept J and L occupied. I just read them the directions and supervise.
They became really expensive on Amazon :( -- but we have three sets of MeReaders. My in-laws found the Star Wars one almost two years ago. Here's the link: https://smile.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Saga-Electronic-Library/dp/1503700321/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=star+wars+me+reader&qid=1597695002&sr=8-1
We used these with great success!
That one and this one were good distractions for poops.
Welp, L's vomit yesterday is like some 24 hours off, 24 hours on sort of thing. First one today hit the hardwood floor and then the second was a trail over one of the rugs. I've cleaned it, used enzymatic cleaner and steamed it, but need to let it fully dry to see if I got it all. What's everyone's favorite enzyme cleaner? I'm using this one but maybe someone uses something better.
Also, while running to get more paper towel, which was entirely my fault, I jammed two toes and most likely broke the pinky toe because it's twice as fat and covered in bruising. Basically, my weekend can only improve.
I watched most of the first episode the other night, and have also read the book a couple of times. But if you find that method doesn't work for you, my total favorite decluttering/organizing method is from A Slob Comes Clean, with this book. I feel like her method (you don't make a big mess before things get better, and you don't make everything perfect) are so much more doable for life with toddlers.
For something crafty and easy I do embroidery. Aimee Ray is one of my favorite pattern artist and has lots of book on amazon that have transfers in them. You can also buy this paper and print things on it to embroider and stick it on any fabric and it comes off with water.
Prebabies I volunteered at the library at the local children's hospital here, but that required a once a week and year long time commitment.
Knitting and crocheting little tiny baby hats is pretty easy to pick up and you don't have to do much thinking about it. Lots of local NICUs take donations of them. There's also an octopus pattern out there that supposedly keeps the babies from pulling on their cords in the NICU, they pull the octopus tentacles instead.
So many (non-electronic) Duplos. For a while we removed some of the cylindrical pieces/things with wheels because G would just spin the wheels or roll the cylinders across the floor instead of building anything, but he is more engaged with them now. Wooden trains (specifically ones without any batteries, etc.) with a ton of track to make crazy loops - these had to be supervised play only for a while until he figured out how to connect pieces on his own and fix the tracks when they came apart without instantly getting frustrated and throwing them. We have Magformers (similar to magnatiles) but they were supervised play only for a long time because G would just obsessively line them up and then stick them on the front of the dishwasher. After a lot of directed play, he now builds houses for his little Sesame Street characters and other things, so we’ll let him play more independently with them. He’s got a play kitchen with lots of play food too, but it took a lot of directed play with his therapists for him to actually engage in pretend play instead of rolling balls in the kitchen cabinets over and over. I also got some additional fabric food that resembles some of the foods he regularly eats (fruits, hot dog, bread/toast) which I think helped as well.
One of his big favorites when he was a little younger is the Melissa & Doug shape sorting truck: https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Shape-Sorting-Colorful-Figures/dp/B012WE829M/ We used the shapes with his therapist to work on his speech, and eventually shapes and colors, and he was automatically interested in it because trucks are a big obsession.
G’s playgroup stores their costumes in something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Guidecraft-See-Store-Dress-up-Center/dp/B0161HM7RO/
There are also kid-height cost rack type things that might be more affordable and would take up less floor space, but still be easy for someone toddler-height to reach.
You didn't ask me but I got the silverflye one and the summer infant one that's half the price. I like the silverflye one so much better - it seems to cover all. Haven't tested it out yet but the summer infant doesn't seem comprehensive enough - it's narrower and smaller.
That said, I only got one of each to test out so the summer infant is currently in the stroller bc I had to wash the stroller seat last night. Sigh.
I have this in the car for emergencies. I've only used it twice but I was SO happy it was there.
We used these for the twins last summer, when they were in the almost-walking, new-walking stage. They didn't slip in them, and they were super easy to use. I'm kind of sad they don't make them big enough for this summer!
~~It's a Dutch book :)~~ https://www.gottmer.nl/kinderboeken/populaire-series/rupsje-nooitgenoeg/de-spin-die-het-te-druk-had.html
Edit: It's a translation so maybe it's the same. I need to research more.
Edit 2: This one, had no idea https://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-Busy-Spider-Eric-Carle/dp/0241135907
I've never done that!!! I don't go out that much so we've just been using the potty at home.
I have this one but it doesn't fit the long public toilet seats that well. I just happened to buy it months ago so that's what I had on hand. I think something like this would be better for public toilet use.
We got the Jeep scout stroller as a easy to carry around stroller. Its price was what won me over, because even though it seemed ridiculously expensive for a cheap stroller, it was pretty much the cheapest I could find.
It fits through regular doorways and folds up fairly compactly, so that's a plus. It's not like one-handed fold down or anything, but it gets the job done.
I have these on top of the garbage can, to make sure they can't open it. When I put stuff like chicken wrappers, etc. I for sure want to make sure they can't get in.
We brush once at night with these.
Baby Toothbrush With Case Set (6 PCS),Finger Toothbrush For Babies https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZAGSIU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SQttAb6VR3NJT
We found a baby friendly toothpaste on amazon by Dr. Brown that they can swallow and just recently started incorporating that.
For sippy cups, I feel like I’ve bought one of everything. So far, baby girl can handle the munchkin 360 well but they still have to kind of suck on it so it can get messy. Baby boy just throws that one. We also have zoli cups and one day, it just clicked for them. I think it helped that I demonstrated and they wanted to copy me. We’ve been trying sippy cups since they were six months old and they’ve really just started to get the hang of them in the last few weeks so don’t be discouraged if it’s just another toy for awhile. Also, fwiw, my babies will only drink water out of the cup. I think the bottle nipple=milk is too associated with sleep so we’re working on that.
We use these cups, which have worked pretty well. (We also use sippy cups a lot too, and open cups sometimes, but lately they like to think they are little chemists concocting things in their open cups, so it gets messy really fast.)
babyfun lurves her JellyCat Soother. We have the cat version but there are a lot of diffferent cute animals. When she goes to sleep she puts it over her head. (It's thin so you can breathe through it.)
Have you thought about tents? My guys sleep in these on the floor when we travel and they love them and do great with them. https://www.amazon.com/KidCo-Peapod-Plus-Infant-Travel/dp/B00BWIPC6G/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1512684074&sr=8-2&keywords=pea+pod+tent
I use these
Jane can rip them off with a lot of effort, but doesn't usually until she's all done and not pleased. Henry doesn't even try until he sees Jane going for it.
We are considering getting our Christmas tree this coming weekend, but wondered if I could crowdsource some advice: how do y'all keep your toddlers from destroying your tree? Play gate a la this? https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-6-Panel-PlaySafe-Playard/dp/B000G1YW98/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1511362426&sr=8-5&keywords=play+gate
There are at least six in the series. We had the safari one out from the library and it was so awesome I ordered four of them! https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-My-Baby-Woodland/dp/1452134316/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Yeah, it's tough. I love my pup like a first child, craziness and all. We've had a behavioral trainer come in home and help us make some modifications. The best thing we've done is use this:
https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Treat-Remote-Reward-Trainer/dp/B0010B8CHG
I can't imagine we paid this much for it, but we might have - being at the end of our rope and all. Basically it's remote controlled so it's super easy when holding a baby. Every time Maybe (our pup) looked at the baby we'd click the remote and it would beep and dispense a treat (we put it AWAY in a corner by her settle mat so she didn't have to get near the baby to get the treat). Then we gradually just started treating her for moving closer, etc.
We're pretty big fans of washcloth baths, cause who has time for tiny infant tubs where you have to bend over and stress out your back. We lay her down on waterproof changing pads like this one and wipe her down with super saturated warm washcloths.
Ugh. A cheaper option than a generator might be a battery pack. We got this one for my husband's CPAP when he went camping, and it lasted him two nights.
I wonder if you could also get those Mountain House freeze-dried meals and blend them up ahead of time and then just add water when you need to feed him.
We got this set of foam blocks and stuck it together using velcro pieces. It doesn't stay together otherwise. Every once in a while I mix up the configuration to keep it exciting. Sometimes they play on it a lot, and then they forget about it for a bit. If it's ever near something with a surface, they climb up on it and see what mischievous things they can get into on the desk, table, etc.
I actually just got her one like this ...
Minnie Mouse Disney Color N' Play Activity Playland https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J40C4ME/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_G7dNzbB6GX87W
Only paid $10 from Craigslist.. which I'm glad about because she doesn't really seem to care about it !
They're very likely not the best quality, but they do go through the dishwasher (if you can keep the bottoms propped open. We've only had the biggest size because I knew I would be using them for the older kid, and we would put a binder clip on the bottom when the baby was small. But now she can use them no problem (and put away 7 ounces).
Crock-Pot SCCPCTS605-S Cook Travel Serve 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007K9OI52/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mw2IzbTJ90A20
This is the one I have although I think I bought it from Walmart. The lid locks down if you want to travel with it, plus it's programmable. The size is great for small or large meals. I highly recommend a programmable one because it'll automatically switch over to warm at the end of the cook time instead of overcooking. Also, grab some crockpot liners. It doesn't keep the mess 100% contained but it does make the cleanup easier.
This was one of Toddler's favorite toys when she was one:
Here's one I've read about on the parent listserv: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EAHSBV4. There are a few out there, same general concept, and I'll add them if I can remember their names.
Ha here's another for 60 freaking dollars but the reviews are very positive: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NC10YFA/
Neither of my babies were into Sophie (who we got second hand from my SIL). They're both obsessed with this lion teether though.
Nuby Teething Blankie, Lion https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IO6UUQK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.11EzbXGQ30XS
We used another brand and basically attached two gates together along with the extension to fit ours. I thiiiiiink they're this one: https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Close-White-Spaces-between/dp/B000PRUAFI/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1497281752&sr=8-2&keywords=north+child+gate
They're not great, but it's WAY sturdier than the regalo ones.
We wound up using I think this one: https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Close-White-Spaces-between/dp/B000PRUAFI/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1497281752&sr=8-2&keywords=north+child+gate
We had a big space we needed to close and ended up putting two gates together along with their extensions. It's not great, but it's way better than the regalo ones.
I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L7C479Y
It's definitely not the super fancy kind, but it's so light! And so far, so good.
The place we're going is called the great wolf lodge, where the water park is only for people who stay at the hotel. I don't think we'd go with just the babies, but the step kids love it, and I think the twins will have fun. I think they have them all over the country.
Ben gets the Chobani mango spinach yogurt pouches and he's been using these attached to them to feed them to himself for the last few months. You've got to stay near and redirect to keep him from squishing it on himself but they work really well.
How old is he? Can you get one of those standing blocks for him that kind of pens you in...pricey but could get you through awhile...
GuideCraft Kitchen Helper - Limited Edition Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH9SKU4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.a-tzbCW2WA1N
I got these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B7G2AO4 for the twins' first straw cup. It has a weighted ball at the bottom of the straw, so it's easier for them to not turn it and not be able to get anything out (although still possible!).
I am kind of meh on if it was worth the $12 for a cup. They did catch on to drinking from the straw pretty quickly from it.
It's crappy weather today but it's supposed to warm up for the holiday. Thank goodness!
My babies are obsessed with this mobile so I thought I'd share it. It's portable so I can move it to whenever they are and plays music but will also spin quietly. They laugh and coo at it but will also fall asleep just watching it. It's a huge hit in our house.
Tiny Love Take Along Mobile, Animal Friends, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1CPBQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KEekzbBTBN4J9
Hmmm I don't remember exactly when mine started interacting with toys, but I started with Sophie and she loved to chew on her. She also really likes fabric toys that have plastic parts to chew on. We haven't bought a lot of toys either, but friends have given us fabric toys that can be washed, and boy does my baby like to chew on them. One is something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Bandana-Activity-Elephant/dp/B00LZKC1S8 and there are a ton of things to keep her occupied so she'll sit there and chew on it for a long time. I like this new version because it also has a clip (my older model doesn't) so you can hang it off the car seat. She has a couple plastic "educational" toys but she's not really into those yet. Not even the one that's for 3m+ and she's 6m now. Plus she likes to pick stuff up and put them in her mouth, so I don't feel comfortable giving her the plastic toys that are heavy (bc I tend to hand her a toy and then leave to get something done) but the fabric ones are fine.
I don't know of anything further along than 6 months, but for now these fabric toys are keeping mine occupied and entertained. I have them littered around the house so she has something to play with everywhere.
I think by 4-5 months they may also practice their rolling (mine started maybe around 4.5-5 months) which also keeps them busy.
Miss V will be transitioning to a pack'n'play when she outgrows her bassinet. We followed the advice on here and ordered a thicker mattress on Amazon to make it much more comfortable since the thin mattress it comes with is a hard P.O.S.
I love freezing in these ice cube trays- they are easy to pop out and then I have bags of different purees in the freezer. I can offer a mix of different things at a meal (she's just barely starting eat more).
I got these - it's nice because there are two ounce and four ounce containers. Then I save the little jars for stuff I don't need to freeze OXO Tot 12-Piece Baby Blocks Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009M63NVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_OtnOrM2i2tt3W
So, for poop in the bark yard issue I've got one of these that sits outside permanently in a circle so the dog can't poop in that area and the babies have a grassy area to play in. Once we get their outdoor play house I'm going to hook two of those gate things together and it will live around the playhouse to keep dog/poop out and babies in.
I've got no solution on the behavior issue though. Our dog is an asshole and almost 11 years old, so she isn't changing any time soon. She growls and nips at them if they get close, so now that Ben's crawling we've had to make sure he doesn't get too close to her.
This is the one that worked for the twins: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MD120I4 It has a soft spout, and easy to hold handles. All the ones I tried before that did not work.
Henry, however, has learned how much fun it is to hold it upside down and bang it so that stuff comes out. Then he can bash on his high chair tray and make splashes go everywhere.
My friend had a square cube silicone tray and still had trouble popping the food out sometimes. She found this OXO ice cube tray and I have had good success with every puree popping free pretty easily. I also like that it had a lid. Once they are frozen, I pop them into labeled bags so I can defrost and serve a variety with less waste.
Ben couldn't figure out a sippy cup because he couldn't figure out you had to tilt it.... so we went with a straw and used a honey bear to train him how to suck from a straw over two days. We already had the honey bear for Finn's therapy but all you have to do is take a honey bear, remove honey, and put a straw in the top of it (or I think they sell therapy ones on amazon). It enables you to squeeze the liquid up into the straw for them to learn to suck out of. And this is the cup he uses now: https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Click-Weighted-Flexi-Trainer/dp/B00X8BREJS/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492826201&sr=8-1&keywords=munchkin+straw
I hope everything is ok with your pup and it's just something minor wrong with his neck!
We got the keyfit magic- basically the same as the regular and zip but the canopy zips at the back to expose some mesh and makes the canopy coverage longer. I loved it- but I depends on your weather. We live in So Cal so I really wanted as much sun coverage as possible.
I also used the chicco keyfit caddy. Loved that it was so light and easy to get into my trunk. It's short lived (I started using her "big" stroller around 6 months) but it made doing stuff with baby so much easier.
We love these: https://www.amazon.com/Under-Sleepy-Stars-Stephanie-Shaw/dp/1589252047 (we have this one in Dutch) & https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1589252217/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BKMZF03ARE4MZM8CC1K1 (not translated yet so we got it in English)
Get one of these!!! It's what we use and they work great! Makes normal store shopping possible.
Also, if I don't need much and just want to walk around a store I put them in their wagon with a ton of toys and go out. It's just one of those cloth red flyer wagons and works great. AND I can navigate around the stupid carter's store that I can't do when I've got them in their giant double stroller.