Mrs. Sun – Gavin and Tyler, 5 months – The Uppababy Vista. It’s hands down the best piece of parenting gear I’ve ever had. We got the boys the Mesa car seats, and I love being able to easily snap them in and out of the frame. It folds easily, and takes up like no room in my trunk. We ended up acquiring three strollers over the years with Addie, so I love that the Vista will keep growing with the boys. I can’t imagine needing to buy another one!
Mrs. Starfish, Lilly and Audrey – 5.5 months – Since weaning from the pump, we have come to depend a lot on our Baby Brezza Formula Pro. This contraption is basically like a Keurig machine for baby formula and I can’t imagine our lives without it! Although expensive, I feel like it has paid for itself in time saved for me and Mr. Starfish and our nanny, and I also hope it will have a relatively high resale value once we are done with formula.
Mrs. Dolphin, Panda – 9 months – Lion was never very interested in a training toothbrush when we would brush his teeth, but Panda grabs it and won’t let go. Panda uses it as a teether more than a toothbrush, but it is the best teether we have for him, preferred even over frozen items!
Mrs. Oatmeal, Baby Oats – 1 – Reusable pouches have been amazing in the Oats household. Baby Oats loves food so, so much, but doesn’t yet know how to use a spoon and won’t tolerate being spoon-fed. So, when we’re having soup (all the time, now that its fall), or when I make a big batch of apple sauce, we just fill up the reusable pouches and he can feed himself!
Mrs. Pizza – Baby Pizza, 17.5 Months – Baby Pizza hates wearing fleece pjs with the footies which worked well for the winters with Lil’ Pizza. She hates socks too. I decided to buy this sleep sack for the cold nights and it’s been helpful. The age it actually says it’s good for on the item is 2-5 years. I went with the bigger size rather than buying an early walker for 1-2 years old because I wanted it more than just one season, and it works fine even though it’s a little big.
Mrs. Tornado – Little T, 18 Months – Kickee Pants crib sheets! My 18-month-old is not a great sleeper and I swear these sheets and the blankets (SO SOFT!) make her sleep better. I use the blankets stretched over the pack and play mattress when traveling to make that more comfy as well.
Mrs. Carrot – Little C, almost 3.5 – It’s not a new purchase, but one of the best that keeps on being the best is the Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Tricycle. We got it when Baby C was just about to turn 2. We used it as a stroller substitute to go for walks, she’s been learning to pedal in it, and most recently we took off all the extra parent navigation gear and she’s using it as her first bicycle/tricycle she can ride herself. We can easily put the navigation bar back on it when we go outside our yard so that I can grab her if she veers somewhere she shouldn’t, and take it off for free riding. And because she’s a smaller kid, it’ll probably last her another riding season before she can upgrade to a full bike. For taller kids this one might not last as long because their legs will quickly start being too long, but for Baby C it seems comfortable so far.
Mrs. Cotton Candy – Little CC, 3 – Nothing mind-blowing, but washable paints have been a huge hit in our house. Little CC will sit and concentrate and paint for long stretches, and it’s an activity we love doing together. My favorite part is because they’re washable, I don’t have to worry about him getting paint on his clothes or the furniture—it wipes right up!
Mrs. Pizza – Lil’ Pizza, 3.5 years old – It’s like a doodle board for the newer generation. It’s great for adults to jot down notes, and it’s small and easy to carry around in your bag for kids to draw.
Mrs. Oatmeal – Little Oats, 3 – We recently sold one of our standard Tulas and purchased a Toddler Tula. This carrier can be used for children up to 60lbs, which means our tall-and-leggy 3-year-old will outgrow it long before she outweighs it! Yes, she can walk (and run, hop, jump, crawl, etc), but she LOVES piggyback rides, and is SO curious about her surroundings. Thanks to our carrier, she can see everything that goes on around her, and we don’t have to worry about chasing after a very fast, very mischievous preschooler.
Mrs. Cookie – Before Chip was born we purchased a double stroller. Mr. Cookie wondered if it was worthwhile and I’m happy to say I use my double stroller 2-4 times a week! It’s totally life-changing. As a chronic over-packer I can fit anything and everything I need for both boys in the bottom basket, and I love that it accommodates a bucket car seat as well the ability to arrange the original seats facing me or facing out. I have always preferred a tandem stroller to side by side and while it feels very heavy to push sometimes, I figure all double strollers are heavy and it’s a good work-out for me. The one we bought has been discontinued and this is the newer version.
Mrs. Dolphin – Lion, 2 – We ended up getting Lion the MacLaren Mark II Umbrella Stroller and it is amazing! Although we also got a used double stroller off Craigslist, we use the MacLaren Mark II more often and will put Panda in the Ergo360. I love that the MacLaren is only 7lbs and we can easily walk to the kids’ daycare and then either leave the stroller in Lion’s cubby or put it over our shoulder and walk to the metro and take it to work. When we are out and Lion would rather walk, I can either put Panda in it or continue to let Panda ride in the baby carrier and effortlessly carry the stroller over my shoulder. It is perfect for our toddler who loves to run around, but also gets tired if we’ve been out for awhile.
Mrs. Cheesecake – 22 months and 3.5 years – I don’t know why it took me so long to buy a double stroller, but when the Maclaren Twin Techno showed up on Craigslist I had to buy it. We currently have a Maclaren single stroller and then just wore DD in the Ergo. But having the double definitely was a game changer. I am currently contemplating buying a Tula to replace our Ergo, so we’ll see how that goes.
Mrs. Bee – 5 and almost 7
Adult coloring books. Maybe it’s because there isn’t that much for my kids to do on a remote island, but they spend hours coloring every day. They were never really that into coloring before we got Johanna Basford’s books (we own Enchanted Forest, Secret Garden, & Lost Ocean), and now we have a bunch of adult coloring books in all kind of genres from mandalas to animals to Harry Potter. I love that it is fostering creativity, fine motor skills, independent play, concentration, and relaxation!
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What recent parenting/child product has changed your life?
guest
The Baby Bum Brush for applying diaper cream. I would have never bought this for myself, but we got this as a present and love it. It keeps you from getting diaper cream all over your fingers and under your nails. I think it’s also more hygienic. My husband was always a little weirded out applying cream to our daughter, so it helps with that too. I now give it as baby shower gifts.