Can’t Live Without……
The eyesore that is the Fisher Price Jumparoo. It may be a whole load of ugly plastic that takes up a lot of room but it is the BEST thing we have ever bought for Charlotte. She loves it more and more.
When I first had Charlotte I did a bunch of posts about the products that I couldn’t live without. The kind of products that make me smile like this:
I’ve had a number of emails recently from readers telling me that they found the posts really useful and so I thought I would go back and see if I still felt the same way about those products now that Charlotte is 7 months old (on Sunday!). I also have a list of items that I never blogged about that I think are must-buys and will blog about them over the coming weeks.
1. Tommee Tippee bottles - still using these bottles and still love them.
2. Trumpette socks - still think these are the best socks ever plus I get lots of compliments on them.
3. gDiapers - I think I used them for about 3 weeks and ended up going back to disposables. I really disliked them because I found there was a constant smell of pee around Charlotte. I know there are other bloggers that use and like them but I personally would not recommend them.
4. Activity mat - one of the best purchases ever. We have the Shangrila Activity Mat. It was expensive but so very worth every penny. We still use this mat multiple times a day.
5. Mommy hook - yup, this is still a must-buy.
6. Fisher Price little lamb cradle swing - just used this thing today. Twice in fact.
7. Fisher Price soothe and glow seahorse - this little guy still sings Charlotte to sleep every nght. She’s gone from ignoring it, to watching it, to playing with it as she falls asleep.
8. Stork Craft Tuscany glider and ottoman - I sit and feed Charlotte every morning at 7am in this chair with my feet up on the ottoman. I still think it’s ugly but I still absolutely love it.
9. aden + anais muslin blankets - I don’t use these as often now but they were great for swaddling, as a summer blanket, and as a burp cloth when Charlotte was younger.
10. Ergo baby carrier - I just used it today when I went to coffee shop that I knew would not have room for a stroller. Having a baby carrier of some sort is a must.
11. Nursing cami - during the short time that I nursed, this was worn a lot.
12. Onesies - yup, I still prefer the onesies that zip or button all the way up.
13. Nursing bra - I packed my nursing bras away for next time although I wore them for a little while even after I stopped nursing!
Tommee Tippee Bottles
John bought the Tommee Tippee bottles in Babies R Us when Charlotte was less than a week old. He based his decision on the fact that they have specially designed bottles for sensitive tummies.
I was recently exchanging emails with a PR person and as an aside she asked me if I would be interested in reviewing a newly launched baby bottle called the Tommee Tippee. I was all, OH MY GOD I LOVE THE TOMMEE TIPPEE and explained that I already owned every single thing they make (bottles, bottle warmer and the sterilizer). After finding out a bit more about the brand from her I wanted to high five John for picking this particular bottle way back when Charlotte was just days old and we had no idea what we were doing. Little did I know that they have won numerous awards in the UK and are the best selling brand over there.
Anyway, I have nothing but good things to say about these bottles and would recommend them to anyone.
We also have four of the Life Factory bottles. They are made of glass and have this plasticy material around the outside to prevent them from breaking and to provide easy grip. I really wanted to LOVE these bottles because I’m a sucker for anything that looks cute but unfortunately the style of nipple on these bottles makes Charlotte gag. I’m hoping that when she is a bit older we can re-introduce them because seriously, how cool are they!
Trumpette Socks
I received two boxes of trumpette socks from friends and I seriously love them. Even though it’s summer, Charlotte’s tootise are always cold so she wears socks almost every day.
These make great gifts for your pregnant friends. Charlotte is wearing the Mary Janes in the photo of my last post. She also has the adorable Ballerina version below.
Do you have a baby boy? You don’t have to miss out on the cuteness! I think these sneaker socks are adorable.
I have heard so much about the gDiapers from fellow bloggers and had a brief look at them while I was pregnant but ultimately opted for disposable diapers. Recently I have been hearing uproar from parents about Pampers Dry Max diapers - some parents claim that they cause all sorts of problems including severe rashes and even burns. I have been using these diapers for two months and never had an issue. If anything, I have been super impressed by them because I’ve never once had a leak or a rash. But given the hoopla surrounding them I found myself thinking about the gDiapers again one morning last week. It was like Lindsay read my mind because she then wrote a great post about the problems she had encountered and her subsequent thoughts on gDiapers.
So, what’s a gDiaper? It’s a hybrid diaper combining the best of disposable and cloth diapers. The gDiaper is made up of a washable pant that comes in multiple colors (see the green part in the photo) and a disposable insert. You can flush, compost, or toss the disposable insert.
I mentioned it in my New Mom’s support group that afternooon and one of the other Moms offered to give me all of her size small gDiapers that her son had grown out of. Bonus! I could try them out without actually shelling out the cash for them.
My verdict? They’re really great. I haven’t had leakage issues. It doesn’t create any additional laundry because I’m already doing laundry almost every day anyway (who knew a 10lb baby could create so much laundry!). And I think Charlotte looks beyond adorable wearing them.
I still love the convenience of a disposable diaper and so will ultimately use a combination of both gDiapers and disposables depending on what the situation calls for.
An Activity Mat
I held out for as long as I could on buying an activity mat but after seeing this particular one at a friend’s apartment I went directly to the store to buy one.
We really don’t have many toys for Charlotte. She is perfectly happy just staring at people’s faces for now. When I really want to wow her, I bring her into the pantry where we store all sorts of crap that she can look at. Entertaining a young baby is actually pretty simple! This particular activity mat flips over to reveal various textures, along with velcro patches to stick more little toys to. Perfect for a curious baby.
And perfect for tummy time.
The only downside is the constant battle with Winston to keep him off it.
The Mommy Hook
I spotted one of these on my friend’s stroller and immediately wanted one. Without a car in New York, I’m very reliant on the space beneath my stroller for carting my shopping. As roomy as it is, sometimes it’s just not enough. Enter the Mommy Hook. It clips onto the handlebar and allows you to hang whatever you want from it - shopping bag, camera bag, a purse, toys, anything you want within easy reach.
Yesterday, I stopped in at Giggle and used the rest of my gift cards. My bag was way too big to fit underneath the seat and without the Mommy Hook I would have had to carry it home over my shoulder 20+ blocks.
The Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle Swing
This thing is AMAZING and should be on your must buy list. We originally bought the Fisher Price Bouncer because it took up less room. But the cradle swing is definitely worth the extra expense and the additional space that it needs.
Charlotte loves this thing. You can have it swing side to side or front to back. The little lambs at the top spin around. It plays music. You know - the typical baby’s toy that has all the bells and whistles.
And don’t take my word for it. I posted a photo of Charlotte in the swing a few days ago and within seconds two fellow bloggers commented and used the exact same word in caps to describe this swing! LIFESAVER!
Can’t Live Without…..
Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse
Charlotte is a really good baby. I don’t know how I got so lucky. She only cries when she is hungry and because I know her cues I can normally start feeding her before she even starts crying.
She is also pretty good at getting to sleep.
But sometimes I need a little help. Sometimes I have to bring in the big guns. The big guns being the Fisher Price Soothe and Glow Seahorse.
This thing works. I mean, it really really works!
I turn it on, it glows and sings weird songs and Charlotte stares at it until her eyes begin to droop.
A number of people have asked me to post photos of Charlotte’s nursery.
Without further ado.
Ta-dum!
That’s right. Charlotte’s ‘nursery’ currently consists of a Graco Pack N Play in the living room.
Our living room is jam-packed with furniture right now. It used to look like this!
We do have the luxury of a second bedroom in our apartment (can you believe I live in a city where a second bedroom is considered a luxury?) but with the various family visitors we are expecting over the next couple of months we have kept our guest bedroom / office intact. We will convert it to a proper nursery sometime in the Summer. And get our living room back in order!
I love the Graco Pack N Play. In fact, it would fall into the I Can’t Live Without….. category. It is all singing and all dancing. It has a bassinet that will convert to a playpen once Charlotte is older. It has music and vibrations. It also has a change table with an area to store diapers, wipes etc.
