Current Faves!

Awhile ago I started a 2nd blog where I could talk about things that did or didn't work for me as a Mom. Needless to say, I went back to work after my maternity leave and couldn't keep up with TWO masterpieces...so I had to shut it down. I've been meaning to post about some of those same topics on this blog, but again...too many other things to share and not enough time! I'm going to attempt to take the time now to share with you the things I am most grateful for at the moment. Whether it's entertaining the kids, keeping me sane, making motherhood a little easier or all of the above, thank God for these luxuries! Here are my current Top 10 Must-Haves...in no particular order...


1. Bobby Pillow - The best invention...EVER!!!!! Way more exciting than sliced bread... I never even breastfed and these pillows saved us so many times. They are great for bottle feeding baby on your lap to give your arms a break, keep your hands free for changing the channel on the TV...or taking another swig of that large cold press, moosed with white chocolate from Caribou. They are also great for that acid reflux baby who needs to sleep at an incline (supervised, of course). I can't tell you how many nights Will was propped up in that thing lying next to me in my bed. My only advice on this one is to splurge on the supersoft Boppy pillow covers, rather than the standard cotton ones. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but they are so much cuter and baby loves them too!

2. Air Purifiers - It doesn't matter what kind you buy, they clean the air and are awesome for white noise! Lili's is this huge, monstrous thing with a TORNADO setting that makes it sound like the house is coming down. It blocks out EVERYTHING and she seems to enjoy the power!

3. Goldfish Crackers - God love those horrendous little, orange beasts.......... We buy them in bulk now. I thought for sure after puking them during her last bout of stomach flu Lili would be totally and completely turned off by them, but we didn't get so lucky. The second we walk through that door, if we forgot to put the Mother-Lock on the pantry that morning, she's in there yelling, "My cah-kers! My cah-kers!". Yes, we have graduated from "Ca-cas" to "Cah-kers" now. One step at a time...

4. Barney - Every other kid in the world loves Dora, my kid loves Barney. Personally, I don't think he's so bad. The songs are cute and it's the only show Lil will focus on for longer than 5 minutes. This means Will gets to eat in peace, which is always a plus! At least the DVDs are cheap now that every other parent wants to kill that poor, purple dinosaur.

5. Radio Flyer Trike With The I'm-Too-Old-For-This-Shit Handle - Whoever thought of putting a "parent handle" on the back of those things has the gratitude of every toddler parent in the world right now.

6. Bumbo - Initially I didn't think those sitters could be all that comfortable. The babies always look squished in there, as if there is too much pressure on their tummies. Surprisingly enough, my kids love them. Lili thinks it's funny to squeeze her butt in it because when she tries to get out, she gets stuck! As for Will, the Bumbo is in our "rotation" right now...one of many stations that he gets thrown into to keep him entertained while we deal with our tantrum throwing toddler.

7. Combi Twin Sport EX Stroller - Words cannot describe how much I love this stroller! The distraction that it brings to my munchkins is amazing, but despite that it's LIGHTWEIGHT, folds down easily and literally GLIDES.............it is such a smooth ride!

8. Papasan Cradle Swings - Lili slept in it for the 1st 6 months of her life and Will naps in it every day. There were many nights when I probably would have thrown myself out the window had it not been for the soothing rocking of that swing lulling my babies to sleep. This thing has earned its price tag 100 times over.

9. Ruffies Scented Trash Bags - Perfect size for diapers...disguises the smell...allows you to dispose of all that nastiness without having to deal with Diaper Genies and Diaper Champs that eventually stink up your entire house, no matter how many times you sanitize them.

10. Riley Roo Shoes - I used to be a Pediped fan, but they are pretty expensive ($45) and for as often as kids plow through shoes, I couldn't continue justifying the cost. I then started buying an assortment of shoes...many of them generic...but soon realized that Lili was walking "funny" in most of them. She wasn't flexing her feet, so she looked a little like Frankenstein. I happened to pick up a pair of Riley Roos last summer at a local baby boutique for $30. Still not cheap, but certainly not as expensive as Pedipeds. They are the most amazing shoes and the quality is even better than Pediped. They have a little more structure to them than a lot of other soft soled shoes, come in adorable styles and colors and 1 pair has lasted Lili 9 months! We bought her a 12-18 month size last August and she wore them almost every day up until recently when we purchased her a couple of 18-24 month pairs. They run a little big, but their design allows them still to be worn without the kid tripping over them. This is a great investment!