Must-Have Baby Stuffs, Part 3

Thanks to this little contraption here, my family and I can enjoy dinner out at a restaurant. And by "enjoy," I mean we don't have to crawl around on the floor picking up stray bits of mac n cheese.

This placemat, called the Tiny Diner, is one of the best things I've come across as far as toddler gear goes. It folds up, rolls up, and gets tucked away in the diaper bag that we keep in our car. That way it's ALWAYS with us for whenever we decide to go to a restaurant. I'm not sure I would consider even going out to eat without this thing. I sware, it's that essential.

It keeps my daughter's food (and mess) contained to one space and the little cupped edge on the end catches all (or most of) the oops and uh ohs. I also don't have to worry about cleaning off the table when she's done. We just roll the placemat up, take it home, and give it a rinsing at the sink. Works for me!

Find more Must-Have Baby Stuffs HERE.

Must-Have Baby Stuffs, Part 3

Must-Have Baby Stuffs, Part 2

Most parents would quickly be able to tell you the baby stuff they just couldn't live without. There are just some things that make life that much easier. This is Part 2 of my Must-Have Baby Stuffs. If you missed part 1, where were you??? Why weren't you reading??? Ha, I kid, you can find it here.

Another product I absolutely love are the Playtex Drop-Ins Nurser bottles, (found here). With two kiddos, I've tested out sooo many bottles. Really, we've tried other types by Playtex, The First Years Soothie, Dr. Brown's, Gerber NUK, Evenflo and one or two others.

Anyway again and again, I've always come back to the Playtex Nursers. They really are the best. So, if they are so great, why did I keep trying others? Well, you see the Playtex Nursers only came in 4 oz and 8 oz sizes. What's the problem with that? Well, to use it as an 8 oz bottle, you have to fill it to the tippy top. And if you wanna mix in powdered formula, they left you with no room to do that. Major issue.

So we tried all those other bottles and found annoyances and problems with each and every one. Just about all of them leaked in one way or another. Some only leaked when you shook them up and others leaked no matter what you did. Those are definite deal breakers in my book. I mean really, I'm busy with a baby here, I don't need to be cleaning up leaky bottles as well.

The only other bottles that didn't leak were the Soothie bottles by The First Years. I guess you could call them the runners up in my bottle contest. They are nice enough, big enough and didn't leak. They also have a nice wide opening, so they are easier to clean.

But... the Soothie bottles are an odd shape. If your baby likes them, then great. My daughter liked them fine, but my son has been more picky and really doesn't like them. And if you are switching between bottle and breast, then I strongly recommend not using these. They make it more difficult since they are shaped so differently.

And if you are breastfeeding, then these bottles are even better. You can buy certain pieces that connect these bottles right to your breastpump so that you can pump right into them. Then you can store the milk in the fridge or freezer right in those drop-ins. Nothing can be easier than that.

Another thing that I like about the Playtex Nursers... The drop-ins make it so convenient, especially on the go, since you just trash the liner and don't have to worry about washing out a bottle. I worry about the impact on the earth that this has, but hey, atleast they are not made with BPA, like so many of the other bottles are.

And remember how I was saying that the only drawback to the Playtex Nursers was that they really weren't big enough to mix an 8 oz bottle? Well the people at Playtex must have been listening to their feedback because they now make them in a 10 oz size, so there's plenty of room to mix! I haven't gotten these yet, but I certainly plan to once my son (almost 4 months now!)needs the 8 ounces.

So there you have it, I love, love, love the Playtex Nursers and I think they are a must-have for baby.

**Just so you know, I'm not getting paid to tell you about these things. My opinions are my own and can never be bought. I'm just happy to share what I love and hopefully my experiences can help one of you.**

Must-Have Baby Stuffs, Part 2

Must-Have Baby Stuffs, Part 1

These days there are tons and tons of baby products out there. So many, that it is really confusing and overwhelming for new parents... and often times, even for seasoned parents. There really aren't too many things that parents need for a baby, besides the basics. But it's difficult to determine which things you need and which you really don't.

Now that I have two kids (ages 3 months & 2 years), I definitely have some favorite baby and toddler products. I actually can't imagine not having them because they make my life so much easier. So, I'm gonna share them with you and hopefully this will help if you're expecting or if you're shopping for an expectant mom.

First up is the Boppy pillow. I love, love, love this thing. Really, it's great. It's pretty much essential for breastfeeding.... just wrap it around your waist, lay baby on it and they're at the perfect height.

But the Boppy is also great for so many other uses. It makes it nice and easy to hold baby when you're giving a bottle. It's the perfect way to prop up & support your arms while you're holding baby.

You can lay the Boppy on the floor and place baby in the middle for play time. I use it alot with my son (3 months) and I place him on his activity mat, propped up on the Boppy and he can reach for and play with the toys that dangle down. It also works great for tummy time.

Then, the Boppy is even great for when baby is starting to sit unsupported. You just place baby, sitting up, in the middle and if they become wobbly, they have a soft place to fall back on.

You might also want to check out Boppy.com. Right on their homepage you can see pics of all these different uses. Oh and you can check out Target's Baby Category to see all the cute patterned covers for the Boppy. You'll want to have a few extra covers so when one gets dirty, you can put a fresh one right on.

Coming up soon: More Must-Have Baby Stuffs!

Must-Have Baby Stuffs, Part 1