Favorite Mommy Finds
I wanted to make a post of all my favorite kid items to be reminded of my kid's favorite things and my own. It will come in handy for gift giving. I can also help spread the ideas around in case others are looking for ideas.
For baby showers I love to gift people swaddlers. If I'm personally close to the new mom I also add in some TLC items for her. The newborn stage I love the Swaddle Me swaddlers. They are really easy to figure out and not super bulky to have on hand wherever you go. I loved having at least three. One was always used, one dirty (usually with poo), and one hanging up to dry or in the diaper bag.
The TLC items for mom usually include a soft lotion, water bottle, an organic natural nipple cream, gift card to a delivery food place, foot soak for those achy prego feet, my favorite nursing tanks, and/or a meal with disposable place settings.
For the next stage of swaddling I loved the Halo Sleepsack. Depending on which season you need it for, you can change if it needs sleeves or not, if you desire one that is fleece, etc. I'm also aware that some you can get that swaddle either both arms, just one, or the option of none of them. It's nice during that transition. My daughter loved them a lot. My son I didn't use as much fleece because he was a sweaty sleeper. They last until you are comfortable with the transition to a blanket due to bigger sizes. I think the biggest I ever got was 24 months. I have long lean babies. It also helps when they start to get interested in digging in their diapers during nap or bedtime. The zippers tend to start at the top and go to the bottom. If you need you can put it on backwards for extra protection.
Another newborn favorite are the nightgowns. My mom got me a couple and I was HOOKED. Since you swaddle the baby anyways their legs are not cold and it makes night time diaper changes so much easier!
My favorite advice to give new parents is do not go all out on those super duper cute baby clothing that are bulky, matchy and overall super cute. Yes, they're cute. But the one time you decide to have them wear it is probably when they decide to have their first ever blowout. And you end up stuck at church with a random back up onesie and pants that are too short because you forgot to switch out to the next size up for your backups. Stick to cute stuff for special occasions or for pictures. The day to day just do some basics because most of the time they are swaddled up against your chest or laying down in their crib to sleep. I loved the zip up pajama pieces or doing a onesie with shorts or leggings/pants.
Some of our favorite children's books are Flip Flap Fly, Little Excavator, The Monster at the End of this Book, and Little Blue Truck. Of course we have more but those are the ones that I didn't know much about nor do I hear many people talk about them.
My favorite tip for bath toys is to keep it simple. We only have one bathroom where everyone uses the bath/shower so I didn't want a huge collection. I wanted to be able to shower or bath without having toys fall on me. I also did not want it to look cluttered. I stuck with one rubber duck, bath book (which is now no longer around), little boat with sailor, measuring cups from the dollar store, and I use plastic cups I got from Target back when I was a teen. We use those to wash kid's hair and they love using them to play. When I want them to play longer I hand them a funnel from my kitchen drawer. I know they sell cute little spatulas and other utensils now which could also be fun for the kids in the bath. Don't under estimate the fun random items you can find at the dollar store!
I'm also thinking through all my favorite kid toy items. When I go to a birthday party for a one year old where I don't know what they're "into" or maybe what they could use I like to wrap the Edushape Balls. They come in a pack of four. I love having them for indoor bowling or a quick game of family toss before bedtime. They have fun sensory touch to them and great for the diaper bag or car for those unexpected trips to the park with older siblings or keeping kids entertained while adults talk FOR.EVER.
Simplay 3 Carry and Go Track for toy cars, truck, and trains is a favorite in our home. If you're limited on space or don't want to make the investment of a bunch of train tracks/train table this is THE BEST option for your train/car lover. I love it how it's like a train table without taking up the space. You can easily slide it under a bed or a closet. My son loves it and it gets played with almost every single day. I love the flexibility of being able to take it places if I want to.
Some of our other favorite toys are magnatiles. Watch for sales and receive a gift that all ages love and enjoy! Megablocks are also well loved in our home. These kind of toys are durable and I plan to hold onto for the future grandchildren. Our favorite games include: UNO, Skip-Bo, Sequence for Kids, Sorry!, Blokus, Rack-O, Rummikub, Thomas the Train Game, Disney Memory Game, Dominos, Twister, and it never ends. We have also taught Ellie some games that are more advanced for her age like Splendor and Settlers of Catan.
For each grandkid's first Christmas my mom gifted everyone a Pottery Barn backpack with their name on it. It's great for car trips or a weekend getaway. Now everyone has their own backpack and we know where everyone's stuff belong. I now use it whenever I want a change of clothes or pjs left in the car for the end of a long day out of town. Makes arriving home late much smoother.
I also love receiving gifts that my kids love but dont realize it benefits me as well. For example, one year for Christmas I got a lightweight cordless vacuum. I can now say both of my kids happily help vacuum whenever I ask them. It stops them in their tracks of sibling fighting. If I'm deep cleaning a particular area of a bedroom or somewhere in my home I can whip it out easily and vac real quick. It's a gift that keeps on giving.
My favorite kitchen items for kids have changed since I first became a mom. I've learned to appreciate appetizer spoons instead of the typical baby spoons you can get anywhere. They are perfect for little hands or still adult friendly during the "you do it" phase of eating with your toddler. I love the contigo water bottles for leak proof dishwasher safe water bottles. My kids like having a drink at any possible time of the day. I love how I can just leave them out at their reach and not worry about spills. Especially helpful at bedtime now that both kids insist on having water at their reach in their bedrooms. As long as I don't put anything BUT water in them the washing is so easy since they are dishwasher safe. I have different sippy cups for nonwater situations. However both are capable of using regular kid plastic cups (IKEA). My favorite dishwasher safe kid plates and bowls are from munchkin. You can get them at Target and I know of other places as well too. I get the multicolored pack kind. The bowls are a perfect size for snacks, cereal, and as the kid ages to still use them. I have slowly introduced Corelle plates for the kids to use for hot meals and heating up leftovers. My favorite silverware for past the baby stage are the ones I got at IKEA. Another decent option are the cheap ones off Amazon that I got to use for school lunches. I love the GERBER forks for baby and toddler stages as they navigate while learning their fine motor skills. I love the chunky help for them.
For now that is all I can come up with. However I know I am forgetting something. Probably important. I'll have to add more when things come to mind. Let me know when they come up with a self cleaning floor system.
 |
| The House that Lars Built (not my own pic) |
For baby showers I love to gift people swaddlers. If I'm personally close to the new mom I also add in some TLC items for her. The newborn stage I love the Swaddle Me swaddlers. They are really easy to figure out and not super bulky to have on hand wherever you go. I loved having at least three. One was always used, one dirty (usually with poo), and one hanging up to dry or in the diaper bag.
 |
| Swaddle Me |
The TLC items for mom usually include a soft lotion, water bottle, an organic natural nipple cream, gift card to a delivery food place, foot soak for those achy prego feet, my favorite nursing tanks, and/or a meal with disposable place settings.
For the next stage of swaddling I loved the Halo Sleepsack. Depending on which season you need it for, you can change if it needs sleeves or not, if you desire one that is fleece, etc. I'm also aware that some you can get that swaddle either both arms, just one, or the option of none of them. It's nice during that transition. My daughter loved them a lot. My son I didn't use as much fleece because he was a sweaty sleeper. They last until you are comfortable with the transition to a blanket due to bigger sizes. I think the biggest I ever got was 24 months. I have long lean babies. It also helps when they start to get interested in digging in their diapers during nap or bedtime. The zippers tend to start at the top and go to the bottom. If you need you can put it on backwards for extra protection.
 |
| not my baby *google image* |
Another newborn favorite are the nightgowns. My mom got me a couple and I was HOOKED. Since you swaddle the baby anyways their legs are not cold and it makes night time diaper changes so much easier!
My favorite advice to give new parents is do not go all out on those super duper cute baby clothing that are bulky, matchy and overall super cute. Yes, they're cute. But the one time you decide to have them wear it is probably when they decide to have their first ever blowout. And you end up stuck at church with a random back up onesie and pants that are too short because you forgot to switch out to the next size up for your backups. Stick to cute stuff for special occasions or for pictures. The day to day just do some basics because most of the time they are swaddled up against your chest or laying down in their crib to sleep. I loved the zip up pajama pieces or doing a onesie with shorts or leggings/pants.
Some of our favorite children's books are Flip Flap Fly, Little Excavator, The Monster at the End of this Book, and Little Blue Truck. Of course we have more but those are the ones that I didn't know much about nor do I hear many people talk about them.
My favorite tip for bath toys is to keep it simple. We only have one bathroom where everyone uses the bath/shower so I didn't want a huge collection. I wanted to be able to shower or bath without having toys fall on me. I also did not want it to look cluttered. I stuck with one rubber duck, bath book (which is now no longer around), little boat with sailor, measuring cups from the dollar store, and I use plastic cups I got from Target back when I was a teen. We use those to wash kid's hair and they love using them to play. When I want them to play longer I hand them a funnel from my kitchen drawer. I know they sell cute little spatulas and other utensils now which could also be fun for the kids in the bath. Don't under estimate the fun random items you can find at the dollar store!
I'm also thinking through all my favorite kid toy items. When I go to a birthday party for a one year old where I don't know what they're "into" or maybe what they could use I like to wrap the Edushape Balls. They come in a pack of four. I love having them for indoor bowling or a quick game of family toss before bedtime. They have fun sensory touch to them and great for the diaper bag or car for those unexpected trips to the park with older siblings or keeping kids entertained while adults talk FOR.EVER.
Simplay 3 Carry and Go Track for toy cars, truck, and trains is a favorite in our home. If you're limited on space or don't want to make the investment of a bunch of train tracks/train table this is THE BEST option for your train/car lover. I love it how it's like a train table without taking up the space. You can easily slide it under a bed or a closet. My son loves it and it gets played with almost every single day. I love the flexibility of being able to take it places if I want to.
Some of our other favorite toys are magnatiles. Watch for sales and receive a gift that all ages love and enjoy! Megablocks are also well loved in our home. These kind of toys are durable and I plan to hold onto for the future grandchildren. Our favorite games include: UNO, Skip-Bo, Sequence for Kids, Sorry!, Blokus, Rack-O, Rummikub, Thomas the Train Game, Disney Memory Game, Dominos, Twister, and it never ends. We have also taught Ellie some games that are more advanced for her age like Splendor and Settlers of Catan.
For each grandkid's first Christmas my mom gifted everyone a Pottery Barn backpack with their name on it. It's great for car trips or a weekend getaway. Now everyone has their own backpack and we know where everyone's stuff belong. I now use it whenever I want a change of clothes or pjs left in the car for the end of a long day out of town. Makes arriving home late much smoother.
I also love receiving gifts that my kids love but dont realize it benefits me as well. For example, one year for Christmas I got a lightweight cordless vacuum. I can now say both of my kids happily help vacuum whenever I ask them. It stops them in their tracks of sibling fighting. If I'm deep cleaning a particular area of a bedroom or somewhere in my home I can whip it out easily and vac real quick. It's a gift that keeps on giving.
My favorite kitchen items for kids have changed since I first became a mom. I've learned to appreciate appetizer spoons instead of the typical baby spoons you can get anywhere. They are perfect for little hands or still adult friendly during the "you do it" phase of eating with your toddler. I love the contigo water bottles for leak proof dishwasher safe water bottles. My kids like having a drink at any possible time of the day. I love how I can just leave them out at their reach and not worry about spills. Especially helpful at bedtime now that both kids insist on having water at their reach in their bedrooms. As long as I don't put anything BUT water in them the washing is so easy since they are dishwasher safe. I have different sippy cups for nonwater situations. However both are capable of using regular kid plastic cups (IKEA). My favorite dishwasher safe kid plates and bowls are from munchkin. You can get them at Target and I know of other places as well too. I get the multicolored pack kind. The bowls are a perfect size for snacks, cereal, and as the kid ages to still use them. I have slowly introduced Corelle plates for the kids to use for hot meals and heating up leftovers. My favorite silverware for past the baby stage are the ones I got at IKEA. Another decent option are the cheap ones off Amazon that I got to use for school lunches. I love the GERBER forks for baby and toddler stages as they navigate while learning their fine motor skills. I love the chunky help for them.
For now that is all I can come up with. However I know I am forgetting something. Probably important. I'll have to add more when things come to mind. Let me know when they come up with a self cleaning floor system.
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