Buy This, Not That!

I successfully resisted the urge to be "that Mom" yesterday while I was out shopping. You know - that Mom that approaches random pregnant women working on their registry in Target. The pregnant women who can't be more than a few months along, yet are registering for this season's newborn sized clothes, baby shoes, thirty boxes of newborn diapers, and other hysterically ridiculous things.

I know, I know - I was that excitedly naive back then, but at least I took it upon myself to *try* and make my registry useful.

The situation inspired me to share some of our favorite things in hopes of helping others through the big scary world full of baby junk. So, blog world, here is a list of our current favorite baby things that we seriously recommend!

Charlie's Favorite Toys:

Captain Calamari
Seriously, this might be his favorite toy at the moment. With eight exciting legs to choose from, a crinkly hat, and a mirrored under belly, the Captain provides way more entertainment than I first gave him credit for. Charlie's favorite in particular is the hook hand, which is more of then than not soaked with drool. Second favorite is the clinky rings with the silky crinkle tentacle as a close third. Though he won't correctly identify his cephalopods since this is clearly an octopus and not a squid, I am so glad we received this as a gift (from Grandpa!)


Stacking Cups
Another gift (from Aunt Christina) that we didn't even know we needed, these simple stacking cups are another absolute favorite. He holds them, chews on them, throws them, and knocks them down. Eventually, he can add stacking them to his repertoire. They make great bath/pool toys as well since they have holes in the bottom and water streams out in different patterns.


My Pal Scout
While creepy at first, this programmable pup is quickly becoming a staple in our house. With the help of a USB cord and Leap Frog's easy to use website, you can teach Scout your child's name, how to pronounce it properly, their favorite animal, food, and color, and choose songs, games, and lullabies from a bank of available tunes. There are even seasonal songs that come and go throughout the year. The bonus? When you're sick of hearing "Wheels on the Bus" every. five. minutes. you can go back online and swap it out for a different song. Genius.


Mommy's Favorite Baby Gear:
There are a lot of random baby things that I love, but these are a few of my current raves.

Fisher Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat
Not only does this high chair fit onto any kitchen chair, but it folds up to be taken anywhere. It folds down and sets up fast enough to make taking it to restaurants and on trips totally worth it. The tray is dishwasher safe and comes with a cover to keep it clean when you're on the go.

Charlie's Soap
Yes, that's really the brand name. We forgot to bring our BumGenius detergent while visiting family this past weekend and needed to find a substitute in a pinch. Surprisingly, Fresh Market had Charlie's Soap for a great price and I couldn't pass it up. Thus far, I really like it and prefer it to the BG powder. Not only is it cheaper ($14 for 80 loads as opposed to $13 for 66 loads), but it removes pee stink and poop stains like a champ. Even after just a few washes I can tell a difference. It is completely hypoallergenic, plant based, and all that crunchy granola stuff. Even the plastic tub it comes in is made of 100% recycled materials. Its available on their website and at a few retailers.

Baby Trend Velocity Jogging Stroller
I'm no jogger, but I still absolutely love this stroller. It folds up relatively small for its size, has a roomy basket underneath, two big cup holders, and an mp3 player dock with speakers. Yes, my stroller has speakers. They're not Bose or anything, but its a neat feature. Its a ridiculously smooth ride, even over grass and gravel. The padded shoulder straps made it so Charlie was able to sit in it safely starting at around 5 months, which for him was only about 10lbs. The tray swings out of the way and the back lays completely flat, making diaper changes easy on the go. We purchased ours at Babies R Us with a 20% off coupon, making it a great deal.

Tommee Tippee Lil' Sippee Cups
If you use Tommee Tippee bottles, you're going to want to invest in their line of Lil' Sippee cups as well. Each piece is completely interchangeable - you can put handles on a bottle, a bottle nipple on a sippy cup, etc. It makes sippy cup training so much easier. Charlie wasn't ready to go from the low flow bottle nipple right to the super fast flow of a sippy cup top - especially with something foreign like water or juice. We did, however, want him to start learning how to hold it for himself and tilt it back to drink. We were able to put a regular bottle nipple on his cup instead. When we were trying to keep him hydrated in the hot weather, it was helpful to use a regular 9 oz. bottle instead of the cup so I know how much he's drinking. They can be more expensive than regular cups, but every once in a while Babies R Us has a buy one get one 50% sale that helps big time.


In conclusion, this stuff rocks and I'd recommend it to anyone with a little one. There is a lot of baby stuff out there and most of it is expensive as hell. Don't be shy to ask around for what is best, but after you do, make the decision for yourself. One parent's rave is in another parent's yard sale pile. ;-)