Thursday Thirteen No. 5

Thirteen Parenting Essentials (for right now).

1. The Pack N Play. Ironically, both of Baby L's grandparents have these (as do we). So, we don't usually have to pack ours up (thank goodness). But, it's great! She plays in it when I need to clean, so she's safe and not trying to pull things down or stick her fingers where chubby baby fingers don't need to be...or trying to pull the cat hair up....off the cat. And - it is GREAT for naptime or bedtime at her grandparents' homes. (Plus, it makes a great toy storage unit when she's not in it.)

2. Formula dispenser. Check it out. We pre-measure out the formula in this little guy and then pack it with the bottles. Plus, as she gets older, it'll be a snack cup!

3. Evenflo glass bottles (you can get them on Amazon). $4.99 for a 3 pack of 8 oz bottles. We originally got them because of the concern of toxicity in certain plastics. And, compare that to the $14.99 for 3 8 oz bottles by Dr. Brown (which are ironically some of the WORST bottles to have when it comes to Bisphenol A. It's a real threat and we decided to just get rid of plastic bottles, period. The evenflo bottles are GREAT (and affordable). And, they aren't quite as scary as you may think....pretty sturdy, too!

4. Gigi Blanki. Without this little guy (she has 4 total), she doesn't go down for naps very easy at all (when in an unfamiliar place). Both sets of grandparents have their own for L at their homes, and we have 2, here at home.

5. Magic Bullet. Don't get dirty thoughts...this is actually a food processor and we LOVE it. For a 21-piece, it is $49.99 (at the link I supplied). BUT, if you get it at Walmart, it is around $60 bucks with fewer pieces. WEIRD. Anyhow, I got the Walmart one before I knew all this. I use this guy to make baby food. LOTS of baby food. I make quite a bit and then I seal it up and either put it in the freezer or fridge (depending on how fast I plan to use it). Not only is making her own food better for her health (I don't add all kinds of crap they do in name brand baby food: sugars, salts, butter, and preservatives) AND it's MUCH cheaper. I can buy a whole bag of frozen peas or only a few containers of baby food. Cleanup is minimal, and I can feed her right from the container I blended in. (Hubby likes to make frozen drinks in it...and salsa - I'm sure we'll find some more recipes to use as well!).

6. Dadgear diaper bag. Manly for daddy...and daddy carries it (so good for mommy!) LOL...and it fits WAY more than our previous diaper bag (which held ALOT)...all the while, feeling much lighter!

7. A good book for homemade baby foods, like this one (my personal favorite). It tells you when they can eat what, how to prepare it, and ideas for mixing foods. As the child gets older, you will come across sections with food recipes that look downright delicious. We are still in the 10 month old section, so I can't tell you how those taste yet. :)

8. Melissa and Doug Picnic Toy. This thing is GREAT. You have to look at it. Come on, you know you want to. It's one of Baby L's favorite toys. They also have a bug themed one. Anyways, it's totally safe (no lead paint) and totally fun!

9. Ring stacking toy. You know what I'm talking about. Base where you stack different sized rings? At 10 mos, baby L has selected this as another favorite. Ours is plastic, but I'm hoping to switch to something more like this.

10. Baby gates.

11. Light socket covers

12. Baby spoons. These are her favorites. We love the bright colors, and in a pinch - they can serve as toys!

13. Board books are all the rage right now in our home. As are cloth books.

Local Note: If you live in the Western KY area, there is a great shop called "Learning Railroad" with fabulous educational toys (for ALL ages). They are all made from really great companies that take extra care in ensuring their products are safe (i.e., no lead paint).