My top 15 Favorite baby/toddler items!!!

I have been asked a few times on what I feel are the best items that I have used or what are must haves for moms and baby. So here they are....
and sorry, I think this post is the longest post known to man kind:)

#1
Fashionable Hospital gown for You!

I guess these aren't a "Must Have" but there is no denying that these are so fun! I felt so frumpy and ugly in the hospital when I had Pierce but in one of these I am sure you will look like one Hot mama!!!! They are pretty expensive but its always fun to think of new things:) Tori Spelling and Gwen Stefani wore one of these when they delivered and when recovering in the hospital.
www.shopbyog.com

#2
Nursing covers

These are so nice to have to make things not so complicated while nursing and a plus to looking a little more stylish at the same time:)

#3
The Ultimate receiving blanket
by: Swaddling Designs

These are, no joke, the best receiving/swaddling blankets on the planet. They are kinda pricey but totally worth it! I had a ton of other receiving blankets and ended up only using these since they are the perfect size! They are bigger than the standard size and last until your baby has grown. I still use this with Pierce as a light blanket at night or in the stroller in the evenings. They not only do the job but are also adorable and come in a ton of different colors and prints. You can find these at Target (online), Babies R' Us (online) and Nordstrom's.

#4
Dr. Browns plastic bottles - BPA free

These are our favorite bottles! Pierce would always get too much air, spit up and get tons of gas after eating. We tried a ton of different brands such as Avent, Evenflow and Playtex and none of them seemed to help. We then switched to Dr. Browns BPA plastic bottles and our life's changed drastically and Pierce improved a ton! There are some more parts to clean then regular bottles but for us it was totally worth it! You can get these bottles almost anywhere. Babie's R' Us, Target, Walmart ( I think?)

#5

formula

The only reason that I am posting this one is because a lot of moms have asked me what formula we used. We used the Enfamil brand because we were told by Chris's dad, who also happens to be our pediatrician, that it was the closest formula out there to mom's milk as far as nutrients and antioxidants.

#6
Binky (pacifier) clips
These are a must have for any baby that uses a binky (pacifier) to prevent it from falling to the floor and getting dirty and yucky, time and time again.
These are some of the cutest ones I have seen yet!
So FUN!

#7
Sweet Hoods (infant carrier cover)

So I don't want you to think I put these on my list just because I sell them but..... I really do Love them! I have also received a ton of good feedback on them since they are so helpful. Who wouldn't want to keep their baby protected from the sun, wind, snow, or rain? They also keep your little one comfortable, cozy, and away from germs. Love that! And I have to admit.... I think they are pretty cute too:)

#8
The Vaccine Book
By: Dr Robert W. Sears

I know not everyone is as cautious as I am when it comes to vaccines but I think whether or not you do the regular schedule or an alternate one you should at least find out what are in those shots and how they are made. I am giving Pierce all the recommended shots (since i really do think it is important to be fully vaccinated) but only further apart from one another. Plus saving some shots for when he gets a little bigger so that his little body can handle them better. I really think this is a "must read" before you have your baby since I had no idea what to do when the doctors asked if it was OK if they gave Pierce all these shots in the hospital. By the way, you do need to be very committed to the schedule he recommends. It makes sense to me and I think it is totally worth it. If you don't agree with me I have no hard feelings, I promise:)
I got mine at Barns & Noble for around $10

#9
The Bumbo!

These are so great! These are awesome since they give your baby a different view earlier on. Some kids even start using these between 3 to 4 months! Amazing I tell u:) Pierce actually had this "Bumbo" and one similar to this, "The Bepod"(not good). We loved the Bumbo since he could sit up in it way earlier than the other brand . We got the Bepod (the not good brand) since it looked a little better but he would slide around in it. The Bumbo was great when it came to feeding pierce as a mini travel size high chair while visiting family and friends. It can be found at Babies R' us, Target, and Walmart to name a few.

I have to admit that the look of the Bumbo was never my favorite. They come in such bright or weird colors. But I just happened to come across these covers and I think they are such a good idea! They have loops in the front that hold toys and help your baby from sliding around when they are first learning how to sit up and they look so much better then the actual Bumbo!
Very smart!
Bumbo covers can be found at.... bumbocover.com

#10
Snack traper cups

These are a life saver! Pierce would always spill his snacks all over the place until we got these. He started using them as early as 8 or 9 months. It does take a few times for them to get the hang of it but after that life is so much easier since you don't have to feed them Cheerios by hand. It also keeps the snacks trapped in the cup so they don't make a huge mess. We have both brands above and below. The Munchkin Snack Catcher By: Munchkin holds more snacks and is more more appealing. The con is that unlike the Snack Trap below they don't have extra lids to keep the snack from going stale so you have to empty the snacks back in their original box when done snacking. The con about the Snack Trap below is that they are smaller and have silly looking animals on them. Oh, well :) They make life cleaner so they are worth it! They can be found at Target and Babies R' Us

#11
Sweet Rides
(shopping cart/restaurant highchair cover)

Again, I am not putting this on my list just because. I really think they are such a great way to keep away as many germs as possible. Pierce would always put his mouth and hands on the handle leaving me with a very sick little boy a few days later (it's never fun seeing your little one sick). Uhhh... so this really helped me feel more at ease when going shopping or eating out. These are found in my store.

#12
Restaurant/eating out place mats

So, if you can't already tell, I try to stay away from as many germs as possible. These little mats are AWESOME! They stick onto the restaurant tables and won't move around. You can put food or snacks on the mats instead of the yucky table or plate (the plate in our case usually ends up on the floor since Pierce thinks it's a toy). They are also a great way to keep them entertained with the pictures and when they get old enough, to scribble on. You just throw them away when dinner is done. Love that! I believe they have these at Target and Babies R' Us

We also have this brand and use it as much as the one above. The mat (below) suctions onto the table and even has a little tray that hangs over the table to help catch crumbs. The only thing is that you have to wipe it off when dinner is done. This one came from Babies R' Us.

#13
Alphabet Movie

Pierce is still pretty young to know his alphabet but the earlier you start the better... Right?!?!? We were told by a friend of ours (thanks Tara) that her little boy was having a harder time learning his letters and their sounds and after they got this DVD he improved a ton.
Pierce Loves, I mean Loves, this DVD. He could watch it over and over all day long. He has now tried sounding some of the ABCs. I even find myself enjoying it:) We got this one at Target.

#14
formula dispenser

These are great for taking formula on-the-go in diaper bags. They have enough for four bottles if needed and disperse the right amount of formula at a time depending on how much formula you previously measured out. They can be found at Walmart, Target, Babies R' Us, etc.

#15
Sign Language

We personally didn't use these dvds, but wish we did. We did teach Pierce how to sign different things, but we had to do them repeteadly. Other mom's have ranted and raved about how easy it was for their kids to learn to sign from these and how much fun they had watching them. Ithink the only necessary DVD is the first signs (teaches how to sign food, sleep, milk, etc) since it really helps take the guess work out. It has limited Pierce's frustration when trying to communicate with us. Hopefully, he will start talking soon so that we won't have to learn the signs for everything else. I found these online but I have been told you can also rent them from your local library.

Ok, so my top 15 plus 2 more:)

#16
Learning to read DVD's

So I haven't tried these out but am dying to!!!!! I guess kids as young as 9 months recognize the words and will then do the action when they see the word come up on the screen or flash card. Can you say cool or what! If you know of anyone who has any info on this let me know. I would love to hear what you have to say. You have to check out the video on their site and the success stories. It's seriously crazy what these kids can do! Their website is www.yourbabycanread.com

#17
3 day Potty Training method

We have not yet tried potty training Pierce but found this on a friends blog (thanks Brittney) and she said her little girl was potty trained in three days!!! She also said her little girl didn't even use a pull-up at night and she is not even two yet! Truly a miracle! They even claim that if your little one is 22 months they are more than ready. LOVE IT!!!! Below is some of the points they listed on their website.

• Are you trying to get your child to poop IN the toilet?
• Is your child showing signs of being ready to potty train? Is it time to start?
• Is your child older than 22 months? They're probably ready now - even if they show now no interest in the toilet!
• Are you up against a deadline? Do you need your child potty trained before they can go to school? Are you expecting another child?
• Has your child lost interest in the toilet? Does he resist being taken to the toilet? Does she prefer to pee or poop in her diaper? Does he pee or poop AFTER getting off the toilet?
• Have rewards lost their power to motivate?

Whew!! Potty training can be challenging and frustrating, but help is available

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Potty Training method around that is Proven

to gently train even the most Resistant and

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Their website is www.3daypottytraining.com

I hope this post is useful to all the moms out there and if not it was a fun project for me. If you have anything that you want to add to my list or think is a fun idea I would love to hear about it! Just leave a comment :)