A few of my favorite things

It is that time of year again, have you noticed? Time to make your wish lists, and get the kids Santa List's to the North Pole so the elves could get fast to work. In honor of holiday lists everywhere, here are a few of my favorite things and the sites to get them at. There are so many great sites out there. This Internet thing really has taken off.

TINY SPROUTS: This website hosts some adorable pieces and the hand embroidery is perfect. Check out the Holiday Ornament which has your own custom hand print of your child. I want one please... http://tinysprouts.com/ 

FAT BRAIN: Been to this site before? Easy to maneuver through and easy to find great toys for all the kids on your list. They have over 66K in product reviews. FB stocks almost every product they sell and you can see how many are in stock (HUGE!!!)  http://www.fatbraintoys.com/

UNCOMMON GOODS: This site is GOOD. Find some unique gifts. Don't fret, just because they are unique your recipient will LOVE it. Got choices? Yes you do: home & garden, kids, office, leisure, jewelry and also a gift finder. Go off the beaten path of gift giving this year. Here are just a few of their ideas. http://www.uncommongoods.com/

SANDBOX THREADS: You can never have enough shirts, onesies. I mean things get stained, torn, or are just your kids favorite. Find a new favorite here at http://sandboxthreads.com/ 
Just a few clicks away to find a cute, funny, perfect gift for your little one or maybe a relative who is just hard to buy for. Look below, then go search for yourself. Enjoy the sandbox, no dirt required.

All for now. More to come. If you have a favorite let me know. It might already be a fav or could become one.

Happy Holidays

The low down on high chairs

So...2 months into having two kids under the age of 2 and I am finally able to get a post up. This is huge.

My 16 month old has been using a high chair for some time, but we have recently moved and finally were able to have a dining table. At our other home, our dining area became his play area. Now that our home actually fits a table and we finally found one, we have been using more and more of the high chair. This whole high chair thing is not for me. Why? Well, if you have children or know kids, you know that when they eat they like to put food EVERYWHERE! My little guy would have food on the back of the chair, side of the padding. He was done and get food on the top of the padding, above his head. If these chairs came with an extra pad then maybe I would consider them again, but mine didn't. I seem to have to wash mine almost 3 times a week, maybe more. Maybe if I could do it again I would try something like the chairs at Baby Earth. The chair below, Stokke Tripp Trapp - Classic Collection is pricey $249 and had great reviews. However, seems a little hard on the rear end and not that comfortable.

 

After a little searching online I found a great Booster chair which I love. It is called the Fisher Price Deluxe Booster chair. I found mine on Diapers.com for $26.99. What I love is that the base is adjustable! It will grow with your child or change depending the table you eat at. Portable even. It comes with a strap that hides away and which you can use when you go out or to a friends home. Brilliant. The price is perfect too! There are two trays as well. My son found out how to take off the detachable one so we only use the one that clips. The tray that clips also adjusts! I believe I have found the chair to use for both my kids. I can wipe it off, even spray it down. Perfectly perfect. If you have friends that are expecting, fill them in on this secret of the high chair world. Save space, save money, and save time. Three things any parent can appreciate.

My kind of Rainbow...part of my diaper stash

No words really... Just wanted to take a photo of part of my stash. Love hanging them out to dry. Have Fuzzi Bunz, GroBaby and Rumparooz. Rumparooz are by far my favorite for around the house. GroBaby are my favorite for out and about (with the disposable insert, do not care very much for the cloth insert)

Can I live without these items?

Have you come across items that you wish you could buy in bulk, or tell everyone you know about? Well, preparing for baby #2 I have found some items I don't know how I got through baby #1 without and some items which I am excited to use again. Here are some of my favorites.

The glorious side of swaddling blankets

Aden + Anais products have got to be the best for parents. So far I have only purchased the Muslim Cotton Swaddling blankets but they have a full line of products which would be ideal for any parent with newborns on up.  What makes these swaddle blankets 5 stars above the rest? They are enormous. You can do so much more than just swaddle. They are great for nursing covers, to put on the floor for baby to have some tummy time, cover your stroller when out and about. The quality is well worth the price of each item. However, if you are looking to pinch some pennies you can purchase these items on Amazon.com for cheaper, click here to go to their selection or the link to the left. Also, become a member of Baby Steals because they have Aden +Anais steals at huge discounts.

Addiction to a thing called Cloth Diapers

As most know or you should know I am now addicted to the very thought of cloth diapers. I love the different brands, styles, types and how there are SO many companies and individuals out there which make them. After cloth diapering for 5 months, there is one brands which I have come to LOVE LOVE LOVE.

 Rumparooz or KangaCare. These cloth diapers are amazing. They are a one size reusable cloth diaper. They have a unique design of two gussets which hold the biggest messes. They wash up nicely and extremely soft. They have 12 great colors and 6 prints. Coming in September they will be adding two more adorable prints to their lineup.

Another great product they have is the Lil Joey, which is a cloth diaper made for newborns or preemies. How many parents out there have had preemies and wanted to cloth diaper but couldn't find a cloth diaper to fit their new little bundle? These diapers are just like their parents and even more adorable because of how small they are. They also have a great feature which is a fold down snap for the very sensitive umbilical cord. They come in packs of two as well, so stock up.

Got any teething babies out there? 

Something else which has made our lives so much easier is teething drops. We have found Gentle Naturals Homeopathic Teething Drops. What I like about them, is they are drops. Easier, at least for us to give our son because it has a dropper. It has a natural calming ingredient, Chamomile which helps sooth baby. You can find Gentle Naturals anywhere but we seem to like to purchase it along with all of our other baby items from Diapers.com. 

Now add Sophie the Giraffe to our teething solutions and we have a great solution to any teething baby. She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea Tree. This giraffe makes a cute sound which is great for older babies. Has a cute and enticing color design and the legs, ears and body can get to those sore gums. You can also get this toy online at Diapers.com. Amazon does carry it as well and you can save a little bit. Link is to the left. 

Start learning early, we did.

Meemaw, as we call her, got our son the Learning Tower when he was just old enough to stand. This great invention is going to be with us a long time. What is great about it is your child can be at counter level and watch whatever you are doing, cooking, cleaning, socializing. It adjusts to fit a toddler to a young child. You can also add an art isle to it and it comes with a small blanket for even more imagining can be done. It is simply a great piece to add to your registry and is well worth the investment. You can purchase this tower and all the other great products at Little Partners. 

I know there are more pieces that we have come to love but the family is calling and so is my stomach. If you need recommendations or have products you have come to love, do contact me and let me know. You can always find me on Facebook, here and on Twitter, here. My inbox is always open as well at helpfulsister@gmail.com.

Go back to school in the color "Green"

Now my little one is not old enough to go back to school, but I felt it was necessary to put up some ideas for all you parents or even just adults out there. There are so many options out there to make your back to school more green and your lunches "reusable". Take a look and hope you find something to add to your back to school or work routine.

Reusable Snack Bags from Itzy Ritzy

 These bags are great and one of my favorites. No longer do you need to use plastic zip lock bags which mean no more waste put into our landfills. They have a bunch of different designs and the price is very reasonable. Ideal for your little one but also for you adults. Use them for snacks, picnics, school lunches, plane/car rides, hiking and whatever else you come up with. They are LEAD FREE, Zipper closure, 100% cotton with PVC-Free waterproof lining. You can reuse by just washing them (machine washable)!

Reuse It 

This website has everything you need to makeover your lunches. Check out the different products by clicking here. Here are some of my favorites.

  

Built® Gourmet Getaway - Large Insulated Lunch / Tote Bag. I have used this bag for over two years. You can really pack a good lunch. The bag is great because it expands and expands plus it is machine washable. Comes in colors and these stripes/dots. 

To Go Ware

Make a statement but also make a great lunch with these amazing stainless steal containers. Pair with some bamboo utensils and a great green carrier sling bag and you will want to use this every day of the week. Go to To Go Ware.com or you can search on Reuse It.com. 

Reuse It also has many more products like reusable produce bags, reusable sandwich mats and much more. You might find a whole new way of being "green" once visiting here. Get your family set up for the new year.  

Another place to stop before you begin your back to school lists is 

Cool Mom Picks. 

 

They just came out with their back to school list and they have an eco-friendly section which has some of my favorite things. Get some great ideas for personalized lunch sacks, lunchboxes, insulated food jars and everything else you need. Check out their list here.

Back to school is going to so much more fresh, fun and green with the addition of these great products. Food and life never tasted this good.