Monday, February 22, 2010

These are a few of my favorite things...

Yes, to the sound of music! ;) Love that movie! So I have always wanted to do a favorite things post! Now just so you know, my favorites DO change....and since these faves are baby/toddler things I can tell you they are my CURRENT faves...most I did not find until recently, or at least with the second born...So I would like to share with you the things I LOVE on a daily basis! They may work for you too! If you have questions about any of them, please ask! LOVE LOVE LOVE...

Gerber (Nestle) Good Start Protect Plus Formula
This stuff is so amazing! Ladybug went through 4 formulas before we found this. It is so gentle and made with already broken down whey protein and is super easy for digestion. It also contains probiotics which must be working because she only ever had 2 small colds! Love this stuff....will use it again with future children FIRST in hopes it saves hours/days of tears!

Avent Bottles
I love these! The newer BPA-free ones have one more part than the older ones...which contained BPA and I used for my son for 18 months, lovely. But I really love these. I hated the Dr. Brown's that Ladybug finally got used to. I was afraid that once she started holding her own bottle they would be a leaky nightmare! Avent, best!

Soothie pacifiers
Love these too! My daughter will only take these. I tried the Gumdrop ones which are lighter in weight and more curved to the face but she prefers the good ole' green ones!

Wubbanub
This goes with above. Ladybug's is a monkey and it is soooooo adorable. I don't use it often because she tends to play more with it, but in the car it is phenomenal! She can put it back in herself!

Baby Einstein Exersaucer
I got this for 20 bucks off of Craigslist and for as much as she uses it, I would have paid 200 for it!

Eddie Bauer Kingston Highchair
This is so cute! It matches my home with its dark wood and small size. It is a full size high chair but doesn't seem to take up as much room as the giant plastic ones!

Boppy pillow
I am using Bubba's for Ladybug with a cute flower cover. She learns to sit propped against it and has tummy time as well on it....If I need to multitask (drink coffee), I can lay her in it to feed her!

Sophie Giraffe Teether
Yes I spent the money for this, but she uses her all the time! I love the classic look to it and it is very lightweight, one of her first toys.

Avent Front Teeth teether
I loved this so much! It was perfect size for her hands, until we lost it in a store....need another!

Fisher Price bouncy seat
We are using an old one from a family member but I love it...we also have the Fisher Price Papasan chair, which is ok....she does sit in that while I shower.

Graco Pack and Play
in our room for when family visits (we have a guest bed in her room)...I also prop her with pillows in there while I clean the upstairs. It will be making the trip to Disney with us in 3 weeks!

Ringley Natural Organic Teether
Also a favorite of Ladybug!

Avent sippy cups with handles
She just started using this last week and it works great! I also use the tops for Bubba's...

Klean Kanteen
Stainless water bottle that holds 12 ounces...He loves it and it is like a big kid sippy! Ladybug will get hers one day as well!

No Slippy Hair Grippy
Can't wait to use these! She almost has enough hair!

Pediped shoes
We just bought our first pair and they are amazing! These will be what she wears for the next 2.5 years! I am so over Stride Rite now!

Keen Newport Sandals
James' go -to shoes for the next many years...Spring-Fall. We live in a muddy,rocky,hilly, gravel-y area and these are perfect!

Crocs
for both kiddos....and actually I have a pair that I wear to run out and heat up the car. I can't put my boots on and then drag snow/mud back in so I use these and leave them at the door!

Huggies Cucumber and Green tea wipes
Ah, Costco, thank you! These are amazing and I used to HATE Huggies wipes. As long as you keep the container above half, they come out perfecto!

Pampers Swaddlers
Perfect for newborns

Pampers Baby Dry 12 hour
These are great for at night, way better than Huggies Overnites, don't buy those!

Babylegs Legwarmers
Oh too cute! I will be putting these on any future sons as well...perfect in a diaper bag with a onesie for a change of clothes. Since it is cold here and I don't have many long-sleeved onesies, we use these to keep chubby little arms warm!

Angel Dear Lovey
We got a free flower one with a purchase and Ladybug loves this!

Silk-edged blankets
Our almost 4 year old Bubba and Mommy love these!

Gerber soft-bite spoons
These are sized much better than most baby spoons, for tiny little mouths!

Earth's Best jarred food and cereal
These are our foods of choice now for Ladybug...I will be buying Plum Organics soft pouch style for our Disney trip though....much easier to travel with.

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder/Avalon Organics Baby Powder
I use one of these at night to keep her dry and love them!

Method Baby (Target, I miss you Target), Burt's Bees Diaper Cream
These are great prevention for Diaper Rash, and are pretty good at clearing rash fast!

Lotrimin (Athlete's feet cream, I know GROSS!)
This was recommended by a pharmacist for severe diaper rash! I know it sounds odd but it totally clears up bad rashes in like an hour!

Graco Snugride
I have a love/hate relationship with this carseat but I do think it is great! It fits babies perfectly, and since Ladybug was 5 pounds 9 ounces coming home, it worked great! I still have her in it because she does fit it so well but she weighs 16 pounds and carrying her in it is soooooo difficult! I can't wait to move her to her...

Britax Marathon Carseat
I don't know if I love the safety, the cute fabric, or the price I bought it for best! I got this adorable yellow and pink floral marathon on Albee Baby for 179.99! Not kidding! Free shipping too! I bought it before she was born and made sure it had a 2009 manufacture date. I even put James in it and he still fits it! He us a huge almost 4 year old as well! Think 42 pounds, size 5 clothes, and size 12 feet!

Graco Nautlius
This is James' carseat and we love this as well. He is very tall and still in the second to highest harness slot. I forsee him being harnessed through age 5, maybe 6....It is a heavy carseat but we are so thankful to have him safely harnessed in this! When Ladybug outgrows her Marathon, she will get this as well.

Sit and Stand Stroller
I cannot say I LOVE this, but I do like it. It is a lot more roomy than the Joovy Caboose and a lot easier to steer...It is still pretty annoying though since it is so long but good for trips in smaller stores or smaller places...

Baby Jogger City Mini Double
This is a dream and was recommended by a good friend! I love it for both kids. As I said before, James is huge and fits in this well. He naps often in it and is fully covered from the elements. Jolee also fits this well and is now sitting more upright in it. There is a nice size basket, and huge pockets on the back of each seat for storage. The fold up is amazing, it is just a strap you pull, nothing else! We are buying the bag for it and taking it to Disney as well for very long days with tired babes!

Ju Ju Be Be All Diaper Bag
LOVE THIS! Pockets galore, made of wipeable teflon and even has tiny crumb holes to scoot out snack droppings! I can be so organized with this bag and it fits enough for both kiddos!

Hotslings Pouch Sling
This works great for us but I didn't like it with a newborn, for that I preferred my...

Moby Wrap
This saved me from colic, seriously I might have died.

Action Baby Carrier
This is my favorite carrier. I love having her face me and like that as she gets older, I can move her to my back....plus the prints are amazingly gorgeous!

Gymboree Clothing
I love this company. I buy 90% of the kids clothes there because the sizes are accurate, the clothes never wear out, and the kids look like children in them! No bikinis and horrible writings on things! I also shop during gumbucks time and always get good deals!

I also shop for many gadget-y things at One Step Ahead. I have bought winter wear for James, yoga pants for Jolee, teether toothbrushes, travel items and the like here....I also get good email deals from them!

hmmmmm what else...oh bath stuff...

We use Burt's Bees, Lil' Goat's Milk Petite chevre, Johnson's lavender, Hard lotion ( a recent find), and Johnson's Vapor Bath if someone has a cold!

I am looking for a good sunscreen for Disney....I will let you know what I come up with!

Ok, so have anything you think we might like? Comment here!

Friday, February 12, 2010

The one with the cliff....

Ah, so I never blog anymore! What is going on here you ask? Actually you don't ask because I doubt anyone comes here anymore! Well to make it short, Ladybug runs this place. Runs my life, every second of it! And I really wouldn't have it any other way. Jameser keeps me SOOOO busy as well. I really don't think the true daily blogging will come until our next sea tour when J deploys and I am all alone at night! His work schedule is amazing here and we just spend so much time together!

So Ladybug turned 6 months, and definitely has NEVER slept through the nite. James turns 4 in April and is doing exceptional as always! We are headed for a little speech help soon but all in all, he is great! I am getting my behind kicked by Tony of Power 90 (precursor to P90X)...That guy, whooo-eeee tiring.

But, I do have a funny/annoying/scary/glad it wasn't you story for ya. Here in frozenville it takes me FOREVER and a day to get the kids bundled and out to the warmed up car, buckled into their carseats and on our way somewhere. I actually usually just call J at work to get me things....it really is cold here. BUT, I hadn't left the house with the kids in 4 days so I knew we all needed out. I planned my day around the trip to Walms and Shaws. (I have to plan EVERYTHING around Leelee's naps)...So we started. I had James go potty, slipped my crocs on to go get the car warmed up, came back in and dressed Leelee in her bunting, buckled her in her infant seat, bundled James and walked him out. It is sooooo icy here that I have to hold hands with him and take each kid one at a time. Came back in to grab diaper bag and baby...we are all in, the car is still not warm but not frigid so we are good. I had a little more than a quarter tank of gas on Monday so I figured all was well....not so much in my crapster of a minivan. If that car is on the tiniest incline, that gas drains out of the tank....so I put it in reverse and let up the e-brake. (We live on a GIANT cliff and I always use the e-brake)....um yeah I started going FORWARD and the car died....it would no longer turn over. I turned it off and waited and was thinking, I just need to reverse about 5 feet and I will be on the flat part of the driveway...I knew the gas would drain back into the tank that way...(I learned all this when I was stuck nose down in a tunnel in VA, 9 months pregnant, with James, and no water, in summer)....wish you were THERE don't you? ;)

So I tried again and the van really went FORWARD. At this point I had to give up or face drifting off a huge embankment...no thanks. I love my kids, I love my husband, I want to live.

Poor Daddy came home a couple hours later with gas to help us though! We finally did make it out and everyone was still in good spirits. James even brought me his Handy Manny tools so he could "fix da car Mommy". I told him the gas tank was broken and he said "Mom, dis da tools, we can fix it!" haha

That van sucks to be honest with you. It really does....it cost a pretty penny too. We are getting rid of it in May and getting a giant Suburban to hold all the littles....I probably should have brought the kids in and let that baby go right off that cliff! Hmmmm, there's an idea!