My Toddler Must Haves!

Now that I'm a little bit more seasoned at this parenting thing the kinds of things I couldn't live without while raising a child have certainly changed. Ayla is 16 months old now and has definitely hit full on toddler mode. Here is a list of somethings we use all the time.

1) Board Books! Ayla is crazy about them! She will sit in front of the book shelf and look through book after book. Board books are a must since she is still really rough on them and would definitely tear pages. A couple of our favorites are Where Is Baby's Belly Button? and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

2) Playtex Insulator sippy cups! When you have the valve in place these things don't leak. They keep drinks cold for hours which is super awesome and they're super easy for Ayla to hold.

3) Fisher-Price Space Saver Highchair! This is the only highchair you will need to buy. It has a detachable tray that's dishwasher safe. The seat reclines for infants and changes into a booster seat for toddlers. They redesigned the arms of the chair and you can now push your toddler all the way up to the table when the tray isn't in place. Go buy one!

4) A stroller! I love baby wearing. However, my kiddo is pretty independent and has taken to constantly squirming whenever I have her in the ergo. And did I mention she's close to 24 pounds now? Wearing that little beef cake (she's actually around 50% for weight) for long periods of time is not as easy as it once was. Luckily she loves being in the stroller. I have a Graco Trekko that I like. I can fold and unfold it with one hand, and with a little extra oomph I can lift it into my car with one arm too. For the meantime it does the job, but I have my sites set on this bad boy whenever baby #2 comes along.

5) The Honest Company Wipes! We get 4 packages of these with our shipment of The Honest Company diapers every month. I use them ALL the time and not just on my toddler's booty. Most parents know the versatility of a baby wipe and won't even question why this is one of my must have toddler items.

6) Annie's Homegrown Cheddar Bunnies! My kid loves loves loves her cheddar bunnies. Sometimes convenience foods are something you just can't avoid and when that happens you should have the best options on hand. These are made with organic wheat flour and cheese from cows not treated with the growth hormone rBST, and they are free of any artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors. Plus I can pronounce every ingredient on the box and know what it is. I keep some in a small reusable sandwich bag inside my diaper bag at all times. They works great to keep little hungry hands busy when you can't sit down to a meal right away.

7) See Kai Run shoes! Ayla has little sausage feet. She wears a wide and it's been a little challenging finding cute shoes that fit. My sister in-law buys See Kai Run shoes for her kids and said she loves them. I got this pair for $8 during an amazing sale right before Christmas. They fit Ayla's wide feet and I love how long the straps are.

8) My cell phone. I can't tell you how many times handing over my cell phone for a minute (or five) has saved myself from a diaper changing battle or epic melt down out at dinner. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, and sometimes allowing my one year old to talk to "Galaxy" (similar to Siri) and say hi over and over is what has to happen.