Our Favorites // Feeding

I have shared some of these items on our previous must have lists, but I wanted to do a full roundup of our favorite feeding items. We have retired most of these items since we have moved out of the baby stage, but they will still go down as some of our favorites.

Thankfully we didn’t have to do a lot of shopping around for bottles since both of the kids took to Tommee Tippie bottles immediately. They were very easy to clean and there were no issues with the kids going from breast to bottle and vice versa. The Tommee Tippie sippy cups were good, however, not as easy to clean. They did the job for Kenley, but for Crosby, I was introduced to the Nuby No-Spill Sprout sippy cups and they were by far the best. They were easy to clean, didn’t leak, and Crosby really liked them. Once the kids transitioned to straw cups, we found the Thermos Foogo insulated straw cups and then the slightly larger Thermos Funtainer straw bottles. I cannot stand when cups sweat, so these have been my favorite so far. Since they are both insulated, they keep the water and ice cold for much longer. Another bonus is that they don’t leak! I foresee us using the Thermos brand for a while.

When Kenley was born, there was only the Boon Grass drying rack which was perfect. Later, the larger Boon Lawn came out and once we added another child, we added another drying rack. I love the modern, nontraditional look to these drying racks. They are cute, as well as functional. There are also cute accessories such as the Boon Twig that are great for hanging pacifiers and bottle nipples to dry. We now only use the lawn and it is great for both the kids’ cups, as well as wine glasses. The only bottle brush we’ve used is the OXO Tot Bottle Brush and it is great. Again, still useful for cups and wine glasses even though we haven’t used baby bottles in quite a while.

Feeding Favorites

We registered for the Fisher-Price Spacesaver High Chair due to the lack of space in our kitchen area of our first house. The high chair sat directly on one of our chairs at the kitchen table and it did just that, saved space. We had the option to slide the chair around the kitchen as needed, but most of the time we all sat at the kitchen table for meals. It worked out perfectly. You can also buy different covers, so it it was nice to have a back up when one was in the wash. Once the kids grew out of the high chair, they moved into the OXO Tot Perch booster seat. Both of the kids have their own now and I love them because they aren’t bulky and they are easy to move.

When we first started solid food, the Munckin soft-tip spoons were by far the best. They are cheap, soft, and easy to clean. For plates, we loved using the OXO Tot Plate and Divided Plate. These are really good quality and the rubber bottoms were great for the younger years. We have since transitioned into the Re-play Recycled set, including the flat plates, divided plates, bowls, sippy cups, tumblers, utensils, and snack stacks. I could go on and on about how much we love this brand. They are very durable and there are so many fun colors. This is the only brand we use for meal time.

At school and on the go, there are a few items that we couldn’t live without. The OXO Tot large and small bowls have been in the rotation for years. They are great for sending snacks to school, such as fruit. They are also very durable as we’ve had our current set for well over three years now. Another item that we didn’t learn about until Crosby was born was the Dr. Brown’s Snack-A-Pillar cups. These were so useful when we were sending smaller snacks to school in the infant room because we could just stack them all together. We still use them, but they are pretty small now that the kids are bigger. Finally, we use the Bentgo lunch boxes for the kids. They are perfect for packing bento style lunches with a lot of variety. We use it every single day and they do not leak! They are well worth the money if you pack lunches regularly.

There you have it! Our feeding time favorites!

*this post contains affiliate links.

Friday I’m in Love

Happy last Friday of March!

o n e

The article Move Over, Barbie: New Run Doll Line Expanding popped up on Facebook this week from another running mama, which led me to Go! Go! Sports Girls. How did I not know about these dolls? AMAZING.

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t w o

I love that Rachel Hollis’ bikini photo is going viral, stretch marks and all. Naturally, I started following her on Instagram this week.

t h r e e

I think I’ve mentioned before how much we love the Re-Play plates, bowls, cups, etc. for the kids. How cute is this spring sorbet set?

Sorbet Set Plus - Free Snack Pod

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f o u r

Easter is right around the corner! I’ve seen this Bunny Hop Sweatshirt floating around various blog posts this week, but I had to share. Does it get any cuter than this?

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You’re up! What are you loving this week? Please share and don’t forget to check out what these ladies are loving!

Misha // Mary Beth // Amanda // Laura

Our Favorites // Nine Months

I’m slowly catching up on posts so I want to share our nine month favorites! You can catch up on the three and six month favorites.

Dr. Brown’s Snack-A-Pillar Cups

These were recommended to us by a friend when Crosby was starting solids. They are wonderful for sending food and snacks to school. The cups can be used individually since each color has its own lid, or you can send them together stacked. We also love them for travel and airplane rides! They are perfect for offering a variety of snack options. We also use the OXO Tot Bowl Set to send food to school and we love these bowls. I found several of them at TJ Maxx when Kenley was little but not so much recently. You can also get them at Buy Buy Baby with a coupon.

Fisher-Price Workbench

The workbench, as well as the kitchen, is a great interactive learning toy that is good for all ages. It’s small so it can go from room to room, and has different settings for learning. However, it is not sturdy, so when he was starting to pull himself up on things, he took a lot of spills on the workbench and the kitchen because they toppled right over with them. Regardless, these two toys get played with a lot in our household.

Board Books

The Going to Bed Book

Crosby loves books. He is all about them at school and at home. Some of our early favorites include most of the Sandra Boynton books, including The Going to Bed Book and Moo Baa La La La. We also recently started collecting the Good Night series books.

VTech Sit-to-Stand Alphabet Train

This is one of the many push toys we have at the house and both kids love it. It was great for Crosby to push around when he wasn’t walking yet, but wanted to get from place to place. He also loved to put the alphabet blocks into the train and have them shoot out the back. It was fun for Greg and I to watch his hand/eye coordination develop. Another good thing about the train is that it is educational! Win/win for everyone.

Tommee Tippee Bottle Warmer

 

We didn’t have a bottle warmer when Kenley was a baby, but I saw this bottle warmer at TJ Maxx for $17 and I couldn’t pass it up. I had hoped I would be breastfeeding, so I figured that Crosby wouldn’t be having many bottles at home, but when he did the bottle warmer was great! Around ten and a half months, Crosby decided he was done breastfeeding and he took a bottle morning, noon, and night. This bottle warmer was clutch! We used it every day until we transitioned fully to the sippy cup.

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What are some of your favorites at the nine month mark?

Our Favorites // Six Months

I know we are well past the six month mark with Crosby, but I wanted to make sure I shared some of our favorite products for this time frame. We were still using almost everything on our three month favorites list, as well.

Fisher-Price Musical Table

Both Kenley and Crosby loved this table. It’s great because the legs come off of the table, so we used it when they both were just able to sit up. Once Crosby started pulling himself up, we put the legs on it and he was able to stand and play. This model is a couple years old and it looks like there is a new one out too, the Fisher-Price Learning Table.

City Select Car Seat Adapter

After we found our stroller on Craigslist, I started looking at the accessories that we may need. I saw the car seat adapter but kept thinking that we wouldn’t need it, not to mention I didn’t want to spend the money on it. I had this big plan to wear baby #2 as often as possible, which is good in theory, until you have a sleeping baby in the car seat. During Crosby’s first week, we made a trip to Buy Buy Baby and I picked up the adapter which turned out to be a very good decision. We got tons of use out of it since he could ride in the stroller with the infant car seat, and as an added bonus, Kenley could also ride in her seat in the stroller too.

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups

These cups are awesome! They stack, nest, and snap together to make a balls that can roll around. These get used on a daily basis in our household. They are great for a wide range of ages as well.

Sophie the Giraffe and Rhino Toys Oball Rattle

 

We love chew toys in our house and these are two of our favorites. Crosby got a new Sophie the Giraffe, but he loves both equally the same. The Oball is also a new toy for us and it’s great for chewing, grabbing, and shaking.

Nosefrida (The Snotsucker) Nasal Aspirator

Before you skip over this one because you think it’s not for you… hear me out. We love the snotsucker. It sounds weird, I know. When we were thinking about buying this, we hadn’t heard anything about it, nor knew anyone who used it. Regardless, we decided to try it, so I am here to tell you how great it is. It’s a lot easier than using the bulb aspirators, and most importantly, its’ easy to clean! The bulb aspirator can get very moldy on the inside while the snotsucker cannot. Don’t worry, no snot even comes close to your mouth. It acts more like a vacuum and we use it all the time. If you ask Crosby, he may not be as enthusiastic about it as I am, but that’s ok because it helps him breathe. He’ll thank us later.

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What are some of your favorite items for this age?

my [long] weekend in photos

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she looks skeptical about what lies ahead. i feel ya sister.

flying with a family of four

we made it to indiana on friday with flying colors. i will note that the ergo is priceless and i love love love it and our jeep car seat bags (above) were so handy.

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we have gotten into collecting license plates and my brother dug these out of my grandma’s house for us. i’m so excited to hang them. they are our first vintage ones (as old as i am!).

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seriously, turn your head for one minute and this.

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i was so excited to meet mia & cam and kenley was excited to hold the “girl baby”.

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we definitely took advantage of the pool at meemaw & grandpa’s house.

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my sweet friends met us for brunch this morning before we left indiana. it was so good catching up with them even for a short visit.

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it’s september. the first pumpkin spice latte of the season!

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yes. this happened. awesome.

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and this guy slept on both flights this weekend. he also got a little beat up while we were in indiana.

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we had an action-packed long weekend in indiana, but it was so fun!
i have gobs more photos to share this week, so stay tuned!

how was your long weekend?

Friday I’m in Love

Happy Friday!
Don’t forget to head over to Misha’s blog to see what she’s loving this week.
We’d love for you to join in on the fun!
Leave a comment to tell us what you’re loving or link back to your own Friday I’m in Love post!

o n e

This is the epitome of “it’s the little things”,
but this week I was able to wear jeans to work three of the five days.
It really is such a game changer, especially on a Monday morning getting ready.

t w o

My friend sent me a link to the Ergobaby Performance Collection Carrier this week and it looks amazing!
Granted, I have not tried this yet, but I think it would be perfect for the summer months; and really year around here in Florida. Where was this two and a half years ago?!

Does anyone have it? I want to hear more about it!

t h r e e

Blake was drafted #3 overall last night in the NFL draft!
I’m ready to go to the Colts game in Jacksonville in September. Who’s in?

f o u r

I hated the guilt I felt when I watched this video, but I love how eye opening it is.
It’s beautifully put together with a great message. I hope you’ll watch (if you haven’t already).
I always think about unplugging more, so here’s to actually doing it!

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Have a great weekend friends!

Our Favorites // Three Months

I want to share some of the items that we’ve been loving and using since Crosby has arrived.
Here are our favorites for the first three months.

Baby 411

This book is seriously amazing! We received it as a gift with Kenley and have purchased it for a good number of our friends since then.
I was surprised how much we had forgotten in the last two years, so having this around has been so helpful.
We’ve both gone back and read up on several topics since Crosby has been here. I guarantee it won’t be the last time either.

Motorola Wireless Video Baby Monitor

This was another one of our stellar Craigslist finds back when Kenley was about six or seven months old.
It was brand new and too good of deal to pass up. I’ll be the first to admit this is a total luxury item, but we have absolutely loved it ever since we got it.
Ours came with two cameras, so we didn’t have to worry about getting another monitor when Crosby arrived.
We have it set on scan so it goes from room to room throughout the night.
At this point, I’m not sure how we ever lived without it. (Most of the time) it’s fun watching what they are doing in there!

Aden By aden + anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets

I know I have mentioned before how much I love these blankets, but I seriously love them.
Once we were done using them as swaddle blankets, we started using them for everything else.
We use them in the car seat, in the stroller, for shade, as a nursing cover up, as a burp cloth, you name it.
Kenley still uses hers at school to cover up during nap time.

Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

Crosby loves this thing. It’s the only way we keep him distracted during tummy time.
He has no idea how hard he’s working when he’s staring at the flashing lights & listening to the jams.
It will be fun when he learns to hit the button himself.

Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play

We love the rock ‘n play. I’ll say it again how much I wish we had this with Kenley.
Even though Crosby isn’t sleeping in it anymore, we still use it everyday.
It moves from room to room with us and he mostly sits in it while we’re cooking and eating dinner.
We also have taken it to Grammy’s house for him to sleep in, which was much better than taking the pack ‘n play.

Boppy Pillow, etc.

I am a huge fan of the Boppy pillow. I loved having it with Kenley and used it every single day for almost a year. I ended up getting another one secondhand so I could keep one in our bedroom for the time I was on maternity leave… you may call this lazy, but it worked for me. I know the Boppy is really hit or miss. If you’re in the market, I know a lot of mommies who love the Breast Friend pillows, so take a look at those too.
While we’re on the subject, here are some other items that have made my life a little easier the first three months:
Bamboobies
Lanolin Cream
Medela Quick Clean Wipes
Medela Pump & Save Bags – I haven’t had good luck with the Lansinoh brand, but I’m planning to try the Target brand.

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These are just a few of the many items out there that have made the first three months a little bit easier.
What are your favorite baby items?

Baby Gear for Baby #2

I love(d) looking at new baby gear lists and must have items that other people enjoy.
This time around was no different. I wanted to see what things I may need since we will have two kids and what new things have come long since Kenley was born (less than two years ago!).
We didn’t need much since we had so much saved from the first time around,
but there were a few things that I knew I wanted that I didn’t have the first time around.

The first thing that I wanted (and definitely needed) was a double stroller.
I am the first to admit I have a stroller obsession.
The two strollers I looked at (and agonized over) were the Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller
and the Baby Jogger City Select Stroller that can convert to a double stroller.
In my opinion, there are pros and cons to each stroller.
Before I definitively decided on one stroller over the other, I found the City Select with the second seat in excellent condition on Craigslist for $280 less than retail.
I immediately jumped on that deal since one of the biggest cons to the City Select was the price.
In the short time that we’ve used it, I can honestly say that I love this stroller. It can be used as a single stroller or a double stroller, which is a huge pro!
There are several ways to arrange the seats in the stroller,
which I am excited to do once Crosby gets a little older.
After the little man had arrived, we decided to get the car seat adaptor for our Chicco Keyfit 30, which we have used so much. It was definitely worth the money.

baby jogger city select with second seat

One thing I wish I would have known about with Kenley was the
Fisher-Price Newborn Rock ‘N Play Sleeper.
Crosby slept in this for the first six weeks in our room before he moved to the pack-n-play.
It is very light so we always move it from room to room, where ever we are.
I ended up getting the exclusive Target print, which I immediately fell in love with, on sale for $40!

fisher price rock n play

Likewise, I also wanted to try the Boppy Newborn Lounger, but I was not willing to pay full price for it since it seemed to have such a short life (hence the word “newborn” in the description).
I was so excited when I found one at a consignment sale for $10!
Crosby took many, many naps on that pillow. We still use it during his awake time but I’m not sure how much longer he’ll lay on it.

boppy newborn lounger

I figured I would be wearing baby #2 more than I did with Kenley.
Mostly because I knew how much easier it is to get stuff done and also because I figured I would need both of my hands if I had both kids by myself.
I had a Moby wrap that I really didn’t use much the first time (since I had to watch the YouTube video instructions just to put it on), so I wanted to try a different wrap for when he was teeny tiny.
I went with the Baby K’tan Baby Carrier (I got the Breeze)
and used it about every day for the first two months until I went back to work.
We took a lot of walks in the evening, so it was great to stick him in there and head out the door.
I found this carrier to be so much easier to put on than the Moby wrap.
I will continue to use it, but now that he’s a little bigger, I am excited to stick him in the ERGObaby Baby Carrier, which I loved using with Kenley. I had contemplated getting the infant insert for the Ergo, but decided that the wrap would be less bulky to wear around the house. I can also throw it in the diaper bag too, which is a huge plus!

baby k'tan wrap

Some of the essential items we used with Kenley had to be replaced too,
most of which were feeding and diapering items.
I got all new pump parts for my breast pump. Once I pulled them out of storage, I knew it was a must.
Same with bottle nipples, bottles, and pacifiers. I waited to get these items, so I was able to get some boy colors for the little man.
I still stuck with our favorite brands since Crosby likes them as much as Kenley:
Tommee Tippee Bottles and NUK Pacifiers.
I knew there would at least be a little bit of overlap time where we would have two kiddos in diapers, so I knew we needed another changing pad. Lucky for me, I also found that at the consignment sale too, so I didn’t have to buy a brand new one.
I got five new cloth diapers on sale when I was pregnant and I just ordered a few more for him since I realized how worn our other diapers have gotten over the past 2 years.
I had no problem buying new ones now, knowing they will get used for the next 2+ years.
Plus, I could not resist buying the adorable boy prints!

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Did I miss anything that you used the second time around?

Our First Trip to Magic Kingdom

We had our first official Disney World experience at the Magic Kingdom on Friday.

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My goal for the day was to be go-with-the-flow and not get stressed out.
I think I did a great job of that, however, Greg may have other opinions.
We rode a few rides that were great for Kenley and she was wonderful waiting in line.
The longest line posted was 30 minutes, but we never waited more than 10-15 on anything,
without fast passes, which was so nice.

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Glitter Stripe Terry Dress

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Our first ride was the tea cups!

By the time we were done with our first ride, it was lunch and nap time.
Surprise, surprise, we didn’t get to the park as early as we would have liked.
Kenley went right to sleep and Crosby slept most of the time we were there.

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Baby Jogger City Select 2013 Stroller w/2nd Seat, Amethyst

While they were napping, Greg and I walked through the Swiss Robinson Family tree house,
one of Greg’s favorites, then it was right back to ride rides!
We also rode Aladdin’s Carpet, Dumbo (or ephelants, as Kenley would say), and Under the Sea!

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Much to our surprise, we found out that they were taping the Christmas Day special and parade that day.
This meant there would be only one parade at 5pm and apparently some other fun activities throughout the day.
As soon as we were in the park we saw Lara Spencer from Flea Market Flip!
We also got to see the taping of the Ne-Yo concert, complete with fireworks.

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As it was nearing parade time (our one chance to see Mickey), we wanted to make sure we got a good spot on Main Street,
also a spot that was semi-close to the exit. We got to our spot around 4:45pm,
but since the parade began at Splash Mountain, it didn’t get to us until around 5:15pm.
Kenley had no idea what we were waiting for, so she was a little restless, but as soon as it started, she was hooked.

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Mickey & Minnie were on the lead float, so we didn’t have to wait until the end to see them.

Spoiler alert, here is the Christmas Day parade.

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Here are a few pointers and how we survived our day.
Purchase tickets in advance or account for time standing in the ticket line.
We brought in a small cooler full of snacks, but I wish I would have brought some waters.
We took full advantage of the Baby Center. We changed diapers, I fed Crosby,
and we even bought some children’s Advil for Kenley who wasn’t feeling well.
It is very convenient!
It worked well for (both of) us to switch Crosby from the stroller to the wrap throughout the day.
Download the Disney app, so helpful! It has a map, wait times, etc.
We had every intention of heading back to the hotel room to nap,
but having a stroller that reclined was great!
It was great having Meemaw with us for our first time so the ratio of adults to children was 3:2;
and now we know we can survive the next time we venture to Walt Disney World!

Overall, our first trip to Magic Kingdom was magical!

my weekend in photos

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friday was a busy day! kenley took munchkins from dunkin donuts
to her class to celebrate her birthday then we picked her up early for a doctor’s appointment.
she was a rockstar.
later in the day, meemaw, grandpa, and grammy arrived!

Birthday pancakes made by Daddy! #kenleyturns2

her actual birthday started out with candles in her pancakes!

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she blew out two more candles at her birthday party.
it was big fun!

The party after the party... For another 30 minutes or so until I go lay in my bed forever. #exhausted #swollenfeet #38weeks #kenleyturns2

after the party, the adults played games and relaxed.
greg got this horse racing game for his birthday
after our friends back home introduced it to us last month.
i didn’t last long… it was a long day.

You know your priorities in life have changed when you are super pumped to upgrade from the 'grass' to the 'lawn' #DryingRack

before my amazing prenatal massage, greg and i went to buy buy baby to finish off our gift card.
he was seriously pumped that we upgraded to the lawn (bottle drying rack).
you know where your priorities are in life when those kind of things excite you.

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the rest of the day was spent watching football (woohoo redskins!) and getting pumped up for the game tonight.
go colts and welcome home peyton!

just in case you were still wondering…no baby yet. but that’s not to say we’re not ready!

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we had such a fun weekend celebrating kenley dee with our family and friends!
i’ll be sharing many more pictures from her birthday party this week.
how was your weekend?