Top Ten Favorite Products of a First Time Mama Bird (0-3 Month Edition)

Not too long ago, another Boston Baby Mama posted about a few of her “Little Luxuries”, and since my husband and I have been traveling with “Birdie” quite a bit recently, I have realized the products I not only truly love, but miss when we don’t have them with us!  My daughter is only 3 months old, but here are my top ten, why I love them, and where I got them...

Miracle Blanket:  This has been a lifesaver for us!  When I was prepping for baby I got a ton of swaddling blankets, but we find this one fool-proof.  With the fabric arm tabs and footsie pocket, our little Houdini is rarely able to break free.

GroEgg:  I must admit, I have three of these bad boys.  Overkill?  Maybe... but I love knowing that our little bird is neither too hot nor too cold.  It is rare that I can get our house the ideal temperature, but knowing we aren’t too far off gives me peace of mind.

Blooming Bath:  The perfect bathtub for those of us with small spaces!  It is super cushioned for baby, and fits into any sink.  Our daughter’s “en suite” bathroom only has a shower, so this is ideal.  It air dries well, but also machine washes wonderfully.

Zoli Nail Trimmer:  I have multiple nail trimmers, but this is ingenious.  A miniature orbital sander (as my husband describes it to his house-flipping father) comes with four different stages of files.  I prefer to take my time using this and get those nails perfectly smooth (and it does take a while), but not having to do it more than once a week makes it worth it.

Skip Hop Treetop Play Mat:  To be honest, I was really against this one.  Picturing an assortment of brightly colored contraptions dangling over my daughter on an obnoxiously loud mat was not something I was interested in.  However, I feel like I now owe a public apology to Skip Hop--our little bird loves the little birds on the “Treetop Friends” play mat.  Another favorite?  The TinyLove one my parents keep at their house (though I still refuse to use the music and light up option).

Green Spouts Brush:  A brush is a brush is a brush, right?  WRONG!  This one is over-the-top soft, and it gets the job done.  Love love love!

iPad White Noise App “Relax Melodies HD”:  This app has a free version, and it's truly awesome.  You are able to layer background noises: whether it is starting with rain and adding in city noises like cars whooshing by, or wind and adding in crickets and even a campfire (though I’m unsure of how many parents will really be wanting the “calming” sound of fire in the background)!

Boat & Tote Bag:  This is my new favorite thing!  If you have ever traveled with an infant, you know that despite them being small, they come with a huge amount of stuff!  Just go to the LL Bean website, and you are able to design your own bag--from the size, to the handle length, multiple colors, pockets and zippers.  We have the extra large, and we are able to contain everything we need for a weekend and more.  As a bonus, if "Boat and Tote" isn't preppy enough for your style, you can add a monogram!

Pacifier Wipes:  I have to admit, I don’t know one other person that owns these besides me, but if you have a little one who loves a good paci, this is a must.  Even bringing an extra pacifier doesn’t cut it sometimes.  Once both are dropped on the ground, searching for a bathroom to wash them isn’t always a possibility--and more so, using scented and dyed soap isn’t really an option either.  I keep one pack of these in the diaper bag and only use one if there are no other options- that way a single package lasts quite some time.

Babyganics Stain Remover:  Without getting into the details, we have sure called on this product a bunch.  Recommended by a friend, this stain-remover lives up to everything she promised and more!  In fact, even after washing and drying poop-ridden clothing, this still got it out!

Let’s hear from you, loyal BBM readers: What products got you through the first few months (besides caffeine and nap nannies of course!) ?

Mama J & Moo's Favorite Things: Toys

As we don't have Oprah's Favorite Things to look forward to anymore (how will I know what crazy expensive cashmere sweater to not buy, and be insanely jealous of the audience receiving for free this year??) I figured I would start writing a recurring post featuring some of my and M's favorite things. I have gone on somewhat of a spending spree in the last few months in the toy department (and furniture, and shoes...) so I figured I would share with you some of our latest acquisitions. These are great for your kids, as well as gift ideas for friends:

1. V-Tech Sit & Stand Alphabet Train: While visiting some friends in New York, M got to try this baby out...and we had to pry it from her hands when we left. So, in true Mama J fashion, I decided we needed to have it, and have it ASAP. As soon as we got in the car I fired up the Amazon App on the iPad and purchased - it arrived the next day. And we have played with it every day since. M spends a good amount of time each day playing with this, and it is amazing how fast she was able to start recognizing letters, as well as the pictures on the other side of the blocks. She loves to ride it around the house, as well as walk behind it when I detach the seat portion. Great learning tool, you can walk and ride it, it teaches you colors and numbers, in addition to letters...I love it, she loves it...your kid will love it too!

2. Shoenhut My First Piano: I have wanted one of these since the day I found out I was pregnant. Who doesn't like small replicas of big things! I got this off Zulily.com a few weeks ago, but it was more for me than it was for her if I am being totally honest. M does like to spend some time every day on her "PEE-ano" basically just banging on the keys and laughing hysterically. She does love when I play her favorite songs, but gets annoyed when I spend too much time playing it and ignoring her..."Mama all done piano now!" I think I just need to get myself a piano in the future as the two octaves of keys isn't cutting it. I think it is a great gift for a two year olds birthday though!

3. Playmobil Take Me Along Ark: This is going down as the best gift from Grandma to date. My mom purchased this at a tiny toy store in Rhode Island because she wanted something we could take out to dinners with M to keep her entertained. We don't go out to dinner without it! The pieces are all made so that they are big enough so as not to be swallowed, and you can even take them in the bath with you (although you will have to dry them out afterwards as some retain water for a bit). We log a ton of time with the "Noah & Gladys' Ahhk." Why Gladys? Well Noah's wife's name is never mentioned in the bible, so I named her Gladys. She looks like a Gladys. :)

4. Playmobil Family House: Another Grandma gift. This is not portable like the Ark, but M can't get enough of it. I love that she is at the age where she can start moving things around and making sounds and acting out a mother daughter relationship with the toys (well, makes them "give kisses").

5. Educo Creative Peg Puzzle: This was totally an impulse purchase at a fancy toy store. I felt like I was being talked into it by the saleswoman, and thought I would end up giving it as a gift, but it turns out that M actually really likes it. I was surprised how quickly she was able to understand how it works, but she got it after a few tries and loves to sit and take the pieces off and put them back on. Plus it is a visually a pretty toy, so I keep it out on display. I find a lot of kids are drawn to it when they come over for play dates, so I think it would make a fabulous birthday gift!