Hi Everyone! Charlee turns 15 months old today! I thought I’d ring in the day with a recap of my must-have items from the last 3 months of her life. First, let me start off by saying the last three months have been some of the most fun but also the hardest days of Charlee’s life so far. This age is TOUGH. During this time, Charlee got her first 4 teeth, found her voice and decided she was going to let us know when she didn’t like something. With these cognitive behavior changes came a lot of adorable things, like new words and gestures and understanding. It also brought on the need for way more patience and coffee from her parents! These items are must-haves for me because they help in wrangling little wiggle worm toddlers through distraction and convenience!
Stroller Snack Tray: I got this last month and it has become a game-changer. Charlee can get a little fussy when she has been in the stroller longer than she wants to be. Snacks are always a great distraction and I of course always pack snacks when we are on the go, but it is a bit annoying to have to stop and hand her a snack every 5 seconds to distract her. Queue, the stroller snack tray! I can pop a bunch of crackers and snacks in the tray and also place her sippy cup with water or milk there too. She also enjoys putting her sippy cup back into the holder over and over again. I linked the tray for bugaboo strollers, but every stroller company has one made specifically for them.
Nuk Sippy Cups: Speaking of sippy cups, these Nuk sippy cups worked amazingly well for Charlee. Charlee had to transition into the 12-18 month classroom at 12 months but before she could go she had to learn to drink milk from a sippy cup. These Nuk sippy cups made this transition easy. I also love these sippy cups because they DO NOT LEAK. We tried a bunch of brands and this was the only one that didn’t leak milk everywhere.
Halo sleep sack: My sleep sacks from halo brand have been a part of almost each must-have post I have done. They are just a great sleep sack and Charlee loves them. Charlee is currently sleeping in the size large sack. I read that babies can be put down without a sleep sack, but I just feel weird putting Charlee to bed without covers. Who wants to sleep without covers?! I don’t. These sleep sacks are super cozy and keep her comfy and sleeping soundly.
Ipad stand and case: We allow screen time for Charlee. I know a lot of parents try to limit screen time until the age of 2, but that is not what we have done and this works for us. I slowly started introducing Charlee to the show Little Baby Bum on Netflix around 11 or 12 months. It’s a great show that has a medley of nursery rhymes. It’s educational and cute and HAUNTS MY DREAMS haha! I sometimes can’t get the songs out of my head but that is neither here nor there!! At first she wasn’t really into it, but after a while she started to learn all the songs and now loves to watch her show. I let her watch her show in the morning if I need a shower before work (sometimes I shower at night), and then when we are traveling on a plane or in the car, OR if she starts to get antsy when we are out to dinner. It makes for a much more enjoyable experience for both Charlee and her parents! This Ipad stand and case is awesome because it’s made of a foam material. Charlee tends to drop the ipad a lot and this bounces and keeps the ipad from breaking. It can also stand up by itself which is great for when we are at a restaurant and I need to prop it up for her to watch.
Munchkin snack catcher: These are awesome for toddlers. I bring one or two of these with me every time we leave the house. Charlee enjoys holding on to the handles and the snacks don’t fall out because of the brilliant design! These are also dishwasher safe making them easy to clean!
Skip Hop Baby Plates Set: I bought this set around 12 months when Charlee was officially eating more solids than purees. She loves these plates and actually learned to go “ooh ooh, ah ah” every time she sees the monkey plate coming out of the cupboard :). They are durable and dishwasher safe and work really well for toddler meals.
Skip Hop Toddler Utensils: I really like these utensils for toddlers. Charlee is still working on mastering the art of using her fork and spoon, but I always give her a utensil at every meal even if she just holds it. These are wide enough for her to hold comfortably and I like that they are made of stainless steel like a real fork. Makes it easier for her to get the food on the fork when she does attempt to do so!
Stride Right Shoes: Charlee started walking around 12-13 months. My Mom told me it was important to get Charlee supportive shoes since she was new to walking and needed assistance staying stabilized. I purchased these Stride Right Shoes and they were amazing. They helped Charlee keep her balance and the base of the shoe is wide to assist in her walking as well. I was a little worried about buying a white shoe because I thought it might get dirty. These were great though because the leather was treated so I could just wipe them down with water and a white eraser.
Toy baby Stroller: Charlee is absolitely OBSESSED with this toy baby stroller. I take her to the playground and park almost every day and she will push this thing around for hours if I let her! It is a great distraction and the best part is that it breaks down so you can throw it in your stroller storage bin on your way to the park. For those of you with cars this doesn’t really matter, but for us New Yorkers this is a plus!
Boogie Wipes: these wipes have been another must-have for me as a Mom since Charlee was born. They are so mild on baby’s skin and smell amazing. I buy them in bulk off of Amazon and don’t leave the house without them.
Baby Hair Gel: Matt found this hair gel on Amazon and I was so skeptical. Now I can’t do Charlee’s hair without it. This all-natural hair gel doesn’t get too crusty and it helps with fly aways and to tame Charlee’s adorable curls :)!
Let me know if you guys have any items that were not on my list that I need to know about! I love hearing from other Moms about what works for them! Also, if you want to check out my other must- have posts you can click the links below:
xoxo-J
