A Few Favorites

These are a few things I've been diggin' recently, and boy are some realllly yummy.

1. Oatmeal Bread- This is my friend Christina's blog! I wanted to try out her totally awesome bread, and I'm so glad I did. It was really easy and tasted amazing. I'll definitely be making this as opposed to buying my own bread. This recipe makes 2 loafs.

I also really loved using the bread for a tomato sandwich, which, I had never had before! It was so delicious! All you need is bread, Mayo or Miracle Whip, tomato slices, and a sprinkle of salt. 

2. Another goody from Christina's site was the Korean Beef. It was easy, and now that I purchased a few ingredients that I don't normally have on hand (like sesame oil and soy sauce), I can make this more often! It was a family pleaser!

3. I Miss the Village- even though this article came out a few weeks ago, I still love it. It definitely speaks to us as a people needing a group gathering atmosphere, like when we used to live in close knit villages. There is something to be said about it "taking a village to raise a child." We all need each other, and we all need something from each other. I have met the author Bunmi Laditan in person and she is hilarious and refreshingly real! You can find her at The Honest Toddler.

4. Another article that peaked my interest was: Why Courtship is Fundamentally Flawed. I was raised in the sense that dating was fine, but the older I got, I thought courtship was more romantic and possibly better. After reading this article it definitely makes more sense that dating around (going on single dates) could be more beneficial!

 

5. Look at this super cute Tula carrier, Click! I'd buy it in a heart beat if I didn't have my Boba G3. So adorable!

6. I thought this baby skunk video was super cute! Look how lovable he is...

7. I've been liking this blog: KZ and Me, because of all her posts on baby play! There are some great ideas like: textured runway, light exploration, and mini center play space.

8. How cute is this hanging wire basket?!

Wishlist Items that I'd love to try
-with Autumn around the corner, I'd love to try out a pie shield!
-stainless steal straws, especially since they are inexpensive ($6 for 4?!), harder to break than glass straws, and would help reduce trash! Just carry them with you.
-I'm all about saving money and reducing our footprint on Earth. The Nest Thermostat, although expensive, helps save energy by "learning" your schedule by keeping a record of your habits. For more details check out these awesome reviews by Young House Love: Cooling gets Cooler, and an update on how they like it, How you Like me Now?

*My current show obsession: True Blood!* I just got hooked on the show not too long ago and am all caught up on episodes! Plus, I love what Anna Paquin did for her new hair style!

June Favorites

First, these two articles I love! They are gutsy, motivational, empowering and  best of all, real:
-My wife is not the same woman I married
-Mom's, Put on that Swimsuit!

1. I've been loving this sweet black tea that I found at a local restaurant, which, is totally natural, calorie free and gluten free!
2. Wouldn't this be such a cute onesie gift for a mom and her newborn? I love that it lists the birth stats. Definitely shadow box worthy!
3. I also thought this pop art pet portrait was fun and easy! It reminded me of a project I did long ago. Hmmm, maybe that'll be a post for another time! 

4 & 5. I'm crushing hard on this wool pillow and black and white pillow!
Ah, the symmetry. :o)

Some Pins I'm diggin':
-You are Loved
-Color blocked pegboards.... such a cute way to add some color to your garage.
-I've got a gallery wall in the making (for awhile now), and this wall and this wall provide great inspiration!
-Easy DIY toddler bed

30+ Toddler Travel Toys & Activities

30+ Toddler Travel Toys & Activities
Recently hubby and I took our, then 18 month old son, on a 4 1/2 hour flight to Mexico for a family wedding. Yowzers! PLUS we decided to not purchase him his own seat so we could save where we could. Looking back, we might just fork over the $$ next time.

Luckily on the way to Mexico there was one extra seat, and it happened to be right in front of us! The passengers were willing to rearrange so that Christian could have his own seat. That flight he did very well. He didn't have any melt downs, but did want to play with almost all the toys we packed for the flight. Talk about being tired because of constantly needing to be on and entertaining a toddler for hours on end!

The flight back home we were not so lucky. The flight was packed so C had to be a lap baby. Luckily we were flying back with many family members and he was able to walk the aisle to visit with everyone.

This is a list of most of the toys and activities that we packed for our trip that helped save us!

VARIETY IS KEY (along with easy accessibility, and gadgets with many functions)

1. stickers

2. window gel clings (great for windows or the pull down trays)

3. cheerio necklace (prestrung on embroidery floss thread, so it's ok to suck on)

4. Melissa & Dog Water Wow Coloring book (only uses water! and it dries for reuse)
5. Aquadoodle Travel (drawing/painting again with just water)
6. Clothes pins and a paper tube (clip the clips, send them down the tube, use the tube to talk into or see out of etc.)

7. Quiet book (with buckles, touch and feel pages, zippers etc. )

8. hand or finger puppets
9. books (Indestructibles, and lift the flap books are great)
10. old makeup brush
11. travel brush (one that folds, has a mirror, and the brush bristles push out. so many options in one gadget!)

12. snacks and water (for ascending and descending. plus a handy sippi grip that awesomely has a velcro strap! another added toy with a purpose!)

13. bubble wrap
14. iPod, iPad (we used these as a last resort)
15. kid headphones (to use with above. we liked Kidz Gear since it limits volume and has other good functions)
16. pipe cleaners and water bottle
17. straws
18. mini slinky
19. mini calculator
20. koosh ball 
21. triangular crayons (no rolling!)
22. kaleidoscope
23. Reusable sticker book (like Melissa & Doug's) 
24. sentimental stuffed animal
25. photo book (with family photos slid inside)
26. ziploc bag with duplo legos
27. toddler backpack (they will love going in and out of pockets, zipping the zipper, pulling things out etc. we added a chest buckle to ours and C loved it.)
28. travel magna doodle
29. bubbles!
30. small flashlight
31. the old fashioned jelly bracelets 
32. tissue paper
33. flowy scarf (peekaboo, stuffing into water bottle, tying onto things etc.)

The possibilities are almost endless!

Avoid:
-items that roll
-games or activities with small or many pieces
-valuable toys 
-glow sticks (especially for toddlers. if chewed, they can break!)

Between the toddler back pack and our diaper bag, we were able to easily bring many toys and activities for the flights.

*Don't forget, the Dollar Store is your friend!!!*

Coming soon: our toddler packing list and toddler iPad apps!

1st Shopping Trip to Trader Joe's!!

Last week was my first week shopping at Trader Joe's.  

Gasp. Is she serious? Yes, I am. 

We didn't have one conveniently located near our home but I had always heard great things about the store.

{Enter an opening of a Trader Joe's near us!}

Everyone around the area, that I talked to at least, was very excited to visit the new Trader Joe's store and was excited to have one so close!  

If you call a 20-25 minute drive close. Around these parts where there's traffic galore, that's not too bad.

My first trip was planned on a day that I could go by myself aka a day without lugging an impatient toddler around with me. I'm glad I fit it into my schedule this way, because I wanted to browse the entire store and make an event out of it.

That morning before heading to the store, I asked friends via social media, what foods they loved at Trader Joe's. I got a lot of great responses and was excited to try new foods!

Here is what I tried first, what I loved and what I didn't care for. 

LOVE

 

-Greek Yogurt: SOOOO delicious and creamy!! Much better than Chobani (and better for you) which is what we have eaten for years.
-Freeze dried mango: this is such a great snack for Christian. It takes so sweet and has nothing but mango in the bag.
-Speculoos Cookie & Cocoa Swirl: this comes in a jar like peanut butter and can be used as a spread on a cookie, bread or even mixed with some frozen banana for a yummy night treat. (They also have plain without the cocoa)
-Sliced seasoned chicken breast: This is great and easy to use for Christian's lunch, plus it's seasoned which tastes yummy and this price is comparable to the shredded rotisserie chicken we used to buy at Jewel.
-Eggs: We love these because they are all natural, no hormones, from local farms and we feel good about supporting that kind of business! Plus, the price is great.

-BBQ Chicken Teriyaki: (frozen section) this stuff is just plain awesome served with some jasmine rice, which they also sell right next to this. I bought 2 bags this time around to feed my healthy eating family of 3. Christian loves this stuff as much as we do, even without the added sauce!
-Milk Chocolate bar: it's so good, just try it.

-Fruit Wraps: all natural, yummy and an easy snack for C boy!

-Spinach Tortellini: These were very tasty and only $2 a bag! Next time I'll be buying 2 to serve all of us for one meal. 

VERY GOOD
-I had to give the produce and frozen fruit a "very good" because the avocados were expensive (around $1.50 for one!), and the frozen fruit bags were a little too small for me. Plus they didn't have a resealable top, which is something I need since we make smoothies every morning.
-The Steel Cut Oatmeal (frozen section) was good, but a little bland for me. We used this in a squeeze pack recipe for Christian and he likes it.

OK
Veggies Sticks- nothing to rave about, but I don't dislike them either.

NO THANKS
Did you know, which if you shop at Trader Joe's you probably already do :o), that if you don't like something you can notify your store and they will refund you? You don't even have to bring in the box or bag! I had to do this with the Spinach and Kale Pie. It was kinda pricy ($5) and it was not a hit at home. I told them this when I was checking out and they simply took it off of my bill! Awesome! They really are ranked #1 in customer service for a reason! I'm thinking they also track this some how but they didn't take any info from me, and no questions asked!

I love that when I came home from the store, they were able to pack everything into three easy to carry bags. Done! No more hauling in bag after bag! I'll have to try to remember to bring my reusable bags next time too!

I think I did pretty well for my first shopping trip and am definitely going back for more. In total I have gone twice and have found something new each time. If you have any other suggestions of Trader Joe's products, let me know! 

Toddler Favorites: 12-15 months

These are our current Toddler Favorites! C is now 16 months old and we are still using many of these items, but I'm sure he'll be growing into some new things soon!

1. Duplo Legos

These are not the huge Mega bloks or the regular sized legos for older kids, but in between. Christian loves playing with all the different sets of these lego (firemen, gas station etc.) He is able to stack them and pull them apart. He first started playing with these by destructing them.

2. Hape Scoot Around Ride On

This little scooter was a gift for C's first birthday and it has worked out great! Our entire house is carpeted (except for the kitchen) and these larger thick wheels work amazingly in our little space. It is also the perfect size for C to sit on and have his feet still touch the floor.

3. Peter Rabbit Peekaboo!
We love reading the book because it has a nice, big flap on each page to open. A character hides behind each one and C loves to play peekaboo on each page.

4. NINO Egg Shaker and 5. Handled Caged Bell
Christian loves to play with these when we go to our Funsies with Onesies class at the local library. He loves anything musical and these are great for little hands to make noise!!

6. Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes
Christian loves to dance and listen to music, so what better than a toy that he can manipulate himself? We do not own this specific toy, but one very much like it. Christian likes to be able to push the buttons himself to select the different tunes.

7. Baltic Amber Baby Teething Necklace
This necklace was great when C's molars started to come in. He was fussy when he was teething, since he'd have a few come in about the same time, and this little necklace was great for helping ease the pain. Babies DO NOT chew on these beads, they simply wear the necklace, that's it! The anti-inflammatory properties of the amber are absorbed in through the skin. I have been able to notice a positive difference in C's fussiness after using this necklace.
*Note: the lighter amber necklaces are said to work better than the darker, and also be careful of where you purchase your amber necklaces! Some people try to rip you off by selling you plastic beads, glass beads etc. Do a simple test to make sure the beads are authentic amber! 

8. Green Toys Dump Truck
We love the brand Green Toys because their toys are made with 100% recycled plastic! Not only does Christian love loading this guy up with other toys and pushing it around, but I love to support companies that are helping our planet recycle its waste.

9. Toddler Smoothie Cup
See my post about these awesome cups here!

10. Summer Infant Dr. Mom Health & Grooming Kit 
We have used this kit SO much during Christian's first year, and into his second! This kit has so many good things all in one package: hairbrush & comb, baby nail clipper and emery boards, thermometer etc.

11. Safety 1st Infant to Toddler Oral Care Kit
I love most things convertible (car seats, high chairs etc.) and even oral care kits. This little baby comes with an infant toothbrush that fits on your finger along with 2 toddler toothbrushes (plus a teether and stickers). We loved using the infant toothbrush when he was really little, only a few months old. It got him use the stimulation on his gums and little teeth buds. I also loved that we already had toddler toothbrushes ready and available to us in our home when we needed to transfer to them. C loves to try to brush his own teeth and it's not a battle but a fun activity since he's been brushing his teeth from the beginning.

12. Space Saver High Chair
Speaking of convertible items from infants to toddlers, I love this high chair. I talked about it in my Baby Favorites: 3-6 months, and it's back! We haven't needed to keep this chair reclined for awhile now since he sits by himself, but it's a great little chair that still fits him. He eats every day in it at our table, and its sturdy for a toddler!

13. Okkatots Baby Depot Travel Diaper Bag Backpack
This is still a new diaper bag for us, but we've been using it for about a month and love it! After our last diaper bag backpack gave out I decided to splurge a little and get something that would last a looooong time. I'll be doing a review on it very soon! If you want to see some details about it, check out the Okkatots site.

14. Robeez Classic Booties
These booties are great for the winter! Even though Christian is 16 months and has been walking for about 5 months now, I still don't like him to walk outside by himself (in the winter). These are great little soft sole leather booties that are perfect for toddlers that are just beginning to walk. The elastic in the boots makes them easily stretchable to fit around Christians chubby little feet and ankles. They are very high quality (which means they are a little pricy) but he wears these every day in the winter, and they haven't worn down at all! The fuzzy on the boots doesn't look brand new, but they have held up incredibly well! We also purchased a second pair at our local kids resale store, and those are still in great condition too!

15. Chicka Chicka ABC
Christian loves this book because we sing the rhyming alphabet song and he loves predicting when the "boom, boom" happens in the story (the letters fall out of the tree). It's much like the original Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book, but shorter, which is great for his attention span.

16. Pandora
We like to listen to the toddler station on Pandora and dance. You don't need an account, you can just type in what you'd like to listen to and it'll play other related songs/artists in that category. We also love to listen to KLove online, which is a Christian radio station.

*Another favorite item Christian loves for night time and naps, is his tie knot fleece blanket that I made!

What are you toddler's favorites? If you have something spectacular, share! I'd love to hear about new toddler items!