How To Travel With a One Year Old

We took our first vacation with "Kaitlin the Toddler" last week and boy did I learn some lessons. Some were good lessons and some were bad. I'm here to share a few with you in hope that you can (as always) learn from my mistakes. The last time we flew with Kaitlin was back in December, when she was barely seven months old and not even crawling. I won't say the flights were impeccable, but they sure were easier since she couldn't move independently. Now that we have a squirmy, walking (running), knows-what-she-wants toddler, flying is a whole new ball game.

1. Pack a few, well thought-out, key toys - I knew that we were going to have to bring some toys with us but I didn't want to have to check another bag with just toys in it. Luckily, the items that Kaitlin is most interested in at the moment are fairly small. I grabbed a few wood blocks (for her to stack and throw), a couple of water/bath toys and a couple of animals from her Little People Noah's Ark. I put them in a plastic toy case (that she happens to LOVE to play with, for some strange reason) and hid them from her a few days before the trip. The same goes with books. I chose a couple of key favorites that wouldn't get me in trouble with the luggage scale and hid them in my suitcase a few days before the trip. That way when I pulled each item out during our trip she was super excited to see and play with them.

*These Indestructibles books are PERFECT for traveling as they are super thin and weigh virtually nothing!*

2. Buy a couple of new toys - New, or at least new-to-your-baby, toys can be super exciting (ie attention grabbing) for little ones this age. I bought two new toys and introduced one on the flight to Jackson Hole, and saved the other one for the flight home. The first toy was a "grab-and-go" set from Michaels which included crayons, a coloring book and stickers. Turns out Kaitlin is too young for the coloring part (she just wanted to put the crayons in her mouth) but she had a grand old time with the stickers (which, also, ended up in her mouth). She was even mildly amused by watching me color. The second new toy I bought was this Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker set. I had heard through the grape vine that reusable stickers (vinyl stickers) were highly entertaining to toddlers and boy were they ever! This kept Kaitlin busy and entertained for over an hour, which in toddler-time is virtually a lifetime. Amazing!! My only complaint is that it's quite large. I wish they made one that was half as big. Luckily my husband and I were sitting together, otherwise our neighbor would have had vinyl farm animals all over her seat. I'm on the hunt for a smaller version of this - if you know of one please let me know! And by the way - please don't feel like you have to spend a bunch of money buying new crap for your kid. If your friends with kids the same age have some different toys than what you have, and are willing to trade or let you borrow for the length of your vacation, this is just as good! Even better really since you won't have to spend any dough.

3. Utilize the in-flight entertainment - And remember, what may not be interesting to you might be SUPER EXCITING to your toddler. We let Kaitlin play with the safety manual, SkyMall and airline magazines during all four of our flights (I know...I still need another drink just thinking about it) and they kept her very entertained. And shockingly enough, the most entertaining toy was an empty beverage cup and three napkins that I crumpled into balls. She played with it for nearly a half hour taking the napkins out and putting them back in. Again - a half an hour in toddle-time is pretty much a whole year, so - SCORE! And of course, if your flight has personal TVs stick a pair of headphones on your baby and let them watch a cartoon! Who knows if they will keep the headphones on, but they are likely to watch the cartoon. We didn't have individual TVs on our flights (ahem, UNITED, ahem) but I am definitely going to do this when I fly jetBlue next month. We don't normally let Kaitlin watch tv, but on a special occasion (wait, special for who??) a few minutes of TV won't hurt your kid and just might save your sanity.

4. Take advantage of the kindness of strangers - I was pleasantly surprised at how nice people were about Kaitlin's behavior during our trip. I am not one to be overly apologetic to strangers about my kid - she is, for the most part, well behaved but yes she does throw tantrums, especially when she hasn't slept in 8 hours. She is 14 months old, what do you expect? But I do feel bad when she is shrieking in someone else's ear. I nearly kissed a guy sitting in the row behind us when he started playing peek-a-boo with Kaitlin during one of our descents. She had been getting particularly fussy and then all of a sudden she started laughing and smiling. When I thanked him he said, "Don't worry about it! I have kids of my own, I know how it is." And much to my surprise we heard this over and over again throughout our trip. Another family let Kaitlin blatantly watch their Duck Tales movie over their shoulders (and subsequently drool and laugh in their ears). They didn't say one word to us, though it should be noted that their youngest (maybe 3 years old?) was throwing an EPIC tantrum during much of the flight.  Maybe we got lucky. It seemed like all of our seat-mates and surrounding passengers have or had kids/grandkids and were so gracious about interacting with Kaitlin (or at least not complaining about her). And I should be giving Kaitlin some credit too - even though we had a couple of meltdowns she was a great traveler and was super smiley to everyone she met.

5. Bring supplies, lots and lots of supplies - this also holds true for traveling with an infant, but make sure you are OVER prepared with diapers, wipes and food. I packed 10 diapers for Kaitlin in my carry-on and thought that it was excessive. She ended up using 8 of those diapers by the time we made it to our hotel. Suddenly 10 didn't seem so crazy. I brought 2 packs of wipes, medicine, a change of clothes (for her) and a TON of food and snacks. I'm not saying that you should pack everything but the kitchen sink (ok, I kind of am) but definitely over-pack on certain items that you know you won't be able to buy inside the terminal (diapers, wipes, certain snacks/food, etc). You might not end up needing them, but it's pretty much a guarantee that if you don't over-pack them then you'll definitely wish you had. Some snacks and food that got us through the trip include peanut butter sandwiches, bananas and endless amounts of cheerios!

6. Fly during nap awake whenever you can - I have heard many times that it is best to fly during your child's nap time. That way they will be tired and are more likely to fall asleep during your flight. I have also heard that you should fly during their awake time so that they aren't cranky and overtired. Here's the thing - your kid either sleeps during a flight or they don't. Just like your kid either sleeps in the car or they don't. In the end, it doesn't really matter when you fly (or drive) because they will either sleep (if that's the kind of baby that they are) or not (if that's the kind of baby that they are). My child will.not.sleep unless she is in her crib. Trust me, four flights and endless hours in a car during a week long vacation and I can tell you she slept exactly 30 minutes (in the car) during ALL forms of transportation. The girl just won't sleep unless she is in a crib or pack-n-play. And unless you are flying on a private jet (and if you are - Hi! Do you want to be friends?) you likely have to be at the airport 2+ hours before your flight anyway, which combined with actual flight time pretty much guarantees that you will be traveling - at some point - during an inconvenient time. My advice - get the best flight for your needs and then just grin and bear it. Travel days will probably suck. Have a strong cocktail waiting for you at the end of your journey and then focus on the FUN you're going to have on your vacation!

Do you have any tips or tricks on how to travel with your one year old or toddler? I would LOVE to hear them! Leave a comment below so we can all share and *hopefully* find some success!

Many of you might have noticed that I left off using an iPhone or iPad to keep your toddler entertained, which is pretty much the easiest no brainer solution to traveling with a toddler. I only mention tactics that worked for us and we don't let Kaitlin use either of these at the moment. The only thing I will let her do on my iPhone is look at photos (she LOVES to look at pictures of herself). We almost bit the bullet for the trip home and were going to buy some toddler apps and cartoons for the iPad, but Kaitlin proved she couldn't be trusted just yet. I was letting her go through pictures on my phone and when it was time to put it away she threw an EPIC tantrum. We knew there was no way we would be able to let her play with the iPad without her going nuts when we tried to take it away. We decided it was better to suffer without the iPad than to create a monster. And I'm not saying that your kid is a monster if you use an iPad or tablet with them. Many kids do just fine playing a game or two and then calling it quits. You are the lucky ones as that is not my child ;) 

What We're Lovin' - Month Ten and Eleven

Here is a quick round up of a few things we (mostly Kaitlin) is loving. Hope you find some inspiration for your little one and that they love them too!

Mini Orchestra Shaker

Quite a few months ago a good friend of mine brought these out to play during one of our play dates. Almost immediately Kaitlin went ga-ga for them. She already loves rattles of any kind and to make as much noise as possible, so these were a perfect fit. There are four different sounds, one for each shaker, and are all (reasonably) easy to listen to. Some of the toys she has that make noise make my ears want to bleed, but these are totally fine to listen to as she furiously shakes them as fast as she can. Over and over and over again. I keep one in my diaper bag, one in the car and two around the house for her shaking pleasure.

Water Table

A couple months ago we were at a friends house and they had a super fun water table that Kaitlin fell in love with. She had so much fun playing with it and splashing around (and chewing on all the toys that came with it) I knew she would have to have her own. I'm not one to rush out and buy Kaitlin a million toys (well, I try not to be) but I knew she would love having one and that it would last her for a couple of years as she grows into it. The next day I went to Toys R US and picked this guy up for $45. And that $45 was well spent. She is obsessed. I'm not even kidding. From her high chair she can see out the back door onto the porch right where the water table is kept. During breakfast she starts pointing and yelling at the door, motioning that she wants to play with the water table. I usually have to turn her chair around so that she can't see it, but immediately after I take her out she goes over to the door and starts banging on it trying to get out so she can play. Luckily it's getting warmer out in the mornings so I can let her play with it pretty early if she wants. And pretty much all she does now is chew/throw all the little toys that came with it and splashes her hands in the water. She has just learned to reach towards the funnel and will drop in the little toys if we lift her up (she's not quite tall enough to reach on her own). There are a bunch of other ways to play with the water table and it is sure to keep her entertained for many summers to come.

Monkey Lovey

When I started working and began leaving Kaitlin with a babysitter for the first time (I know, I know) she was so upset that I wanted to see if she would take to a special lovey or stuffed animal to make her feel comfortable and secure while I was away. She always had an odd connection to this little monkey lovey that my best friend bought for her, so I thought I would give that a try first. I was always afraid to give Kaitlin a lovey or security blanket in her crib because I thought it would make her stay even more awake since she had something to distract her and to play with. Turns out, if she doesn't want to sleep then she won't, no matter if there is a distraction there or not. I have actually found that since introducing the lovey she has been taking slightly better naps (though that could be a random coincidence, I've come to believe that nothing about naps makes sense or is necessarily for a reason). It didn't take her long to become attached to the little guy and now she takes it EVERYWHERE with her. I'm sure I've just created a bit of a monster (and need to immediately buy at least one more should something, ahem, happen to the monkey) I think it is great that she has become attached to it. She walks around with it everywhere, tries to crawl with it - which is quite a site to see when she is tripping all over it - and definitely has to have it with her at nap and bed time. Monkey has even been in the wash a few times and is still super soft just like he was when brand new.

Monkey scream from tracy lynn on Vimeo.

Playtex Lil' Gripper Straw Cup

Now that we are approaching Kaitlin's first birthday it was time for me to introduce other ways of drinking liquids other than a bottle. At first I gave her a sippy cup which she took to pretty quick, even though it took her two months to figure out how to drink from it. Then I remembered that our pediatrician said she didn't want her to use bottles or sippy cups after age one. The bottle is going to be a tough one to break but I figured we could easily swap out the sippy cup for a straw cup. Poor thing was a bit confused after months of being told to "lift the cup UP to get water!" to then be told "leave the cup DOWN or you won't get any water!" She still tips it upward quite a bit but she is getting more and more used to it. The reason I love these cups is because they are easy to drink out of but are a bit spill proof (ie the water doesn't come pouring out of the straw when it's knocked over), they are cheap (I definitely get these for much less at my local Kroger) and you can slide the cap piece over the straw to keep it water tight when you're on the go (making it a perfect cup to put in your diaper bag or stroller).

A reader recently asked me about Kaitlin's favorite books. I thought it might be fun to share a few of her favorites, and a few of mine. She doesn't really sit still long enough to read a long (or normal size) book, but there are a few that she will make an exception for.

1. As mentioned before, she is obsessed with the Indestructibles books. Baby Faces and Baby Babble are by far her favorites.

2. Peekaboo Farm by Emily Bolam is Kaitlin's current favorite book, hand picked by her. She loves to find the farm animals behind the flaps and she especially loves finding the "baby" (a reflective mirror) on the last page.

3. But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boyton - Kaitlin will sit through about half of this book so far, but I think its quite cute and it rhymes which makes it easy to read to her even if she isn't sitting with me. We have a couple of books by this author and I personally love them, time will tell if Kaitlin likes them as much as I do!

4. Each Peach Pear Plum - Kaitlin doesn't sit still for this one but I think it's brilliant. It incorporates tons of children's stories characters, so I think it will be great in another year or two when we can then read more stories about the characters in the book.

5. On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman - I love the story in this book. Kaitlin doesn't sit still for it but I still always try and read it to her. I think it's such a sweet book and has a cute message. It makes me a little teary :)

6. My First London Bus by Marion Billet - Kaitlin loves to turn the wheels on this book and she helps point out the birds and other objects in the story. It's not too long so she generally stays put for the whole story.

7. Bright Baby First Words Books - we actually have two of these books (this one and this one) and she loves them both. They are big and colorful and she likes to turn the board pages, over and over again. She is starting to point to certain objects that she recognizes and some that she just likes. I keep one in her bedroom and one downstairs and we play with both of them several times a day.

What We're Lovin' - Nine Months

This months latest loves - its a random bunch but we can't live without any of them!

Zany Zoo by Just b you

I wanted to get something for Kaitlin to play with that didn't light up all crazy and play a million different songs. Those toys are great, but she has so many of them I wanted something different. I also wanted a toy that she could use to help her stand up and that was wood with non-toxic paint so that I didn't feel guilty when she inevitably started gnawing on it. While perusing the aisles of Target one day I spotted this and knew it was exactly what I was looking for, and it has been a hit ever since I brought it home. She loves moving the beads around, spinning the letters around and playing "peek-a-boo" with the animals behind the doors. It is hefty enough that she can use it to pull herself up without tipping over and she loves that she can stand up and play at the same time. And perhaps the best thing about this toy is that she isn't even using it to its full potential yet - there are so many other ways to play with it that she will grow into as she gets older and develops more. I see this toy hanging around for quite a while!

Indestructibles Books

Something you should know about me - I am a sucker for point-of-sales crap. If you put it by the cash register I am bound to buy it. However, this time I was pleasantly surprised by my POS purchase - it is actually amazing! I came across these Indestructibles Books at my local Right Start and decided to try them out. These books are non-toxic, rip-proof, drool-proof, chew-proof...pretty much baby-proof in every sense of the word! They are AMAZING! I can't give Kaitlin her other books because she slobbers all over them, rips the pages and chews right through the cardboard corners. These, however, are in her hands all the time. We currently have two of them, though I plan on expanding our collection soon. We have Frere Jacques (admittedly this is the first one I bought and *may* have bought it more for myself since it is filled with pictures of pastries, cookies and the Eiffel Tower) and Baby Faces. Baby Faces is by far Kaitlin's favorite. She is obsessed with it - she sits on the floor with it in her hands, usually turns it upside down (why, I have no idea) and "talks" to the pictures of the babies on it! She will squeal and blabber and laugh at the cover picture - it is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. And the other best part about these books? They only cost a fiver. Anything that keeps my kid entertained and doesn't empty my wallet is a winner! I highly suggest reading about the company and their mission on their website, I think they are pretty darn clever!

(Unfortunately I can't find any pictures of her with this book...I know I have some I just have to sift through the 5000 photos that I do have...no joke...)

Huggies Little Movers Slip-on Diapers

Ok, truth be told I don't really LOVE these diapers. I have been a Pampers girl from day one, and although I am doing a bit of diaper shopping around it is not because I am unhappy with the diapers (just unhappy about all the chemicals in them...more on that later). I find these Huggies diapers to be rough and scratchy - they often leave little red marks on Kaitlin's skin especially after she's been crawling a lot (which I find weird because these are for LITTLE MOVERS). I don't like the big Tiger cartoon and green color all over the diaper. I find the design to be loud and very visible from underneath clothes. And yes, while that is a very shallow thing to say about a diaper, it still bothers me. But - there is always a but - but they are extremely clever and convenient. Have you ever tried changing a baby that has recently learned how to roll over/crawl or wants to be on the GO GO GO all the time?? It is nearly impossible. If the weather was a bit warmer I would probably let her run around naked and not even worry about it (and keep a HUGE bottle of disinfectant around) but it is chilly - yes, even here in Texas - so the diaper and clothes must stay on. Kaitlin barely fits into size 3 diapers and Pull-Ups don't start until toddler size 2T so those were out of the question. When I stumbled upon these diapers, diapers you can easily pull on when your child is standing...or crawling...or trying to climb over you/the couch/the dog/all of the above...a little light bulb in my head went off (love when that happens). So, while these are not our go-to diaper, I keep a stash of these on hand for those times when absolutely NOTHING will make Kaitlin lay still long enough for me to put a diaper on her.

Scabib

I know, I know. What the heck is a Scabib? I asked myself the same thing recently when I was searching for bib alternatives and this popped up on my screen. Turns out it is pretty much the coolest thing ever, especially for drooly babies. I'm going to give it to you straight - Kaitlin is a fountain of unending drool. Seriously. It. Does. Not. Stop. And when teething kicks into high gear (ummm...when isn't it lately?) the drool is out of control. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have to change her bib every 45 minutes. I don't even mind the drool, I suppose I have gotten used to it. The thing that bugs me the most is having her wear bibs all the time. This is going to sound really dumb and shallow - but I hate how bibs ruin her cute little outfits. And if I don't want her to wear a bib to preserve the cuteness? I better have 39205893424389054 changes of clothes nearby because the original outfit will be drenched in no time. I was searching Etsy for cute bib alternatives (think bandanas and the like) when I stumbled across Scabib. Essentially its a scarf and a bib in one. The front is super cute woven material that falls like a cowl neck and the back is covered in a terry cloth like fabric for extra absorption. A small piece of hard working velcro keeps the whole thing together. You can wear it like a cowl/scarf or as a bandana. The first time Kaitlin wore her adorable black and white stripe Scabib she kept it on for HOURS and it didn't soak through to her clothes *cue angels singing* it was a miracle. One of the things that I like the most about the Scabib is that it's made out of a lot of fabric and is super absorbant but doesn't hang down and get in Kaitlin's way. The couple of bibs that we have that come close to being as absorbent as the Scabib are so big and bulky they constantly get in the way of her crawling and climbing, which means more tripping/falling/crying. The other thing I love about the Scabib is how freakin' cute and trendy it looks. There are a number of awesome patterns and colors available (check out their new Easter prints) that are appropriate for little guys and gals. We only own one Scabib at the moment but I plan on adding lots more to our collection!

What We're Lovin' - Seven and Eight Months

Since Kaitlin is only nine days shy of turning eight months old (!!!) I thought I would combine our favorites from the last two months into one post. Now that she is getting older she has more and more opinions about what she likes and doesn't like on everything from toys to food to clothes (ok, maybe that last one is a bit of a stretch. But there are some clothes she lets me put on her more easily than others! I'm taking it as a sign of her developing fashion sense).

These have been a few of her (and my) favorite things over the past couple of months. Some were favorites before then and have stood the test of time. I find that she is growing so fast now that she is very fickle about what is her "favorite" toy to play with, so items that she returns to time and time again are a rarity! 

Xylophone by Fisher Price

Kaitlin discovered this toy after playing at a friends house one afternoon. She lit up when we played the xylophone for her and she heard the music. I knew that I had to get one for her and boy am I glad that I did. She still doesn't really know how to play it correctly, even though we have had it for a few months, but that doesn't stop her from loving to play with it. She usually jams the mallet in her mouth as soon as I bring it out for her to play with, but eventually she starts to wave her hand around and manages to hit the keys. She loves when someone else plays a song or just bangs on the keys for her to hear the different sounds. She gets really excited, bounces up and down then swipes the mallet out of your hand and jams it back into her mouth. Whatever floats your boat, little girl.

Sassy Ring o'Links

This is another toy that we have had for several months and it continues to be a favorite. When Kaitlin was a few months old I was searching the internet for a "rattle" that she could hold in her tiny fingers. Most of the ones that I found were too big and/or heavy for her. I saw these on Diapers.com and just had to get them. The bright colors, different textures and small size really appealed to me. When all of the links are on the ring she can shake them like a rattle and she loves to hear the noise. These were a  hit from the first time I gave them to her and she still loves to play with them. They are great for her to chew on and I'm convinced the different textures help relieve teething discomfort. The best part about it is that the links can be attached to anything and (almost) everything. I used to hang them from her playmat and her car seat. Now that she is a little older I attach them to her stroller and grocery cart cover (more on that below). And the fact that they are less than $5.00 makes these superstars in my book!

Munchkin Duck Tub

You might have noticed this tub during my last What We're Lovin' post when I featured our favorite bubble bath. We have been using this tub since Kaitlin was about 4-5 months old. I already can't remember when we started using it (this is why I write everything down!) but it was basically when she was almost sitting up on her own (we helped her sit up in it the first few times until she was strong enough to do so on her own). The other infant bath we had required her to lay down and as soon as she got the hang of sitting up - even if it was assisted - she wanted nothing to do with laying down. She absolutely loves this tub. It is deep enough that she stays warm when we fill it up but not so deep that she gets scared. It has a safety disk on the bottom that tells you if the water is too hot for the baby. She loves to splash around in the water and play peek-a-boo with us around the duck head. It is bright and cheerful and it has made bath time exponentially more fun for all of us!

Bumkins Bibs and Splat Mat

Since we started Kaitlin on solids at six months - and more specifically since I switched to baby led weaning - big mess is the name of the game. I first purchased these super bibs (for their big size) by Bumpkin and have loved them from the start. The adjustable neck fits snuggly against her and the large pocket manages to catch a lot of what she drops. The bibs are thin enough that they aren't bulky for her to wear but not so thin that they let food/water seep through to her clothes. 

The Splat Mat is a relatively new addition to our house and I'm in love with it. I just put it down underneath her high chair and it catches (most of) the food she throws. Anything that doesn't make it on the mat gets thrown out, but most of it I am able to put back on her tray for her to try to eat. It is made out of the same material as the bibs and is a breeze to clean. I usually wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe after each meal and then throw it in the washer once a week. Easy breezy - an A+ in my book!

Cart Cover

Now that Kaitlin can sit up on her own we have started putting her in high chairs and shopping carts when we are out and about. For grocery shopping I used to use my Ergo (and still do sometimes) to carry her around, but now that she can sit and look around I prefer to use a shopping cart. Now, I am not an overly germaphobic person. I let her eat things that have fallen on the ground (I check them before giving them back to her, don't worry) and I will still give her a toy to play with if it has fallen on the floor (again, as long as it still appears to be clean). Since becoming a mom I learned to carry hand sanitizer with me but that was more for cleaning up after diaper changes. However, when we started putting her in shopping carts and in high chairs at restaurants I got really skeeved out. They are usually sticky and you can visibly see the dirt on them. This cart cover has become one of my favorite items, even though I'm sure Kaitlin could care less. Ours is by Comfort & Harmony but I'm sure any brand will do. Ours is big enough to fit over a wide variety of shopping carts as well as high chairs - I haven't had a bad fit yet. There are several straps to secure the cover around the cart and around the baby. Since Kaitlin is still small she does tend to fall over sometimes, but that's mostly because she's so nosey about what's going on around her she leans all the way over to look around. The cover has several loops that you can attach toys to (like our favorite Sassy links mentioned above) and a few pockets that you can use to store toys or other small items. I wish it had slightly more padding on the back area as a lot of the shopping carts are made out of hard wire, but really that is just meet nitpicking. I cannot recommend this product enough, especially if you are a clean freak!

*All opinions are my own, certainly no one paid me to say any of these nice things. But that would be nice, so if you want to pay me to say something nice about your stuff feel free to send me a sample ;) *

What We're Lovin' - Six Months

As Kaitlin gets older her personality and preferences are starting to come out more and more. She is starting to show interest in some things more than others. I thought it might be fun to highlight things that she (and I) are loving every once and a while. Kaitlin just turned six months old last week, so these items are good for babies from around 4-5 months and older. Where possible I have tried to include a link to where you can buy these items too!

JellyKitten Bredita Bunny

This is Kaitlin's favorite toy to date. It makes a soft rattle noise (without being too loud of obnoxious like some of her other rattles) and is super soft. She absolutely loves to chew on the bunnies ears, legs and feet. Poor bunny has been through the wash more times than I can count! I love it because the soft chime noise is easy on the ears and it is small enough to bring with us everywhere we go. This was given to me as a gift and it looks like it's only available in the UK/Europe. JellyKitten is a range under the very popular  Jellycat brand.

Rainforest Jumperoo

Kaitlin has been in the Jumperoo since she was about three months old. At the time her feet couldn't reach the ground and she didn't really know how to jump, but she LOVED being able to be upright and look around. She started off slowly, touching her feet to the ground and playing with one or two of the toys. But within no time she was jumping around like a crazy person and playing with all of the toys and gadgets. Since Kaitlin is super active (I swear she doesn't stop moving) this is a perfect toy for her. And it gives me some time to get things done around the house with both hands - I can leave her in it for 15-20 minutes before she cries out for me. This was, by far, one of the best items that I registered for. We have been getting so much use out of it and she is still on the lowest height setting, which means she still has lots of time to grow into it!

California Baby - Calming Bubble Bath

I like to make bath time fun but it also has to be relaxing. Since we give Kaitlin her bath right before bed time I don't want to wind her up too much. I have been using California Baby almost from the beginning and love it. The light lavender scent of the Calming series is just perfect for getting ready for bed. It is all natural and non-drying which means it is safe to use every day without irritating her soft, baby skin. And since it is made from all natural ingredients I don't have to worry when Kaitlin sticks a bubble-coated hand or foot into her mouth. It might not taste good but I know it won't hurt her. And perhaps the most fun thing about this bubble bath is that it comes with a bubble wand! Kaitlin goes back and forth between loving and hating bubbles (depending on how tired she is when she's in the bath) but for the most part she is intrigued by them and loves to watch them float around the bathroom. It's probably the most expensive bubbles I'll ever buy, but I think it's a cute touch to add the wand, making bath time even more fun for babies and for parents.