I’m all about convenience. Who doesn’t love convenience? And when you add two children into the mix, the more convenient something makes life, the better. Fortunately someone somewhere has thought of many, many ways to make your life more convenient, but unfortunately, with that convenience can come a pretty penny. I also love useful things. And who doesn’t love something useful? So here I have listed five of my favorite handy and useful items that are completely unnecessary to make your life with children more convenient. I am totally aware they are completely unnecessary, but boy oh boy, are they handy and useful! And they won’t even break the bank! They make for great Christmas gifts or even if you don’t have small children, these would make great baby shower gifts!
Twinkles To Go Octo, approximately $20
Sure you could use a standard night light, but we love this one as it can be right in bed with them, it projects stars or underwater scenery on the ceiling, and it is portable! It also has an automatic timed shut off so the light doesn’t stay on all night. You can choose the color of the octopus and the color of light it projects. We love these especially for their compact size, allowing us to take them on road trips conveniently. Made by CloudB, they are available on their website, but also many others as you can see with Google.
Arm & Hammer by Munchkin Diaper Bag Dispenser, approximately $5
Sure you could reuse your Target bags, but these are scented and compact. They are neatly contained within this holder, which you can attach to the strap for easy reach, and fit in any diaper bag ready to use for the biggest of diaper explosions. They are available in different colors and scents and online lots of places, available lots of places locally, and even in some drug stores.
The Lawn Countertop Drying Rack, by Boon Inc., approximately $30
Our all time favorite baby item over 4 years! Sure you could use a towel to lay everything out to dry, perfectly balanced so that everything stays put and can still dry out properly, but this is just too convenient to pass up when you have bottles that need tdry out on the inside, small parts that need not be lost, and straws galore. We have liked it so much that I buy this for friends and family for a baby shower gift any chance I get. There are also lots of accessories like flowers, trees, and butterflies, to dry the small parts of bottles, syringes, straws, etc. This item is made by Boon (which has lots of other great products too) and can be found on their website, and can be found on lots of other websites (Google it!) and in shops locally as well. To get the best price, I recommend buying it in one of the local stores, such as Buy, Buy, Baby or Smart Toys and Books, with a coupon. You can often save at least 20% on this with a store coupon! Another tip: they make a “Patch,” which is a really small strip version, and a “Grass” as well which is a slightly smaller version than the Lawn, but I definitely recommend the Lawn as it is bigger and when you’re using lots of bottles/cups, it is really nice to have the extra room. Our children are 2 and 4 and we still use this for all of their dishes that are hand washed so the larger space is great to have!
Oogaa Silicone Placemat, approximately $9
Sure you could spread out a napkin at a local restaurant as we often still do, or ask for an extra plate, but the convenience of just unrolling this placemat for small children and for finger foods for older children makes it so easy! It’s nonslip, tasteless, odorless, and does not support the growth of fungus, mold or bacteria. It rolls up perfectly for squeezing into diaper bags and it can be wiped clean with even just a wipe on the go if need be. (I typically wipe it with a wipe after immediate use or even just roll it up as is and then wash it with soap and water after returning home each day.) Need more convincing? You can doodle on it with washable markers while you wait for your food and they easily wash off with water! And on top of that, it’s dishwasher, microwave, freezer, and sterilizer safe! They can be found in lots of color options and on lots of websites. Just Google it!
The Aqueduck, approximately $10
A faucet extender you can shove in your diaper bag or leave at the kitchen sink to make washing your little’s hands that much easier! That’s right! Someone invented a duck-bill shaped rubber extension of the faucet allowing the water to pour out closer to the edge of the sink and called it an Aqueduck. Genius, right?? If only I would have thought of something like that… When your child is in that in-between stage when they want to do everything on their own, but can’t quite reach high enough to physically be able to reach on their own, this extender will save you a battle or two. It also comes in very handy when you’re out with two and need to hold the younger child while trying to lift the older one to get their hands washed at the same time. Lift no more! It comes in different colors, is dishwasher safe, and available on lots of websites with a simple click on Google!
I took note of a couple of them that I still do not have! My top five would be:
1. Halo Swadlesack. A must for baby (hence parents too) to sleep well from birth. Not that it has to be Halo but I never found any other sleeping sack with “wings” for arms inside while they are little or out once they start rolling.
2. White noise. Another must for sleping/relaxing. I love Cloud B ones because they are cute and sounds are great, we have the big bunny at home and the small giraffe for traveling. But there are other sound gadgets, CDs, apps… Air and water noises are the best for us.
3. Squeeze feeder. I have tried several but like Nuby the most. Boon is not bad either but you cannot see the contents. So convenient, mostly on-the-go but also at home, we use it every day.
4. Munchkin inflatable bath. This must is for traveling but I have heard some people with space restrictions use it also on a daily basis. Not only the quality is great (durable), it has a dot to tell you if the water is too hot, it is less than $15 and the duck is adorable.
5. Teething necklaces/bracelets. For the mom who would love to accessorize but is concern about a baby grabing or chewing on her necklace/bracelet. Also, to avoid the chewing object to be thrown on the floor. They are made of safe food grade silicon and look nice.
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