Unexpected Diaper Bag Essentials

When you leave the house with a baby, being equipped with everything you could possibly need could be the different between enjoying your day out, and having to come home early due to a fussy baby. We all know the usual items for a diaper bag - wipes, changes of clothes and DIAPERS! I wanted to recommend a few others that you may or may not have thought of and that will save you in any meltdown situation!

For starters, you need a good diaper bag. With Zane, I started off using one that I found at a regular retail store, but quickly learned that a good diaper bag has several essentials that you can’t find anywhere else.

1 - Stroller clips: A necessary feature is stroller clips, which allows the bag to hang from the handle of your stroller, freeing up the storage compartment underneath for shopping and other bags! Without stroller clips, you’ll be forced to put your bag under the stroller, leaving no room for jackets, shopping bags or groceries. It sounds like something silly now, but when baby arrives you’ll understand what I’m talking about!

2 - Insulated pockets for bottles and food: An amazing feature in some diaper bags (including this one!) is 2 insulated side pockets for bottles or other food. This means you can go to the park in the summer with a bottle of milk or water and it will stay cool! Or you can keep a bottle of water or formula warm. This is a lifesaver when you are somewhere (like the park) where there is no hot water or microwave in sight!

3 - LOTS OF POCKETS: This diaper bag from Elfe Juvenile products has 8 diaper different compartments. It means you can stay organized, find things easily, and most importantly, fit EVERYTHING that you need into 1 bag.

4 - BACKPACK BACKPACK BACKPACK: I can’t stress this enough. When you have a crying baby or one that just needs love, you need your hands free. Having a diaper bag that goes over your shoulder might look cute, but its super impractical. I can’t recommend enough to find one that’s a backpack. And there are so many awesome styles now, that you don’t need to compromise style for functionality.

Next up on my list are a few teethers from Nuby. We used SO many of their products with Zane and I’m loving being able to discover even more of what they have to offer with baby #2! A teething baby is generally a cranky baby so with the help of the products below, you can help you mini remain soothed while you’re out and about:

1 - Fruity Chews: These unique teethers will help your teething baby find relief. Their unique texture will provide comfort and the small delicate grip is perfect for your baby’s little hands to grasp!

2 - Beaded PaciFinder: Thanks to this, you won’t lose any more pacifiers (or have your mini throw them on the floor!). This Nuby one comes with a silicone teether too so whether your baby needs to be soothed or needs to chew on something to sooth her gums, you’ll have it all!

3 - Happy Hands Teething Mitten: These mittens are perfect for babies that still can’t grasp a traditional teether and that tend to chew their fingers instead! The soft silicone will soothe their gums and you can easily clean it can even be machine washed!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, finding the right pacifier is crucial to a happy baby. I don’t think there’s a logic behind why some prefer one shape over another, so I recommend buying a few different ones, figuring out which one your baby prefers, and then STOCK UP!!! Always make sure to get the appropriate size - the nipple in the bigger sizes will be too big for your mini and will make them gag!

I love these NaturalFit pacifiers from Chicco:

1 - NaturalFit 2-Pack Soft Silicone Orthodontic Pacifier 0M+

2 - NaturalFit® 2-Pack Mi-cro™ Pacifier 0-2m

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of brining bibs! Lots. Of. Bibs. Babies drool, they spit up and they drop milk and food all the time. Unless you feel like packing 10 shirts, bring bibs! They’re small, light weight and can be easily switched! I love the Cheeky Chompers Neckerbib! They’re reversible, so soft, have easily attachable snaps at the back and come in an array of colours and patterns to match any outfit!

If you have any questions about the products, don’t hesitate to drop me a comment below or send me an email! You can find them all by clicking the names of the products, or by visiting the Elfe website!

One Kid Road Coat - the Patented Crash Tested MUST HAVE Coat!

GIVEAWAY LINK: https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=K9Mubq&g=QjAHyj

As a parent, safety always comes before practicality…. so to be honest, I remember dreading winter last year… until I discovered the One Kid® Road Coat. For anyone living with kids in winter weather, you know what a pain it is to run to the car with a jacket, take it off before putting them in their car seat, putting it back on before you go out side again. It’s what we need to do to keep our kids safe, and until I discovered the One Kid® Road Coat, I thought that was the only option! One Kid®  has a patented design that is safe to wear while in a car seat! Yes… you read that correctly! You can even watch videos of a crash test on their website to see how they work. No more taking off their jackets (or snowsuit onesies) before putting them in the car!

One Kid®’s coats and snowsuits are crash tested and will keep your little ones warm in -25 Fahrenheit/-30 Celsius weather! We tried out the Road Coat® Down, which also comes in a vegan version, and a 1 piece snow suit version, and their Snow Pants which are soft, easily pulled on and pack-able! Despite being very warm, they are super light weight and they can be easily folded into a carrying pouch that's included, which makes travelling with them a cinch!

The One Kid® Road Coat® is designed in such a way that you can zip back the puffy outer layer when your little one is in the car seat, allowing the car seat strap to lie closer to your child’s body. There’s also a non slip surface on the front which prevents the car seat's harness straps from slipping, and it even comes with a red marker to help you identify where the chest clip should sit!

The One Kid® Road Coat® and matching Snow Pants were a no brainer last year and remain one of our fave discoveries from last year.

GIVEAWAY!

I’m SO excited to announce that I’ve partnered with One Kid® to give away one of their Road Coats®! Visit the link below to enter! It’s that SIMPLE!

CONTEST LINK: https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=K9Mubq&g=QjAHyj

*Contest closes October 31, 2018 and the winner will be contacted by email. Open to US & Canadian residents 18 years of age and older.

Baby Essentials from Copper Pearl

Copper Pearl, created by 2 mamas in 2015, has all of the baby accessories that you've been dreaming about. Made with gorgeous material and beautiful patterns, their products are essentials that moms need.

This month I tried out some of their products, and I can't rave enough about them! Zane is at the drooling age (yay... said no mom ever), so I was constantly changing his wet shirts, until I started using the Baby Bandana Bibs from Copper Pearl! Copper Pearl bibs are big, are made with a double layer of material (the underside is SUPER absorbent) and come in the nicest patterns so you can find one to match any outfit! We tried out the Wild Collection and their Scout Collection. You can see in the picture above the 2 collections we tried and underneath is their crib sheet that I tried! I absolutely fell in love with the fit and feel of their crib sheets and need more for Zane's nursery! They wash amazingly, fit perfectly over his crib mattress (a pet peeve of mine is sheets that don't fit properly and require effort to put on... who has the time to struggle with sheets!?) and come in the nicest patterns and colors. We tried the Slate Crib Sheet.

Finally, we tried out one of their 5-in-1 Multi-Use Covers. Their covers can be used as a nursing cover, a baby car seat cover, a shopping cart cover, a high chair cover AND an infinity scarf! It's made from a SUPER soft and stretchy fabric so it can easily fit over most carseats and chairs and I love that it can covert and be used so many different ways... because it means less items in my diaper bag! We chose the Canyon Multi-Use Cover :). 

I would love to hear what other products you've tried from Copper Pearl, or if you've tried any of the ones I mentioned! If you're looking for a great holiday gift idea, head over to their website and have a look... you're sure to find something for any special baby in your life. 

Baby & Toddler Holiday Gift Guide

This year I've gotten to try some pretty great products so I'm sharing my faves for babies and toddlers! Stay tuned for my gift guide for the rest of the family :)

1. Zany Zoo: We discovered this gem while at a friend's house a few weeks ago. Zane was mesmerized and sat quietly playing for longer than I had ever seen before. Zany Zoo is made from wood, painted with bright and wild colours, and makes NO noise. No loud melodies, no bright lights, just Zane's imagination doing all the work... and I love that. Click here for more info on the Zany Zoo.

2. Olili Baby Mitten Clips- No more losing mittens and gloves this winter thanks to these adorable clips! They come in 6 gorgeous patterns, so you're sure to find one that will match perfectly with your mini's outdoor wear. They make a great gift and stocking stuffer! Click here to visit Olili Baby and order yours now!

3. The Dough Parlour: Perfect for 2 years and over, this freshly made-to-order play dough is water & food-based (with NO chemicals) and comes in the most delicious scents (such as bubble gum, chocolate mint and cotton candy)! Let your little one's imagination run wild, and sit back and relax knowing they're playing with something that is made from 100% natural ingredients... also, their packaging is just the CUTEST. Click here to visit the Dough Parlour.

4. Pom Beanie from Belle and Beautique: This boutique, run by 2 mamas, is your one stop shop for baby accessories. My fave this season is their Pom Beanie for kids (which comes in a lot of other colors)! They also have a collection for adults in case you want to twin with your mini (obviously I picked up an adult version)! Click here to visit their website and check out the entire collection.

5. HEARMUFFS: These sound protection ear muffs by Lucid Audio for infants, will ensure that your little ones are able to sleep through all the loud holiday partying and noises, sports events, concerts, and loud outings. They even have models that play melodies and calming sounds! Click here to check them out. 

6. Chewbeads Mercer Rattle: This light weight teether and rattle will please even the crankiest little munchkin! It's light weight, made with non-toxic silicone, and has calmed down even the fussiest babies. It was given to Zane by his Auntie M and it's been his fave toy ever since. This is a must have in every home. Click here to buy yours!

What products are on your wishlist this year? Tell me in the comments below!