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My baby is eighteen months old and will be a big brother by the end of the year. That is absolutely mind blowing. Having a toddler is quite different from having a newborn or a baby. From the mobility to the play to the entertainment to the food, everything shifts as your child grows. I don’t think anything on this list is something that you can’t make do without, but everything on this list is something that I have found useful or helpful as I’ve navigated this new phase of life.
SLEEP AND COMFORT
- Slumberkins Bigfoot lovey – we introduced the lovey to Calvin right around his first birthday. I wanted him to have a comfort object for sleep that would be more permanent that the binky (which we planned on weaning him from at 18 months). This lovey is expensive, but worth it for us. It’s small, thin, soft, machine washable, and Calvin has really taken to it. The books that come with the loveys are also an amazing resource for emotional skill development in kids.
- Slumberpod 2 – Calvin sleeps like a champ as long as he has his binky, lovey, sleepsack, white noise, and a dark room. While putting him down for naps away from home, the biggest hurdle we were facing was the lack of a room dark enough for him to sleep in. The Slumberpod goes over a standard size playpen and creates a breathable blacked out space for baby to sleep in. I love it and all its features, from its compact size, to the ventilation flaps and space for a fan, to the pocket designed for a video monitor. I highly recommend this for travel or if you have multiple kids napping at once and you need to create a dark nap space for your baby.
- KidCo Peapod – I thought I loved this tent when we first purchased it a year ago, but I absolutely adore this thing. It has completely replaced the Pack N’ Play as Calvin’s travel sleep space. He slept in it while camping, on the houseboat in Lake Powell, at a motel, during our week long road trip, and at various family members’ homes. Cal loves to crawl into it when it’s time to sleep, and I’ve even used it with the Slumberpod to create a dark space when a private room wasn’t an option.
FEEDING
- ChooMee SoftSips – these are seriously one of the best kid inventions I have ever seen. I am certain I have linked them in previous posts, but basically they go over the spout of a prepackaged purée pouch and prevent your kiddo from squeezing the pouch and covering themselves in apple and sweet potato purée. I love them so much and I own at least six of them so I always have one clean and available.
- hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat with Tray – our main high chair is the Mountain Buggy Pod (you can read my full review here) but this chair is much more convenient for use outside of our house. It folds down small, but it can be used on the ground, on a chair, or on a tabletop (supervised only). Easy to clean, secure buckles, and fit into our suitcase when we flew to the Oregon Coast for a week. We used it in motels, Airbnb’s, campsites, and the beach!
- Boon SWIG Silicone Straw Cup or Boon NURSH Straw Conversion Lid – if you have no Boon products, I recommend the SWIG. If you already have some of the Boon NURSH bottles in the 8 ounce size, I recommend the Conversion Lid. They are essentially the same thing. These are the only toddler straw cup that I have found that do not leak, as long as you screw the lid on properly. Calvin has been using his SWIG for almost six months and I have never had a spill or a leak from the cup. because the silicone pouch collapses as he drinks, there is no venting hole to allow for the straw suction. The venting is what typically allows for leaking in other straw cups (especially when held upside down). No matter how Cal holds, carries, or drops this cup I have yet to have a serious leak. I seriously love these. The conversion lids have also been extremely helpful in weaning Calvin from the bottle.
HELPFUL AND CONVENIENT
- SakuraBloom Onbuhimo – this carrier was a purchase we made when Calvin was about a year old. I loved babywearing Cal when he was younger, but he had outgrown the wrap that we used and loved. This carrier is everything I hoped it would be an more. I can get Calvin in a front or back carry by myself and I can use it even with my growing baby bump because it doesn’t have a waist strap. I’ve had to gradually increase my wear time to get my muscles used to it, but it’s so comfortable! We have even used it on short, easy to moderate hikes and found it so much easier to travel with than our structured pack.
- Stride Rite Surprize shoes – these shoes were the perfect early walker/transition shoes for Calvin. They had enough of a sole to wear outside, but were soft enough to be comfortable on his feet that were unused to structured shoes. They are also super easy to put on and they stay on. They are only available at Target and are often low in stock, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to snag a pair!
- Tubby Todd sunscreen – when I was pregnant with Calvin, I developed a sunscreen sensitivity and sun allergy (fun, right?) so I tried lots of different mineral sunscreens. I wish I had found this one then. It works great, doesn’t have a funky smell, rubs in quickly, and doesn’t leave Calvin or I looking like a blue ghost.
- Tubby Todd All Over Ointment – Calvin often gets dry, rough patches of skin on his cheeks and his upper arms and his ointment is the best stuff for it. I’ve also put it on scrapes and bruise and it seems to help calm his skin then too. I brought it with us to Lake Powell and everyone was passing it around to treat their parched, sunburned skin.
- Guidecraft Kitchen Helper – definitely an investment piece and something that my family will grow out of, but a great product for toddlers and young kids. Calvin loves to be involved when I am cooking or baking. Traditionally, I would just pull a table chair to the counter and let him stand on it. However, we only have two spinning, counter-height barstools in our kitchen. The kitchen helper puts Cal at the perfect height, it walls him in so I don’t have to worry about him falling out or climbing in on his own, and it is easy to keep maintained and clean.
- Baseball Cap – this two pack of baseball caps from Amazon has been perfect for Calvin and they’ll fit him for years and years. It took a few weeks to get Calvin used to wearing them, but now he rarely yanks them off his head while he’s playing outside or going for a walk in the stroller.
- Ten Little Everyday Original shoes – I ordered these shoes when Calvin was a really steady walker and spending a lot of time outside (meaning he was wearing through his other shoes very quickly). They have an awesome template to use to find your little one’s perfect size. They are well made, have a wide toe box to allow for natural foot development, and they’re stinking cute. If you want $5 off your purchase (and to get me a $5 perk as well) you are welcome to shop through this link. Otherwise, click the title link above to shop.
- Grape Quarterer – Calvin really loves his fruit, but he’s one of those kids who will shove as much food as he can possibly fit into his mouth at a time, so we have to be really careful about choking hazards. I always thought these gizmos were a waste of money and kitchen space, but being able to quarter grapes quickly and cleanly and efficiently is heavenly. If you have a grape-loving toddler, buy one of these.
TOYS AND ENTERTAINMENT
- Pikler Triangle and Slide/Ladder – we purchased pikler triangle and a ramp from two separate Etsy sellers for Calvin’s first birthday and it has been a fabulous purchase. Calvin is a talented climber (up and down), he’s a pro when it comes to stairs, and he’s really learned to listen to his body when testing his boundaries.
- Lots and lots of board books – my son loves to be read to, but he’s really not into the words of the books and is more entertained by the pictures, textures, and turning the pages. He hasn’t mastered the skill of being gentle with paper books, so we stick to board books for now. Some of our favorites are board books from Usborne, the Never Touch A… series, and the Melissa and Doug Poke-A-Dot books.
- Waboba Moon Ball – these balls are the absolute best for kids. East to grab and pick up, bouncy, durable, easy to wash, waterproof, they float…I could go on. I don’t know where Colter found the first of these that we own, but we now have several and I love them.
- Lovevery Play Kits – I’ve talking about these play kits many times before (I even wrote a full review on them), but I just have to reiterate that these play kits are my favorite splurge item for my little boy. He loves the toys and I love the toys and they recently expanded their age range availability, so I am so excited to continue to subscribe to the kits for many months to come.
If you are a toddler mom like me, I salute you and wish you luck and a good night’s sleep.
If you are a mom to a baby and are reading ahead, I’m here to tell you that there are so many awesome experiences ahead of you. There are going to be some truly amazing moments that are going to pass you by too quickly.
And if you aren’t a parent at all yet, but looking for something to help a parent in your life, you’re awesome and I hope I was helpful.
BARREL OF MERRELL'S 
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