Snack Traps
Every morning my daughter, Catie, and I wake up together and
watch Sesame Street during
breakfast. While I’m sipping my coffee on the couch she gets busy flinging
Cheerios off her high chair. Rather than continue to get frustrated at what is
normal (and seemingly unstoppable) toddler behavior, I invested in a few Snack Traps.
These little containers keep her food contained (for the
most part) while allowing her to get it out. Basically the way they work is
that the lid is made of a really soft plastic with slits that allow her to pull
the food out. Once she retrieves it, the lid automatically closes. The cups
also have little handles so she can hold it herself. More importantly though, I
can attach it to her stroller or high chair so she doesn’t decide to fling that at me too.
The packaging says that Snack Traps are for one-year-old
kids and up but I started giving it to her around 10 months and she pretty much
mastered it from the beginning. Snack Traps run around $8 for a package of
three. I got mine at Babies ‘R Us but check here for a list of retailers.
Baby Buddy Secure-a-Toy
This is that miracle product that is so simple yet so
clever. It is what I use to attach Catie’s Snack Traps, toys and whatever else
she wants to be carrying in the stroller with her that day. Sometimes I wrap it around her cups since she
has the tendency to let go of them when she finishes sipping. I liked these so
much I bought several packages to use on both strollers and in both mine and my
husband’s car.
I got mine at Buy Buy Baby (in the stroller section) and
they run you about $3 for a set of two. Check the Baby Buddy website for a list of nationwide retailers.
Munchkin Insulated Straw Cups
We rarely ever gave my daughter a bottle and at five months
she took a real strong interest in cup-drinking (as in, out of our cup) so we
decided to try a sippy with her. She was never a big fan but we would try on
occasion. Then when she turned 6-months I stumbled across these straw cups from
Munchkin. My husband thought I was crazy for even attempting it but she got it
right away! At first she would take a sip and spit it out but she seemed to
enjoy doing it so we let her. Once she got a little older I made her a yogurt
smoothie, sucked it up halfway into the straw and let her do the rest of the
work. I guess because it was a thicker drink she was able to get to it out with
more ease. She has been using these cups ever since.
I like them because they are really spill proof and also
because if you refrigerate them before going out, they actually stay cold for a
few hours. The straws are a little bit of a pain to clean but at least they are
dishwasher safe. My only complaint is that the little drawings rub off really
quickly so they get old looking way before you are ready to replace them.
These cups are about $10 for a 2-pack and I have seen them
at Babies ‘R Us and Target. Most
recently I bought a 4-pack for a deal at BJ’s Wholesale club. If you really
hate Dora they have them with the Spongebob characters too. I am told they have
them in plain colors as well but I have yet to find them. Replacement straws are also available if you
have a kid who likes to chew on her straws. Read more about them on the munchkin website.
Table Toppers
Occasionally we’ll go out to eat and since I would never eat
any piece of food that touches the restaurant table, I want to make sure my
daughter doesn’t either. Still, since
Catie now self-feeds, I also want to be able to put her food in front of her
(and plates don’t work at this age since they’ll just end up on the floor) so
we use Table Toppers. Basically they are self-adhesive placemats that come in
cute designs (this month we have Elmo and Zoe; last month it was Dora). You
remove the backing off of the edges (really not complicated at all) and stick
it onto the table. Sometimes, if the table is round, I just kind of bunch the
bottom together and wrap it around the edge so that it sticks underneath.
Table Toppers come about 20 to a pack for around $10. The
come in a zip-lock bag so they are really easy to keep in your diaper bag. I
got mine at Target but click here for more stores that sell them.
Pampers Pocket Bibsters Disposable Bibs
Though I prefer to use cloth bibs that I can wash and reuse
(not to mention they absorb more) I will occasionally use disposable bibs if I
think we are going to be gone for a long time or are going on vacation. I also
will always keep a few in my diaper bag because there is always that inevitable
time where I grab a bib only to find one from our last outing, still crusty,
that we forgot to throw in the hamper.
I love the Pampers Pocket Bibsters in particular because
they are really large (maximum coverage!) and have a pocket that catches all
the food. They are also leak proof so
when she gets really liquidy stuff like tomato sauce on herself, it doesn’t
leak through to stain her clothing.
I have seen these at Babies ‘R Us, Target and Buy Buy
Baby. They come in boxes of 32 and are
around $7. You can read more about them here.
What are some everyday products that make your life easier?
If you are looking for a great way to keep your children shaded in the backseat -- check out UPPAbaby's Easy Fit Car and SUV Sunshade ($8.99 for one). This has my seal of approval for two reasons - it actually attached securely and it really did a good job of keeping out the sun. It was the first sunshade that my toddler could not dismantle. He's ruined quite a few of them (the pretty ones and the not-so pretty ones) that I've tried to put up. The Easy Fit Car and SUV Sunshade was so quickly and easily installed. Just open the shade and attach the four super-grippy suction cups (that you can tighten). The stretch black mesh shade material was great -- I felt like I was looking through a stocking, rather than a typical kid's sunshade. The soft sun blocking material was a big improvement over other kinds we've used and actually easier to see through while driving. Just remember to pick up TWO packages, only one comes in each package. 
