Baby products

 After a year with twins, we have been through our share with baby products. I try everything that comes my way or that fits in our budget. Here is what has worked well for us and some things that haven't.

1. Graco Pack'N'Play
Before the babies were mobile, this was their go-to place while we were home. We knew where they were and that they were safe from a very "helpful" older brother. For travel, we used them as cribs. Now that they are a year, they are a great way to keep them contained when we play outside with D or if we are doing a less-friendly baby activity, such as a Legos. We love our Pack'N'Play.

Bright Stars Play Yard in front

2. Bright Stars Play Yard
Major thumbs down. My parents have a Graco Pack'N'Play at their house and we have a Graco Pack'N'Play. We bought a Bright Stars Play Yard because it was cheaper than buying another Graco Pack'N'Play-- big mistake. It looks nice, but it is a total pain to fold, coming from someone who has spent a lot of time setting up and taking down Pack'N'Plays. Whenever we travel with it, I feel bad for the baby who has to sleep in it because the mattress is uncomfortable and you can feel the frame underneath it. While the Graco Pack'N'Play has more of a "padded board" feel to the mattress, the Bright Stars Play Yard feels like a thin piece of plastic wrapped in fabric set on top of metal bars, exactly what it is. Being that the Bright Stars Play Yard was $80 and the Graco Pack'N'Play was $140-$160, I wish we had just spent the extra money.  (On my wish list: Baby Bjorn Travel Light Crib, times two, of course.)

 

3. Tiny Diner Placemat
These are a great idea... However, C and O took them as a challenge: "I can and I will get you off the table." For the first couple days, they didn't really notice them and the amount of food that fell on floor was reduced significantly. Then they noticed the fun piece of plastic suctioned cupped in front of them and feeding time became playtime. I did store them in their closet. Maybe one day I can pull them out again...?

4. Ikea Highchairs
The fact that they are $15 apiece aside, they are expectationally easy to clean (no seat liners, no special snack compartments built in to collect food) and are extremely compact. The babies slide in and out of them easily. I've loved them. When they were first learning to sit, I had the cushions sold from Ikea propped behind them (pictured below), which I threw in one of the many loads of laundry that I ran each day. I usually washed the cushion every week when they were learning to eat solids then about every 1-3 days when they ate finger foods. It washed and dried well in my machine. They used the cushion to assist them sitting until they were about 9-months old.

5. Munchkin Food Bags
The food bags were a no-go at my house. The babies loved eating foods out of them and the were great for foods they weren't ready for yet, like whole blackberries or other chunks of fruit. The problem was that I could not get them clean. I soaked them, scrubbed them, put them in the dishwasher. Frankly, they became more trouble than they were worth. After two uses I threw them out. Since then, I have seen that they sell extra mesh bags, but I was too frustrated with the molding baby accessory that I never tried them again.

6. Avent Soothie Pacifier
These are the pacifiers that they started with and the ones we stuck with. My oldest used Gerber pacifiers. However, he started pulling them apart as he got older and so I stopped giving them to him. I like these ones because they are all one piece, no separate parts that can become choking hazards. While we are on the subject of pacifiers, I absolutely love the Booginhead pacifier clips (pictured above).

7. Boppy Pillow

We had a Boppy pillow for each baby and loved them. I used them to help me tandem feed and, later, to help the babies sit. They are great to help keep babies in place or to prop up congested little guys (though they are not recommended as a sleeping device). At one point, I actually had three. I used D's hand-me-down Boppy pillow for our on-the-go feeding. I kept in the van and shoved it under my stroller when we were out, after they outgrew my blanket folding system (folding blankets into a log shape and propping them up in my lap for bottles). When they were old enough for me to give them their bottles in the stroller, I donated D's old Boppy pillow to my parents for their little dog, a maltese-shitzu mix. (They even bought the doggy patterned Boppy cover.)

8. Bumbos
We did not buy our Bumbos. I think I've blogged about them before, but they fell in the category of "expensive baby stuff I don't need." Well, then a friend gave them to us and they were fabulous (we did trade with a friend of mine our purple Bumbo for her green one). These seats made life so much easier. With two babies, it can be hard to keep them entertained and get anything done. Giving them a new perspective was just what they needed. I could carry them to the laundry room, prop them up while I moved the clothes, or set them in the kitchen while I cooked. When they were too young to sit up, I actually brought a Bumbo with me to the grocery store and put it in the shopping cart, allowing me to run in without a stroller.

9. Sleep Sheep by Cloud B
I love our Sleep Sheeps. One thing that I learned from moving so much with our oldest (thank you, US Navy) is the importance of a consistent bedtime routine. Whether I was putting him to bed in a hotel, my parents' house, or a new bedroom, he had his Little Giraffe "Batcho" blanket and Sleep Sheep for comfort. Using a blanket with familiar smells and Sleep Sheep for familiar sounds makes bedtime easier no matter where you are.

10. Hand-me-downs
Even with our first, we had hand-me-downs. One of my best friends has three boys, her youngest being a year older than my oldest. D wore their hand-me-downs, which I passed down to C and O along with D's hand-me-downs. With all these hand-me-down clothes, we have learned which brands hold up well with time and wear. Gap has been one of the best for pajamas, sweaters, pants, sweatshirts, onsies, and t-shirts (a hard hand-me-down to do well). Children's Place has great sweaters, sweatshirts, and pants. Gymboree has held up remarkably well with their pajamas, sweaters, pants, sweatshirts, swimsuits, rash guards, hats, t-shirts, and onsies. Target brand rarely has good hand-me-downs. Their t-shirts get misshapen and don't wash well; they work great for one child, but haven't even passed down well from D to the babies. Some of Target's bottoms have worked, like play shorts or sweatpants, though I only use them for play because the colors fade and they don't look as nice. Gerber onsies and pajamas do not hand-me-down well. The onsies get misshapen and the colors fade. Carter's brand is hit or miss. Some things wash great and have been great hand-me-downs, even onsies. Other things just fade or get misshapen. Their jams have passed down well from D to the babies. One of the best brands for hand-me-downs has been OshKosh. Their overalls and pants look brand new; their sweaters and sweatshirts have also washed well. My three favorite brands for hand-me-downs are most definitely OshKosh, Gap, and Gymboree.



For more of my must-haves, check out what we used at two-months and six-months. I also wrote a review of our Baby Jogger City Select stroller, which is by far my favorite baby product we own.