Live, Love, Eat and Play

As a “seasoned” mom of a 1 year old (I kid, I  kid, I’m no pro), I often get asked for advice from friends with newborns or babies on the way.  I’ve shared before some of the stuff I loved when Aaron was just a little baby.  Now things have changed a bit.  Our days of the bucket and swaddles are in the past.  Now it’s toys, toys and more toys and finding new and creative ways to entertain him.  That’s not to say there aren’t things I don’t need. 

We couldn’t survive without a lightweight stroller.  Unless I’m carrying him, Aaron is in the stroller a whole lot.  We needed something that was light, folded easily, had space underneath, rolled easily, locked easily and above all was safe.  We chose the Combi Cosmo (in red) and have been really happy with it.

We recently switched to Aveeno products and use the Daily Wash and Shampoo and Daily Moisture lotion, as well as the Calming Comfort lotion.  Aaron has eczema on his legs and arms, and this is soothing and gentle on his skin, plus is smells great.  I also have noticed his hair is a bit softer too!

Saline spray is perfect for when Aaron wakes up a little bit stuffy.  I’m not big on medicine, so this is a simple, natural way to clean out the gunk and help him breathe a little better.

A warm mist humidifier helps keep the air in Aaron’s room from getting too dry.  I think this helps him sleep better, plus the white noise doesn’t hurt either!  This also helps with the aforementioned problems of a stuffy nose and eczema!

Now that Aaron is way too big for the bucket seat, we had to switch him to a convertible car seat.  We chose one for each of our cars and have the Britax Marathon and Britax Roundabout.  Britax is one of the top rated companies, and we loved all of the safety features.  I will recommend that when you are in the market for a convertible car seat, bring your baby with you to the store and let him or her sit in the seats and try them out.  There was one car seat I absolutely wanted, but Aaron was really uncomfortable in it (it had side impact head guard thingies which he HATED).  Even if you buy online (you can find much better deals at places like Wayfair), try in the store!

As for all of the other stuff I “need”?  Well, it’s toys.  Lots and lots of toys.  Maybe I’ll do a post on Aaron’s favorite toys one day but for now, this is more than enough!

What are some of your must have items for your 1 year old?

Filed under: Live, Love, Eat and Play