Must Have Baby Items You Didn’t Know You Needed
So many options when it comes to baby items now days! Its confusing and overwhelming. And some of those things you just plain don’t need to waste your money on. Here’s a list of things that you probably didn’t know you needed, but that I’ve found to be so helpful! Honestly!
Travel Plate- This has been one of the most handy inventions I’ve used with both the boys! Since it’s got it’s own case, I just fold up the dirty mat when we are out and put it back in the case to clean when we get home. So simple!
Travel Spoon– Handy when they are using purees and soft baby food still. You can fill this guy with food and there’s so much less mess! It’s even got a cover for the end.
Rubber Changing Pad– This one by Ubbi is so handy. Easy to wipe, roll, fold, it makes diapering on the go so much easier.
Roll-up Changing Clutch– I adore my diaper bag, but sometimes I don’t want to haul the whole thing if I’m just running in somewhere. This clutch can fit in my purse and get even smaller if I unzip the pad portion. Just the necessities for quick jonts!
Dream Egg Sound Machine– This is the most portable sound machine I’ve seen. Lots of noise and volume options, plus its wireless. Charge it and go. It can even be used in the car or stroller, etc. So handy for anyone, not just babies!
Baby Nest- There are lots of options out there, but we love ours from Doreen’s Bibs and Bobs. It’s cute, handy, and portable. We still use ours at almost age 2 and take it on trips too! It seems to keep kiddo nice and cozy.
Convertible High Chair– Seriously, if you going to use a high chair, make sure it’s convertible. I had an older Graco version for the oldest and this new model does so much more and therefore is so much more handy. It can be attached to a chair as a booster, the back can be removed for more space, the base itself can be a stool seat for older kids. It really has all the features we need, including folding up and the tray hangs on the back!
Tush Baby- One of the things I found with kiddo #2 is the Tush Baby and I love it! He always wants to be carried, but also get down and look. I’m sure you can all relate! This thing saves my hips and makes it easy to carry forward or backward, front or hip, and he can go up and down to his heart’s desire. So handy!
A Great Looking Diaper Bag- Ok, it’s not a necessity, but it sure does make momming a lot more fun. I’ve had many, loved several, but this Lily Jade bag takes the cake. Its gorgeous. Plus it can be a backpack, or the straps stow away to be a should or cross-body bag. It’s so spacious without being too big or heavy to carry too. I carry everything but the kitchen sink I’m here with me. Its officially my purse/ diaper bag. I just call that the mom bag. ❤
Hope these ideas help you too! Anything else you would add?
XX,
Jess
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Marineland, Family Florida Trip Ideas
Want to take the kids to Florida, but not quite ready to go all in on Disney just yet? We weren’t either. I have some ideas for you!
Must see in Florida? Marineland Dolphin Adventure!! Truly, this place is a must see and a pleaser for all ages.
Yes, we danced with the dolphins! 🤩 This dolphin is Dazzle and she was a sweetheart. We learned a lot about her and dolphins in general. You can choose tickets to swim with the dolphins or tickets to meet and greet with them (pet them!), like the youngest and dad did.
You can even get a package that includes painting with the dolphins! There are talks and training demonstrations…
There was a tour of the facility, which included learning the history here. They are the first facility of their kind! Movies have even been made here! You can see turtles and other sea life too. There was just so much to explore. Plus, who doesn’t love an adorable gift shop? They even had custom necklaces made with each dolphin’s fluke (tail fin). How neat?! There is also a photographer there to snap photos while you are in the water or focusing on the dolphin fun!
And the view over the ocean was divine, even on a cloudy day…
There is just so much to say about this place. Truly I can’t rave enough and highly recommend you visit there for yourself!
Want to make it a whole weekend and need more things to fill your time? Us too! I’ve got a few recommendations:
Tip- Fly into and stay in Jacksonville. It’s a big enough city to have plenty to do, but not a spring-breaker hot spot.
1. Check out the beaches! The whole family enjoyed the sand and water, even in the cooler winter time. We all love to hunt for shells and treasures. Best beach for shells, sea glass and shark teeth is Mickler’s Landing, a public beach at Ponte Verda. Jacksonville beach, Atlantic beach, and Neptune beaches are all public, close by and very nice. Public beach access in Marineland was also very nice!
2. Jacksonville Zoo! Also fun for the whole family.
3. See St. Augustine! The younger kids didn’t understand the significance and were not super interested, but did enjoy seeing the big stone “castle”. They had lots of lights up in the evening, the bridge is neat, and there is a huge light house. Plus shops and restaurants to please us bigger kids.
4. St. Augustine alligator park! We didn’t get to make it here, but this attraction looked so fun!
5. Catty Shack wildlife sanctuary! We also didn’t make it here, but it is on our list! You can see them feed the tigers!
6. Seafood! Need I say more? I’ll list a few of our tried and true favorites.
*Safe Harbor, Jacksonville
*Slider’s, Jacksonville
*Sonny’s BBQ, Jacksonville (not seafood, but totally a favorite worth checking out)
*South Beach Grill, Marineland
Tip- Hyatt Place, Jacksonville Airport is where we stayed. Casual yet nice, family friendly and spacious. Plus, you can sign up for Hyatt Club for free and get free breakfasts. Just one we would recommend!
I hope you enjoy visiting Florida too! Let me know how you like these spots!
XX,
Jess
Disclosure: we were hosted at Marineland only. All opinions of all locations listed here are fully our own. We want to be helpful for your family, with honest reviews!
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Coolest New Gadget
I have a new gadget. I’m in love. Meet Lollipop baby camera.
This thing is so cool. We have always loved our baby monitor and it did a great job for years. But the battery is dying and we knew we needed something updated. Six years is quite a long time to use and abuse an electronic. We had heard awesome things about the Lollipop baby camera and really wanted to try it. So glad we got the chance!
First of all, how cute is this design?! I love the modern, simple look. They come in this blue, a pink, a yellow, and now they have a new gray cover option too.
The lollipop itself is bendable and can be posed or twisted to suit your needs and space. You can wrap it around the crib rail or twist it to perch on a shelf. It also came with a little branch to attach to the wall to wrap it around and an attachment that holds the end wrapped around a crib rail. This is what we have used here.
So not only is this guy cute and fun, but he’s also so versatile! This actually makes traveling with this monitor much easier than with our old one. We can simply twist and place in a new location, no charging station or monitor screen to bring… because of the other perk… it shows to an app on your phone!
Yes, that’s Barrett all curled up in the corner. 🤣 Silly goose. But I can see him, hear him, and monitor everything, right from my phone.
And since you use wifi… you can even access the picture when you are away from home! What?! I can check in on the kiddos even when we have a sitter!
It also alerts you of room environment factors like temperature, and if the baby is crying. You can zoom in. And you can record snapshots or video clips of what is going on.
I’m in love. It’s been a huge help for us! Check them out on IG!
Xx, Jess
(I was gifted this Lollipop baby camera to try and review, however, all opinions are my own!)
Something I Love
Through my many recent projects I have found a product that I love. Undo Adhesive Remover! This stuff is amazing. I started using it while scrap-booking. You stick a sticker to a page and realize that you want to move it. No problem for Undo. It not only removes the sticker with no harm to the paper or the sticker, but it also brings the sticker back to it’s original stickiness when it dries! I have also used this to un-peal photos and other papers that I have stuck down with glue.
After using and loving this product on my scrap-book, I decided that it was worth a shot on other projects as well. Yes, it can safely un-stick stamps, labels, and even gunk. The possibilities are endless! My next project involves a very pretty bottle of liqueur that I would like to remove the label from. I want to leave the label in good condition to use for something, and also have the bottle sticky-free for use for something. No problem for Undo, I’m sure.
I highly recommend for every do-it-yourself-er!
Make Mine Eclectic 