Kristi Heiser Photography

I first stumbled upon this awesome puzzle at Satara, a local baby boutique here in Madison. I quickly fell in love for several different reasons.

1) Everyone love this puzzle. Babies love to chew on the animals. Toddlers love to story tell and use their imaginations with the animals. Older kids love the challenge of putting the puzzle together. Adults love the challenge, too. (It really IS tricky at first!)

2) Eco-Friendly. The rubber wood that it’s made out of is safe for babies and toddlers to put in their mouth. No toxins leeching here.

3) Educational. One side of the puzzle has capital letters, the other side has lower case letters. You can practice all sorts of letter recognition and beginning sounds.

It costs a pretty penny . . .  around $35-$4o. But it makes a great gift, or maybe if you’re kids are good, Santa can bring it.

They also have a HUGE version of this puzzle that is really, really cool. (It runs about double the price.) However, for the reasons above, it just may be something that you can justify purchasing!

There are several other smaller puzzles of the same idea. This little guy is desperately reeeaaaaching for his beloved snail puzzle pieces that have numbers on one side and roman numerals on the other. His 2 year old sister LOVES putting this one together. Check them out and choose the best for you. http://www.beginagaintoys.com

Happy Monday,
Kristi

Wean Green Glass Containers

I’m excited to share these Wean Green Glass Containers with you today! They are so versatile – for babies, toddlers, kids, & adults. They store pureed fruits/veggies for babies, snacks for toddlers, small portion-out sizes for adults, and sauces/salad dressings, too.

I first bought these little square snack cubes for baby food. They held the perfect amount, stacked and stored nicely, and had a small carbon footprint. I’ve slowly been switching over to glass, and these are by far one of my most used glass storage. Plus, they are adorable and colorful. My favorite.

Why Glass?

Glass is a cleaner, safer, healthier, eco-friendlier option as opposed to plastic. What’s really nice is you can microwave it quick without worrying about leeching chemicals into your kids’ food – even if it is only 10 seconds. Don’t get me wrong, I have plastic in my house, but I have been transitioning away from it. Or else using recycled plastic dishes such as the Reuseit brand which recycles milk jugs.

Isn’t it heavy? Won’t it break? Nope and nope. The containers are small so they don’t hold a significant, weighty amount. As for breaking, head to their website and view the Drop-test, Kid-approved video.

They come in all kinds of small sizes: small bowls & tubs, larger squares and bowls for storing leftovers or packing lunches. This must-have definitely transcends all ages and can be used for everything, forever. Leave a comment with your favorite way to use them!

Happy Monday,
Kristi

A Baby Carrier

This post isn’t meant to tell you exactly what type of baby carrier to get. Rather, just the plain ‘ole fact that YOU WILL NEED ONE!

If you managed your first child without one, good for you! Impressive. But with multiple kiddos in tow, a carrier is essential. Sometimes newborns just need to snuggle. Okay, most of the time. And I had no problem camping out on the couch with my first newborn. But with a toddler and a baby . . . things change. You need to be chasing and changing and playing with your toddler. And getting things done around the house from time to time.

Enter, the baby carrier. It’s almost as if you’re tricking your baby into thinking you’re just there snuggling him. Which is great! Baby feels loved and cuddled. Mom is hands free, comforting her baby, AND taking care of business.

Then comes the million dollar question. Which carrier? Which style? Which brand? Everyone and their mom will recommend a different carrier to you. There are TONS out on the market, and everyone swears by the one they have. But honestly? How many carriers has that person tried out, tested, and compared for an extended period of time? Most likely not very many. Myself included.

My job isn’t to tell you what to go out and buy. Each baby carrier has pros and cons. Each body type will wear the carriers differently. Everyone has different hobbies or uses for their carriers. Some want to go hiking with baby in tow, and others want to wear baby around the house to get some laundry done.

My recommendation to YOU is to head to a local store that allows you to try on and test out different carriers. Wraps. Slings. Structured carriers. Here in Madison, WI, Nicki’s Diapers and Happy Bambino are two local stores that have free babywearing classes. You are able to stop in and try on different styles and seek the advice of workers. So incredibly helpful.

Nicki’s Diapers 

In my own experience, I used the Moby Wrap from 0-3 months mostly around the house, and occasionally outdoors. My kids loved to snuggle up all cozy on my chest like they were still in the womb. I didn’t like fussing with the length of the wrap in public, but if I did wear it out, I had to ensure I had it on well before I left the house or drove anywhere.

From 3 months and on, I prefer my structured, buckled Boba Carrier. My kids like it in there, they feel secure, they can see . . . it’s working for us. It redistributes the weight to my hips rather than pulling on my shoulders, which is great. And my husband loves it. BONUS.

Happy Bambino

Leave a comment below sharing which baby carriers worked and didn’t work for you!

Happy Monday!
Kristi