KidsHaus

Car Litter Bags

When I first laid my eyes on these handmade litter bags by Bitsy Blossoms, I was thrilled! Of course there should be a pretty litter bag in my car since it seems that there is always a bottle cap, a cracker, a wrapper or chewing gum that needs to be discarded. I usually stuff it in the cup holder or a temporarily convenient spot until I get home. The patterns are all fabulous and you can buy a roll of biodegradable replacement baggies from Bitsy Blossoms as well, otherwise they fit a standard produce or pet bag. These would make a great gift as well.

Patagonia Great Divider

For some reason, this Patagonia Great Divider bag made such a huge impression on me months ago that I still think about getting one for myself. Mind you, this bag is intended to be used for anglers (fishermen) on a boat so that crucial supplies won't get wet but our friends used it on a day trip to Portland fully stocked with baby's essentials. A bigger and more functional diaper bag of sorts. This bag is completely water-proof! Inside, it has adjustable foam dividers that can be configured to any formation and removable end pockets to keep track of small things. It's perfect for keeping those crucial items neatly organized in the car for those frequent emergencies.

Delta Baby Travel 2in1

Speaking of convertible design, the Delta Baby Travel 2in1 is absolute genius! A diaper/accessory bag that unfolds to reveal a baby bed for traveling?! I'm speechless...

Woobee Blanket

I've been meaning to write about the Woobee all weather blanket for about a month now. It deserves a little limelight! Woobee is a Seattle-based business that was inspired by Heather Correa after the birth of her first daughter.

So, allow me to break this very practical blanket down: one side is made of a unique, velvety-soft material and the other side is made of a durable water-resistant nylon fabric that acts as a protective barrier from the elements (hello, rain!). The other detail that makes these more than just a blanket are the ties that allow you to tie it to your baby carrier, stroller, or car seat. I got to see the Woobee in action while on a trip to Portland with our friends and their newborn on a particularly rainy day. Baby M's momma tied the Woobee to her Baby Bjorn, flipped the blanket over Baby M's tiny head and kept him perfectly protected from the rain -- that was the moment I was sold! Woobee also just introduced the Super Woobee (30”x 36”) that would be ideal for picnics -- no more wet bottoms!

Traveling Triumphs

We just got back from a fantastic holiday in Kauai, Hawaii and were fortunate enough to experience stellar  weather and catch up on lost sleep. Now I've got the energy I need to survive the winter. Speaking of survival and especially since we're entering a major travel season, I thought I would share a few key items that we brought along with us that made traveling with the Mini so much easier...

1. I've got to rave about the Phil & Ted's Me Too chair for a second. Every time I take this chair to a public place, someone will inevitably ask me what it's called. The Me Too folds flat, attaches easily to all of the tables that we've come across so far and it just looks impressive. It makes a great gift too. Love it!
2. The Kiddopotamus TinyDiner is an essential addition with the Me Too chair. It's a rubber mat that suctions to most surfaces and has a gutter to catch dropped food. It came in handy a couple of times in Kauai when we dined at some rather "rustic" tables. It's convenient to have when you're at a restaurant so you don't have to scatter nibbles directly on the table and leave a huge mess. I just throw ours in the dishwasher to give it a good cleaning.
3. While on the subject of the brilliant Phil & Ted company, we bought the t2 Travel Cot before our trip as our "crib" for the Mini. Obviously, it was a gamble since she had never tried anything like it before. The first night I popped her in it for bed time, she mustered up a little fight until I (get this) managed to squeeze myself inside for a few minutes to make her feel like it wasn't a scary place. In retrospect, I should have employed Ms. Bean for this job. Anyhow, after that night, the t2 was our savior! The Mini managed to love her evenings in the t2 and literally had 3 nights where she slept through the night. I'm not sure if that was due to a full day at the beach or the comfy cot but, all I have to say is that I'm thrilled to own it and highly recommend it for travel.
4. Finally, this one goes for Ms. Bean (who is 5) but I consider it highly essential: our DVD player or iPod for the airplane ride. We alternated between a compact DVD player and our iPod to keep Ms. Bean occupied while she was forced to sit still for 5+ hours. The iPod is great to listen to audiobooks downloaded from iTunes. Her current fave is the series of Dr. Seuss narrated stories.
   

If you've got any great travel ideas, please share...