Baby Registry Favorites | Feeding

Over the past several months, I have had multiple soon-to-be-mom friends ask me what my go-to baby registry items are.  While you'll never catch me trying to claim that I am an expert on things when it comes to babies, I am about to become a mom to 3, so I have, what I like to think, is a little experience, and felt that this would be a great opportunity to share all of the things that have worked for us, and talk about the products that WE love.

This post will kick off a series of posts, where I break down MY Baby Registry Favorites.  I decided the best way to do this was to separate everything into categories, so that I didn't overwhelm anyone too much, because let's be honest, becoming a parent is overwhelming enough.  I'm hopeful that I can get a post (or 2) published per week, and I will link them all under the "mamas + littles" page at the top of this blog, so they will be easy to access.

With all of that said, there are a few important "words of wisdom" that I want to share... In terms of registering, I always felt guilty registering for big ticket items.  Some stuff that we really wanted was on the pricey side, and I feared that adding these types of items to our registry would give people the wrong idea... I want to tell you... DON'T THINK THIS WAY!  Here's why... many stores offer a percentage off items that weren't purchased off of your registry, and a lot of people will gift you with gift cards.  If there is something that you really want for your baby, then go right ahead and add it to that registry.  If people don't pool together and buy it for you, at least you can purchase it at a discounted price in the end!

Secondly, baby items are like technology items.  There is constantly newer/cooler/better stuff making its way on to the market.  So, I fully disclaim, that some of the items I will be linking in this series are items that we have upgraded to before baby number 2, or while we await baby number 3's arrival.  It's just the way of the world.

Okay, let's get down to our favorites in terms of feeding....

Comotomo bottles-  Neither of my children so far have been big on the bottle.  They have loved to nurse straight from the breast, and when I say we have tested almost every bottle on the market, with the hopes that someone else might be able to occasionally feed them, it is not an understatement.  These bottles, that come in both pink and green, closely resemble the real thing (when it comes to the boob), and if we have had any luck with a bottle in the past, this is the one that worked!

Re-play Recycled No-spill Cups- These cups are obviously for when your baby is a little older, but I swear by them.  They really and truly don't spill!  Plus they come in a ton of fun colors, and they're made from recycled milk jugs!  You can read more about them here.

Boon Drying Rack-  I love this thing.  Not only does it look cool, it comes with some super cute accessories to dry all of the pieces of your babe's bottles/cups, and it's great for air drying pump parts too.

Re-play Recycled Plates-  Just like their sippy cups, these are super durable, and come in every color of the rainbow.  As mentioned above, you can read my review of these products here.

Aden and Anais Burp Cloths-  These are a favorite for a number of reasons.  They come in some great prints, they're super soft, they're lightweight, and they work as both a bib that snaps in the back or as a traditional burp cloth that you drape over your shoulder.

Zoe Organics Nipple Cream-  I'm going to be honest... if you've never nursed before, the first few weeks can be tough.  New babies like to nurse... A LOT... at least mine did.  You are going to want something to soothe your girls, and this stuff is awesome.  It's 100% organic, so it's great for you and safe for your babe.

Medela Quick Clean Steam Bags-  I can't say enough about how great these sterilizing bags are and how easy they make it to clean all of the parts of your breast pump.  Bonus points for the fact that you get a few uses out of each bag.

Medela Pump and Save Bags-  If you plan on going back to work, or giving your baby bottles of pumped milk, you're going to need a way to store your supply.  These bags are compatible with the pump that I use and love, and they're great for storing milk to freeze.

Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads-  After your little one arrives, your milk supply will likely be all over the place for awhile.  Trust me when I say that I know from experience, that you do not want to be caught in public without wearing these!!!  Some people prefer reusable nursing pads, but I already have a ton of laundry to do, so these have always worked great for me!

Medela Pump In Style-  As a stay at home mom, I haven't had to use a pump a ton, but when I do pump, this is the one I use.  I love that it comes in a discrete black bag, and for me it has always worked really well.  I highly recommend checking to see if your health insurance covers the cost of a pump, mine did, and it obviously saved us a ton.

Stay tuned for my next Baby Registry Favorites post, that will feature all of my favorites when it comes to hygiene.

Num Num Dips Review | Baby Food Recipe

{photo via}

As a mother of 2 kids under the age of two and a half, I can certainly attest to the fact that there is no shortage of mini eating utensils in our household.  As a matter of fact, I'm embarrassed to admit it, but at any given moment, you could open one of our cabinet doors and be nailed by an avalanche of sippy cups and plastic forks.  You name the item, and you can bet we have bought it or tried it.

Still, when I saw NumNum Dips show up on my Instagram feed one day, I was intrigued.  It was such a unique looking utensil and the concept behind how it works was so innovative, that I was dying to try them out with Ella. 

How they work

The NumNum Dips come as a set of 2.  One has a channeled head for when your babe first starts eating pureed solids.  This channeled head holds on to the food, and since there is no wrong side, or way to hold the dip, your little one can easily maneuver it toward their mouth with little assistance at first, and eventually completely on their own.  

The other spoon has a dimpled head that is better for holding purees of a thinner consistency.  

Due to the way that Dips are designed, they work with a baby's developing motor skills, unlike traditional baby spoons that can require more coordination to get the food from the spoon into your baby's mouth... usually resulting in a huge mess!

 The lovely people at NumNum were kind enough to send Ella and I a set to test out and review for you guys.

Our Experience with NumNum Dips

To say that Ella loved NumNum Dips would be an understatement for sure.  We began using them right around the time she first started eating solid baby foods (around 5 months), and I was literally amazed at how quickly she was able to grasp the idea of feeding herself with the dips.  With a little assistance at first, she easily transferred the Dip to her mouth.  As time went by, she even began feeding herself with the Dips... as in I would literally put the food on the Dip, hand it to her, and watch in awe as she effortlessly transferred the spoon to her mouth without dropping gobs of pureed sweet potato everywhere.

To be sure this wasn't some sort of fluke, and that Ella wasn't some type of baby prodigy, I attempted the same the thing with one of our other traditional shaped baby spoons... rest assured, the end result was not quite as encouraging.

So... for us, NumNums have been a huge win!  Not only has Ella taken to eating with them like a professional, but they have also come in handy as a teether for her sensitive gums.  Quite often when we are in the kitchen together, I allow her to hold and gnaw on one while she sits in her highchair, and the soft texture of the Dip seems to help soothe some of the pain associated with teething... in my opinion another win!

In Conclusion

In conclusion to this review, I think it goes without saying that we are obviously converted and have become huge fans of NumNum Dips.  I would highly recommend Dips to other parents, and even plan to purchase them in the future... both for our own use, and also as gifts for friends.

I am thrilled that we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with NumNum Inc and test out their product.  Overall, it was a pretty eye opening experience in the world of baby feeding, and I actually learned a lot from it.

Thank you NumNum Inc for the opportunity!

In addition to this review, I thought it was only appropriate that I share our super easy, go-to recipe for homemade baby food.

Apples and Butternut Squash Baby Food Recipe
***Please note, I did not include specific measurements, because you can make this in batches of the size of your choosing to freeze and store.  There really is no exact science to it. For this batch, I used 1 Fuji apple, about a cup of diced butternut squash, a couple of pinches of cinnamon, and reserved liquid to reach the desired consistency.

Ingredients:

Apples (I like to use Fuji, Macintosh, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady, but any variety will do)

Butternut Squash

Cinnamon
Reserved Liquid from Steaming

Directions:
Core and chop apple.  I like to leave the skin on for the nutrients, but you can certainly peel it.  Peel and dice butternut squash (if using fresh. For this batch I used frozen organic butternut squash).  Place apple and squash into a steaming basket over a pot of water.  I used our Beaba, which I received as a baby shower gift when I had Max, but this is not a necessity. Boil and steam until both the apple and the squash are tender when poked with a fork.  Transfer the contents of the steamer basket into either a food processor or a large bowl (if you have an immersion blender or hand masher).  Add a pinch or 2 of cinnamon.  Puree food, adding reserved liquid until the desired consistency is achieved for your baby.
This recipe can be stored in tupperware and eaten within a few days, or it can be portioned into an ice cube tray and frozen so that it will last a few months.

I hope you enjoyed our review of NumNum Dips and this recipe!
-J