10. Plum Organics - Plum Organics is one of the big makers of the organic baby food pouches you see everywhere. Not only are the pouches handy for throwing in the diaper bag, but they are an amazing, mess free, healthy snack for my little guy. Plum Organics also makes several organic baby/toddler snacks. The puffs are our favorite!
9. Boon- I love this brand and yet own so little of it. I think few people are aware of it and therefore they are rarely included in the mass amount of gifts my son receives. The bath toys are probably my favorite. Everything in this brand is unique, fun and cute! Wishlist item: GLO color-changing nightlight with portable glowing balls!
8. Neat Solutions- Neat Solutions has my full loyalty for baby/toddler “on the go” needs. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had people comment on our Table Toppers. Table Toppers are disposable placemats that stick right to the table. Brilliant! Most comments come from parents of grown children. More often than not I hear: “Would you look at that! That is such a great idea. They didn’t have anything like that when my kids were little.” We also use Bibsters disposable bibs. They are fantastic to fold up and leave in the diaper bag.
7. Take and Toss- (by the First Years, TOMY) My son was breastfed and never successfully took a bottle. With my full time work schedule, the stress of simply getting him fed on a daily basis became a daily struggle. After trying every bottle on the market with no success, we decided to move right to a sippy cup. The 7oz basic Take and Toss cups are easy to hold and tip, small enough to get liquid out with even a small tip, and don’t require a lot of effort to get liquid out. These were an amazing solution for us as a first sippy! We also used the Take and Toss spoons almost exclusively. Inexpensive and durable.
6. Melissa and Doug- I have seven nieces and nephews and thought I was pretty up on the toy scene, but Melissa and Doug was a new one for me. They have an amazing variety of toys from birth on up. I think their sweet spot is the creative and unique toys for toddlers. Chunky puzzles with easy to grasp pieces- and made of wood! Their items are so diverse, unique and cute, I couldn’t begin to do them justice. We have several M&D items on our wishlist. Next up on age appropriateness for my son: Water Wow Coloring Book. You use water to expose the color- let it dry and do it all over again!
5. Episencial- I have rather sensitive skin and like to use the more natural products for my son. Made with natural ingredients, many organic, with sustainable practices manufacturing processes. They make bath wash, lotion, sunscreen, bug shield and more. When you compare ingredients, it’s a no-brainer to put this on your baby instead of the mainstream big brands.
4. BabyGanics- BabyGanics is another great company focused on more natural alternatives to the items that touch your baby. However, they don’t stop at skin care. They have a product offering that also includes diapers, wipes, hand soap, oral hygiene, dish soap, household cleaners, laundry detergent and more!
3. IKEA- Ok, so I had heard of IKEA and probably even knew they had a kid section, but I had no idea how much I would love it! There’s the adorable furniture, that’s a given. But much to my surprise, their plates, bowls and cups are, dollar for dollar, the best out there. Durable, dishwasher safe, practical- they are our toddler tableware of choice. Then there’s the linens, playroom rugs, tents and tunnels, oh and TOYS!
2. Green Toys- Green Toys are made from 100% recycled plastic. These toys are brilliant in their simplicity. No batteries, no plug ins. These are the basic type of toys kids from every generation love. Plastic keys, shape sorter, stacking toy, race car, dump truck, tractor, and many more. They are excellent quality and hold up to the throws and slobber of this toddler. I love to see my kiddo zooming his race car around the living room. These make great gifts!!
1. Citrus Lane - Citrus Lane gets the #1 spot on this top 10 for one simple reason: I wouldn’t know about most of the brands above if it weren’t for Citrus Lane. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription for babies and toddlers. Each month, you are sent a box of 4-5 items tailored to your child’s age. Not only is the surprise a lot of fun, but the products are amazing. If you’re interested in sampling products like the ones listed above, I highly recommend Citrus Lane. You’ll get products like these and more (I could have easily made this a top 20). If you’d like to try it out, click here to sign up and save $10 off your first box.
Disclaimer: This post contains a referral link for Citrus Lane. No free product or compensation of any kind was given by any of the above companies.
Disclaimer: This post contains a referral link for Citrus Lane. No free product or compensation of any kind was given by any of the above companies.
