Toddler Essentials 

• Ready to Rise Clock
  • We recently got this Hatch Light for M, who is now old enough to come out of her room when she wakes up — which means she would come into our room and want to crawl in bed regardless of the time.  Since we’ve gotten this light and programmed it to be orange at night and then turn green at 7 am (when we want her to be up), she has stayed in her bedroom (in bed!!) until it turns green. She loves it, and we love it!
• Mattress
  • We loved the moonlight crib mattress we got the kids, so we wanted to stick with what we knew when we moved them to “big kid” twin beds and called them the little dreamer’s deluxe mattress. We both them both this twin mattress, and they are incredible! Like so comfortable, we’ve gotten in the habit of falling asleep reading books to the kids in them at night!
• Bed Bumpers
  • We love these bed bumpers! They are so great because you put them under the mattress cover and stay well put. They are super soft while still being firm enough to prevent the kids from rolling out of bed. I love that they serve their purpose but don’t look as ugly as the bed gates attached to the bed’s side.
• Wagon
  • Buying the Veer Cruiser was such a great decision! The kids think it’s so fun to ride in, and it’s great for carrying a couple of kids or a kid and all the stuff that is always required for an adventure outside the house. I can’t recommend this one enough!
• Jogging Stroller
  • We love our bob double stroller – it’s excellent for family runs to get coffee, get the kids to the playground, or for a walk to the library. It practically moves itself (a lot since around kids are about 70 lbs combined!). My one call out is that it’s enormous, so it’s not very practical for throwing in the back of the car, but it does fit (it just takes up most of the trunk space!)
• Trike
  • The Doona Liki Trike is incredible! Such a great way for your kiddo to start to learn how to use pedals while also having the option to push them (so the walk around the block doesn’t take 100x longer than it should!)
• Toothbrush 
  • The Twelve Kids Toothbrush set comes with a toothbrush every month of the year (12). We got them for the kids as a stocking stuffer, and we’ve been believers ever since. The kids love that they get to pick a new colored toothbrush every month [and it also helps us practice our months with them!]. We love that we stay on top of keeping their toothbrushes fresh and new to ensure they have the best oral health possible, without feeling like I have to remember to keep their toothbrushes in stock — I know they will be there! Speaking of oral hygiene, looking for a toothpaste that your kids will LOVE? This one is a winner in our house.
• Toddler Kitchen Helper Tower
  • My sister got this Montessori Toddler Kitchen Helper Tower 2-in-1 Table for M for her first birthday, and I can’t imagine life without it! From “helping” make dinner every night to the background to making our first batch of cookies together – this “tower” has been incredible. We also love that it converts to a bit of table — which my kids love to play with playdough on, each breakfast at, etc.!

 

Potty Training

• potty training seat
  • We followed Moms on Call’s advice when it came to potty training, and M (our girl) was potty trained at 18 months, and our boy was potty trained at 2 (which I guess is young for boys, but he was ready). I honestly think they LOVED getting to go on the actual potty – like us – with the help of a potty training seat. We credit this training sM&M’sith both of them learning so early (and quickly – although I know the M&M’s helped too!)
• pull-ups
  • these 360 fit pull-up diapers are fantastic! When we trained our kids, we would put their training underwear on first and then these didn’t – so that they felt wet when they went in their underwear, blet’s didn’t create this day stoping embarrassing moment for them (or us, let’s be honest!) and cause us to go through all five pairs of shorts they have in one day. We also used these at night (and naps). They are worth every penny! So comfortable, durable and keep the kids dry.
• Training Underwear
  • Make sure to start with training underwear – we got our kids the Gerber ones on amazon, and they worked great!

 

Favorite Toddler Toys

• Baseball
• go fishing game
• slide
• kinetic sand
• Young Wild Freedman Playdough Kits
• Stomp Rocker Jr
• Water Spray Sprinkler
• Water Table
• Bubble Lawn Mower 
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Manga-Tiles
• Tool Belt
• This classic kaleidoscope will provide endless independent play for your kiddos, all while teaching them the beauty of symmetry with endless mosaic patterns and vibrant colors.
• Puzzles
  • We love the 25 piece puzzles in our house! They are the perfect step up from the learner puzzles without being too challenging. We are particularly obsessed with every mudpuppy puzzle we’ve ever purchased!
• Books
  • Complete list of our favorites, coming soon!