My Favorite Things

So you know how Oprah does her "Favorite Things" episodes every year....I thought I would do a "favorite things" for kids stuff.  This is a list of stuff that I personally have tried, from clothes and shoes, to baby gear .  Some of you may find this useful, some of you may be bored to tears.  I am mostly doing it so that three years from now when we start the process for baby #2 I can reference this list since I am sure by then I will have forgotten everything.  So here are my top ten favorite things.......

1.  Casual Shoe- my all time favorite casual shoe has been the Kenneth Cole Reaction "Too Fly".  Sammy has a narrow foot and these were perfect. They also went well with everything.  http://www.kennethcole.com/scripts/shop/thumbnailsRX.asp?cc=RTBSH

2.  Sandals- I really don't like boy sandals at all, and since I have always been a shoe person it has been hard for me to just buy a generic sandal and be ok with it (FYI- Crocs are great, but too wide for Sammy's foot).  Call it superficial if you will.  So this year I searched high and low for something that satisfied the needs of Sammy's active lifestyle, and satisfied my desire for him to have at least a semi-fashionable foot.  I then fell in love with the "Keen Footwear H2O Sandal" for kids.  They are a wet/dry sandal, they are very flexible, and extremely soft inside.  We got the "camo" color.  

http://www.keenfootwear.com/product_detail.aspx?sku=8212

3.  T-Shirts-  there is nothing worse than spending money on a cute "t" and then having it fade and stretch out after 3 washings.  It is a huge waste of money.  Gap and Old Navy have been two of the worst in that area.  They also make very boxy t-shirts.  I don't know about your kids, but Sammy has a long and narrow torso and it has been a real trick finding shirts that don't swallow him up in the width or exposing his stomach with a slight lift of the arms.  Let me introduce you to Zara!  I don't know if every state has one, but it is a company that originates from Spain.  They have the cutest boutique style shirts and they run anywhere from $6-$11.  The cotton has some spandex in it so it maintains its shape really well.   

http://www.zara-clothing.com/zara-store-locations/

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"Panic In The City"

"UFO Detector"

"Three Dimension"

4.  Diapers- At least for boys, Pampers Flex/Cruisers are the ultimate!  All others including, Luvs and Huggies leaked horribly.  

5.  Diaper Rash Cream- California Baby carries a powder and cream that you use together and I swear the rash is gone in a day if not sooner.  I was shocked!!!!!  It is worth the price to shorten the time your child has to suffer from a raw bottom.

http://www.californiababy.com/calming-diaper-rash-cream-2-9-oz.html

http://www.californiababy.com/calming-non-talc-powder-2-5-oz.html

6.  Stroller- I remain a HUGE advocate of the Graco Metrolite.  The basket space is easily and accessible and roomy.  The stroller is able to be collapsed with one hand.  It has a two cup holders for the parent as well as a cup and snack holder for the child.  AND it is reasonably priced.  I LOVED everything about it.   This is the exact one we have.  Sammy is almost 2 1/2 and still fits in it comfortably.

 http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=7308DEL3&CategoryID=12

7.  Bedroom Furniture- Ok, the price is a little high up front, BUT all the furniture is convertible.  We will not have to buy Sammy bedroom furniture from here on out.  We purchased it in black and really like how it looks.  When you say you bought black baby furniture people tend to look at you strange, but it just goes well with any color, so I can redecorate Sammy's room without have to change the furniture out. 

http://www.babysdream.com/Products/GenerationNext/Default.htm

8.  Bottles/Sippy Cups- For bottles, Dr. Brown's was hands down the best.  Sammy had some acid reflux and the air filtration system on these were great.  Sippy Cups- They ALL LEAK!  It does not matter what the packaging says!  They lie!!!!!!!!!  The ones that leak the least are the Playtex Insulators.  I did notice though that if they do start leaking more than usual, you probably need to replace the plastic valve.  You can buy replacements at Babies r' us.  I have never been able to find them anywhere else.  

9.  Baby Gate-  Seems a little cruel, but there are times when you need to run to the bathroom, or answer the phone and you can't leave your crawling child alone in a room.  This little system worked really well for us, and you can form it to any shape you want.  It is way roomier than a playpen, that's for sure.  Sammy loved it!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266978

10.  Last thing would have to be.........the Radio Flyer "Pathfinder" Wagon.  Sammy has the best time riding around in this thing.   Especially if a friend joins him.  http://radioflyer.com/plastic/plastic_2700.html