Activity Cubes For The Win!

Over the course of my fledgling motherhood, I've discovered a few trade secrets:

1. You can never have too many wipe containers around.
2. Always have two extra outfits, no matter what your age (kids and parents included).
3. Never underestimate the power of a well-made age-appropriate toy.

Kiddo is turning 1 in a few days. Christian and I decided to give him an activity cube. They aren't cheap. I researched the cheap little ones and the stupid ginormous ones. In the end, I found a cube that was well made and wouldn't break the bank - the B Zany Zoo cube.

I liked what I read about the cube online, and discovered Target carries them. So I went in person to inspect the thing. It has the same activities as many more expensive cubes. It used nice vibrant paints, and had interesting shapes, all in a zoo theme. It's a perfectly gender neutral toy.

I put it in the cart and Kiddo turned around and stood up, reaching over the seat back to play with the beads and wood animals. He did this the entire route through the store and out into the parking lot.

Seeing as Kiddo has no idea when his birthday is, we gave him the toy the same day. He played with it for an hour straight. The next day he played with it for 40 minutes straight. The good thing is, even though he loves playing with it, there are things he still can't do on several surfaces. There are things he doesn't understand and there are teaching moments with Mommy or Daddy. I can see this being a well-loved toy, especially when Mom or Dad need Kiddo to play independently.

10 Surprisingly Lifesaving Baby Products

There are some things you buy and never expect to use them as much as you do. Other things are gifts and end up being surprising lifesavers. Because I feel this is such an important and surprising list, I have to share it.

Oh for the calm inducing bear pillow!

1. The bear pillow - My grandmother gave one to Kiddo and while cute, I wasn't sure how often it would get used. This thing is one of the ONLY places Kiddo will nap without someone holding him. He also LOVES IT. He likes playing with it. He likes crawling over it. He likes playing with its tags. Seems random and strange, but a really great buy/gift!
2. Prefolds - Okay. If you cloth diaper then you know you'll use these things for your baby's butt, but I didn't know how many other ways I would use them! I use them for burp cloths. I use them to play peek-a-boo. I use them to clean up messes. Kiddo likes to play with them. They truly are a multi-purpose cloth!
3. Spoons - Yes they are fantastic at getting food from point A to Kiddo's mouth, but did you know they're teethers too? And drumsticks? And magic waving wands? Yes. Yes they are.
4. Natursutten pacis - Because these are just rubber, babies can chew on any part of them (and do). They are a teether, and a toy, AND a paci. Amazing!
5. Sophie the Giraffe - I opened this toy and honestly thought I was looking at an expensive French dog toy. But seriously, babies are like dogs. Kiddo loves that thing. From a very young age through now, he's found different ways to manipulate it and has loved it the whole time. So worth the money.
6. Tethers - I didn't realize how easy it is to lose baby stuff. It's got to be tied down. I have 4 of these things and most often people use them for pacis, but they are so much more! I use them on rattles and teethers. The best one? Booginhead. Hands down.
7. Coconut oil - It's a moisturizer! It's butt lotion! It's cloth safe! It smells like COOKIES! We tried all kinds of lotions and creams on Kiddo's eczema and dry skin, but this stuff has worked the best. It's antibacterial and antifungal. If we wanted to, we could cook with it. It can even be used as nipple cream! Because of its many uses, it really can't be beat for the cost.
8. Ball - I know. It's simple. It's a no brainer - but the thing is, your kid NEEDS a ball! I figured Kiddo would play with one, but his squishy rattle ball has been one of his favorite toys since he was 2 months old. He bites it. He shakes it. He chases it around the floor. It won't be long before he'll roll, throw, and catch it. So cheap...but sooo awesome!
9. Rubber duckie - This seriously surprised me. I had no idea Kiddo would love his duckie so much but he does. It is no longer just a bath toy. It is a teether. It is an all the time toy. He will race across the room to get to this thing. Seriously. Rubber duckie is the one.
10. Toothbrush - Every baby needs a toothbrush, but I didn't think Kiddo would love brushing his teeth so much. He really does. And the fun handle doubles as a teether/drumstick (sensing any trends here?). Everyone buys one anyway, but the caterpillar shaped handle makes a difference.

What were your surprisingly lifesaving baby products? Share them below!