Things that are Awesome: Young Toddler Edition

(This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.)

We are definitely in the "young toddler" phase right now.  Everything has to be done "Self!" but she is very clingy and wants me to watch her do everything and pick her up pretty frequently.  She is fascinated by lights and music and textures, but her attention span is still pretty short unless I'm right there with her to keep her engaged.  She asks for something and then immediately bursts into tears when I hand it to her.

It's crazy times.

Here are some products that are on the awesome list right now at my house.  They keep her attention, they encourage learning, or she just loves them.  I included affiliate links, but I am not otherwise compensated for these recommendations.  These are just things that I use and love.

Butterflies Dolls

Cricket's Grandma introduced me to these dolls, and they are awesome.  They are made in the spirit of an old timey rag doll, so they are soft.  No plastic faces to bang your kids in the head.  They have soft yarn hair and sweet clothes that you can take off (but they don't come off easily, so you don't have a mysteriously naked doll lying around.)

I love these dolls.  They are everything a doll should be, and nothing it shouldn't.  They don't talk, laugh, poop, walk, feed themselves, or do calculus.  They don't have an online "avatar" you can use play games with.  They aren't a hundred bucks a piece, like some other dolls.  They're not overly sexualized and they don't have unrealistic body types.  They are just a sweet, soft, cuddly doll.

Cricket loves them, too.  We have two of them, and she absolutely has to take one with her wherever we go.

The downside is, the only place you can buy these is at Cracker Barrel, so I don't have a link to give you, other that that press release.  Still, it's totally worth a drive to your local Cracker Barrel to pick one up.  Shoot, get two!  At $20 a piece, they're a steal!

Poke a Dot Book

This is such a cool book!  It's a big board book, and it has these plastic bubbles in the pages, and when you poke them, the turn inside out and make a "pop" sound!  Then you turn the page and poke it again to make it pop back! Basically, it's like a book that contains reusable bubble wrap.

Yeah.  Mind blowing.

Cricket things this is the most fun thing since they invented the swing.  Best of all, it's a counting book, using the song about the monkeys jumping on the bed, so we pop the buttons and practice our counting at the same time!

There are apparently a couple of other books in this series, so I'm putting those on the wishlist for sure.

Plan Toys

    

Cricket's Aunt Mallary got her these two, and I don't know who loves them more, me or her.  First of all, they are the most well-made toys ever.  They are made with no chemicals, and they use organic wood, soy-based inks, non-toxic glues, and a whole bunch of other awesome kid-friendly stuff.  The company uses sustainable manufacturing practices, which makes moms happy, too.

But the best part is the toys themselves.  They are fun and open-ended, and they are so dang cute, you'll want to play with them, too!  The flower toy has a little seed you plant in the pot, and little tiny garden sheers!  The veggies have Velcro to hold the two sides together so you can "cut" them with the little wooden knife!  Precious!

These are toys that grow with kids, and as an educator, I see lots of potential in them for learning as she gets older.

Melissa and Doug Puzzles

These might be the most-used items in Cricket's room, especially the alphabet puzzle.  They are bright colors, and the pieces have pegs, so they are easy for tiny hands to hold onto.  They have pictures underneath the pieces, too, for bonus teaching and fun!  I get so excited watching Cricket do these puzzles, knowing she is learning vocabulary, beginning literacy awareness, and practicing spacial skills all at the same time!  And she just thinks she is having a blast!

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Tea Set

Cricket's Gigi got this for her recently, and she just ADORES it.  I don't usually go in for super girly, overly pink things, so I wouldn't necessarily have picked it out for her, but it's great.  It has three settings, one of which helps teach kids to say please and thank you, which is a kind of unique thing for a toy.  I mean, lots of toys teach ABC's or like, colors, but manners?  That's cool.  Another setting plays music, but Cricket's favorite setting is the one that just makes the sounds of pouring water when she tips it over.  It's cute.

The set also comes with a plate and some little cookies that teach shape recognition and sorting, as an added bonus.

Fisher Price Nativity

You guys, I have been waiting and waiting to get this!  I saw it last Christmas but decided to hold off on it until Cricket was a little older, but now I got it!  It's just awesome.  It's a ton of figures, and they really thought of all the details.  And the star lights up and plays, "Away in a Manger."

I will say though, the link above doesn't have the full set.  As far as I know, you can only get the full set, with the shepherds and everything, at Walmart.  Last year they were in the stores, but this year I had to order mine online.  Otherwise, you have to order the basic set and then order the shepherds separately, which is crazy expensive.  Why would they not just put that all together?

But still, it's awesome.  My sister and I played with our (porcelain) nativity set every year when we were kids, and if we'd had one that was specifically built for us, it would have been our favorite toy.

Mr. (and Mrs.) Potato Head

Cricket's Aunt and Uncle introduced her to this classic when we were in Portland.  She studied it carefully and figured out how to put the pieces in the holes on her own, which she was very proud of.  She loves putting the pieces in and out of the little trap door, too.  There are tons of sets, in basically any theme you can imagine, so you are sure to find something that will make you smile as well.  (Darth Tater, anyone?)

So those are the most popular toys in our world right now.  If you have a toddler, or friends or family with a toddler, any of these would make great Christmas gifts!  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some playing to do...

For more awesome gift ideas for young children, check out these other posts:

Awesome Music for Babies and Toddlers

Awesome Books for Babies and Toddlers

Things that are Awesome:  Summer Baby Edition

Ten Awesome Main Dishes from Pinterest

Before I get started, I just wanted to remind y'all that you can subscribe to my posts so you won't miss any!  There's a box on the right sidebar where you can put in your email address.  I don't even know how to spam, so that's not gonna happen.  It will just email you when I post something.  Thanks!  Ok, back to the post...

I get a lot of my new recipes from Pinterest.  In fact, I have a recipe card book that is pretty much completely full of just recipes I've printed off and glued on index cards.  I love trying new dishes, and usually, they're pretty good.  Every now and then I get one that makes me feel badly for inflicting it on my family, but usually, they're great.

These ten, though, are beyond great.  These are the ones that make me say, "Wow!" when I take the first bite, and they are the ones that I make over and over again.  Most of them are also pretty healthy, and can be easily tweaked for a real food lifestyle.

Sadly, because I do not have an iPhone or an Instagram account, I do not have pictures of any of these foods.  The sites they came from have great pictures, though, so I've used those, because this post looked really boring without pics.  They are not my pictures!  I take no credit for them!  The source is in the title of each recipe.

The links to the pins are in the titles, so get busy pinning and eating!

Lasagna Soup



This was one of the first recipes I made from Pinterest, and it kind of made me think that Pinterest was magical.  Seriously, I cannot believe that so much flavor can exist in one bowl of soup.  You should make this as soon as humanly possible.

I usually use leftover lasagna noodles that I break into pieces, just because it looks better.  I also use ground turkey instead of sausage because Brian can't eat pork, and I use paprika instead of red pepper flakes because I never have them.  Oh, and I use my own chicken stock.

Stuffed Pesto Shells



This one is awesome, and a good way to use up some leftover chicken or pasta sauce.  The original recipe doesn't call for it, but I have found that it tastes way better if you pour some spaghetti sauce over the shells before you bake them.  It cuts the richness of the cream cheese very well.  Plus, you don't need as much cream cheese as it calls for.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup



I love soup, as you may notice by how many soup recipes I've included.  This soup is just amazing.  It has a strong umami flavor that just jumps out at you.  I used homemade chicken stock and whole milk, and I just used whatever mushrooms I could find at Aldi.  My only complaint is that there is never enough of it.

Cheeseburger Soup



Unlike what the name would suggest, this is actually a very healthy soup.  I use Monterrey Jack cheese instead of Velveeta, and it's delicious!  I also used one pound of ground turkey instead of ground beef, whole wheat flour, and homemade chicken stock.  There are like four veggies in there, and it's hearty, so it fills you up.  Cricket especially loves this one, and what better seal of approval does a food need than that of a toddler?

Apple Cranberry Turkey Meatballs



The recipe says to make these in the crock pot, but I never do.  I just cook them in the oven at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  I also usually use sweetened cranberries because they're easier to find, and it's delicious.  They don't need any sauce or gravy or anything.  We finally forced ourselves to put some away before we sat there and ate the whole batch in one sitting!

Alice Spring's Chicken



I used turkey bacon instead of real bacon, but let's be honest.  Even with that change, there is really nothing healthy about this recipe.  It sure is good, though!  Even Brian, who hates honey mustard, loves this one.  It's a knock-off of a recipe from Outback Steakhouse.

Homestyle Chicken and Noodles



I never can find the frozen noodles that this recipe calls for, so I just use egg noodles and cook them before I make this.  I also use chicken breasts instead of legs because it's what I have.  It's really good though, and feeds a bunch of people!

Baked Quinoa Broccoli Casserole



You can't go wrong with quinoa, although it is kind of a pain to cook.  Worth it though.  I make my own cream soup from scratch to save money and save having to eat all those preservatives from the canned stuff.  I don't use Splenda or any of the "reduced fat" options the recipe suggests.

Cheesy Mac and Cheese



This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.  It's delicious, and the recipe makes quite a lot, so there are plenty of leftovers.  I use a combination of cheddar (white cheddar if I have it), Monterrey Jack cheese, and Swiss cheese instead of Velveeta, and I sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.  I use my own bread crumbs and whole wheat flour, too.  Oh, and I use chicken stock instead of white wine.

Creamy Chicken Pockets



I think this is my mom's favorite thing that I've ever cooked.  It's not hard, and it really is delicious, although it's not really healthy.  I usually use rotisserie chicken that I have in the freezer and homemade bread crumbs.


You can find all of these on my Mission Accomplished Pinterest board, where I pin all the recipes and ideas that I've tried, and I usually comment on how they turned out.  Happy eating!

Things that are Awesome: Mommy Edition

Here's a roundup of some awesome items that have made parenthood much easier, or at least, more doable.

(Note:  I am an Amazon affiliate, so I have included links to the products.  I do receive a small percentage of the sale if you buy through the links, but I am not otherwise endorsed for promoting these products.  I just think they are cool.  I have personally used them and found them extremely helpful.)

Fisher Price's Rock 'n Play

This may be the best thing I own when it comes to babies.  This thing is amazing.  You can easily carry it from room to room, even with the baby in it.  It is slightly elevated, so babies can see out, plus, when they are sick, they can sleep without choking.  It rocks a little, which Cricket loves, and it even comes with a toy. Plus it comes in cute colors.  We used this every single day when Cricket was first born, and even now that she is over a year old, she still sleeps in it when she's sick.   It's like magic.

And yes, I know about the recall.  Ours didn't have any mold on it, and even if it did, I would trade it in for a new one.  That's how much I love this thing.

Baby Bullet and Steamer

(I didn't have a picture of mine, so this is from http://yardable.com/Listings/Details/286)

These little guys are awesome.  I made Cricket's baby food before she was old enough to eat table food, and these made it easy.  They come with super helpful books on how to steam, puree, and store baby food, along with a set of storage capsule-looking jars.  Plus, they're super cute, 'cause they have smileys on them.  I still use them now when I need to puree something small that isn't worth getting out the food processor, and the steamer is like magic for defrosting frozen baby food cubes, making hard boiled eggs, steaming veggies, and even sterilizing stuff!

Flip Diaper Covers

We use cloth diapers, which might be a post for another day, but anyway, I tried several other brands before I found Flips, and I love them.  They rarely, rarely leak, unlike every other brand I tried, and they are one size, so you don't have to keep buying more as she gets bigger.  They are cute, sturdy, and well-made.  They are cheaper than a  lot of diapers, and since they are covers, you don't have to buy as many, again saving money.

Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller

Seriously, there is nothing this stroller can't do.  Well, almost nothing.  It is a three-wheel, so it is really easy to steer, even with one hand while pushing a door open with another.  It's all-terrain, so I can go on unpaved walking trails, off road at the Renaissance Faire, or on a normal sidewalk.  It has a three piece hood with two windows, so it's very adjustable according to how much visibility vs. sun shade she needs.  It has a basket in the bottom AND a pocket on the back.  It has a rain hood, air vents, and a foot rest!  It lays down, sits up and everything in between.  Oh, and my favorite part:  it folds up with the pull of one strap.  No kidding.  I can completely fold it up and load it in the trunk while holding Cricket in my other arm.  It is amazing.

Graco Snugride Car Seat

This is a great car seat, and I highly recommend it.  It's easy to get it in and out of the base, and it's so nice to have the removable seat so you don't have to carry a floppy baby down the stairs to the garage or wake her up to get her out of the car.  It also snaps directly into the stroller frame, which you buy separately and is totally worth it.  That's all we used for the first six or nine months, because it was so easy to just keep her in her car seat, and the frame is much lighter than most strollers.

Jellystone Teething Necklace

(Also another good picture of the stroller.)

This necklace is solid silicone, so it is chewy for babies, and since babies chew on your jewelry anyway, it's nice to have something that is safe for them.  It comes in a lot of colors, but I got black because I figured it would go with the most stuff.  I love it!  It is very versatile, and looks surprisingly good!  I've worn it to the park, to church, and to parties.  Since it's pretty much the only jewelry I wear, it is nice to have something that makes me feel dressed up at least a little, and Cricket loves it, too!  She always goes for it when I pick her up.  Also works as a great distraction during nursing, changing, or whenever else you need a toy within reach!

So those are some of my favorites, plus the items in the picture at the beginning:

Fisher Price Rainforest Healthy Care Booster Seat (longest name ever);

Infantino Baby Carrier (and also my Ergo Carrier, not pictured);

 Kelty Baby Carrier Backpack;

 Bumbo;

 Boppy,

 Fisher Price Rainforest Jumparoo.

 I've got tons more, but this is already long.  What about you?  Any favorites for kids (or their parents)?

Wordless Weekend: Animal Edition

Here is your Wordless Weekend list of "Things that are Awesome:  Animals Around my House Edition."

Frog on the window of our front door.

Bunnies in the backyard.

Red-Tailed Hawk on our back fence.

Blue-tailed skink on our steps.

Misc. backyard birds on our patio.

I love living in the country!

Wordless Weekend: Awesome Library Book

P.S. Check out who wrote the forward!

I Pretty Much Have to Have This

Michelle Glenn found this for me on Etsy here.  I am pretty much obsessed with it now.

This is Awesome

Thanks to Michelle Glenn for finding this.  I think if I can do everything on here, I will achieve awesome for sure. 

Original art by Laura Winslow Photography.  You can download it free at her site!