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Preschool Back-to-School Essentials

Can you believe it? Jadyn is heading off to preschool on Wednesday! My little baby isn’t much of a baby anymore. She’s a full-blown toddler with her own amazing personality. She absolutely loves being around other kids her age, so I’d be doing her a huge disservice by not enrolling her in preschool until next year.

As you all know I work for Red Tricycle full-time, which means I’m “in-the-know” for a lot back to school tips, tricks, ideas, traditions and more. That means I’ve taken all those great resources for back to school and modified them for a preschooler. While Jadyn will be going three days a week for half days, there are still things she needs. Here’s my list of back-to-school essentials.

Personalized Cup

This is a must. If you read my blog, I’m sure you also follow Tara Henderson on YouTube or Instagram, so when she posted these glitterific tumblers for her girls, I had to dig deeper and see who made them. Barbwire & Lace by B&C Creations on Etsy did! I placed an order for Jadyn’s tumbler (and let’s face it, my own, too) and the result is perfect. I mean, how can you not love this mommy & me combo! You can also check out my latest “Reviews” highlights on Instagram to see the unboxing. The lighting doesn’t do it justice!

Barbwire & Lace was kind enough to give my Made To Mommy readers a discount code! Use code LEIGH10 at checkout to save 10% on your order!

Bento Lunchbox

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

This is an absolute essential, especially if your toddler hates having food touch. Jadyn isn’t that picky, but still. The compartments of a bento lunchbox makes things easy. We opted for the Yumbox Original Leakproof Bento Lunchbox for Kids in Hollywood Pink. I love how each section is labeled with a food group to help moms and dads pack the right stuff for lunch.

New Backpack

Let’s be real here; Jadyn won’t be bringing any homework home these first few years of preschool, but she does need something to carry her lunchbox in! Pottery Barn Kids was my go-to site for this. Their backpack selection is on point and so are the colors they have available. We opted for the Mackenzie Aqua Lavender Pretty Butterflies backpack in the size mini. Jadyn is absolutely obsessed with butterflies and it’s clear that her favorite color is purple since everything is “puh-ple.” Pottery Barn Kids has the option of customizing the backpack, but since she’s little and is growing so fast I opted not to customize this one. Maybe I will when she’s in kindergarten and I get one that’ll last her through first or second grade. We’ve got some time.

New Outfit

photo courtesy of Carters.com

This is a given for any age: a back-to-school outfit! Jadyn has tons of clothes, but I’ll likely be sending her off in this outfit from Carter’s. Who doesn’t love a “caticorn” and comfy leggings for playtime?

Felt Letter Board

While I love these for quotes, I’ve been seeing a lot of moms and dads documenting first days of school on a felt letter board. I found this one on Amazon for fairly cheap as you have black and white letters with some script and emojis, too. While Jadyn doesn’t start till Wednesday, I still prepped the board for pictures. One less thing I have to do, right?

Do you have a toddler in preschool? I’d love to know how you prepped for back to school! Let me know in the comments below.

Jadyn’s 1st Birthday

Jadyn officially turned 1 on January 2nd, but her birthday party was on the 6th. I took the day off work on her birthday and we spent the day out and about, just girls, and enjoyed some one-on-one time.

So much for “Planning Jadyn’s 1st Birthday: Part Two,” right? I got way too into planning the party and basically had zero time to sit down and write a part two blog post, but I am going to do a recap for you here.

In terms of decor, Amazon and Etsy were my go-tos for pretty much all decor. We ordered blush pink, white and gold (with confetti) balloons that we filled with air and decorated the living room with, as well as white, pink and gold pompoms. Those are still hanging where they were during the party as I want to put them in Jadyn’s bedroom, but not sure where yet.

Etsy was my go to for a lot of custom stuff. As you saw in Part One of the post, the main “attraction” for the party was the time capsule. That was a huge hit. Everyone who attended the party wrote a note for Jadyn to read when she turns 18. I’ll also be placing my yearly notes in there for her to read when she turns 18, as well. I purchased a first birthday chalkboard sign from ChalkType on Etsy. The designer was phenomenal to work with! She made a couple revisions and then I was able to print it out at home on card-stock and had it displayed during the party.

I also purchased Jadyn’s first birthday outfit on Etsy from Ritz & Glitz Boutique. After some serious delivery delay issues and miscommunication, her outfit finally arrived and it was beautiful! The tutu was a little on the tight side for an 18-month sized outfit, but Jadyn still looked adorable as ever (as you’ll see in the gallery below).

Jadyn’s smash cake was absolutely amazing. My best friend Eliana (who I’ve known since I was two, and who was there for Jadyn’s birth) made the cake. It was a stunning blush pink and white rose cake with gold glitter (and it was delicious, too!). I really think she should start a side biz of baking, but, you know, just my thoughts. 😉 We tried to get Jadyn to sit in her high chair (which I DIY’d a tutu to decorate it with), but as you can see from some of the photos, she was not having it.

Another thing that was really fun at the party was placing five different objects in front of Jadyn and see which one she picks. We placed a book, a pen, money, cell phone and headphones. She went for the pen first, money second! This little game is supposed to predict where Jadyn will go in life and what career she may pursue. My nail tech gave me the idea. 🙂 Looks like Jadyn will either take after daddy and be artistic, or will take after mommy and be a writer.

All in all, Jadyn’s first birthday was definitely one to remember. Thank you to our friends and family that braved the storm to help celebrate this little girl’s first trip around the sun. Check out the gallery below for some great shots from the party.

Happy birthday, my dear girl! We love you!

Time capsule station
Close-up of the time capsule station. I decorated the box myself
The party favors
The time capsule box & chalk sign
High chair tutu
Daddy & his girl
Mommy & her mini-me
Close up
The outfit!
The tutu
The cake!
Eliana & Jadyn
The trio
The trio strikes again
Jadyn and her BFF Isla
Cake with topper
Okay, maybe she’ll try it
She barely touched it
So, so delicate with the cake
Not having it
Yummy
It was delish
She chose the pen
Her first pair of “babyaitors”
Her favorite gift

How Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Helps Me Save Hundreds

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

I wish I would have done this sooner. And by “this” I mean signing up for Amazon’s Subscribe & Save. I wish I would have done that while I was still pregnant so I could have a stockpile of necessities.

As a new mom–and now 8 months into this whole “mom” thing–Amazon’s Subscribe & Save has been a lifesaver for me. What is Amazon Subscribe & Save? Well, it’s a subscription service and the more you subscribe to, the bigger the discount. As long as you have 5 items arriving to your house every month, you’ll receive up to 15% off your products. If I’d go to Safeway or Target to get these things, guaranteed they’d be more expensive. Doing this has allowed me to save hundreds of dollars.

Here’s what I subscribe to:

Pampers Diapers. This has been a huge help! Not having to frantically run out to buy diapers is a plus as a new mom.
Dreft Laundry Detergent. Because babies have lots of laundry.
Happy Family Stage Two Formula. Jadyn’s main source of food is still formula, so this is a perk having it automatically delivered.
Water Wipes. Because babies poop and you can never have too many wipes.
Dreft All Purpose Wipes. I love these because you can use them on toys and on the highchair tray!

Now, I don’t get all of these every month. Every three months I’ll save 15%-20% per product, but every month is usually 5% per product. Still a killer deal! The main benefit is not having to remember to order these essentials and saving tons of money by just clicking a button.

Having them magically appear on my doorstep is also wonderful.

Do you use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save? I’d love to know what you order! Leave a comment below.

Prime Book Box for Kids

There is absolutely nothing I love more than sitting down with Jadyn and reading her a book–or four. Reading calms Jadyn down, so nowadays I find myself reading to her more often since she’s teething (poor thing!); it’s a great distraction for her. However, reading the classics over and over again gets tiring for baby and mama, so when my boss at Red Tricycle shared a link to Prime Book Box for Kids, I had to sign up to hopefully be invited!

Fast forward a week or two and BAM! I’m invited to sign up. 🙂

Prime Book Box for Kids is a book subscription service (you can choose your delivery frequency) where Amazon editors curate top picks for different age groups. Jadyn is in the baby-2 age range, so she receives four board books every box, but 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 receive two hardcover books. I love that I can go in and select the books, too. For example, with this first box, Amazon editors picked Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss for me, but we already have it so I was able to exchange for a different one. Did I mention that it’s 35% off retail? Even better. For roughly $25 per box, I get four books. Not too shabby. Here are the books we received in Jadyn’s first box:

Gossie and Gertie by Olivier Dunrea

The I LOVE YOU Book by Todd Parr

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow

Backyard Bugs by Jill McDonald

I have read all of these to Jadyn at this point and I think she truly enjoys them. The bright colors really stand out and her interest peaks when she sees things she doesn’t recognize.

If you haven’t checked out Prime Book Box for Kids, I highly recommend you do and sign up for an invitation (only Prime members are eligible).

Did you sign up and receive your Prime Book Box for Kids? I’d love to know what you got in yours! Leave a comment below.

10 New Mom Must-Haves

While I was pregnant and creating my baby registry, I was browsing a few friends old registries to see if there was anything I needed or yearned for. After being a new mom for a month, I’ve come to learn what has been super useful and what hasn’t. Here are my top 10 new mom must-haves (in no particular order).

1. Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer

I cannot rave about this product enough. I love it so much I even bought a second one to keep in our bedroom since our little nugget will sleep with us till she’s around six months old. We use Water Wipes and this warmer works wonders on a baby’s tush. No crying because of a cold wipe and it also helps get the pee and poops off her legs faster since it’s warmer.

2. Arm’s Reach Concepts Inc. Clear-Vue in Natural

This bedside bassinet is everything. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of the company when I attended the ABC Kids Expo back in October for Red Tricycle and got to see this in person before someone bought it for me from my registry. One side folds down so you can keep a close eye on your little one while they’re sleeping. Perk: it’s on wheels, meaning it goes everywhere I do around my house. Also, baby can sleep in it up to six months, which is great since we’ll be transitioning her to her crib at that point.

3. Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle in Green and Pink

Since our little one is having a hard time latching, I’ve been pumping and bottle feeding. Ultimately, I think this is the way we’re gonna go for a while, so I’m glad I discovered these. The slow-flow nipple is ideal so she doesn’t eat too quickly and with this bottle, she still attempts to latch to my breast, so there’s no confusion.

4. Little Martin’s Drawer Baby Nail File

courtesy of Amazon.com

This has been a lifesaver when it comes to “clipping” our little one’s nails. Instead of using actual baby nail clippers (which can nick their skin), it’s actually a nail buffer like what you see at nail salons. It truly doesn’t damage your baby’s skin if you accidentally touch their finger instead of their nail. Our little one loves getting her weekly manicures with this item. Note: it’s easier if you attempt while they’re dozing or asleep. They’ll be less likely to move!

5. Ubbi Odor Locking Steel Diaper Pail in Mint

If I could afford–and if it wouldn’t be stupid–two of these, I would. I’d keep one in my bedroom for those late night diaper changes and the other in the nursery. This thing is truly amazing. It does such a great job of hiding the odor from those dirty diapers and is easy to throw out once the bag is full. Just tie a knot at the top and toss it in your trash bin.

6. BEABA Babycook 4 in 1 Steam Cooker and Blender in Cloud

courtesy of Amazon.com

While I still have some time before I’ll be using this, I was able to see this product in person and get a walk through of it at the ABC Kids Expo this year. Once my little nugget will be introduced to blended solids, I’ll be using this like crazy to make my own blends.

7. Philips AVENT Microwave Steam Sterilizer

As a new mom, you hear horror stories of bottles and pacifiers and other necessities for your newborn getting bacteria and other nasty things on them because they aren’t sterilized. Instead of having to boil water multiple times a day, I wanted to find something that could be really useful for bottles, my pump equipment, pacifiers and basically anything that needs sterilizing. I just put everything in this sterilizer, put in the microwave for around 4 minutes and voila! Everything is steam sterilized and ready for use (once it dries, of course).

8. Boon Grass Counter Top Drying Rack

This goes hand-in-hand with the AVENT Microwave Steam Sterilizer. Once I’ve sterilized all my goodies, I’ll just throw them on this rack to air dry and within about a half hour, I can use what I’ve cleaned. Plus, it keeps things separate from my other dishes.

9. TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifer

My little one is a tad bit congested, so having a cool mist humidifier in our room has been really helpful. We turn it on at night and set the timer for 10 hours and it distributes a cool mist in our room, keeping our baby’s nose from drying out (although we’ve been using saline drops in her nose, too) and keeping the air not too dry. I highly recommend getting a humidifier for your little one during the winter months.

10. Metene Medical Forehead and Ear Thermometer

Since our nugget has been congested, I’ve been checking her temperature religiously to ensure that she doesn’t have a cold. This thermometer literally takes her temp in two seconds and can be used on the forehead or in the ear. It really looks like something out of Star Trek (nerdy pun!) and is truly a lifesaver.

What were your new mom must-haves? Even if you’re a second or third time mom, what are your go-to essentials. Let me know in the comments below!