FamilyFun staffers and contributors share their baby essentials.
Yoga Ball
“We bounced our daughter to sleep on a yoga ball until she was over a year old. The rocking chair didn’t work at all, but holding Sadie while bouncing almost always did the trick. As an added benefit, my abs were in great shape!”
– Timna Tarr, contributor
Shown: Gaiam Total Body BalanceBall (Gaiam, $25 for the kit)
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Five-Year Journal
“The idea is that you write a line or two each day, then you can look back and see all the things that happened on, say, June 5, over those years. I wasn’t always great about keeping it up, but the few lines I did write have made a big difference to me.”
– Ann Hallock, editorial director
Shown: One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book (Chronicle Books, $17)
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ERGObaby Carrier
“I don’t know how I lived without this when we had our first child. I carried our second, Elizabeth, in it until she was almost two, and it didn’t kill my back like other carriers. I loved being close to her, especially when she fell asleep in there all cozy and warm against me.”
– Sara Weale, contributor
Shown: Original ERGObaby Carrier (ERGObaby, $105)
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Camping Headlamps
“We’ve used our headlamps since Evie was born, first for those middle-of-the-night ‘Is she still breathing?’ checks and now for late-night diaper changes. Mine has a red light, and my wife’s has a white one, so when Evie’s awake enough to see us coming, she knows who’s checking on her.”
– Rory Palmer, contributor
Shown: Tikka Plus 2 (Petzl, $40)
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phil&ted’s metoo Travel High Chair
“I loved this high chair when our girls were young. It packs flat and is incredibly lightweight, so I could easily slip it into a bag when we were going out to dinner or traveling. Spills were easily wiped from the surface, and the fabric dried quickly.”
– Sally Weaver, associate art director
Shown: phil&ted’s metoo (phil&teds, $50)
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Hand Blender
“My love affair with this tool began with my daughter’s transition to solid food. It can quickly turn just about any edible potential choking hazard into a baby friendly puree, and I rarely have to get my food processor dirty when making pureed soups or salad dressings.”
– Joy Howard, assistant editor
Shown: Smart Stick Hand Blender (Cuisinart, $30)
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Chocolate Bar
“A friend gave me a bar and told me there would be late nights when I’d really need a treat for myself. Boy, was she right! I can’t tell you how many times a little bit of chocolate saved me from feeling miserable as I sat exhausted nursing.”
-Beth Honeyman, research chief
Shown: Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate (Green & Black’s Organic, $3.50)
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Have a product you couldn’t live without when your child was a toddler? If so, send an e-mail to familyfunlittleonesdisney.com. If they mention your name and idea in the magazine, they’ll pay you $100.
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(c) 2010, Disney FamilyFun.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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