Things Loved - Summer Time!

In my mama circle, I'm getting a reputation for being the baby gear expert.  Now, expert I surely am NOT, but I do spend a bunch of time researching and figuring out the way to go for baby gear purchases because I'm kind of a nut like that, and I spend even more time circumstantially figuring out what products are great (or not so great).

Some of that stuff is seasonal.  Honestly?  Back in the cold-weather months, I meant to do a things loved winter time post... But, you know, life.

Anyway, wanna see what's topping our charts for summer survival?  In WA, getting a "summer" can be hit or miss, but it seems like this year is a hit with many 80 degree days in a row.  Wahoo!

1.) Wardrobe Essentials.  Back when it was still chilly, I picked up a couple cute suits for Ruby in the Target clearance section, and at a consignment sale.  I also try to make her wear shades whenever possible, to protect her eyes.  Sometimes she keeps them on, sometimes she doesn't.  We have a pair from Janie and Jack, and they really seem to have the best fit (the 0-2 size).  And finally, you can't have summer without a sun hat.  Last year, we had a Carter's sun hat that I bought in February before Ruby was born for 97 cents.  It was the perfect hat.  Wide brim, and a strap to keep it on her head.  This year, Carter's was completely sold out before I even thought about buying a hat!  Nooooo!  So I've been on the hunt since.  We got this Baby Gap version last weekend.  I love the brim size, but it has no straps, so I think I'm going to have to sew my own.

2.) Swim Diaper.  If your baby/toddler is going in the water, they need a swim diaper.  Last year, when we took swimming lessons, we had two different brands.  We found that the iPlay swim diaper is hands down the best!  It is slightly absorbent, which means your kid is not going to pee on you when you carry him/her to the pool.  Kind of important.  Plus, they fit well, and wash well.  Last year we had a cute printed ruffle-butt one.  This year, I went with plain white, to go under her variety of suits.

3.) Sunscreen.  Maybe this should be number one?  Now that Ruby is old enough to wear it, sunscreen is a must.  It's quite a feat to slather up a toddler, but I don't want her getting burned!  I also don't want to load up her skin with chemicals, and I kind of cringe when I see Banana Boat baby sunscreen.  This Babyganics sunscreen is affordable, and scores a 2 on Skin Deep's website, so I feel comfortable rubbing it into her skin.

4.) Starbuck's Cold Cups (and straws).  We've had three of these cups for many years.  Mr. G always has one at work.  When I was pregnant, they became the only way I was sure to drink enough water throughout the day, and I had one in my classroom and car at all times!  We recently broke one, and I totally freaked out!  Mr. G had to tell me to calm down and go buy another.  Ha.  But seriously, staying hydrated is important at all times of the year, so I never leave the house without one of these bad boys.  I also bought a set of twelve plastic reusable straws (also from Starbuck's, but before they made the cold cups) about 6 years ago.  I can put these in the dishwasher, so sometimes, if I'm in a hurry, I just switch out the straw.  My students were always excited to see which color straw I had each day, and Ruby is pretty into them too!

5.) Step2 Waterwheel Water Table.  Ruby got this for her birthday and she plays with it nearly every single day!  Water play is so good for sensory development, plus it helps her keep cool.  I do have some gripes about this toy though.  The first being, that it doesn't have a drain.  Um... Why???  It actually has an area in the plastic that even looks like it was supposed to be a drain, but they changed their minds.  Dumb.  It also doesn't have a cover.  Which means tree-junk and bugs fall down into it, dirtying the water faster.  I already have to fill the thing up with buckets, because we don't have a yard and have to keep it on the balcony.  It would be nice if I could at least empty it without bailing it, or cover it up to keep the water clean longer.

Update: I contacted Step2 via their Facebook page about my two gripes.  They don't offer a cover for sale separately (boo), but they do offer a plug if you want to drill out the hole and retrofit it.  It will void the warranty, they warned me, but it might be worth doing.  I'll have to see if my dad has the proper drill bit.

6.) Booginhead Sippigrip.  Mamas aren't the only ones that need to stay hydrated!  Obviously, it's super important for the babes to, too.  Since getting the Sippigrip, I've been attaching Ruby's cup to her stroller when we go on long walks, and she's been drinking a ton of water that way!  We got ours free at the 4th of July parade, but I would absolutely spend money on this thing.

7.) Baby Splash Pool.  I really wanted to get Ruby a pool, but wasn't sure how this would work with our lack of yard.  I decided any pool would have to be inflatable, and when my friend found this baby one at Target (for under $6!) that was only about 30" across, I knew it'd be perfect.  And it is!  It's the perfect size for both baby and deck (ha), and it does have a drain, so I just open it up right by our gutter and it empties itself.  Since it's so small, it will work great as a ball pit indoors when the weather turns, too.  I can't find the one we have on Target's website, but it's the Banzai My First Splash Pool.  Here's what it looks like in action:

8.) Fubbles.  Ruby got one of these wacky tubes of bubbles for her birthday.  They're the best bubbles ever!  The wand is huge (long), so it can make really big bubbles just by waving your arm around in the air.  If you choose to blow the bubbles, it makes about a million little ones in one go.  We've almost used ours up thanks to Ruby's constant requests for "bubbas!", and I plan on buying more.

9.) Green Toys Dump Truck.  Good old dumpy.  Gotta have some outdoor toys, right?  We play with this inside too, but it makes a great outside toy.  Ruby loves to push it around while making motor noises.  She's big into vehicles right now!  I love that it's made of recycled materials, and is pink and purple.  All of her boy friends dig it too!

Some things that are not on my list, but I'd love to try are some sort of shade tent/canopy/umbrella (we really needed this at the spray park - any suggestions for a good one?) and toddler popsicle molds.  How awesome are those?  Are there any summer baby must-haves I left off my list?  Do tell!

Champagne Taste...

When I was pregnant with Ruby, I knew that (for at least a little while) I wouldn't be working.  So we wouldn't have my income.  That super freaked me out, and it made me want to do two things: 1.) buy all the things, and 2.) find all the deals.

For "buy all the things" that really meant that I just wanted to have everything we'd ever possibly need before she was here, so that I didn't have to spend money after she was born.  Was I successful?  Eh, sort of.  We had everything we "needed".  Of course, I found other things I wanted, but that's a different story...

Next came "find all the deals".  You guys, I am cheap.  Spending money actually hurts me.  But I like new (or new to me) stuff.  And it turns out, I like nice stuff.  Quality stuff.  I am cheap, but I don't like cheap stuff.  I know.  Problem.

BUT

There are SO many deals to be had!  People often comment on Ruby's style (she is way more fashionable than I) and gear, and want to know where I got it.  I'm happy to share that I almost never ever pay full price for anything.  Remember, spending money hurts me!

Today I hit a jackpot deal, and I figured I ought to share my tricks with you all.

First, my deal.  How freaking CUTE are these?!?

See Kai Run "Cathy" in peach

See Kai Run Smaller "Leilani" in purple

Yes, they just got added to Ruby's closet.  We have LOVED her 2 pairs of SKR Smaller mary janes, and sadly, she's outgrowing them.  Knowing this, I've been on the hunt for good See Kai Run deals.  They were on Zulily a couple of days ago, but honestly?  Zulily does NOT top my list of good "deal" sites.  The shipping is expensive, it takes forEVER, and they deals aren't that great.  Plus, I have to pay tax, because they're a Seattle company.  Boo.

So, let me introduce you to my good friend, MyHabit.  Maybe my husband would like to call it, "my BAD habit", but actually, that site has saved us so much money!  Remember how I like "nice" things?  Champagne taste and all, but we have a beer budget.  Both of those pairs of shoes above retail for about $40 each.  I paid $40.52 (which included 10% tax, because, again, I live in WA) total for BOTH.  The leather boots were only $15!

For full disclosure, if you click that link above and follow it, I do get a kickback.  Which I'd love and totally use, but I won't at all be offended if you just google MyHabit and sign up yourself.  Yes, you have to sign up.  But guess what?  MyHabit is an Amazon deal site.  So it's connected to your Amazon account, which means once you sign in, you can buy with one click.  So easy.  Oh, and shipping is always free!  Oh, and it's super super fast (like, 2 days, no joke)!  I can't sing the praises of this deal site enough (and no, they did not ask me to or compensate me in any way, I just love love it).

Ruby's first pair of See Kai Run shoes came from MyHabit (also for $15).  I've also bought an adorable dress from her there, an Aden & Anais swaddle blanket, other stuff that I can't remember right now, and my biggest steal of all was my diaper bag (Baby Kaed Shanti, in silver).  That was during a flash sale.  It cost me $27.  Original price: $140.  I know.

My other faves are (none of these links are affilates):

*Mamabargains.  I've bought many things here, the best being my Beco Butterfly II for just $60.  But also an amber teething necklace (that Ruby wears 100% of the time), a Woombie, green sprouts sippy cups, and iPlay bibs.  Their shipping is kinda slow and not free, but they do have good deals.

*EcoBabyBuys.  I'm kind of a hippie, and this site helps me out.  I bought an awesome Monkey Foot Designs wetbag for a steal on here, and also wool dryer balls.  I'm keeping an eye out, because the dryer balls are totally awesome and I want more.

*Amazon.  Yep, we all know and love Amazon.  I check my other sites first because sometimes they're cheaper, but Amazon has pretty much everything, often at a good deal.  We have Prime, too, which makes shipping free and fast.  My favorite thing about Amazon is their flash sales.  I find them hard to catch (because I don't try that hard), but Ruby is currently napping in an Aden & Anais muslin sleepsack that has been my absolute favorite baby product for the summer so far.  And I got it for just $10 (instead of the ridiculous $45 msrp).

*Cotton Babies.  This is not a deal site.  However, if you are a cloth diaper fan (like we are!), you know that BumGenius diaps are awesome.  They're not that cheap, though.  However, Cotton Babies often offers "seconds" sales.  This means that the diapers are new, but they're "second" quality.  Which sounds bad, right?  Um, it's not.  Their standards for first quality must be crazy high, because I bought 6 BumGenius Elemental seconds, and 3 of them I couldn't find a single blemish.  Two had tiny dirt smudges that washed out immediately, and the third has a 1mm red thread that got caught in one of the inner seams.  These are my favorite diapers, and they were a steal at "seconds" prices!  The only bummer?  They have a store in WA (that is much too far for me to actually drive to, so I have to order online), which means, again, I have to pay that dang 10% sales tax.  Boo.

I also frequent consignment shops, and the big mom to mom consignment sales.  I find the big sales to have better deals, and better stuff usually.  At least half of Ruby's wardrobe is from there.  In our neck of the woods, they have one in March and October every year.  Perfect to get the next season's clothes.

I also troll the Target clearance section.  They do baby markdowns on Mondays.  If you look in the top right corner of the clearance sticker, it will have a number.  I like that number to be "70" because that means it's 70% off!  Lots of pieces in R's closet have cost me only $1.50 thanks to Target clearance.  If I'm lucky, I find things even cheaper than 70% off, but know that if the price ends in a 4, it's not going to go any lower.

So there you have it.  How I appeal to my champagne taste for baby/toddler stuff on a beer budget.  There are many other "deal" sites out there, but I've never found anything I needed off of them, or that they were a super great deal.  I'm picky, I don't just buy things because they are cheap, but I do make sure to stalk out the very best deal before I buy anything.  Like those adorable shoes above, my patience totally paid off with those ones!

Do you guys MyHabit?  Do you feel physical pain when spending money, but love to shop/have new things?  What's your favorite way to score a deal?  Do you get a rush when you score a good one?  I know I do, I'm going to be riding my shoe-deal high for a while...

The Great Car Seat Hunt

There's something you should know about me.  I am an obsessive researcher.  I like to think it's because I like to learn, but when I want to know more about something or need help making a choice in something that I am interested in, I dive in.  WAY in.

Which means that I have spent literally months researching which convertible car seat to get for Ruby.

And finally (finally!) it is here!!!  (p.s. sorry for the crappy iPhone pics... and for Ruby's grump-face, poor kid was in teething hell that day)

Pale-baby says, "Open that box, Mama!"

We ended up choosing the Clek Foonf for her, and I am pretty much in love with it.  I'm pretty sure Ruby is too!

But why did it take me months to make a choice?

Well, for one thing, I am really indecisive.  Especially when it comes to the safety of my girl!  And for another, well, there's no one "best" car seat out there, and on the contrary, there are actually a lot of great seats.  Which means, even though I love the Foonf, that doesn't mean it's the best seat for anyone else necessarily.

So, how did we end up deciding to drop a boatload of cash on this pretty little seat?  I started with my list of criteria:

1.) Will allow Ruby to rear-face for a long, long time.
2.) Will fit Ruby well and install nicely in my car.
3.) User friendly for Mr. G.

"Grandma, I want to get IN this thing!!!"

It was a short list!  At first.  Number two on that list was a given.  The "best" car seat is one that fits your child/car, and that you can use correctly every time you drive.  Which kind of leads to #3.  Mr. G is not great at using car seats.  I pretty much check his harnessing job every time I can, and often have to correct it.  And that's in our Chicco Keyfit, which is one of the most user-friendly seats out there!  So I knew I needed a seat that I could feel comfortable with his ability to use.  Because (and this is such a scary statistic) 80% of car seats are used incorrectly.

That means that if you are reading this, chances are great that your car seat is being used incorrectly, whether it's the install, how your child is harnessed, expired/outgrown, or aftermarket products being used in your car/with your seat that have not been crash tested.

This is the part where I BEG you, I IMPLORE you to please please please please please make an appointment to have your seat checked by a certified child passenger safety technician.  And do so every time you get a new seat or car.  I had Ruby's infant seat checked, and have an appointment to get her Foonf checked this weekend, too.  Every mama & daddy out there wants their child to be safe.  Unfortunately, we don't know what we don't know.  And the only way we can find out, is to seek out the experts who do know.  If you're not sure where to get a seat check, click here to find a tech near you.  Our hospital puts on free car seat clinics, so that may be an option for you.

Also of note:  Many people have heard to go to your local fire or police station for a check.  This is only ok if they have a tech, and the tech is the person who checks!  Often they will want to help you (since they're so used to helping people in general), but have no idea what they're doing really.  I know this firsthand because Mr. G was a firefighter for a long time, and as I mentioned above, he really has no clue about car seats!

"Whoa, check out the view up here!"

Finally, I need to mention #1 on my list of criteria.  You will notice that even though Ruby is over one year (and likely now over 20lbs.), she is still rear-facing in her seat.  And actually, my goal is to have her facing that way until four years of age.  Not mainstream, I know.  But 500% safer than facing forward.  I for sure want my baby girl 500% safer!  I could go on and on about extended rear facing (ERF), but instead, I'm going to let this video speak for me.  Please watch it.  It could save your child's life.

Isn't the difference in the crash tests incredible???

I had a mama friend ask me about ERF, so I showed her the video.  Just like with me, that really stuck with her.  Her son will now be rear-facing for a long time. =)

Now, lucky for me, there are a lot of seats that met my initial list of criteria.  But, of course, as I delved deeper into the world of car seat safety (I now have the car-seat.org app, and am totally addicted), I discovered I wanted/needed to add to my list.

This here's my other baby:

Full of Swedish goodness and safety, but it turns out, can sometimes not play nice with car seats!  Because of advanced air bags, and a whiplash protection system, I cannot have a child restraint (or anything actually) touching the front seats.  Which meant that I needed to find a seat that would rear-face with enough room to not touch the seats in front.

I also discovered that I really wanted some sort of rebound control in my seat.  Rebound control increases the "ride down" time in a crash, which basically means less of the crash forces are going to be absorbed by her little body.  Good.

Except, usually this means the seats use a rear tether for rebound control.  Which is great, unless you have my car!  Apparently, Volvo does not even want a tether touching the front seats (which is usually where you anchor one).  Which meant that I needed a seat that had either an anti-rebound bar, bolsters, or shape.  Which led me to either the Clek Foonf, Chicco Nextfit, Graco Myride, The First Years True Fit Premier or the Peg Perego convertible.

All great seats.  What tipped me in favor of the Foonf was it's ability to meet ALL of my criteria, plus extras like the "green" factor (Greenguard certified fabrics, and total recyclability), it's narrowness for if/when we have another child(ren), it's awesome technology as a forward facing seat when that time comes (it has crumple zones much like a car), made in North America, Clek's good reputation, and most minorly, aesthetics.  Because once all the safety stuff is covered, who doesn't like a good looking seat? ;)  You can read more about it on Clek's website here (and Clek didn't pay me for a review or anything, I just like the seat).  It is sadly a very expensive seat, but thanks to a well-timed bonus for Mr. G, we were able to afford it, and I feel really good about Ruby's new ride!

Phew.  You'd think I'd be exhausted after all that research, right?  

I'm not though.  In fact, I'm kind of dreaming up ways to convince Mr. G we need a different seat for his car, too.  I think I might be car seat obsessed.  Hey, I told you I dive WAY in, right? ;)  Maybe I should become a tech...

Anyway, we've had several drives in the seat now, and I love it just as much (or more) than I thought I would.  It sits up high on a base for rear facing, which means Ruby can see out the windows now!  She loves that!  It is SUPER easy to use, was a piece of cake to install with the seat belt in the center of my car (no LATCH there), she doesn't get all sweaty in it like she did in her Chicco, and the best part?  Ruby doesn't cry in the car anymore.  Ok, so I'm sure she will again at some point, but she's gone from a baby who always cries in her car seat, to a contented girl.  Which makes a contented mama.  

Kinda kicking myself for not getting it sooner!  Oh, well!

Things Loved 9-12 Months

It's that time again, for another "things loved" post!  And, hey, did you notice?  I've now got a "things loved" button that will take you to the whole list things loved posts (as well as our lists for holiday gifts).  It's right over there by Ruby's birthday ticker.  Check it out.

1.)  See Kai Run Smaller shoes.  I will preface my "lovedness" by saying I am a little bit miffed that SKR didn't want Ruby to model their shoes when they had an open casting call here about a month ago, but what can I say?  I think I have the cutest kid ever, they should be begging her to model! ;)  But anyway, I love these shoes.  They fit well, stay on, are well made (of leather, so they're breathable), flexible, and Ruby is nuts about them.  She always wants to hold them, try to put them on herself, and loves wearing them.  She even knows the words "shoes", "feet", and "toes" now because of her interest in the shoes.  Plus, they really seem to help her balance when she's standing (and she tends to let go of whatever she's holding onto when wearing her shoes).  I hear they're great for beginning walkers as well, so if Ruby ever decides to get a move-on, maybe we will see!  We also have them in silver (love!), and while they are expensive shoes, I managed to buy both pairs at 50% off, so there are definitely deals to be had!

2.)  Goodnight Moon.  Such a classic, no?  Ruby loves this book, and I'm pretty sure it's because of the "three little bears sitting on chairs", though she is also fond of the kittens and the bunny himself.  We even think it sounded like she was trying to say "goodnight" the other day.  Love it.  For some reason I love the "mush" too.  And actually, we've yet to find a Margaret Wise Brown book that we don't like!

3.)  Bubbles!  What's not to love about bubbles?  Ruby often points to outside, and to the jar of bubbles.  She likes it when they "get" her (pop on her), and once they've all popped, she says, "all gone!".  I got this big jar at Michael's for 99 cents.  We still have 2/3 of it.  I plan to get another one to keep in the car too, for park trips and such.

4.)  Green Sprouts Cups.  We've actually had these since before Ruby was born, but she is super into them lately.  She's not quite to tower-building yet, but she nests them all nicely, likes to throw them, and also (this boggles my mind) likes to match the color pairs together OR nest them all omitting all of one or two colors.  They're also great in the bath, since they have holes in the bottom to make showers.

5.)  Munchkin Snack Catchers.  If you have seen our Week in iPhone posts lately, you have seen a lot of these things.  It seems to be the quintessential piece of toddler paraphernalia.  The snacks go in it, the lid is like a trap, it won't let the snacks out unless baby reaches in and pulls them out with his/her hand.  Anytime a baby sees one of these things, they all come running crawling.  Well, except my baby.  She points to it.  The only thing I don't like, is that Ruby likes to hold it by one of the trap flaps, and then shake it, which lets all the food out.  We're working on shaking it by the handle.  In the mean time, Braidy is enjoying the Cheerio shower.  I don't just put Cheerios in there either.  I like to make a baby trail mix of cereals and freeze-dried fruit.  She loves it.

6.)  Green Sprouts Toddler Cup Set.  This was something I got as a crazy good deal on one of those daily deal websites.  I liked it for the multi-stagedness of the cups, and they have not disappointed in that department.  Ruby used to only be able to drink out of the rubbery mouthpiece.  More recently she's been able to use the standard sippy part, and now she is also able to drink out of the straw!  I also like that the lids are interchangeable on all the bottles (well, except the straw, because of the length).

7.)  Skip Hop Zoo Bib.  I might even like this bib more than our Tommee Tippee ones!  It is super soft, has a pocket to catch stuff, is machine washable (huge plus), and tucks neatly inside itself, but you don't have to know origami to get it to do so.  It just stuffs into it's own little pocket.  Because of that, I usually have this bib in my diaper bag, but I want to get more for home.

8.)  Baby Buddy Secure a Toy.  Many a comment do I get about this thing.  Because we have it wrapped around Sophie's neck like a noose.  But you know what?  We don't lose Sophie (and who wants to lose a stupid $30 giraffe, right?).  They're cheap.  They keep your toys on a tether.  Get some.

9.)  Boogie Wipes and Nosefrida.  Both of these would have been good from the get-go, but Ruby didn't really get sick until recently.  I'd always seen the Boogie Wipes in the store and thought they were just another gimmick to get parents to spend money.  But they actually work really well at getting crusty boogies, and Ruby likes it a lot better if I wipe her nose with one of these, than a rough paper towel.  The skin on my nose is so sensitive that I have to use lotion tissues, so I wanted something soft/non-irritating for her.  And the Nosefrida.  Every parent seems to know about this.  Yes, it sounds gross.  No, it actually isn't gross, and yes, it does work that well.  I have a love of all things Swedish (Ikea, Volvo, meatballs) and this did not disappoint either.

10.)  Whole Foods 365 Baby Wipes.  We use cloth wipes and water for diaper changes at home, but we do keep a pack of disposable on hand for those times that all the wipes seem to be in the dryer, or we've forgotten to refill the wipe-water bottle and have a diaperless baby on the table.  Also, I use them on the go because I never figured out a cloth wipe system that I liked for the diaper bag.  We'd been using Seventh Generation, but they always seemed to make Ruby's buns a little red.  The Babyganics wipes were better, but I have a hard time finding them in stores.  On a whim, we picked up these Whole Foods wipes, and they seem to be the best yet!

11.)  Baby Buddy First Toothbrush.  Now that Ruby has teeth, we want to take care of those babies.  Another mama recommended this "toothbrush" to me, and it has been a hit.  Ruby and I take turns brushing her teeth, and I also just let her chew on it if she wants to.  Bonus: it's dishwasher safe.

12.)  Yes to Baby Carrots Lotion.  Before Ruby was born, we were gifted some Burt's Bees baby lotion.  She's never really had dry skin, but we incorporated lotion into our bedtime routine to help differentiate from every other diaper/clothing change.  Ruby handled the Burt's lotion fine, but I got tired of the fragrance.  I found this Yes to Baby Carrots, and having liked the Yes to Carrots products for myself, decided to try it.  It is a thin lotion, that goes on so much better than the Burt's.  It's fragrance free, but kind of smells like aloe to me, which I like.  Ruby likes the picture of a carrot on the front, which distracts her from getting her diaper put on, so it's a win all around.  Once we run out of our Burt's Bees shampoo, I plan on giving the Yes to Baby Carrots shampoo a try as well.

13.)  Munchkin Shampoo Rinser and Duck Tub.  This shampoo rinser was another thing that I thought was gimmicky, but I'd read some love for it on another mom blog (and let's be honest, I was really drawn to the hot pink color).  It is awesome!  As a shampoo rinser, I like it because it is flexible, so you can kind of mold it on top of the baby's head to keep water out of her eyes when rinsing (which became a problem when she was no longer laying down in the infant tub).  But also, it makes a great toy!  Ruby loves putting things into it, and at the end of bathtime, she cleans up by shoving all of her little toys into it before she gets out.  $5 well spent.  The Duck Tub has been another lifesaver for us.  Ruby was really scared to be out of her infant tub, but too big to be in it.  The duck made the bath not so big, which is calming to her, but I also like because I don't have to fill the whole darn tub!  Now she really loves it, and points to it affectionately whenever we're near her bathroom.  A tip for newly sitting, unsteady babies?  Don't inflate the bottom part.  We still have it uninflated, because it made her wobbly and scared, even though she is a strong sitter.

Now that I've written these out, I realize I should have added another.  The one downside of our duck tub, is that it doesn't fit under the faucet to fill!  To solve this problem, we bought the Boon Flo.  It deflects the water into the tub.  It also makes the faucet less scary to Ruby, and I like that when she is older, we can put her under it to rinse her hair.  Also, it does double-duty to protect from head-on-faucet bonking, and even has a bubble bath dispenser (that we haven't used yet)!

So there you have it!  Our favorite things, months 9-12.  Isn't it funny how stuff you thought was so gimmicky/unnecessary can end up being a fave?

DIY Cloud Mobile

One of my goals as of late, has been to put more tutorials here on the ol' blog.  I'm pretty crafty by nature, and usually when I see something I like, I do a mental scan to see if it's something I can make myself.  Of course, it's also been my goal to finish the nursery before Ruby goes off to college.  Then the Youngsters issued their seasonal Pinterest challenge, and that was just enough to light a fire under my buns.

You'd think that being a Seattlite, I'd be cloud-averse, but nope.  Upon checking my Pinterest board, I noticed I had several inspiration pictures of cloud mobiles pinned already.

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Looking at the above images, I knew that this was a project in the scope of my (and most people's ability), and as an added bonus, I had a lot of the supplies already.  I only spent about $5 to get the remainder of what I needed.  None of these images had tutorials, so why not make my own?

First, gather your supplies.

It would be wise to make a template of sorts for your clouds and drops.  I made mine out on graph paper, so I could keep things somewhat symmetrical (especially for the drops).  You'll also need felt in white and several coordinating colors, thread to match, polyester fiberfill, a 12" embroidery hoop (just the inner circle, craft paint, fishing line or clear beading string (which is what I used, since that's what I found at the craft store), a needle for hand sewing, and an eye hook or cup hook to hang it.  I also used scissors (duh), a cheap foam paint brush, some hot glue, and an air-soluble marker.

The first thing you want to do is paint your hoop.  I learned the hard way that spray paint on a hoop is NOT the way to go.  I couldn't really get it on the sides, so I switched over to white craft paint.  Sorry that part is not pictured.  I actually decided to make this tutorial after I was already finished!  I think you all know how to paint, though.

Using your templates that you made, cut out six cloud pieces and 18 drop pieces.  If you're using all different colors like I did, make sure your fronts and backs are matching.  I found it easiest to trace the clouds first (this is where I used my air-soluble marker, but you could use a pencil), but for the drops, I just held the template on there and cut around.

Once you have your pieces, it's time to start stitching.

Start on the inside of the two pieces, to hide your knot.  Make sure you're using thread that matches the color of your clouds/drops.

Side note: I had every color thread I needed except for orange.  I really didn't want to go buy orange thread for one little drop, but I had a genius moment.  I threaded up my needle with the right length of yellow thread, then ran an orange sharpie over the length of it!  It worked (and matched) perfectly!

Anyway, continue sewing around until you have about a thumbs width left of space to go. 

I found that starting my thread in that particular spot (about 1/3 of the way from the top) made it easiest to stuff.  Which is your next step.  Stuff the drops as much as you like...

Stop to take a picture of your sweet doggie when she wanders into your work area...

And stitch that bad boy the rest of the way closed.

To hide this knot, place your needle between the two layers of felt (as shown above), and pull through. Knot your thread, then point your needle down between the layers and push it out through the puffy part of the drop.  Like so:

Pull your thread all the way through, a little bit tightly, and snip your thread.  When you let go, the tail will suck back into the stuffing and your knot will be hidden!

Repeat those steps for all of the drops and the clouds.  The process is exactly the same for the clouds, only you'll want to leave a slightly larger space for stuffing.

Once you have three stuffed clouds and nine stuffed drops, it's time to put them together.  Lay out all of your pieces and decide on a color arrangement for the drops that looks good to you.  I made sure I had none of the same color per cloud, and that none of the repeating colors were in the same positions (so, like, one light pink was centered, and one was on the side). 

Now cut a length of your fishing line.  Knot one end and thread your needle.  Find the bottom center of 

a drop and separate the two layers of felt (like you did when you were about to knot your colored thread).  Insert the needle there and finagle it up through the center of the drop so that it comes out at the point in between the two layers.  Pull it all the way until the knot reaches the felt.

You can juuuuust barely see the clear knotted fishing line in the photo above.  We don't want to see it at all, so gently tug the string until the knot pops into the drop.  You don't want to pull it completely through and out, so once it pops through the bottom, stop.

Your needle should still be threaded with the fishing line, now with a drop dangling at the bottom.  Pick up a cloud.  Find the desired location of where you want your drop to hang, and make a few stitches right on top of the white ones you did when you were sewing your cloud together.  The fishing line is slippery, so pull the string only to the desired length of your drop (I made my middle drops hang a little longer and just eyeballed the side ones until they were about even with each other.

Just like you did before, you're going to hide your knot.  Stick the needle through one layer, knot, and push it up into the middle of the cloud, then out.  Pull a little bit and cut your string so that it sucks back inside.  Knot hidden!  Repeat with all of the remaining drops.

To attach the clouds to the hoop, first I did a bit of math.  I wanted them evenly spaced around my hoop, so I found the circumference (12" x 3.14 = 37.68), but then divided it by 3 (since I have 3 clouds) to get 12.56".  So, I needed to hang my clouds roughly every 12.5".  Since pi is pretty close to 3, you could just use the diameter and hang them 12" apart, but one section would obviously be a little bigger.  Have I lost you yet?  =)  Just measure around the hoop and make little marks every 12.5".

Cut a long piece of fishing line and attach it to the top of the cloud with a couple of stitches and a knot (use our now-familiar knot hiding technique).  Wrap the other end of the line around the hoop at your mark, and tie a knot.  I wrapped mine around a few times for strength and to get a length I liked.  Then, because the end was sticking out a bit, I secured everything with a dab of hot glue.

Same thing goes for the other two clouds, but I varied the length of the strings, so I had a short, medium, and long (they ended up at 5", 7.5", and 10").

Now we need to make it hang.  I cut three really long pieces of fishing line.  I just looped it under at the same spots where the clouds were attached, and tied a knot (see pic above).  Once I had my three double-strings, I grabbed them all and, evenly as I could (I held it up to check for balance), tied them all together in the middle.

I knew I needed to make some sort of loop to make it hang.  After rummaging around, I found that I only had an eye hook.  If you're using a cup hook, you can just make the loop and hang it afterward.  If you use an eye hook, like me, thread all 6 pieces of your string through the eye, then knot them all together by your first knot.  Pull very tightly to make sure the knot is secure (this string is slippery!) and trim the ends if they are really long.

Here's where I ran into a problem.  How was I going to hide the ends?  I decided to cover them up with a little heart "cloud".  I cut two identical hearts out of white felt (about 1.5" across).  I started at the top and sewed half-way around, then sandwiched the heart around my knots, tucking the ends of the string in too.  I added a little bit of poly-fill here too, for good measure, then continued stitching my way around.

Screw your hook into the ceiling, and you're done!  Stand back and admire your work.

Admire the little whimsical, hand-stitched details...

Stop and take a picture of your adorable baby's crazy bed-head...

And admire some more.

Ruby just loves it.  Whenever we're by her crib, she points or reaches out for it, and loves to stare up at it when she's laying in bed.

I should say that I don't actually let her touch it, because I don't want the screw to loosen.  Our house is rented, so I did not put in an anchor or find a stud.  The mobile is very light, so I'm confident it will not come down on it's own, and it's high enough up that Ruby can't reach it on her own.  If you're worried about safety, though, anchor yours.  Still, with the strings, it shouldn't be hanging down where baby can grab it anyway (which is true of any mobile).

If you have any questions, please leave a comment.  Like I said, I decided to make this tutorial after I completed mine, so I didn't have pictures of every step.  If anything is confusing, please let me know!

There are lots of other great crafty projects linked up already, too, so go check out what everyone else made!

Things Loved 6-9 Months

Since Ruby insists on growing up so fast, it's time for another round up of our "things loved".  Here's our 6-9 month edition.  You'll see that it's mostly toys (yay!), but that's partly because I left out all feeding/eating related items.  Those have definitely been some of our favorites, but they have their own separate list here.  We're still loving most of the stuff on our 0-3 and 3-6 month lists, and I have to say that the Jumperoo is actually finally being jumped in!

1.) Rain or Shine Kids Pouch.  This is probably MY favorite thing in this "things loved" round up.  This pouch is awesome.  It can attach to both the stroller and our Beco (and probably our car seat, I guess, but I never have).  It is waterproof on the outside, and soft and fuzzy on the inside.  There's a pocket for my hands when I use it with the carrier, and the pouchy part is adjustable to keep Ruby's feet covered and her socks contained if she kicks them off.  This is the number one thing that other moms have asked me about when we are out and about, and though it is kind of pricy ($68), it is SO worth it. Especially if you live in the drizzly Pacific Northwest!

2.)  Ikea Mula Bead Roller Coaster.  I'm not sure what it is about these bead thingies, but Ruby can't get enough.  Ours lives in her room, and entertains her while I take care of dirty diapers.  Win!  It's light, so she always pulls it into her lap for easier bead-reaching access.  Bonus?  It's super inexpensive.

3.)  Ikea Mula Shape Sorter.  Best $5 I've spent.  Ruby doesn't really "sort" the shapes, but she loves tapping them together, pretending to drink out of them, and sharing them with the dog.  They're hollow in the back, so they're very easy to pick up.  The box is great for emptying (a super favorite activity at this age), and because it is wood, it also makes a fantastic drum.  With the exception of the mailbox-looking piece, we call the shapes by their proper names (cylinder, cube, triangular prism), so maybe she'll be ahead of the game when she starts Montessori preschool!  We play with this toy every day, it is that loved.

4.)  Learning Curve Baby Teethers.  I have a family member that likes to buy gifts, but doesn't use gift receipts.  While she claims, "anything can go back!" we don't like asking her for the receipt.  As a result, a sweater that was... um... not my style? got turned into these two teething toys for Ruby.  We love them both!  The fruit are cute, and fun for shaking, not just chewing on.  The star teether is much softer than other teethers of similar style, which Ruby seems to prefer.  She has no problems chomping down on this one.

5.)  Gerber/Nuk Mesh Feeder.  I cannot find more of these anywhere, but if you do, snatch them up!  We had the Munchkin brand mesh feeders, and I could not get them clean for ANYTHING.  Nasty!  I borrowed one from a friend and ended up just buying her a new one because I couldn't clean it.  This Gerber/Nuk one I found one day while trolling Target.  It was on clearance for $2, so I threw it in the cart.  I love it because the mesh part comes completely out of the handle part.  Which means you can replace it if it gets too gross.  But it also cleans up much easier!  I always rinse immediately and pop it in the dishwasher (but if I'm not about to run the dishwasher, I keep it soaking in warm water and dish soap).  No problems.  Ruby loves frozen applesauce drops in here, and I love that it distracts her long enough for me to prepare her real meal.

6.)  Bumbo.  Some babies are meh about these chairs, but Ruby LOVED hers.  We actually started out with my niece's Prince Lionheart Bebe Pod.  It wasn't a good fit for her, so we barely used it.  Then, at a playdate, she tried out the Bumbo.  She was in love!  A friend noticed, and offered us their Bumbo, as it didn't fit her son's chunky thighs (a problem Ruby does not have).  We lent them the Bebe Pod in return (which did work better for him), but she told us to just keep the Bumbo.  I will definitely use it for future siblings!  I do think they are overpriced though, and there are an abundance of them available used.  In fact, the one we have was bought used by the other mama (she only paid $5 for it).  So definitely buy this item used (they clean up great)!

7.)  Rugby Stripe Bins.  This is how we keep all those toys contained!  I looooooove these things.  They're stylish, inexpensive, hold a ton (and we got the "small" size), and the somewhat flexible sides allow Ruby to reach in there and pull stuff out herself.  We keep one upstairs in our room, and one downstairs.

8.) Kid-O Go Car.  This thing is so so cute.  One of my students gave it to Ruby at my little class shower.  I was very fond of that student, so the car always makes me smile.  But also?  Ruby loves it.  "Beep beep" is one of her favorite sounds, so the car goes beep beep all over the place (she especially likes it if it drives on her or us).  It's design is easy for her to hold, too.  I think this toy has a lot of longevity as well, it frequently gets absconded from her at baby class.  Last week, a little boy took it and crawled all around the room with it for a long time.  It comes in other colors, but the little boys always seem drawn to her pink toys!

9.)  Fisher Price Rock a Stack.  I bought this toy for Ruby simply for the nostalgia factor.  But, she really enjoys it.  She likes to take the rings off by grabbing the bottom one and flinging.  She also loves to bang them together, hammer with the center pole thing, and also chew on it.  She doesn't stack them yet, but that just tells me that this is another toy that will last a long time.

10.)  Loveys (the link is not for the one pictured, but another one we have).  Around 8 months, we decided we felt comfortable with Ruby having a lovey in the crib. It was our hope that when she woke, they'd keep her occupied and/or comforted, and she'd fall back asleep.  Sometimes it works!  We actually keep two in there, so one of her hands can always reach one, and she only gets them when she's in the crib, so she's happy to see her "buddies" when she's in there.

11.) Munchkin Lazy Buoys Bath Toys.  Right now, these are the only bath toys Ruby has, but she loves them!  Their heads fit nicely in her mouth (haha), and she likes to try to catch the water that comes out of the holes.  When she was still bathing in her infant tub in the sink, we always had the water going (she had a clean water tub), which meant you could make awesome water spouts with the spinner part!  Now that she's in her big girl tub, she still likes spinning it around, and she LOVES it when we make seal noises at her.

12.) Vtech Blender.  This is another toy that gets daily use.  It was a hand-me-down from our niece, who loved it, and Ruby does too.  The songs are ridiculous, but for some reason, really appealing to babies!  The toy recognizes when you put a shape (or anything) in, and makes a fun sound.  There are buttons to push, and a knob to make the blender "blade" go.  I don't love that Ruby likes to stick her hand in there and move the blade part herself (I don't want her to think that's ok to do to a real blender, not that she'd ever be left alone with one), and when I googled it for a link, I found that a lot of parents have found the blocks to be a choking hazard!  Now that I think about it, they could fit through a paper towel tube, so I guess I should have known, however, Ruby has never tried to shove a whole block in her mouth before.  I also read that the sparkly stickers on the blocks (which Ruby is obsessed with) have come off in other babies mouths.  Ours are still stuck tight, even with regular washing, and the toy is at least four years old.  Ruby loves it so much, I'd still recommend it, but as with anything, use your own judgement!

So there you have it.  In other exciting gear-related news, we've put away the swing, bouncy seat, infant tub and playmat for good.  All of these were borrowed from my brother (along with a Boppy and My Brest Friend, which we haven't used for ages), which means that they get to go back to his house!  Yay!

Things Loved - Little Eaters

I'm working on my Things Loved 6-9 month edition, but while thinking about it (and while talking with a pregnant friend about my favorite baby must-haves) I decided that eating deserved it's own category.
As always, this is just my little list of what has been awesome for us.  We waited until six months to introduce solids, and skipped rice cereal/baby oatmeal.  I make all of Ruby's food, and nowadays she mostly just eats what we eat.  So I'm sure this list might be different if you go a different feeding route than we did.

1.) Tommee Tippee Explora Bibs.  These might be hands-down my favorite baby feeding item.  The #1 reason?  You can put them in the dishwasher.  Bam.  That's what I'm talking about.  Feeding a baby is MESSY.  Those laminated fabric bibs are cute, but the back side isn't laminated.  Um, yeah, food still gets down there!  And then it gets gross!  Wipe clean?  You can't wipe cotton clean.  Ew.  These bibs I just rinse down and throw in the dishwasher.  I only have two, and as Ruby's eating more, I plan to get a few more.  Love.

2.) Freezer.  This picture looks like our fridge/freezer combo, so I picked that one.  But any freezer would do.  I freeze SO much more stuff now that Ruby is eating.  Purees, of course, but also stuff like pancakes (we just defrost one in the morning and cut it up for her to eat), pasta with veggie sauce, black beans, and left over ingredients that I can still use, but won't before they go bad in the fridge.  I also buy bags of organic frozen veggies and just steam a serving for her in the microwave as we go.  She loves them as finger food, and frozen veggies still are high in nutrients, since they're flash frozen right when they are picked.

3.) Ice Cube Trays.  Do you know how hard these were to find???  Really hard!  I'd looked everywhere (besides the internet) to find some cheapy ice cube trays, and could not.  Finally, I was shopping with my mom at Target one day, and she needed some food storage containers.  Poof!  There they were, at the bottom of the shelf in that aisle.  Now you know.  I was intrigued by some fancy silicone ones, but in the end, I decided that the puree stage was short and I didn't want to spend the money on fancy stuff.  These work great.

4.) Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair.  We don't have the exact style pictured, as we got this as a hand-me-down from my niece (which was awesome).  I like this high chair a lot.  Our kitchen has bar stools with backs, so I can put it on there.  Which is pretty much where it always is, because that way Ruby can hang out with me while I'm doing stuff in the kitchen.  But I can also easily put it on a dining room chair.  It seems comfy for her, has three seat positions, and the tray is easy to use and clean.  It says the tray is dishwasher safe, but we have a full-size dishwasher and there is no way that thing can fit in there.  The seat wipes clean easily too.  The one thing I don't like, is that the sides have cotton piping.  As I mentioned above, cotton does NOT wipe clean easily, and as such, that piping part is kind of yucky.  Oh well.

5.)  Take n Toss Spoons (and Forks).  I bought these before Ruby was eating for her to "play" with/get used to.  I chose these because they were cheap.  And BPA free.  But cheap.   We don't use the forks yet, but the spoons have worked great.  We have some other Gerber silicone spoons that look awesome, but the scoop is too deep for her to easily get the food out.  These Take n Toss spoons are pretty flat, so she can easily get the food off.

6.) Nuk Learner Cup.  Ruby received a lot of sippy cups for Christmas.  They're all pretty good, but this is the one she seems to prefer the most.  I like that it doesn't leak, and it has a cap so I can throw it in my diaper bag.  It is easy for her to pick up, and easy to drink out of.

7.) Sugarbooger Sippy Cups.  We found these at this adorable baby store in the city and my dad bought them for Ruby because they were cute.  Turns out, they're actually pretty awesome, too!  I like them because the water is free-flowing, much like a real cup.  They don't have those annoying valves that no one can drink out of.  This means that they are NOT no-spill.  But they are good for practicing drinking, so we use them a lot.  Bonus: there's just two parts, a lid and a cup.  Both dishwasher safe!

8.)  Boon Saucer.  These things are great because once I put them down on her tray, Ruby cannot pick them up and turn them (and the food) into a projectile.  They've got a grippy bottom, but more importantly, rounded sides, so she can't pick it up.  We have to ration the food that's in front of her right now, or she'll stuff it all into her mouth at once (I think she's part Beagle), so they aren't essential, but I think they'll get more and more use as she gets older.

9.) Magic Bullet Blender.  I have a fancy food processer, an immersion blender, a regular blender, and the Magic Bullet.  I used the food processor once, but every single other time I've made a puree, it's been in the Magic Bullet.  One of this blender's cups would usually make an ice cube tray full of baby food.  Perfect!  Plus, it's small, dishwasher safe (you know how I love that), and we already have it.  It doesn't chop up ice very well for smoothies, but, well, Ruby doesn't eat smoothies.

So there you have it.  Overall, I pretty much love making Ruby's food.   I know there's no weird stuff in it (I'm looking at you, baby "puffs"), it is WAY cheaper than buying prepared baby food, and it is actually really easy and not time consuming.

I will say that I don't consider myself that creative in the recipe department.  Thankfully, my sister-in-law lent me two baby food recipe books that I probably should have included in my list.  I'd recommend them both!  

Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes, is the first book I cracked.  For kitchen dummies like me, it tells you how long to steam a pear for, but it also has toddler recipes that are foods I would actually eat.  Which will be great as she continues to eat more meals with us.  

I've also used Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel, which is actually not just purees as the title suggests.  There's some great stuff in there for older babies, too!  Ruby loves the pasta stars with veggie sauce.

Mostly I've learned that with food, unless it's a major allergen (like nuts), or a choking hazard (like nuts, haha), or honey, babies can pretty much eat anything.  Ruby gets down with garlicky hummus, sharp cheddar cheese, and red peppers, and loves cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices.  I'm kind of picky, but I don't want to be the reason she is someday, so the sky is the limit with flavors for her.  Which honestly, is pretty fun!

Things Loved 3-6 Months

Now that Ruby is six months old, it's time for another roundup of the things we've been loving.  Mostly, you know, so I don't forget.  Side note: I included links for the stuff, but they are NOT affiliate links.  Maybe they should be so I can make a little money, but I feel like that's tricking people, or being shady somehow, so I won't do that to you guys.

We're still loving and using pretty much everything on our 0-3 month list.  The only exceptions really are the white noise machine, and the Wubbanub.  The white noise machine is pretty much done for us because of the battery situation.  We still need white noise in the nursery, but because the batteries die in the little pod every couple of days (!), we've just been using a plug-in fan.  Which is good for air circulation anyway.

As far as the "wubs", as I call it, well Ruby started preferring her fingers, and we got a paci leash.  So it just became less convenient and less needed.

Onto the list!

I noticed that there's a whole bunch of toys on this list, which is awesome.  I never know what toys to buy, what she'll like, when she'll want to play with stuff.  I was kind of stressed out about toys, but it turns out that what she has is awesome, and she does play with them constantly.

1. Oball.  This is one of the few toys I bought for Ruby after she was born.  We picked it up because I saw other babies had them, and I thought it looked cool.  She loves it!  She hilariously tries to shove the whole thing in her mouth, and lately likes to throw it.  The holes all over make it really easy for her to grab onto it.  Mr. G and I have been known to play with it from time to time, too.

2.  Lamar!!!  This is Ruby's buddy, and quite possibly her favorite toy.  This product is actually called "Mortimer Moose" by Lamaze.  Mr. G saw the Lamaze tag, thought it said Lamar, and thus he's been named ever since.  Even the other mommies in our group call him that now.  He jingles, his feet crinkle, the rings on his butt and his antlers are great to chew on.  He's got a Gryffindor scarf.  He's overall awesome.  The only thing I don't like is that he's a plush toy, which means he's hard to clean.  And he's been puked on, so he kind of smells.  Ruby doesn't mind though.  She loves Lamar.

3.)  Sophie.  Everybody says you need this giraffe.  So I bought it, and then was pretty convinced it was a huge waste of money.  Until recently.  It took Ruby quite a while to warm up to Sophie (I don't blame her, the material this toy is made out of smells horrible), but now she loves to gnaw on her.  Be warned - Sophie causes some major drool action.

4.) Fisher Price Spacesaver High Chair.  Right around the time Ruby turned 4 months, we got this out for her to get used to.  I love it for a lot of reasons.  First, it was free.  Well, for us it was.  My mom had it at her old house for our niece, so it was barely used and passed along to us.  Score.  Second, it is a nice, secure shape, which meant it's been a great place to plop the baby into when we need to do something.  Like put on our shoes, or cook dinner.  She likes it, so she'll stay there a while.  Finally, it straps to any chair with a back.  Which means it hooks to our dining room chairs, and even better, our kitchen barstools.  Which means Rubes can be a part of whatever we're doing, and it is super easy to install.  And it reclines.  Love this thing.

5.)  Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo.  Ruby is a big fan of this thing, but not of the jumping.  First she just liked the lights and music, but now she actually loves the toys too.  She has never wanted to jump (she gets really scared if you help her), and she only now is just barely able to touch the ground with her toes, so she's had books under her feet for the past couple months.  Still, I can put her in here and sit next to her and stuff diapers or put on my makeup, so I consider it a win.  Do NOT buy this thing new. I got it in great condition at a consignment shop for $30, and they're all over craigslist too.  Also, it's freaking huge, so make sure you have plenty of space for the dang thing.

6.) Booginhead Pacigrip.  This thing has been permanently attached to my Beco (which has been permanently attached to my body the last few months).  It was getting really old having to carry the Wubbanub into Target, shoved into my cleavage.  Yes, that's where I carried it, because my wallet and keys were in my hands.  So this paci leash solved my problems.  I liked that it came from a local company.  Ruby liked to chew on it, rather than the pacifier.  Whatever floats her boat.

7.)  Bunnies by the Bay Bye-Bye Bunny.  This thing is so cute.  Ruby has a bunch of random lovies, but this is the cutest, so I got it out for her.  Besides aesthetics, I also really loved that it has a handle/loop thingy on the back so that you can velcro it to stuff.  Like her stroller straps, or the diaper bag.  We keep it in the car, and she likes to hold it and suck on it's ears and hands.  Since it's soft, I don't mind that she has it back there.  Plus, it was given to her by a very sweet friend, so I get a smile on my face when I see "bunny".

8.)  Sassy Spin Shine Rattle.  AKA, "the German rattle".  That's what Mr. G calls it, I guess the colors of the rings remind him of the German flag?  Whatever, Ruby loves this thing because of the mirror in the little spinny part.  Now that she's more dextrous, she also loves trying to shove it in her mouth (of course) and throwing it/whacking it on things.

9.)  Taggie Blanket.  I think this thing is so ugly, and really really wanted to make her a more aesthetically pleasing one.  But it was a gift, so it was free, and already made.  And you know what?  She loves it.  She loves to suck on those tags and will sit there with one shoved all the way in her mouth, jaw clamped tight, giving me a defiant stare.  It's kind of funny actually.  But whatever, she loves it, I'm glad we have it.

10.)  Cloth Diapers.  Yes, I know these were in the 0-3 post.  I still love them so much, I needed to mention them again.  Ruby's now fully into her one-size stash, and I definitely have my favorites.  Probably the Bum Genius 4.0 takes the cake (and I really love that purple color, called "dazzle").  We actually ordered 7 more 4.0s when BG was having a sale.  Why?  We had enough diapers, but we had a drying problem.  We have 7 Bum Genius Elementals, which I like a lot too, but they take forEVER to dry.  We're talking 3 days.  Yes, 3 days.  And when that many of your diapers take that long to dry, you run out.  So we needed more pockets (even though I hate stuffing pockets), and the BG 4.0 were the answer, as the fit is great.  People constantly ask me, "So...  still doing those cloth diapers?"  Like, they expect me to give up on them, but there's absolutely no reason.  These diapers are awesome, and I love that I never ever have to buy (or dispose of) diapers.  Best baby thing ever, plus I can coordinate them with her outfits.  Love.

11.)  Links.  Why do babies like these?  I still can't figure it out, but they do.  They're fun to chew on, and now also make a cool noise when banged on a high chair tray.  I also liked that I could clip them to her overalls the other day, so she could no longer drop them on the floor while playing with them.

12.)  Take n Toss Utensils.  We'd been putting Ruby in her high chair for a while for practice, when I saw a picture of her little baby buddy doing the same thing, but he was holding a spoon.  Duh.  We needed spoons for practice too!  So I bought these, because they were cheap and light.  It was a good call.  The spoons go right in her mouth, and she always seems to get the right end in there.  My mom gave us some cool rubbery Gerber spoons that I thought would be better than these cheap ones, but it turned out, no.  The Take n Toss spoons are shallow enough for her to actually get the food off of.  And a bunch come in the pack, so I can just grab new ones when she drops them on the floor for the 100th time.  Plus, they're BPA free.  Win.

13.)  Fleece Halo Sleepsack.  It started getting cold around here, not too long after Ruby stopped sleeping with a swaddle.  I had a plain cotton sleepsack that she was using, but I honestly didn't think she was warm enough, so I picked up this fleece one.  It is definitely cozy, and I like that the "small" size is going to fit her all winter (and probably beyond).  The zipper got all jacked up on the first one I bought, which was really frustrating, seen as how smart-baby has figured out bedtime routine means it's bedtime, and she screams the whole time in protest.  A broken zipper prolonged that.  BUT, BRU took back my broken one without a fuss, and the new one is working and still cozy.

So there you have it.  Three more months of good stuff.  Clearly we do nothing but play and eat around here.  =)