I’m constantly hearing about new, great products for parents and kids! Aside from the obvious must-haves like a car seat, clothes, and socks, there are several gadgets that are less known but so handy in saving time, energy, and frustration. I have used all of these products and highly recommend them!

Feeding

1 – ezpz Products – I LOVE ezpz! They suction to the table so you don’t have to worry about kids throwing their plates and bowls onto the floor and spending after-meal times mopping the floor. We have two Happy Mats, a Happy Bowl, and the Snack Mat. I can’t say enough great things about these! They’re microwave and dishwasher safe, easy to clean, and fun to use. They were created by parents and continue to be a family-run business. BONUS: EZPZ will be featured on Shark Tank on January 8, 2016! Save 10% on your order when you click here.

2 – Munchkin Miracle 360 cups – Traditional sippy cups aren’t usually recommended because they can affect kids’ teeth and mouth development. A child’s ability to use a sippy cup is no longer a milestone so parents don’t need to worry if their kids can’t?use them. I recently found out about these cups from a photography client. Her one-year-old daughter was using one during our session and I asked all about it. Kids can tip it back and drink from anywhere on the rim of the cup! The Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer cup is spill proof, easy to clean, and promotes proper mouth development because it mimics the motion of drinking from an open cup — which is the end goal for kids anyway! I bought a two-pack of these cups to have on hand when we start offering our daughter solid food after she turns six months old. I was so excited to see them in action that my husband, our 3-year-old, and I all tried drinking from it. It really works! You can also purchase the cups without the handles for older kiddos.

Bath and Bedtime

3 – Blooming Bath – This is an adorable, plush flower that fits into the kitchen sink to help you bathe those babies in the first several months. When you’re done, just wring out the water and hang it outside to dry or throw it in the dryer.

4 – Fisher-Price SnugaMonkey Sleepytime Plush Baby Toy – We bought this for our son when he started climbing out of his crib and we had to covert the crib to a day bed. I wanted him to have a “lovey” to help soothe him back to sleep if he woke up in the middle of the night. He still sleeps with this every night; we even bring it with us when we’re away from home. It’s so soft and snuggly, the tummy lights up with a gentle press, and the music is really soothing and not annoying at all (unlike some other soothers we’ve tried). You can change the settings to have the music run for up to 20 minutes. It runs on batteries but they last several months for us, so it’s not a hassle at all. I’ll definitely get another one when our daughter starts sleeping in her own bed.

5 – OK to Wake Clock and Nightlight – I have several friends who use this for their older kids and we didn’t need it until last summer came around and our toddler would wake up with the sun at 5:30am. Um, yeah…no thanks. Aside from getting blackout shades in his room, this clock was a Godsend.? I wish I had it when Aaron started giving up his naps before he turned 2. The concept is simple: the clock turns green when it’s “okay to wake.” Aaron was 2 1/2 when we got it and it only took one or two nights for him to understand the idea. I think it works best when kids already know their basic colors. It has so many settings aside from just turning green. You can also set an alarm to sound if your kids have a tendency to oversleep and it has a nap timer that will turn to green after a certain amount of time when you hit the button. If Aaron wakes up before the clock turns green, he usually falls back asleep or just stays to rest in his bed until wake time.

Colds, Coughs, and Sick Days

6 – Graco NasalClear Nasal Aspirator – I used to love the Nose Frida nasal aspirator. But then our daughter had a runny nose for over a month and I nearly passed out every time I used it. My hubby, being the best researcher I know, found this product. It sucks out babies’ snot efficiently and effectively without mom or dad losing brain cells in the process. Just make sure you rinse it out after each use.

7 – Honest Co. Organic Breathe Easy Rub – For babies 3+ months, this is a better alternative to Vicks Baby chest rub. Not only can you use it on baby’s chest, but you can put a little under their noses or on their feet under a pair of socks.

8 – Vicks Filter-Free Humidifier – We love the white noise this humidifier makes. If you need complete silence when you sleep then this humidifier is not for you. I love that it doesn’t have a million little parts and it’s easy to clean. We dump the water out every morning and clean it with white vinegar once a week. If you don’t clean your humidifier often, it can harbor mold and bacteria. Ew. You want to make sure you get a cool mist humidifier. Warm mist humidifiers can also breed bacteria. Double ew.

 

What are some of your favorite unknown kids’ products?