essentials for life with a toddler

Thursday, August 27, 2015


life with a toddler can be stressful, for real. and i'll be honest, some days it seems that going out and about into the hustle and bustle (as much as there is of that in iowa anyway) is not worth the hassle. but most of the time we have things to do and people to see and i love our adventures outside of the house. and so does lorelai mabel.

but oh, how easily toddlers get tired and cranky and hungry and dirty and just plain old bored. lorelai simply does not care that i have not yet sniffed the entire candle aisle or binge shopped my way through the cleaning products at target. no, she really doesn't you guys.

alas, i have found that with some crucial necessities, life with a toddler can be, dare i say, easy? no, i won't go that far because we're being real here, right? but this little list of things certainly makes all day errand-running or skipped nap days easier and happier for us all.

and so,


lily jade elizabeth bag in brandy // this bag. swoooooooon. i'm not sure how i ever survived lorelai's newborn days without it. the style is exceptional, for one, and it is so, so functional which means everything to me these days. it has so many pockets, seriously. but perhaps my favorite thing about it is that you can carry it with short straps, a long cross body strap or as a backpack, making all my dreams come true. i can easily fit everything i need for myself and lorelai when we're on the go. this baby is going to make lugging the belongings of two small humans much easier for this mama come winter.


owies blend roller // because lorelai is constantly skinning her knees or getting mosquito bites and this helps both without the sting. she immediately starts looking for this roller when she gets a booboo. bless her. this is a blend i made using young living oils lavender, melaleuca and balsam fir.

earth mama angel baby bottom balm // to this day, this is the only butt balm that works for lorelai's skin. she very rarely has any skin flareups, which is simply amazing considering my sensitive skin, but when she does this stuff works like magic. and bonus, she loves it!

thieves spray // i use this to disinfect everything without worrying about her (or baby bub in my belly) being exposed to harmful chemicals. it's great for everything from high chairs and shopping carts to lovies that have fallen in the dirt one too many times. basically errry darn thang.

peekaboo barn // i don't think we would ever eat out, travel, or attend any sort of public event if it weren't for this app. okay, i'm exaggerating, but seriously this app is a lifesaver. this is the only app that lorelai has ever played with in all honesty, but she's so obsessed with it. and as much as i don't love her using technology already, she has learned so many animals from this darn thing. she has proudly shown off her animal friends to countless restaurant wait staff... "puppy!" is of course the favorite.

re-play sippy cups // we went through a lot of different sippy cups until finding these. they are the only true non-spill cups that we have found. major bonus that they are simple, adorable and recycled. holla! the snack cups are super convenient too.


fruit snacks // enough said. but not the yellow ones because lorelai hates the yellow ones.

baby wipes // even after lorelai is potty trained i will continue to carry baby wipes daily. for everything y'all.

all the coffee, iced or otherwise // for mama.

i'm tempted to put our stroller on this list too, because i'm obsessed with it and its luxuriously oversized basket underneath. i usually consider it an essential depending on what we are doing. basket + multiple seat settings for lorelai + sun protector + easy strolling + quick, easy folding. yep. this thing pays for itself every time we use it. i'm hoping that we will like it as a double just as much.

i'm also going to add, although it's not for days out and about, a sound machine. lorelai still sleeps much better with her sound machine from when she was a baby. there are no complaints here because it drowns out any household noises after bed time. for us, this means we can still watch the walking dead at a reasonable volume because all innocent ears are hearing is the comforting sound of a mother's heartbeat in utero. (yes, she still listens to it on the heartbeat setting for newborns, which i happen to think is extremely adorable).

there you have it! i'm sure i missed some, but all of these things (plus binkie) are our essentials for daily life with a toddler on your hip.

what's on your must have at all times list?

xxxo
chelsea

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