Essential Baby Items

My son is eating solid food now. I’m excited about this milestone, but at the same time, I’m experiencing sticker shock when I see how much baby food costs. Free breast milk no longer serves as my son’s only source of sustenance, so I decided to give baby-food making a try.

The good news is that I realized making my own baby food is much easier than it seems. Baby food always seemed like this magical thing to me. Sort of like cat food—I don’t know what’s in it, and I really don’t want to, thank you very much.

But baby food is just … pureed food. Really. And the easy method I’ve been using has saved me an average of 20 cents per ounce.

Skip Expensive Tools

Baby food making combo units (like the Smart Planet BRM-1 Baby Oasis Baby Food Maker and the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker) can cost up to $100 or more. And if you decide you don’t like making baby food, you’re stuck with something that can’t really be used for anything else.

I use a good, old-fashioned blender—the Oster 4093-008 5-Cup Glass Jar 2-Speed Beehive Blender, Brushed Stainless—but any type of blender will do the trick. Before pureeing, I steam fruits and veggies with a $20 steamer, like the Oster CKSTSTMD5-W 5-Quart Food Steamer, White. We use it for our food, too, so it’s multi-purpose, and we can use it even when our kids are older.

Count the Cost

While baby food costs an average of 17 cents an ounce even at my local discount store, homemade baby food costs only pennies per ounce. For example, I purchased bananas for 52 cents per pound. Out of two pounds of bananas ($1.04), I got about 50 ounces of “stage 1” homemade baby food. That comes to about 2 cents per ounce vs. 18 cents an ounce for pre-made baby food.

Making my own veggies was cheaper, too.  I made 28 ounces of mixed veggies for $2, a savings of 11 cents per ounce. On average, I save about 12 cents per ounce on fruits, veggies, and starches.

Making my own meat saves even more money—pre-made meat runs about 39 cents per ounce in my area, while homemade, pureed chicken only cost me about 6 cents per ounce.

Freeze the Leftovers

The “just grind up what you’re eating for dinner” method doesn’t always work for me. While I usually make a home-cooked meal, sometimes we eat foods that can’t be easily converted to baby food. (Pureed pizza, anyone?)

I like blending a big batch of food and then freezing it in ice cube trays. I use the Rubbermaid Easy Release Ice Cube Tray because they don’t crack easily, but any type of ice cube tray will work.  Each “food cube” is 1 oz., so it’s easy to determine how much I’m feeding my son. Having homemade food on hand at all times prevents me from being tempted to buy the pre-made stuff.

And I’m amazed at how I’ve been able to cut costs without cutting into my time.

The Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat has ranked number one in many surveys, so I wasn’t surprised to see that BabyCenter moms voted it the number one car seat in 2012. We have the Chicco Cortina Keyfit 30 Travel System, with the car seat and the stroller that it locks into.

Easy to Install

The Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat was easy to install. One of the best features is that it has a clip that holds the car’s shoulder strap and lap belt together. This keeps the car seat from sliding on our leather seats or tipping if the shoulder belt begins to retract—a problem we had with our bigger, one-piece car seat for our older child. The base is also separate from the car seat, so it’s easy to thread the seat belt through the openings in the base and lock it in. A built-in level gives you reassurance that you’re positioning it right.

Easy to Strap the Baby In

The straps are easy to expand, giving you lots of room to get the baby into the seat. It’s easy to clip, and it has a nice, big button to help you tighten the straps. A newborn insert gives extra support for small babies.

Easy to Snap In and Out of the Base

When our son was a newborn and we still carried him in the car seat (he’s too heavy for that now), it was easy to snap the Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat apart from the base. The big button on the top is easy to find and grab with one hand. When you put the car seat back into the base, you know that you’ve done it correctly when you hear a reassuring snap.

Somewhat Easy to Snap Into the Stroller

Putting the Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat into the stroller was a bit more difficult. I used the stroller for the first time on a play date with two other new moms. One mom had a front carrier, another an umbrella stroller, and I was the only one with a Chicco travel system. It took all three of us to realize that you have to have the stroller’s tray intact in order to support the car seat. Once I did this, the reassuring snap let me know I’d installed it correctly.

Top-Ranked for a Reason

There’s a reason the Chicco Keyfit 30 car seat keeps ranking well—it’s simply a good product. We’ve used it for two babies, and it has served us well.

When our second baby arrived just a little over a year and a half after our first one, we weren’t quite ready to put our 19-month-old in a toddler bed. He slept through the night well, but bedtime was still a bit of a struggle. I didn’t want to give up the option of placing him in something he couldn’t escape from just yet, especially with a newborn to take care of.

Our first crib was a white Stork Craft model with a changing table attached to it, which was perfect for a newborn. But our older son had long outgrown the small changing table on the side of the Stork Craft crib, making it pretty much useless for him. I had taken to putting a contoured changing pad on the floor for our large, hard-to-lift son, so I only needed a basic crib for his new room.

I didn’t want to go all out and buy a designer $600 crib. I wanted one that converted to a toddler bed, but I’m not planning on keeping the crib forever, so a good-quality, basic model would do. I opted for the Graco Lauren 4-in-1 Convertible crib in a natural finish. I like the stylish headboard, and the wood is good quality. I especially like the edging on the top of the crib rail; it adds a bit of design to the piece. I bought the Sealy Baby crib mattress to go along with the crib, and it seems to be holding up well.

I have yet to convert the crib to a toddler bed, but the headboard on the side of the crib seems like it will look nice and a bit more “grown up” than the Stork Craft model.

Overall, the Graco Lauren 4-in-1 Convertible crib has been a great addition to our toddler room.

Ever since I had my first son two years ago, I’ve kept hearing mothers rave about baby carriers. Names like BABYBJORN and Ergo Baby kept coming up in casual conversations with moms at my MOPS group, play dates, and dinners with friends. My older son is really independent; he didn’t like to be held that much, let alone be strapped to a parent. He was more of a swing and stroller guy.

But when our second son arrived just a little over a year and a half later, things were different. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t put the baby down for fear that his older brother would trample him. I had to hold the baby at all times to protect him from his active toddler sibling. (He still climbs on the baby, but our now four-month-old can hold his own a bit more).

I didn’t want to shell out the $60-$100 for the more well-known carriers, so I decided to give the Infantino Swift Classic Carrier
a try. I found it on Amazon for just $15.99, so it was a low-risk trial.

It was totally worth it.

The Infantino Swift Classic Carrier got me through the first two months with the new baby. Our latest addition to the family cried as soon as I put him down, so I came up with a solution: not putting him down. I held him in the carrier while I emptied the dishwasher. I held him in the carrier while I answered e-mails. I held him in the carrier while I sent out baby announcements. I even held him in the carrier while I went to the bathroom (I actually found a sanitary way to do this).

The Infantino Swift Classic Carrier has also gotten us through several zoo trips, many church services, and even a funeral. Sometimes I hold the baby in the carrier while my husband pushes our two-year-old in our single stroller. Then we switch off.

If you’re looking for a basic, affordable carrier, the Infantino Swift Classic Carrier might be for you.

I’ll never forget the moment of panic when our hand-me-down baby swing (the older version of the Fisher-Price Fold ‘n Stow Swing) stopped working. It was midnight on a Saturday. My three-month-old, who would only sleep through the “witching hour” in that darn thing woke with a start. I bolted up from the couch, grabbed a screw driver and some fresh batteries, and went to work. I flipped the on switch and … silence.

The mechanism had died. After six years and four kids (my nieces included), the swing had just had enough.

I don’t remember how we got through the rest of the night, but I do remember this: the next day, we bought the Fisher-Price Cradle ‘N Swing. This has been a lifesaver; it got us through the first six months with our first son, and our new three-month-old refuses to sleep in anything else.

Not Your Mama’s Swing

The Fisher-Price Cradle ‘N Swing is much more deluxe than its older counterpart. It swings in three directions: front to back facing two ways and side to side. I’ve never been so thankful for the side-to-side feature until now: my three-month-old only likes that motion. Our older son didn’t care which direction he was swinging, as long as he was on the move.

Fisher Price Cradle ‘n Swing

The swing has a mirrored mobile, which both of my vain sons have loved. It also plays music or nature sounds. The best feature?

The plug.

No More Battery Runs

That’s right: it plugs into an electrical outlet, which has saved tons of money on batteries and lots of time and hassle replacing them.  (No more running to the store at 10 p.m. in a panic). This has been a lifesaver: my three-month-old sleeps in the swing most of the night.

Music to Our Ears

The only downside I’ve found is that I would like the music to play a bit longer. My son needs the clangy music to get to sleep, and sometimes he’ll be just about to drift off to sleep when the music stops—only for me to see those big blue eyes pop open again. Then I have to run and frantically turn the music back on. Usually it only takes two music cycles for him to fall asleep, though.

Nice Cradling

Our old swing wasn’t ideal for sleeping; it didn’t recline much, and I had to make a neck roll out of a receiving blanket in order to support my son’s head properly. The Fisher-Price Cradle ‘N Swing reclines nicely and has adequate head support.

Overall, the Fisher-Price Cradle ‘N Swing is a must have in our household.

When my first son was born, we went all out and bought the Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel System. The stroller is great; it’s sturdy, the carseat snapped easily into the stroller when we used it for our newborn, and it also works well now that my son is almost two. I still use it for walks through our neighborhood when I’m taking just my older son. We call it the stroller Hummer.

When our second son arrived just 19 months later, I started looking at double strollers. The Chicco Cortina Together Double Stroller was the first item I looked at because I knew our carseat would snap into it. But I’d used front-to-back strollers before; my nieces had one, and a friend from my MOPS group used one. I’d tried steering this type of stroller, and it was a beast. Not to mention that we have a small car, and I was worried about a double stroller fitting into the trunk.

Compact Double Stroller Alternative

The Maclaren Twin Triumph Stroller is the best of both worlds. It’s an umbrella stroller, but it’s sturdy. It also reclines appropriately for an infant. I had some concerns at first about putting my newborn in an umbrella stroller, but this one is much heftier than your typical umbrella model. It also has nice padding and head support.

Maclaren Triumph Stroller

Surprisingly, the weight limit is higher than that of the Chicco Together Double stroller; the Maclaren Twin Triumph Stroller can hold up to 110 pounds.

I had some concerns about fitting the side-by-side stroller through doors, but it’s designed to fit through a standard door frame. We even made it through an all-day zoo trip with no problems.

This stroller also fits well in the trunk of our Ford Taurus: it actually folds up smaller than our single stroller. I forgot to take it out of the trunk before my most recent solo grocery trip, and I was able to squeeze a week’s worth of groceries and diapers into the trunk with it.

Easy to Steer

My favorite thing about this stroller is how well it corners. It’s easy to get through tight spaces because it’s so compact. It’s really easy to steer; this was one of my main concerns about getting a double stroller, but this hasn’t been an issue.

Tough to Open and Close

The only downside we’ve noticed so far is that the stroller is a bit hard to open and close. Opening the stroller involves unlocking hard-to-see clasps on either side of the stroller, then shaking and wiggling the stroller a bit. Closing it requires hitting several levers, which aren’t clearly labeled.

A Basic Model

The Maclaren Twin Triumph Stroller doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. The sun shade is pretty minimal, and there’s no cupholder like on my Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel System. But if you’re looking for a compact, easy-to-steer, easy-to-transport double stroller, this just might be the option for you.

Our family recently expanded: from one toddler to one toddler and one infant. Twice as many kids (boys!) means more baby gear, and after the new arrival our all-purpose diaper bag started bulging at the seams.

Since I usually wrangle our 19-month-old son during family excursions, while my wife tends to the baby, it made sense for us to split up the gear. I would lug the toddler snacks and she would carry the newborn necessities. Time to shop for a second diaper bag.

Since I was going to be carrying this thing, I wanted to steer clear of anything pink or floral. I was looking for something that Jack Bower might use to stow his sat phone and lock pick kit. I wanted a diaper bag for dad.

After a bit of recon, I narrowed my choices to three great options:

• Skip Hop Duo Deluxe
• Diaper Dude Diaper Bag
• Diaper Dude Messenger II Diaper Bag

The Diaper Dude bags were tempting and come in a range of designs, including camo and pin-stripes, as well as some questionable decals (Skull and crossbones? Really?).

But I ultimately chose the Skip Hop Duo (in “tactical black,” naturally, although there are floral patterns available as well). After using it for a few weeks, I’m quite pleased.

Description

The Skip Hop Duo Delux is a great diaper bag for guys on the go.

When our oldest was born, my wife was thoughtful enough to select a diaper bag that didn’t look feminine, the olive green Heritage Canvas Tote Diaper Bag by Eddie Bauer. It’s manly enough and quite roomy, but it’s bulky. When I throw the strap across my shoulder, it feels like I’m hoisting a duffle full of hockey gear.

By contrast, the Skip Hop Duo messenger diaper bag looks and carries more like a sleek laptop bag. It wouldn’t attract any attention in a corporate office setting—if I brushed off the Cheerio crumbs, that is. The bag lays comfortably against my side when slung over my shoulder, and it doesn’t impede my movements.

Part of the reason it wears so nicely is the shoulder strap. On a lot of bags the strap is an afterthought, but the Skip Hop Duo’s strap comes equipped with a shoulder pad and sturdy quick-release buckles. The adjustment slide grips the strap tightly; adjust it once  and it’ll it stays put. As a bonus, you can detatch the strap completely and use the stroller straps to hang the bag from the handle of your stroller, for those trips to the zoo or baby’s first Home Depot outing.

Pockets and Storage

Two waterproof pockets are perfect for small gadgets and other essentials.

The Skip Hop Duo has five external pockets, including two large front pockets that are great for toys, blankets or snacks, a velcro pocket on side for your smartphone, a mesh side pouch for an umbrella or bottled drink, and a slim back pocket where you can neatly tuck the included changing pad.

There are two zippered pockets lined with waterproof nylon on the front and back flaps of the main compartment. These are a great place to put your keys, sunglasses, a book, electronics, basically anything small that you don’t want contaminated with juice or bodily fluids. The lining would also help contain the smell if you used it for dirty diapers, although that’s kind of a one way street.

The Skip Hop Deluxe has a roomy interior compartment.

At the bottom of the bag, the center compartment measures about 5 inches front to back, 14 inches wide, and it’s  12 inches deep. It has two large pockets that are ideal for diapering supplies, and two narrow pockets on either end that seem just about useless.

The main compartment will comfortably hold a few snacks, some toys and stuffed animals, diapers, wipes and hand sanitizer. In a pinch I could easily throw my MacBook Air and charger in as well.

This bag is roomy for it’s size, but it’s not huge. To avoid overstuffing it, I like to pare down supplies to just the essentials. I carry two or three disposable diapers, a small packet of wipes, and a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer. The bag starts to bulge awkwardly if you try to fit many bulky items into the center compartment.

Nice Touches

One of my favorite features on this bag is the magnetic clasps on the front pockets and the main compartment. They snap shut firmly but open effortlessly, unlike a flap with buckles or a zipper. And they don’t make a racket like velcro.

The lined pockets are another great feature. The lining is brightly colored, so dad’s black gadgets don’t disappear into the shadows. The waterproof lining makes me feel more comfortable about tossing my Sony ereader into the bag without worrying that it’ll get trashed.

Another nice feature that I didn’t appreciate until I used the bag for a while is that the bottom is flat and wide enough to allow the bag to stand up on its own. Most messenger-style bags I’ve owned tended to slump over on their side unless I propped it against something. This one I can set down anywhere without worrying about spilling something.

Conclusion

The Skip Hop Duo Deluxe messenger diaper bag is perfect for use on shorter excursions. The quality is excellent, and well-thought-out touches like the shoulder strap and magnetic snaps make for no-hassle usage.

It’s not a massive weekend-with-the-inlaws bag, and it might be a little small if you wanted to use it as your sole diaper bag for two kids. If you’re looking for something roomier, take a look at the DadGear Backpack Diaper Bag.

Do you have a favorite dad-friendly diaper bag? Let us know in the comments!