Nursing & Feeding

Toddler Tuesday: Re-Play Recycled (+giveaway!)

By: Shana, Gugu Guru Director of Content Marketing

The transition from infant mom to toddler mom is a special one (hello, little Miss Independent), but not without its challenges (um… hello, Little Miss Independent). Toddlers have their own unique needs and oftentimes finding the right products and gear can be just as challenging as when they were newborns. In our new Toddler Tuesday feature, we will highlight all of our great finds for your toddler. First up is Re-Play Recycle, an eco-friendly brand of children’s tableware.

I first learned about Re-Play Recycled during “Moldy Sippy Cup Valve Gate.” My daughter was only a few months old at the time and had no need for a sippy cup, but being the Type A mom that I am, I wanted to be prepared for when the time came, so I made a mental note of the brand. I happened up Re-Play Recycled with their wonderfully colorful line of crafted in the USA feeding sets made from FDA-approved, food safe recycled plastic – specifically, milk jugs! They’re free of the things that make you go “ew,” like BPA, phthalates and PVC, and their sippy cups feature a single-piece silicone valve that is easy to clean and spill proof.

I was recently able to try out Re-Play Recycled and much to my delight, my daughter loves her new dishes and I love the bright color palette and durability. (I may or may not sometimes coordinate the plate color with her food.) The sippy cups are truly no-spill and can withstand being pounded repeatedly on the floor (don’t ask me how I know this). The plates survive the inevitable tumbles from high chair to floor and the utensils are the perfect size for little hands, with room to grow.

Re-Play Recycled is fun and functional and above all, it feels good to know that even the dishes that we use are helping to take care of the Earth for future generations.

Want to win a Toddler Feeding Set of your own, in your choice of color? Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Lunch Bag Tutorial

by Gugu Guru 2 Comments

See Kate Sew partners with Gugu Guru once again to share a fantastic DIY tutorial. This time? A cute lunchbag for baby, toddler or even mama.

I’m so excited to be here today with a fun lunch bag pattern for you! This little pouch is perfect for stashing baby food containers, fruit and more! It’s also super easy to make! We had a blast making baby food with the Beaba Babycook. It was my first time making baby food and it was so easy! I guess I’ve been scared of making it myself before but now I’m excited to try all sorts of new flavor combinations for my 9-month-old!

Click over to SeeKateSew.com to read my review of the Beaba Babycook! I’m also sharing 4 baby food recipes that I made in the Babycook!

Ready to sew?

This cute little bag is perfect for stashing in your purse or diaper bag as you head out the door. The thick velvet fabric will give it a bit of insulation (as well as a luxe feel!) and the strawberries on the other side are just too cute! This project is great for an advanced beginner, there’s a zipper but it’s not too hard to install!

Materials:
1/3 yard velvet
1/3 yard quilting cotton, I’m using Cotton + Steel Yours Truly
1/3 yard fusible interfacing
one 12″ zipper

Instructions:

This is a basic zipper pouch pattern with a little twist!

1. Cut out 2 pattern pieces from the velvet and two from the strawberry fabric. Then cut 4 from the fusible interfacing.

2. Fuse the interfacing to the back of each fabric piece.

3. Lay the zipper face down on a strawberry fabric.

4. Place a velvet piece on top of the zipper, face down. Sew where line is shown below.

5. Fold pieces back and press well.

6. Lay the other side of the zipper on the second strawberry fabric piece face up. Then place the other velvet piece on top face down.

7. Stitch along the top.

8. Fold back and press.

9. Open the zipper and fold the fabrics over so all right sides are facing inward. Sew all the way around, leaving a 3″ opening in the lining. Clip the corners.

10. Turn the bag inside out and pinch the bottom corners, perpendicular to the side seam. Measure up 2.5″ and mark it. I used a pen, which is really a sewing “no-no”. Shh, don’t tell! 😉 Stitch over the line you created and repeat on the other side. This big pinch will give it the shape on the bottom to hold lots of baby food! Clip off the excess fabric and sew up the bottom opening with a ladder stitch.

Help This Mama To Be – Foodie Edition

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It’s National Nutrition Month and foodie, gorgeous lifestyle blogger Kusum Basavaraju of Sveeteskapes, is expecting her first baby! Let Kusum know which of our foodie product recommendations are a must-have for her baby registry by giving them a thumbs up. Winner gets a Gugu Pick badge! (Did we miss a foodie product? Comment below to let us know what should be on the list!)

Foodie Find: Mitz Clothing

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This week we are so excited to be featuring amazing products perfect for a foodie baby. Today we’re highlighting Mitz’ foodie clothing, which isn’t just cute, but educational too!

At first glance, Mitz may look like an adorable children’s clothing company, but the story behind Mitz, and their mission is inspiring. Mitz Accessories is a gender-equal children’s clothing line that was funded on Kickstarter in April of 2016, raising $39,000 in 30 days! By creating clothes that are both gender neutral and literacy-focused, Mitz Accessories is trying to change the conversation around young children and thus the influence of negative gender stereotypes. Their new fruit and veggie design, for example, uses easy to read block lettering next to each specific item. The wording is designed to be visible from the angle of a child and an adult. Mitz also aims for their clothing to be conversation starters; co-founder of Mitz, Amandine Liepmann brings an extensive background in education and literacy advocacy to the new line that encourages conversations about children’s innate preferences – i.e. do you like bananas? – and away from comments on physical appearance and gender stereotypes – i.e. you’re so cute/pretty.

As this is National Nutrition Month, we love that Mitz’ clothing not only features veggies and fruits, but cooking tools, as well! We’re big fans of getting children in the kitchen to help at an early age, and Mitz’ clothing is a perfect teaching tool for just that. It seems as though every moment in parenthood is a teachable moment, and with these gorgeous and brightly colored clothes, your child can become their own flash cards to learn all sorts of new things. Mitz offers sizes for babies to kids, and their clothing is super, super soft [editor’s note: my kids’ Mitz clothing is the softest we own!] Their unique designs, illustrated just for Mitz, are sure to become a conversation piece on the playground, as well.

Mitz clothing is for both boys and girls, and you can find most patterns (they have many) in soft leggings, t-shirts, and dresses; their onesies have playful sayings and clever designs. These would make a perfect baby shower gift for a foodie mom, too!

You can find Mitz on their website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Foodie Find: JJ Rabbit

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This week we are so excited to be featuring amazing products perfect for a foodie baby. Today we’re highlighting a baby feeding essentials from JJ Rabbit!

JJ Rabbit is a design first, eco-conscious, children’s feeding brand. JJ Rabbit, the brainchild of two parents, knows how important meal times are in shaping your little one’s love for food, family time, and memories, so they strive to create fun and functional feeding items which bring joy to mealtime. Their design philosophy is modern, contemporary, and fun. First, the design must be safe and functional. Second, it must excite and inspire kids. Third, it should look great to parents too.

But, one of the reasons Gugu Guru loves JJ Rabbit is how eco-conscious the brand is! JJ Rabbit has developed a stronger eco-friendly bioplastic to ensure their products are both healthy for kids and happy for Mother Earth. JJ Rabbit products are free of all the bad stuff that is found in traditional plastics such as BpA, Phthalate, and PVC. Their bio-plastic products are made from a unique formulation which includes an organic additive called EcoPure. EcoPure causes the bio-plastic to biodegrade through a series of chemical and biological processes and therefore, it cuts down the increase in plastic pollution that threatens ecosystems and environmental safety worldwide. Not only are JJ Rabbit feeding items colorful, bold, and functional, but they’re saving Mother Earth, too!

One of our favorite products is the dryBib; this waterproof bib has two layers of organic cotton, and a catch pocket for all the extra food baby drops. Their Cuppies are so adorable and functional; at the bottom of each cup is a little penguin peeking out to say hello. If you’re looking for utensils for your little one, the ergoFork + Spoon are the perfect size and shape for little hands. The angled handle makes it easy for baby to hold, pick up and put down, and the curved tip makes self-feeding easy for baby to learn. siliMATs are perfect for home or on the go – protecting kiddos from germs, dirt, and cleaning chemicals on public surfaces! Made of soft, food-grade silicone, the anti-slip siliMAT can be a placemat or a plate. Reusable and easy to clean – simply wipe or throw in the dishwasher. Any parent of a toddler can tell you that toddlers LOVE dipping their food into dips! Luckily, JJ Rabbit has their dipPlate; make meal time more fun with these stackable animal plates. Keep foods, condiments, and anything else separated with divided sections. Keep your little ones happy with their animal friends.

You can follow JJ Rabbit on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Foodie Find: Beaba Babycook

by Gugu Guru 7 Comments

This week we are so excited to be featuring amazing products perfect for a foodie baby. Today we’re highlighting a fantastic way to make your own baby food with the Beaba Babycook!

If you’re thinking about making homemade baby food, but feeling totally overwhelmed, don’t worry – Beaba Babycook is here to the rescue! The Beaba Babycook is a 4 in 1 baby food maker, which will not only make your life infinitely easier, but help you save money in the long run, as well. With its patented steam heating system, you can prepare fruits, vegetables, meat or fish from raw to any stage baby and toddler food in 15 minutes. It features a large 4.7 cup bowl with graduation markings for easy measuring and mixing, so you can invent delicious and nutritious purees for your little one.

Beaba knows what it is like to be a busy parent, and has designed the Babycook with that in mind; the Babycook features a unique one handed system, so mom or dad can hold baby and make their food at the same time! Plus, the Beaba Babycook is BPA, Lead and Phthalate free, making it perfectly safe for your little one. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers, then simply defrost and reheat right in Babycook. Steam cooking locks in vitamins and nutrients, a multi-purpose mixing blade provides just the right texture, the timer has an audible alert to tell you when meals are ready, and all of this with total one-handed operation. This appliance is loaded with features that make any parent a “pro” in baby food preparation.

Follow Beaba on their Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Foodie Find: Binxy Baby

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This week we are so excited to be featuring amazing products perfect for a foodie baby. Today we’re highlighting a parent must-have product for making shopping for food a million times easier, the Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock!

One of the most daunting parts of new parenthood is taking the baby into the world, and when you’re heading to shop for food, it’s a difficult toss up between shoving food in the stroller or wearing the baby…however, Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock is here to help and solves all of your shopping-with-baby concerns! Binxy Baby was founded by a busy mom of four who quickly realized she couldn’t safely shop for the family’s groceries with a toddler and baby in tow; she invented the Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock as a super safe and utterly efficient way a parent can shop for groceries with baby.

Binxy Baby’s patented design quickly and easily clips onto most carts, the seat hangs elevated so you have plenty of room underneath for groceries, then it rolls up to fit in your purse or diaper bag when finished. You can even put two right next to each other for multiples! It also has a strap to secure infant car seats. Perfect for those cold winter days when you want to keep your baby all bundled up and just strap the whole car seat directly into the shopping cart hammock. Binxy Baby provides your little one with the most convenient, safe and comfortable seat in the store.

The plastic clips hold babies up to 50 pounds, and the two layer upholstery weight fabric is light enough for baby to not get too hot, but super strong to hold baby’s weight. With the secure seat harness and velcro straps, baby will be securely and safely supported. Binxy Baby is not only ideal for parents with a small baby and toddler, but also for families of multiples! You can easily use two Binxy Hammocks in a shopping cart for a much more peaceful trip to the store. And, when you’re done shopping, simply roll up the hammock and store in your bag or the car for next time. It’s lightweight, you can travel easily with it, and it makes a wonderful baby shower gift!

You can find Binxy Baby on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Foodie Find: 4moms High Chair

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This week we are so excited to be featuring amazing products perfect for a foodie baby. Today we’re featuring the perfect way to feed baby, in the 4moms high chair – a revolutionary take on a classic baby product for your home.

4moms, known for their innovative designs and products geared toward making parenting easier, have hit the nail on the head yet again with this revolutionary high chair. High chairs are notorious for being hard to get baby in and out of, and especially hard to keep clean! Never mind the mess that baby makes when they throw their bowl of oatmeal on the floor, right? 4moms high chair solves all of these problems and more.

4moms realized that traditional high chair trays are tricky – you have to line up the rails and coordinate the latches to attach them. They created a high chair which uses magnetic latches to make it easy to attach the tray to the seat; just pull up the tray, and you can easily get baby in and out, or clean the chair. The top of the tray is also magnetic, which goes perfectly with their compatible bowls and plates with magnets on the bottom. No longer can baby ditch a bowl across the room, but the 4moms high chair tray will hold tight the compatible bowls and plates, making mealtime a whole lot more peaceful.

The highchair can be moved to three different heights, and three different tray positions, perfect for a quickly growing baby. The top tray is removable and can be washed in the dishwasher, making for easy clean up. Plus, the comfy foam seat is able to be easily wiped down, so no muss or fuss with high chair covers or dirty seats any longer. The high chair comes with one large bowl (and lid), so you can see the magnetic tray work its magic!

Foodie Find: Plum Organics

by Gugu Guru 3 Comments

This week we are so excited to be featuring amazing products perfect for a foodie baby. Today we’re highlighting an ideal first food (and beyond) for your little one with Plum Organics!

One of the most exciting parts of new parenthood is when baby tries solid food for the first time; however, there are always so many questions surrounding the moment, especially, what is baby going to try as their very first solid food?! Luckily, Plum Organics has one mission in mind: to help you feed your little one organic, delicious, and nutritious food from the very beginning and beyond. As Plum Organics says, “From pregnancy on through the first two years, food helps spark baby’s growth, eating preferences and overall development.” Which is why their philosophy is to use organic, non-GMO, whole and simple ingredients whenever possible.

If you’re looking for a foodie find for baby, Plum Organics is sure to have something to spark baby’s taste buds. For young babies, 4 months and up, Plum Organics offers their “Just Veggies” and “Just Fruits” line of food pouches. The Just Veggies line is a stage 1 baby food line of vegetable blends, perfect for introducing solids or first foods to your budding eater. Even more wonderful, some of the blends are accented with a hint of mild herb or spice to introduce flavor to help develop baby’s palate. The Just Fruits line is also a stage 1 baby food line of fruit blends that are perfect for introducing solids or first foods to your little one. Using only organic ingredients, the blends are in a convenient, resealable pouch that’s perfect for flexible portions.

We’re big fans of the Eat Your Colors line of pouches, whose aim is to help little ones fully experience food with all their senses. With mixes such as red – beet, apple & red bell pepper, orange – peach, pumpkin, carrot & cinnamon, yellow – mango, yellow zucchini, corn & turmeric, and white – apple, cauliflower & leek, you are sure to introduce your baby to a rainbow of wonderful colors and flavors. For babies 6 months and up, they offer the Grow Well line, which are stage 2 purees that harness the nutrition of real ingredients to help support baby. Each puree blend focuses on bolstering DHA levels, tummy, muscle, and bone. The Second Blends line for 6 months and up is a Stage 2 baby food line with blends of fruit and veggies that are perfect for exposing your little foodie to unique flavors and colors. Using only organic ingredients, the blends are in a convenient, resealable pouch that’s perfect for flexible portions. Plus, they sound…amazing! Who wouldn’t want to eat roasted pumpkin and coconut rice or lentils and roasted squash with apricot? Delicious!

For snack time and travel time, Plum Organics has their Super Puffs for baby. Super Puffs are a colorful line of bite-sized, nutritious puffed snacks, are made with whole grains and organic veggies and fruit. Packed with 14 essential vitamins and minerals, Super Puffs delight tiny taste buds with a rainbow of nutritional goodness. And, for a little teether (and a great on-the-go snack), check out Plum Organics’ Little Yums, a line of baby teething wafers made with whole grain buckwheat and real fruit & veggies, is the perfect first snack for little teethers. The wafer easily dissolves, encourages self-feeding for teething babies, and is made with unique fruit and vegetable combinations to delight tiny taste buds. With so many food options, your little one is sure to be exposed to amazing new flavors and tastes in their food pouches and snacks from Plum Organics.

You can find more about Plum Organics on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Baby Eats with Happy Family, OlaBaby and guzzie+Guss

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March is national nutrition month, and while we’ll be celebrating all next week, our editor, Olivia, wanted to share some of her favorite foodie finds which her little guy loves. Check out her baby food essentials below!

As a mom, I love when my little ones get to explore with their food. I also happen to love when that food is super healthy and delicious for their growing taste buds, too. Ever since my oldest son could eat solids, I have been a superfan of Happy Family – and, now that I have a toddler and baby, I can still use their food, because they make baby, tot, and kid products too! Every aspect of Happy Family foods are so well thought out, especially with nutrition in mind. Even their baby puffs are chock full of healthy nutrients like choline, for brain and eye health. Their food pouches are perfect for early eaters, or I like to mix the purees into cooked rice or oatmeal as the baby gets older. The baby pouches are clear – making it easy to see all the fresh goodness packed in! And, to be honest, my toddler grabbed a hold of the gluten free multi grain alphabet snacks and not only proceeded to announce each letter he ate, but shared them kindly with his brother. I absolutely love that Happy Family uses interesting flavor combinations to expose baby’s taste buds to all sorts of fruits and veggies – even mama steals some of the food, too!

As a parent, it’s an amazing transition to see your little one learn to use a spoon and…feed themselves! My little guy was never a fan of letting me feed him with a spoon, and eating with his hands is such a mess, so I was beyond excited to try the OlaBaby SteamBowl and spoon. The Olababy SteamBowl is designed to perfectly prepare steamed baby food puree, allowing parents to retain the rich nutrients for a child’s healthy diet. The bowl is made from toxin-free, BPA-free, food-grade silicone that acts as both a steamer and serving bowl, combined into one. When steaming baby puree, the SteamBowl is simply filled with food, placed on a saucepan or pot over a shallow pool of water, and covered. Within minutes, nutrient-rich baby food is prepared and ready to eat.

My son adores his OlaBaby spoons – they are so soft on his mouth and emerging teeth; he uses them as teethers sometimes. The Olababy Feeding Spoon, made from 100% silicone, is perfectly designed to feed baby with ease. Inspired by natural plant elements, the spoon resembles the shape of a sprout while the tip resembles that of a leaf. The shape and the flexibility of the spoon allow for easy scooping, cutting, and slicing. A suction-cup base allows for hygienic, upright placement on any surface. The silicone, combined with textured lines resembling the shape of vegetation, provides a better grip. Dishwasher safe and BPA free, the Olababy feeding spoon is the perfect tool for your baby to start eating solid food.

I’ve been using the Tiblit highchair from the wonderful guzzie+Guss with my second son, and love everything about it – the design, the fact that it’s so light – and most importantly, how comfortable it is for my son (so comfortable in fact, that he fell asleep eating). The modern design of the chair features a microfiber seat that is stain-resistant and wicks away moisture on a hot day; this means baby can make a huge mess and it won’t ruin the chair! Plus, this chair is wonderful for outdoor use in summer because the seat wicks away moisture. Traveling? You’ll want to bring this chair, it folds up flat and comes with a bag, making it easy to transport. In sophisticated colors, with a modern design, parents will fall in love with this utilitarian yet very handsome high chair.

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