Mom's Fave Five Series | Sam Johnson From Picture Almost Perfect Shares Her Faves
By: Sam Johnson (See her full bio at the end of the post!)
As a Mom of 3 and Step Mom to 2, we have a very busy household and quite a few years of experience under our belt. Our babies range from just over one month to twelve and a half years, so I’ve seen a lot of awesome and not-so-awesome products in the community. After 5 babies and years of parenting, I think we’ve finally narrowed it down to 5 really awesome things we couldn’t currently live without!
Photo cred: Snuggle Me Organic
Fave #1 Snuggle Me Organic
Parents know that sleep is the absolute most important thing when it comes to little ones. Sleep determines how the entire day is going to play out for everyone in the family. With our busy household, we can’t afford to miss a good nights sleep. Meet my absolute saving grace and first fave find: the Snuggle Me Organic. While pregnant with our littlest, I did tons of research because there is another brand that you see everywhere, but I wasn’t convinced. I’m so glad I read about both brands, because Snuggle Me Organic was definitely the best choice. It is a “sensory lounger” for baby to sleep in. Think “miracle sleep worker”. Our son loves sleeping in this; during his first few weeks at home, he could already self soothe in it and sleep 4 hour stretches. #momwin The lounger is specifically made to safely hold baby in place, so baby feels tight and loved but also cannot roll or move. The material the lounger is made from is completely organic and one version is even hypoallergenic! Not only that, it’s completely made in the USA, Minnesota in fact, my hometown! My favorite part of this? It’s transportable. There are no clips or clasps, it’s a soft cushioned bed that weighs nothing, meaning I can carry the baby, the bed, and a load of laundry! No matter where we are in our home or when we travel, our baby has “his bed” and there is not difference in his sleep routine! This is a must for co-sleeping families. Keeps baby safe and close! For a bed insert, it may be on the more expensive side of products, but can’t we all agree that sleep is worth every penny?!
GIF credit: 4 Moms RockaRoo
Fave #2 4Moms RockaRoo
Not only is our lounger great for letting baby rest and relax, but so is our baby swing! The 4moms rockaRoo is a back and forth baby swing and my next fave find. This is the smaller of the swings offered by 4moms. This is well loved and used at our house! Our baby loves the slow back and forth movement. With a history of babies with reflux, I knew the up and down movements offered by the mamaRoo wouldn’t be a good fit or worth the extra money in our particular case, but the rockaRoo definitely suited our needs and wants. I also love that it’s extremely simple to turn on the rocker! With hands that are always full, it’s amazing I can use my foot to quickly turn it on or off. Our toddler can even get it moving for the baby if I need some help. There is also an audio input that I can connect to my phone (or other device) and play music or soothing noise. It’s really light weight and can easily move around the house with the various family activities each day. There is also an optional infant insert that you can add to it, but we chose not to because I liked the classic gray color!
Photo Credit: JJ Cole
Fave #3 JJ Cole Urban Bundle Me
As I mentioned before, Minnesota is our hometown and it gets cold here. Like thirty below windchill cold. Although hibernation all through winter sounds like a great plan, it’s just not realistic. So keeping baby warm when we do venture out is a must, but keeping baby safe in the car seat is a no brainer. Blankets are not enough and coats are not safe. Using a car seat cover is the best option! We have used many different car seat covers for each of our babies and during each of the seasons, but the JJ Cole Urban Bundle Me is our current favorite! It is super easy to attach to an infant car seat, it just pulls tight around the sides and then zips up about three quarters over the car seat. To be clear, the flap goes all the way over the car seat, but the zipper does not. I actually really like that. I never felt the covers that zipped all the way were safe or fully breathable; however, on the flip side I didn’t want a cover that didn’t cover baby fully either. This cover completely covers baby’s face so they don’t breathe in that cold cold air, but it is not tight enough to be concerning about being able to breathe at all. It is fleece lined and oh so soft! For a December baby, this gets used every single day around here and it’s super easy, baby has always been warm and it comes in a few different colors to match your car seat!
Photo credit: Loved by Sophia Claire
Fave #4 Love By Sophia Claire Pacifier Clip
Some of our kids loved pacifiers, some could not have cared less. Our current babe loves it and we can’t go anywhere without one. But they also get dropped so quickly (gross!) or even worse, lost! The solution? Our Loved by Sophia Claire pacifier clip is my hero, and they’re gorgeous! The function is pretty standard: attach to pacifier and attach to baby (or blankets in our case). But I love that they are leathered braided and come in a huge variety of colors! I’m more of the neutral colors of white, gray, or ivory type; but there really are tons to choose from! The price is easily affordable and they offer a first free clip pretty regularly for new parents! Keep on the lookout!
Photo Credit: :Polka Dot Print Shop
Fave #5 The Polkadot Printshop
It’s always nice to know that baby is kept safe, snuggly, and happy, but what about making Mom happy? I love baby books! All of the kids have them, but the more kids we have the less time I have to keeping them all up to date. Cue #momguilt and my last favorite find: The Polkadot Printshop books. I found this brand many months ago and fell in love with them instantly. The book covers can be standard hardcover or personalized soft cover and have all stages of life: pregnancy, newborn, toddler, kids, birthdays, and even adoption books! There are expansion packs available, but I’ve found that the standard pages are definitely enough. They include prompts, fun designs, and even spaces for bored toddlers to doodle on! It is so easy to take fifteen minutes a week to update the kids books and feel like I’m on top of it! I have ordered both the hardcover and the personalized soft cover and I definitely recommend the hard cover. It’s a lot nicer, even though the personalization is fun, the hard cover holds up better. This is something I know both my kids and I will treasure for years!
Being a parent means taking care of your little ones’ safety and happiness, while throwing in a whole lot of fun! Each one of these fave finds helps me do just that. I love each of these products as they definitely make my life easier and better and I know they will for you too!
Meet our guest publisher Samantha Johnson:
Sam is happily outnumbered by five boys and thankfully one ally of a step daughter in their MN fixer upper. At any given moment you can find her wrangling children, teaching online, or attempting to date her husband. Follow along as she navigates the world of 5 children and a lot of DIY through her blog: Picture Almost Perfect, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!
*This post does include some affiliate links. However, we do not suggest products that we don't believe in or haven't used.*
There's something undeniably comforting about the crackling of a warm fire on a cold evening. Whether you're camping under the stars or simply enjoying a cozy night at home, having reliable fire starters on hand can make all the difference. While there are many commercial options available, why not try your hand at crafting your own? With just a few simple materials – toilet paper rolls, dryer lint, and candles – you can create homemade fire starters that are both effective and eco-friendly.