My lists of recommended products.

All things babies / kids:

KIDS CHRISTMAS WISH LIST 2023

Kids are so lucky these days, and my kids Evan (age 6) and Zoe (age 4) have asked for some of the below items if you need ideas for your kiddos too!

Evan

Pokemon Card set in Vmax, EX, or V star – Elite Trainer,
Lucario Vstar(Santa wish list)
Straight tracks for hot wheels
Rubix cube keychain

Zoe

Pokemon V star box set – Pikachu VMAX Box
ear muffs
Small bunny stuffie
gem stickers
little mermaid Barbie

NEWBORN MUST HAVE ITEMS

Everyone should have some infant Tynenol at home. Fever is so closely monitored for infants (we are not the only ones who have been sent to the ER for fever over 100.4F). You can only give Tynenol every 4-5 hours; for more serious fevers, you can give infant Motrin in between Tynenol doses. Please consult doctors before using any meds on the little ones!

To help reduce fever, dress your infant in light clothing (remove diaper if need be), use fever reducing meds (tynenol/motrin), and use a wet wash cloth and wipe their forehead/neck/armpits/folds of their arms and legs often to lower body temp. Hydrate. Pedialyte Freezer pops are fun treats.

This iHealth forehead no-touch thermometer was recommended by my kids’ preschool. What I was using before (in-ear thermometer) was somehow getting readings that were different from the school nurse’s measurement. This is a must-have item!

MISC

We have tried countless toothpaste and hello unicorn sparkle kids toothpaste was the only one both my toddlers approve of (we use this currently). This formulation contains fluoride, which is the official recommendation from our dentist. This formulation contains xylitol and stevia, and is dye free and SLS free, and contains no artificial sweeteners.

If you prefer fluoride-free, we used Jack ‘N Jill Kids Natural Toothpaste (strawberry flavor) when kids were younger (6+ months). This formulation is safe to swallow, and is sugar-free and contains 40% xylitol.

ON THE GO

Micro Kickboard it THE brand for toddler/kids scooters. We started our kids on the scooter around age 1.5 to 2 with the Micro Mini 3-in-1 scooter (retails $120, for ages 1-5). Although neither of my kids used the seat configuration, I know some young kids do, and I wanted the option just in case. This model is good until around age 5, but the downside is it doesn’t have LED lights on the wheels and is not foldable. If you are willing to forgo the seat configuration, go straight to either the Micro Mini LED Scooter (retails $100), or the Micro Mini LED Foldable Scooter (retails $120); both of these have age guidance listed as 2-5. Since my son is pretty good on the bike/scooter, we switched him over the “big boy” scooter (i.e. 2-wheeled vs 3-wheeled) Micro Sprite LED Scooter at age 5 (retails $110, for ages 6 to teens).

The Giro youth scamp helmet was recommended by my friend who competes in triathlons, started a biking company and have three young boys. There are many color options and they’re actually nice looking. It’s a must have for toddlers who is scootering / biking. For reference, my kid started with size XS (45-49cm) at age 1.5 – 2 and moved to S (49-53cm) just before age 4.

SWIMMING

Floatie for the little ones: puddle jumper life jacket (I feel like everyone has some version of this)

Floatie for swimmers who needs a little boost: back float belt

If your kid is not potty trained, you will need either disposable swim diapers or reusable swim diapers (this, or this). Fun fact: these swim “diapers” are only meant to catch poo; pee will go right through them. Luckily, I have never had a kid poo while swimming.

To avoid sunburn: long sleeve rash guard

Sunscreen for kids: thinkbaby Mineral Sun Lotion, thinkbaby Sunscreen Stick (for face), Blue Lizard Mineral Sunscreen. (FYI you can use FSA money for any items with SPF.)

POTTY TRAINING

Oh Crap! Potty Training is THE potty training bible. I started my son right after his 2nd birthday. It took 5 days of holing up at home, and he was ready to be out without diaper by the weekend! I would suggest NOT introducing any mini toilets/trainer toilets at home (they just end up playing with it, and it’s gross to clean). Have them go DIRECTLY on the normal toilet, using the OXO Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty and a step tool.

Prepare yourself mentally to be doing a lot of clean up! We didn’t use any trainer underwear, but buy extra normal undwear. By the way, my daughter (who is very headstrong) refused to potty train using this method. With her being the second child, it was hard for us to pay enough attention to her, and we ended up having too many accidents at home and gave up after a few tries. We first tried when she turned 2, and might have tried again a few times here and there. Finally one random day when she was ~2.5, she came home from nursery school declaring that she was potty trained. Lo and behold, she stopped wearing diapers and started going to the bathroom on her own. Moral of the story is, don’t stress! Your child might not be ready when you are, and it’s ok. I remember this being a quite stressful chapter. Good luck to all!

The OXO Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty is a must-have. I keep one at home on their toilet, and one in the stroller for when we are out and about in the city. It’s really handy because when they first got potty trained, they can’t hold it long enough for you to find a bathroom! And it’s much more hygienic.

Before starting potty training, it’s good to get them familiar with the concept by reading some books. We liked the Sesame Street P is for Potty!

All of this is really for day time potty training. Night time diaper off was a whole other story for us. There are no real tips there, but I did line the bed with these wee wee pads.

KIDS GIFT IDEAS

Infants:

any stuffies by Jelly Cat
best gift board books:
- Art for Baby
- board books by Sandra Boynton
- Hippopposites, Rhymoceros,

Age 3+, girl: love love love Super Smalls jewelry

For kids ages 4+, a good (themed) LEGO set is always a safe bet.

Age 7+, girl: Rainbow Loom, Mega Set

I love to add a good book as part of a gift:

Age 3+

Piggie and Gerald series. Some of my faves: Waiting is Not Easy, XX
The Big Book of Bugs

Age 5/6+: Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, InvestiGators, Captain Underpants series

Beauty:

Some of my favorite beauty items:

Dry lips in the winter? Laneige Lip Mask
Concealer (I use #1.5 Natural Beige)
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40
Supergoop! Mineral Matte Sunscreen SPF 40 (I can send you a referral for $10 off; FYI you can use FSA money for any items with SPF)