Also to be honest, after chatting with a pregnant friend who was feeling isolated and down while self-quarantining, she told me that she decided to think of something positive and do something positive by setting up her baby registry. And that further inspired me to write this post. I hope that it helps any mom-to-be’s out there and allows them to focus on the joy in their lives right now, which is their soon to be little baby in her arms while creating their registry. Plus keep reading because Hello Bello is giving away a years worth of Hello Bello diapers and wipes.

 1. HELLO BELLO “POOP PRINT” DIAPERS

For full transparency, Walmart has sponsored this post, but all of my reviews for each of these products are my own! I chose all of the products simply because they helped me raise my kiddos. In my opinion this list is the best of the best and the things that without a doubt I could not have gone without during the first couple years of my kiddos lives. And some of the things we still use to this day!

So for those of you in my Facebook group that of us have been asking about baby registry items, I hope this is super helpful for you! And for anyone who just stumbled across this blog post who might be expecting, I’m glad you’re here and I hope this helps you so much and takes your mind off the craziness in the world right now! Or maybe you already have little ones and you’re reading this post, and in that case there are some items that I think are worth getting even if you have toddlers! Starting with my #1 item for getting your kiddos to sleep longer!

Hatch Baby Rest

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while than you know I talked about the Hatch Baby Rest a dozen times! Whether it’s on my blog or my Instagram stories, I cannot sing the praises of this product more! We started using it I believe when Molly was about 1 1/2, but I could be remembering wrong. But I do know we started using it with Riley around 8 months old. Did he understand the light completely eight months old? No, it took a little bit of getting used to. But he learned very quickly.

1. HATCH BABY REST

Okay, okay. I’m getting ahead of myself, so what is the Hatch Baby Rest? It is an ok-to-wake light that basically turns on at whatever time you set it to and it lets your child know it’s okay to wake up and get out of their bed. Or if they’re in a crib, it lets them know it’s okay to wake up and start calling for mommy and daddy. Actually you can manually change the light from an app in your phone or you can set it turn on at a certain time every morning or a certain time after every nap. I used to have Molly and Riley’s automatically turn on at 6:30 AM every morning but, now I’ve actually changed it so that when I hear them making noise I’ll wait a few minutes and then turn it on and go get them. Only because now they’re great sleepers so I don’t even really have to worry about it!

I swear both of my kids used to either yell for me in the morning to come get them or talk loudly asking for me to go get them in the morning and then after this light they are almost completely silent until the light turns on. Molly is almost 4 now and she will quietly talk to herself in the bed and even sometimes ask the fairies to come in her room to turn the light on when she wakes up in the morning. But that girl will not take one step out of her bed until the light turns on. I recommend you start using it when your child is young just like we did with Riley – I say it’s never too early to start. A baby can understand the process of the light coming on and then a parent coming in the room well before they can talk.

 1. HATCH BABY REST

Joovy Double Stroller

So I haven’t had the stroller since the kids were infants, but I just think it’s a game changer for parents so I had to add it to this list. To be honest we’ve had a few different double strollers. And the reason I ended up getting this one even though we already had one is because we were going on a trip and I knew I needed something really light weight and super easy to fold up for the plane. This stroller did not disappoint! I love it so much that we now use it even when we’re not traveling!

1. DOUBLE STROLLER | 2. SLIP-ON SNEAKERS

It is so lightweight, super easy to collapse and unfold, and has a strap so you can easily throw it over your shoulder to carry when it’s folded up. In the picture below you can see Molly and Riley in it when we were on a trip to Indiana. While I don’t have any pictures of our of them in it on our trip to Hawaii, we also brought it to Hawaii. So if you have two kiddos and you need a good double stroller, I highly recommend this one! Or if you have one child and you’re expecting your second definitely put this on a registry if you have one for your sprinkle!

 1. JOOVY DOUBLE STROLLER

Joovy Spoon Baby Walker

I know this post is about items that we used when our kids were infants that we still use now, but I really want to add the J00vy Spoon even though Riley doesn’t use it anymore just because I was just talking about their stroller which reminded me of the Spoon and how much we loved it. I want to start this with the caveat that there’s been some discussion online that walkers like this are not safe because a lot of kids end up in the hospital from injuries related to baby walkers. And the reason for that is that these walkers allow kids to reach things that they normally wouldn’t be able to reach when they’re a baby and it also makes it easy for a child to fall down the stairs. So I want to start by saying baby proof your home! We used this Joovy Spoon walker with both of our kids, and you guys know because you saw in my Instagram stories all the time, and we never had one injury! And that’s because we made sure the stairs were and still are blocked off with a baby gate, we made sure that objects that were not safe were out of reach of our kids, and really we just made sure to keep an eye on the kids whenever they were in it. Now let me tell you I love it!

 1. JOOVY SPOON BABY WALKER

When your baby is around the age where they can sit up but not really crawl well, life can get a little bit frustrating for them! They want to get to things and they want to explore, but they can’t because they don’t quite know how to yet. That’s where this baby walker comes into play! We would pop Molly and Riley into the Joovy Spoon and they were able to use their little legs to push around the house and explore everything. It made them feel more apart of what was going on in their environment. Riley would have so much fun pushing this thing back-and-forth around our house laughing and smiling. I have the best memories of it! We also fed the kids in this a lot. Because of the tray it’s so easy to put food down in front of them and let them eat while exploring. Although keep your eyes on them in this case for, because those little sticky hands will get all over your furniture and walls while they’re exploring while eating. Ha!

There’s also been some talk about how putting babies in a walker like this can delay walking. I highly disagree because Riley walked at eight months old. And we used this thing all the time! So do your research, baby proof your house, and decide if it’s right for you. For us, we used this every single day multiple times a day and it just made our lives so much easier.

 1. JOOVY SPOON BABY WALKER

Diapers

Back to things use used from infancy until now! I want to talk about diapers next because you’re obviously going to need a lot of them! But the reason I’m mentioning it here is because Walmart is doing a really cool giveaway with Hello Bello diapers right now that I want to tell you guys about. You guys may know that Hello Bello is Kristen Bell and Dad Sheppard’s brand and to celebrate the brand turning one years old they are giving away a years worth of Hello Bello diapers and wipes to families in need throughout the month of March. So to check out that giveaway go here and find out how you can enter via Instagram stories. Given what is going on in our world this giveaway couldn’t be more important.

By the way, how cute is Riley in this little poop diaper print that they have? That’s one thing I absolutely love that their diapers is that they have the cutest designs for different holidays or occasions or just funny ones like the one Riley has on now!

 1. HELLO BELLO DIAPERS | 2. OVERALLS

Real quick because these overalls are also from Walmart, so I definitely recommend adding them to your cart if you’re doing some shopping right now. Usually what I do when I buy clothes from Walmart and I want to get free shipping is I will add diapers or soap to my cart to make the total over $35 so I can get the free shipping. They are items I need anyway so I legit never pay for shipping when I order from Walmart. Even if I’m buying a $9 shirt.

Anyway, these overalls are ridiculously comfy and perfect for any mom or any woman! I would say they’re true to size. I got a medium and I’m normally a medium and they’re not made of denim. I think they’re made of cotton. It’s a super soft material whatever it is – and they are only $29! Also, they are a great option for moms who are still nursing. Because you can easily unclip your overalls to nurse with a nursing tank underneath.

Organic Bedding

One of the biggest stresses about as a new parent is getting your child to sleep! I’ve written dozens of blog posts about sleep training or ways to set up your kids room for the best night sleep so trust me I get it that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get those precious Zzz’s! Not only for yourself but for your baby as well. One of the things that I found very important to me when both my kiddos were infants was to have organic bedding, but it’s not always affordable to buy organic bedding and that’s unfortunate. So I wanted to quickly share Little Star Organics with you guys because they have really cute organic clothes and bedding that is really affordable for everyone. I am absolutely obsessed with this crib sheet that has hearts on it. I almost bought it for Riley’s bed, but then the second sheet that comes in the pack is pink and didn’t really fit with the decor in his nursery, so I decided to get this moon print instead. I’ll link the hearts below for you to see! Honestly Riley is so obsessed with the moon and he loves this crib sheet! I know you might think I’m full of it saying that my 22-month-old is obsessed with his crib sheets, but I am telling you the honest truth! He gets so excited to show me the moons every morning!

 1. ORGANIC MOON SHEETS | 2. CRIB 

And we’ve been a fan of the brand for a while. As you can see in this picture of Riley below, he is snuggled up with one of their blankets. I’m not quite sure how old he is in this picture. I think maybe 14 or 15 months? He’s about 22 months now. It’s crazy how time flies. I just realized that this pajamas are also from Little Star Organics and they are still available in a lot of sizes.

1. ORGANIC BLANKET | 2. PAJAMAS

4mom Pack n Play

We own two of these pack and plays. And we have use them so many times! Not only for kids when traveling, because there was a point or both of our kids were in cribs, but also when friends come over to visit. My friend Stef and her family visits as often here in Los Angeles. She has three young boys, which over the last few years have been in cribs. Her youngest is just two weeks younger than Riley so he still in a crib. And every time they visit it’s so nice to have a safe and comfortable place for her kiddos to sleep. We just pop up at the pack and play and it’s her little guys bed! And when we travel down to San Diego to visit her, we just throw the 4Mom’s pack and play in our car so Riley has a place to sleep down there. Last time we went down there both Molly and Riley were still sleeping in cribs so we bought brought both of our pack and plays.

I remember before we had them, we visited my mom and sister in Massachusetts when Molly was just a baby. My sister had one of those old-school pack and plays that is absolutely impossible to figure out how to open or breakdown. I think it took Kevin and I an hour and a half to figure out how to set it up. Ha! But the 4Moms one, you literally just push out the middle of it and it opens and then you pull a little loop in the middle of it to close it when you’re done. It cannot be easier and literally takes less than two seconds to set up. Put this guy on your registry for sure!

 1. PACK AND PLAY

4moms High Chair

Sticking with this brand, I also highly recommend the 4Mom’s high chair. Riley has this chair and he’s been using it ever since he could sit up. I can’t remember exactly what age that was, but it was early on and he still uses this high chair and will for quite some time. The reason I like it so much for younger children/infants is because the chair slightly leans back so it makes it more comfortable for your child and they’re really young. What I also love is that uses magnets not only to secure the tray to the chair, but there’s also magnets within the tray so that your child can’t push their bowl or fork off of the tray as easily as they normally can. It won’t work with just any bowl. 4Moms has a special bowl that I believe has either a magnet or metal somewhere in it that makes it stick to the magnetic tray. But any metal fork or spoon will work with it. I just really loved it and highly recommend it because you will use it for years.

 1. HIGH CHAIR | 2. LEARNING TOWER

Floor Foam Mat

Whatever you do – do not buy a play mat that comes in those jigsaw pieces that you put together. They will never stay together because your kids will rip them up and I feel like so much little pieces of dirt and debris gets in between them. I know this because we got one like that for Molly. And by the time she was mobile she was ripping it up and pieces were just all over the place. However, we got this foam mat for Riley. I can’t even tell you how many of you guys sent me messages asking for details on it. I don’t know if this is the exact brand we have, but I think it is. I just liked it because of the subtle gray and white pattern on one side. It is reversible and has a fun pattern on the other side. But you guys know me I like my white and neutral colors. Ha! It’s definitely pricier than the jigsaw foam mats, but I think it’s worth it. And once again if this is an item you can get somebody to get you off your registry, you’re golden. We still use this everyday, as I am sure you know from the many “birthday parties” on my stories.

 1. FOAM MAT

BONUS: Dress Pants

Ha, this definitely isn’t an item that was used from infancy to now, BUT I just got in this amazing pair of dress pants from Walmart. They seriously just arrived as I was writing this post, so I didn’t even take a photo yet. But they are seriously so comfortable, flattering, and affordable. They were seriously $20, which is incredible for a pair of dress pants! I highly recommend adding them to your order if you get any of these baby items. And if you don’t love them as much as I do, Walmart has the best return policy. It is so easy!

Let’s Help Each Other Out

I’m trying to think of more items that I used from infancy until now with Molly or Riley and I can’t quite think of anymore. There’s other items we’ve actually loved over the years and I’ve written tons of blog post about my favorite baby registry items that I definitely recommend checking out – I will link a few here, here, and here, but you can also search under Motherhood on the top toolbar, but I think these are the main ones that stick out to me today.

However, the whole point of this blog is for us to help each other so I would love to hear the items that you felt you got the most long-term use out of with your kiddos. I feel like hearing from me and hearing from all of you will really help moms out who are deciding whether or not an expensive item is worth purchasing or putting on the registry. Sometimes it’s not worth it if it’s something you use for a few months. But I think if it’s something you use over the years it’s definitely worth it if you can afford it or if you can convince someone to get it for you on your registry! So let’s share in the comments below and hopefully help some moms out there who are sitting home right now and trying to see the positive in all of this madness by setting up their registries!

The post My Top Picks For Infancy that Last Until They Are Toddlers appeared first on Ali Manno (Fedotowsky).

The absolute coolest thing about my blog is that it’s brought together a community of women all over the country and even world who are here supporting each other. I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am of that! It’s something I’ve dreamt about creating for so long and now that it’s here in the form of this blog I just feel so grateful. And I’m equally as grateful that companies see and recognize this. Invitae, which I will tell you all about with this blog post, reached out to me recently and told me about their at-home genetic carrier screening tests. and ask me to share them with you guys. And I basically shouted…YES!!!!!

Invitae Genetic Carrier Testing

I immediately told them that I had genetic carrier screening done when I was pregnant with Molly and I was so glad I did! So knowing that it’s something that I had done before, they asked if I would help spread the message of what they’re trying to do and I agreed without hesitation. Having a family has been the greatest joy and gift of my life and I know family planning can be an amazing time in someone’s life but also a confusing and stressful time as well. So I wanted to share with you guys my experience and tell you about how you can do the tests at home as well.

And no, I am not pregnant. Ha! Just squashing that rumor right now. However, baby number three is definitely not completely off the table for our family. So that being said, and the fact that I feel so strongly about the importance of genetic testing is why I want to share all the info I can about Invitae with you. No matter if you are in the early stages of family planning, or already pregnant, Invitae provides you the tools and knowledge to take control and action with your life and family. Carrier screening is a way to find out if you have a gene variant that could potentially be inherited by your baby and cause a genetic condition. Most of us are carriers for at least one genetic condition that could be passed down to your kids, and by gaining insight from genetic testing, you are able to plan ahead, get any necessary follow-up testing or care for your future baby (if needed), and make decisions that are best for your family.

It Provides You with Knowledge About Yourself and Your Future Babies

When we did genetic testing while I was pregnant with Molly, both Kevin and I did the test. That’s because most of the time a genetic variant has to be passed down by both parents to cause the types of genetic diseases that a carrier screen tests for. Even though I was already pregnant, by doing testing I was gaining invaluable information about conditions we could have passed down to Molly. For families that do find variants, this allows time during pregnancy to do any additional testing needed for their baby and make considerations about the birth, such as having a specialist on hand for a certain condition.

Many people think of genetic testing as something that can only be done in a hospital, and also highly expensive. And the truth is, in the past, it was! But Invitae has allowed families the choice to learn about their future health risk and open the conversation during their planning. Invitae’s testing doesn’t just look at variants that could affect future children, but you can also take a proactive screen that will help you understand if you are at an increased risk of developing a disease in the future. Invitae also offers genetic counselor support for guidance on any actionable insights. This includes information that you can bring to your physician to integrate with your current medical care. They also can provide guidance on any specialists you may want to see..

I cannot emphasize enough how important I think genetic carrier testing is, not only for you, but for your future children. For those of you that might be still in the planning stages, the genetic testing offers you information to take any necessary steps for your family planning. It screens for 288 genetic disorders, and the information can easily be sent over to your physician through the online portal. By having all the information, you are allowing yourself choices during your reproductive and pregnancy journey, like knowing which disorders to check for during prenatal testing or deciding to utilize other options such as IVF or egg or sperm donation.

Do It On Your Own Time

One of the best parts about this is the fact that you can do it on your own time. You initiate an order for the medical-quality genetic test online fromInvitae, it’s reviewed and approved by a clinician partner, and then it is shipped right to your home. Life can be hectic, and this puts the information and knowledge in your own hands, without the need to make an appointment or spend time in a doctor’s office for testing. As the patient, we can initiate the testing and care on our own, which I think is truly special. My test showed up at my door, and all I had to do was spit into a tube and place it back into the pre-labeled package they provided and sent it right back. It couldn’t have been easier – and to think it’s something that I spent so much time doing at the doctor’s in the past, I am so grateful for these medical advancements and Invitae. Oh, and not only is it easily accessible, but Invitae has made genetic testing affordable. They also take HSA and FSA! How great is that?! It is so accessible and affordable.

Comparing it to the testing that I did with Molly, I can tell you that it  saved me time by being able to take the test at home rather than going to the doctor’s office to get the genetic test done.Not only that, but carrier screening can be done before you go into your OB 8-week appointment (or when you’re even just thinking of getting pregnant) with results all ready. Speaking about the results experience, I want to share mine with you.

My Results + Experience

Like I said, baby #3 isn’t completely off the table, and I also wanted to compare the results that I had gotten before with Invitae, knowing they test for almost 300 genes. Once I got my results back, I set up an appointment with one of their genetic experts to not only explain the results, but also work with them on a plan for how to move forward with care for myself. It was easy to schedule online and the appointment took place over the phone (which is great for us busy moms). The genetic counselor was so knowledgeable and helped explain what my results meant, answer my questions, and did a great job of explaining what this means for any future children. I’ve decided to keep my results part of the process private, but don’t worry, I have nothing to be concerned about! Again, I TRULY believe that genetic testing is so important. Not only for family planning, but to have the knowledge about yourself as well. Knowledge is power. Invitae provides that for you, and so much more. I am so thankful that they reached out about partnering with me. I highly recommend Invitae and have been so impressed with my experience with them. Have you done a genetic carrier screening test before? Did it impact your family planning or assist with learning more about care for your body? I’d love to chat below!

The post Genetic Testing + Family Planning: Why I Did It appeared first on Ali Manno (Fedotowsky).

Also, my girlfriend called me yesterday morning to tell me that her toddler was vomiting all night. I threw a care package together with some of the things in this blog post and was in my car on my way to her place within 10 mins. I know how awful it is with sick little ones at home and I wanted to help her with all the things/tips you guys told/gave me when my kids were sick.

Molly’s Sickness

Let me take a second to talk about Molly’s sickness. It started with the stomach flu and nonstop vomiting for 24 hours. And then quickly developed into a fever that lasted a full 8 days. Her temperature ranged anywhere from 101-104.5 during that 8 days. That week was honestly some of the scariest days of my life.

Molly legit has not had a fever since she was born. I just never dealt with a sickness like that with my kids and it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever gone through. Then to finish out her sickness, she got stuck with a nasty wet cough and sore throat. So as you can imagine we went through so many different things to try to keep her as comfortable as possible during this time. And I want to share some of those things with you in my blog today because if there’s anything that I can possibly do to help any other parent out there that went through what I went through with Molly, I have to do it!

I don’t know if any of these tips are going to be particularly novel for any of you, but I just feel compelled to share. There’s absolutely nothing worse in this world than watching your child go through a bad sickness. And anything and everything we can do as parents to help them is valuable in my opinion.

And I can’t forget about Riley. While he didn’t catch Molly’s illness, he has been sick with colds plenty of times since he was born. He’s been sick more since he was born than Molly has been sick in her entire life. I think that’s just pretty common with second children. With our first child, we sanitized everything to try to keep the germs away. But with a second child, you just can’t keep up.

Have you seen those memes with a mother and her first baby where the mama picks the pacifier up off the floor and washes and sanitize it multiple times before giving it back to the baby? And then with the second baby the mom picks the pacifier up off the floor, sticks in her mouth and then sticks it back in the baby’s mouth? It makes me laugh because it’s truly such a good representation of what it’s like with a first child versus a second child. And, I actually think we did Molly a disservice by keeping everything so clean when she was little because we didn’t build up her immune system enough. Now she’s sick all the time and brings that sickness from school home to Riley, so now he’s sick all the time. At least by the time he goes to preschool he’ll have a good immune system.

OK, I think I’ve explained enough why this blog post means so much to me. So here are my top tips for keeping your baby and toddler comfortable when they’re sick. And the reason I say “when” is because unfortunately all kids get sick during the winter. It’s just inevitable. So hopefully they are as comfortable as they can be, until they are smiling like this again

RILEY’S 3 PIECE OUTFIT (IT’S UNDER $20)

Convenience is Key When You Need All Your Focus on Your Kiddo

Everything in this blog post is from Walmart. You guys know I shop there a lot and work with them a lot. The reason I like them so much is because they have affordable prices that are attainable for everyone and I love the convenience of being able to order things online and pick them up in the store. And by pick them up in the store, I mean you drive up curbside and someone brings them to your car which is just a game changer! So hopefully if you need some things for your sick kiddos, you can just quickly put them in your cart right now, drive over to Walmart and someone will bring these items right up to your car so you don’t have to get yourself or your child out of the car.

1 – Medication

This is such an obvious tip but it has to be my first one because honestly Tylenol and Motrin absolutely saved us when Molly was sick with a fever. It was a scary few days and I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t have something to help bring her fever down. And while that’s an obvious recommendation, I want to give a not so obvious one as well.

When your child is sick with something like a cold, I really highly recommend Wellements. There’s also Zarbees, another really great natural over-the-counter medications for babies and for children. I just always use Wellements because I have used it since my kids were born. I also love that they come in glass bottles. They have nighttime cough and mucus support for kiddos and for babies. And daytime medicine for both kids and babies. But I also looooooove a good natural chest rub. Whenever Riley and Molly are sick, we rub it on their chests before bed. It really truly helps them breathe at night.

1. ORGANIC BLANKET | 2. MY SWEATER | 3. MY $9 JEANS

And get masks!!! I wore one almost the entire time Molly and I were sick. I wanted to do everything in my power to keep little Riley from catching what we had. And it worked! Well, that and other things like wiping everything down constantly and keeping Molly and Riley separate as mush as possible.

I also want to add here that a good probiotic is really important too. When Molly and Riley both had pooping issues when they were younger, we would give them both a probiotic. I hate to admit that we have totally slacked on that over the last six months or so. But when Molly got the stomach flu we immediately went out and bought probiotics and I wish we never went off them. Riley gets a mix that goes in his water cup. Molly is a little bit more picky when it comes to drinking a whole cup of water on the spot so we tend to give her chewables because she thinks their candy. I’m not particular to any brand yet. But I linked a few that I like below and that the kids seem to like.

2 – A Great Thermometer

You guys might think I’m insane but I ended up buying this for Molly. It’s the exact one that the pediatrician at our doctors office uses and I had to have it. Let me explain why. Maybe a year back we had a thermometer and we kept trying to take Molly‘s temperature with it and it said she had a fever. I was so concerned that we would taker her into the doctor and once we got there they would say she doesn’t have a fever. So I would take her home and go through the exact same thing the next day. Take her temperature, see she had a fever and take her back to the doctor. Only to get to the doctor and for them to tell me she didn’t have a fever. So finally after three days of doing this I brought my thermometer with me to the doctors office and realized it was reading her temperature to be way higher than it actually was. I was so upset that I made a crazy impulse buy right then and there on my phone while at the doctors office and got this almost $400 thermometer. Again, it was an emotional impulse buy.

1. SIMILAR PRINCESS CROWN | 2. THERMOMETER

I realize buying a $400 thermometer is not in most people‘s budgets. It’s not even in my budget! I was a little bit cuckoo that day. Anyway, I do highly recommend a thermometer. But I’ve also heard such amazing things from my friends who have this from thermometer and this thermometer. They both told me about them after I told them I blew my bank account for the month after buying the super expensive thermometer. Ha ha! But at the end of the day the only thing that matters is having a really good reliable thermometer so you’re not getting false readings. The reason, just to give you context that I was so upset about reading her temperature wrong all that time, is that I was giving her medication for a fever because I thought she had one when she didn’t. And I never want to give my kids meds that they don’t need. Hence a great thermometer is so so so important!

3 – A Breathable Blanket (if old enough) and jammies

Ask my husband, what’s the one thing I stress about more in regards to the kids well-being than anything else? He will without a doubt tell you it’s that I worry about whether or not they’re hot or cold at night. Seriously it’s like a weird obsession. And that obsession gets 10 times worse when one of them is sick. When they have colds, I’m so so so worried that they’re freezing in the middle of the night. And then when Molly had a fever recently I was so worried that she was scorching hot in the middle of the night. And that’s why I think pajamas that are breathable are so important when your kiddo is sick. At least it is for me. I’m no doctor but I feel like it helps them regulate their own body temperature better and I like giving them a breathable blanket so that they can cover up if they’re cold or uncover if they’re warm.

1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. ORGANIC BLANKET | 3. MY SWEATER | 4. MY $9 JEANS

I just recently started feeling comfortable enough putting a blanket in Riley‘s crib and he’s 1 & 1/2. I think maybe around 14 months we put a breathable blanket in there for the first time. But of course, always do what you feel comfortable with and what is recommended by your pediatrician. I really love these blankets from Walmart. They are their little star organic bedding line which has the cutest prints and, if you can’t already tell by the name, it’s organic. I really like anything that goes into the crib with my child to be natural and/or organic. Whether that’s pajamas, blankets or the medication they’re taking. Unless of course it’s for a fever.

1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. ORGANIC BLANKET

4 – Popsicles

I have to share this because I honestly do not know what I would’ve done without these popsicles when Molly was sick. I got the idea from all of you! I asked you guys for advice when she was sick and hundreds of you told me popsicles are the answer, and in particular these popsicles. In the middle of the night when Molly wouldn’t take a single sip of water because she couldn’t keep it down I brought her downstairs and gave her one of these popsicles. Not only did she miraculously not throw it back up, but she was enjoying it. Not like she normally would but it was the first time I saw a half smile on her face in a full day because she had been puking all day long.

POPSICLES

That popsicle might as well have been a bar of gold in my mind. It meant everything to me. I was so sure that 10 minutes after having it she would be vomiting again but she wasn’t. But she would take one sip of water and throw that back up. I don’t get it, it doesn’t make sense to me, but these popsicles saved my life and I had to tell you about them. If you’re reading this right now, buy them because you can keep them in your pantry and then just throw them in the freezer as you need them.

1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. POPSICLES

Every parent should have these in their pantry in my opinion. Now we will always have them in stock. So go ahead and put them in your cart and buy them right now and thank me later. Plus they don’t sell them already frozen so you definitely want to have them handy in your fridge when you need them.

5- Mommy and Daddy

At the end of the day when your kids are sick they want you. I called into work and stayed by Molly’s side the entire time she was sick. And I get that not everybody has the luxury to do that. Some people have to go to work to pay the bills. And I can’t even tell you how much I thought about that the week Molly was sick. I thought about how many parents had to go to work when their children were as sick as Molly was. And it absolutely broke my heart! I just wanna say that because if anybody reading this is in that situation know that my heart is with you and that I admire you for sacrificing everything you do for your children. That said, if you’re able to be with them, be with them. Even if you’re only able to be with them a little extra than you normally are. Whether that’s a few extra cuddles or extra stories. I think it’s the best medicine of all.

1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. ORGANIC BLANKET | 3. MY SWEATER | 4. MY $9 JEANS

Talk to Your Doctor

I also want to say that the flu is a VERY SERIOUS thing and you should always consult your doctor when your child is sick. These are just the things I did that really helped me and my family.

My Cutie

Couldn’t end this post without adding this cute little 3 piece outfit from my insta stories so you guys can have the link to it. The entire outfit in under $20 and is so darling. I mean….how cuuuuuute!!!! He looks like a little banker or something. Ha. I am  just so grateful he is healthy and Molly is healthy again.

RILEY’S 3 PIECE OUTFIT

Well there you have it. These tips might not be mind blowing to you. But when your child is sick and you’re desperate for answers, I hope this blog post rings a bell and is something you can quickly come to and order all of these things without even having to think about it. There’s nothing worse than seeing your child suffer, especially from a sickness, and I hope this blog post helps even one parent out there help their children feel better when they need it the most.

And while you are here and picking up things from Walmart anyway, I will link this blog post I did all about my favorite toys from Walmart in case you are looking for some good gift ideas for your kids on my site today. Walmart also has from great Cyber weekend deals on car-seats that you should totally check out. xoxo

Thanks for sponsoring this post Walmart!

The post How I Care for My Sick Baby and Toddler appeared first on Ali Manno (Fedotowsky).