Baby Playtime

Aspen recently got some new toys to play with so we tried them out. Everly was so excited to open up the box. She then decided to sit in the box and call it her boat. So basically we won double time here because Aspen got new toys and Everly got a box. All of the toys are from Lamaze which you can find almost anywhere now. The toys range in appropriate ages depending on your child. Aspen's favorite toy was definitely the fishbowl. It is a really cute little toy and we were practicing her putting the fish "in" and "out." With Aspen being the second child, we probably don't do enough structured play like this to work on her fine motor skills so these toys are great for getting us to do that. She also got a soft book which is great because she puts everything in her mouth right now. The other two toys have clips for the stroller or car seat. I like to clip them on highchairs at restaurants also so you are not constantly picking toys up off the ground. One is a little baby doll which she absolutely loved. It has a little rattle on the front and she was even giving it hugs. The other is a dragon that you can pull and release. When you release it the wings make a clicking noise. Most toys like that just vibrate so it was cool that this made a different noise. She is still not totally sure about it but I bet it will entertain her on car rides. Considering almost everything Aspen has is second hand this was really fun for her!

the four new toys

Everly in her boat.

 

And here is a quick little video of Aspen playing with a couple of the toys. 

Blue Apron Review

A coworker of mine sent me a link to try 2 meals free from Blue Apron and I had heard lots about it before so I finally decided to do it. I am not going to lie, it was super nice to not have to meal plan/buy groceries for two nights. It was also very exciting getting the package and opening up all of the fresh ingredients. Our meals were Turkey Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and snap peas and Star Anise and Soy Glazed Cod with Gai Lan and Cashew brown rice. There were two other meals for that week that we could have chosen from. I can tell you right now, if you are picky then these meals are not for you. I know most of my siblings if not all of them would not eat these items. I don't think you have to be super adventurous but I know a lot of Americans eat very basic food. Also, I noticed a lot of the options have an Asian feel so hopefully you like that too (we do). I thought both recipes were very tasty and I think they were pretty easy for my husband to execute...but he is also a pretty good cook. I am not sure how it would have turned out if I did it. They seemed to be just about perfect portions for a family of 4. The ingredients were very fresh, although they did use a lot of packaging (adorable, too) so if you are super green you won't love that. My coworker said they provide information about recycling all of it, but I didn't see that. If I had more money, I might continue to do it a couple of nights a week, but I don't and it is pretty expensive compared to shopping for things yourself. It was nice while it lasted though!

I get excited about mail.

The instruction cards and a toddler hand who also gets excited about mail.

All the ingredients

Cod knick knacks.

Meatloaf knick knacks.

The cod. No meatloaf picture but it was also yummy!

Munch Mitt Product Review

 

Aspen still has no teeth but I would definitely say she is teething. She has had some feverish evenings where she is needy and unsettled and I swore we would see a tooth pop through, but nope, not yet. She is also drooling a ton and has her hand in her mouth all of the time. We have given her ice cubes in her mesh feeder and a bottle where the nipple is filled with frozen water and those have worked for periods of time but we recently got the opportunity to try a new teething product called a Munch Mitt. It is a little glove that you put on one hand and it has a textured silicone end for them to chew on. This is great for babies like Aspen who like to put their hand in their mouth. She immediately loved it. The glove part is also made out of a material that makes a crinkle noise so it is entertaining while soothing. It is really funny to watch her go to town on that glove but I am glad it makes her happy. It is also machine-washable so that makes life easier, too. It comes with a little bag so we can just throw it in the diaper bag and bring it with us when we are out. We are definitely Munch Mitt fans!