It can be really overwhelming trying to figure out where to start when shopping for your toddler. Or maybe your baby is still an infant, and you don’t know what to expect, but you’re just trying to be prepared. I swear Theo went from infant to toddler overnight, even before his first birthday! I hope my list of essentials and the “why” help you!!

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Pop-Up High Chair:
This high chair has been one of our most-used toddler items. We bring it to us whenever we go out to eat, and Theo is able to avoid using the germy AF restaurant high chairs. It also has a removable and dishwasher safe tray. This is also a must-have for our first #mommonday participant, Alex! If you buy one thing off this list, this is IT.

Fisher Price Little People “Big” School Bus:
This bus has provided hours of endless entertainment for Theo. He loves taking the little people and little animals, and putting them on and off the bus. He also really likes opening and closing the doors. It’s the simple things.

Foamnasium / Nugget:
Another very highly used item in our house. Theo will climb up and down this thing all day. We have the Foamnasium Blocksy Mini, which is a vinyl material and super easy to wipe down in case of spills. The Nugget is a *very popular* option but it feels like they are virtually impossible to get. Although, the Foamnasium is backordered right now too.

iPad/Amazon Fire Tablet:
Please don’t @ me. My opinion is that a tablet is a must-have for a toddler on-the-go. I realize this isn’t everyone’s parenting philosophy, but if Theo will sit nicely after a dinner out so mom and dad can finish their drinks, while watching Dora (quietly), it is a win-win situation for everyone. We tried out the Fire kids tablet and honestly were not impressed, so we have a refurbished iPad on order for Theo. Either are really great options though. And both have kid-friendly cases that they can carry around by the handle.

Bath books:
Bath toys make me wary because of the horror stories I have read about toxic mold (after becoming a mom). We love these bath books because they are fun and clean! They are definitely Theo’s favorite bath toy.

Contigo toddler cup:
This straw cup doesn’t leak and the straw comes apart for ease of cleaning. Im super neurotic about straws, and so I love the functionality of this cup.

Kyte Baby sleep sacks:
I have purchased so many sleep sacks and swaddles in Theo’s life, I could open up a store. The Kyte Baby sleep sacks are by far the best and I am going to be honest, I did not understand the hype until we got them. We keep our house pretty cool, and these keep him very toasty. They are also so soft. They are very long too so they have lots of room to grow! I just ordered the 18-36 month size to have for when he’s ready to move up, but we definitelya have some more time left in the 6-18 month size.

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