Today’s DC Ladies prompt is about the 10 things I can’t live without. I could easily tick off Diet Coke, Blissoma Stress Relief Serum (how have they not made me a brand ambassador yet?) and my knock-off Toms, but this blog leans more towards parenting (I can’t bring myself to call it a ‘mommy blog’ yet), so how about ‘10 Things I Couldn’t Have Lived Without for the Past 16 Months‘? It’s a long title, but it is what it is. And I probably have mentioned a few of these before in my Registry Must Haves post, but they are SO worth mentioning again.

{Teething Necklace} The concept of a teething necklace is amazing. Especially if you ‘wear’ your kid regularly. It kept Mike busy chewing while I working and I didn’t have to worry about him ruining my ‘good jewelry’ (harhar) or swallowing a bead. I am a big fan of Chunky Potatoes because they are really well made and pretty enough to wear around without looking like a frazzled Mom with tacky jewelry.

{Pinch Guards} Mike’s favorite thing to do right now is open and close doors and open them again. We are moving in a few month and didn’t want to buy a ton of childproof door locks and in some cases (like his bedroom door) we didn’t mind if he went in and out as he pleases. But we worry about his little fingers. Enter pinch guards. A stupid simple, cheap solution. They are foam, slip on the edge of the door and keep it from closing. Plus they are easy on and off.

{Burts Bees Multipurpose Ointment} Have you seen the Frank’s Red Hot commercial where the old lady says she ‘puts that shit on everything’? Well when it comes to BBMO I put that shit on everything. Diaper rash, dry skin, dry lips, everything. Even if you don’t have kids, buy this – I even slather it on me! It’s like petroleum jelly without the petroleum (apparently that’s bad) and the icky smell and feel. That tub lasts freaking forever too.

{Summer Infant Video Monitor} This is a case where S. was right. I poo-pooed a video monitor since we lived in a small apartment, but it has been such a blessing. We can see when Mike is mumbling in his sleep, if his diaper leaked and even listen to him when he is playing alone in his room. It was worth the investment AND the Summer Infant model we got is on the low end and has worked perfectly.

{Baby K’Tan} If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you know I love me some baby wearing. I don’t do it as often anymore since I am not working from home with a baby, but I recommend it to everyone I know. While Moby is a popular brand (I haven’t tried it, so I don’t have an opinion), I recommend the Baby K’Tan. It is 2 pieces and really easy to put on, stick the kid in and take off solo. There isn’t a lot of room for error. Also, I am a plus sized momma (size 18/20) and the XL fits me perfect.

{Wubba Nubba} Oh Wubba Nubba. While other kids were starting to wean from their pacifier, Mike was discovering his. I might be in denial, but Mike doesn’t seem too addicted, we can easily take it away from him, but for now he loves it. I am not about to defend my 16 month old and his Wubba. They are hard to lose too!

{Ergo} Before Mike made an appearance I found an Ergo on Craigslist dirt cheap and now that he is getting bigger and heavier, it’s our carrier of choice. It is easy to maneuver solo and Mike is comfortable in it. It’s worth the price point because it can be used for so long. Also, the Ergo company is amazing – they do a lot of social good and have a lot of resources for their products.

{Fisher Price iPad Protector} Shall we debate how much ‘screen time’ kids should have? No? Good. Mike has a normal amount of screen time on the iPad playing lots of fun games, but money doesn’t grow on trees. Every time he presses on the screen I hold my breath. Thankfully Fisher Price heard our gasps and created an iPad protector. Now, I need to say, it is a flawed product – you need a coin to open it, you can’t manage the volume or the home button (hint – flip the iPad around in the case). However, it’s the best thing on the market. You can drop it, push on it and yes, drool on it without incident.

{Homedics Sound Spa} Have I talked to you about Sleep Sense by Dana Olbeman? If not, you are lucky. I really want to invite her to Thanksgiving dinner. That woman is a saint. A SAINT! I digress. So Sleep Sense mentions getting a noise machine to help with sleep and Homedics has a great one. It has a variety of sounds and a timer. The best feature is it is PERFECT for travel. It can run on batteries and slide right into the diaper bag.

{Medicine Bottle} It’s amazing how the smallest thing makes the biggest difference. Mike wasn’t a fan of any liquid medicine and we tried everything. It was like wrestling an alligator. We stumbled upon a medicine bottle and ta-da! We fill it, put a few drops of formula and he is none the wiser. Granted, he has gotten much better with medicine in a dropper, but I am not tossing our medicine bottle supply any time soon. And at $2.50 get a couple.

What did I miss? Anything you couldn’t live without?

The DC Ladies want to know about my fall obsessions, but really all my fall obsessions are just, well, obsessions. I mean, yeah. I like pumpkin lattes, falling leaves and sweaters, but what else is new? How about we just talk about my 10 current obsessions.

{Podcasts} I’ve always talked about my craptastic commute and my undying love of podcasts. I work for a great company, but my office is SILENT. We are the satellite office and the technology department, so the AC and keyboard taps are all you hear. My podcasts, specifically the Mike O’Meara Show, Dear Mattie and Truth and Iliza keep me company. What are your favorites?

{Infused Water} Drinking water is about as much fun as being water boarded. I finally dove into some Pinterest boards and made a few mason jars of infused waters. Wow! I am loving having a big ole quart of water with pretty peaches and kiwis floating about. I am for sure drinking more water these days AND wearing a path in the carpet between my desk and the bathroom.

{Atkins Candies} Did I mention we are back on the Atkins low carb living train? We fell off and then said train backed over us. Me specifically. It’s still the first week and I am not sure how much I’ve lost, but I’ve FELT better and that’s what matters. Sugar is my vice and the Atkins Candies really fill that void. It’s a pretty sizable bag and they taste JUST like ‘real’ M&Ms!

{Boogie Wipes} Who said Boogie Wipes are for babies? I have a huge pack at my desk, a travel size in my car, another huge pack at home and I use them constantly. They are soft saline wipes for runny, sore noses. Grape scented of course.

{Lane Bryant Tanks} I seem to wear a cami every day and I LOVE Lane Bryant’s Smooth Stretch Cami. I’ve been really disappointed lately with LB’s offerings AND price point, but these are worth every penny.

{Watching Mike Play Alone} I am going to blog on this later, but I love watching Mike play alone. After a day at daycare with his friends he seems to really need some time alone and S. is great about giving him that (since he does pickup and has about an hour before I get home). There is something really cool to see how his imagination works and what he THINKS he should be doing with toys. It’s hard not to correct him on ‘how to play’ (who knew?) but it is vital to his independence and creativity.

{Jane the Virgin} Have you seen the CW’s new show Jane the Virgin? It’s so cute and has a great storyline. Even S. likes it!

{Stylus Pens} Now that I am using my iPad at work I picked up a few stylus pens from the Dollar Tree. The price was right and turns out I actually LOVE these pens! They write nicely and are convenient.

{Method Bodywash} I love Method brand and even though their body wash is a little more than I would spend I deserve something that smells awesome. Right now I am lathering up with the Kelly Moss scent. I am pretty sure you can only get it at Target.

{Essie Sleek Sticks} If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I scored big at the Dollar Tree (do you see a trend?) a few weeks ago and found some Essie Sleek Sticks nail stickers. These retail about $10 at beauty stores so I stocked up. I am not usually a fan of the nail stickers but these are really nice and easy peasy.