Jessica@SheekGeek

Baby Must Haves that Made the First Year Easier

by

I recently shared some baby items that we still use with our toddler, but there were also some items during that first year that I am so glad we had.

This baby stuff would be great to add to your baby registry or to buy for someone who is expecting.

*FTC disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links. All opinions remain my own.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Baby Items to Help You Survive the First Year:

1 – We tried a lot of tubs. We had one of those PUJ tubs (which lasted only the first two months) and even one of those blow up duck tubs (cute for pics, not so practical for baths). This sponge was the best. I’d simply fill our tub with a couple inches of water, give our little one a bath, and then roll the water out of this sponge and wedge it behind our towel bar until the next bath.

2 – Okay, if you plan on pumping at all, this is truly the end all be all. It has great suction, is battery powered (so you can WALK around while pumping), and is a closed loop system (much more sanitary and you can even resell it if you want too). I’ve literally made dinner while using this pump.

3 – I was wary of glass bottles at first, but I ended up loving these. I admit I did drop these a couple of times and they did NOT break! They cleaned really easily in the dishwasher and heated up quickly in the bottle warmer.

4 – I clipped this sound machine on the rock n play (7), crib, and even my little ones stroller while out and about. I used it A LOT and although the charger port broke, I reached out to the company and they sent me a new one for free!

5 – Initially I scoffed at bottle warmers – who needs those? Well, because I mainly pumped, I had a lot of milk in the fridge (and freezer) that was COLD. I ended up buying this during the wee hours one night and never looked back.

6 – There are lots of swaddles and I recommend swaddles in general. This one in particular is super easy and has a two way zipper for easy middle of the night diaper changes.

7 – The benefit of a rock n play is it can easily go anywhere. Ours came with to dinners at friends, holiday family parties, and even on vacation. When our little one napped, it was often in here.

8 – THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE ITEM ON THIS LIST! Seriously, I saved the best for last. Hands down, if you are anxious at all about sleeping while your child sleeps, buy this. We got a refurbished model to save money and it worked flawlessly.

Of course baby items like this are going to be a matter of personal preference – both yours and your babies – so remember a lot of this is trial and error.

Got any other tips for the parents of newborns? What made your life with a newborn easier?

Daily Gratitude Journal Prompts

by

Practicing gratitude is proven to make you feel better. It makes sense that focusing on the positives in your life increases positivity.

No matter how small or big, deep or superficial, gratitude is being thankful for it all.

One way to practice gratitude is by journaling. There are a lot of pre-made journals devoted just to gratitude like this (with a free digital version available when you share your email here), this, or this. I prefer a simple blank journal in which you can write anything, but sometimes that blank page can be hard to fill after a hard day.

Here are some gratitude prompts for days you need a little inspiration:

  • I am grateful for …(a smell, sight, taste, sound, memory, hobby, person, physical item, song, action, part of nature, trait, accomplishment, love, habit, kind act) because…
  • I am looking forward to (tomorrow, next week, season) …because…
  • A positive, unexpected, random surprise that happened today is…
  • I can share my gratitude with… (friend, colleague, family) tomorrow by…

Gratitude is about inspiration, not burden, so mix it up and do what serves you. You do you, boo.

You can handwrite the above prompts into your journal or print off this little recap to tuck into your journal:

You do not have to journal about your gratitude every day; simply acknowledge moments of gratitude throughout your day. This can be during a quiet moment, your commute, lunch, or during a conversation. Everyone can use a little more gratitude.

How do you practice gratitude?

Geeky Valentine’s Gifts: Whirlpool Galaxy Pun, Making Rainbows in Your House, and Sweet as Pi

by

If you are looking for unique valentines day gifts that are a bit nerdy, you’ve come to the right place. It’s probably no surprise that geeky Valentine’s are a fav of mine.

So, rainbow prisms are pretty nifty, but I wanted the rainbow effect a little more full force in my house. I have been super happy with this decorative glass window film for creating rainbows in my house. Make sure to measure and get the size you need (All I needed was the smallest 17×78 size).

This works best in a window that gets direct sunlight and even a small amount can create the effect. I cut my remaining scraps into half/quarter circles and added to several windows in my house. Here’s an example of rainbows created during the day on our cat (don’t mind the toddler clutter).

As a nerdy Valentine’s gift, this would go really well with this card. (If you are feeling cheeky, check out the other inappropriate cards by Suckycards on Etsy).

Okay, the second idea is a space themed gift. The Whirlpool Galaxy, Messier 51a (or M51 for short) is the source and subject of this next nerdy valentine’s gift idea.

This “out of this whirl” design is also available on a mug, pillow, or sticker if any of those are more your valentine’s style.

If you haven’t shopped at RedBubble before, here’s a coupon for $10 of a $40 (or more) purchase! (If you use this link, you get $10 off and so do I, so thank you for adding to my sticker collection!)

You can keep it simple, and pair the “out of this whirl” gift with the matching card, or you can for something a little more personal:

It is the star alignment for the night you met or wedding date. Stellar!

Of course, there are nerdy Valentine’s gifts for children too. This “Sweet as Pi” shirt is, well, sweet!

So, I have to know. What’s your idea of a good geeky valentine’s gift?

Must Have Baby Items That’ll Last into the Toddler Years

by

Now that my daughter is two, I was noticing how few items that were still around and in use from the first year of her life. These are the items that made the cut and I would buy again.

*FTC disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links. All opinions remain my own.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Baby Items that Lasted Beyond the First Year (and I’d buy again!) :
1 – It is no surprise that furniture would make this list. I had this Ikea Alex Drawer Unit already to store craft supplies. I was going to actually purchase an additional but ended up upgrading to this for my craft supplies.

2 – I researched crib mattress for far too long and ended up buying this one because it has a harder infant side and softer toddler side.

3 – I picked out the Sniglar crib for two main reasons: (1) It’s small size. (2) It is made of solid, unpainted wood. As an added bonus, it is a great price and also converts into a toddler bed.

4 – Although this isn’t the exact bookbag we purchased (ours is no longer sold), I am really glad we went with a bookbag style. Having two hands free when corralling a child is priceless.


5 – Although I also have the NoseFrida too, I like the NeilMed version better because you can just use it as a bulb for when you’re not up for being the literal snot sucker.

6 – I would buy these pads again and again. A versatile waterproof pad – I have used these in the bassinet and crib for extra added protection. I have also used them for diaper changes in the car, on the floor, and in public restrooms.

7 – These canvas bins (in size small) fit perfect in the Ikea Billy (10 ). I put mainly clothes, extra crib sheets, and blankets in these baskets. This whole unit is actually in the closet.

8 – This hangs on the closet door and I use it to sort outfits, ready to go. I’m pretty sure Adam appreciates this the most.

9 – Okay, it’s a plastic pool, I know, but it is very versatile. Ours has been a sand pit, ball pit, and good ole’ fashioned pool with water. It has been used outside, but mainly it’s used inside. Even if your kid is just starting to crawl, an inch of warm water in this (yes, in the house!) will be sure to entertain. Always supervise, of course.


10 – Again, this is in the closet and makes a great closet organizer!


11 – This JJ Cole Outdoor Blanket is great for a pre-crawler and beyond. You’ll want to have this handy at any outdoor event (park, picnic, hike, beach, party). It’s gotten the most use in our backyard.


12 – I am not a huge fan of the file, but these clippers are still used on a weekly basis with our toddler.

In brainstorming this list, I only added items that I love and would buy again, but I know there is other good stuff out there. So, what did I miss?


Gifts for Beekeepers

by

My dad is a beekeeper and I’m always on the lookout for bee themed gifts for him (and quite honestly, sometimes for myself). Here is a round-up of beekeeping and bee lovin’ related gifts.

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. As a teacher myself, any supplement to my income helps. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

 

Although my dad doesn’t need any help selling his honey (he says it sells itself!), a little extra advertising never hurts with this cute beekeeper “Ask Me About My Honey” tee.

Straight from bee yard etiquette, this shirt says don’t swat!

Okay, this one is totally for me. The floral bee popsocket is bee-autiful.

And while I’m at it, okay, okay, another one for me. This bee babe shirt is lovely (except I’d get it in gray instead of red).

This protector of the bees t-shirt is great for my dad who is very passionate about protecting our native bees!

I love this play on words. This be kind to beekind shirt is all the right kinds of kitschy!

Last, if you are looking for something a little more matchy matchy, this set on Etsy is perfection. I’ve bought several things from Blackbird Supply and love them all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,
Jess