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Good design is two things: aesthetically pleasing and functional. The thing does what it’s meant to do, does it well, and looks great doing it. Also, life’s too short, so multifunctional things are near and dear to my heart.. and wallet. Who doesn’t love a good deal?
As a work-from-home teacher, a mom to an awesome four-year-old, a wife to a busy lawyer, and a middle child to an aging, wheel-chair bound dad, this life of mine can get pretty hectic. Here, I will start with the tried-and-true products that have made being a good mama infinitely easier. (And some of them are FREE!)
- Ceramic Plates with Silicone Sleeves: Safe and easy to heat food in, these suckers are hefty enough that they’ll stay put. Cleaning is super easy since the silicone base comes right off, bound for that top rack while the ceramic part lands right at the bottom. I do rack them in the dishwasher facing each other with a gap in the middle for that pristine shine.
Kid’s Plates with Silicone Sleeves – Microwave and Dishwasher Safe - No Slip Educational Placemats: I’ve gone through several iterations of these, including the cheap ones with grammar mistakes on them as well as the fancier ones with the springy foam in the middle. These are the best: wipe with soap, rinse both sides, done. And they teach my kid things while he eats. And they’re so pretty.
Educational Kids Placemats – 4 Pack - 2-in-1 Snack Drink Cups: My kid goes everywhere with this.. playground, gym kids club, grandpa’s house. The bottom compartment’s always filled with half water and half juice, while the top compartment can hold fresh fruit, my favorites being blueberries or dry crispy stuff like goldfish crackers. But the best fit for this nifty part of the cup are the little packets of fruit snacks or oaty bites because they don’t go bad but are ready to go as soon as he starts to whine “Mom, I’m hungry.”
2-in-1 Snack and Drink Kid’s Cup – No Spill Straw Tumbler - Suitcase Stroller: Without fail, we always get compliments on how cool this thing is, and after each thank you, my kid likes to add that “the wheels light up when we go really really fast!” The safety bar can be quickly unbuckled and tucked into the top-zip part. The angled leg folds in to fit neatly into the above-head storage compartment and has been so sturdy, such a sharp contrast to our other luggage, which have certainly seen better days. This thing is a cool, functional beast that will make everyone jealous they didn’t think of it.
Bulyoou Carry-On Luggage With Expandable Kid’s Seat - Toddler Carrier Shoulder Bag: This was the perfect transition from the full-on diaper bag, as it’s got so many pockets to still hold all the things, including our kiddie iPad. But also has a secret transforming ability of being a toddler carrier that was not only strong and comfy for him but with the wide shoulder strap, also bearable for us. Handy-dandy carabiners also made attaching things to this bag like umbrellas, hats, wet bags, and toddler crocs a cinch. Yes, in case you were wondering, we have indeed conquered every splash pad.
Adjustable Sling Carrier Newborn to Toddler - PBS Kids + PBS Kids games. Not only are these free, but they are vast in content and educational as heck. We love watching all the shows, learning all the things, singing all the songs. We love it because it’s just right: not too saturated with color or filled with attention-grabbing emptiness. My kid loves the music and jokes on Sesame Street, the fast-paced vocab-filled whirlwind ride that is Word Girl, the animal loving Wild Kratts with the silliest villains, and the intelligent, wholesome family that is the Weather Hunters. PBS KIDS Video
PBS Free Videos - AI-powered SimplyPiano app. I have to admit that I use this app as well. Ten minutes a day and I feel like a new woman who’s taking care of herself as well as her family. As a tree-hugger, I do have mixed feelings about using something that works on AI, but hear me out: this is belongs to the list of positives with regard to this technology. We do supplement with in-person weekly classes for our son (because nothing can truly take the place of a great teacher) but this app and its ease of use has been wonderful. He wakes up and goes downstairs and hops right onto the piano, sometimes for an hour at a time! Learning music while having fun! Where’s my epiphany sound effect? Simply Piano: Learn Piano Fast
Simply Piano App – Learn Piano Fast Free - Wonderbooks/Vox audio books. Yes, I am a busy tiger mom. And this busy tiger mom wants her son to read, and read soon. So we frequent the library and always comes home with five of these books that not only read out loud and tells my kid to turn to the next page and has awesome sound bites that highlight parts of the story, but they also have a learning mode to go along with that read-along capability. It asks my kid questions about the book, like who’s your favorite character or why did xyz do this and isn’t your mother just so beautiful and wonderful. Wonderbook | Read-Along by Playaway Products
Wonderbooks: Read-Along-Books by PlayAway
I hope this list helps make life a little easier for you. Until next time, my loves.
About the Author:
Trang Singer is a work-from-home teacher, a mom to an awesome four-year-old, a wife to a busy lawyer, and a middle child caregiver to an aging dad. All she wants to do is sip tea in a nice garden, save animals and take naps.
