First Annual Claire Awards! PLAY + TRAVEL + WEAR

I'm back with the last of the Claire Awards - the baby products that we couldn't live without. You can see part one, which features our top picks for sleeping and eating, here. Again, not all of these are the most expensive brands. They're just real tips from a real family about products we used every single day!

*All of these are clickable links. Click on the name in the description to view items, prices and color options on Amazon.

PLAY

Touch & Feel Books
Obviously, books top the chart when it comes to learning fun for any age. We loved these touch and feel books starting when Claire was about 9 months old (although I will admit some of these titles are better than others). We also love the Eric Carle board books.

Activity Gym

You would not believe the hours my baby spent laying under this thing! From about 2-7 months, she LOVED this. The sounds, the sights, the songs and lights, the colors and textures she could swat at and try to roll over to reach... it was definitely a favorite!

Walker

In my mind, this is another must-have toy. When they're younger, they can practice sitting up and playing with the interactive soundboard. When they get older, they can walk behind it. This is Claire's most-used toy right now.

Stacking Cups

The ways that babies play with stacking cups is endless. At first, they like exploring the patterns and colors. Then, they learn fine motor skills as they try to pick up the cups (and inevitably eat them). When they get older, they can use these to practice stacking them and knocking them over, as well as balancing them or hiding smaller ones inside bigger ones. We have these ones from IKEA and love them. They get played with all day every day.

Teething Toys

Teething toys are a win-win because they ease hurting gums, but they're also fun to play with. When my daughter was about 6 months, she could spend an entire church block eating this thing and twisting it around. We also like Sophie the Giraffe (mentioned here) and Hyland Teething Tablets to ease teething pain!

TRAVEL

Pacifier Clip
I didn't think I'd ever use a pacifier clip. I mean, babies can't even hold their own head up. How far away can their pacifier really get? Turns out, they can spit it pretty far! We love this cute shop for pacifier clips that are functional but also super cute.

Loose Wrap
I did a very bad thing when I was pregnant. I got the cheapest brand of baby wrap that I could find. I majorly regretted it. The wrap was so heavy and thick and hot that neither me nor my baby liked it very much. Then I borrowed my friend's Solly Baby wrap for a day and it was a million times better! So do yourself a favor and invest in a more expensive one. It's worth the money to make the wrap light, breathable and comfortable.

Structured Wrap
We love the structured wraps when the baby is older, or when you're going on a longer outing such as a long hike. I even used our wrap to go grocery shopping every week. We have an old BabyBjorn that my parents used, but I linked to a newer one I've seen lots of people with lately.

Carseat Cover
We liked our Carseat Canopy way more than we thought. When we were running errands, the cover helped keep away the germy hands of strangers. When we were in the car, we used it to keep the sun out of my daughter's face. We would even cover the car seat when we weren't in the car to keep the buckles from getting too hot and burning her.

Travel Diaper Kit
We love this mini diaper and wipe holder for when we're on the go. It's nice to have something ready so you don't have to dig around for a diaper and wipes when you're out and about and need to do a quick diaper change.

WEAR

Everyday Wear
I am a huge Carters fan for everyday baby wear! I will admit I'm not a huge fan of clothes with sayings on them (you know, Mommy Loves Me, or World's Cutest Nephew). Carter's does have some clothes like this, but they also have a huge selection of cute clothes with fun prints and a wide range of solid colors. Their onesies and leggings were all my daughter wore for the first few months, because they were just so snuggly and soft.

Stylish Wear
It can be hard to find baby girl clothes that aren't bright pink, or baby boy clothes that aren't covered with dinosaurs. We loved Baby Gap for photoshoots and other occasions in which we wanted something more stylish and neutral. I've found some amazing deals on clearance there over the past year.

Headbands
When it comes to baby headbands, we've tried them all! Yasmi and Crew has definitely been a favorite. Their soft bands that expand and shrink to fit any head (pictured above) are amazing. They are so soft and sweet - and one of the few headbands my baby doesn't immediately pull off her head!

Moccs
Is there anything more cute than baby moccasins? We love Freshly Picked moccasins, but now that I'm moving away from Provo and won't be able to go to their warehouse sales, I might have to stick with my other favorite, The Golden Polka Dot. Both these brands have beautiful, high-quality moccs that my baby has loved.

Swimwear
There's something about a fat baby in a little swimsuit that makes me laugh. There's always a good selection of nice suits at Old Navy, and we also got a few rash guards that we loved at Target. (Don't bother with baby tankinis. They just ride up and bunch under the armpits.)

So there you have it! The baby products we couldn't live without in Claire's first year. In case you missed it, part one, all about eating and sleeping, is HERE.

Any suggestions in these categories?

I'm always looking for new products.

What are your favorite baby brands and items for travel, play, and wear?

a sunny afternoon in Gilbert

These pictures are the last of the pictures from last week's Arizona trip. After church with Sam's aunt and uncle (which was actually two hours of sitting in the mother's room desperately trying to get my overtired baby to sleep), we stopped at the Gilbert temple. The gates around the temple were closed, but we still got to see it and feel its peace. Talk about a beautiful building! Plus it was a gorgeous 75-degree afternoon, so we couldn't say no to a walk outside.

 ^^We don't know what's happening in this picture, but it just goes to show that even her weird faces are cute. Hashtag obsessed parents.

 ^^ She always always always wants us to help her walk around. Now we know who to thank when we all have back problems in five years.

 ^^ Some of the people and things I love the most are in this picture (Jason was just barely out of the frame for this one, but I'm including him too)

 ^^ There was nobody to take our picture, so this is our best self timer attempt. I sure love these people!

Arizona is a foreign country

Everyone keeps telling me Arizona is part of the contiguous United States. It's even one of your neighboring states! they say. Check the map! they say. And well, they're right. I used to teach fifth grade, so I know US geography (mostly). When you look at a map, yes, Arizona is right down there by New Mexico.

But when I go to Arizona, like I did last weekend, I'm not so sure I'm still in the US. It feels more like a tropical vacation than a domestic destination.

I think it's the palm trees. Palm trees! In your front yard! Can you imagine?

Or maybe it's the citrus. It's a pretty cool feeling knowing that the orange you're eating for breakfast came straight from the orange tree in your backyard.

And don't even get me started on the cactuses (hereafter referred to as cacti because that is a much more fun word to say, and because according to the dictionary, both are correct). Cacti! Spiky tall cacti! You know, straight and tall with two arms bending upwards. Otherwise known as one of the three things I can actually draw in Pictionary. Then there's small cacti! And cacti that look like those little dancing things on Super Mario! Right in your front yard!

Or maybe it's the rocks. Everything is green in the Pacific Northwest where I grew up. Green grass on the lawns. Green leaves on the trees. Green moss growing on every surface. But in Arizona, it's all about the rocks. Roadway medians are decorated with rocks. On our Sunday walk, we even saw a neighbor whose whole entire lawn was rocks. Lines were raked into it like a Japanese garden. If my home in one word is green, then Arizona is brown. And rock-filled.

It's true - I've never been there in the middle of the summer. The hottest time I've visited was early May, and I was drowning in heat in the 100-degree afternoons. But according to the locals, it "wasn't summer weather yet." According to them, "the hot season hasn't started yet." And there I was with swollen fingers, drinking ten gallons of water a day. I'd probably shrivel up and die during a real Arizona summer. Just leave me in a puddle on the sidewalk. Come get me in December when it's not hot anymore.

The locals of Arizona do weird things. I remember being woken up at 6:30am during my first visit because a neighbor was mowing his lawn. At 6:30am! That would have been considered rude where I grew up, but in Arizona, it's normal. Everyone mows the lawn at 6:30am because you have to do it before it gets hot. Just like you have to hold youth group from 9-10pm if it's an outdoor activity, because that's when it cools down.

And you should see the parking lots down there! There is the usual cluster of cars right at the entrance of the store, but the bulk of the cars are spread out throughout the lot. It took me a while to realize why. Shade! If there's a shady spot, cars will wait in line to get it. And speaking of cars, my husband assures me that you are crazy if you live in Arizona and buy a car with dark leather interior. Too hot.

So I guess the jury's still out on whether or not Arizona is part of the US. The map says one thing, but all other evidence points a different direction. Either way, we had such a fun trip last weekend. Sam's aunt and uncle were so kind to host us and feed us and plan fun activities for us. We like them a lot. We just wish we could have stayed longer! Blast that work and school. ;)

Cacti and palm trees

After my second trip to Arizona, dare I say that despite the heat, it's starting to really grow on me?

And dare I go further to say that it might not be the worst thing ever if we ended up there?

Maybe it's the newness of it all. Arizona is 100% opposite from where I grew up. But I'm getting quite fond of the cacti, and the palm trees, and the desert, and the people.


And I have a lot more to say about my amazing trip.

Arizona

was amazing.

P.S. Who's up for a little giveaway later this week? Any takers? :)