Dex Dura-bib

Terry-cloth bibs are fine and dandy for spit-up or rice cereal. But when your child starts on those finger foods and messy meals, you need a bib that works hard for you. I tried some cheapy ones with the "catch" trough, but they never stayed open well enough to catch anything. I finally realized i needed an expert's opinion.. who better than a mother of 8? Kate Gosselin uses Dex Dura-bibs exclusively.

The front of the bib is a thick, washable polyurethane surface, and the back is some kind of canvas-type cloth. There are two sets of snaps (with different colours that match up to help you construct the "trough"), and when they are undone the bib folds out 100% flat for washing or wiping. When done up, the bib trough edge sits well away from the child's chest and remains open because of how thick and stiff the material is. You could dump half a cup of juice in that sucker, it's not gonna leak.

The "designs" are hideous. I think there are 5 or 6 to choose from but they are all from the same artist and they all suck. Totally late-80's/early-90's (and not in a good way). But I digress. The quality of the bib trumps the ugliness.

Purchased at the Safety Superstore. Let's just hope the bibs have better longevity than Jon and Kate's marriage...

GAIA Skin Soothing Lotion

I love this "nappy rash cream" as it is organic, thick, has a light citrus scent and can be used on eczema, mosquito bites and any other skin irritations.
It's a little on the pricey side (I believe I paid ~$15 for a 200mL bottle) but a little goes a long way.
Whenever applied, I see a 50-80% improvement overnight! It also seems quite soothing as he calms down whenever I apply it to his bum :)
Company website here. Purchased at Rolz&Sassy (Kincardine)

Foogo sippy cup and Foogo straw cup (by Thermos)

I really really wanted to love these cups. I wanted them to be so great that I'd never have to buy another sippy again. I looked forward to the consecutive unrefrigerated hours of insulated goodness. The insulation delivered; the spill-proof factor did not.

I found that with both of these cups, the straw cup especially, if they are left on their sides they inevitably produce a sticky puddle on the floor (...couch... blankie...table...). If held upside down or shaken, the sippy will leak in drips. The straw cup will leak in a stream. I don't know if it's the valve construction or what, but at $18+ each, I am not impressed. I'm sure they would still be good for long trips or outings when milk and juice need to be kept cold and spilling doesn't matter (think picnic). But for around my house, when my toddler prances around and throws/drops/shakes/abandons cups, they are definitely not ideal.

Purchased at Snugglebugz (Burlington) but available at most specialty baby boutiques.

Munchkin bottle drying rack and bottle brush

Bottles and sippy cups can have WAY too many finicky, easily-lost pieces for normal dish drying racks. This fold-down-flat contraption helps dry your bottles, nipples, rings, and even straws. I actually leave all the pieces on it even after they've dried; it's a nice, accessible storage system! The angled design helps water drippings to collect at the bottom (over time it can get kind of yucky, moreso if you have hard water like me, so it needs periodic cleaning).

The rack has a special slot to hold the Munchkin bottle brush (sold separately). The brush has a handy mini-brush hidden in the handle for cleaning nipples, and the angled sponge tip gets into the bottle bottom really well. My only complaint is that the nipple brush can be really hard to pull out of the handle, especially with wet hands.

Purchased at my local Walmart. Has anyone tried the SkipHop one or another brand?