Leslie Smittle Stamp of Approval

Often times new moms will ask me questions about the products that we have used throughout the years with the kids. I just love to help with these questions. With six kids we've tried most things under the sun for kids. I thought I'd compile a list of items that get my stamp of approval. These are items that are tried and true, and work for us! I am not being paid to advertise any of these products, just wanting to share my faves.

• MAM pacifiers. These are my favorite paci's. They make all sizes, and they also have special holders that will snap onto clothing for daytime. My favorite one is the nighttime paci which is glow in the dark. If you "charge" it under the lamp while you're getting the kids ready for bed it will glow all night! That way, if you need to go on and reinsert it's easy to find without turning on the light! We've used all kinds of paci's, but these are my favorite. They are also easy to find at most stores and online.
• Crest Pro-Health for Me. We've tried LOTS of toothpastes, but this is our favorite. I feel like it takes the best care of the kids teeth. It leaves their breath smelling minty fresh instead of like a stick of gum. They don't want to eat it, (which is a good feature for longevity of the tube. Ha!) but it still has a minty good flavor. You can get lots of other products in the line as well, but we just use the toothpaste.
• DenTek Flossers. I can NOT stress to you enough how these little dears have saved me time and stress. They are SO much easier to use when flossing kids teeth! Don't spend extra on the kid ones because the adult ones are exactly the same at a fraction of the cost.
• Moby wrap. I think the Moby gets bad attention from time to time because people think it's hard to use, or way too long. I suggest buying one used(usually EASY to find), and watching youtube videos or logging onto the Moby site. They are extra long so that you can wrap that baby in good! They come in cute fabrics, and you can use them forever! I love using one around the house so that I can still get things done AND hold the baby. They have LOTS of new styles and models so check them out!
• Store Brand Diapers-You DO NOT have to pay for top of the line diapers. There are SEVERAL stores that carry GREAT quality store brand diapers. ALWAYS buy the smallest bag first to be sure of the fit and that they'll be OK for your babies skin. There are a few stores that we can't use because of allergic reaction. There are also a few stores(WAL-MART!!) where you're better off using napkins. Ha! Our favorite store brand diapers are Target and Sam's. These offer the best fit, are cute, and very low cost. We also get store brand bulk wipes from these two stores. Again, start off with a small pack so that you don't end up with products you can't use!!
• Carters and Oshkosh PJs. I am NOT a brand snob when it comes to clothes, but Carters and Oshkosh make the best pajamas. They last forever, are comfy, and ALWAYS on sale. You can score great deals online a lot. I highly recommend one pieces. These are SO easy!
• Gap and Circo everyday/play clothes. Again, I'm not saying this is all that we have in the closet. It's just the best in my opinion as far as washing and wearing go. I have several pieces that ALL FOUR girls have worn, and they are still in like new condition! This is a MUST for our household! Surprisingly, a brand I'm not fond of is Gymboree(always looks like it needs to be ironed and I'm NOT going to iron children's clothes.).
• Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I love this show! It's one of the few shows I'll let the kids watch without supervision at home. There's always a lesson with a catchy song that helps them remember the lesson by. One of my favorites is, "If you feel so mad that you WANNA ROAR!! Take a deep breath and count to FOUR!!" My kids love these sweet characters and I love that it's taken from a show I grew up on. Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
• Aveeno. With a redheaded daddy, my kids all have sensitive skin. Aveeno has the BEST products to protect that skin! We use their baby bath/shampoo combo, and the lotion, but there are TONS of products out there! I know there are a lot of brands out there for bath products, but Aveeno is our favorite. We don't pay extra for name brand items most of the time, but for Aveeno we do. It has a nice natural scent, and isn't greasy or gross on the skin. It's been great for eczema and other mild rashes as well.

Do you have any must try products for kids? I'd love to hear your input!
Stay tuned! I'm working on a "What You Need for Baby's First Year" post for all you soon-to-be-mommas!! AND, how to dress for family photos! Yay! It feels good to be back in the blogging world. Now I need to go make my list for Dallas and pick up the kids from school. Ta ta!