James is now 18 months old! Many of you have been enjoying my I “favourites” posts so far (you can find them here: 0-4 months baby favourites & 5-8 months baby favourites). Although I missed out on the 9-12 months one, I feel like this post and the previous one covers similar items anyways. As a reminder, I generally try to make these based on my experience with both children and which items we really ended up using and liking with both.
Baby Care
While all the items that were in this section in the previous post would absolutely be on repeat here, I thought I’d focus on a few other products that we also really love.
For a long time we’ve been looking for a clean children’s skincare product line to replace a brand we used to use when Arthur was a baby (unfortunately they discountinued their line). Since then, we hadn’t found anything we could genuinely say we liked. Until now, that is. Those are the first items on our list: the care products by Oh, Baby!. The brand was founded by a mother who worked in the pharmacentical and cosmetics industry but couldn’t find products for her own children that were effective whilst being gentle on baby’s skin, as well as being organic and vegan. So she created her own. You can read more about her story on the brand’s website.
We met the family at a fair, where they were presenting and selling their produts. Three generations of the family were present and passionate about the product they had created. We’ve tried 5 of their 7 products and we genuinely enjoy them.
Another useful product, as mentioned in my previous post, has been Cicalfate+ by Avène. Although we use these balms sparingly, recently, with baby teething and his poop being more acidic, there have been situations in which we were in dire need of something stronger. We were recommended Daktozan: it has helped the skin repair faster, relieving baby of — what looked like — a lot of pain.
Rest & Sleep
I feel like this time, baby is a better sleeper than our toddler was at the same age. We have been able to naturally find a rhythm and it seems easier to set him down.
So, this time, we’ve been making good use of our Montessori floor bed (more on this coming in a future post). Though admitedly, the fact that we have placed it in our room instead of a separate room, has also helped us to feel more at ease in using it (and more rested!) at night.
I love that when he wakes up from his nap he just gets out of bed and explores the room a bit and, more recently, he’s been taking a book or two to flip through peacefully as he waits for us to open the door to get him.
And lastly, our Himalayan salt lamp is just as lovely as ever, I love the soft glow, it really gives a peaceful and warm atmosphere to the room (much better than whiter night lights for a bedroom, I find).
Out & About
We’ve had our Babyzen YOYO stroller since A was a baby. This season we took out their footmuff and it’s really perfect for the winter: warm and comfy. So much so that one of our cats has insisted on using it as her napping place in the evenings!
A few months ago, J has officially become a walker! So that meant getting his first pair of shoes! As with A, we got his shoes from the online retailer Petits Pas de Géant. On their website, they only stock shoes that have supple soles and have large toe boxes as to be respectful of the natural physiology of the foot. They even have a guide in which they explain how to properly measure your child’s feet in order to make sure you get the right fit for your little one.
I find barefoot shoes extremely important: your little one cannot tell if they’re wearing the proper shoe size, so the tools developed by Petits Pas de Géant (which also takes into consideration ankle and foot thickness) help you to find the most adapted and comfortable fit.
They also developped and use a tool that allows them to properly measure real (actual) available space in each shoe model they offer. Why? Well, did you know that sometimes within a same brand two models of the same shoe-size might not actually measure the same (in cm/in)? So, you can imagine how they might differ across different brands…! The first time I ordered shoes for A, I also got him boots and slippers. Each of the three pairs was marked a different size, although we were buying the same measurements!
Play
At this age, little ones are very curious and they’re hands on with everything! J has been loving the coin box, the shape sorter (both presented in multiple steps), and the ball push set. They’re all Montessori materials which help with coordination, recognising shapes, and developing motor skills.
At this age both A and J began to have a big interest in balls. It’s such a simple thing that I feel like it can easily be overlooked. Sometimes just sitting down and rolling the ball back and forth between one another is all they really want to play.
With the nice weather coming back, J has learned to use a watering can! My plants have never been in lack of water since! Luckily they have held up fine (for now) as afternoons here have been quite warm and thus needed a bit of extra water…
Books
We’ve always been big on books in the family. If you know me, you know I’m a reader through and through. So it comes to no surprise that, inevitably, our children have also developed a love for books.
We have a *huge* selection of books (no, really… we need more shelves). But J has had a predilection for musical books (pushing buttons is just so fun!). But more recently, he’s been asking us to read stories before bedtime. He has a small selection of books by his bed and every evening he picks out a couple he wants to read. And he has clear favourites!
It all started with “Llama Llama, Zippity Zoom”, then “Bonjour Pompier” and “Bonjour Facteur”. One of his current favourites is “Good Night Gorilla”. When he’s not too tired he’s also started enjoying “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes”, as well as Hairy MacLarry From Donaldson’s Dairy”.
If you have a little one around this age, we’re always open to more book recommendations!
Mama Care
I’m actually quite glad I’ve added this section in last time. It’s made me reflect and really think about the things (even if they’re seemingly insignificant) that I’m doing to take care of myself.
First on the list is: my yoga wheel. I’ve suffered from poor posture for as long as I can remember, and pregnancy has not done me any favours here. So while I should definitely do more excerises to strengthen my posture, I at least try to go on my yoga wheel several times a week (usually daily) to open everything up and stretch my back.
Next up, is Le baume by Cîme: multipurpose balm for lips and dry skin. I’ve had this tin of balm for a few years and use it almost daily! It’s perfect for dry lips but can also be used for any other dry patches of skin. Notably, when I have a cold and my nose gets sensitive from tissue-use, using it just before bed or irritated skin helps to soothe and repair it.
Although I’m not a coffee drinker (Gasp — I know!), I do enjoy a good cup of tea. And a couple of months ago I’ve made a dicovery… Long story short, a student once asked what my favourite tea was or would be (as we do between lessons). Well, I once mentioned that a green tea with raspberry and rose would probably taste really great, but I hadn’t come across this blend yet (I had one with white tea, but not green). Well, you know what? I finally came across it! (I have no clue if it’s a recent addition of not): Paris For You by Day by Palais des Thés. I’ve been enjoying it regularly since.
Miscellaneous
As I mentioned in my previous favourites post, we have done baby-led weaning with both of our children. That means they’ve quite quickly grasped how to use utensils as well. One that we found was a great discovery was the doddl cutlery set. It’s adapted to a toddler’s hand, and it helps them practice holding utensils correctly (the spoon from this set is particularly handy). We don’t use them all the time, but definitely do when we feel it might be useful, such as with rice.
The next two items on the list are snacks. My little ones love biscuits. So I’ve been on the lookout for some with less sugar. One day, I came across Farm Brothers: they make organic and vegan biscuits, and my children love them! As an added bonus, they have a mission to improve soil quality for future generations.
In the same vain, we have Life is Bananas: they provide freeze-dried fruits. While I tend to give my children fresh fruit when I can, J has enjoyed the occasional packet of freeze-dried mangos. I find these are handy when we’re on-the-go with J as it ensures he has a relatively mess-free healthy snack.
This wraps up our favourite items for 12 to 18 month old babies. Is there something in particular that stood out to you? Is there an item we haven’t mentioned but you or baby couldn’t do without? Let us know!
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