{Toddler Tuesday) 15-18 month favorites

I just love sharing these types of posts and really only have 2 more scheduled.  I know that when we were preparing for Ellie it was so helpful to see what sorts of things would be useful at each of the age stages.

So much has changed for Ellie during 15-18 months. We started a sleeping schedule, I made a career change to stay home with her and to become a nanny, and her physical maturity took flight!

One: For her birthday, Luella was gifted a handmade teepee by one of Thomas' co-workers!  I got all the fabric (JoAnn's and Lowes) and she used this pattern.  It is the perfect little hideout for my sweetie and she so enjoys taking toys and books in there, but mostly uses it as a garage for her car!!

Two: I am finally feeling comfortable in embracing "messes" during meal time and have found some utensils that are great for little hands.  I love these ones because they are small enough for Ellie to grip comfortably but the tines are sharp enough to spear food.  There are so many different types of kiddo utensils you just have to try out a bunch to find what you like best.

Three: I introduced Ellie to coloring during this time and she fell in love! She started to call them "Cores" and asks for them on a daily basis.  At first we were just using the small crayons you use in school, but they were challenging for her to get enough pressure to really get some color on the pages.  I found these and am so much happier with them - and they truly are washable which is a lifesaver!

Four: Like I mentioned that Ellie's ability to move around really took off. She loves to go outside and run around but is still working on her stability.  I know that it is best for toddlers physical development to go barefoot as much as possible because it really improves their ability to balance so finding a shoe to protect her feet while outside was a must.  Not only are Freshly Picked Moccasins adorable and come in so many colors (I want these, these and these) but they really give a "barefoot" feeling.  I was nervous that the leather sole might wear out once on the pavement but these puppies really hold up well and you get to see an imprint of your babes foot I mean SWOON!!! I highly recommend them and they are totally worth the price tag. They really are the only shoes I put on Ellie and would graciously receive any of their color options in a size 4 or 5!!

Five: I am sure that this is not the first time someone in the blogging world has talked about JellyCat stuffies.  They are seriously the softest stuffed animal I have ever come across and they are so adorable.  As "goat farmers" (we have 4) we adore this Goat JellyCat that Ellie also got for her birthday, and not surprisingly goats are very hard to find so when we see one we usually scoop it right up (unless of course it is fug!).  Ellie adores this goat and we bring it to our nanny houses everyday for nap time and she sleeps with it most nights as well.

Six: When we transitioned Ellie from the bottle to a sippy cup I did a lot of research to find the right one.  We love these Nuby sippy's because they are no spill.  I find them all over the place and my favorite place to look for them is at discount stores like Marshalls or TJMaxx.  I do have to warn you though that as great as they are, if your child chews on the spout at all they will damage the backflow mechanism and they will begin to leak.  You can buy spout replacements if you like but I have found that its just easier (and cheaper) to buy new sippy's.

Seven: We have been working hard to wean Ellie from co-sleeping.  She does great for her naps but ends up in our bed half the time during the night.  This baby monitor has really helped me to be comfortable with Ellie sleeping in her own bed because not only can I see her, but I can pan the room while she is playing in there, it has night vision, I can talk to her and when we adopt another babe we can hook up a second camera to see both babes!!

Eight: The Anywhere Chair.  I have seen so many bloggers (and non-bloggers) get anywhere chairs for their littles.  These are so much fun to have in their rooms or in the family room to watch tv or movies.  I love them because they are pint sized for our littles but our kiddos get to feel "grown up" by sitting in something that looks like Mama or Dada's!  We chose to not go the PBK route mostly because I couldn't choke down the price tag, so I found one on clearance at HomeGoods for about $30!!  I highly recommend shopping around to find the best deal you can.  Ellie loves to sit in her chair and bring her baby and act all like a grown up.

So there you have it friends, my round up of our favorites for Ellie 15-18 months!

♥ Ashley

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