Friday's Favorite: Aps

I know the APA says that children under two should have limited to no screen time. I do my very best to not have the TV on when Baby Peach is around. I also try really hard not to use the iPad or iPhone as a toy, but, desperate times... the last 20 min of Stroller Strides, when I'm waiting in the checkout line and basically any time on the plane. So in that spirit, I present my favorite applications for my 10 month old and I ask that you don't judge me.

GAMES
1. iTot - flash cards that play animal noises, show objects and have several language options. A touch to the screen repeats the word and Baby Peach quickly figured out how to side swipe between cards.

2. Peek A Boo Barn - an animal makes a noise from behind the barn doors, tap the doors and they open. A child's voice (or you can record your own voice) says the name of the animal and you hear the noise again. Tap the barn doors again to close and get a new animal. I enjoy the setting in this game that allows you to go through each animal once and then the game ends.

3. Elmo Calls - baby can FaceTime with Elmo. A short video plays with Elmo doing something silly. Since we do a lot of FaceTime with family, Baby Peach is really into "playing FaceTime" and he finds these short Elmo vignettes quite amusing.

PARENTING
1. Baby Tracker - allows you to track diapers, feedings, and sleep. You can have it on multiple devices and set alerts so if your babysitter changes a diaper, you can be alerted on your device. I love the feature that shows your daily schedule as a graph - this was most helpful for learning baby's schedule.

2. Baby Monitor - when traveling I can turn my iPhone and iPad into a video monitor. This app has two settings. The first one is a video monitor that is on all the time, the second one will video or audio call when the baby makes noise for more then a set amount of time (5, 10 or 20 seconds.) This is perfect for when we are away from home.

I would love suggestions for other apps you find helpful. I plan to rely heavily on the iPad for our flight to London. I have hears Yo Gabba Gabba and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse are winners but haven't yet checked them out.

Friday's Favorite Thing: Travel Accessory

I went walking with a dear friend this morning. (We will call her Mrs. Orange, as she hails from California and was stationed there with us). Mrs. O just found out she will be expecting Baby O in September. Inspired by our discussion, I thought a run down of favorite baby items each Friday might help her with her registry.

Mr & Mrs. O love to travel. They love heading back to CA whenever they can and are always out on an adventure. I am a true believer that you can still travel even when you have a baby - it's just different. My favorite travel accessory is the ERGO CARRIER. I love this sucker. It is comfortable and I can take Little Peach with me everywhere I go: I use it in stores, hiking and even around the house to get some work done. Mr. Peach finds it quite comfortable as well. I have figured out how to nurse while wearing it  - which makes airports and other adventures a bit easier. (It's a bit of a feat though!)

Ok... I couldn't just list one. I'm also in love with our Inglesina 2012 travel high chair. It puts Little Peach on our level and clips to everything, thanks to arms that screw instead of clamp. (We have even had it fit on a picnic bench and a bar!)

Alright... lets give Mrs. O a nice little list of favorite travel things!