sanity saving stuff for living with a toddler

hi guys thought id write about a few things that made life easier for me when chloe was lil. ive been trying to remember what it was like now that bub is close by and my friend has a toddler on her hands that she has been asking advice for so these are some of the things i couldnt live without when chloe was little.....

messy mat
i loooved messy mats! i had 4 for around the house, i kept one under chloes high chair at all times, we used them for playtimes and i had one that had roads on it too that was massive that i still use to this day and chloe is almost 6. id recommend a vinyl one because the plasic ones get cracked and rip when they are folded when it gets dirty just wipe it down or for super duper grottiness put on the clothesline and hose down!

sippycup
im not saying not to use a normal cup because its a big part of development that toddlers are givin cups to at least try to drink out of and master the technique, but for messy things such as soup sippycups are awsum they are also great for car drives and outings or when mum is in a hurry and cant sit with the lil one to make sure they dont play with their drink.

safety gate
for me id rather section off my house somewhat so there are off bounds areas that i dont have to monitor too closely, safety gates are terrific for this as it takes the stress of safety proofing rooms that bub shouldnt really be in like the laundry, id still suggest that dangerous things are locked away anyway. il be using one as chloe is almost 6 now and has toys with small parts so her room will be off limits to my new bub she also has a habit of leaving toilet doors open so its saves me having to follow her to the loo! oh and id suggest getting one that the gate opens at the top i had one that stayed where it was and you had to step over it and it was a pain.

pop over apron/ long sleeved bib
the pop over apron i adored! its the same material as the messy mat and was excellent for arts and crafts or messy meals it is easy to wipe over or can be thrown in the wash as long as you dont use harsh laundry detergent and will last ages. the bib with sleeves ahhh a blessing for the run around before you have to go out! dress bub and pop one of these on while you are getting ready to leave the house and you wont often have the luck of having to change them again in a mad rush!

playpen
i have to be honest and say i didnt have one with chloe. however i will be investing this time as i now have pets and no partner , i think they are great for a quick break to shower or get some cleaning done. i wouldnt recommend leaving bub in it all day though, just for a quick break to get the necessities done.

umbrella stroller
the humble umbrella stroller. although they dont look much and dont have all the sparks and accessories as the big pram these are a wonderful lil invention. big prams are great but for a quick outing nothing beats the lil umbrella stroller they fold up pretty tiny can be taken almost anywhere and are so light! great for a quick walk with bub when you dont need pockets and things to hold nappy bags and stuff they are easy to lift to get over corners and cheap as chips so if they break u just get another.

grip tab nappies
as most toddlers like to show you have clever they are they will often test your patience by taking off their nappies! hooray! once they realise they can and  they will keep doing it! the great thing about grib tabs is you dont have to go and get a fresh nappy when its not needed, you can just do it back up and buy a pair of overalls untill your toddler works them out too!

arts and crafts time
the great thing about arts and crafts time is it often costs virtually nothing and ive never met a toddler who didnt like it.
arts and crafts time is a sanity saver for me because on wet days when bub wants to be outside it will keep them distracted and happy, it doesnt take alot of energy so great for when you are just too tired to run around and older kids can get involved and play too. arts and crafts time can be playdough and other sticky things or you can make things from recycled household stuff like boxes, wool and toilet rolls or you can do sand or water play id recommend those for outside or bathtime tho!

snack pack
my trick to a peaceful shopping trip! snack packs are a great thing to take with your for your bub so that you always have a yummy age appropriate snack thats not loaded with sugar on hand at all times.

dustbuster
now who wouldnt love the ole dustbuster? it seems toddlers are covered in crumbs and that everything they eat even if it doesnt look like it will is gunna go crumbly! haha. to save yourself from running around with a vaccum cleaner to keep the metre space around bub clean invest in a dustbuster saves stress and they are easy to clean and quick to use.

i know for alot of you this isnt all that helpful because you have had lil ones before or your kids are older but for a new mum it might help.