Baby-Proofing

Child-proofing is another area of parenthood in which I am eating my words! I knew we would install gates and keep an eye on what was where on the low counters and tables. I NEVER thought I would consider buying a toilet lock or toilet paper saver, let alone actually buy one! Overall, we have had pretty good luck with the products we have chosen. I have learned that the cheapest option is usually NOT the best, but that's ok because the middle of the road option is usually just fine!

The baby gate issue was definitely the most challenging for us due to some challenging-ly constructed banisters... We bought two Top of Stair Gate (Evenflo). One is on the main level at the stairs going down and the second is all the way downstairs in the family room. These are awesome gates! They were relatively painless to install, super easy to use, and not very expensive compared to the other options! The challenge came on the main level for the stairs going up. We ended up using a Pressure Mount Gate (The First Years) that we had actually bought a few years ago to keep Pax out of the kitchen. With a trip to the hardware store Josh was able to create our own user-friendly gate :) He is a genius!

Here is a list of the other items we have really liked:

--Panda Door Guard (Mommy's Helper): The boys LOVE looking out the front door! I don't want to have to stand there all day while they play with the door and watch the neighborhood goings-ons. This little guy is the perfect solution!

--Swing Shut Toilet Lock (Safety 1st): While I didn't think I'd ever buy one, we did need this. There are some times I just need Jackson to be in the bathroom with me. He is completely fascinated by the toilet: opening and closing the lid, watching the water flush, playing with the handle, and dropping things in the bowl, of course. This lock is pretty user friendly, as well as effective. We haven't had any overnight guests with it yet, and I can see us just keeping the toilet lid up all night so no one has to fumble with it in the middle of the night!

--Press n' Pull Plug Protectors (Safety 1st): These were my second box of plug protectors. We had gotten a box at a shower that I liked because they were clear, but they were impossible to get out whenever I needed to actually plug something in! These aren't as invisible, but they do have a little tab you can push in in order to get the cover out.

--Outlet Plug Cover (Kidco): There are some areas in the house where big things just need to stay plugged in. These areas also happen to be at kid-friendly heights... This outlet cover is great! It was super easy to install and handled pretty large plugs.

--Grip 'n Go Cabinet Lock (Safety 1st): This was the second latch I tried for cabinet doors and really liked it! It is way easier to use than the cheapest one you will find, which I listed below.

--Multi-Purpose Latch (Especially for Baby): As the boys get taller, they are definitely able to reach more things, including drawers. Most of my drawers don't have anything dangerous in them, but I just got tired of picking up my clean and organized tupperware and measuring cups off of the floor repeated times a day. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to ask Josh to drill holes in each drawer and cabinet to install the traditional latches. I saw these nifty guys at my friend, Kate's, house and she gave them a ringing endorsement. They are really cheap and I installed each set in about two minutes! Now, to be honest, I haven't taken them off yet so I don't know what the area under the sticky pads will look like. But on this end of things, they could not have been easier to install or use!

There are a few things I have not liked so far:

--Toilet Paper Guard (Safety 1st): This was just too hard for us adults to use on a regular basis. While I got way more annoyed than I thought I would the few times Jackson unrolled the tp, it's just really not a big deal!

--Slide Lock (Especially for Baby): These were the first cabinet locks I tried and they were super flimsy and really hard to use. Obviously, they went back as soon as possible!

--Cord Wind-Up (Mommy's Helper): I'm not too concerned about our blinds...yet. But, I saw these and thought I'd give them a shot. They aren't the easiest to install and then I couldn't find a height that was child-safe, yet useable! Not exactly the most helpful product...

I also must say that although they definitely did not encourage me to say so, I LOVE BuyBuyBaby! It is such a fun store! Unfortunately, they are not a very wide-spread chain. If you have one near you, you should definitely check it out. Their selection is much larger and varied than Babies R Us, I find. Even though all of the links for the products I listed above don't necessarily go to BuyBuyBaby, I did find most of these child-proofing tools there. You can also use un-expired Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons there because they are owned by the same company! I love coupon shopping :)

For more favorite things visit: The Diaper Diaries