When thinking about baby activities, the most important thing is to ensure that whatever activity you do encourages your little one’s development. Additionally, you can supplement the developmental effects of these activities by buying educational toys to go with them. Here is a look at 10 unique baby activity ideas: Exploring textures with jelly This is a simple activity that is perfect for babies who have been introduced to solids. Pop your little one on a high chair and give her some different colored jelly to play with. Just place it on a tray in front of her and she’ll take care of the rest. Playing with jelly is a great sensory activity for babies. What you’ll need: Different colored fruit jelly on a tray. Playing with a cardboard box Need something simple and straightforward? Playing with a cardboard box is exactly that! If you have a cardboard box on hand, you already have the perfect plaything for your little one. Simply pop her in it with some of her favorite toys and let her have a blast! What you’ll need: A cardboard box, preferably one that is large enough to hold her. Reading a book Your little one will never be too young to be read to. Invest in a book that has different colors and textures then let her turn the pages as she touches and feels the textures. Soon, she’ll start having her favorite books! What you’ll need: A colorful book with textured pages. Scrunch up paper There is a reason why babies are more interested in the gift wrapper than the gift on Christmas day. They love the sound of scrunched paper! Giving her a piece of scrunched paper is a great way to pass the time. Just be sure to watch her so she doesn’t eat it! What you’ll need: A sheet of scrunched up paper, and several replacements for when it inevitably falls apart and stops being scrunchy. 5. Playing with a mobile gym set Babies exercise through play. Mobile gyms are perfect for this. They are designed to help develop your baby’s hand-eye coordination as well as her gross and fine motor skills. What you’ll need: This Mobile Gym Educational Toy Set is a great solution if you have been looking for an amazing mobile gym set. It is versatile and provides a lot of variety when it comes to the number of activities your little one will be able to explore with it. It comes with teething keys, plush toys, rattles, and pacifier chains. 6. Active play with a Baby Play Gym Active play gyms are exactly what your little one needs when she becomes mobile and she needs all the practice she can get. When you notice her starting to pull herself up on furniture, she is ready for an active play gym. This will help her perfect her motor skills as she gets ready to learn how to walk. What you’ll need: You cannot go wrong with this Baby Play Gym. Designed to grow with your little one, it is completely handmade using baby-safe materials. It also has removable teethers that your little one will enjoy interacting with. 7. Floor play Floor play is important for younger babies. Instead of carrying your little one in your arms all day, consider putting her down on a comfortable surface every once in a while. When your baby is calm and happy, and all her needs have been met, put her down and set her up with dangling toys above her. Let her engage in independent play for some time. This is great for her cognitive development! What you’ll need: Get her a Baby Play Gym and Bassinet combo. This way, she can engage in floor play while lying down on a comfortable surface and interacting with her toys. It is a great way for her to learn how to play independently. This is a skill that will make your life a lot easier as she grows. You’ll also love that this set comes with removable teethers, is completely handmade with baby-safe materials, and is designed to grow with your little one! 8. Playing with teething toys Babies love teething toys. This is especially true if your little one is at least 4 months old and her first teeth are starting to come in. The toys are designed to soothe their gums as their first teeth start to come in. What you’ll need: Because teething toys are so popular, they come in all sorts of designs. However, few of these designs are more adorable than well-made crotchet versions such as this Crotchet Elephant Teether Set. Most of the pieces in this set are made of wood. The set also comes with rattles, teethers, bracelets, pacifiers, a dummy clip, and more, giving you a lot of value for money. 9. Play with early development educational toys Early development educational toys are toys that have been designed to help boost your little one’s physical or cognitive development. They are often specialized in one area, honing a few skills at a time for your child as she interacts with them. What you’ll need: High-quality early developmental toys such as this cute Baby Foot Baby Teething Toy. Made entirely using baby-safe materials, it comes in an adorable design that looks like a foot. It is comprised of several quirky parts, from moving balls to pull strings to soft press fidgets. It is also very colorful, which pretty much guarantees that your kiddo will have a grand time interacting with it! 10. Playing with rattles Babies love rattles! From an early age (within the first few weeks), you can introduce simple, age-appropriate toys like rattles to your child. Such toys appeal to her budding sense of sight, hearing, and touch. As she interacts with the rattle, she will also get to practice her hand-eye coordination and her gross and fine motor control. What you’ll need: For this activity, we highly recommend using this Rattling Baby Teether Toy. It comes with 360-degree rotation to give your baby hours of endless fun. It also has a colorful design and multiple dangling keys that roll around in hoops. Everything is made using materials that are baby-safe and BPA-free with no harmful chemicals. Playing with it will help soothe your little one’s teething as she also improves her gross and fine motor skills. Final Thoughts Hopefully, with this list, you now have a lot of inspiration on baby activities that you can enjoy with your little one. While at it, it is important not to forget that none of these toys can replace you as her parent. They are only a small part of the equation. So as your little one plays, do not be afraid to get down to her level and have some fun with her, too.

Mindfulness is one of those things that can feel almost impossible to attain when you are a new mom. When you are juggling taking care of your little one, having endless to-do lists, and working, mindfulness is probably the last thing on your mind. Mindfulness is a broad word that simply means being conscious and aware of things. It is a mental state that can be achieved when you focus your awareness on the present moment while at the same time calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and sensations that you feel in your body. It is often used as a therapeutic technique. In this way, mindfulness is a basic human ability that allows you to be fully present and aware of where you are and what you are doing without being overly reactive or overwhelmed with what is going on around you. A lot of people assume that mindfulness and meditation are the same things. Meditation does have a small role to play in the pursuit of mindfulness. However, it is only a small part of it. Mindfulness is more than meditation or silent retreats. It can make its way into your parenting and your daily life. If you have been wondering how to practice mindfulness as a new mom, this guide is exactly what you need. Benefits of mindfulness for moms Before we get to the how let’s first tackle the why. Why should new moms practice mindfulness? What are some of the benefits they stand to get from it? Well, mindfulness can transform your life in a lot of ways. Here are some of them: It can help you learn how to pay attention to the important things in your and your little one’s life It can help you learn how not to take things personally You’ll learn how to speak more purposefully, mean what you say, and show you how to react when things drive you crazy You’ll become a calmer, more rational person It helps improve your sleep, making you feel less fatigued It is a great tool for regulating your emotions It increases your overall happiness and wellbeing How to practice mindfulness as a new mom Now that you have a good understanding of why practicing mindfulness is important, here are a few tips and tricks to help you do it as a new mom: Pay attention to yourself Notice how your body feels and what it needs. Mindfulness is all about having the intention of taking care of yourself. Doing small acts of self-care can have a huge impact on your overall well-being. Examples of such small acts include taking a hot shower while your partner holds the baby, or your partner bringing you a glass of water while you breastfeed. As a new mom, anything that makes you feel more like your old self helps in a big way. Ask yourself, “What can I do to make this better?” This one simple question can change your life. We all have to do with boring, mundane tasks every day. You have to do dishes, do laundry, run errands, and so on. Whenever you have to do something that isn’t a lot of fun, stop and ask yourself how you can make it better. If you are folding some laundry, play your favorite song as you do it. If you are washing dishes, take advantage of the moment and practice some standing meditation. If you are running errands, listen to an audiobook or podcast as you do. There is always something you can do to make every moment in your life just a little better. Come up with your own unique form of mindfulness As mentioned before, mindfulness is more than just meditation and yoga. It is about paying attention to yourself and what your body feels and what your mind is going through. Be fully present in anything that you do; whether it is doing dishes or cooking a meal or walking the dog. Savor the moment and enjoy it, no matter how mundane it is. If you notice your mind racing, acknowledge it, then take a pause and come back to what you are doing. Mindfulness is about being still in the moment, not stopping your mind. Make time for yourself Sometimes, it can feel like it is very hard to find time for yourself. However, if you are intentional about it, you will always be able to make time for yourself. To start, set aside 5 minutes a day for yourself. Mindfulness does not have to be a huge time commitment. Something as simple as taking a quick shower or walking in the sun for 5 minutes will do you a lot of good. Take a pause and breath Sometimes, things can feel overwhelming. You have just become a new mom, there is so much to do, and the world around you is in chaos. All these things can throw you off balance. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, take a pause. Then take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Do this four to 5 times to help your mind stabilize and recalibrate. Start slow Mindfulness is a journey. It will take a lot of practice before it becomes a normal part of your life. Be patient. Start slowly by just taking a 5-minute break and breathing. Then gradually increase this time over the next few weeks. Keep a journal Journaling is a hobby that won’t take up much of your time. You can keep a worry journal where you write down the things that worry you. Writing down the things that worry you is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that will significantly ease your anxiety symptoms. It can help you relax. Plus, when you look at the problem from a different perspective, it becomes easier to find solutions for the issues. Final Thoughts Selfcare is extremely important for new moms. Today, mothers often have to work, take care of the home, take care of the kids, and take care of their partners, all on top of the hundreds of other things they need to do daily. It is easy to forget about taking care of your own needs in this equation. The good news is that something as simple as subtly shifting your mindset can go a long way in helping you reset your thinking. When you take advantage of these mindfulness tips, they will help you reduce stress and pay attention to yourself while simultaneously making time for the things you love. Who says moms can’t have it all?

Babies are adorable little things that need a lot of stuff. When you consider how massive the list of essential items that they need can be, buying an appropriate gift for them can be a rather stressful endeavor. That’s why we decided to create this guide. If you have been having a tough time trying to find the perfect gift for that cute baby or toddler in your life, you have come to the right place. Here is our gift shopping guide for babies and toddlers. 1. Baby Sleeper Sack 3PCS Set Baby Sleeper Sack Set are a go-to gift idea for babies and toddlers. Babies grow super fast, and they are always outgrowing their old clothes. Moms and dads everywhere will always appreciate new high-quality sleepers whenever they get them. This guarantees that this gift idea will be an instant hit. Bonus points if they also look super cute! Our recommendation: 3PCS Set Baby Sleeping Bag Bamboo Cotton Sleeping Sack: These sleepers are designed for every baby’s and toddler’s comfort. Made entirely using bamboo cotton, they are super soft and gentle to your baby’s delicate skin. Plus, they are so warm and cozy that your little one will feel like she is wrapped in the softest blanket every time she has them on. 2. Baby Swaddle Blanket 4PCS Set Babies love to be swaddled. It reminds them of when they were in the womb. Wrapping your little one in a warm swaddle blanket is a great way to make her feel loved and comfortable, and to help her go to sleep quicker. Plus, the right swaddle blanket can be used for a whole host of other uses. For example, it can also be used as a changing mat, a nursing cover, a burp cloth, a play mat, a stroller cover, and so much more! Our recommendation: Bamboo Muslin Swaddle Blanket: We adore these swaddle blankets. They come in unisex colors that look equally adorable for both boys and girls. They are also made using the softest cotton and bamboo fiber mix, ensuring that they are always kind to your baby’s sensitive skin. They also come generously large which any parent will absolutely love! 3. Baby Care Bath Set Bathtime is the perfect opportunity for moms and dads to bond with their little angels. Anything that makes this experience easier and more intimate for both the parents and the little ones is a welcome gift idea. Our recommendation: 1set Baby Care Bath Products: Featuring a delightful cotton blanket, beautiful baby headbands, milestone photography props, a baby hair brush, and a cute little crochet rabbit doll, it comes in adorable packaging that makes it easier to gift everything at once. Any parent who receives this gift set will instantly fall in love! 4. Baby Play Gym When your little one starts to become mobile, she needs all the practice she can get. When she starts pulling herself up on furniture or fumbling with random household objects in her hands, you want to help her perfect her gross and fine motor skills. One of the best ways to do this is by using a baby play gym. Our recommendation: 1Set Wooden Rattle Teethers Baby Toys Play Gym Mobile Newborn Sensory Structure: This handmade play gym is designed to grow with your little one. It comes with removable teethers 5. Personalized Wooden Baby Care Gift Set 8PCS Baby care gift sets will always be a hit whether they are given as baby shower gifts or registry gifts. Wooden ones are far superior because wood is a baby-safe material that is BPA free and does not contain any harmful chemicals. Plus, it is a tough yet soft material that babies can chew on to their hearts’ content. Our recommendation: Wooden Baby Care Set: This gift set features two hair brushes, a baby rattle, and a teether set. Every new parent will appreciate the thought that went into buying it! 6. Crotchet Elephant and Teether Set 3PCS Crochet toys are great for babies because they are soft and cute and completely baby-safe, unlike plastic toys. Babies also love wooden teether, especially once their first teeth start coming in between the ages of 0 to 12months. Yours will definitely appreciate this gift. Our recommendation: 1set Baby Rattle Wooden Crochet Elephant Bells Music Teething Bracelet Pacifier Dummy Clips: This set is made using natural wood and wool. This makes it completely baby-safe. It also comes with a bracelet pacifier that’s made using 100% food-grade silicone. When you add that to the fact that there is an adorably cuddly elephant as the cherry on top, it is easy to see why this will instantly become your little one’s favourite toy as soon as she gets her hands on it. 7. Wooden Baby Tableware Set 7PCS Babies may be tiny, but they can also be super destructive. This is especially true when you start weaning them. Glass and most plastics are completely out of the question because they will inevitably find themselves thrown on the floor. The solution is simple: get them wooden tableware that is nearly indestructible! Our recommendation: Baby Bowl Set Featuring a large hidden silicone suction cup at the bottom, this set will stay on the table from the moment you set it down until you choose to take it off. It is designed to prevent little hands from getting too adventurous with them while also promoting independence through self-feeding. Plus, all the cups, bowls, and tableware in this set are made of food-safe and baby-safe wood. This will be the only tableware set you’ll need to buy for your little one! 8. Non-slip Baby Dinner Set 7PCS Silicone is also a great material to use for baby utensils. Not only is it food safe and baby-safe, but it is also latex-free, phthalate-free, and BPA-free. It is also a very hardy material that will not be easily destroyed by your little one’s misadventures, so you can count on any silicone utensils to last a very long time. Our recommendation: 7Pcs/1Set Silicone Baby Feeding Bowl Tableware Waterproof Spoon Non-Slip Crockery: We love this set because it is 100% non-slip. This means your little one will be able to confidently feed using them with minimal messes. This is very important as it will help her build her confidence and independence through self-feeding. Plus, it is a great way to exercise her motor skills and her hand-eye coordination! 9. Baby Mobile Gym and Toy Set 5PCS Babies need to get active whenever they can. With a mobile gym, that is exactly what you get: a chance for your little one to get active. This is why they make such great gift ideas. Our recommendation: Newborn Mobile Gym Educational Toy Set: This set features an adorable blanket with a plush toy, rattles, teethers, a swaddle, and a bib. It makes for a thoughtful gift idea that would be a hit in any baby shower or as a registry or birthday gift. 10. Embroidered Diaper Bag Regular diaper bags can get boring fast. Why not put a twist on it and elevate the look of the plain old diaper bag? With an embroidered diaper bag, you get an artistic take on the original that looks stunning and unique. Plus, the material is so soft and a real pleasure to carry around with you all day. Our recommendation: Cute Bear Flower Embroidery Pattern Baby Beige Cotton Fabric Zipper Diaper Handbag: If you have been looking for a unique diaper bag, this is it. It features delightful embroidery that makes it stand out. It is also a generously large size which means you can comfortably bring all your baby essentials with you every time you head out! Final Thoughts It is easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about the perfect gift to get for a baby or toddler. Not knowing where to start is the main reason why a lot of people end up over shopping and getting stuff that the kiddo ends up never using. Things should be a lot easier for you, though, now that you have this gift shopping guide. Good luck!