Making Mum-ing Easier: The Mealtime Edition

I often like to take stock of my favourite mummy gadgets - things that have had made the day to day easier, things that I would recommend to any mummy or mummy-to-be, things I love having in my mummy arsenal.

Baby Cubes and Pesto Cubes
These are a great way of storing your homemade baby purees in your freezer. They're pretty self explanatory and wonderful in their simplicity. I love that they are lidded so I don't have to remember to transfer the food to freezer bags once frozen. When Ember first started solids, I used the Pesto Cubes (they're smaller) exclusively as they were more suited to her meal size. Now, I use the Baby Cubes for her fruit and veg and the Pesto Cubes to freeze grains like quinoa and rice. How I use them:
- Fill to max line, allow puree to cool to room temperature, place in tray and stick in the freezer.
- When it comes time for Ember to eat, I take a cube out of the freezer, run it under warm water to help release the puree, and pop it into a glass. Pop the glass into the microwave and defrost. Hand wash the cube. Bang boom, meal is served.
Bonuses: I will use them to freeze fresh herbs and garlic when Ember has outgrown their need. And, I've given Ember a frozen cube to chomp on when she's teething. It worked really well.

Photo: Baby Cubes

Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Processor*
When Ember first started on solids, I needed to get them pretty darn smooth for her to manage without issue. This little food processor was perfect and meant I didn't have to deal with the bulk of my blender or larger food processor. It washed up quickly and easily when I was making several batches of food in an afternoon.

Photo: Cuisinart Canada

Immersion Blender*
Now that Ember has graduated out of super smooth food and doesn't mind a little 'bite' to her meals, I just use this to blitz whatever Andrew and I are eating. With the addition of a little water or 100% apple juice, most meals will break up enough that Ember can easily chew it. She still only has two teeth after all.
Clean up is super easy and, it's easy to travel with; I took this with us on our last trip to Vancouver.

Sensible Lines Milk Trays
I so love these trays. They make storing breast milk so easy and convenient. Milk is frozen in one ounce sticks that fit through any bottle opening. The portioned amounts allow you to customize the bottles to your baby's appetite. Easy peasy - no waste or mess that can occur when storing breast milk in bags. These are my go-to shower gifts for new mums.

Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster Seat
Baby gear in a condo quickly starts to feel like excess furniture. That's why we did not want your typical high chair. The booster style seat for Ember has worked brilliantly. It's sturdy, cleans up well and doesn't take up four square feet - what more could you want?
A huge bonus: it folds down for easy travel! We take it with us to restaurants, to family's houses and have even packed it into a suitcase for airline travel. Plus, it's a great price point and has longevity as it will be a straight up booster later on.

Ember (5 months old) in her chair for the first time.

*I had this before coming a mum.

--Companies in this post have no idea who I am; I just really like their products. I'm sharing on my own accord.--