Must have gadgets to make life easier for parents

BY Kerry Keith

There are so many fun and innovative gadgets that will make a parent’s life easier. When your baby is under the weather, try a pacifier thermometer. It’s so easy to check your baby’s temperature, even in the middle of the night. There are several manufacturers that make these; Summer Infant Pacifier Thermometer comes in teal and white with a fever glow alert that indicates a fever and it beeps when the reading is complete.

It also recalls the baby’s last reading. Retails for $5.99 on Amazon.com. Safety 1^st also makes one, the Comfort Check Pacifier Thermometer that provides the baby’s temperature on the digital display and offers an attachment that can be filled up with medicine. Retails for $7.99 at BabiesRUs.

Checking on your sleeping baby or should-be sleeping toddler is easier than ever with the Video Internet Monitor by Summer Infant that allows you to view your child right from your cell phone. The Baby Zoom WiFi multi-platform system enables in-home, continuous monitoring on the 2.5 inch high resolution color handheld monitor with multi-level zoom camera and two-way communication.

The camera automatically detects and connects to a home wireless network enabling parents to view in home or away from home on smartphones, tablets, or computers via a free viewing APP for Apple and Android devices. You can also take a picture or record video right from your phone. Privacy-mode lets parents control when friends and family can access the remote viewing. The Video Internet Monitor retails for $99.00 at Target.

Being a new mom can wreak havoc on your memory. Not enough sleep and too much to do causes a lot of stress. The Itzbeen Pocket Nanny is perfect for keeping track of all your baby’s needs including; naps, feedings, medicine doses, or diaper changes. It’s a multi-purpose baby care timer with four timers that can also give a reminder at certain intervals, if desired. Other helpful features include: back clip, nursing reminder switch, illuminated display, clock, and a soft nightlight for changing diapers in the dark. The Itzbeen Pocket Nanny Retails for $21.95 at itzbeen.com.

The mamaRoo is the “must have” swing that bounces and sways in multiple directions to mimic how you move when holding your baby. Choose from a variety of settings including; car ride, kangaroo, tree swing, rock-a-bye baby, or wave. It offers an adjustable seat recline up to a full recline. Your child will be smoothed by the built-in nature sound or select from your baby’s favorite sounds or songs with an included MPS plug-in. It’s Bluetooth enable so you’re able to control the motion and sound from your smart phone. It also offers a removable seat that’s machine washable. The mamaRoo retails for $249.99 at Target.

Making your own baby food has never been easier with the Baby Bullet. You can purée and grinds fruits, vegetables, and grains. Make a week’s worth of baby food quickly and easily. It comes with a power base, batch bowl, blend blade, milling blade, 2 short cups, 2 stay-fresh re-sealable lids, recipe book, and 6 date-dial storage cups display when food is frozen so you can make the food ahead of time or take it on the go. The Baby Bullet retails for $59.99 at Target or Bed Bath & Beyond.

The Aquaduck Single Handle Faucet Extender makes kids washing their hands even easier by attaching a faucet extender to the faucet spout. It’s a two-piece system that brings the water flow closer to the front of the sink and provides an extension to the faucet lever so kids can turn the water on and off easily. It can be sold separately or the set retails for $36.99 on Amazon.com.

A true spill-proof bowl – really? Aomeiter Gyro Bowl is a spill proof bowl that will keep your child’s food in place no matter how much your child runs, spins, or drops the bowl. With gravity-defying engineering, dry food and snacks stay inside the bowl and off your floor no matter what your child does. It’s dishwasher safe and comes with a lid to keep foods fresh. The Aomeiter Gyro Bowl retails for $7.99 on Amazon.com or for as little as $2.83 on eBay.

Sip Snap turns any cup or glass into a sippy cup or a cup with straw. The Snug Spot is a sippy cup lid that can be stretched over almost any cup to provide a convenient at home or on the go spill-proof kids’ drinking vessel. Each set comes with three Snugs and is dishwasher safe. It’s recommended for ages nine months and older.

For older children, try the Stretch Snug Straw fits over most cups and you’ve got a lidded drinking cup that can fit any sized straw and save you from spill catastrophes. Snug Straw makes a great mealtime companion whether you’re at home or out to eat. It’s great for those little grown-ups that are on their way to using regular cups. Each set comes with three Snug lids and three straws. Each set retails for $11.95 at sipsnap.com.