A whole lot of the questions I frequently get in my dms relate to one topic, Asher’s sensory play setup. It’s quickly grown into a basis for some of our most fun activities here at home, so I wanted to create a master post detailing what we have, and how we make it work for us.
The sensory table is an ikea flisat, which works with the trofast bins in all their sizes. We also have this trofast storage unit in Asher’s closet (a fb marketplace score), and the interchangeable bin setup is really so useful for organization and toy rotation that I can’t help but keep up with it.
Last year, I decorated our bar cart for Hanukkah, with fresh pine and glittery star garlands. I like a bar cart for a Hanukkah setup because it gives you space for presents below and open air for a menorah up top, and am doing something similar to this again this year.
I’m always good for a rant about representation, and specifically how sparse and limited the stock of Hanukkah products can be. It’s doesn’t help that I’m picky about aesthetics on top of the fewish options, not gonna lie. But I’ve gotten good at finding the cute stuff out of the piles of kitsch, so I wanted to share some of my fave Hanukkah finds this year.
Target has really stepped their game up over the last several years, and I love to see it. We’ve had this opalhouse hanukkiah for several years, and it’s such good quality. The dollar spot was full of good finds this year- these Hanukkah themed paint-with-water pages, adorable tea towels, and silicone mats to catch wax were all from there. I’m such a fan of the fabric menorah wall hanging– it’s in Asher’s room and I’m looking forward to helping him add a candle each night, and pulling it out again each year. I’ll do the same with these babublebar earrings for myself. I didn’t love most of the themed clothes on the market this year, but thought this shirt from the little girls’ section was cute, and so cheap- an XL fits me fine. I grabbed these precious olive & june hanukkah nail stickers at target, but then ordered a backup set from them directly. And how sweet is this little felt garland?
Hanukkah books are also a big part of our seasonal fun. Lots of our stash of Jewish culture books were gifted by PJ library, but I’ve linked a bunch of our favorites here.
If you’re gearing up for Hanukkah, I hope it’s filled with wonder and light.
love, Ravayna
I mentioned in my post about Asher’s second birthday that there would be years for little sweet birthdays and there would be years where I go all out and throw a fete. I know many people will be surprised that this year, with a viral pandemic, was a latter year. I know that sounds crazy, so I wanted to give y’all the full details on the many considerations and decisions we made to help y’all make informed choices as well.
All the play by play and the cuteness is in this YouTube video,
including some more backstory and details, but I wanted to put the broad strokes of it into a blog post for reference and searchability, as it seems we’ll be taking precautions when and if we socialize for the foreseeable future, as cases are rising again and many families are going back into quarantine.
Hope all of y’all are having a fabulous holiday season! I’ve had a lot of conversations about this topic in my Instagram dms, so I wanted to talk a little bit about how we holiday in our family- and why.
I teamed up with Wells Fargo for this post- thanks for supporting the companies that help make LoveRavayna possible.
I grew up road tripping to see family and friends, and David and I have done it lots as a couple- it only made sense that we’d keep doing it with Asher! It’s a whole new world though- I used to just need a face mask, pillow and phone charger to keep myself entertained but a road trip with an infant is a wholeeeee thing.
After a dozen or so long and less-long but still intimidating trips over the last year, we’ve got a pretty tried-and-tested gameplan, and I wanted to share it for those that might need some tips.
We start with a fresh slate. The day before the trip, we clean out the car. We don’t always splurge on a detail, but we get the extra shoes and toys and too many reusable grocery bags all out and put away, so that we’re starting from the best possible place. I make sure that the car has paper towels or napkins stashed, and a grocery bag to use for trash. We also always have a blanket, and a clutch with diaper changing supplies so I don’t need to dig for the diaper bag. (All this also ups the chances of the car not being a TOTAL disaster by the time y’all make it home- and if it is, THEN’S the time to splurge on the detail in my opinion.)
Pack a literal bag of tricks. I keep toys tucked away in a wet bag, and I offer them to Asher one at a time. When he (eventually and inevitably) tosses it away, I let him choose a different toy from the bag and return the original one to the stash. It keeps him engaged in his playthings, and the car from becoming the land of discarded toys. For older kids, I’d probably wrap the toys in recycled paper to up the novelty factor, but he’s little enough that I don’t need to do do that yet.
A serious snack bag is a must. I try really hard to use reusable travel containers- both because they are the more planet-friendly everyday choice, but also because they are extra convenient to have on the road. For example, I filled these reusable pouches with applesauce and will wash them out once Asher eats it, and keep them on hand. And then when I order a smoothie the next day, I have a pouch ready to fill and a snack stash restocked. I also lean hard in the direction of the neatest possible snacks, so the less crumbly or juicy, the better.
Come correct with the entertainment. Prebaby, we listened to podcasts on road trips, or I read or napped- those days are over though! We need a soundtrack that entertains (and distracts/drowns out yelling if necessary). Asher loves everything from show tunes to old school hip hop, so don’t feel the need to limit yourself to kiddie music. We’ve also pumped the white noise through our car sound system in desperation- and it works!
And when all else fails, a fatalistic attitude helps. You’ll get there eventually, and everyone will be out of the car only slightly worse for the wear! Our favorite short road trip destination is Palm Springs- it takes us just about two hours to get there, and if we are lucky we can time it with naptime. It’s such a fun and relaxing getaway- I’ve got a whole giant city guide coming to the blog next month too!
And of course, our Wells Fargo Propel® Card is one of our favorite travel companions. I love that we earn 3X rewards points not only on hotels or home stays, but also on gas at gas stations to get us where we’re going. We’ve utilized so much this year that our rewards have really started to accumulate- I’m so excited to put them to good use!
I did want to note that I sit in the back with Ashe to facilitate road trip ease. For us, it makes the biggest difference. Also- lots of people advise a phone or tablet for car rides, and I have no insight there because we simply haven’t tried it yet! We don’t have a fancy car with built in screens, Ashe doesn’t have a tablet, and I’m selfish and don’t want to have to share my phone with him, so that’s where we are on that! ! 🤣
Xx, Ravayna
As parents, David and I aim for moderation, so it’s no surprise that guided our plan when it came time to introduce solid food to Asher. He started reaching for what we were eating before five months, but we limited him to just a few tastes prior to six months according to his pediatrician’s advice. We originally planned to combination feed- some purées as well as adult food, safely served, but he quickly made his preference for eating the same thing we were known. So that’s what we’ve mostly fed him- honey-free, lower salt, and sometimes deconstructed versions of our own meals, heavy on the whole, fresh foods. We’ve referenced feeding littles for details and baby led weaning information- I’ve learned so much about healthy feeding just from following them on instagram– but have found it fairly intuitive.
The right feeding gear is key, though, so I wanted to share some of our faves with you.
We live in a tiny condo, with limited storage space, so I was insistent on a space saving high chair. We registered for the joovy nook and it has been the perfect choice for us- sturdy but slim profiled, easily cleanable. Asher is a MESS, so that’s a necessary consideration. We like these munchkin pouch bibs to help corral the fallout, and they rinse clean easily. We’ve discovered that he will turn every possible plate or bowl into a flying object, so we favor these ones that suction to his tray. And cutlery is still a work in progress, but we like this large pack for plenty of spares.
Now that he’s turned one, we’re trading in bottles for cups. We got a zillion reccs for these 360’ cups, and Asher’s adjusting well to them. I toss one in my bag for him when we’re on the move, and I’m frankly always amazed that they don’t leak in the bag considering mess he manages to make on himself. Other diaper bag mainstays include a bib and a placemat. We’ve been using these disposable ones, but I saw this silicone one and ordered it too. I’m always trying to make more environmentally friendly and sustainable choices for our family, so I think I’ll save the disposables for the serious mess situations. Both kinds are Parent’s Choice, Walmart’s in-house baby brand. They’re celebrating their 20th anniversary of providing quality baby and kid products at incredible price points, and they’ve become one of our trustworthy gotos over the last year.
Parent’s Choice also makes some of our favorite shelf-stable snacks for Asher. Puffy hearts are surprisingly crumble resistant and neat to eat, and he likes all the flavors we’ve tried on him. Yogurt melts are messier, but that’s probably because he crams them into his mouth by the handful, as illustrated. He also loves the veggie and cheddar crunchers– and honestly, I see why- I tried them and they are pretty much yummy healthier baby Cheetos. I love keeping these on hand to supplement our usual fruit and veggie snacks.
We don’t do tons of pouches, but I serve them as a side to a meal or with/after a snack to try and get a few more calories in him. We buy the Parent’s Choice of these too, which are shelf stable, so I always keep one in my diaper bag, another in the car bag- they’re fabulous for on the go. We tend to pass on the all-fruit flavors for a variety that has a superfood, or green veggie, like the blueberry-kale-rice, strawberry-carrot-quinoa, and root veggies and apple… Asher’s a fruititarian if left to his own devices, so I’m shamelessly pushing veggies, whole grains and proteins.
As far as eating organic, we do the best we can to avoid the conventional dirty dozen we can while not blowing the budget. I like that Parent’s Choice makes so many organic options available and accessible for us. They also make a whole array of GMO-free formula that I wish I’d known about while Asher still drank formula.
I’m not an expert, and am always learning, but I wanted to share what we’ve found that works for us! Let me know if you have any faves to suggest…
xx, Ravayna
This post was brought to you in partnership with Walmart in celebration of Parent’s Choice 20th birthday. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make LoveRavayna possible.
We have teamed up with Wells Fargo this summer! Thank you for supporting the companies that make LoveRavayna possible.
If you’ve been around LoveRavayna for more than a minute, you know that New Orleans will always be where my heart calls home. I may have only lived there for ten years, but it’s where I came of age, found myself and my future. David and I met in college there, got married there, and since Asher was born, I had dreamed of taking him home to meet his family and learn his roots.
We have teamed up with Wells Fargo. Thank you for supporting the companies that make LoveRavayna possible.
The weather is lovely in LA this time of year, and the heavy rains earlier this spring have revitalized our green spaces for the first time in several years. It’s beautiful to see, and it makes certain little alcoves of the city into nature escapes. Griffith Park’s been looking especially inviting lately, so we thought it was time for Asher’s first trip to the zoo!
