The Friday Five
The Friday Five “Hot Recommendations from a Luke-Warm Mom” is back!
You probably forgot it existed in the first place.
No hard feelings, it’s been awhile.
Anyway, this is my “weekly” (I use that term very lightly) roundup of things I’m using myself, love, and want to pass along to you. So off we go….
1. KAVU Diaper Bag
I LOVE THIS BAG!
I got one a few months ago to use as an alternative to a traditional diaper bag, and I haven’t looked back since. It’s the best lightweight diaper bag I’ve found, and I’m using it on a daily basis with 3 kids (ages 6, 2, and 8 months).
You can read my full review of this awesome lightweight diaper bag here.
2. CMP Studios Holiday Mini Sessions
We had a great experience at CMP Studios in Lincoln, MA. I’ve had photos taken of all 3 of my kids here, and it’s been fantastic every time!
They’re currently running their Holiday Mini Sessions, so if you’re in the area and looking for holiday photos this is a great option. Check them out on Facebook.
And yes that little baby in red is my baby Ani. She is a model. A famous model just under Cindy Crawford but way above Christy Turlington.
3. Sheppard Software
Sheppard Software is a free educational software aimed mainly at kids. It’s been a great option for my 6 year old!
It’s on a child-friendly (i.e. no freaky YouTube videos sneaking in) website and is used by schools and families alike. And it’s free.
Check out my full review here.
4. Dinner: The Playbook
Trying to cook for kids is a struggle! Why won’t they eat?? What’s wrong with these children? Who doesn’t want to EAT?? Little kids. Little kids don’t want to eat.
But I have found a few cookbooks that have helped us out a lot. One of them, Dinner Solved, I’ve already written about here. I highly recommend it.
My other absolute favorite cookbooks are from Jenny Rosenstrach. I’m going to try to get to a full review on her cookbooks, but for now I wanted to flag for you Dinner: The Playbook.
Jenny’s books are so enjoyable to read; they’re encouraging, helpful, and very very easy to follow. That last point I can’t overstate, since cookbooks routinely confuse me. I’m not a natural in the kitchen. And the recipes are so delicious!
Please note that I rated my own cooking as “Delicious!” Feel free to rate yourself highly as well, we can all use a little encouragement from ourselves.
Yes my handwriting is horrible. But I want to point out that the cookbook has a place to keep notes on each recipe so you can remember if you want to make it again.
5. Jambini Magnetic Cabinet Locks
These magnetic locks are a must have with small kids! We spent the first few years parenting using the clunky kind where the ties go around the handles of your drawer. They’re unattractive and hard to open and close.
The Jambini Magnetic Locks are so much better! They aren’t visible at all from the outside, which is nice. But even better, they open and close easily and my toddler can’t pry open the drawers.
Notice anything on the outside of the drawer? Yeah me neither. 
This latch goes inside your drawer, totally hidden.
You just use a magnetic key opener that we keep on the counter. There is no installation needed.
With a simple flip of the switch you can disengage the locks, so if you’re going in and out of the drawer you don’t need to keep using the key opener. Amazing!
And that’s a wrap! Have a great weekend everyone!
I love that diaper bag! I love the colors and style. Plus, it can be used beyond the baby/toddler time. Thanks for your Friday five, Liz!
Yes! It’s excellent and it definitely isn’t only for the baby/toddler stage. It’s just a good bag in general and it happens to also work as a diaper bag 🙂