Cutting back on the clutter
Steamed veggies are a big thing in our tiny apartment. I puree endless batches of carrots for the baby. For a quick snack I’ll put out a bowl for my four year old to nibble on – he will eat tons of veggies provided he doesn’t have to use a utensil, which I think is …
So this has been quite an interesting purchase. It’s a highly compact gas grill that folds up like a briefcase. The gas tank, obviously, does not fit in to the neat little package, but when all is said and done it leaves a small footprint as it can be stored standing up. I’ve been pleased …
This drying rack has proven to be essential in our tiny apartment. It folds up unobtrusively when not in use but expands to hold quite a few items. So far it hasn’t sagged or bent under the weight of heavy blankets or wet jeans. The over the door hooks make it easy to set up …
So let me tell you a little about my love/hate relationship with this bassinet. Let’s start with the good stuff. It is super lightweight – moving it around is comparable to moving a folding chair. And with an aching back this is something I deeply appreciated. Also being able to quickly and easily move the …
So if you have read anything at all on this website you know how much I hate the idea of baby clutter taking over my life. I can’t stand having to schlep an overloaded diaper bag just for a quick trip to the park down the street. Babies are hard enough, dealing with all of …
If you are like most people, you probably don’t use a warming tray all that often. I know I use mine once a week, and even that is more than the average holiday/special occasion hosting these things are commonly used for. This means that for a good part of the time this appliance needs to …
When I first bought this product I had grand visions of folding it up and stashing it in a cabinet between uses. HAHAHAHAHA. Yup, what a joke. This thing is literally always in use. As any parent of a toddler can tell you – laundry is never ending! [Jan 2020 Update: The hanger is available …
For those of you not yet in on the menstrual cup trend, I’ll spare you the evangelizing (Better for the environment! Saves money!) found in nearly every publication marketed towards women. I admit I was a holdout as seemingly everyone ditched tampons and pads in favor of the the newest cool-girl must-have. I don’t …
This mini crib was great for my son’s first two and a half years. It feels sturdy and actually furniture-like, if such a term exists. I appreciated that it had a decent amount of space underneath so I could store things. It comes with wheels that you can choose to put on or leave off, …
I think I was overly optimistic when purchasing this. It fails on three fronts: extending the life of produce, overall function, and being compact. While it did keep my lettuce perfectly crisp it grew large amounts of mold. In terms of overall function the bottom water reservoir frequently leaks or falls off. And to add …
One of the annoying things about back pain is the clutter of braces, supports, cushions, heat packs, etc. that come with it. I was increasingly frustrated with finding a place to store all of the things that no longer helped, and wished I could bring the ones I loved when I would go away for …
As a super type-A person I always need to be prepared for everything. That means taking my rainboots with me more often than I really need to. Thankfully Hunter has made this a bit easier with rainboots that actually fold down to fit in a bag. Another bonus is that the flexible material is more …
I really, really wanted to love this whisk. As an avid chef I dream of having a well-stocked kitchen, but alas my small Manhattan apartment has its limits. So when I thought I could have a balloon whisk that folds down to a flat whisk I was delighted. Unfortunately the folding function never seemed to …
Impressively durable and sturdy, this scooter makes me wonder why anyone would buy one that doesn’t fold. Thankfully the folding mechanism is a bit tricky for kids to use themselves so there are no worries about pinched fingers. It’s a little heavy to carry around but that weight provides serious stability. It’s a great first …
[UPDATE: Looks like this changing table might not be such a good idea] I am really starting to have second thoughts about this changing table. It is fairly difficult to open or close the fold out panel, especially when holding a squirmy baby. I only fold it up to make room for overnight guests. It …
The Stokke Flexi Bath is a lightweight, foldable, and durable bath tub that you can easily store without taking up much space. It folds narrow enough to fit in a suitcase for traveling. It works well until about age 4. This bath doesn’t leak, drains quickly, and is easy to wash. And it comes in six different colors (including two transparent ones), and has a heat-indicating drain plug. Although this $64 bathtub isn’t cheap, you definitely get a lot of use out of it.
I have two rules for all baby things that I buy: They must be foldable and washable. This bouncer is the only one I have found that folds up completely flat, and the entire cover removes for washing! It was a lifesaver when my son was born and we lived in a Manhattan apartment smaller …
This is the only (that I could find) crib on the market that folds AND converts into a toddler bed. As we convert the baby’s room into a guest room as needed we were delighted to find a toddler bed that would fold. The crib itself is sturdy and stylish. It has removable wheels, which …
The good news: You will never, and I mean never, find a step stool that is more compact than this. Most stools just fold flat, this folds flat and then in half. The not so good news: Save this one for the road because it isn’t sturdy enough to use regularly. I doubt it would …
Ok, so this isn’t the cheapest. Or the easiest to install. It takes some time to acclimate to the various straps and buckles for each position that this versatile car seat can do. But it’s worth it for the size and versatility. Rear facing, forward facing and booster seat are all covered in one piece …
Be prepared to find out who your real friends are – when you have your kid buckled into this tiny seat, plan on getting plenty of judgmental stares from busybodies who think your kid isn’t in a car seat at all! This game-changing car seat folds up to the size of small laptop. It’s super-portable, …