Step2 Push Around Buggy– Every cool kid needs a cool ride and Ava sure does have one.  We gave her the buggy for her first birthday and she has been obsessed.  One of my favorite things is pushing her along while my son rides his balance bike.   She gets a huge kick out of it and cruises contently driving along.

Zoli Bot Straw Cup– I tried a LOT of straw cups with my kids.  This was the winner with both kids when it came to transitioning from a bottle to a straw cup.  Disclaimer: it does leak out the top occasionally due to the pressure (especially in warmer months) but I still love it.  It seemed to be a perfect early learner cup and I preferred it to all the others I tried (Nuk, Munchkin, etc).

Mega Bloks– My son got the First Builders Bag of Mega Bloks for his first birthday and he has loved them ever since.  From towers to houses to cars, we have gotten our money’s worth from them.  It is really fun seeing my daughter showing interest in them (and I can feel like super mom building her motor and problem solving skills).  These are one of those “must have toys” in my book!

Ball Pit (and 200 balls)– Best.purchase.ever.  Both my 3 year old and 17 month old are OBSESSED with this thing.  I have rotated it out for a week at a time and every time I bring it back, it is guaranteed to keep them occupied for enough time to allow me to make dinner!  Why didn’t we have these things when we were kids?!?!

Dinosaur Train Dino Bones Tunnel– I decided to buy this after both my kids seemed to love the tunnel at my daughter’s kiddie gym.  To say it is a hit is an understatement.  I liked it from the second I opened the package and it didn’t smell like so many toys do.  It is very well made and extremely durable.  They love crawling around in it, putting toys in and doing other random things that keep them occupied while mama sits and observes.  This is a MUST have!

Board books….so.many.board books.  My daughter is obsessed with books.  Her favorites right now are Moo Ba La La La and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you See.  Those two books account for around 75% of our book reading.  While, reading the same 2 books may get repetitive, it does have its advantage that I don’t actually have to look at the words anymore since I have them memorized.  Plus, books make kids smart, right?! :)

Gazillion Bubbles Machine– I bought this after I posted it in my group.  I was nervous because reviews seemed mixed but I am SO happy I picked it up. Both my kids LOVE it and there is something truly magical about watching your kids run around with looks of joy on their faces while popping bubbles! :)

Skip Hop Utensils – One of my most dreaded tasks as a mom has been introducing utensils to my kids.  Meal times become messy and drawn out. Through trial and error with my son (poor first child), I learned that the plastic utensils are more difficult for them to use than stainless steel ones.  I picked these up for my daughter and LOVE them! They are wide at the handle so it is super easy for her to grip.  I now have 3 sets and mealtime is a little less painful.

Ava’s Picks: