Built designers Aaron Lown and John Roscoe Swartz became fathers and discovered a list of products they wished they had but could not find in stores. So, they helped start the
Baby line at Built, with products made to make life easier for parents.
I recently received a
Cushy Tushy Changing Pad from Built to try out with my little one. The Cushy Tushy is a portable changing pad with an attached pocket for diapers and wipes. It is made out of neoprene, giving the Cushy Tushy some really great characteristics: It is soft for baby, stain-resistant, and machine washable.

The Cushy Tushy Changing Pad’s pocket is a good size for shorter trips. As seen in the picture, it will hold four size three diapers alone, so adding wipes will probably take it down to two or three diapers. It does fold down to a compact size (see the picture below with the same size 3 diaper), making it easy to throw in a diaper bag or purse.

As I tried out the Cushy Tushy, I was really impressed with how well it is put together. It is made with quality materials, and the neoprene makes the Cushy Tushy virtually indestructible. Diapers and/or wipes are right at hand, so users do not need to dig through the diaper bag while trying to keep a squirmy baby from rolling away.

The only downside I see to the Cushy Tushy is its size. At around twenty inches long and just over seven inches wide, it is indeed compact. I know that the designers did not want to add too much bulk to the product, but parents children much larger than my 26” nine-month-old shown in the picture above might have to choose between having the baby’s head hang off one end or their bottom off the other.
If the size of the changing pad does not seem like it will be a problem for your family, I do think the Cushy Tushy is a good product. Here are some of my favorite reasons why the Cushy Tushy will come in handy. It is:
- a great replacement for the cheap, vinyl coated changing mats that come with diaper bags (if you are lucky to get any at all!).
- a perfect diapering solution for quick trips - just grab it and go.
- great to keep in the car for emergency diaper changes because you have a changing pad, diapers, and wipes all in one small package.
- perfect for those (many) diaper changes that inevitably happen on the floor in bathrooms without changing tables - keeps baby’s body cushioned from the hard floor.
Overall, I love the
Cushy Tushy Changing Pad, and my baby does, too... you know when he’s not trying to crawl away while I change his diaper.
Selling at
Amazon for about $20, this is a great product for families on the go.
- Sara I.
Kids love to throw things. And then they cry when they can't reach them to get them back. Or whatever they throw gets lost when you don't notice it has gone missing. I hate losing cups and pacifiers!
I'm sure you have seen those new cup leashes out there that attach to your cup, but also to your stroller or play area. Now you can make your own to fit your specific cups. You also get to choose the ribbon so it fits your style.
Make it and Love it has come out with a great
sippy cup leash tutorial.
All you need is some ribbon, strong velcro, and some shelf liner to keep it from slipping. Grab your sewing machine and put it together, and you have a great little leash for those cups or bottles. One of the commenters suggested using some elastic on one side to strap around the bottle if your kid likes to pull apart the Velcro.
- Trisha
Photo by Andy Siharath, shared via
Flickr.
Are you a forgetful mom? I sure am! Just this week I forgot an important conference call, and it’s not uncommon for me to forget to pick my oldest girls up from school. Is it a bad sign if my eleven-year-old leaves me post-it notes on the microwave to remind me? After four kids I’ve definitely seen a loss in brainpower, so I can totally relate to
Momnesia: A Humorous Guide to Surviving Your Post-Baby Brain by Shannon Payette Seip and Adrienne Hedger.
And I don’t think “post-baby” only refers to those first few months after childbirth. For me it’s continued years after and is probably now a permanent condition.
Momnesia is a how-to guide with fun anecdotes and a sense of humor to which all sleep-deprived moms can relate. It even has brain boosters, tips, and lists that will help any new or “more experienced” mom learn to live with her new condition.
Though “momnesia” may be curable with 9-hour nights of sleep, a healthy diet and lots of quiet time, for many of us these cures are far from reach. To help us survive I recommend a good dose of
Momnesia: A Humorous Guide to Surviving Your Post-Baby Brain, because when all is said and done, if you’re not laughing you’re crying!
You can purchase
Momnesia for about $10 from
Amazon.com.
- Emily H.
Momnesia: A Humorous Guide to Surviving Your Post-Pregnancy Brain
I don't recall my mom ever buying us pajamas. She usually made them. I have been making my own pajama pants since I was a teenager. Now you can make them too for your little one using this easy-to-follow
tutorial for how to make your own pajama pants.
You can do the same thing to make shorts for your kids, or even Capri pants.
You can also make easy newborn clothes the same way. You know how most pants or shorts don't fit a new baby? Just find one pair that does and use that to make the pattern from. Follow these same instructions and you can have clothes that fit your newborn.
- Trisha