5 Mommy Must-Haves for Young Toddlers

Have a young tot? Yeah, so do I. And I think I'd go nuts without the conveniences of the following items.

1. PIZZA CUTTER. Quicker than a fork and knife, and can cut nearly anything. Except for grapes, really. Waffles, pancakes, slices of bread, beans, cheese, hot dogs, bananas, tomatoes...you name it, cuts your time in half.

2. PILLOWS. These work great to cover your face while you are laughing hysterically at your child, who just did something unruly or inappropriate, and you don't want him to see. For example, Preston knows he isn't supposed to get behind the curtains in our living room. I hide the cords to our floor lamp there. When he attempts to fool around with the curtains, I give him a stern "No touch." and a slap on the hand. Yesterday he started walking the direction of the curtains, with mischief written all over his face. Before he could even grab them, I said, "Preston. No Touch." The boy turns around, walks over to me, and starts slapping my arm. Here is where the pillow came in handy.

3.BIKE HELMET WITH VISOR. Aids in softening the blow of face plants. Also reduces their reach into cabinets, lazy susans, etc.

4. THE SNACK TRAP. Got Cheerios? The Snack Trap is an ingenious cup with a unique soft lid with slits in it. Kids can reach in for a little handful of grub and the cup automatically closes when they remove their hand. Reduces mess! (Thanks mbeans.com!)

5. ALCOHOL. Lots of it and different kinds. You never know how far your kid is going to push you. Some days it might be a "glass of wine day", others may be "a six pack day", or "a glass of scotch night."