Here's a Roundup of My Favorite Bottles, Sippy Cups, and Toddler Dinnerware

From colic as a newborn to flipping plates over as a toddler, we’ve somehow survived nearly two years of feeding twins. Oftentimes, I get messages from other twin moms asking what kinds of bottles, sippy cups, toddler plates, bowls, etc. that I recommend based on my experience, so I figured I’d create a round-up of all of our mealtime favorites for you!

Baby Bottle Faves:

It’s always a complete gamble when it comes to what kind of “eater” you’re going to get when you give birth. I was blessed with a colicky, screaming baby (Ames) AND an easy, good-eating baby (Joules). While they balanced each other out in a sense, we still had to go through over a dozen bottle brands during the first year to find the ones that worked best for them — and both kids settled on different kinds! Ames needed something that would subside his colic symptoms while Joules just needed something that would reduce spit-ups. Here are the two kinds of bottles that won us over in the end:

1. Dr. Brown’s Options Baby Bottle Kit - We used this the first year for Joules. I would recommend this to any baby that’s a good eater but might have a little reflux or even just mild colic. Even though Joules didn’t have colic like her brother, she still had spit-ups/reflux (like most babies do) for which we wanted a good venting system. This bottle has an anti-colic venting system that can be easily inserted/removed. We always left the vent in. The reason I like this gift set is because it includes different bottle sizes (two 4 oz and three 8 oz) to accommodate the different ages/needs. The kit also includes travel caps to keep the bottles from spilling during travel. The last main perk is the brush that cleans the bottles from the inside. I never knew I needed this until I got this kit and realized how much easier my life was with it! Click below to see the pink and blue options.

2. Philips Avent Anti Colic Baby Bottle Kit - After trying a dozen different kinds of bottles, this is the brand we ultimately settled on for Ames. His colic was VERY difficult to manage and he would often cry during every feed from start to finish (yes, it was stressful). Once we got him regimented on this bottle, he significantly improved. I was VERY grateful that we found this brand. The Avent bottle has even been upgraded since we used them last year! Their bottles are designed to reduce colic, gas, and reflux - which is everything Ames needed! The kit comes with different sized bottles (two 4 oz and two 8 oz), a cleaning brush, pacifiers, and even a sippy spout. Click below to see the pink and blue options.

Sippy Cup Faves:

When the twins were weaned off of bottles and onto sippy cups full-time at around 1 year old, we again had to go through several different cup brands. Our main problem with some of the sippy cups was leakage. Sometimes the kids would be sitting in their high chairs (or even just walking around the house) and they would just start throwing their cups, leading to milk being sprayed everywhere (it’s one of my biggest pet-peeves!). Luckily, we found some sippy cups that are more “spill-proof” than others. Here are the 2 cups we currently use:

1. Zak Designs Sippy Cup - This sippy cup is HANDS DOWN my favorite and the twins’ favorite. They both did well drinking from it right off the bat. It has a bendable straw that you can put in a “closed” position when you’re traveling or when you just don’t want things to spill (my favorite feature!). The straw is soft in case you have biters and it holds up to 12 ounces (that’s a pretty big volume compared to the rest of our sippy cups). It also has a little handle for the kids - I like this because I can set these cups on the counter and the kids can reach up for them by grabbing this handle! We use these every EVERY day at our house.

2. Munchkin 360 Sippy Cup - This is my second favorite. It’s known to be a “miracle” because it’s considered spill proof. I’d say that’s pretty accurate - unless my kids are throwing particularly hard, then it’s another story. They can sip from it from any angle (hence the 360 name) and the design supports dental health. By the way, they make them with and without handles! We also use this one every single day at our house.

Toddler Dinnerware Faves:

Along the same lines of the cup-throwing, my kids have also had a funny little history with flipping their plates over! But, I found some ways around that. :) From plates to bowls to utensils, here are my top picks of the best toddler mealtime products:

1. Silicone Suction-Based Plates and Bowls - The name says it all. You press the plate/bowl against their high chair tray or the table, and it stays put. No more having to get down on the ground to wipe up the twins’ flipped-over dinner plates off the ground. Ha!

2. Kizingo Toddler Spoon for first-time learners - We used these when the twins were about a year old (can be used 9 months and up) to help them develop their self-feeding skills. The spoon handle is designed to curve with the toddler’s hand, making it easier for them to get food in their mouths. My twins literally learned how to use this spoon within a day. It was amazing! I highly recommend this for first-time utensil learners.

3. Constructive Eating Utensils for experienced toddlers - These utensils are probably some of the best items we have in our kitchen drawers right now. The construction theme utensils for Ames and the garden fairy theme utensils for Joules have kept mealtime exciting! Typically my kids strongly dislike veggies (so typical), but when I pull these forks and spoons out, they laugh and open wide for their vegetables. Plus, they’re just stinking adorable! They also have plates that match the utensils that you can get, too!

4. Munchkin Snack Containers - We have several of these at home! It makes snack time easy, especially when we are on the go. The kids can walk around with their little containers and dig in as needed. The soft flaps on the top keeps things clean and prevents crumbs from falling out. Great for travel.

The Best High Chair:

1. Graco Blossom 6-in-1 High Chair — We started using these high chairs when the twins were 4 months old and starting solids. Now, nearly at 21 months old, we still use them for every meal! One of the greatest parts about the Graco Blossom 6-in-1 is that there are 6 seating configurations that get you from infant to toddler (infant high chair, traditional high chair, infant booster, toddler booster, and youth chair). Even more, the 6th configuration can be used by disconnecting it into two pieces that can seat two children at once (should your family grow). Basically, it’s a one-stop shop. It has a secure 3- and 5-point harness, a reclining feature, and cushioned infant seating for comfort. Highly recommend.

This list really got us through some of the hardest moments of feeding our twins. Hopefully it helps someone else out, too! If you have any other great meal time products that you want to share with everyone, then feel free to drop a comment below for us! :)