Making Mealtime Easier with the Philips AVENT Natural Drinking Cup

Hazeline desperately wants to be big like her big sister – she wants to wear the same type of shoes, she wants to take dance classes, and she even wants her hair done the exact same way as Greenleigh’s…hairbows and all.  Of course, I entertain most of these requests because it’s pretty darn adorable, but there are times where I can’t, and mealtime is one of those times.  You see, Hazeline desperately wants to drink out of a cup just like Greenleigh’s – you know a regular cup without a lid or spout.  Unfortunately, she’s not quite “there yet”, meaning if I accommodated that request there would no doubt be milk or juice covering my kitchen floor during every meal.  And honestly, I’m just not up for the clean up.  So despite the fact that she’s over 2 years old, Hazeline still drinks from a sippy cup at meal times.  And she’s not happy about it…not one little bit.  It’s actually made mealtime a battle lately.

So when I was introduced to the Philips AVENT Natural Drinking cup last month at an event in Chicago, I knew I had found the answer.  You see, the difference between the Natural Drinking Cup and other sippy cups is that it doesn’t have a spout.  Instead, the child sips from any side of the cup, using their lip to pressing down the unique spill-proof valve located inside the rim of the cup, and liquid comes out from the area where they are drinking.  Best of all, this cup has a faster flow than regular sippy cups, making the drinking experience more realistic than sippy cups where the child really has to work to get the liquid out.  Essentially, it looks more like a real cup and functions like one, too, but it still has the spill-proof lid and handles of a sippy cup.  And it’s safe to toss in the diaper bag because it comes with it’s own lid – no need to worry about an accidental spill if the valve is pressed or it inadvertently mingles with those not-so-hygienic cookie crumbs that tend to get stuck at the bottom of my diaper bag.  I’ve yet to have a single leak and cleaning this cup is easy as pie.

Most importantly, it gives Hazeline the big girl feeling that she’s looking for and gives me the comfort of knowing that my kitchen isn’t going to be covered in orange juice when she’s done with her breakfast.  She actually likes this cup so much that besides being our go-to cup for mealtime, it travels with us quite a bit.

But if you have kids under 12 months, Philips AVENT still has plenty of feeding options, like these 4 oz natural feeding bottles:  I lucky enough to snag a few of these when I was at the event and I’m putting them away for our new addition due in just 5 weeks (Eeek!).  I love the simplicity of these bottles –  there aren’t a ton of parts, which means that there’s not a ton to clean.  They come with a newborn flow nipple, which is extra soft and flexible.  Plus, the twin valve system ensures that air stays into the bottle as opposed to going into the tummy.  I’m hoping our new baby boy loves these, since I’m kind of already partial to them!

To learn all about the Philips AVENT feeding options, be sure to check out the Philips AVENT website and keep up with them on Facebook & Twitter.  And if you haven’t already, make sure to enter my Philips AVENT giveaway!  One lucky winner will receive a Natural Drinking Cup, 2 Bottles, and Pacifiers!*

*Colors and patters provided to the winner may differ from those pictured.