Do you have a toddler or preschooler? If you do, you’re going to love what we’ve got to show you! Kristen Hale, mother of two young boys and regular contributor here at 5 Minutes for Mom, is going to introduce you to a brilliant new invention called Cubcoats… and she has some clever ways to make it easier to run errands with your little kids. This post is sponsored, so extra thanks for reading and sharing.
UPDATE: We are terribly sad to report that Cubcoats are no longer in business. While they made such adorable and high quality clothes for kids, they closed their business in 2022.
Life with two active boys under the age of 4 is adventurous to say the least! And as you can imagine, taking my mighty little men anywhere with me on day-to-day errands requires a lot of extra planning – we pack drinks, snacks, books, a toy (okay, a few toys…), along with diapers, wipes and of course, an extra sweatshirt for each. And this is an edited list, since we are no longer in the newborn phase where you basically have to tote an entire nursery of goods around during those first few months of a baby’s life.
But still, it’s a ton of stuff.
I would like to say that we are minimalists who don’t need “stuff†to make us happy or to make our lives go around. But instead, I’m going to be honest with you – when it comes to entertaining my kids during errand day, we need stuff. And we need lots of it.
As a mom, I find myself wondering how I could multitask better with my kids. Wouldn’t it be great if my sons’ sippy cups could also read them a story while we’re in the car? You might think I sound silly. You might be right. But allow me to enlighten you, as I have recently been enlightened – because there is a multipurpose product that you’re going to need to have for all those car rides and errands. And it’s a really, really good one.
What are Cubcoats?
When I pulled my kids’ Cubcoats out of their boxes, I was honestly shocked at the sheer genius of the product. As in, “why didn’t I think of this first?!†Cubcoats are children’s stuffed animals that seamlessly transform into soft hoodies with the pull of a zipper.
Imagine this: you’re in the car with your kids, and they are both gorgeously (and let’s be honest, strangely) silent in the back seat because they are cuddling with their stuffed animals. My four-year-old son is snuggling with Flynn the Fox while sucking his thumb and my one-year old is quietly playing with Tomo the Tiger. You pull into the post office and of course, it starts raining. But no woes here! At the pull of a zip, both of those darling stuffed animals transform into performance-quality gray fleece hoodies, perfect for protecting your little guys from the elements. And in an instant, you are endlessly grateful for owning not one, but two Cubcoats.
How it Works:
There are four simple steps for transforming a Cubcoat from a “cub†to a “coatâ€:
- Flip the stuffed animal around.
- Unzip the zipper located along the spine of the stuffed animal.
- Unroll the hoodie.
- Flip the stuffed animal away into the hood, and voila! The stuff animal has transformed into a hoodie!
Gone are the days of toting both a sweatshirt and a stuffed animal around on errand day – now you can grab 1 item and use it in multiple, necessary ways! Since we’ve been using our Cubcoats lately while running around town, I thought I would lend a few tips for how to make errands with kids in tow much easier!
4 Tips to Make Errands with Kids Easier
1. Make a plan and stick to it!
So often, I throw an extra errand or two in the mix once I’m out and about with my kids, and it’s usually a big mistake. Making a realistic, achievable plan is the simplest way to feel successful about the outing!
2. Pack extra snacks and drinks.
I am never disappointed when I pack more snacks than I anticipate needing. Why? Because no matter what, those snacks get consumed! Almost every time, my kids take down more snacks then I think they should “needâ€, but I am always grateful when we get to the Target checkout and I still have some orange slices to entertain them with – oranges mean no whining!
3. Bring a Cubcoat!
The Cubcoat is perfect for errands and traveling – what child doesn’t demand a toy or need an extra layer on any given outing? When you bring a Cubcoat on your errand day, your child has both a comfort toy and a hoodie sweatshirt, so they can easily transition from the car to the grocery cart without getting cold or missing their stuff animal. It’s a win-win!
4. Remain flexible.
Sometimes running errands with kids goes off without a hitch! And sometimes it’s just an off-day for everyone and it’s best to cut the trip short. I’ve had to learn (over many trial and error experiences!) that remaining flexible during toddler meltdowns, potty-training accidents and baby fussiness is the only way to survive. And sometimes, those experiences mean that perhaps tomorrow will be a better day to finish the errands! Going home early is not a fail.
The Cubcoats have changed our errand experiences in the short time that we’ve had them. They would make an amazing gift for anyone with young children, and they would be especially helpful on planes when traveling!
They are a take everywhere 2-in-1 product that kids and parents equally adore.
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored so extra thanks for reading and sharing.
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor Kristen Hale, who blogs about living a playful and intentional life at Oy!
Waia the whale is so darn cute and I think my grand son would love it.
flynn the fox..
My daughter likes Pimm the Puppy.
They are all so cute it’s hard to pick just one. Love Bori the Bear.
I like Benny the Bunny. Thank you
Flynn the Fox!!
I like the fox and the kitty!!
We heart Bori the Bear!
My daughter would love love love Papo the panda!
I like Flynn the Fox.
It’s hard to choose bc they’re all adorable! I think my boys would like Pimm the Puppy the best.
These are super cool! I think my kiddo would like Waia the Whale.
Bennett the bunny is our choice!
My granddaughter would love Kali the kitty
Pimm the puppy
Waia the Whale is the one I would choose for my grandson.
I think mine would love Kali the Kitty the best.
They are all so cute!! But Flynn the Fox is definitely adorable!
Flynn the Fox.
I think I would choose Flynn the Fox for my niece.
i would love to get the tomo the tiger. it would be great for our son.
These are adorable and so practical my 2 year old would love either but probably the fox little bit more. Thank you for sharing this amazing product and your thoughts and experience with it.
This was such a great product idea, I can see my grandson using his hoodie as a pillow on road trips! We think the tiger is adorable!
I just know my daughter would love Benne the Bunny. THey are all very adorable.
We really like the Kali the Kitty.
My son would love Flynn the Fox because his nursery is decorated in foxes and his nickname is Fox!
I love Benne the Bunny for my Ben
Ooh, tough choice, probably Tomo the Tiger or Kali the Kitty !
I would love the puppy for my grandson.. I love the idea and concept of the ease of carrying a jacket! Love it Thanks! ! !
My son says the puppy. He likes the colors too. He also a puppy since he can’t have a real one. So cute for words. .I love the idea for the 2 for 1 tag along.
Flynn 🦊 and Benne 🰠are so cute! ðŸ˜
My son would love the puppy!
Got to go with the tiger for the lil tigress
The Flynn the Fox one would be a favorite!
I really like the Kali the Kitty.
These are very cute, but they would be too small for the 2 older grandchildren. But I like Tomo the Tiger, and the new grandson is a little young to express an opinion, being only 3 wks old!
My daughter would love Kali the Kitty
Probably the Tiger or the Puppy
I think my daughter would really like the Kali the Kitty
We like Waia the Whale.
I Love Kai the Kitty, I wish it came in my size!
Kali the Kitty would be a big hit here.
The Panda is SO cute!
My 2 year old daughter would love Kali the kitty
My daughter would probably love Kali the Kitty.
Benne the Bunny would be a fav in our house 🙂
mine would like the kitty
Cute concept! I think she’d most like Kali the Kitty. Thanks.
My niece would love the Kali the Kitty one.
The Bunny or Kitty! My daughter would absolutely love these. What a cute idea!
The Kali the Kat one is so cute.
He will love the Papo the panda he is so cute
My daughter would LOVE Kali the Kitty!
I would love Pimm the Puppy for my Grandson! I love these!!!
Pimm the puppy
I love the Tiger!!
She would love Benne the Bunny most of all!
flynn the fox is very cute!!
Such a cute idea. My son like Pimm the puppy
Flynn the Fox is so cute my kids would love him
These are too cute! My daughter would definitely swoon over the Kali Kitty!
My Grandkids would love to have any of the cubbies . This is such an awesome idea !
I think m6 daughter would love kali the kitty the most.
Papo the panda!! My daughter loves pandas
Pimm the Puppy!
My son would love to have Tomo the Tiger
Thank You for the chance!
Kali the Kitty, would be my grandfather’s favorite.
Grand daughter’s …..darn autocorrect lol
My
Son is obsessed with kittens because we have kittens so he’s probably want the kitten..or the puppy
Would go with Kali the Kitty.
My granddaughter would love Kali the kitty!
Kali the kitty even though I am usually a dog person
I think he would like Papo the Panda!
i comented on instangram 2nd pic with hashtag smile woman with a girl…futureescape
i really liked Waia the Whale
I think Pimm the Puppy my little niece would love
kali the kitty
like Kali the Kitty
My niece likes pim the tiger
We like Kali the Kitty
I love Flynn the Fox! so cute
They would love the Pimm the Puppy the best
I think it would have to be Tomo the Tiger. But it could be Kali the Kitty. It depends on which child I would give it to.
my daughter would love the Kali the Kitty Cubcoat the best!
Oh, Bene the Bunny is just adorable! I think my daughter would go crazy over that design. So glad I stumbled upon this – LOVE THESE!
pim the tiger
She’d like Benne the bunny.
flynn the fox, my grandons room is done in woodland decor and lots of foxes
My niece loves kitties so she would certainly love Kali the Kitty.
My son would like the tiger
I love both Flynn the fox and pimm the puppy for my son
My child would like Papo the Panda.
My grandson would like Flynn the Fox. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would give Tomo to my fave goddess-daughter!
I have to say Bori the Bear, because his nickname is Cub, as in bear cub.
I think my daughter would most like Benne The Bunny.
I think my daughter would love Kali the Kitty.
we’d like the whale one! 🙂
II got someone just in mind for this. I wanted to give it to my nephew. Thank you so much.
My son would like Tomo the Tiger.
She would love Kali the Kitty. She loves her hoodies and this is perfect.
These are so adorable. I would get the Bori the Bear for my son. Thanks so much.
Papo the Panda would be a hit with my little niece
I am thinking Flynn the Fox. 🙂
Oh what a lovely idea ! A cute stuffy that’s functional
My son likes bori the bear ðŸ»
Flynn the fox is adorable
My kids would love the panda
My son would love the tiger
My daughter said that she wants Kali the Kitty! 🙂
The fox and rabbit 🙂
My son would love to have Flynn the Fox. So adorable!
Papo the panda is so cute! My kids would love them all.
My friend is having a new baby, and would love Waia the Whale!
MY DAUGHTER WOULD LOVE Kali the Kitty 🙂
Flynn the fox would be great because both of my kids could use it then.
My daughter would like Kali the Kitty.
My daughter would like the pink kitty. Heck, I’d totally wear it myself if it came in my size!
Tomo the Tiger is adorable.
Love Tomo Tiger 🙂
I love FLynn the fox! these are so adorable!
I like the Kali the Kitty the best, but they all are cute.
Patrick says he would love to have Kali the Kitty because his cousin is named Kali! Thanks for the super giveaway opportunity for this so cool product.
Flynn the Fox for my daughter
Flynn the Fox is too cute…I have a lil one in mind for this.
Definitely Benne the Bunny, but they’re all so cute!
Too cute I am sure that my three yr old nephew would so so love Pimm the Puppy or Tomo the Tiger. They are just wonderful.
My son would love Flynn the Fox!