Now that I have three children, one of whom is still an infant, I look back at the days of running to do a quick errand with a sort of wistfulness. How easy it was to grab a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine or to mail a package at the post office. Now, everywhere I go, I bring at least two of my children with me, and at the very least, my baby boy, Cooper. Long gone are the days of strolling efficiently (and alone) in the grocery store, remembering all of the things that I had come for–and not needing to multi-task the whole time.

These days heading to the grocery store is no longer a simple chore and I always worry about my baby getting sick from being in such a public place. In order to make my shopping trips easier and safer for my baby, I need to remember a few important things: my shopping list, snacks for my older children and my handy-dandy shopping cart cover for Cooper.

This ingenious invention is one of my all-time favorite pieces of baby paraphernalia. It covers both the child seat in the cart and the handle bar that I push. Not only does it make the metal seat softer for my baby, it keeps him from sucking on it–as he tends to like to lean forward and mouth the handle bar if possible. It also has slits in the back so that the safety straps can be passed through and snap around him and has hooks to clip toys onto so they can’t be thrown overboard onto the floor.

Another cool feature of the shopping cart cover? It has multiple uses. It can also be used to cover highchairs in restaurants or baby bucket swings at the park. It simultaneously gives these seats more padding and a cover to keep my baby away from touching potentially germ-covered surfaces. Our seat cover is a fun bright blue color and we always get questions and compliments when we use it. And the last great thing about the shopping cart seat cover? It makes a great gift–practical and fun!