Emma loves to help Mommy, and always wants to see what I'm doing. The concept of even going to the bathroom by myself while she is home is foreign to her. I've accepted it, and love it ... most of the time. 

The time that makes me the most nervous is when she wants to be in my arms when I am cooking. Somethings are easy to stir with one hand and hold Emma with the others, but others require some distance. She is learning that if something is dangerous she needs to back up or stop right away and I'm grateful for that. 

In the process of helping allow Emma to enjoy her curiosity and be safe helping mommy, we discovered Ana White's plans for a little helper tower and it quickly got added to Mark's honey do list. We enjoy DIY projects and so he got all the materials, I measured, he cut and assembled, and then we primed, and I painted. 

Now, Emma has a safe place to stand up and counter height and "help" me while I cook. She can climb into it on her own, but needs help getting down. She loves being mommy's little helper, and I love having two hands to chop food, or open the oven knowing she is safe and can still be involved and see everything Mommy is doing.

We were so excited to try it out that we brought it inside for a test run before painting it and it stayed that way for almost 2 months before it got some good coats of paint. 

I highly recommend a little helper tower, whether you use Ana White's plans to make one for yourself, or buy a pre-made one. It's a must have in my eyes!