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As my son has grown I have found myself testing out different products trying to figure out what works best for both me and him, and I have to tell ya, there are a lot of products out there that are truly horrible. Rather than sitting here bashing the products that we don’t like, I’m going to tell you all about my absolute favorite products, my top ten of baby must haves.
10. MAM Pacifiers
There has been a lot of controversy over whether or not you should give your child a pacifier, some parents are completely against it, and others are all for it. I’m one of those parents who are all for it and let me tell you, these pacifiers have been a complete lifesaver at times. After trying many brands of pacifiers such as Nuk, Soothies, and other random ones, MAM are the only pacifiers that my son will take.
Photo Credits: Aden & Anais
When my son was about ten months, I jumped aboard the A&A train and quickly became obsessed. Before I knew it I was swimming in A&A Swaddlers, and my son didn’t even need to be swaddled!! When I received my Earthy Bamboo Swaddles in the mail I couldn’t believe how unbelievably soft they were, they honestly felt like silky butter. Yep, I just compared them to butter. Smooth, silky, soft, (and unlike butter) snugly. I was in love. I purchased another pack of A&A Bamboo swaddles and they just weren’t the same, the print on the swaddle made them not as soft as the Earthy ones. Aden and Anais Earthy Bamboo Swaddles are a must have for us!
Photo Credits: Fisher Price
This is going to sound crazy, but my mom and I fell in love with and purchased this little seahorse about a year before I became pregnant. At the time of purchase, I had no intention on having a baby any time soon, I just knew that when I did I wanted them to snuggle with this little guy. When I became pregnant with my son, every night I would turn on the seahorse by squeezing its tummy, and place it on my stomach for my son to hear in the womb. The bigger he grew, the more movement I would feel when the seahorse sang to him. There has never been a night in my sons fifteen months of existence that he has not fallen asleep listing to the song that his seahorse plays. Relaxing and soothing, this little guy is a must have for all babies to enjoy. It even comes in pink for little girls!
Photo Credits: Nalgene
If your child is anything like mine is, they are picky about their sippies, and it always gets thrown on the floor. My biggest pet peeve is when a sippy cup says that it is leak free, but leaks almost or just as bad as the one that I had in my cabinet to begin with. If I wanted water split all over my couch, car, or diaper bag, I would just bring a cup of water with me or an open water bottle. There are many things that I love about the Nalgene Grip N Gulp, first and foremost being that I have yet to have it leak. Second, I love that Nalgene’s are nearly indestructible so when it gets thrown from the high chair or shopping cart, I feel pretty dang confident that it isn’t going to break. I also love that you can take the valve out of the top so that as your child grows they are able to drink easier (so long as you trust them not to spill). These are a big must for me, I’ve replaced almost all of my sippy cups with Nalgenes and I recommend that you do too.
Photo Credits: Baby Einstein
My little guy is in love with his Takealong Tunes. When he was only four month old, my mom bought him this toy because he absolutely loved to look at lights. The second he could hold things on his own without smacking himself in the face, he was all over this. When he was about seven-ish months old he taught himself how to push the button and make the toy sing to him. I literally hear the songs on this Baby Einstein toy all day every day. My son has pushed the button so many times that the sticker has almost completely worn off! For his first birthday I decided to buy him a back up, I still can’t decide if that was a good idea because now he walks around the house with one in each hand going at the same time. If your child responds well to music I highly recommend the Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes, they will love it!
Photo Credits: bumGenius
I made the decision to cloth diaper when my son was five months old and I was already sick of spending our hard earned money on diapers. Yes, buying diapers is one of the many expenses to raising a child, but it doesn’t have to be. We dove in head first and purchased fifteen bumGenius 4.0 cloth diapers, an investment that is costly in the beginning, but overall will save hundreds. When we first started cloth diapering I had no knowledge in the subject nor did I know the difference between an all in one diaper and a pocket diaper. The 4.0′s are pocket diapers, and I absolutely love them. You can add more inserts if needed for a heavy wetter and you can even take the inserts out and use it as a swim diaper. If you’re thinking of cloth diapering, bumGenius is the way to go.
Photo Credits: Ergo Baby
My Ergo Baby Carrier has been one of the best gifts that I received for my son. I can’t tell you how many nights my infant refused be sat down while I tended to the house, or how many times I’ve had to run into a store and didn’t want to deal with the stroller or shopping cart cover. My son still frequently “rides” in the Ergo and I love that it allows me to be hands free without breaking my back. A family member had given me a different baby carrier that we will not mention, and I absolutely hated it. That thing killed my back after wearing my 12 pound infant in it for five minutes! Needless to say, I got rid of it as quickly as I could. With the Ergo Baby Carrier I never have to worry about if my son is secure or comfortable, because he always it! I have recommended Ergo to many friends and every single one of them has loved it to pieces.
Photo Credits: Petunia Pickle Bottom
I am a diaper bag hoarder. Well, I’m an all types of bag hoarder to be exact. I love bags- hand bags, diaper bags, tote bags, whatever. When first had my son, I was using a cheapy brand diaper bag that we will not mention, and needless to say it literally fell apart within a month and a half. It was horrible. A friend of mine introduced me to the world of Petunia Pickle Bottom and I have been hooked ever since. These bags cost a pretty penny, but the quality alone is well worth the price. These bags will last forever, and if anything goes wrong at all Petunia Pickle Bottom backs their product and will fix or replace the bag at no cost to you (so long as you are the original owner). The bag pictured above is a Sashay Satchel and it is a great versitile diaper bag that doesn’t give off the “diaper baggy vibe”. You can wear it two ways, on your shoulder or as a backpack which is so convenient if you need to be hands, er, shoulder free. Petunia Pickle Bottom offers tons of different styles, prints, and fabrics depending on your needs and personal style. I can honestly say that after owning a Petunia Pickle Bottom (or two, or three, or…okay you really don’t want to know how many I own), I will never go back. A good quality bag is a must have for mommy’s and daddy’s alike.
Photo Credits: Maxi Cosi
I learned the hard way that a good quality stroller is a must have. I was using a really awful stroller that was big, bulky, heavy, and couldn’t push or turn to save a life. After doing tons and tons of research I took the plunge and purchased a Maxi Cosi Foray. It had gotten great reviews on Amazon and it had the features that I was looking for so I batted my baby blues and my fiance and there was no way he could say no. A week later it arrived on my doorstep! The Maxi Cosi Foray’s seat can face you or face away as a normal stroller would. It has three recline positions and a cup holder for mommy’s coffee. The stroller is heavier than I imagined it would be, but the seat detaches from the structure when you want to break it down which is a nice feature. If you have a small trunk you can store the frame in your trunk and the seat in the back seat of your car with no problems. I still lust over other strollers, but for the most part the Maxi Cosi Foray fulfills my needs. Whether or not you go for a Foray, so long as you have a good quality stroller that isn’t going to fall apart on you, I’d say you’re in good shape.
Photo Credits: Graco Baby
When I registered for baby gear during my pregnancy, I really had no one to talk to who had recently had a child and could point me in the right direction of products. When registering for a car seat I honestly had no idea what qualities to look for and I figured whatever was on the market was a safe car seat. Right? Wrong. The convertible car seat we registered for and received was garbage. When I became more knowledgeable about car seats I was horrified to find out that the car seat we had only rear faced to 30 pounds and forward faced to 40 pounds. What was the point?! Not to mention, it wasn’t very comfortable for little man. When his first birthday approached I began researching my options of convertible car seats and narrowed it down to three. Two Graco’s and a Britax. After going to look at two of the three in person, I was captivated by the Graco MyRide 65 with Safety Surround. Needless to say, that was the one we purchased. I am absolutely in love with this car seat, it’s huge, but I feel so confident that my son is safe while we’re on the road and not to mention comfortable. The MyRide rear faces to 40 pounds and forward faces to 65 pounds so it will grow with my son until he is ready for a booster. A quality car seat that will grow with your child, in my opinion, is the absolute most important piece of baby gear that you will purchase so I urge you strongly to do your research and make a choice based on your family and your child’s needs.
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