When I found out I was pregnant with Jack, I immediately started searching for the best baby products on the market. I stuck by some tried and true essentials and found new ones that saved my life! With two of my very good friends expecting babies in the next month, I decided to compile a list of mom must-haves!
1. The Wubbanub. These cute animals are attached to the pacifier. Not only do they weigh the pacifier down, your baby can also hold on to the animal so it is not dropped or lost as often. I found that tucking the animal under Jack’s arm when he slept kept it close by and prevented me from searching for it in his crib in the middle of the night.
2. The Miracle Blanket. Unlike other swaddling blanket, the Miracle Blanket has inside arm flaps to keep your baby’s arms from creeping out. It comes in many different colors and also comes in organic cotton. There is an instructional video on their website and it really does help calm fussy babies (although it might not be as fast as the baby shown on the video!)
3. The Ultimate Crib Sheet. I absolutely LOVE my Corsican iron crib. However, I do not love changing the crib sheet. The bed is small and it takes all of my strength to take the sheet off of the mattress. When I have to remove the crib sheet, I end up removing the entire mattress. The other factor in the equation is that Jack has a silk crib sheet. It looks fabulous, but is probably not the best thing to sleep on. This is where the Ultimate Crib Sheet comes in to save the day. It lays on top of the mattress, is waterproof, and has elastic that snaps around the bed rails. It comes off in about 10 seconds and takes about 60 seconds to snap it back on. Genius!!
4. Buttpaste. This is the only thing that cures diaper rash in our house. And it is usually gone within 24 hours. Their website also shows other products that I am not familiar with such as Rash Protector and Butt Bath. May have to give those a try too!
5. A Costco Membership. This is a great place to go to get deals on diapers and formula. They also usually have pretty cute kids pajamas that are less than $10.00. The closest Costco to us is 60 miles away, but so worth the drive. If you can’t always run in for their spectacular deals, they will also ship some of their baby products.
6. Fisher-Price Papasan Swing. How did parents ever function without this swing? With each child, my mom has reminded me of the days when she had to wind up the swing in order to soothe her daughter who cried for six months straight (wonder who that could be???). According to her, every time the swing would stop, I would start screaming and she would have to run over and crank it again. Thankfully, those days are long gone! The Papsan Swing’s seat curves around your baby’s body making them feel snug and secure. It also swings side-to-side or back and forth and its seat can be adjusted to two different positions.
7. The Sleep Sheep. This cute little sheep has four soothing sounds to help your baby sleep. I prefer the ocean waves, while Rex likes the spring shower. The whale songs are said to mimic the sound the baby hears while still in the womb. The sleep sheep can be fastened onto the outside of the baby’s crib and has a volume control and automatic time out function after either 23 or 45 minutes. The Sleep Sheep on the go is a smaller version that can hang on the stroller. I have both and if you love it as much as I do, I would recommend buying both.
8. The Flip Video Camera. I gave Rex a Flip for Christmas and I still don’t know if it was really for him or for me. I love how it is so easy to use, it is small enough to carry in your purse or pocket, and it has a USB port to plug right into your computer. I ordered our flip from theflip.com and had it personalized with Charlie and Jack’s picture. It turned out really great and Rex was completely surprised! With the Flip’s easy to use features and compact design, there are no more excuses for not capturing all of those precious moments!
9. The Boon Squeezy Spoon. Even though you will not need this until your baby starts solid foods, it is too good to be left off of the essentials list. This is a new product that I found this year. The Squeezy Spoon is BPA and PVC free, easy to clean and dishwasher safe. It’s says that it can hold 3 ounces of baby food and I would mix two small jars together in the spoon. The base of the spoon is just wide enough to pour a small jar of baby food in without making a mess. It also comes with a cap so you can fill up the spoons in advance and refrigerate. For a hungry baby, like my boys The Squeezy Spoons makes feeding a breeze because there is no downtime. And for hungry babies like my boys, every second counts when you are talking about putting food in their mouth!
10. A Fabulous Diaper Bag. There are many different diaper bags out there. I have tried several of them over the years. From the ones with a million interior pockets to help organize all of your baby stuff to the simple purse that doubles as a baby bag. OiOi, Timi & Leslie, Bella Tunno, Mia Bossi, and Nest have some great options and they are all outfitted very nicely on the inside. Or, if you are like me and just prefer to use an oversized purse, I would suggest looking at Big Budda or Consuela bags. I am currently obsessed with Consuela’s tote bags. They are so stylish and come in a variety of different colors and sizes. Whatever your style is, treat yourself to a killer bag. You deserve it!
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