Ok...before I start I just want you to know I am totally not the type of person who uses annoying rhyming phrases but....who can say "Baby Favies" without smiling? Because I can't.
Anyway- I'm mommy to this scrumptious little man who rocks my world.
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| Grey chevron blanket (target clearance section back in January), Isaac's outfit: Carters |
He is 4 weeks old today and we are getting into a routine pretty well (
most some of the time) and I wanted to share my 15 New Baby favorites! I have been a baby product nutcase ever since I was pregnant with my 2 year old and I love finding new amazing baby things (and getting them for a great deal is always imperative because If I there's nothing I love more than some good baby gear its some good CHEAP baby gear) and of course you don't NEED most of these items...your baby will survive just fine without them (although I can't promise that YOU will!) but I have found that having some great baby Items makes every day life A LOT easier for both of you. Especially when you are wrangling two (or for more) little ones.
1.) Fisher price Rock-n-Play Sleeper: This thing rocks. Literally. It cradles your newborn like no other product out there and when they fall asleep they will stay asleep for hours. It folds flat for easy transport (think: the park, grandma's house, hotels, or even just outside on the porch) It's great when we are trying to eat dinner because we pull this right up next to the dinner table and we can rock it with our feet if Isaac is fussy and he calms right down. The first couple nights he slept in it next to our bed and it helped him (and I) get a few hours of needed sleep at a time (major score) It's important to note that if you go anywhere and read reviews for this people will be complaining that this thing gave their babies flat head syndrome because of the hard piece that the back of the babies head is pressed up against. We used the summer infant support pillow(which you can find:
here) and always make sure to turn his head so we aren't continuing to put pressure in the same spot every time we lay him down (everywhere...not just in this thing) and we haven't had any issues. I also think there was a recall due to some molding issues. News flash people- if your kid spits up, poops, pees and anything else wet gets on it....WASH IT (the cover is EASILY removable and machine washable)
- You can find the super cute grey one from the above picture: here (open a target debit card account to save an extra 5%) or keep your eye out at online yardsales, craigs list, or consignment shops. I actually got mine brand new from a consignment event for $20.00
2.) Summer Infant swaddlepod: This is a cost effective version of the woombie. We LOVE it. I've never been good at swaddling. My kids scream because it takes me so long and they always seem to bust out of them by the time I blink my eyes after laying them down. this solves that.... Insert baby. Zip up. Done. They can still move their arms and legs but feel protected and secure which helps sooth them. Its exceptional if you have an extremely jumpy newborn whose arms and legs go flailing at the sound a pin hitting the ground (which makes me cry thinking that they probably existed when my daughter was a a baby and I had no idea (major fail.)
- You can find the swaddlepod at babiesrus (use with a 20% coupon for savings)
3.) Britax B-Safe car seat: Warning: I might be Britax's BIGGEST fan. Their products are completely amazing and in my opinion worth the price. I've tried over 10 car seats between my 2 kids and I can promise that nothing is better than Britax. They are SAFE which is of course #1 priority when talking about car seats. They are comfortable and well padded. They feel sturdy (nothing worse than a car seat that feels like it made of cardboard... I mean this thing is carrying the most precious things in this world so quality IS important. They fit well in small vehicles and the install and uninstall is a breeze (trust me if you've put one in that had you sweating and wanting to cuss then throw the car seat in the trash and just duck tape your kid to the seat to save time then you know why this little tidbit is pretty important. I have bought and immediately returned car seats based on the install- because if its that hard and takes up too much room its just not worth it. Ain't nobody got time for that. And of course on the cosmetic side- their seats are easy on the eyes and have patterns and colors for every taste!
- You can find the b-safe at your local buy buy baby (don't forget to use your coupon. They accept bed bath and beyond coupons as well as babies rus ones if you don't have a buy buy coupon handy)
4.) Munchkin sports cup: This is only important for those of you with baby boys. I bought this as soon as found out I was having a boy per the recommendation of a friend who had obviously been down the route I am about to describe. But of course after bringing my little man home I thought I was a pro and didn't need to use it. I mean...I've been changing diapers every single day for the last 2 years. News flash Janelle- Little girls and little boys are not created the same. Guess how many times this little dude peed all over me...the wall...the floor...the couch....his sister...and his own face before I swallowed my pride and just used it? At least 25. Just buy it. Use it. Trust me.
- You can find the sports cup at Babies R Us
5.) Mam Air Mini- My daughter never took a pacifier (don't for a second think thats a good thing because it just meant that NOTHING would soothe her) but Isaac LOVES his Mam Air Mini! Its light and comfortable for him to keep in his mouth and provides enough air flow so his mouth and nose area stays dry and cool. Plus they are adorable.
- You can find the Mam Air Mini in the above patterns (and more) at Target or Babies R Us
6.) Skip Hop Duo (Jonathan Adler Edition)- I really like this bag! Its not the most fashionable diaper bag out there but based on my experience its the best i've found. Its best features are the multitude of pockets to keep everything organized (one diaper bag with two kids? I live for things that are organized) Its easy to wipe clean, it has Stroller clips (I LOOOOVE stroller clips! Such a great invention) Its super lightweight, has a comfortable strap that can be worn like a messenger bag and it comes in lots of color options. I stuck with the black and white because I can't stand a bag that screams (look at me i'm carrying a diaper bag. Nobody likes that.) With my daughter I had a Timi and Leslie diaper bag and a Petunia Pickle Bottom backpack bag. And while these bags cost 3 times the amount of the one that i'm currently carrying.... They just weren't up to par when it came time to preform. My Timi and leslie charlie bag was a christmas gift from my sweet hubby and does still make appearances out of my closet when we are doing something more fancy but its not comfortable, its heavy, and everything falls to the bottom. But on the plus side its huge, it looks fantastic and I am always getting compliments on it. But its not my day to day. My Petunia Pickle Bottom boxy backpack I bought off craigs list for 35 bucks. (Score!) and although I really LOVE the backpack function and its still in great condition even after using it with my daughter- its just not as roomy as I would have liked. If I come across the larger version (abundance) somewhere cheap or a fantastic deal I might try it. But until then I will stick with my $30.00 skip hop that I scored at Marshalls.
7.) Mamaroo: This is the spaceship of all swings. go to their website and check it out. Or better yet go see it in person at your local Buy Buy Baby store. It glides effortlessly has a built in sound machine and has an MP3 hookup. We had a fisher price swing with my daughter. She hated it. It was loud and obnoxious and batteries like CRAZY(seriously who carries around 25 packages of size D batteries. not me!) Isaac loves hanging out in his Mamaroo even if he isn't sleeping. The plush dots one pictured above is what we have but there are other colors available. Its super soft and the cover is machine washable. I found mine at an online yardsale for $50.00 (I wasn't even pregnant yet- don't judge me!) and couldn't pass it up. Glad I didn't!
- You can find the mamaroo at any local Buy Buy Baby
8.) Summer infant bath seat: I know what you're thinking. It's nothing special. There are so many better bath seats for infants out there. Thats the beauty of this thing. It cost only 15.00 dollars. Its a simple mesh seat. I can put it in the sink. I can put int he tub and it doesn't take up the whole thing and he can take a bath with his sister. It folds up flat. for easy storage. I mean... I'm sold. Just don't fold it up wet. Rinse it well and let it dry first. Anything with mesh and water is prone to mildew. So far we haven't had any issues with ours.
- You can find the summer infant bath seat at your local target store. It comes in pink for girls too!
9.) Aden and Anais swaddle blankets: These things are expensive but everyone raved about them so I splurged with Isaac and got them. They really are everything great! They are super big for easier swaddling. they are thin and lightweight. I always keep one in my diaper bag. They are great for all kinds of weather and the more I wash them (which is a lot) the softer they get! You can find other Muslin blankets out there but they don't compare. I also own an off brand that i found at Ross and while I like them and use them if all of these are dirty...they aren't the same!
- you can find these babies pretty much anywhere now...Target, Buy Buy Baby, and Babies R Us.
10.) Oopa Baby Silk Ring Sling: I love babywearing! Especially this time around. It makes things a lot easier with having 2 kids. We were at Universal Studios last night and both kids were fussing. I put Isaac in the ring sling and my husband carried Ada on his back in our Ergo and they were happy campers. Then we were just two morons pushing an empty stroller but it was great. I really love a ring sling for a newborn. My friend was nice enough to loan me this sling so I didn't have to buy one (they aren't cheap! think about $180.00) but I really love it! You can nurse in it, and it keeps a newborn close to you. The silk slings are super supportive and easy on your neck and back and Oopa's have a great little pocket with a zipper for diapers, keys, wallet, and a phone.
- You can check them out at www.oopababy.com
11.) Car seat canopy: These are great! Especially if you live somewhere cold (I...unfortunately do not. Insert sad face here.) But its still great to keep baby from light, wind, rain, and those annoying people in target who just insist on touching your baby. Its got a cute pattern on the outside and super soft minky fabric on the inside. I got mine from carseatcanopy.com because they ALWAYS have free codes so you just pay shipping. But there are some great tutorials out there if you are a sewer (even a beginner) you could totally make one. but for $12.00 it was worth it for me to just order one.
- check them out at www.carseatcanopy.com
12.) Fisher Price Snugamonkey Gym: I found this on the clearance rack at target for $25.00. I remember my daughter living under her playmat the first few months so it was def. on my "to get" list. This one has a mobile above that plays music and has lights and even though I know that a one month old can't really see that much yet- He loves staring up at it or at the little mirror that is attached and the mat is super soft. He falls asleep laying under there all the time. Plus its neutral colors and looks good sitting on my living room floor!
- You can find it here (full price)
13.) SoftBums cloth diapers: My 2 year old has been cloth diapered from the get go so of course I knew I was going to do the same for Isaac. I cloth diaper for 2 reasons- It saves money- and its better for baby. My kids both have super sensitive skin so cloth is best! Plus nobody likes having to buy diapers. I have moved onto something more absorbent for my daughter but the first year and a half she was wearing the soft bums and now Isaac wears them! That tells you about their durability right there! but what I REALLY love and what "sold" me on this particular brand was the adjustable elastic in the legs. they really can fit ANY baby starting with a 7 pound newborn!
- You can read more about them at www.softbums.com (interested more in cloth diapers? Have questions? Let me know!)
14.) Lansinoh Momma bottles: this is one of those things I only wish I had found 2 years ago. My kids are both exclusively breastfed. I nursed my daughter for 13 months before she weaned herself. She wouldn't take a bottle. Ever. Never. Ever. I bought A LOT of bottles. Then finally at 8 months old (realistically she was too old for a bottle anyway) but someone gave me about a MimiJumi bottle and she actually took it! I was infatuated with it...except for the price tag. They are really expensive so i was determined to find a bottle that I equally loved...with a much smaller cost this time around. Enter the Lansinoh Momma bottle. The nipple is soft and flexible and the slow flow is perfect for a newborn.He didn't choke at all. We introduced it (with breast milk of course) at 3 weeks and he took it NO problem the first time! For a mom who couldn't leave her kid's side for more than 2 hours for over a year I was really impressed with this bottle. I also noticed that he had no gas after using this bottle even the first time. And the cost of 2 of these bottles is still less than 1 mimijumi. Now...if you have tried this bottle and it failed you. I still reccomenned the Mimijumi! I know that I would have paid an arm and a leg for it 2 years ago if i knew it was going to work!
- I bought my Lansinoh bottles at Babies R Us when they went buy one get one half off. Plus I had a coupon from Lansinoh (like them on Facebook for coupons!) so I got 2 of the 5 oz. and 2 of the 8 oz. bottles at a great deal!!
15.) Britax B-Ready Stroller: I seriously adore my stroller. Is that weird? My husband laughs at me all the time because people are ALWAYS stopping and \asking me about it in public and I get into 10 or 15 minute conversations every single time about this stroller because I list everything that is great and everything not so great. I can only wonder how many I have talked into buying this stroller. I bought it when Ada was a baby knowing that i wanted the capability to convert to a double down the road so now with 2 kids, Isaac rides up top in his car seat and Ada rides below him. They are both Happy campers. This is truly the best full size double stroller out there.
- I have the 2011 edition which I purchased on amazon during the Britax free ride event they do every year. I bought the stroller and got the second seat for free. I may do a more in depth review of the stroller if anyone is interested but I will say that the very small issues I had with this stroller were addressed in the new 2013 version- they made an already great stroller even better!
