Mama's, it's time for some advice! Today I'm looking for a little help and referrals on some favorites. There's no better way to learn the good stuff then from people with experience. Please share your favorites...
Favorite online/Instagram boutiques/Etsy shops
Favorite baby registry items
Favorite maternity items
and... Boy Mamas! Favorite clothing brands
Thanks! xx
Christina, even though I have girls, I think some of the best advice I got, was to go to Babies R Us. Their customer service is second to none. If you get duplicates of anything at your shower, all you have to do is bring them to the store, and you will immediately get a credit or refund AND they have absolutely everything you need. I am an "Online Shopaholic" but half the fun shopping for the baby is going in to the stores- Babies R Us, Target and Old Navy were our favorites- enjoy it all!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Holly. Babies R Us is great. Though you do NOT need everything their list tells you. Ha ha!! One of our favorite items was the Rock N Play bassinet. We used that for a while with both kids and they loved it. Perfect next to my bed when they were tiny. I'm trying to remember back to some of the other things we loved, but I'm struggling. Ha ha! It's not like it's been that long, but still. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I love Freshly Picked, Smocked Auctions and Cecil & Lou for my boys via Instagram. I have so many favorite baby registry items, so go back and check them out on my blog, but I will say, I hated registering at Babies 'R' Us and if I had to do it over again, would definitely register at Buy Buy Baby (if you have that there). My all-time favorite registry item was the Rock N Play; I didn't have that with Knox and wish I did. My favorite maternity items were anything purchased from Loft or A Pea in the Pod; it was affordable and trust me, you're going to want to burn those clothes as soon as you're done with them. I was big pregnant in the winter with Walker, so I lived for Loft's maternity jeans and leggings, and big pregnant with Knox in the spring, so I loved any and all maternity maxi dresses. Finally, I love to dress my boys in smocking, so I love to put them in those outfits (Little English, especially) with some cute Sun Sandals. I buy their stuff from Smocked Auctions, Cecil & Lou and even via the Snips & Snails Facebook group! :)
ReplyDeleteA very good resource for everybody that wants to read a good blog.
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My must have item? A sling or wrap for baby. Honestly, I don't know how people have babies without these! I wore all three of my girls and it was a life saver! I had the Mya Wrap, but nowadays there are SO many wonderful and affordable wraps!!
ReplyDeleteWe loved the simple fisher price rock and sleep (no auto rock) for when she was an infant and the frog sit me up chair. We borrowed a ton of things from a friend and am looking for items gently used this time around because they grow out of them so fast! I agree Smocked Auctions, Cecil & Lou are my favorite smocked shops. Kissy Kissy and little me have great baby essentials. I also loved wearing Caroline and used a soft Moby wrap and a structured ergo carrier when she was bigger. I'm looking into a Tula for baby #2.
ReplyDeleteMust haves -
ReplyDelete1. Fisher Price Rock N Play sleeper - it is PRICELESS
2. Nose Frida - the concept is disgusting, but it's the only way to REALLY clear their little noses when they are congested.
3. Muslin blankets for swaddling - both of our kids loved to be swaddled for MONTHS
4. Johnson & Johnson Hand & Face Wipes - they kill 99% of germs but they're gentle enough to use on their little faces. I still keep these in my purse to this day.
5. Boogie Wipes - you probably won't need for the first few months, but you'll thank me the first time you have to clean crusted caked on snot. It's like cement. Lol.
P.S. Like 80% of Jacob's clothes came from Carter's when he was small and now most of them come from Old Navy. You can pretty much always find Carter's coupons for 40% off your entire purchase and a lot of the time they will put the entire store on sale for 40% off. We LOVE them.
ReplyDeleteAs a momma of a 2-year old and 4 month old, I am deep into baby gear at the moment. I can tell you that the rock n' play is a lifesaver; both babies slept the longest stretches as newborns in it. We also have a very simple Fisher Price bouncer seat and a playmat that we use all the time now. We have a baby swing, but it doesn't get a ton of use. I love the Ergo carrier and a fabric carrier for around the house. Our City Mini select stroller has gotten a ton of use and still works great, also converts to a double-stroller, which is important! We've used the Chicco infant car seat, and its the best and fits into the City Mini stroller. One tip that a momma friend gave me was to also register for the next car seat after the infant (we use Maxi Cosi). Its a large purchase item that would be lovely to get gifted. As with what everyone says above, go to the store to register, but take a mom-friend (preferably with very young kids) with you. They can tell you what you absolutely need and whats just fluff!
ReplyDeleteWe actually had 3 registries - Pottery Barn Kids for decor, Target for easy to pick up items, and Babies R Us was our meat and potatoes. We had most of the larger items at BRU such as stroller, pack n' play, car seats, video monitor, etc.. and I loved the cash back program. We earned 10% of what was spent on our registry to use towards completion which was such a huge help right before little miss arrived.
ReplyDeleteAs for maternity items, I honestly didn't buy any other than a belly band for shorts and I lived in flowy dresses and high waisted workout leggings.
Must have items - bottle warmer (I exclusively pumped after the first few weeks, so it was a lifesaver for heating up breast milk that had been in the fridge), video monitor because I am always staring at it, the Ubi diaper pail because it takes regular garbage bags (the diaper genie requires special bags) and it's made of steel instead of plastic so it doesn't absorb those stinky smells, and a white noise machine. It helps the baby sleep better, and cuts out all the random household noises without waking the baby.
We also stuck with Babyganics, Burts Bees, and the Honest Company for all bath and toiletry items such as lotion, ointment, bug spray, sunscreen, baby wipes, etc... to cut back on harmful chemicals. A quote that stuck out to me was - "Why use something so unnatural on something so new and natural?" So true! Sticking to good diapers and wipes has *knocks on woods* led to zero diaper rashes that are so common in babies. My sister in law uses Walmart brand wipes and Luvs diapers on her toddler, and he constantly has irritation and rashes so I learned from that.
Man I wrote a book. I hope that all helps! It can be super overwhelming, but all so worth it <3
Green Fashionista
Check my recent post on newborn must haves!! Must have a Rock n' play!! And a swing! I am so obsessed with my Uppa baby carseat and Vista stroller. Cecil & Lou has the CUTEST and most reasonably priced smocked clothing. Kissy Kissy and Magnolia baby have the sweetest gowns for boys and girls, so easy when they are a newborn and so convenient for middle of the night diaper changes
ReplyDeleteOur Charlotte was born in January and lived in zipper sleepers and baby gowns the first few weeks when we were just hanging around at home. So easy and snuggly, and when you're exhausted, you'll be grateful for the easy zipper during late night diaper changes. We've also loved our Solly Wrap - Charlotte's still small enough to hang in the wrap while I prep dinner at night, and I love the snuggles :) Other newborn must haves for us were more swaddle blankets than you think you could ever use. We have a drawer full of Aden + Anais and they're just perfect - lightweight enough for summer but were perfect to snuggle her up as a newborn. Another item? Burp cloths. While we have several different burp cloths and I tend to use the "pretty" options (like printed Aden + Anais, colors, etc.) when we're out, but one of the best things I picked were these (I grabbed this description straight from my Amazon registry): Gerber Birdseye 3-Ply Prefold Cloth Diapers, White, Pack of 10. They are fantastic - super soft, so absorbent, I honestly just love them, and so many come in a pack for so cheap that we stashed them all over the house. Love Janie and Jack, Baby Gap, Carters, Cecil and Lou, and Smocked Auctions for sweet outfits for my girl.
ReplyDeleteWe registered at Buy Buy Baby and Amazon.com. We live in MA and had showers in TX and MA with family EVERYWHERE, so Amazon helped with easy purchase/free ship options. Buy Buy Baby absolutely trumped Babies R Us for me - the employees were so helpful when we went in to test strollers, debate bathtubs, etc. plus you can use the 20% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupons. One last tip - create your registries and keep them private for now, and just add EVERYTHING that you see that you like/want. Then as you start to really narrow down what you want to keep, you can delete them. That helped me - I read so many "must have" lists and every time I'd come across something, I'd add it to the registries so I wouldn't forget.
There are several items already mentioned that I completely agree with (the Rock n' Play, boogie wipes, Babyganics)! I would also recommend the SwaddleMe swaddles. They have velcro so we found it much easier to wrap our kiddos up rather than just the plain swaddle blankets. :) I also love our Sollybaby wrap.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite clothing stores for Dane were Gymboree, Carter's, and Janie and Jack. I've recently started shopping from June and January, too. Shameless plug, my aunt's Etsy shop, UpIslandLife, is great for personalized, embroidered onesies, burp cloths, etc. ;) For maternity items, I would recommend a pregnancy body pillow. I think the one I used was a Boppy brand, but it certainly made sleep during the third trimester much more comfortable!
The cat and jack sleepers with the zipper that starts at the bottom (Target)! Best thing ever for those newborn diaper changes in the middle of the night. You only take out their feet, so their upper body doesn't get cold!
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