Collage : Polyvore
I've been meaning to put this post together for a while now and kept adding and then removing items,as I went along. I figured I would write a post on the few items that we use religiously and absolutely love for little miss P. To each their own I say and I can only speak for myself and my family but I have totally found my favorites in terms of baby gear and what we use day in and day out. I've also put together a list below of all of the essentials and what kinds of products we use for Penelope as well.
Strollers and Car Seats
Orbit Baby Travel System (pictured above) - My mom gifted this to us before Penelope was born, insisting that this would be the easiest stroller to use. We bought the car seat shortly after and have loved the entire travel system. The car seat clicks right into the stroller base and folds up so easily! It's perfect for eating out as well because the seat swivels in any direction for easy positioning at a table. I have used this almost every day and am absolutely a fan of this travel system. We have traveled with it as well and it folds up easily for airport use.
BoB Revolution Jogging Stroller (pictured above) - I'm admitting I have a weird stroller addiction and was researching jogging strollers after I had Penelope until she was about 4 months old before making a decision. This jogging stroller is AWESOME and was my Mother's Day present. It is all-terrain and from experience is definitely a smooth ride on any surface. We took Penelope to the beach and this stroller was perfect for sand- no bumpy ride. The fold up is super easy BUT the stroller is a little heavy and bulky for storage but I absolutely love it. This stroller is on the pricier side for jogging strollers but once in a while you can find it on sale and it's totally worth it!
Baby Carriers
Solly Baby Wrap (pictured above) - Baby wearing is a thing now and it's kinda taken off in the past couple years. I found this company prior to having Penelope and ordered one of their wraps. This was what I carried Penelope in when we ventured out the first few weeks after having her. She liked being all snuggled up and would just fall asleep in it. It is super easy to wear and so comfy for the baby. I love the company and their easy tutorials on their website.
Ergo Baby Carrier (pictured above) - I had registered for this carrier after seeing a woman in Costco carrying her baby in it. It looked super easy and functional and...something David would possibly wear as well. We have used this SO many times and totally recommend it. The number one easiest carrier to use in the airport as well. We travel home a lot and this carrier has made getting through the airport with a baby, SO easy! Penelope likes to hang out in it, fall asleep, or look around. I will not forget the day David was home with Penelope and texted me a photo while I was at work with him wearing the carrier. He likes to take our dog Romeo for walks while wearing Penelope and letting her hang out. We've taken it on hikes where she can hang out and look around, as well. It is very sturdy and durable and almost fits like a backpack. The babies ride in the front but they also can held on your back as they get older. It's a great piece for mom and dad and lasts for a couple years of baby wearing until kids are older!
Swaddles, Blankets
Aden & Anais Swaddles (pictured above) - These swaddles are very light muslin, breathable fabric perfect for swaddling and as blankies when babies get a little bigger. Penelope loved being swaddled the first two months and these were perfect for that. Now she uses them as blankies when she goes to bed at night. She likes to caress her face with the soft fabric. The patterns are so adorable and it is the perfect light weight swaddle for babies.
Circo Woven Crib Sheets - I like to buy Penelope's crib sheets from Target. They have so many adorable patterns and they are super affordable. She currently has this pattern in her crib.
Bath Time
4Moms Bath Tub (pictured above) - We used this tub for the first few months and it sat right over the sink despite it's size. You can also put it in the tub as well. It's very functional, has a thermometer to test the temperature and is comfortable.
Aveeno Bath Shampoo & Soap - Penelope has super sensitive skin and some eczema issues for awhile. We found that the Aveeno bath shampoo worked best for her skin and didn't dry out her skin too much which prevented eczema breakouts.
Feeding
Bottle Warmer - This is a life save and I totally recommend it! We still use ours for Penelope's bottles.
Formula Dispenser - Once Penelope was on formula full time going out meant we had to bring bottles everywhere so I found this awesome formula dispenser at Babies R Us. It is such a small thing but SO useful. You can put formula in their for each bottle and take it with you to make bottles while you are out. This is KEY when traveling for us!
Munchkin No Spill Training Cups - I LOVE these trainer cups. The doctor told us to start introducing sippy cups to Penelope around 6 months. I did some research and decided to try the spoutless cups which I believe have been a lot easier for her to use than the normal sippy cups. She loves this one!
Fisher Price Booster Seat/High Chair - We went with a smaller (similar) booster attached to the chair for now as our kitchen space isn't big enough for a separate high chair. It is super easy and also portable.
Bumbo Floor Seat - Penelope used this when learning to sit up. We didn't use it as much for feeding but kept it in her room for play time. Her babysitter would read to her while she sat up in the bumbo.
Play Time
4Moms Play Yard (pictured above) - Easy set up and fold up with lots of room for baby to play and an included bassinet for infant sleep. We use this ALL the time from when she was an infant for naps until now for play time! I particularly liked the plain sleek look!
4Moms Mamaroo Swing (pictured above) - This probably has to be one of our favorite items we bought for Penelope. She LOVED it from the moment we brought her home. With different settings and an iPod hook up for soothing music, Penelope would hang out in this as a baby and she even slept in it for a while as an infant. I absolutely recommend this over any baby swing!
Baby Einstein Music Maker - For 6-10 bucks, this thing is also one of my FAVORITE items and one of Penelope's favorite toys. I bought this after reading about it in another blog where the mama said this was a stroller life saver when out shopping. This little music box plays classical music and keeps the babies entertained while out and about. I keep this in my diaper bag for any outing and Penelope absolutely loves it.
Infantino Playmat - This cute playmat was awesome as Penelope was learning to roll and play. I kept it in her room for play time. The pattern was adorable as well!
Travel
Herschel Backpack - My mom gave me this backpack for Christmas this year as I told her we were lugging so much stuff with us on the flight to visit home for the holidays. I LOVE this backpack. It is big and can store so much, super easy to carry with padded shoulder straps, and is super cute! They have a TON of really cute colors, patterns, and sizes as well!
Pottery Barn Diaper Bag - I spotted one of my girlfriends carrying this diaper bag and immediately went online and ordered it after she left. (Thanks Carly!) It looks like a handbag but is so roomy and has tons of hidden pouches for all of baby's needs. I'm into just using trendy oversized tote bags as diaper bags lately but this one is a great color year round and was on sale for a while and still is a total steal!
Teething
Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder - Freeze some bananas, any kind of fruit, or ice cubes and put in these mesh pouches for baby to hold and put in their mouth while teething. Penelope loves them.
Sun and Outside
Babyganics Sunscreen lotion - We tried the Aveeno sunscreen because we use Aveeno bath products but it was very thick and contributed to Penelope getting heat rashes as her skin didn't breathe easily with it. I tried the Babyganics Sunscreen which is plant based and safe to use without any harsh chemicals. It's one of my favorite brands and is super light.
Let's Playground Play mats - This mat I actually don't have BUT just ordered after reading so many great reviews and seeing photos on instagram. Great company that creates mats for outdoor adventure. They are perfect for beach days, park outings, etc AND they are absolutely adorable.
Clean-up
Babyganics Detergent - I love, love, love the Babyganics brand of cleaning agents. They are plant based cleaning products. Super gentle and affordable. Plus - Babies R Us always has sales on the Babyganics line.
Diapers
Huggies- We tried the organic route and liked the Honest Company diapers but Huggies were just convenient and more comfy for Penelope.
Huggies Natural Wipes - I love these wipes and they are perfect for sensitive skin.
Desitin - I have used this diaper rash cream since she was born just because that's what most people recommended in my family. It works for Penelope so I haven't tried any others but I have heard great reviews for the Honest Company Diaper Rash cream as well, if you want to go more of an organic route.
What began as a short list grew and grew! These items are what we love and find to be super helpful in our every day lives with little P and so I thought I'd share! What are some of your favorite baby items?
xoxo
