These are a Few of My Favorite Things

When I was pregnant with little Will I wanted to know what baby gear items people couldn't do without. The baby stores are so totally overwhelming and it's hard to know what is decent baby gear and what is just a gimmicky wallet thief.

So far, here are my favs for taking care of a newborn and making your life just a tad bit easier.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe Wraps:

Make swaddling a squirming infant quick and easy, no loose blankets and baby is snug as a bug. Once Will got his brace and couldn't fit into his swaddle wraps anymore, it was a sad day at our house. We switched to aden + anais swaddle blankets because they are thin and large enough to snugly swaddle Will and he can't get out of them like some smaller or thicker blankets. (Summer Infant makes swaddle pods, too. I haven't tried them, but they look like they straighten the baby's legs out instead of letting them stay in their natural bent position, which is really bad for baby's developing hips.)


Baby Brezza Water Kettle:

Love this thing. Keeps water at 98* all the time. Perfect for whipping up formula bottles or warming up expressed breast milk. (so very, very convenient in the middle of the night) It's also handy for when I need to wipe down Will's face, I don't have to run the tap and wait for warm water (I know, he could probably handle having his face wiped with cold water, but the weather is so wintery and cold!)


Graco Pack n' Play:

William has slept in this right next to our bed since he came home. It has a handy little bassinet attachment so he's up at my eye level when I'm laying in bed, and I can just reach over to stroke his sweet face (or pop his paci back in his mouth...). No bells and whistles on this thing, just a regular old Pack n' Play. I'm not sure why you would need your crib to light up, vibrate, play music, or store diapers... but we chose to keep it simple.

Diapers.com:
Not technically gear, but golly I love this site. Free two day shipping on orders over $49 (which with buying diapers and wipes in bulk is a piece of cake to achieve), they take manufacturers coupons, they are always running special deals and you earn money back on your diaper and wipe purchases to apply to future orders. Love it.

Diaper Genie:

I was skeptical about this contraption, and now I don't think I could do without it. Our house never smells like dirty diapers (unless Will has just filled his drawers :) and it's a cinch to empty. The refills for it are a bit pricey, but they last a long time and I think it's worth it to keep the poopy smell at bay!

Boppy Pillow:

We probably use this more than anything. It gives Will a place to hang out when we can't hold him, it props him up for tummy time, it makes holding him more comfortable when feeding him, and when he's bigger it will help support him as he learns to sit up. Get a few covers, especially if you have an urpy baby like William!

JJ Cole Car Seat Cover:

Looove this thing for a winter baby. It has elastic that holds it on the car seat and a nice little flap that zips open to easily pop baby in and out. It's lined with fleece so it's super cozy, we just put Will in the car seat with a blanket and we never need to put a coat or snowsuit on him. We get so many comments on how cozy this looks when we take William out! We ended up putting Velcro on the flap because when we had William's car seat on the stroller, the flap was always flying open when it was windy. The Velcro looks a little janky, but gets the job done. We were going to get the Bundle Me, which looks like a little sleeping bag for the car seat, but the AAP won't approve it as it's debated whether or not the Bundle Me is safe since it can re-route the straps on a car seat and make the straps not as tight as they should be.

Britax B-Agile Stroller:

I can't say enough good things about this stroller. I know everyone has different stroller needs, so for some families a big stroller like this might not be the best option. We were looking for a stroller that could be used as part of a travel system, was easy to unfold and collapse, navigated well inside and out (some strollers can barely even handle bumps in uneven sidewalk), and we also wanted a stroller that Will could use from birth through his preschool years. So far I have been in love with this stroller. I do wish the basket under the stroller was a little bigger, and that the handle didn't touch the ground when you folded the stroller, but other than that it is just about perfect. The best part? You collapse the stroller with one hand just by pulling a strap, nice!

What are some baby items you recommend? I love learning about new baby gear, especially stuff that will be nice for William as he gets older.