This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. All photos and opinions are my own.
Motherhood not only comes with figuring out a baby (not an easy feat), but it also comes with figuring out which items you actually need, which brands and versions work best for you and your baby, and then learning how to use said items. It’s A LOT! Throw in everyone giving you their two cents and telling you what you need because it worked for them and your brain quickly feels like something resembling scrambled eggs. Babies are challenging, and unfortunately they don’t come with an instruction manual or a checklist of items to help you succeed gracefully. BUT, my friends, that’s what us moms who have already been around the block are here for! I did all the “cute”, trendy, sparkly and shiny items with my first baby, and let me tell ya – all that glitters is NOT gold.
Today I’m sharing with you a few items that I swear by and would buy and buy again, having done this before. My sweet five-year-old got to be my guinea pig, so it gets to be a little (actually, much) easier this time around with my eight-month-old. Below are some brilliantly-designed, affordable and actually useful baby products that I would recommend to any mom, and use for my own baby.
WaterWipes®
It’s a given that you’re going to need baby wipes. What’s not a given is how your baby will or won’t react to specific brands, or what’s being absorbed into their skin from them. Why chance it? WaterWipes® are the world’s purest baby wipes, made with just two ingredients: 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. They are ideal for sensitive, newborn and premature baby’s skin, and are also biodegradable, plastic-free and plant-based.
They are perfect for diaper changes, cleaning your little one’s faces during mealtime, wiping their hands during outdoor play and everything in between. PLUS a lot of baby wipes are made with plastic, but the impact parents can make by switching to biodegradable wipes is huge – WaterWipes’ change in production will now save the equivalence of 228,594,728 plastic bottles each year! These live in my diaper bag, purse, glove compartment, changing table, and honestly in my makeup drawer, too.
Find them HERE.
Boon GROOVE Customizable Drying Rack and NURSH Silicone Pouch Bottle
Two words: space saver. Two more: less clutter. Those four words are sexy to a mama whose entire house is soon to be taken over by bottle parts, baby toys, sitting contraptions and tiny clothes. The Boon GROOVE Customizable Drying Rack gives you more room on your counter tops without taking up extra space. It can hold up to six baby bottles or other mealtime items, features modular pieces that let you customize rack, and it packs flat for easy storage when not in use. I’ve used the other drying racks – this one is so much more functional!
Another intelligent Boon design: The NURSH™ Silicone Pouch Bottle. It features a 100% silicone pouch that collapses as your little one drinks, squeezing out the nasty gas-inducing air that causes colic. No straws, vents or valves, which makes it quick and easy to clean and assemble. The silicone can even be boiled, sterilized, microwaved, and frozen. Plus they’re colorful and easy for baby to hold, and my breastfed baby drinks from them beautifully – no nipple confusion for us!
The First Year Sure Comfort Folding Baby Bather
I’ve used probably three or four different baby baths between my two girls, and I’m wondering why I didn’t discover this one sooner. It’s brilliant! Comfy, sleek AND IT FOLDS FLAT! Every other infant bather I’ve used takes up so much space and is impossible to store. The First Years Sure Comfort Folding Bather quickly and easily unfolds, and fits right inside most sinks or in the bath tub. The inclined, no-slip seat comfortably cradles your baby with raised mesh sides that help them (and you) feel more secure. After bath time is done, the bather folds up into a super compact size that’s easy to tuck away. You can see below how it compares when folded to our previous bather. Told ya – brilliant!
Shop the Sure Comfort Folding Bather HERE.
Disney Lullaby Playlist
We are biiiiggggg fans if of nighttime lullabies around here, but it’s tough to find a good playlist that actually stays on track and isn’t bombarded with ads (my oldest can attest to this). The Disney Lullaby playlist focuses on creating a safe, calming playlist for the family to relax to and to help children and/or babies fall asleep. It contains instrumental and soothing renditions of Disney favorites to help your baby drift off to sleep, and is available on many of your favorite music streaming platforms. Download it here!
Stride Rite Shoes
We’ve been Stride Rite lovers since my oldest was a baby. Honestly, my husband and I both wore them as babies, too! You know it’s a good brand when it’s been around for that long and continues to be a favorite among parents. Stride Rite has been around since 1919, designing innovative children’s footwear based on current trends and the latest knowledge behind healthy foot development.
This style, the Emilia bootie, features a premium leather with pretty floral embroidery and faux lace-up detail. The lightweight construction helps keeps her calm and comfy, while the oversized opening makes taking them on and off fuss-free. They’re so sweet and go with any outfit! My five-year-old still wears Stride Rites and has loved every pair. They’re what she learned to walk in!
Special offer for you! Shop the Emilia bootie here. Save $10 off $70 or more at striderite.com with code BBRITE10 (valid 7/18/22 – 2/1/23). (Discount applied in cart with one-time use coupon code. Offer cannot be combined with any other special offers, promotions or coupons. Offer may not be applied toward previous purchases, eGift certificates, gift cards, shipping or taxes. Items marked “Final Sale” cannot be returned or refunded. Consumer pays all applicable sales tax. Offer valid for in-stock
merchandise only. Other exclusions may apply. Void where prohibited by law. Stride Rite
reserves the right to cancel or modify this offer at any time. Offer valid through
2/1/2023 2:59 AM EST.)
Candlewick Press’ I Am A Baby
This book, y’all. It’s GOOD! We’ve read it twice a night for the past four nights and my oldest asks for it over and over. It’s just so cute, sweet and funny (especially to us parents). It’s bound to make you smile and lighten any rough night you might be having with the baby.
I Am A Baby is published by Candlewick Press, a children’s book publisher based in Somerville, MA who has published many wonderful children’s books for readers of all ages. Written and illustrated by Bob Shea, this picture book (with cleaver illustrations, might I add) is a hilarious look at new parenthood, but from a baby’s point of view! Repeating the mantra “because I am a baby,” the tiny narrator takes us through scenes of exhaustion, grumpiness, squishy diapers, spilled milk, cowering kittens, and chubby overfed pups (hello, my dog!). If you like the book Go the F*** to Sleep (one of our favorites), you’ll love this one. Excellent baby shower gift, too!
Shop I Am Baby on Amazon or Bookshop.
And there ya have it! Things I’d buy over and over after having tried several other baby products that just weren’t quite as good. Take it from a mama who’s a sucker for trying all the “favorites”, though they don’t end up being mine. Or don’t. But I promise these will not disappoint :). Happy parenting! You’ve got this.
