Some Of Our Favorite Baby Items

In the nearly nine months since Maggie was born, Kevin and I have obviously learned a lot when it comes to products and options out there for babies. Most of the items we registered for ended up being useful, but there have been some other things we’ve discovered since Maggie was born that I thought might be worth sharing.

Now, it is worth nothing that Maggie has been an immensely easy baby. She’s liked the first version of everything we’ve given her: pacis, bottles, swaddles, etc. So I’m not equipped to gives lots of advice on choosing the right swaddle for transitioning once babies can roll to their bellies or anything like that.

But nonetheless, here are a few things we’ve definitely found to be helpful (and many of these are becoming go-to baby shower gifts, too!):

• Snap booties, like these Zutano ones or these by BirdRock Baby are incredible,  y’all. They stay put (something baby socks are notorious for NOT doing), and keep Maggie’s feet nice and toasty during these chilly months. She has two pairs of these and wears them incessantly. (In fact, I’m going to order her a third pair right now…)

• We are OBSESSED with Love Macie bows at the Keller house. They’re just so sweet, hold up well, and I love that I’m supporting another mama by purchasing them.

• We JUST transitioned Maggie from her infant carrier to her next carseat (thanks to both sets of parents for getting us those next step carseats for Christmas!), but while she was in her carrier she LOVED toys hanging from the handle. Our babysitter introduced us to them, and Maggie especially loved the Lamaze brand. (How cute is this little moose??)

• The Beautycounter Calming Diaper Rash Cream is a must-have for us. We love how it applies so smoothly and stays put, and a little goes such a long way that we’re still on our first tube!

• Have you heard of Baby Paper ? Maggie was gifted a couple of these, and they became instant hits despite being so very simple. It makes sense, though, given that babies adore playing with anything crinkly. (We actually call these her “crinkle cloths.”) They make for a great shower gift, and can easily be thrown in a diaper bag to pull out when your kiddo needs a distraction.

• Huggies wipes are where it’s AT, guys, and I’ll tell you why: they come out one at a time, which means you don’t have to pull at a wipe and shake it like a crazy person to try to separate it from the wipe below it when you’re working with one hand mid-diaper change. Having tried a couple of other brands, we love these the most for sure. (And who knew that baby wipes were so magical? Forget a Tide pen or Shout wipe — these are now my go-to for all manner of stains. They’re amazing!) Oh, and bonus on the Huggies wipes front: we get ours at our local Costco.

• Speaking of Costco…we love to get Maggie’s diapers there as well! After starting her off in Pampers Swaddlers (which I definitely plan to use on a newborn again, because they’re wonderful), we transitioned to using the Kirkland brand diapers and have been quite happy with those (both their performance and their price!).

Looking for more baby gift ideas that parents will actually use? Check out this post I wrote for Zulily’s blog for inspiration!