A Few of Our Favorite Things…

Mari’s Favorite Baby Buys

When you have a baby, lots of people give you advice not just on child rearing but on what you “need” to buy. I’m from the camp that you “need” very little so it was quite a shock when family and friends gifted and handed us down enough clothing, toys, accessories, and gadgets to raise five kids!

Not only were we so fortunate that we didn’t need to buy a lot and we could give new life to old things but we could be especially choosy about the few items we did end up purchasing. In no particular order, here’s a list of some of the baby stuff I’m glad we bought.

1. Chewbeads

Created by a mom, these silicone beads are stylish and functional, serving as a safe piece of jewelry that a baby can chomp while teething. I’ve been wearing my red Chewbeads necklace since Brooklyn cut her first tooth. They are easy to clean with soap and water or put them in the dishwasher! See their website here.

2. Charlie Banana One-Size Cloth Diapers

If you’re interested in cloth diapering we have found Charlie Banana’s One-Size diapers to be the best for us. We didn’t want to invest too much in a particular size (new born, small etc.) so the one-size variety pack (we chose the gender-neutral tutti fruitti colors) has served us well. When we decided to buy more diapers we tried another, less expensive one-size brand and although the designs and patterns are cute, they just don’t do the job as well. We reach for the Charlie Banana’s first and that says something. Find them here.

3. Oxo Tot Roll Up Bib

This is our favorite bib – not only does it actually catch everything that Brook spits out or drops but it washes easily, rolls up for easy travel, and has stood up to over a year of use and still looks brand new. Find it here.

4. Handkerchief Style Bibs

A mom from a mommy’s group I used to belong to recommended these handkerchief bibs. They are adorable and even better at catching drool than a regular bib because they bunch up, are triangularly shaped, and are lined with absorbent fleece material. We loved them so much we bought two different sets from two different sellers on Amazon mostly to vary the adorable cloth designs. I would recommend either one. Find them here and here.

5. Ikea Antilop High Chair

One of the best pieces of advice my sister gave me about buying baby stuff was to get this high chair because it’s easiest to clean (and cheaper than most others – it’s $15). We have also found it to be pretty portable since you can detach the legs and take off the tray. Easy to clean, cute, and inexpensive? What’s not to love? Find the Antilop High Chair here.

6. Sassy Suction Toy

Brook is a curious gal and while she is very well behaved in restaurants and at the table, she often grabs at silverware, plates, glasses…basically anything she can get her hands on. To keep her at least a little occupied, I got this toy that suctions to any hard surface from her high chair to a restaurant table. It spins but thankfully doesn’t make any annoying noises – no batteries necessary. Oh yeah – it costs under $6 on Amazon as an add-on item! Find it here.

7. Munchkin White Hot Spoons

When I first bought these spoons I didn’t appreciate just how useful they would turn out to be. Not only does the color of the spoon change with a temperature change – turning to white when the food is too hot – but they are also designed and weighted so that when they fall the spoon part rarely hits the floor. Genius! Also available on Amazon for $5! Find them here.

8. Melissa and Doug Deluxe Band Set

This was Brooklyn’s holiday gift from her Mimi and Popi and she loves it! This set comes with enough wooden instruments to hold your own music class. I also appreciate that the instruments are actual instruments not just toy models of instruments and aren’t made out of plastic. Granted, the recorder doesn’t work so well but everything else in this set feels substantial and it comes in a nice wooden tray. Find it here.

And now, Brooklyn weighs in…

1. Any Electronic

2. Reading Books

3. Discovery Kids Bubble Gun

4. Eating Oranges or Clementines

5. Eating Bread

6. Hide N Squeak Eggs

7. Reading (Ripping) Magazines

8. Eating Plain Greek Yogurt

9. Melissa and Doug Alligator Push Toy