All of a sudden I feel like all my friends and family are having babies. It is so wonderful! For the longest time I was the only one with kids my age (we started young). So, with all these newly pregnant moms come the inevitable facebook post “Help! What do I REALLY need for the baby? And… go!”. You know the post I’m talking about? So I decided to share what I honestly and truly use as a mom. Most of them are unconventional and not even “baby” type items, but they are necessary for my survival. Obviously a baby needs onesies, diapers, and a crib, but these are the items that aren’t really thought of, yet so important to my day. So here we go!
*Scroll to the bottom of the post for easy shoppable links*
Amazon is life. Every mom I know has Amazon Prime because it is life. It is an absolute necessity. The ability to order an item and have it at your doorstep is vital. Not having to go to WalMart and fight the long lines of cranky people to get your toilet paper is worth its weight in gold! Skip your big box membership and buy into Amazon Prime. You don’t have to leave your house and everything you need is delivered to you, for free.
We only got the Echo last year, but let me tell you- lifechanging. As a mom (or dad!) your hands will be constantly tied up, whether you are holding, feeding, or rocking a baby, preparing food for said baby, or cleaning up after that baby. Being able to order items or add to your shopping list with just your voice is brilliant. Dare I say, even necessary? Or ask her to play some background music to detract from the insane amount of kid noise… You would think I was asked to advertise for this but no, I just love it that much.
If you have kids, you will have lots of food on your floor. It is amazing that any food actually enters my children by the amount that is on the floor at the end of every meal. I vacuum every day. Every. Single. Day. It would be wise for you to invest in a vacuum that works extremely well, has a good turning radius, and a great company that with fantastic customer service (seriously- mine clogged and I couldn’t figure out how to fix it and the customer service guy helped me through it, and he stayed on the phone with me so I could attend to a crying baby and didn’t even flinch. He actually encouraged me to leave the phone and attend to her. I will be forever committed to Dyson. I’ve also had a couple small things break and they sent me replacement parts, no fuss!) Invest in good items from quality manufacturers- it will pay you back!
This is an item I didn’t know I needed until I got it. I used a regular mop and bucket until just a couple years ago, but listen. This is something you need. With little babies crawling on the floor (and licking it… that’s a conversation for another day *cough*Eloise*cough*…) I like to have a clean floor. This thing is awesome. It disinfects, so I feel a little better when the kids are eating food off a floor that has a percentage of less germs. It is so simple to use, just put on a reusable pad, fill with water, press a button, and steam away! No bucket for your kids to spill and you aren’t pushing around dirty mop gunk.
These cameras are a lifesaver. We had the Motorola Video Monitor initially and they were fine. It was nice to be able to pan and look around the room. But with the Nest, there isn’t a need for that since the camera will show the entire room. They also connect to wifi so you can check in on the babysitters. The stream is encoded so no worries about anyone hacking in (and who wants to see my house, anyway?). They are so wonderful and totally worth the investment. You also don’t have to have your monitor on all night to hear the babies- it will send you a notification when it hears a sound or sees movement- such a great feature considering all my kids sleep with sound machines! (Moms with multiple monitors know what I mean…sounds like Darth Vader in your bedroom every night!)
This one may seem weird, but hear me out. As a stay at home mom, my main job is to feed these kids. That means three meals a day, plus two (or more) snacks, and maybe a dessert thrown in there. That means a whole lot of chopping, prepping, and cooking. Do yourself a favor and invest in a good set of knives which will make your life a whole lot easier! Prepping food with ease and not cursing your dull knives. You can thank me later.
Baby Jogger City Select Stroller
I will joke with people that I like my stroller almost as much as I like my kids. We bought this when I was pregnant with Levi, anticipating having more than just two kids. It was such a good investment. I am not the type of mom to stay at home all the time, so I needed something that would allow me to get out of the house with my gaggle of children and function like a normal human. The stroller pushes so easily and navigates so well! I can swerve in between clothing racks like nobody’s business (but who am I kidding- when is the last time I’ve been to the mall with kids…). And bonus that I can fit three kids on the stroller. Can’t do much better than that!
Wraps – Ergo (Infant) Solly (Newborn)
With having multiple kids, baby wearing has become a must. The need to have my hands free is invaluable. I will wear Eloise when pushing the older two kids in the stroller and everyone is restrained, happy, and comfortable. I can help older kids onto the toilet or prep dinner, all while wearing a happy, sleepy baby. In the beginning I preferred the Solly wrap- so comfortable and easy to use (not like the Moby which was way too much material and a beast to wrap). Once the baby was a bit bigger, after four months or so, I switched to the Ergo. Easy to wear, comfortable, and all my kids liked it!
We live in the 21st century. My kids don’t use my iPad a lot, but occasionally we will use it for educational games or movies. Also, if you get the Nest cameras, you can download the app and have it displayed on the iPad. So yes, invest in one. You’ll need it, the kids will use it, and you will all be happy. (Just make sure you also invest in a good kid-proof case).
So if you have a new mom in your life, reconsider buying that adorable (but unnecessary) outfit. I promise you that baby has enough clothes. Buy her something that she will really use, or give her money towards it. If you have kids you know how expensive they can be. Help start off their life by giving her a gift that she really and truly will use, and will be used for more than one short phase of the baby’s life. She will thank you for it!
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Such good suggestions!! Loved this post
Thank you! ????
Love this!! I already have two of these items you suggested (Dyson and Shark Steam Mop)! So glad they will be great for when we have kids???????? (in 3-5 years hahah)
Greatest inventions! And game changers when you have kids. Promise!