Oh, I remember creating my baby registry VERY clearly. My sister bought me a copy of Baby Bargains, and it became my bible, religion and hobby all in one. (P.S.- have a friend who just announced her pregnancy? Buy her this. It is the BEST “welcome to the incredibly confusing world of all the $h*t you need for your kid” without totally overwhelming them. It gives good, better and best options in addition to different price levels).
Here are a few things that didn’t make my registry. I totally should have replaced baby shoes with a few of these because…umm…babies don’t need shoes. In fact, I accidentally took my 2 year old to Costco the other day and somehow forgot shoes. Eh. No one cares. I don’t want him actually WALKING in a store anyways, especially the land where early Christmas gifts exploded.
Naptime Essentials
1. White Noise Machine
Yes. You need one. We continued to have huge blowout parties after our son was born and this little gizmo really drowns out the raucous cheers during beer bongs (haha…just kidding…kind of. We have graduated from beer bongs to beer tastings, but our friends still get a little rowdy).
My recommendation: skip the noise machines meant for kids. Many of them have a pre-recorded “white noise soundtrack” that gets annoying. Buy one that mimics a fan, with real sounds…one meant for an office setting. I have two of the Dohms, and they have been thrown down the stairs, kicked around and more:
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| Marpac Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner- $44.35 on amazon.com |
2. Blackout Curtains
Although the days are getting shorter, it is still wayyyy to bright during naptime to create that cave-like effect that most of us crave. My son’s room is so dark I feel it is a sensory deprivation chamber (just how I planned it….mwahhhaha!). At first, I was anti-blackout curtains, afraid that if we took a trip and a sliver of sunlight somehow made it into his room, he would never sleep again. Luckily, I am privy to some amazing resources at times, and was able to chat with Dr. Dan Weissbluth, whose dad authored “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.” He was 100% in favor of blackout curtains, and even said slap up some garbage bags if you want a cheaper solution. (For more infant sleep info, check out our chat here).
I tried a set from Target, and since I didn’t pre-measure, they barely covered one pane of glass in b’s room. I could never remember to measure BEFORE I went to the store, so I ended up grabbing the biggest set I could from Walmart in addition to a tension rod so I could install them behind my super cute custom shades. Bonus- they help block outside noise and save on heating & AC costs.
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| Eclipse Kids Blackout Thermal Window Panel- $12.97 per panel @ Walmart |
Keeping It Clean
3. Hand Vac
I made a joke to my husband last night when b refused to eat dinner and instead was crawling around pinching our toes under the table that he could survive for weeks on the amount of food that had accumulated on the floor. He laughed, but not because it was funny. Because it was probably true. Ok, I’m not a slob and my house isn’t a disaster, but somehow the crap just ends up there. This hand vac picks up raisins, Cheerios and the odd mystery bit. It also pivots to reach around and in between things. I have tried almost every hand vac out on the market (Shark included) and this blows them away.
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| Black & Decker Pivot Vac- $59.99 @ Bed Bath & Beyond (use your 20% off coupon) |
4. Steam Mop
We bake a lot in my household. My toddler has mastered the art of cracking an egg (no joke, no shells, he’s better than me) but there have been a lot of messes along the way and still MANY more to come. When your little one is crawling around on the floor (and yes, sometimes licking it- don’t rule that out) you want to make sure that things like Salmonella and e. coli aren’t lurking from the raw meat you dropped last week. Best feature- steam mops are chemical-free ways to sanitize your floors. I bought a basic model, no bells and whistles, just plug in and go.
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| Shark Steam Mop S3101- $49 @ Walmart |
Chowing Down
5. Freezable Cooler Bags
No, you don’t have to buy a Sponge Bob cooler bag. I’ve found most things that are meant for kids are actually quite crappy. Get a cute lunch bag that you can use, too. I have recently become anti-McDonalds after watching Jamie Oliver VS Fast Food- the Pink Slime video so I try to take a lunch and snacks with me everywhere I go. These freezable cooler bags fold down to store/freeze and keep things pretty cold without trying to track down where you put the freezer packs. Great for bottles- both formula AND beer.
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| PackIt Mini Cooler Snack Bag- $14.99 @ packit.com |
What do you wish you put on your baby registry?
Thanks for great information you write it very clean. I am very lucky to get this tips from you.
Very very informative post. And Shark Stream mop is really awesome. I have been using 1 for 2 years. Thanks for the Sharing