As we get closer to having another little one, I've been thinking of things that we absolutely loved with our first boy but were not necessarily essential. Here's what I came up with.
Muslin Baby Blankets- These were also a gift to us and were wonderful during the summer because of the lightness of material.
a baby back pack - this is definitely not an essential, but we love to hike and go for walks, so as soon as our boy was big enough to sit in one of these, we had to get one. The best part is that he is now 2 and still can ride in it, and he still loves it!
A front baby carrier - We loved having a baby carrier and used it all the time from the moment our baby was born. We only recently acquired a baby bjorn, but we used a jeep carrier for our first and it worked well. This was definitely an essential item for us.
I love art and was so excited when I came across the Mini Master board books on Amazon. I'm all about brainwashing my child into loving art too and these seemed a perfect start to introducing them to some of my favorite artists. I think that there are at least 6 books in the whole series, but in the set we got there were just the four below.
We love all the books, however Matisse is one of my least favorite artist and they added some nude paintings in his book (I have no idea why, these are children books).
I highly recommend these books. Luke has loved looking and reading them as young as 15 months. They are still some of his favorite books to have us read with him.
Toys
The Ramba Zamba Rattle by Haba - This was a gift to us and is perfect for when they start grabbing things. I love that it is wooden and so colorful. I would just love to splurge on all of their baby toys.
Skwish Classic by Manhattan Toys - This was also a gift and is loved by babies and adults. The best part about it is that it shape can change, making it a great versatile toy for babies.
Ikea's Mula stack and nest cups - We got some of these for Luke when he was about 14 months and they have probably been the best bath toy ever! He loves loves loves them.
Ikea's 20 piece train set - this was probably the best investment we ever made from Ikea. Luke didn't enjoy as much at first, but by 20 months he was all about playing with it ALL THE TIME. And it's a great way to fine tune those motor skills.
What are some of your non-essential or essential baby items?
I loved those velcro swaddlers. That was the only way my twins would sleep when they were babies.
ReplyDeleteThose bibs are awesome. We didn't have one for our kids, but great grandma did. Every time we visited it made me wish we had one. The backpacks are great, too. I love being able to go hiking with kids. And toys of course, though sometimes I wonder why we bother when they seem just as happy with pots, pans, and boxes. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe front baby carrier is a MUST have for me. I love having Alice close to me.
ReplyDeleteGreat list!
Peanut Butter and Whine
I love this list of items!!!
ReplyDelete