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It’s been almost one full year since I became a mom. Holy crap, where did the time fly?! I have honestly enjoyed every single second of motherhood, and I can’t believe it’s almost time for me to return to work.
During pregnancy, I was inundated with recommendations on the baby gear I needed and wouldn’t be able to live without. Well, I’m happy to report that I’m pretty much an expert in this area now. Here are my absolute favourite can’t-live-without baby products (in no particular order).
1. ErgoBaby Omni 360 Baby Carrier
I don’t have enough nice things to say about the Ergobaby Omni 360! I LOVE this thing.
Baby-wearing was only introduced to me approximately 5 years ago. One of my coworkers visited the office with her newborn in an ERGO Original carrier, and I was so intrigued! Prior to that, I thought having a baby in an infant seat and a stroller all the time was how it was supposed to be. As a type-A personality, of course, I immediately took to research the benefits of baby-wearing and I was an immediate convert. We don’t even own an infant bucket seat, that’s how all-in I am.
When it was time to choose which carrier would be best for me, it didn’t take too long for me to settle on the Omni 360. I like to think that I’m a minimalist mom, and when selecting baby products, it’s important to me that items can grow with our family from birth to at least toddler-hood.
The appeal of this carrier’s ability to use with baby from newborn to 45 pounds is something I can’t ignore. Most carriers of this sort require an infant insert if you want to use it with a newborn, so this little detail feature of the Omni 360 immediately nudged it over the line into my WIN category.
I also love that it is truly an all-position carrier and is ergonomic in all positions – the Omni 360 is acknowledged as a “hip healthy” product by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.
Other great features include a built-in privacy hood that is SPF 50+, full lumbar support, and super easy to secure baby in this carrier all by yourself.
2. Keekaroo Peanut Changer
I know a lot of people don’t use their change table or a dedicated changing pad. I use my Keekaroo Peanut Changer ALL THE TIME when I’m at home. Maybe it’s because my house is small, so it’s no big deal to walk Baby Badau up into the nursery and change him at his changing dresser.
The one thing I can never understand about changing pads are the cloth covers required for them. Don’t people have to remove these covers and wash them every time baby has a poopy diaper?? I still don’t understand it. I suppose you can use a regular changing pad without a cover, but then it’s not that cute and will not match the theme of your nursery.
The Keekaroo Peanut Changer looks hip and chic, comes in colour options that match Baby Badau’s nursery decor, and I can wipe it clean.
I love this changing pad. It is definitely a pricey splurge-type item, but when I added up the cost of a standard changing pad plus the covers I needed, it came to almost the same price anyways. So…JUSTIFED.
3. Skip Hop 3-Stage Activity Centre
We’re not big on toys over here. Some folks might say that our baby is deprived of them. Haha. Actual words by several fellow moms.
Baby Badau generally plays with gaming and TV remote controls and a few select toys such as his set of sensory balls or his Sophie Le Girafe.
The husband wanted to get a Jolly Jumper for Baby Badau, but our house is quite small to accommodate the free-standing version, and there is no logical place to hang the doorway version. While the husband didn’t care that we would essentially be giving up our entire living room for a Jolly Jumper, I sure as hell did. So I told him not to worry, I will find something that I can put up with, and that will allow Baby Badau to “bounce”.
I found the Skip Hop 3-stage Activity Centre and purchased it right away, convincing him that it was a baby bouncer (news flash…it is not). I love how the design is not in any way offensive (ie. bright primary colours and cartoon images that don many baby toys nowadays). The very best part about this activity centre, though? It grows with baby!
The Skip Hop 3-stage Activity Centre can convert from an activity chair to an activity table by bringing up the grey platform. You can even buy chairs for the table to complete the look.
Bonus: the grey platform piece is a chalkboard! BOOM.
I am very happy with this baby item, and Baby Badau fully approves of it. At almost 12 months old, he still enjoys sitting in it and playing with the toys.
4. Stokke Xplory Stroller
This stroller is not for the faint of heart. It’s expensive. It is heavy. Some might say it’s clunky. You will definitely think this if you are currently using a travel-system stroller. Since we don’t have an infant bucket seat, I didn’t care to look at any travel systems and instead headed straight for full-size strollers.
We LOVE the Stokke Xplory. As soon as we brought it home, the husband started pushing it around the house a wouldn’t let me touch it. He still hogs the responsibility of pushing this stroller when we’re out and about.
It is easily maneuverable with one hand…one finger if you feel like showing off. I have no problems pushing it through tight and crowded spaces. And we get many looks of awe and comments about what a cool looking stroller this thing is.
The main reason I chose this stroller, however, is it’s ability to seat baby at multiple heights, and the ability to set the handlebar height. The husband is 6’4″ and I am 5’6″. I wanted the husband to feel comfortable pushing a stroller and in my opinion, this was one of the only options for us on the market.
Other reasons to love the Stokke Xplory? It can substitute for a high chair in a pinch. With the height adjustable seat and the ease of adjustability of the handlebar, you can tuck the stroller right in close to the table. We’ve used this function many times and are happy that the stroller takes up so little real estate.
In my humble opinion, this stroller is THE VERY BEST!
5. NoseFrida the Snotsucker
My parents used to tell me stories about how they had to suck snot out of my nose with their mouths back in the day. Gag. “As If!” and “Never Ever!” is what I used to say.
Being new parents, you quickly learn that you’ve got to hunker down and deal with some gross things. I’ve sucked snot and spit up straight out of Baby Badau’s nose before. You just do it without a second thought if your baby’s choking! I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I had to!
But thank goodness for new inventions, am I right!? The NoseFrida Snotsucker is a totally non-glamourous product, but such an essential! Every parent needs a snot sucker. If you don’t know, now you know.
I’m sure we’ve all seen the big bulb nose aspirators that come standard in those baby grooming kits. I was adamant on finding a different way! For some reason, the thought of having to clean one of those gives me the heebie jeebies. I’m sure my fears are not warranted, as I’ve never used one so don’t really know how the opening and cleaning part works on them.
What I love about the NoseFrida Snotsucker is that there are minimal parts to it, we can control the intensity of the “suck” and it’s a quick run to the sink to run water through the thing to clear it of snot.
Baby Badau was born in the fall, and it’s really dry here in Calgary. For the first 5 months of his life, we religiously used the NoseFrida. No doubt this is a MUST HAVE item. I love gifting this item to new moms.
FridaBaby makes a whole slew of awesome ingenious products for baby. I’ve come to trust this brand very much.
6. Guzzie + Guss Perch Chair
Remember how I have a small house and I like to think of myself as a minimalist mom? Well, this thing is such a space saver and fits the bill perfectly!
I love the Guzzie + Guss Perch chair. There are many chairs on the market that are this style, but we chose the Perch because it can accommodate basically any type of table due to the design of its “clamp” contraption. Sorry, I don’t know the technical term.
Our dining table is a vintage DIY refurbished pine table with a large lip on the edge. The Perch latches on with zero problems. Most of the time, we have this chair attached to our kitchen island breakfast counter.
Prior to having a baby, I was adamant that being a new mom will never stop me from going to dine at boutique restaurants, sometimes known as “non kid-friendly”. This was the biggest reason we purchased this chair. It has not disappointed, and we feel so chic and cool when we set it up at a restaurant and dine with Baby Badau like he’s a real human. I generally opt to use this chair even when a high chair is available. I love that Baby Badau can eat at the same table as us.
The Perch chair is really easy to clean. We wipe it down after each meal, and for really big messes (spaghetti, nectarines, avocado), we simply detach the seat and throw it in the wash.
Honorable Mention
Rocky Mountain Soap Co Baby Foaming Wash
We shower with Baby Badau a lot as opposed to getting him in the bath tub. The Rocky Mountain Soap Co Baby Foaming Wash is 100% natural and made in Canada. It’s the perfect product for use in the shower when you’re holding a baby with one arm and soaping him up with the other.
The only thing is that it does seem to dry Baby Badau’s skin a bit, compared to other shampoos/washes we’ve used. For this reason, it didn’t quite make my favourites list. Pretty darn close though.
There you have it! My favourite baby products that I fully stand behind to recommend for you.
Do you have some products you love? Tell me about them and tell me why they’re your fave in the comments below!
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