Ten years ago, as I stared at my doctor confirming that yes I was expecting one more time, I wanted to cry. Not because I was so excited. Nope. It was because my house was going to look like a baby zone – again! I no longer had a baby’s room, I no longer had a crib, play pen, baby changing station…ah heck…I didn’t even have my diaper genie! What was I to do? I became a pragmatist.
Sure, I bought a new crib, a crib that in time would turn into a twin bed. As a matter of fact everything I bought at that time served more than one purpose. If it didn’t do more than one thing, it didn’t belong in my house. Now that my brother is getting ready to have his first baby, I feel both sympathy and Joy. Joy, because kids are fun! But sympathy too because Mom and Dad are both working professionals and thus will be struggling through those first three months. So it’s Auntie to the rescue!
I surfed the web, and was boggled by the selection of new products that had come out 10years after my first child. I did find a few things single purpose items worthy of entering my home, but not many. As I am me, a penny pincher to the core; any item has to be a must have. These are my top picks and the reasons why.
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A Baby Monitor
A Baby Monitor is a must have item because keeping an eye on your baby is incredibly important. My personal favorite baby monitor is the Levana BABYView20; it is a battery powered digital baby monitor with a good sized LCD screen. The Levana is also wireless, allowing you to be able to check on your baby from anywhere in your home. The digital signal cannot be intercepted, this allows the device to operate without interference from other wirless devices in the home. The wireless encryption on your signal also means that any audio or video taken by the monitor is transmitted safely and securely. One of my favorite things about this monitor is that it has built-in nightvision as well as a standby mode that alerts you when your baby moves or makes a noise.
Travel Wipes Warmer
Next up is the Travel Wipes Warmer. This is an item to give some serious consideration to. I learned the hard way that having wipes at room temperature is always better than cold and wet. When you have a baby that is 9/10ths’ asleep, changing a diaper is tricky. A child may not respond too well when there is a cold wipe on their rear; Heck, even adults can appreciate this! Which leads to my next product…
The Jackson Reece Herbal Wipes
Ok, so what makes these so special? First of all, the packaging is biodegradable, as well as the wipes themselves! My sister in-law planned to use washable diapers at home and limit the disposable to extended outings only. Jackson Reece Herbal Wipes are a great solution for the green mommies out there trying to save the planet! I could go in to all the things they contain that make them hypoallergenic and PH balanced, and smell great, but I’ll just say that this green penny pincher bought a 6 month supply for the new baby.
The Mommy Hook
I also found The Mommy Hook to be a very worthy item for my home! This is a huge karabiner that essentially gives you an extra pair of hands! I bought three, one for the mom to be, and two for me. These are great for carrying grocery bags, sports equipment, even your purse! This has no awkward shape to it, it is light weight and really has unlimited potential for use.
Coolkidz Reusable Cold Packs
Ahh and my favorite – The Coolkidz reusable cold packs. I no longer have little ones that need to be soothed by a fun shape, but a butterfly shaped ice pack soothes a bruised ego and forehead when you get hit in the face with a volleyball. It has no rough edges; it doesn’t have a tacky surface, soft actually, so I keep a few. They are great for direct contact as well; there is no need to wrap this in a towel first. Just wash it with soap and water and freeze for the next time. Coolkidz cold packs take up minimal space in your freezer. So no, you don’t have to be a toddler to use this. I highly recommend this product for everyone! Calling all babysitters!
