A few of my favorite things

When you embark on the journey to parenthood, it comes with a mile-long list of things to purchase.  Some of them are necessities (crib, clothing, medicines, etc.), and some of them are just nice to have. 

Some things that work for someone else won’t work for you and vice-versa.  I won’t get into the obvious ones like infant swings, Boppy, or jumpers.  Here are a few of my favorite things discovered through my parenting adventure:

1. gDiapers – An earth-friendly diaper system, they’re the best of cloth and disposable.  And they’re adorable.  And my daycare will use them.  And my daughter rarely gets diaper rash.  And I could go on.  We can’t flush the diapers because of our “nonstandard” 80+year old plumbing, but we do compost the pee diapers. 
2. Mommy Necklaces – Nursing necklaces, or just think of them as child-proof necklaces.  They’re super cute, come in a wide variety of color combinations and several styles, and have a breakaway clasp for safety.  Fashion you can wear without fear of destruction from your little darlings.
3. Hooter Hider or nursing cover – It does the obvious job quite nicely, but it also works as a shade for the stroller if baby falls asleep on a sunny day.
4. Aden + Anais swaddles and sleeping bags – LOVE THEM!  Arden did really well with being swaddled, but in the summer I didn’t want her in flannel, and when she got bigger it was difficult to swaddle her securely in the smaller ones.  These are so soft and lightweight, and big enough to swaddle older or bigger kids (I could swaddle her at 18 months if she’d let me).  Now we use them as her warm weather blankets.
5. Cedarworks playsets – I don’t have one, but I have a serious playset crush on these.  I think I’m going to set up a savings fund so I can get one when Arden is old enough to play on one.
6. Bravado nursing tanks – I messed around with inexpensive and ill-fitting nursing bras from chain stores.  Then I was show the light of Bravado.  (insert harp music here)  Super comfy and the tank is great so you’re not showing everyone your post-baby belly while you feed said baby.

Hope something here will make your life easier.  Do you have any parenting products you can’t live without?  Post a comment.