Top 10 Favorite Baby Items

As new parents, we were lost in the sea of baby products to choose from. We had no clue what we would use, what was a waste of money, and what were the “must haves”. To top it off, not only do you have to decide if you need a bouncy seat, but which of the 150 options is the best. One review says an item is great and the next says it is junk!  And for us, we then had to decide whether we needed one or two!

So we have decided to do a list of our top 10 favorite baby items so far. We are by no means experts, but these are items that we have already gotten our money out of and have been really happy with. Here it is (in no particular order):

Ford Flex
http://www.fordvehicles.com/crossovers/flex/
Is it a mini van, a station wagon, or an SUV? We’re not sure either! But we like it. This isn’t necessarily a “baby product” but we did make the purchase because we were going to have kids so we felt it was necessary to include it on our list.

There are many reasons why we love our Flex. Here are a few of them:  automatic rear hatch gate (a must have upgrade and worth the extra $$), the “look”, rear reverse sensor, room inside, smooth ride, SYNC, and the list goes on!

Aden & Anais
http://www.adenandanais.com/
Best. Blankets. Ever. Not to mention all of their other products too. We have loved the Classic Muslin Swaddle Blankets (and the “Mod About Baby” pattern is perfect for gender neutral!). The weight is great for warmer weather but they are nice and cozy when wrapped around baby. We take them everywhere with us as our car seat/stroller blankets. We also use the Sleeping Bags/Sleep Sacks over sleepers at night.

Next on my list to order………the Burpy Bibs and Issie Security Blankets!

Summer Infant Video Monitor
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Deluxe-Handheld-Monitor/dp/B00020V5A2
We felt a little weird getting a video monitor. We thought it was enough to be able to just hear your baby crying……why would you need to see them crying? But I had sent an email to numerous “mom” friends and an overwhelming amount said they had wished that they had spent the extra money on a video monitor. So we got one. And it is great.

 The beauty of having the video in addition to the monitor might be in the fact that we have twins. Their cries and fussing can sound similar and it is nice to be able to look at the monitor and know which one it is and have a “plan of action” for what we will do when we head into the nursery. Also, for the first few nights I will admit it was nice to take a peak and make sure they were breathing and moving :). I have since learned that I sleep better when I don’t have the sound on at all……oh how things change when the sleep deprivation hits!

Oxo Candela Guardian Light
http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=54&f=3864
Ever try doing a middle of the night feeding without waking the baby but having enough light to see? This light is the perfect solution. Sits on the wall and easy to grab and provide just enough light when you need it. It is the only thing we use to change diapers and do feedings in the middle of the night. And when it is on it’s base, it provides a nice slight glow in the room like a night light would. We like it so much that we have two.

Primo Infant Bath Seat
http://www.giggle.com/p/14610/Infant-Bath-Seat.aspx?s=1&keyword=primo+tub
It doesn’t seem like that great of a baby product, but it makes baths pretty darn easy. No 8 week old baby needs a bath every night, but it is something that both Oliver & Stella enjoy so we are making it part of our routine. The beauty of this bath seat is that it is small enough to store on a hook on the back of a door, plop it into the tub (it has little suctions on the bottom), and put the baby in it. No filling/emptying……you can just pour water right over the baby. And, the best part…….$12 + free shipping!

Bright Starts Automatic Bouncer
http://www.brightstarts.com/p-212-ingenuity-automatic-bouncer.aspx
A bouncy seat is a bouncy seat, right? That’s what we thought until we found the Bright Starts Automatic Bouncer. The key word there is “automatic”…….yes, it bounces itself. It doesn’t just vibrate like most bouncy seats, it actually bounces itself up and down. Brilliant! And, for any twin moms out there, the stability, size and shape make them great to feed both babies in at the same time. A huge time saver!

K’Tan Wrap
http://www.babyktan.com/
I debated baby carriers/wrap options for a long time. I found overwhelming positive reviews for the Moby Wrap and decided to go with it. It arrived and after taking one look at it I realized it wasn’t the right one for me. The fabric length is about a mile long and there is nothing quick about getting it on. But I tried it around the house anyways and found another downfall, it hurt my back/shoulders to carry the babies in.

 
Another mom (thanks, Mindee!) had raved about the K’Tan Wrap and I should have listened to her from the start. It is essentially the same as the Moby in how you can carry the babies but rather than one long piece of fabric, there are two circles that you just put over your body. Simple, fast, and comfortable. Enough said!

Dr. Brown’s
http://www.handi-craft.com/home.html
The number of bottle options can also seem overwhelming at times. Based on a recommendation from a friend, we have 3 different types of bottles (2 bottles from each brand) on hand when the babies came home. We started off using the Dr. Brown’s we had at the house and have been very happy from the start. They are especially great if you have a colic baby (Oliver). They are a little more work to wash because there are a lot of parts, but well worth it if you ask us! 

Our other favorite Dr. Brown’s product is the mixing pitcher. This is a must have if you are formula feeding your baby. We have two of them and we are able to mix a full pitcher and pour bottles ahead of time for the day or just mix it to have on hand when we need it. A big time saver!

Baby Jogger City Select
http://www.babyjogger.com/city_select_lp.aspx
The stroller debate was easy for us. The Baby Jogger City Select hit the market in Jaunary and is the perfect stroller for twins. We were sold when we found out that it wasn’t a double wide or a double long. It somewhat “stacks” the two car seats and make fitting through doorways and turning super easy. It also has toddler seats which we will start using in a few months……there are numerous configurations you can do with the seats. The stroller is also super easy to collapse/fold and isn’t too heavy. We feel that it was worth the splurge since it is our “everything” stroller and we won’t have 2-3 strollers sitting around for different purposes……especially since our Minneapolis home barely has room for one!

IKEA Gulliver Crib
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00116005
We weren’t looking for much in a crib. Our list included simple, white, safe, and cost effective. A quick trip to IKEA and we found our match…..the Gulliver Crib. There is nothing fancy about it but considering it fit all of our criteria and it was only $99.99, we were sold! And the money we saved we put into something we felt was more important – organic crib mattresses.