Babe Faves.

Since becoming a mama, I've learned a lot about the needs vs wants with a baby. I know when I was pregnant I wanted to have every.single.thing out there I thought I would need to make my life easier and to survive the challenges of having a baby. You think about buying every single product out there that you see or hear about because you think you will need it when it reality, they're more of a want than a need. At least most of them.

For example, I wanted the cutest, biggest diaper bag out there to carry everything I thought I needed to survive and I bought it. Throw in a couple cans of food, some twenty-four packs of water and we are set. Now, before leaving the house for a quick errand, I think, why the hell did I buy this huge thing? I'm definitely buying a smaller, more practical one that I can carry around easily and not feel like I'm going on vacation or preparing for the apocalypse instead of a quick trip to the grocery store. Isn't that how we start? Eight and a half months into this, I throw in a couple of diapers, wipes, an extra set of clothes, bib, bottle and I'm out. But, I do always carry essentials and keep extras around the house for when I need them.

I can definitely say I've learned a lot on what to call essentials. My sister in law and I always talk about how when she had her first baby (she's a mama of four) she would boil the pacifier if it fell on the floor, with the second one, she would wash it, with the third one, she would suck it in her mouth and give it back to her baby. We laugh about that because before having Button I totally thought I would be that mom to boil everything after touching the floor. Now? I give it a quick rinse or wipe it with a handy little Arm & Hammer Pacifier wipe that I carry everywhere. Anyway, that's a whole different story.

This is a list of some of my favorite items to always have around for Button and some of these I always carry in my diaper bag.

BabyGanics Ultra Sensitive Baby Wipes. I love these. When we go out, or even at the house, I use these to wipe Elliot's hands and face of all the yucky stuff, especially with this flu season. I've tried them and they leave my hands super clean.

Sassy Rock and Roll Ring Stacker. This is an inexpensive toy that is great for motor skills. I think every baby has owned one of these. Elliot can play with this for a while and I'm teaching him how to stack them. Right now it's more of a let's bang them on the floor and throw them at mama kind of thing but we will get there.

Ella's Kitchen Organic Baby Food Pouch. I always said I would never get to the point of feeding Elliot anything other than my own homemade baby food, BUT, when you're out or in a hurry at home, these are crazy handy. They're 100% organic and contain nothing else than the fruit and veggies. No additives, nothing. I love these. I buy a few of these to have for the week in case I need them and put one in a little cooler when we go out.

Nuby No-Spill Super Spout 2-Handle Cup. I like these sippy cups because they're good starters. Button knows how to make the water come out of it (by also pinching the spout with his little fingers and spilling it on the floor) and he hasn't mastered it but he's getting there. They're no-spill which is awesome. I'm definitely getting him some cuter ones once he knows what to do. I always throw one of these with water in the bag.

Plum Organics Super Puffs Purple. Right now Elliot has been trying the blueberry & purple sweet potato. He's learning the hand-eye coordination and although he eats some, most of them end up on the floor or smashed by his little hand on the high chair. I got these because they're also organic and good for him but mostly because I want him to learn how to go from his hand to his mouth on the smaller bites. He knows what to do with the bigger pieces of food but not the itty bitty ones.

Vtech Learn & Dance Interactive Zoo. I love this toy. It is so cute and I love the monkey. It plays cute songs while teaching numbers, colors & animals. I know Elliot can't really grasp any of that right now but it's never too early to learn right? Right now he throws it on the ground, chokes the monkey, then flips it and plays with the flat, back side of it. Get it kid.

Koala Baby Chunky Cable Knit Blanket. This blanket is so soft and pretty. It's also really warm which is why we bought it for Button. It's like wearing a sweater to bed! This is perfect for a cold night. I love the color too and it's perfect to go out when it's cold.

Munchkin Arm and Hammer Pacifier Wipes. As I mentioned, these are super handy for when you're out and don't have access to soap and water to wash a pacifier or the spout of the sippy cup or bottle. I carry these in the diaper bag at all times. Except when I forget to actually put them in the bag. :)

If you have any other essentials that I don't know about let me know! Now I'm going to go online shopping for a cute, way smaller diaper bag. For now, I leave you with legs. Baby legs. You're welcome.



Happy Wednesday!