Top ten must have baby items

I will buy anything that has hype or has good reviews. My husband is the same exact way- we are still somehow a remarkably good match.  I am a sucker, I admit it. I have made my fair share of awful purchases in my day, but I have also made some GREAT baby purchases that I would like to share with all you soon to be moms. Put these items on your registry, you won't regret it!



1) This is the number one best baby product on the planet Earth. The Angelcare baby monitor: I actually didn't purchase it, a friend of mine let me borrow it for Charlotte. I am paranoid about everything when I am pregnant, and everything when I have my baby. I will probably be paranoid about everything for the rest of my life- I mean come on, I fear alien invasions. This monitor detects the baby's heartbeat- if there is no movement for 20 seconds the monitor will sound an alarm. I have had a few false alarms when Charlotte's body was just placed weird in her crib- but I would rather a few false alarms then for something more serious to happen to her and me not know it.

2) Bumbleride Indie stroller/Phil and Teds Explorer double stroller.- When I had only Xavier the Bumbleride Indie was the perfect stroller. It was lightweight (lightest weight jogging stroller), compact, yet very versatile. I could bring it hiking, running, or a quick mall trip- I loved it! When I had Charlotte I wanted a double stroller, but I didn't want something too bulky and boat like. The Phil and Teds was the perfect choice. It is NOT bulky, easy to travel with and still extremely versatile (which is rare for a double stroller).

3) Bouncer seat- This little cute seat was perfect for my newborn baby. I could place my baby in it when I cooked or attempted to clean. The vibration/music would put my baby right to sleep in no time. When Xavier had acid reflux, he had to sleep in a sitting up position. This bouncer seat was the only thing he could sleep in comfortably. We used it for so long that Xavier was basically crawling out of it. *This is a sign that your child is now too big for this seat*

4)Fisher price "My little lamb" swing- A swing is a must. I found that my babies would rather just be put in a swing then be rocked by me to sleep *tear*. Most newborns will love the rocking of the swing. I suggest a swing that moves either side-side or have the option to swivel front-back. If you can find a swing that plugs in- spend the extra bucks and buy it. My swing needed batteries which we had to replace every few weeks. By the way, replacing swing batteries is a mans job. I just had to throw that thought in there.


5) Gerber thermal receiving blanket- Skip the 10,000 cute colorful receiving blankets and buy a few of these. They are stretchy and stay wrapped around your baby when he/she is swaddled the BEST. I hated getting up at night to re swaddle my baby. Buy these and you will only wake up at night to go pee, no more re swaddling. SCORE!

6) MAM pacifier- Now every baby has their specific type of pacifier that they like, but both of my babies loved the MAM brand. I found that they stay in their mouth the best and fall out much less at night then other brands. I actually was so frustrated waking up at night to put the pacifier in my sons mouth that I went on a mad search to find a pacifier that stayed, this bad boy did the trick. An added bonus is that they come in CUTE designs. I found myself buying new pacifiers just for the design. This is not good for the wallet folks. This is also hard to justify with the husband.

7) Dr. Brown bottles: Once again, ditch the 10,000 cute bottles and buy a few Dr. brown bottles. I did find that these bottles really did help my babies gassiness and helped with acid reflux. They help to reduce colic and spitting up through its unique venting system that eliminates air bubbles. 

8) Baby Bjorn mesh air carrier- This baby carrier is lightweight, easy to use and great for your new bundle of joy. I especially like the mesh one because you don't sweat like a cow in heat when you wear it.

9) Kelty kids journey backpack carrier- If you like to hike, or do any amount of walking in the wilderness, outside, or even the airport; get this carrier NOW. We have used this carrier countless times with both kids. It is GREAT! Sometimes, you just don't feel like pushing a stroller, when that times comes you will be so thankful you bought this.

10)Rainforest Jumparoo: You must have a jumper! Every baby loves these when they are learning just what those little legs can do. This jumper has toys, makes sounds, and entertains my baby perfectly.

Now that I have shared my thoughts on what you must buy for that little sugar plum- here are a few honorable mention must have baby items:

• Nursing cover- This is perfect for on the go nursing to create some privacy
• floor play mat- This play mat is really only good for a month, but it really is GREAT to have!Your baby will be memorized by the toys and colors and will want to learn to roll around to grab things around him/her
• JJ Cole carseat cover- If you have an infant during the winter get this! It is very hard to bundle your baby up and not have a bulky mess once they get in their carseat. This carseat cover keeps them nice and warm without the bulk
• Pack and Play- I learned a few weekend ago that Charlotte will only sleep in a crib or pack n play. I didn't feel like bringing the pack n play with me on vaca and Charlotte slept horrible! Just buy one and travel with it, your baby will be happier. 
• Waterproof mattress pad- You may think: Why would I need one of these, my baby can't pee the bed, that's what a diaper is for. Well folks, your baby can definitely pee through the diaper and turn the crib sheets and mattress into a hot mess. 
• Bassinet- I am sorry ladies, but I am not for co sleeping with your baby. Teach your baby to be independent when sleeping. I found the crib to be so far away and big for such a tiny baby. We used a bassinet in our room for the first 3 months which both of my kids. It was great. 

Have I convinced you yet? Yes? No? What baby items do you love and can't live without?

Top 10 most useless baby items

When I was pregnant with my first born, Xavier, like most soon to be moms I put everything I could ever think of on my registry hoping to get it. If I didn't get it as a gift, I marched over to Babies R Us and bought it myself. There was no talking me out of it. I mean come on, there was no way my baby could live without these items.

Ok, lets get real. Let me be the one to talk you out of those LUDICROUS purchases.

Top 10 most useless baby products

1) Wipes warmer- this only dries the wipes out. Your baby will get use to a cold wipe on its bum in about 1 day.

2)Bottle warmer- I spent more time trying to figure this thing out while not melting my bottles. Do it the old fashion way, a lil hot water in a big cup and put your cold bottle in it. There you go. Done and done.

3)10,000 different lotions/shampoos. I still had the same lotions I used with Xavier that I now use on my daughter Charlotte. I thought I needed every scent. Take it from me, You don't.

4) The behind the seat mirror for your vehicle. These never stay on, and you have to squint like mama June's bingo face to see your baby since the mirror is so small. Your baby is going to be just fine in the back seat. Don't worry!

5)Infant shoes- Your baby is not going to want to wear shoes, it will rip them off, and half the time they don't fit due to their big chunky sausage feet. I still have infant shoes in the box never worn- who wants them? (You're suppose to say "not me!")

6)Diaper genie- I will admit, I did use this for a small amount of time. However, the refill bags are ridiculously priced and if the diapers are "bad" enough you will still smell them. Also, when the diaper genie gets full I forget about it and leave it sitting there full of nasty grams for weeks. Javy LOVES when I do this :-) I got this brilliant idea with Charlotte: throw the diapers in the trash and take out the trash if it starts to smell.Saves me a bunch of cash!

7) Shopping cart cover- I never had one with Xavier and he lived just fine. I got one with Charlotte because I thought it was the cool thing to do. I have used it once and I hate it. It is big and messy, and took me about 30 minutes to figure out how to put it on the cart ( I still put it on wrong). I was so worried about germs, I then realized that every store now has those sanitizing wipes. Use those- it's much easier!!

8) Pee-pee teepee- Really? Really? I got some of these as a baby shower gift, I thought it was so cool! There was actually a way to prevent my son from peeing in my face? Ummm yeah, not so much. Did I really think a little baby boy would not pee on me and this thing would stay on his wiggly butt? Don't get it. Enough said.

9) Dozens of receiving blankets- I have drawers full of drawers of cute receiving blankets. You fill find that your baby will only like 1 kind of blanket, the rest will just sit there and collect dust. The small blankets are good for maybe 3 uses until your baby gets too chunky for it. I recommend buying 3-5 receiving blankets and leaving the rest alone. Your baby will do just fine without 33 owl/flowers/polka dot blankets

10) Scratch mittens- I had all sorts of cute scratch mittens that I placed on both of my kids- ONE time. I only did it one time because they fall off or getting ripped off by your baby. I then got another brilliant idea on how to get my babies to stop scratching their face- clip their finger nails on a regular basis!! WOW, who would have thought?

Here are a few honorable mentions:

Don't buy diapers in advance when your pregnant. Your baby will go through diapers so quick, your not going to want to buy too much of 1 size. Take it from me, I still have size 2 and size 1 diapers in my closet.

You really don't need 10 bottles in 5 different sizes. You really only need 3-5 bottles- your baby will let you know which one he/she likes- buy a few of those. Once again, take it from me. My cabinets are filled with bottles that i thought were cool, or thought my kids would like. Ummmm no. Every single bottle except for 2 of them have been used once.

The baby bullet- Trust me, a regular food processor is MUCH better because you can make much more baby food in it.

Newborn clothes- Your baby will outgrow these in 1-2 weeks. I would buy 2 pairs of jammies and a few onesies, the rest is a waste.

What are items that you found just as useless as these?

Making your house a home

I am a big fan of having a cozy, warm home. I don't just want a house. I want a place that my kids love coming home to, a place I look forward to coming to after a hard day at work. A place my family can call home. My last house was not a home. It was filled with random objects with no meaning. Our new home is different. Below is what sets my home apart from a house.

-Fill your home with pictures. On that note, take lots of pictures. You are going to want to remember these moments some day, have the pictures to look back on. I love framing pictures and reminiscing on our memories. See below, have you ever seen so many pics in one room? I'm obsessed.

- Have a table to eat dinner at each night. I will preach it again, having a dinner table that is not full of bills, and junk is great. Plain ole' great. I love eating together as a family.

-Decorate and fill your space! Fill your walls and corners of your home with art you love, pictures you want to remember, decorations that mean something to you! Make your home a family museum. Display souvenirs from places you have been, to hobbies you enjoy. Have fun decorating your home and making it "you". I actually want a new home with more wall space because I have filled up all of our current wall space.  PS. My husband decorated my entire house. He's a gem. A real keeper.

 - Decorate your kids room with pictures of family, artwork they have created and items they may be excited about. Make your kids room a fun place to go, not the dread "GO TO YOUR ROOM!" place. When Xavier draws something new we put it up on his wall, this gives him such a sense of pride! Xavier loves super heroes . .why not go all out and give him a room he loves playing in? He gets to be surrounded by super heroes!

- Spend time in your home. Make it your retreat. Love coming home. Cook in your kitchen, have family dinners and eat in your dining room, watch movies in you living room, sit and talk in your sitting room, let your kids play in their rooms. 

-Let your home be a place of gather. Spend time with your loved ones and friends in your home. Have fun when people come over  and stop apologizing for the "mess".

Forget the expensive furniture, the fancy chandelier, the top of the line appliances. Have fun making your house a home with the simple things in life. A little goes a long way in a house.

What are some of your ideas that made your house a home?                       

Top items in a mom's oversized bag

Are you like me? Do you have a abnormally large purse that you "need for all your important things"? I took the time to empty my purse that I literally throw everything into. Here is what I discovered . . .

 Where do I even start? I must admit, I'm embarrassed. I have no organizational in my purse. When my phone rings I literally reach my hand in my purse and hope after feeling around for a few seconds I will eventually find it. If I miss your call, it's 99% of the time because I can't find my phone in my purse. I apologize now.

• acid reflux medicine. I pop one of these suckers in on a few occasion. 1. Every few hours when I'm pregnant 2. When I eat chilli 3. When I drink wine. You wanna mess with me? Take my acid reflux medicine. It's on. 
•  A nail file. I tend to break my nails every darn day. I file my nails like its going out of business. I want to get the shape just perfect. However, I file so much that  I screw up my nail shape and have to grow them bad out only to file the crap outta them again. 
• One Black leather glove. Stop thinking I was somehow involved in the OJ Simpson trial. I didn't do it. I just have one leather glove. The other is in my diaper bag. Why? No idea. This will NOT come in handy during the cold Denver winter.
•  A Netflix movie. My husband and I watch a Netflix movie and he puts it on the counter for me to remember to mail out. It takes me about 5 days to remember to remove it from the counter. I then place it in my purse where it waits another 5-10 days before making it to the mailbox. Fail.
• A whole bunch of toothpaste. I have no clue why I have this much toothpaste in my purse. I never have used it. Maybe someday I will need it? Probably not, but it sure is handy eh?
• A spongebob toy. MOM's out there, you never know when you need a random toy to keep a baby entertained right? Bob here does the trick. I keep him right by my side at all times. He comes out during melt downs at Target when I try to take both kids shopping with me so I can catch a sale. 

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•  Bills. I place a whole lot of bills in my purse so I remember to pay them. This technique is clearly not working . . look at them all! I also don't have online billing for hardly anything. I like to hold my monthly bills in my own hands. However, I get the bill, throw it in my purse and go online to see how much I owe. What is wrong with me?
• A set of keys that I have no idea what they are for. I honestly have no clue what door these may open. Why do I have them you ask? I also don't know the answer to this questions. Random? Yes.
• I always have a watch with me. If you know me, this is no surprise. I love watches.
•  I ask for a hair tie about 20 times per day. Oh look. There is one in my purse. Sweet!
•  My mini wallet. I lied on my license, so what? Judge me now. I was pregnant in this pic and said I was 110 lbs. Yeah right, who was I kidding? I also said I was 5'2. I am actually 5'2 and a 1/4. 

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• Chapstick. I got this bad boy for my birthday from Sephora. I love it. Living in Denver my lips are always chapped. I can't control it 97% of the time, but I do try. This stuff works.

This blog has inspired me to clean out my current purse and beg Javy for a newer, and bigger purse to hold my items that don't fit in this one.

What's in your purse? Do you have bad purse habits like me? Do you have a way that you organize your purse? Help me!!