NURSERY ESSENTIALS
- The spot I use mine the most is on top of our (very affordable) changing pad. I didn’t want to have to worry about accidents –especially with a boy-, so I lay this over our cover, and it has made clean ups SO MUCH EASIER. We just wipe it up! I also keep an extra in our bedroom, and of course, in the diaper bag. But I just have the micro size for the diaper bag.
- Ultra absorbent. Simple. Affordable. I have them everywhere in my house. Get the big pack – you won’t regret it.
- This has been our favorite from the beginning. We tried a few others… Avent soothie, the pop pacifier, MAM, Ryan&Rose… Ellis favored the BIBS paci over all of them. The nipple does start to wear out after a few months, so I buy a new set every 3 months or so.
- I’ve loved this sound machine so much. I love that the Hatch+ is portable… for the longest time (and even still every so often lately) we would pull Ellis into our room in the early mornings, and I loved that I could easily unplug his sound machine and take it in with us and keep the noise going for hours after. I also really enjoy the app. It’s so simple to use, and I usually turn it on from my phone while I’m nursing him before laying him down for naps or bedtime. Very convenient.
- One of my favorite gifts to give new mamas. This makes nail trimming such a breeze. No more accidents. You change the file head as their nails get stronger… it’s just a no-brainer product to have.
- Alright, I know this is often one that comes up as one that is totally unnecessary, but I’ve honestly loved it. I would put diaper paste on him every single night – sometimes even at most diaper changes during the first 4-5months – because he would poop so often. And the poop was still… soft? You know? I just liked having a barrier between it and his skin, and having this little brush to easily wipe it on and not make a mess of myself or anything else was great for me. I put the mini one that this set comes with in the diaper bag.
- Completely breathable. 100% washable (you can literally put the cover in the wash and the core in the bathtub and rinse the whole thing down).
Dreamland Baby Co. Weighted Swaddle and/or Sleep Sack
- We tried quite a few different swaddles and sleep sacks. Ellis has always been a bad sleeper… I’m not sure if different swaddles and sleep sacks would have changed that earlier (I don’t think it would have based on his temperament)… but in the end, the Dreamland sleep sack we’ve been using since he was about 5 months old has been our very favorite. It’s weighted, but I love that the weight is distributed evenly over the entire front (or back, depending on which way you put it on), rather than just in one spot. I’ll definitely be buying the next size up for him, rather than trying a different brand.
- If you use this link to shop, my code ZOECORINNE should automatically be applied at checkout for 15% off!!
CLOTHING
- These are so soft and cozy. I like that they are plain – no buttons or anything on the front. They’re lighter weight than the other sleep gowns I loved.
- I snagged a little code for you! Use code ZOE10 for 10% off your order!!
Quincy Mae – everything. But I especially love all their brushed jersey items.
- You can buy directly from their sites, but sometimes they sell out of the popular stuff/sizes quickly… so I often hunt for things on other boutique sites! Some favorite boutiques that sell their items:
- LOVE their pajamas and shorts.
- Their sleep gowns are WOW. Slightly thicker than Solly. Comparable to a Lou Lou sleep gown… but without the bulky buttons in the front. The stretch material is SO soft and durable. Almost NO signs of wear after MANY uses. Also love their zip-up pajamas.
- Their little shorty shorts are so cute. I’m getting more for Ellis today, along with some pajamas in larger sizes.
- Literally just buy anything and everything! I have yet to try their Daydream sets, but I’ve tried everything else for babies and I will be buying these as staple closet items for myself and my kids forever more (yes, myself too – I have the mom+dad long sleeve and the mom+dad short sleeve). Buttery soft. Incredibly breathable. Great, simple color options. My top 3 kids items would be: kids original tee, kids long sleeve tee, and kids slouchy short.
- Scored a killer discount code for ya’ll! Use code ZOE for 20% off!!
H&M,Zara and Old Navy – for affordable staple items (like leggings, onesies and T’s)
- The H&M and Old Navy staples I got definitely wore out faster than most anything else, just FYI. You definitely get what you pay for. But they were also cheap, so I didn’t worry as much if I couldn’t get a stain out or whatever else.
Zara and Jamie Kay for cute outfits.
- Jamie Kay runs big sales every so often throughout the year. I wait and buy a big order from them when those happen. They are based out of New Zealand, and while shipping to the U.S. is I think $7.99, it’s free when you spend over $100… which with the big sales, I’m usually able to do because I’m stocking up for a year or so 😉
- They’re just finishing out a major sale because they are moving locations – a lot of stuff is sold out, just FYI. But follow them on Instagram to stay up to date on future sales if you don’t see anything you like right now!
**Some brands or items I bought and have complaints about:
- Zara sizing is never super consistent. I got frustrated with some of their tops and sweaters running small most of the time. When in doubt, buy bigger – especially with warmer weather items. The quality was usually great, I just felt like I could have gotten more wear out of them if I had sized up when I bought them, rather than buying TTS.
- Kyte Baby sleep gown – do not like the snap function of their sleep gowns! Ellis would often find a way to get a foot out because the space between the snaps is so large. It was weird. Their zip pajamas are much better.
- Love’d Baby pajamas – they just run small… probably because they don’t have as much stretch as the other pajamas brands I had him wearing. They are also on the thicker side – probably the warmest wear of all his pajamas.
- Solly sleeper sets. I’m not sure if it was just Ellis’ body, or the ones I was sent… but the sizing always seemed weird to me. The bottoms come up super high (like weirdly high… I was always rolling them like 2 times) and the waist elastic was either too tight or too loose in the sets we had? Solly in general does show wear fairly quickly, especially if you’re wearing it often, which he did. I love the sleeper gowns still, but wouldn’t spend the money on their sleeper sets.
In the end – you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to clothing. Figure out what your goal is for the items you buy before spending the money. Are you looking to just get some solid staples that you won’t have to stress over? Are you intending for some of the nicer outfits to last for years to come and be used by multiple kids over and over again? How often do you imagine them needing/wearing this item?
I was comfortable spending more money on a few cute outfits from high-quality brands. Items that could be used by either gender and would last through at least a couple more kids. Same for some staple wardrobe items… Quincy Mae or Grey Monster can seem expensive compared to the more affordable retailers, but if you catch a sale (even 20% off!), I promise you the money you spend on their items will last you 3x as long as the same amount of money you may spend on more clothing from somewhere like H&M, Target or Old Navy.
I was also ok spending more money on nice, comfortable pajamas. They spend a lot of time sleeping. Just like I feel that everyone should invest in a nice mattress and bedding… so should a baby be dressed in nice pajamas to keep them cozy through the night, right??
But Ellis also had a good amount of cheap clothing that I didn’t want to have to stress over, especially during the first few months where he was spitting up and pooping all over almost every outfit each day. Buying the packs of leggings and onesies from H&M or Old Navy was absolutely worth it to me for that. The leggings will probably not last through a second baby, but they did a great job and we got out money out of them with Ellis going through at least 3 outfits a day for the first little bit!
HEALTH + BODY CARE
- I refuse to use anything else with Ellis. We use their body+hair wash, everyday lotion, all over ointment, diaper paste, sunscreen… I’ve tried almost every product from them. Stock up during their sales (they only happen 2-3 times a year!), and you’ll be hooked. They work wonders with all sorts of skin issues from cradle cap to eczema… I just can’t say enough good things about them.
- Use this link to shop and 10% will be applied at checkout!
- I don’t even want to think about how uncomfortable bath time would be for me without this thing. Saves my knees and my elbows. A must-have if you’re bathing your baby in the tub!
- This is great, affordable tub that we’re still using! Ellis is almost 9mo old. We’re about to attempt to transition him out of it… I know we’ll miss it!
- Another life saver for us. Ellis had some serious tummy troubles for a while, and these were so nice to help get him comfortable. I tried not to use them every single time (just so he could really learn how to do things on his own), but when I could sense he was really hurting and struggling to get gas out, these made such an immediate difference. There is also a more affordable knock-off version here that we’ve since used, at it works just as well!
- Gripe Water
- Baby Tooth Oil
- Vitamin D
- Working on a discount code for ya’ll!!
- I love this one so much more than the Wellements brand of probiotics, because you can keep it out at room temp (the Wellements brand requires you to store it in the fridge) and it doesn’t go bad. I love the drop function, too. My code MROZOEB15 will get you a discount!
ON THE GO
- This has been an excellent, small sound machine to keep in the diaper bag for car rides or if we need to transfer him from place to place while he is sleeping. We also used it a TON when he was a tiny baby and sleeping all through the day. We’d have his Hatch on one side of the house and this little one in the living room. Holds a great charge and has great sounds and volume control.
Car Seat – we have the Uppa Baby Mesa
- Just sharing what we have and love. I know this is a heated topic and everyone has their own preferences and opinions (and price points!)… but we (and Ellis) have loved this one.
- I know this isn’t for everyone… and some experts even recommend not having one, in case it falls or hits baby during a wreck… but I’ve loved having it. It’s saved me many times on solo trips with him (esp when it comes to finding where he dropped his pacifier).
- I love our Solly Wraps. They are so soft and comfortable. They absolutely take some time getting used to – and learning how to correctly wrap them, but once you get the hang of it, man, it’s good. Ellis didn’t always love it… we had to find our groove, and the right moment, to put him in it. But it came in really handy when I was trying to get things done around the house, or for walks, and for traveling in airports. I liked the Solly for airports over the ring slings, because I didn’t have to take it off to go through security. Only two cons on this: only goes up to 25lbs and I don’t love that it’s hard to wrap while out and about (tails dragging and such).
- I snagged a little code for you! Use code ZOE10 for 10% off your order!!
- I have a Wildbird and a Hope&Plum ring sling. I love both. Also a learning curve to get it set and adjusted properly once baby is inside, but also really great support. If you were to only have one – I’d probably recommend the Solly… but that’s personal preference. I like that the ring slings are a little easier to put on (and no tails dragging on the ground!), but in my opinion, they don’t provide as much (even) support. They do hold up to 35lbs, though! And again, I also don’t like that the metal ring makes it so that TSA forces you to take it off to go through security at the airport.
- Wildbird is currently running a major end of season sale! No code needed.
AROUND THE HOUSE
- We tried not to collect too many bulky baby items. The ones we did use were borrowed from very kind friends (we borrowed a baby swing and an activity table bouncer). The Baby Bjorn Bouncer was a great, somewhat small, object we could put Ellis in throughout the day, and he LOVED it from the first time we put him in it. He’s a mover – his legs are constantly kicking, so this was a great investment piece for us.
- I love the way this journal is organized. It goes from conception to 18 years, provides thoughtful prompts at each milestone (there are more for the first year), and it also just really beautifully made. I need to be better at keeping it up to date, but I’ve loved having it and cataloging everything about Ellis so far.
- They have so many other really great, unique prompted journals to choose from – not just for baby.
- By far my favorite blankets to have around the house. Softer than soft, and WASHABLE!! None of my other fuzzy throw blankets are able to go through the washing machine. Great colors and material options to choose from. I want to buy 10 more, but Nate would kill me.
- Working on a discount code for ya’ll!
** THINGS THAT DIDN’T WORK FOR US/ELLIS **
- Bumbo seat
- Snuggle Me Lounger (he only used it for the first maybe… 2 months?? If that?
- Bassinet – he never slept well in it. We moved him to his crib after about 2 months, and it was so much better for everyone.
NICE-TO-HAVE ITEMS WE’VE LOVED
Feeding
- Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
- Baby Spoons
- Silicone Feeder
- Gathre Mat
- Gathre Bib
- Silicone Bib
- Glass Jars for baby food
Play
- Gathre Mats
- Play Gym
- Lovevery Montessori Play Kits
- Activity Center
- Stacking Cups
- Wooden Music Set
- Rattles + Teethers
- Wooden Ramp Racer
Nursery
- Solly Crib Sheet
- Burts Bees Crib Sheet
- West Elm / PB Modern Baby Dresser
- All the baskets!
- Wooden baby hangers
- Snuggle Me Lounger
- Ubbi Diaper Pail
To shop more baby/kids items I’ve found and love – be sure to check out the Zoe’s Finds section in the menu!
I’ll go ahead and share my personal baby registry links so that if you’re needing an easy way to add things to your own registry, this could be the way to do it! I went ahead and removed any items that I regret buying or registering for, so not to confuse you. You can see what we have purchased, what we haven’t – anything we have purchased (or was gifted) that I didn’t like, I tried to talk about in the post above.