Welcome to the first post in my 'Baby Registry Must-Haves' series!  This week, I'm featuring those necessary items for feeding your newborn.  Links to all the products are here.
 
<From the top, left to right, then down - you get the picture>

1.  Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Travel Bottle and Food Warmer Set 

• Waking up in the middle of the night with a crying newborn is rough enough; save yourself the trip to the kitchen (especially if you live in a two-story home).  This handy thermos and cup will keep boiling water darn near boiling all night long.  Just pour a few inches into the cup and voilà, warm bottle!  Also, this is the perfect item for you diaper bag when on-the-go with baby.

2.  Name Bubbles Baby Labels

• If your little bundle of joy will be joining the ranks of daycare in the near future, get these name labels - NOW!  Many daycares (including 'high-end child education and care facilities') require every single item that enters the premise to have baby's first AND last name designated.  Sure a Sharpie marker could do the trick but it looks awful and reduces the ability to re-sell any items at a decent price.  These labels are so adorable and durable.  They have specially designed versions that are dishwasher safe (as well as laundry safe for clothing).  I've washed Bennett's bottles in the dishwasher on super-hot with Name Bubbles on them every day for over five months and not a single label has peeled or faded - amazing.

3.  Boon Grass Drying Rack (with accessories) 

• Having your kitchen counters junked-up with baby bottles, sippy cups, and pacis looks so much nicer with this awesome and attractive drying rack.  Initially, I didn't think I'd need a drying rack for Bennett's things (figuring I could just set them on a kitchen towel to dry), but very soon I learned my lesson.  On the towel, items easily fell over (making a mess) and didn't fully dry inside (making this new mama worry about 'ick' - yes, that's a technical term).  Another use I never imagined: I hang hand-washed food bibs off the 'Stem' and 'Fly' accessories allowing them to drip in the adjacent sink - brilliant.  Also, this drying rack comes apart to easily go in the dishwasher to stay fresh and sanitary. 

4.  Aden + Anais Snap Bibs

• These super soft and darling bibs are made from absorbent muslin cotton.  If the adorable designs (for boys/girls/gender neutral) and tactile quality, don't win you over, the snaps will.  Nearly every bib on the market now has a velcro closure; velcro sticks to everything in the dryer damaging clothing and scratching baby's face once they're old enough to yank it off.  I hate bibs with velcro.  The end.

5.  JJ Cole Bottle Cooler

• Much like other products on my list, this cooler features modern and cute patterns.  The functionality of this cooler is probably pretty similar to others out there (in fact, the freebie bottle cooler Enfamil gave me at the hospital is just as good, but not as nice to look at).  The key with this registry item is ensuring you use it beyond the diaper bag.  Check out my tip in item 1; use a cooler to tote bottles to the nursery (with an ice pack of course) and save yourself countless trips to the kitchen in the wee hours of the night.

6.  Dr Brown's Bottles

• Newborns + gas = HELL.  Watching your tiny baby screaming and wrenching in agony from a gassy tummy is awful.  My little guy had the worst gas.  We tried everything from crazy burping positions to gas drops to bicycle legs, you name it. Dr Brown's bottles made the most impact.  Ensuring your baby inhales the least amount of air during feedings will ensure less gas.  I would recommend mommies-to-be lay off the small bottles. I registered for a bunch of 2 oz bottles only to find after a week and a half, my piggy was gulping down nearly 4 oz at a feeding.  Having mostly 8 oz bottles with some 4 oz as well would be ideal. 

7.  Boon Clutch Dishwasher Basket

• If you've been following the blog, you already know how amazing this dishwasher basket is for keeping all the little bottle parts safe during cleaning.  I tired several other products and was quite disappointed.  The design of this basket holds tons of parts securely and has enough holes to ensure proper cleaning. 

I hope this first post in my 'Baby Registry Must-Haves' series helps build your baby registry!  Stay tuned for more upcoming posts to complete your registry with road-tested, mommy endorsed products! 

If you love it, buy it!


Photo credits:
Boon Grass Drying Rack, image from Babies1st, http://babies1st.com/p-145942-boon-stem-grass-lawn-drying-rack-accessory.aspx
Dr Brown's Bottles http://www.buybuybaby.com/1/1/5150-dr-browns-natural-flow-single-8-ounce-bottle-from-dr-browns.html
Boon Clutch Dishwasher Basket http://www.giggle.com/Boon-Clutch-Dishwasher-Basket/0004099128,default,pd.html
aden + anais snap bib http://www.adenandanais.com/en-us/productlanding/4623/baby/bib-burp-cloths/snap-bibs/classic-snap-bibs/snap+bibs.aspx
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Travel Bottle and Food Warmer Set http://www.toysrus.com/buy/infant-care/tommee-tippee-closer-to-nature-travel-bottle-food-warmer-set-522010-4361041
JJ Cole Bottle Cooler http://jjcolecollections.com/bottle-cooler
Name Bubbles baby labels http://www.namebubbles.com/Labels-By-Use/Baby-Labels/Baby-Labels-Pack/Product.aspx?ProductID=140&DeptID=12&AdID=282

 
***Amazon Affiliate links may be included in recommendations.  ​
I may earn compensation from qualifying purchases.  

I've always considered myself pretty good at only having things in my life that I love and actually use.  

When I was single living in Philadelphia, I managed to live in a 400 (ish) square foot apartment with virtually no storage and zero clutter.

Now I have a baby, and the amount of crap this child necessitates is ridiculous!  I was convinced while pregnant that I would never be 'that mom' schlepping around multiple bulging bags just to go run a few errands; but, I am.  The reason I'm 'that mom,' is because babies need stuff, and a lot of it! 

Granted if I'm just running to the supermarket for a quick trip, I'll shove a diaper, wipes and toy in my handbag and call it good.  But if I'll be out of the house for more than 45 minutes with my little one, I need to have an arsenal of supplies to combat the litany of scenarios he's already thrown my way while on the go.

Hauling all this crap is a pain, literally, a pain.  My handbag and his diaper bag are heavy and the straps dig into my shoulder (making it nearly impossible to tote both and carry him).  If I opt to just put both bags in the cart, the basket is half full before I start shopping.  

Initially, I had the Buggygear™ Buggy Heart Stroller Hook, https://amzn.to/2CRtux5.  This hook is pretty good for a mini-outing (accommodating one, maybe two small to medium sized bags pretty easily).  The only issue with this hook is that the heavier items tend to slip the hook to the side of the stroller handle causing the bottom of the bags to end up rubbing on the stroller wheels.   

Being a fan of Buggygear™ products, I stumbled across their Boutique Stroller Hooks, https://amzn.to/2BR1fy7, and figured it was worth a try.  After road testing these bad boys this weekend, I'm thrilled to announce that they are awesome!  

The hooks are a breeze to attach to stroller handles with rubber straps that clasp shut easily.  Also, you can put them anywhere (not just on the top of the handle like most other hooks); this allowed me to put them lower on the stroller braces and helped prevent tipping (this picture was taking without the baby in the stroller and even with my handbag, his diaper bag and a huge Old Navy shopping bag - NO TOPPLING OVER).  The double hook feature accommodated everything and eliminated rubbing on the stroller wheels (just a bit of rubbing from that massive Old Navy bag).  I can't wait to try them out on a shopping cart (oh, the things motherhood makes exciting). 

***Amazon Affiliate links may be included in recommendations. 
​I may earn compensation from qualifying purchases. 

Most baby toys on the market are awful for newborns.  There are tons of (overpriced) toys that small babies can't even play with.  I didn't know this until recently, and I'd venture to say most people don't know this.  

When Bennett was born, we had and received a lot of very cute toys for him, but I quickly learned that newborns really can't play with much.  A lot of toys are hard to grasp with tiny fingers (paired with lacking motor skills) and also are just too heavy for bity arms.  There were two toys Bennett got in his first few months that are perfect for very young babies.  The first is the Green Toys Twist Teether and the second.... well, you'll just have to keep reading!

So, my mom signed Bennett up to received monthly Citrus Lane gift boxes when he was born.  These awesome packages arrive every four weeks packed full of cool products based specifically on your child's age and gender.

In his first box from Grandma, there was the Twist Teether from Green Toys, https://amzn.to/2VBG3TY​.  He immediately was able to grasp it!  Then within a few days, he was able to shake it!  As a first time mom, this was HUGE.  I think I have about 30+ minutes of video footage and hundreds of photos (one shown above) with him shaking this toy (ahh, the things my second child will never have to haunt him/her). 

Another awesome toy for little ones, is the Innobaby Teethin' Smart™ EZ Grip Teether & Rattle Flower, https://amzn.to/2BWqiQA.  Scrolling through my Instagram feed from Bennett's first few months, this little green flower is everywhere.  The soft design and tiny rattle feature in the bloom make it a big hit with newborns.  In fact on Christmas morning, my little guy was surrounded by tons of super cool toys and only wanted to shake his little green flower. 

Now as a nearly eight month old 'big boy,' he still loves playing with the Twist Teether and Rattle Flower, https://amzn.to/2BWqiQA.  These are both go-to-toys for the diaper bag since they're not too big (or too terribly noisy).  If you're putting together a baby shower gift package, you have to include at least one of these awesome toys!