Becoming a parent can be overwhelming… from the day you look at the words “pregnant” on a digital test. The amount of information available to new moms is endless, and though I certainly don’t want to “add to the problem”, I know how valuable it is to have advice and guidance from others who have been through it.

Honestly guys, I have no idea what I’m doing… ever. But I’m figuring it out along the way. Motherhood is a terrifying, beautiful ride. You learn by trial and error, but then you become a pro. Though I’m still only eight months in, I wanted to share with you the best products I’ve come across after researching and using with our little Bo.

Here are the baby items I swear by across products and resources…

(and be sure to visit my amazon storefront for ongoing product adds)

Best Baby Product & Resources

Cozies

SWADDLES | Aden & Anais – the best ever — highly recommend going with the silk soft line and making sure you have at least five

SLEEP SACK | Moon & Back – super cozy, no fussing with flaps, and allows for the baby to grow with large sizing gaps

BOOTIES | Zutano – soft and oh so cute shoes that stay on those cute little cankled feed without cutting off any circulation — we call these Bo’s “yeezy’s” and he has a pair in grey and black, naturally

BUNTING | 7AM Enfant – the best winter insulation for your babe, we get so many amazing looks with him bundled up in this stylish thing.

Gear

PACIFIERS | Bips – best modern, minimal selection with unlimited colorways and the only pacifier shape Bo liked

LOUNGER | Dockatot – we used this soo much – around the house, while staying at gram & gramps, when we wanted to hang with friends and put him down after-hours, travel…

BOUNCER | Babybjorn – probably the #1 thing we’ve used the most (the kid loves to bounce) — we went with the cotton but the mesh seems like a great option for avoiding stains (though cotton is washable)

CITY STROLLER | Bugaboo – I honestly love rocking our stroller around town because it stands out amongst the sea of Nuna & Uppababy and is functional, stylish and very durable (we’ve been off-roading near us)… I just wish the undercarriage was bigger

TRAVEL STROLLER | Doona – probably the coolest invention ever — if you plan on traveling, this is the best on-the-go stroller as it converts from a car seat to a stroller and is so light compared to the rest

CARSEAT | Bugaboo x Nuna – this fits perfectly with our Bugaboo Stroller and we love the design and safety

CARRIER | Calugo – love the style, material and breathable fit of this carrier (we had a BabyBjorn before which felt like too much material to me

Tech

MONITOR | Nanit – it’s worth every penny… trust me. the best analytics, ability to hook a breathing monitor, heatmaps, noise machine, microphone

BASSINET | Snoo – absolutely, worth every penny — we lost sleep over whether we should use this or not and I am SO glad we decided to do it because we actually gained sleep in the end. we bought, though def could have rented as we only used for 3 months but the resell value is amazing. also, they have consistent sales so watch for that.

PORTABLE NOISE MACHINE | rohm – under $30 and such a lifesaver — put it in your car and take it with you anywhere you might need baby to sleep (we take it with our Dockatot to friends’/family’s houses when he goes down)

THERMOMETER | iHealth – no contact thermometer with a super-fast reading

Feeding

BOTTLES | Brezza – these were the first bottles we tried and Bo took to them well as the nipple is very close to a mother. they’re also a great design, easy to clean, minimal parts – plus comes in glass if you want to avoid their BPA-free plastic

CLEANING BRUSH | OXO – just trust me, you’ll need it for all the washing you’ll be doing of bottles, over and over, and this one doesn’t flick you in the face like the others

SILICONE BIBS | mushie – the best selection of colors and you will most definitely not want to use cloth bibs during feeding time

HIGH CHAIR | Stokke – so in love with this modern, minimal high chair (there are a lot of uglies out there guys) — the bottom level actually catches food vs all of it on the floor, which actually helps

MEALTIME TOOLS | EZPZ – soft silicone fork & spoon perfect for self-feeding with a mat that fits onto your Stokke high chair or any table

FORMULA | Holle – this is a blog post in itself (working on that) but after much research and consulting, we decided to transition Bo to this high-quality, chemical-free German brand. we’ve had him on the Goat’s Milk line and buy through Huggable as they’re a trusted US importer of this EU brand.

BABY FOOD | Yumi – once Bo was ready to transition to solids, I did my fair share of pureeing (and still do), but after trying this organic, farm-to-face brand, we were hooked. made fresh and delivered to our doorstep with the most unique creations designed to align with what your baby needs for growth development.

Bath

HOODED TOWEL | PB Kids – faux fur with a terry cotton lining makes post bathtime cuddles the sweetest

BATHTUB | Angelcare – love the ergonomic design, grey minimal coloring and the soft mesh that’s gentle on the bum / doesn’t hold mold over time

Hygiene

DIAPERS | Coterie – we’ve tried them ALL and these by far are our favorite — the upgraded diaper that minimizes blowouts (we have had none) of the highest standard (no dyes, bleaching, harsh chemicals, paraben-free, fragrance-free, etc, etc)… plus after doing the math they were cheaper than the Honest diapers we were buying.

WIPES | Honest Company – after trying them all and reading up on all the bad, we love these clean, safe wipes — Bo doesn’t get any rashes

FRESHENER | Mustela – my favorite part after bathtime is covering Bo’s eyes and spraying this must up in the air to fall on him for added freshness — we also use on non-bath days to brush out his bed head

Toys

ACTIVITY CENTER – Skip Hop – this is the least colorful, ugly little activity center available on the market IMO and Bo lovesss it — he’s a master at the drums

PLAY GYM | Lovevery – designed by child development experts, this mat has zones that promote learning across focus, sounds, feeling, hiding and finding, colors and even converts to a fort!

DEVELOPMENTAL | Manhattan Toy – love this brand for their safe and stimulating selection — Bo’s faves include this sensory teether, wooden skwish rattle, links set and atom grasper

STACKING BOWLS | Grimm’s – monochromatic goodness and Bo absolutely loves this non-toxic wooden set

STUFFED ANIMALS | Jellycat – the coziest, softest, most adorable assortment of characters of all kinds – great gifts people, you can never have enough

ANIMATED | Gund – Bo is so entertained by this cute thing, interactive singing and peekaboo fun. this brand also makes a great first sport’s bag

BEDTIME SOOTHER | Carter’s – Bo only takes a pacifier at night and this little cuddle plush with pacifier clip is the cutest little cuddle toy for him that he smiles and hugs during at every put-down

Resources

SLEEP TRAINING | Takin Cara Babies – when we wanted to transition Bo to his crib from his bassinet, we followed this mom and neonatal nurse’s resources and it worked like gold

DEVELOPMENT APP | The Wonder Weeks – a great resource that syncs with your calendar — it maps out each “leap” in development which can be an excellent peace of mind when your baby is fussy out of nowhere (they’re usually leaps)

Be sure to check out my full Baby List of baby clothing and baby gear favorites on Amazon