Tiny Love Gymini Total Playground

I bought this for my daughter right around 3 months of age. My friend had one for her son and while we were visiting I laid my daughter down on the mat and she entertained herself for 5 minutes. This seems like no big deal now that she is 6 months and plays on her own, for sometimes over 15 minutes. But at 3 months, even 30 seconds of self-amusement is a welcomed break for mom.

My daughter still uses the Tiny Love Total Playground everyday. She loves looking at herself in the mirror and lately has been looking behind the mirror trying to figure out where the rest of the baby is that is staring back at her. The rattle that hangs from the bars makes a really satisfying noise and she was so excited when she finally had enough hand control to shake it on her own. I have to admit that we don't use the kick pad as the music it makes can get very obnoxious after awhile. The mat surface is great, easy to wipe up and hides stains. It is also washable yet we haven't done that yet. I probably should get on that since it now has 3 months of spit-up on it. The other nice thing about this mat is that it packs up very easy. I recommend saving the case it comes in so that you can pack it up and bring it to grandma's.

Top Ten List 0-3 Months

My daughter is 6-months old and parenting is really getting fun. Before I put a close to the early months when I was walking around in a haze created by lack of sleep, I wanted to post a list of the top 10 baby gear items by stage. I will try to do this every few months.

Top 10 Baby Gear Items, 0-3 Months
1. Burp Cloths - have at least 10 on hand to cut down the amount of laundry you have to do each week
2. Swaddle Blankets - waffle blankets with a little stretch are the best
3. Bibs - have 5-10 on hand, the best are Carter's with the waterproof backing
4. Nursing Wraps/Covers - keep those hooters out of site and nurse confidently in public
5. Carter's Lap Pads - get a couple of packs, I think there are 3 in each
6. Arms Reach Co-Sleeper
7. Medela Pump InStyle Advanced
8. Onesies - have at least 15 in either newborn or 0-3 sizes on hand
9. Footed Pajamas - this is your staple outfit for your baby for the first few months. Why bother with tops, bottoms and socks when this will keep them warm and comfortable.
10. Sling - I used the peanut shell but any sling will work. You need something to keep the baby close and your hands free otherwise you won't be able to get anything done around the house.

Don't Buy, Try

Here's some news, babies are expensive. One way you can save money is to purchase some of the pricier baby items from secondhand retailers, especially if it is an item your baby will only use for a few months. Some suggestions are swings, strollers and nursing gliders. If you take good care of your baby gear, then chances are you can resell it for close to the same price at which you purchased the item.

I am a big fan of Craigslist. I have been buying and selling on Craigslist for the past 5 years and have never had a bad experience. The people I have encountered through Craigslist have always been pleasant and helpful. The best part of Craigslist is that it is local. If you find something you like you can generally pick it up from the seller within a day. There is no need to pay for shipping and wait for the UPS man to arrive.

Ebay is a good option for smaller or hard to find baby gear. The waiting period is a bit longer as you have to wait for the auction to close and then again for the seller to ship the item. However it is great for buying used clothes is lots. Think of how quickly your child outgrew their newborn outfits and how many of them you had received as gifts. Newborn and infant clothing on ebay is as good as new.

JJ Cole Bundle Me

I tried to make it through the winter without investing in car seat blanket/cover for my daughter. I had read somewhere that they were not necessary as snowsuit or jacket works just as well. That made sense to me until I realized how time consuming it could be to get a squirming infant into a snowsuit and then try to get the puffy bundle strapped into the car seat. So I broke down and purchased a used Bundle Me on eBay.

I am so glad I did as now getting ready for an excursion outside of the house is not as much of a process as it was before. We just pop our daughter into the car seat and zip the Bundle Me up around her. Even on the coldest days she stays warm and toasty but without overheating. I also washed it recently and found out that it is washer and dryer safe, no issues with shrinking.

Luxury Stroller

It is easy to fall into the luxury stroller trap and decide that your offspring requires a $500 set of wheels. After all it seems like every new mom I see on the street is pushing a Bugaboo or some other elaborate contraption. But I am here to tell you that putting $500 into your child’s 529 plan is a much better decision given that a basic Graco frame stroller works perfectly fine especially during the first 6 months.

Getting a newborn in and out of a car seat is a delicate procedure, and generally it is not something the baby is thrilled about. Why would you then want a stroller that required you to take your child out of his car seat everytime you use it? Instead get the frame stroller so you just have to snap the car seat out of the base and then onto the stroller. Now that is smart.

We love our Graco frame stroller. OK so people don’t take notice when we are pushing it down a fancy shopping street but that’s alright as I can fold it with one hand and throw it into the back of my car in less than 30 seconds. All without having to wake up my child and remove her from her comfortable car seat.

YoMommy Yogurt

I love Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt so I was excited to learn that they had developed a line of yogurt tailored toward pregnant and nursing moms. Introduced in January, YoMommy has added folic acid, DHA and vitamin D. A line-up of essential nutrients for growing babies.

As a member of Bzzz Agent, I received a coupon for a free sample of YoMommy. It took a few weeks for it to be available in a store near me, but now that it is I buy it every week. It comes in single-serving 4-packs with flavors like blueberry, raspberry, peach and strawberry. As a nursing mom I was eating yogurt anyway for the calcium but now I am glad to have an option with added nutrients that are beneficial for my growing daughter.

Designer Dribbles

My daughter spits up a ton. You risk ruining your outfit if you pick her up without a burp cloth on your shoulder. My mom saved many of my old cloth diapers and we use those when we are hanging around the house. It sounds gross but they have been laundered, many, many times and they are more absorbent than any fancy burp clothes you can buy. But having a plain, old white rag on my shoulder got tiring so I ordered a few cloths from Designer Dribbles after a friend's recommendation.

Designer Dribbles embroiders modern cloth diapers with monograms or fun images with your child's name, like the one on the left. For $9 you customize them with a name and the thread color of your choice. For $6 more you can add a chenille backing. I ordered 3 and I get so many comments on them. They are also my go-to gift when friends have new babies.