Wicker Satchel and Nautical Silk Scarf c/o / Favorite Skinny Jeans (Also love this pair!) / Espadrille Sandals (Also available here.) / Vineyard Vines Button-Down c/o (Old, similar here, here, here and here) / Emma’s Lilly Shift
I have some really exciting news!
I’m teaming up with one of my favorite Chicago ladies, Emily from Isn’t That Charming, and we’re launching a motherhood series that’ll run every Wednesday. Here’s why:
From Emily’s “Hello, Josephine Bloom” post!
- I need a blogging buddy. Much like a gym buddy, I need someone to hold me accountable for my content. I have some amazing ideas in my head, but I fall back on outfit posts way too often because they’re much easier for my sleep-deprived mind. Slap up a few pics, babble on and on about whatever’s on my mind, and boom: blog post. But I want to be more than that! Emily is one of the hardest workers I know, and I also admire her so much. I don’t want to let her down!
- I want to write about motherhood. Up until this point, I’ve been too nervous to delve into motherhood topics in great depth on the blog. Part of it is because I know it’s such a personal thing, and I personally haven’t loved it when people have tried to give me (unsolicited) advice. But it’s obviously a HUGE part of my life, and I want to do more than just share a few quick anecdotes and snaps of Emma every week. I do promise, however, to not dish out the advice. I’m just going to talk about my experience.
- I hope to learn from my friend. Emily and Doug are who we want to be as parents. They kept us calm in the months, weeks and days leading up to Emma’s arrival, and the majority of the big baby-related decisions we’ve made have been because “Emily and Doug did it.” They’re incredibly responsible parents yet level-headed and fun-loving at the same time, and we’re honored to be partnering with them on this project. (I say “we” because we hope to have Mitch and Doug write a few pieces for this series, too! Yay, Boys! Love ya thanks so much okay have a great day…)
For our first post, Emily and I are talking about our favorite baby products. And yes: you’re going to see some similarities between the two lists because a great deal of what Mitch and I love comes from their recommendations. But that should just serve as further proof that this stuff is awesome, right?!
Make sure to swing by Emily’s site to check out her list and to welcome little Josephine, her beautiful new baby girl, into the world! Congratulations, Charron family! So happy for you!
Note: We’re leaving off strollers and carseats because we want to do some larger-scale posts on them. That said, I’ve reviewed a few strollers from UppaBaby, Chicco and Silver Cross so far!
Okay. Here we go!
- Baby Merlin Magic Sleepsuit: Without a doubt, this is my #1 baby product. Emily and Doug recommended it, and it made the WORLD of a difference in terms of sleep. Upon inserting Emma into this thing, she went from waking up every couple of hours to sleeping nine hours straight. I kid you not, people. (We put her in when she was around three months, by the way.) Once the baby is close to rolling over, though, you’re really not supposed to have her in a sleepsuit. So we eventually transitioned her into this bundler, which adds some warmth and comfort but is still totally safe for the active baby. ;) I won’t lie: it was a transition, and we had a few tough nights. But the bundler is still doin’ its job!
- Activity Jumper: Couldn’t recommend this more! Once Emma could hold her head up and sit with our assistance, we tried this out and was amazed at how happy it made her. It gave her some independence and a ton of activities to try out… and it helped her build strength. It also let me do the dishes!
- White Noise Machine: Very affordable yet so essential–especially if you live in the city! This thing goes everywhere with us. At first, we used our Sonos. But our internet is spotty, and Emma would wake up anytime it went out. All hail the $20 white noise machine!
- Bouncer: This was crucial for us in the early days. For the most part, Emma slept here during the day, and she loved it. It vibrates, which made her so happy. (I will say, however, that all the bouncers are battery-operated, and the batteries die very quickly. There’s no getting around it, though.) At first, we only had one, but then we realized how much we needed a second one on our second floor, so we got this one for our master bedroom. Life became SO much easier when we did that!
- Motorola Baby Monitor: LOVE this thing. It doesn’t cut out, has great range, and provides me with so much comfort. I also love how easy it is to set up. I hate technology, but I was up and running with the monitor in a matter of seconds. Simply take it out of the box, plug it in, press “on,” and BOOM. Baby monitor works. Love the color screen and the fact that you can adjust the camera’s direction from the parent monitor. It can also survive on its battery for a long time, unlike those pesky monitors. I bring it into the bathroom with me, for example, if I’m showering during nap time.
- Slim High Chair: We looked forever for a high chair that didn’t have a huge footprint, and this was the best we could find. We really like it. Honestly, no complaints, except for the fact that our house is just too small for a high chair. Now that Emma’s older, we’re thinking about transitioning her to a booster seat.
- Activity Mats: I was a psychopath when I was pregnant, and EVERYTHING needed to be gray and cute. We got this activity mat, and while it was very pretty and perfectly functional, I would probably go with a more colorful and interactive one if I were to do it all over again. Emma does not respond to “gray and pretty.” She responds to color and movement!
- Hape Toys: By far, the best toys I’ve found. While they’re a bit pricier than others, they are amazingly sturdy and keep Emma’s attention for SO long. They’ve also developed her motor skills! Love them, and always on the hunt for new ones. Mitch says I need to stop.
- Baby Bjorn: It’s been great for when we’ve wanted to ditch the stroller. We wish we’d brought it to Disneyland. We should really use it more often!
- Giant Baby Bag: While I have a few girly tote bags that I use during the week, Mitch really likes this one from MZ Wallace, as he’s not embarrassed to carry it around. It also doubles as a soft pillow-like thing. ;) We bought this very affordable changing pad, and it simply stays in there.
- L.L.Bean Bear Snow Suit: LOVE this. Not only is it the cutest snow suit I’ve ever seen, but it has foot and hand cuffs, which means you don’t need to mess around with boots and socks. And believe me: keeping boots and socks on an infant is like trying to explain to Noodle that she needs to stop barking. Freaking impossible.
- Whale Bath Tub: SO helpful in the early months. We put this in the sink in the very beginning, and when she grew, we transitioned it to the bath tub. We loved that it was padded, featured a little “slide bar,” and that it came with a rinser that doubled as a toy. Now that Emma’s older, we have her in this.
- Mustela PhysiObebe No-Rinse Cleansing Fluid: Emma suffered from baby acne during her first few months. While it’s not dangerous and very common, it kind of freaked out my New Mom Self. A friend recommended this stuff, though, and it worked SO WELL. Emma also loved having it applied… and it smelled heavenly!
- BoogieBulb: Such the must. Babies get congested easily, and this affordable little thing helped Emma breathe. Breathing is good!
- Lullaby Playard: We adore this. Whenever we’re on the go, we bring this along and it’s the perfect crib and play space for Emma. It’s also the most well-made one I’ve seen, and I like the color selection the best. Which matters when you have a lot of guests and the playard is set up in your master bedroom for a while! ;)
What are your favorite baby products? We’d love to hear! And remember: Check out Emily’s post for her recommendations!
Note: in a few of these photos, Emma isn’t strapped in. I took the photo, standing right above her, but then immediately buckled her up. For safety, it’s always important to strap the baby in!
