Creating a baby registry? Maybe you already have a baby but looking for some ideas on how to make life easier as you enter the toddler stage? Either way, check out our favorite items for infants all the way to toddlers.
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For Everyday
Stroller. I love the Bugaboo Bee 5 plus all of it’s accessories: the adult cup holder, pouch, kid snack tray and sun umbrella. I am so passionate about this stroller. It drives like a dream, which I think is so important- not just during travel but for every day life. I mean when I’m in a frustrating situation, the last thing I want is to get irritated by my stroller not moving around corners and getting caught up on something. Plus, it’s got an awesome warranty. Check out my number one everyday (and travel) accessory, the Bugaboo Bee5, here on Amazon.
Car Seat. We love the Cybex Cloud Q infant car seat because it’s so light . This was especially important for me since we lived in a three story walk-up in NYC when Claire was born. I really needed a light weight car seat if I was going to be able to get in and out of the house on my own up those stairs! Plus, it’s nice to have a lightweight car seat when traveling around the airport. Check out Claire’s infant car seat, the Cybex Cloud Q on Amazon here.
Diaper Bag Backpack. I love diaper bags that are backpacks! Especially my black leather one from The Honest Company. Shoulder strap bags hurt my already sore back, so a backpack is just more comfortable (and dare I say stylish?!). Check mine out on Amazon here- they come in three great-looking neutral colors.
For Sleeping
Sound machine. A lot of parents I know swear by this Hatch sound machine and wake up clock. We got it but haven’t started using the wake up alarm functionality yet. Check it out on Amazon here.
A cute, machine washable stuffed animal. I love the Moulin Roty “Petite Famille” animal ones for babies and then got it in “The Grande Famille” so we could have it in the larger size, too.
Blanket: We have a few blankets that are of the same material that Claire holds to settle her down to sleep. We put one in the car, one in the stroller, one in the crib, and have a few extras when it’s time to swap out and wash them. This type is the kind that we travel with, since it’s meant to be a sleep cue for Claire’s hands, and not a cover up. For a cover up type blanket, I LOVE the Woolino toddler blanket. It’s material makes it cool enough in the summer and warm enough in the winter, so you can use it year-round. Check out our favorite Woolino toddler blanket on Amazon here.
For infants/small babies:
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- Art cards. My mom got these for us and at first I didn’t get it, but now I love these and love to gift them! As an infant/baby, they are great to create a consistent sleeping environment no matter where you are. Once Claire transitioned to the crib from the rock ‘n play, I put an art card in her crib on each side of her at eye level. Whenever we stayed somewhere new while traveling, I put the art cards in her hotel crib to make it feel like she was in her own home. I also put one next to her on the changing table which gave her something to look at and keep her calm during diaper changes. The lines and black and white colors are perfect for babies but as she got older, she still continued to LOVE looking at these cards. I can’t say enough about how I love these cards. Find the most underrated and best baby gift by clicking here!
- Swaddle. We tried multiple brands of swaddles to find the one that Claire liked best. The ones that were loose on her legs just seemed to aggravate her, so we opted for the one that was tighter on the bottom half of her body, too. Check ’em out here.
- Muslin blanket. Our nanny at the time told me that babies like to put this type of fabric on their face when they are trying to sleep, and she was spot on. If I had a hard time getting Claire to settle down for a nap, I would put the muslin blanket over my shoulder and it helped settle her down as I was rocking her. These blankets also make for a great light blanket in the stroller/car seat, blocks the sunlight if they are trying to fall asleep while in the carrier, and makes for a great back-up impromptu nursing cover when you are out! Check out these adorable travel inspired ones by Aden + Anais!
For Small Babies:
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- Wubanubs Pacifier. My BFF gave me this tip that was a LIFESAVER for keeping Claire asleep once she started wiggling around a little while sleeping! Throw a couple of these Wubanub pacifiers around the crib when your child goes to bed so if they lose it, they will be able to find it easier and put themselves right back to sleep. The easier it is for your baby to find the pacifier, the less frustrated they will be and the sooner they will go back to sleep! Plus, if they wake up too early, they will have something to play with for a little bit that will either buy you a couple more ZZZ’s, or they will fall back to sleep on their own. Win/win! You’ve got to see this totally on-trend llama one- so cute!
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For older babies/toddlers:
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- Pillow. Don’t put a pillow in your child’s bed until your pediatrician gives you the green light, but when they do, check out this one from Amazon. It’s machine washable and kids love it. Although I do have to say, we do have one of Delta’s pillows that I borrowed in a bind. It has proved to be machine washable and is still alive and kicking.
For Breastfeeding
Nursing cover. I love this cover because you can use it to create a dark sleep environment over a car seat and then slip it over you when it’s time to eat. Plus, it comes in cute patterns here!
For Eating
Placemats. I didn’t want placemats because I didn’t want the table looking too busy, but it’s really helped Claire learn a lot and facilitate conversation. We recently got some cool USA and world map placemats which you can find here.
Cups. I also love these cups to go with the plates from above. The colors don’t scream, “I’m a baby” and look nice on your kitchen table. Plus they are eco-friendly! Check them out here.
Reusable straws. Our town outlawed plastic straws, which is great for the environment, but the paper straw alternative lasts about .5 seconds before it turns to mush. We bring our reusable steel straws with us in our diaper bag. These ones from Amazon come with a cleaning brush and two reusable carrying cases!
For Reading:
Books Great for Small Babies:
- Me Gusta Cuando. I’ve always been passionate about teaching Claire another language, and this is my favorite books in Spanish for babies. The colors are bright and babies love it. It also reads in English, so you can read it however you want. Find it here.
Books for Babies or Toddlers:
- “Good Night World” Books. We get one of these books for every city/state we go to. It gets us all pumped up when we are getting ready for an upcoming trip, and it’s fun to read afterward and reminisce all of the fun things that we saw and did. Check them out on Amazon here.
- High Five Animals. This is a really fun book for babies and toddlers. The colors are great, and babies and toddlers alike love hi-fiving all of the animals! Find it here.
- Highlights “Hello” magazine subscription: Claire loves getting mail, and she really looks forward to her “Hello” magazine. They are a quick little read, and you can throw them in your diaper bag for reading on-the-go! “Hello” is created just for babies with reinforced pages, big pictures, and content for their developmental level. When your child gets around two years old, you can upgrade them to the Toddler level with more pages and games, but still at their appropriate level. Take a look on their website here.
Books for toddlers:
- Dance. This book is very well made, so Claire hasn’t been able to completely destroy the moving parts. It’s really fun to read and dance along to! Find it here.
- Dragons Love Tacos. Claire loves this book and so do I. Actually, I haven’t heard of a single kid who doesn’t like this book. I can’t say I completely ‘get it’, but it’s really fun to read and makes me feel like I totally could write kids’ books myself. Find it here.
For Play
New Crawler babies:
- Indoor/Outdoor Fenced in Play Area. This playyard is great for outdoors or a safe place to play inside. When Claire was a crawler and early walker, this was her safe place to play while I made breakfast or lunch. Find ours by clicking here.
New Walker babies:
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- Tennis ball. When Claire was just learning to walk, I always carried a tennis ball in my bag for endless entertainment wherever we were.
For Toddlers:
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- Durable puzzle. I love our puzzle from MudPuppy. Our puzzle piece pairs are animals (and in French), but this one from Amazon pairs up numbers.
- IKEA kitchen. This clean-looking kitchen doesn’t break the bank ($79!) and is easy to assemble. I had ours from box to assembled in about an hour. I resisted getting a kitchen for Claire for so long because I hated another toy taking up space in our living room, but she plays with it ALL. THE. TIME. Find it on IKEA here.
- Blocks in English and Spanish. We got these as a gift for Claire’s 2nd birthday and she loves these little blocks. They came in a small backpack for easy storage. Check them out here.
- Bike seat. Claire loves bike rides, and after Clem’s extensive research, he decided on this front mounted one. Claire loves sitting in the front with daddy and the two of them have a blast talking to each other during our rides. Find one for your child in cool colors here.
- Scooter. We got Claire a scooter for Christmas when she was about 19 months. This is another item that she has never gotten sick of and always asks us to go out to ride on her scooter. Our scooter is a eye-popping shade of Apricot, but there are about 15 or more colors you can chose from. The handle bar is height adjustable so it can grow with your child. Find your new summer favorite toy on Amazon here.