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Today I have some random baby and toddler products to share. These are some weird products that I fully enjoyed. They were not all necessarily needed, but they each served their purpose well.
We will talk about some factors that make a product great: price, function, time used, frequency, and abilities.
Just to be clear, time used is like a baby crib. It can be used for a long time, from birth to like 3 years old. Burp clothes are something used frequently during the newborn stage. You are using them multiple times a day.
An item that is high in both time used, and frequency is the diaper caddy. The diaper caddy is used multiple times a day and used from birth until potty trained.
Let’s get into these random, but awesome products I strongly recommend as a mom of 2.
Bath Kneeler
I love the bath kneeler.
It is by no means necessary. If you are on a crazy tight budget you can live without it.
However, bathing your baby can be rough on the knees.
You bathe your baby/child often and they need help for a long time. A bath kneeler can be very affordable, the one we have stores behind the shower curtain easily, and it is functional in that it saves both my husband’s and my knees.
If you want a little help with bath time, check out, 10 Simple but Effective Tips for a Fun and Stress-Free Baby Bath Time.
Matching Socks
Ok, so hear me out. I have purchased large sets of matching socks. Now I don’t go all white. What I do is get a set off Amazon that has black, white, and gray. This gives us a little variety and the ability to match, but making sorting laundry soooo much easier!
Also, if one sock goes missing I don’t have to throw out the other. I don’t match the socks into pairings per se. I just make stacks of the 3 colors. It is great!
Silicone Bibs
Back in the day, I remember my mom having to wash bibs. She ran a daycare and usually had one baby at a time. I remember all the cloth bibs and her tossing them in the laundry.
Well, I went a different route. I wanted to give these silicone bibs a try.
They can be easily rinsed out in the sink and periodically thrown in the dishwasher. They are affordable and you only need to have 2-3. ( I like to keep one in the diaper bag)
Silicone bibs are used daily for about 2 ish years.
Jeggings
Now I have daughters so I can’t speak for boys fashion, but I love a basic pair of jeggings. These are the comfortable stretchy jeans.
They. Match. Everything.
They make it very easy to dress your baby and later child.
My children get a lot of hand-me-downs, so I will use pink pants, striped pants, and so on, but by far my favorite is the basic jeggings.
Butt Paste Spatula
Once again this item is not needed. There are plenty of ways to get butt paste on your child without this item. For me, it also ended up being an infrequently used item. My children rarely got diaper rash.
However, for the price and the tiny bit of space it took up I enjoyed the butt paste spatula.
I keep my natural nails fairly long and did not want the cream up under my nails. This item made it easy to apply the cream without a mess.
This was a small, affordable item that served its purpose well and made my life easier.
Bear Suit
If you experience a cold climate, you can purchase these little bear suits. They are similar to a snowsuit, but not at all waterproof, and designed for a younger age.
The bear suits I used for my babies had footies on them and were used before they were walking.
They were great for spring hikes or fall parties. Maybe you had an outdoor Christmas event and needed to keep the baby warm.
The bear suit did an incredible job. Whenever I got them out they were toasty warm.
Some situations are not designed for babies. Cold weather can be difficult. It is hard to keep socks and gloves on them. It is also difficult to find quality versions. Cheap little baby socks aren’t going to keep them warm.
The full-body bear suit did the job.
Now you can find these and they are not actual bear suits. Ours were though and they were adorable.
The downside to this is it is like clothing and comes in a size 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and so on. Make sure to get on for the correct age to match the cold season.
I also would not purchase this item unless you can think of a specific and realistic time you would need it.
This was a second-hand item for me so the cost for usage wasn’t a big issue.
Jogger Stroller
We have the Graco FastAction Fold Click Connect Travel System Jogger. The original purchase was the jogger stroller, infant car seat, and one base.
You can’t just put a newborn in a jogger stroller from day one. They need more structure and support.
Because the infant car seat came with the stroller it would click connect, making the Jogger safe for babies from day one.
We are still using this jogger 4.5 years later. Click here for a full review! Is the Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Travel System Worth the Investment?
I am not a runner. So why do I have a jogger?
I love joggers with big wheels. It can better navigate places like apple orchards and pumpkin patches. It glides on a walking trail or even just a stroll around the neighborhood.
The big wheels make it a joy to push.
Boots
Again, speaking as a girl mom. I love a cute pair of boots for the fall, winter, and early spring.
I try to be very minimal on shoes.
For the cold months, we keep a pair of cute boots, rain boots, and tennis shoes.
For the warmer months, we keep a cute pair of sandals, rain boots, and tennis shoes. We may also have a pair of play sandals.
Anyway, my point is we go simple!
I have always got boots as hand-me-downs or purchased second-hand. Typically they are in great shape.
A nice pair of boots can really make an outfit. I try to find a basic black, brown, or gray and make everything match that color.
In a single winter, I don’t buy all 3 colors. I don’t find it necessary. Most of the time the outfit includes jeggings and a colorful shirt. Just say pink for example. Jeggings and a pink shirt would match any of the 3 basic boot colors.
We never had them wear boots to daycare, those were tennis shoe days. The boots were saved for the weekend trips out to eat, church, and other family events.
Your baby can look cute, without breaking the bank!
Hatch Night Light & Sound Machine
This is the most expensive item on the list and one we did buy new. It also is 100% not a need.
The Hatch Night Light and Sound Machine is a parenting tool that helps get your child on a sleep schedule and routine.
Our first child did really well, but we wanted to make so slight improvements before welcoming baby #2.
We set this item in their room and set schedules on it.
At 8 pm the light would turn red and white noise would play. Then at 7:45 am, it would turn green and play Twinkle Twinkle to wake up.
We trained our baby to get used to what the colors meant when they were in the crib, and it made for an amazing transition to the big kid bed.
We have great sleepers and bedtime routines in our house!
For more info on the Hatch check out, 4 Benefits of Introducing the Hatch Night Light While Still in the Baby Crib.
Rompers
When it comes to baby clothing, rompers can be awesome!
I think rompers make really good back-up outfits in your car and diaper bag because they are a one-piece outfit. You don’t have to mix and match.
They can also be helpful if your spouse struggles with matching outfits.
Rompers can make life easy.
You do have to watch out though for the ease of diaper changes and potty training. Watch out for difficult-to-remove outfits.
The romper should be making life easier, not more difficult.
Also, they do make rompers for boys and girls during the baby months, so consider this option for boys as well.
Travel Booster Seat/High Chair
This final item is not one we own, but probably the item I most regret not getting. We made do without it for years, and shouldn’t have.
This is a fold-up portable booster seat/high chair.
Now this style is not one to use at restaurants, but instead would come in handy for backyard BBQs, visiting friends’ houses, or even going camping. Not every home or place is prepared to accommodate your baby. A meal or gathering can be a lot more enjoyable with a place for your little one to eat that is not your lap!
I would seriously consider getting a portable high chair.
Click the link above to check out the exact style I am talking about and see if you need to add it to your life.
Conclusion
Whelp folks that is it. That is my list of random items I loved, wished I had, and items that served their purpose well.
With any and all items consider the price, frequency used, space needed to store the items, and so much more.
Whenever possible try to accept hand-me-downs and purchase second hand.
Try to stay minimal and practical for your specific lifestyle!
Check Out My Articles
10 Simple but Effective Tips for a Fun and Stress-Free Baby Bath Time
4 Benefits of Introducing the Hatch Night Light While Still in the Baby Crib