Favorite Baby/Toddler Items 0-18 Months

2.26.2017


I have a few friends both in real life and the blog world who are pregnant with their first baby. I personally found it extremely overwhelming to think about registering and had no idea what to do, and I found it helpful to go back to old blog posts that I had saved where people shared their favorite registry picks. 

R recently turned 18 months, so I thought I would put together a list of some things we used the most consistently over the last year and a half. 

This list is by no means complete, nor am I claiming that these are must-haves or necessities. I am not an expert on babies, and everyone has their own opinion about what they want to spend their money on. However, I hope this list is helpful to those who just need some direction when it comes to the beginning stuff you might want for a new baby!

*This post is not sponsored, nor are there affiliate links because I seriously cannot figure out how to do that! 

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For Eating

If I can recommend one thing, I would say get one or two of these silicone pocket bibs. I couldn't find the exact one we have to link to, but this will give you an idea. I wish I had known about these sooner! It's so easy to clean, plus food falls out of R's mouth into the bib instead of on the floor. It's just the best.

These are my favorite sippy cups for R that she has been using ever since she started switching off bottles. Dentists now are recommending that babies not use as many hard spout cups because it pushes their teeth out. These cups work more like a regular cup and have only two parts to them so they are very easy to clean!

At $35, I think this highchair is a steal. You can get all fancy about your highchair, but this one has worked great for us. Yes, you might think the green looks slightly annoying, but I don't notice it, and it comes apart to be its own table and toddler seat, which R uses for coloring. We also took the liner off so it's easy to wipe down after eating.

For Playing

R got this as a gift for her first birthday, and it's been so great! She is only recently getting more consistent about getting the shapes in the right places, but you can also just put all the blocks in the top hole without sorting them, so it's been a good toy for her to start learning with. She loves it!

I bought these stroller cards off a deal-a-day website and have no regrets. I hooked them to R's stroller, and she loves flipping through them when we are out on walks. If we are going for a long car ride, I give her the cards to look at too!

I've mentioned these multiple times on the blog, but I highly recommend. R loves them and dances to the music. It's really cute.

This mat (or a variation of it) is so great for little babies!

Believe it or not, we never had any kind of actual rock-and-play/swing thing for R, just this Baby Einstein rocker, which R still uses. Seriously just last week she turned on the vibrate setting, climbed into it with a book, and read out loud to herself. So yeah, I'd say we are still getting use out of it.

For Wearing

At $49 per pair, these are not cheap. I know this. However, I intentionally bought a size 3 because I read online that this was the size I could get the most use out of. R started wearing hers around 11 months and is currently still wearing them at over 18 months old! Until just a few months ago these were literally her only pair of shoes and she wore them every single day. They don't slide off, they don't make her feet stink, and she's never had any blisters on her feet or around her ankles. I like that her first few months of walking were with a soft-soled shoe. These have been worth the money, in my opinion. (Especially considering the fact that the $7 pair of shoes I bought her from Walmart busted open on the second wear. I think I can fix them, though, so don't worry!)

These were my absolute favorite bibs for R when she was in the epic drooling stage. They are so absorbent plus super cute and have two snaps in the back so you can adjust as they get bigger so they last longer! They are a bit pricey compared to some other bibs, but I tried a few different bibs with R and these held up under all the drool the best.

This 4-pack of swaddle blankets aren't necessarily cheap, but they have held up really well for the last year and a half. They are great for a light-weight blanket, a carseat covering, or a swaddle if you like (although we never did swaddle R). I also took one of these on all of our plane trips because they folded up small but are a good size when spread out on the floor! They work as a blanket in a pack-and-play also if you need in a pinch.

Not to be dramatic, but I think having a pacifier clip saved my life. When your baby uses a paci it goes everywhere with you, and it's basically impossible to keep it in their mouth and it rolls all over the ground and it's a disaster. R had a clip permanently attached to her for the first half of her life, seemed like. I linked to an Etsy shop that sells these adorable braided leather clips that I loved, but of course you can find cheaper versions at pretty much any store.

For the Nursery

We registered for just a basic changing pad, which sits on top of her dresser. This was a must-have for us since we use it approximately 85 times a day. I do not, however, recommend spending money on a changing pad cover. As soon as we washed, dried, and put a fresh one on, she peed all over the dang place or smeared poop on it or something and it had to be taken right off. We finally stopped putting a cover on it at all and that has worked out so much better.

We used this in R's crib for the first year instead of bumpers. I liked having something around the edge of the crib, but this wasn't thick and bulky.

This is the lotion we use with R, and it seems to work well for her, especially in the winter/fall when some eczema flares up.

This is that gross thing you think you won't use but then you end up using it all the time to suck the snot out of your baby's forever runny nose. You are welcome.

When R first started sitting in the bath on her own, she slipped and slid all over the place and it was stressful. I immediately bought this bath mat, and it's been perfect! 

So those are just a few things that came to mind when I thought about what she used and loved the most over the last 18 months. Obviously there are more things that we used a lot for different stages, but this is a pretty good list! Feel free to leave any suggestions in the comments for things that you and your baby loved.

Jen said...

Pacifier clips are pretty much the best thing ever!!! My daughter has discovered throwing so I'm glad she can throw her pacifier now haha.

The Lady Okie said...

Yes! Having a paci clip made our lives SO much easier.

Anna said...

We got a chair similar to that rocker at a garage sale for $10 before Parker was born and it's the best. Molly practicality lives in it while her brother's awake. I agree that it's way better than a swing. We haven't event taken our swing out of storage. I hope we don't have to.

Soft soled shoes are nice and all, but what's the point with a walker? We have a pair Parker is just growing into, but where would he wear them? It's not like they're made for outside. Are they just like slippers?

Anonymous said...

After you mentioned the 360 Sippy trainer cups in a previous post, I immediately ordered two for my daughter who was just transitioning from the bottle stage. They're the best! They only leak when they're hurled at the floor during a fit of mealtime rage (but that's a completely separate issue...).
I also bought a Nose Frida before my little one was born. Now I'm giving them to all my friends with new babies.
Love your "favorites" posts - and everything else you write about.

a m b e r said...

thank you so much for this! i haven't started my registry because i have NO idea what to add to it. family + friends are starting to ask what to get and i'm all, I DON'T KNOW. this list gives me a starting place. thanks!

Erin LFF said...

I love your list and saved a few of these items to my list for T. I have an on-going list of practical things we will need in the future saved for gift ideas when people ask- or when a holiday is coming up! :) I think I'm going to give the 360 cups a try! And I love the idea of stroller cards- I think T would definitely be entertained by those. And the nose frida... so SO gross but it just works haha.

The Girl who Loved to Write said...

Okay, I have a funny story about that sippy cup. You recommended it to me and (I think I told you this but my brain no longer works, it's fine) Jack just wanted NOTHING to do with anything other than a bottle. I tried every day and he just wasn't having it. But then I babysat for a friend last week, and Jack saw her son using that zippy cup. So naturally he just waltzed over, took it, and started drinking out of it. Aaaaand he's been using his every day since.

PS let me know if you want me to tell you about affiliate links...I just started using them because I was terrified but they ended up being SO EASY.

Amy @ A Desert Girl said...

Does R mind the Nose Frida? Ava screams like we are trying to suck her brains out when we use it. Maybe that's normal, but it seems very drama queen of her.

You should check out these shoes: https://www.amazon.com/Liv-Leo-Moccasins-Leather-Months/dp/B01N9Q5RHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488222177&sr=8-1&keywords=liv+and+leo+baby+moccasins

They are the only ones that Ava will keep on and I think they're similar to the pair you linked to and a bit less expensive. So far no blisters or anything, for Ava at least....

The Lady Okie said...

So, for the shoes, now that she is almost 19 months she isn't wearing the soft-soled shoes quite as much because at daycare they play on slides and run in the gym and stuff, and I think a harder sole is better for that at her age being so active. But I mean prior to just a few months ago she wore them literally everywhere all the day (except she didn't wear them inside obviously). They were her only pair of shoe. They have a leather sole, so they aren't really like slippers (I'm thinking of slippers having a fabric/cotton bottom, I guess). They have held up really well considering she wore them so much and has been walking since right around 12.5/13 months or so. There isn't any wear or holes or anything on the bottom. I like them because they are an easy on/off so now she wears them mostly if we are just going to play outside in the yard or the driveway or run to the store or whatever. I realize that $49 for a pair of shoes for a baby sounds completely absurd and normally I would not have bought them, but we really have gotten our money's worth out of them for how much she's worn them consistently. I don't think they'd be worth it at this age to buy, though. She wouldn't wear them quite as much, I don't think. Hope that helps :)

The Lady Okie said...

Oh she hates the Nose Frida. It's like we are torturing her. I have to pin her arms and legs down, and I feel like a jerk. ha!

Those shoes are cute, thanks for sharing! They do seem really similar. I seriously feel ridiculous for even putting something so expensive on this list because I am so not about spending that kind of money on shoes (even for myself) but she's worn them almost every day for months and months and I think it's been worth it. Still, I like the price on those you linked to much better! :)

The Lady Okie said...

Yay! I'm glad you are liking the cups. Ours do leak too when she throws them, but I don't know if a sippy cup exists that won't leak when thrown on the floor in toddler rage ;)

Maria said...

Yes, yes, yes! I could hug you! Registering is so overwhelming. I've already spent hours pouring over reviews and the one thing I learned is that most products are great for one baby and totally worthless for another. It pains me to think that I might buy (or receive) things that we won't end up using, but I need to get over that.

I bought the Copper and Pearl bibs and they are so amazing! I was impressed by the quality as soon as I opened them. I went for some mostly gender neutral colors, but I cannot resist buying some girly ones too (or at least registering for them).

I remembered your post on the mocs and I ordered some gray ones in size 3 when they were on sale. They looks GIANT right now.

One of the things that really confuses me is how many clothes to buy. I know I'll get a ton at my showers, but what sizes should I get the most of? I know I may only need very few NB sizes and more 0-3, but what about after that? Ahh, my head.

The Lady Okie said...

I weirdly didn't find the Nose Frida that gross. It kind of fascinated me. Is that weird? Don't answer that.

Rach said...

AH! This post makes me so happy! I've been working on our Baby Registry which sounds super early, but 2 things: 1. I'm a Type A planner and want to have lots of time to do research on everything and 2. While we're only 18 weeks right now (and I totally started looking at stuff for the registry at 12 weeks), we're likely meet Baby Girl a lot earlier than 40 weeks which means one of our baby showers is planned for May which feels SUPER CLOSE considering how packed our schedule is between now and then). Okay, okay, I'm done making excuses, haha! What can I say? I'm a planner and I love to research! :)

So, two things from your list that I agree are must-haves from my time as a nanny are the silicone pocket bibs and paci clips! Oh my goodness, those two items were so helpful!! And so many other things on your list are on our list already! :)

Specifically, I have to tell you, way back when on your blog you mentioned those bandanna bibs for drooly babies and I LOVED them! I tucked that away for later and when I started my registry list, you better believe I added them! SO cute and yet functional too!

I love the Baby Lit books, but I had no idea they had flashcards like that! I am definitely adding those to our list! So cute!

I haven't seen the Munchin Miracle 360 Sippy Cup yet, but I can see why that would be so great. Definitely adding it to the list!

Finally, I like the idea of the Praise Baby DVD. I see they have a ton of options for them, though. Is the one you linked to your favorite one?

Nadine said...

Totally saving some of these things to add to Zoe's Easter basket! We have that play mat in the pink version and Zoe is obsessed with talking to the little bunny and birds that hang off of it. We use wubbanub pacis but I do have a paci clip for regular ones if we lose her giraffe or elephant nub. (Hopefully not!!!!)We aren't in the bib phase just yet but good to know what works! I still haven't picked up the Freshly Picked shoes yet but I will as soon as she needs to wear some. I just didn't see the need to invest in them just yet but I am excited to try them because I know you have talked about them a few times and I trust your opinion!

AnneMarie said...

I didn't know that Baby Lit made stroller cards-those look so awesome! We love Baby Lit books :) We ALMOST got a Nose Frida, but I guess we were just lazy and never did, so I just usually swipe his snot out with my finger because he hasn't many runny noses. It looks like an awesome tool, though!

Kayla MKOY said...

I love the list! Although I'm not a momma or a momma-to-be just yet, these posts are always so helpful and I can save them for when I DO need them! :)

Angi said...

Love the list! Definitely saving a few of those things for when ours hits toddlerhood, and happy to see a few things I already have on our registry are things that have worked well for you (like the drool bibs)!

Callie said...

I still wish I had gotten those silicone bibs with one of my babies! So handy.

Callie said...

I still wish I had gotten those silicone bibs with one of my babies! So handy.

Katie @ Live Half Full said...

I wrote a post on our essentials for the first 3 months, I should figure out what our "essentials" were/are in the infant and toddler stage!

Julie @ Just the Joy's said...

I wish I knew then what I know now about high chairs! They are so overpriced and gross! I like the one you linked. I've also heard great things about the $20 ikea one.

Yessss to the 360 cups. Love them. Even ML is starting to drink out of them. I'm not a fan of the sippy cups with nipples and spouts. They get gross and lets face it, they all leak eventually!

I love Melissa and Doug everything! They make such great products. Those stroller cards are still on my list of want items!

I've never owned a pair of FP mocs but they sure have great reviews! So great that you got so much use out of the size 3's! Interesting to know!

For the changing pad, we put a changing pad liner over it. So that the cover doesn't get ruined as you mentioned. Has worked out good. I've thrown a couple poopy ones away. ;)

We still use the nose frieda all the time too! It really is the best thing!

There are so many things that have been great items to have, but I've learned with baby #2 that you can definitely learn to deal with less things. I guess, it's all trial and error isn't it?!

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