The Best Products for Moms

Alright ladies! I am so pumped to tackle ALL of your questions that you left me on  Instagram for this week’s Q&A series – The Mommyhood edition. There were an overwhelming amount of questions (some really great ones!) so I needed to split it up into a two part post. There were a ton of product related questions so I figured in today’s post I’d tackle all the best products for moms! I’m sharing all the products that we’ve loved used over the last 6 years (and shared a few that you can save your money on too)…

It’s so crazy this post is taking me wayyy back to the NEW mommy hood days. We’ve only been out of it for a couple years but it’s crazy how quickly you forget certain things, right?! Strollers and car seats are something I constantly get asked so I figured I would start with those first….

STROLLER (Umbrella, Double)

Okay let’s talk strollers, I can safely say we have been through almost all of them. We started out with the Uppa Baby Vista when Ava was a baby and we loved it! Fast forward to two kids and the second child add on was only a skate board at the time (so out went that stroller). The new models today have much better second seat adapters HERE. After researching and trying just about every double stroller out there, we ended up going with the City Select by Baby Jogger. I knew I needed a front and back seating stroller vs the side by side seats (KUDOS to you mama’s that can maneuver those things!). The kids and I really loved it. The only downside though that it was a little heavy so the breakdown of putting it in and out of the car wasn’t the easiest.

If money is no object, Stokke gifted me This Stroller a few years ago and it was hands down my favorite! It’s crazy easy to quickly throw in the back of your car, is super light weight and has a double seat option that literally feels like you’re pushing a single stroller which I loved! If you buy it early on, say when your older child is 2 or 3 you will get so much use out of it. Once the older one hits 4-5 they probably won’t want to sit in the bottom section anymore. The only down side to it is there’s no storage space when used as a double stroller. There’s a small space at the bottom that you put a bottle, diaper and wipes but that’s pretty much it. I bought the cup holder that goes with and problem solved. I hung my heavy diaper bag off of it and it was good to go! So that’s another option too that was my favorite stroller but obviously it was way more expensive too.

For an umbrella stroller This One is our absolute favorite! They make a slightly less expensive version HERE but we have used ours for years and it’s our go-to for travel. We are also eyeing the double version HERE. Do you mama’s use a double umbrella stroller? I’m trying to decide if  I need it or not?

Mama’s feel free to share your favorite stroller below (esp if you have a double umbrella stroller you love)

Baby Monitor

Summer Infant Monitors have been our go-to out the gate and highly recommend them! We have had This One for years and loved. It literally only broke once in 6 years and the company immediately shipped out a new one after we contacted them. We also had cameras/monitors installed through our cable company that you can view from your phone and I highly recommend doing that too! If you’re paranoid like me 😉 it will give you some peace of mind when you go on those date nights etc.

Car Seats

Okay this is one I still get asked ALL the time. We have been through several and if I can give you one piece of advice….lawwwrd get one with a cup holder. I can’t tell you how many battles have gone down in my backseat between Ava and Luca over a damn cup holder lol.  This Infant car seat was the one we used for Ava and Luca when they were infants. For the next stage of car seats we’ve had expensive ones and some more affordable ones (all with good safety ratings) and both are great. We have This One by Maxi Cosi and also This One by Graco. If you’re in the Booster car seat stage, we’ve been using This One also great.  As you can tell we’ve been through way too many and I will say that if we had another baby, This One would be on my to get list. It’s the first ever 5-in-1 car seat and literally the only one you’ll need. So genius and wish that was around with my little ones.

High Chair

Okay so I know a lot of people that spent really good money on a high end high chair and we weren’t one of them. With Ava we used This One. We used it to death and it was super easy clean. It definitely was not the prettiest piece of furniture but super practical. We kept it around and used it for Luca too. We also bought This super Cheap One from IKEA (I’m talking under $30!) and it was so good but especially great for the 1-3 year mark when things get crazy messy! The kids would make a mess into and you could literally just hose it off outside. If you’re looking for something prettier that you can put at your actual table This One by Stokke is pretty awesome. They gifted it to me awhile back and only wish I would have got it sooner! It’s one of those grow with me type of chairs and Luca still uses it to this day.

Co Sleeper

A Co-Sleeper is something you only use for a few months. It’s a necessity but no need to spend a ton of money. This Co Sleeper is the one we used and loved. We just added a little more padding to it underneath the fitted sheet. With Luca we used This One that rocked and it was realllllly good before we transitioned him into his crib.

Cribs 

We bought This One for Ava and wanted something gender neutral so we could use it for our second child too. We loved that it converted into a toddler bed and then into big boy bed too.

Diaper Bag

Okay let’s talk diaper bags. I can safely say that a quality diaper bag is money well spent and I can’t rave about this Marc Jacobs one enough! When you’re out as a family, chance are the hubby will most likely be carrying it a lot. I opted for this black one and it was worth every penny and then some! We used it for three + years with Ava and then used it another two years with Luca. We literally thrashed it traveling, at the beach and just everyday wear it held up so amazing! This style is becoming harder to find but I also Found This Similar One that would be at the top of my list. It’s made of the same material my Marc Jacobs one was and loved that we could just empty it and toss it in the wash (then air dry).

The Extras

This iPad cover is one of my top five baby products! It’s awesome for travel and everyday as well.

We are a sound machine/white noise kind of household. This One is my favorite and have been using it since Ava was born. You may laugh but this super intense fan is a staple in our house. When you have a loud active toddler and a new baby you’re trying to get and keep asleep ….this vornado fan was  is liffffe! It’s so amazing with drowning out outside noise.

I tried several baby carriers and This One by Ergo was my all time favorite

These Napping Blankets were staples for both Ava and Luca

So a pack n play is pretty much a must until they start climbing and crawling. If you travel a lot I HIGHLY recommend this Pack n Play. My husband swore by it (as he was the one who was doing most of the lifting and setting up) because you literally just pull up on the handle to set it up. If you don’t travel a ton and your pack n play just stays set up in your home, then I would recommend going for something less expensive. You’ll probably be done with it in a year or so and no need to spend all the extra money on it if it’s just set up in your home.

I shared This thermometer early this year and we love it. I’ve been through several and after seeing my pediatrician use I immediately ordered it. I love that it scans so once your child is asleep you can go in a check their temp without evening waking them up.

We’ve tried way too many Humidifer’s and This One works best. Not to mention the kids love the shape.

and this is the holy grail diaper rash cream we’ve sworn by for 6+ years

We spent hundreds of dollars on a fancy Mamaroo and Ava hated it. We got this Fisher Price bouncy that was under $60 and it was a god send for the few first months. Once they start rolling over you can’t really use them anymore so no need to spend a ton of cash.

As They Grow

These are some of our favorite items that stand out in my mind that have been great buys for us…

This Mini Trampoline was money well spent and they still use it a ton.

This Wagon has been amazing for beach days or cruising the neighborhood.

I’ve shared These Scooters before and my kids are obsessed (the easiest for learning too)

and lastly This Pottery Barn table chairs is something my kids still use daily! (similar for less HERE too)

Okay  I hope this was helpful for you girls and stayed tuned for Part Two of my Mommyhood Q&A where I’ll tackle the rest of your questions this weekend!

Also PLEASE feel free to chime in below and share you must haves or the items you wished you would have skipped. I’m sure there are lots of mama’s out there reading this and would love to hear your tips too!