When I was pregnant with our first baby I adopted a minimalist philosophy when it came to babies. In fact, when friends offered to throw me a baby shower I scoffed at the idea of a registry. I just didn’t want all the stuff. I instinctually knew they didn’t need all.the.things.
Now, on baby number three I feel the exact same way, if not more so. I’ve been a purging machine when it comes to baby clothes and toys lately. I figure if we haven’t used it by now we don’t need it. If it doesn’t work for our family it’s never going to. If a baby hasn’t worn it yet, it’s probably not going to happen. I’m determined to only keep the necessities and what we truly enjoy.
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You’ll notice on this list I keep everything pretty neutral. I do this for a few reasons. One is that if everything is the in the same color family it makes laundry easy. It all can go in a load together. We also wait to find out the gender at birth so we are all prepped if everything can be worn by a boy or a girl! I can also keep these things for multiple babies. Especially when our itty bitty babies don’t stay little long! It’s really sweet to look back at photos of my kids in the same outfits. It’s just the mom in me.
When making this list I really stripped it down. My thought process was, if I was having a baby RIGHT NOW what would I: A. Pack in the bag to leave. B. Want at the house when we came home.
Trust me on the “If I was having a baby right now.” thing…because I totally packed AFTER my water broke with Elsie. Been there, done that. A story for another day.
Our Simple Living Babylist:
- Burp Cloths. I’m a huge fan of Burts Bee’s baby goods. Really big. I love how soft all of their things are and the quality is SO good. I bought these for Elsie and I’ve loved having a fresh set for her. Their colors are so soft and pretty. Not just for spit up. I’ve used these for milk leakage too.
- A Knitted Blanket. Soft and cozy. I love the size of this blanket and while totally usable it’s also a keepsake. My husband has knitted each of our kids a blanket about this size as an heirloom.
- Muslin Blankets. These are my absolute favorite thing. I love how light, soft, and breathable muslin is, yet they are very warm. I got a set of these with my first baby and I’m still using them. They are so versatile. They can be a blanket, a nursing cover, a stroller/carseat cover, burp cloth.
- Burts Bee Sleepers. Told ya. Big fan of the Burts Bee. Don’t buy tiny babies outfits, buy them these! And only buy zippers. Ain’t nobody have time for snaps. My babies hang out in these sleepers for the first few months. They are easy and comfy for baby and me! The Burts Bees sleepers have the best zippers and gender neutral options too.
- A Boba Wrap. A staple in our baby adventures for 6 years. Baby needs you, kids needs you, supper needs you, you need your arms. Problem solved. I like a stretchy wrap like this for little ones. Keeps them close, safe, and secure. Once you get the hang of this you can see what style if carrier you would like as they grow!
- Sophie the Giraffe. Ok, so maybe not an essential but I love this little giraffe. Each of the kids have had one and here we are with a 4 month old and she loves playing with this toy. Sophie is safe for littles to put in their mouths and she squeaks! It’s fun when they figure that feature out!
- Essential Oils. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention essential oils. I started using oils when I was pregnant with Millie. Recently DoTerra released a kids line and I’m really enjoying them! Especially the Stronger blend, it smells SO good! I’ve continued to use and learn about these oils and I love having them in our tool box for home remedies and natural living.
- Nose Frieda. Our kids haven’t had to use the Frieda frequently but when we’ve needed it, it’s been great to have. Kids totally act like you are sucking their brains out when you use this. But I assure you, they are fine. The relief they feel after is worth it.
- Grovia Cloth Diapers. We are a cloth diaper family. Honestly we use more disposables with each baby but we still primarily cloth diaper. We have found with little babies prefolds or flats like these and a cover (no. 10) are the easiest and most cost effective. Plus, when we are done diapering they can serve as dusting cloths.
- Rumparooz Covers. These are the water proof covers to go over the prefold diapers. Used for multiple kids they are a great way to save some money and reduce waste!
There you have it! I hope this can simplify your packing and prepping for baby. These are the things that have been standbys in my mothering journey. I hope they can be the same for yours.
Experienced mamas is there anything you’d add to the list?
Thanks for stopping by!
Jess