The Essentials

With so many infant care brands and products constantly being flung in our faces, how could any parent possibly expect to make an educated and practical choice about what supplies and accessories to buy for their newborn? If you said, “they can’t”, that’s probably because you’re one of those parents, and you’re right. The infant care industry is one of the largest in the world, and yet there is very little information about what exactly the essentials are. That’s because they don’t really want you to know, so that you’ll spend all your money trying to figure out. Well, we’ve decided to step in and offer some help. These are the things we think will be absolutely necessary for you and your baby, and we’ll tell you why.

Diaper Bags

A diaper bag will most likely be the first thing you’ll want to buy. As you’ve noticed by now, you’re going to be changing lots of diapers for a while. But, if you’re constantly carrying around all your diaper changing supplies in an untidy bag or case, you’ll be poorly organized and frustrated when you’re trying to care for your newborn. And, you’ll be consuming way more of your valuable time than is necessary for the task at hand. Many diaper bags have multiple compartments, all with specific purposes, so that all of your supplies will be organized and at the ready when you need them.

Onesies

A couple of good onesies will quickly become a staple of your baby’s wardrobe, as they’re basically good for all occasions and provide the support and comfort your baby needs. These are long or short sleeve and clip together between the legs, so you won’t have to be checking and readjusting your baby’s clothes throughout the day. The great thing about onesies is how versatile they are. In the summer they can be worn alone, while in the winter the only necessary addition is a pair of trousers and you’re ready for playtime. And with the endless variety of colors and fabrics, your baby will definitely be in style.

Baby Bath Towels

Bathtime. It’s all-important, essential, and perhaps your baby’s favorite time of the day (although that can really go either way). What’s certain though is that your baby will thank you with love and affection when it’s all warm and snuggly dry in a high quality baby bath towel. The infant care industry now makes bath towels specifically designed for a baby’s sensitive skin with super absorbent fabrics. Some of them even have hoods to keep your baby’s head warm and protected from the elements after her bath.

Burp Cloths

We’ve all either seen the image or experienced it ourselves. A new mother or father, holding their beloved little baby, with a burp cloth draped over his or her shoulder. It’s hard to really make a burp cloth something special, but it’s still important to get one that is high quality and made from fine materials so that your baby is happy and comfortable. This small cloth will prove to be one of the most practical and usable items in your baby’s repertoire, so you’ll want to be somewhat careful about which one you pick. Generally, keeping a stack of soft and absorbent burp cloths on your baby’s changing table is good practice.

Bibs

These are definitely an essential item. We all know getting a baby to eat the majority of her food rather than wear it can be much easier said than done. Whether you can or can’t accomplish this goal, a collection of reliable baby bibs will be a god-send for those messy spit-ups. Or, for when your newborn begins to teeth and tries to bite down on her clothing. There’s such a large selection of bibs out there that you can literally have one for every type of day and every possible occasion. And if you’re a new parent you’ll probably be receiving at least a few of bibs as gifts, since they’re a fairly timeless baby accessory.

Summer Hats - Cotton & Crochet

In essence, from the moment your newborn is brought into the world he or she will be adorned in some form of a warm hat or beanie. Since babies are especially vulnerable to the elements, a high quality hat can serve an important and fundamental purpose to keep your baby warm and healthy as you brave the world together.  And with the infant fashion industry booming, hats for babies are available in every imaginable style, color, fashion, and fabric. We’ve outlined here what we think our the essentials for your baby’s spring/summer hat collection.  Whether you’re looking for girls baby hats or boys baby hats this season, this article should offer some insights.

It’s amazing how many styles of hat you can choose to wrap your baby’s little head in these days.  So, for the purpose of keeping this article informative we think it’s best and most practical to deal with beanie baby hats, as this is the style you’ll find is most effective for keeping your baby warm and protecting him or her from harsh weather elements.  A beanie is what you think of when you think of the classic “warm” hat.  A beanie makes sense for babies because it will fit snug around their heads while still remaining soft enough not to cause your baby any distress or discomfort.  Babies can become unhappy very quickly when they experience discomfort, so it’s important to consider the best options for their wardrobe accessories.

A cotton baby hat is a staple of any infant wardrobe, and with good reason.   Cotton is cozy enough to keep your baby’s ears warm while still breathable enough not to overheat him or her during the hotter months.  The other nice thing about choosing a hat made from cotton is that it’s extremely resilient.  So, when your baby inevitably has an accident (or two, or three) it can be easily washed and machine dried and ready to go back on your little one’s head in no time.  No matter how many hats your baby already has, if he’s missing a cotton one his wardrobe is truly incomplete.

A crochet baby hat is perhaps just as breathable as cotton but has the advantage of being an expansive fashion item with lots of room for imagination.  Since the art of crochet has what is essentially infinite possibilities for creative designs, this type of hat is  the perfect and practical way to add a little swag to your baby’s wardrobe.  And, because there are so many styles to choose from, they make great gifts for any of your infant’s many milestones.  Warm enough for the winter and at the same time breathable enough for the summer, crochet hats are a versatile and fashionable item and it’s definitely worth adding a couple to your baby’s selection.