Mommy Guest Post

Hello everyone! I planned on posting this Wednesday morning but it seems that some maintenance work will be done on our building (for the 3rd time this week) and we will have no power for at least 6 hours in the morning! Lovely! So, I am posting Tuesday night instead. Anyway, as you can probably guess I am really in to being a mom right now... which means my blog is really into motherhood as well. You can expect more "mommy" posts to be popping up on my blog from now on. I do hope to get back in to my little routine of "2 cent Tuesdays" and "Look for Less" but I am still getting the hang of being a first time mom. So I thought I would ask friend Brit Mann (lovely girl and talented photographer) to share her favorite baby products with us. Here are her tried and true recommendations:

Its important to me that baby products are as natural yet effective as possible, designed well (I'm a photographer and can't help but think about how things will look in photos), and affordable. These are my tried and true favorites.

1. These diapers are biodegradable, free of everything yucky (Juniper had a terrible doctor-diagnosed chemical burn from Pampers SENSITIVE diapers when she was a newborn!), the BEST for not leeking or having blowouts (I've even had non-hippy friends agree), and are by far the best designed diapers out there. I love that there are never any tacky cartoon characters on my baby's butt when I take photos of her running around half naked!

2. I did a comparison between all of the chlorine/dye/fragrance free wipes and these were by far the best. They are so moist and yummy smelling and one of the most affordable. Every time one of my friends borrow a wipe they want to switch over. Tip: save a couple refillable hard plastic Huggies wipes cases to fill with your Earths Best wipes because the EB basically come in plastic baggies.

3. Boudreaux's ALL NATURAL Butt Paste - My pediatrician recommended this diaper cream and after comparing some other natural brands, I decided this was my favorite.

4. Episencial Sunscreen This is one of the few sunscreens that are safe to use on babies less than 6 months old.

5. When Juniper was a couple weeks old I bought more of these so I could have one for each day of the week. They are essential. Easily my favorite baby product and the first thing I recommend when people ask what should they buy for a baby shower. The bamboo muslin is the softest but they are all wonderful.

6. Puj Tub - We live in a tiny apartment by the beach and we don't have any room for a big plastic baby tub, so we bought this because it hangs flat behind our bathroom door. We always made the bathroom nice and steamy and then plugged the sink to make a nice warm bath for baby. We used it right up until the time she was big enough to bathe in the normal bathroom tub.

7. Mustela newborn shampoo - This is the best thing for cradle cap and it smells like heaven.

8. Gerber organic onesies - Although we don't (can't) buy everything organic, these onesies are definitely worth it. They are so much softer and nicer quality than other onesies, and when babies are too little to go out much its kind of nice to just let them hang out in comfy onesies instead of elaborate uncomfortable outfits. The sizes are ridiculous though. Don't buy the newborn unless you have a preemie, usually its best to buy a size or two bigger.

9. Having a playmat that isn't ugly is important since baby is going to do lots of tummy time and its going to sit out on your floor a lot.

10. Cute drying rack for the kitchen counter

11. Bumbo or Bebe Pod in a neutral color so you can use it for your next child regardless of their gender.

Other things we loved: our Bugaboo stroller with the bassinet attachment, our Moby Wrap baby carrier, a good changing table station, a comfy rocking chair (one thats big enough for daddy to feel comfortable), a co-sleeper, a sound machine and good baby monitor