At this point I’ve lost count of how many nanny charges I’ve had. It’s been quite a few, ranging from newborn to 10 yrs. I have had the honor of witnessing parenthood as well as childhood in various countries and states. I have absolutely enjoyed seeing all the different dynamics that parents have with their children, and ultimately getting to pick and choose which I would like to implement with my own. That being said– oh, the number of products out there! I know as a Mama in the social media era how we are constantly inundated with on-trend baby products.
It can be overwhelming and expensive to say the least. Here, I’m sharing the ones that I’ve seen have a proven longevity, usability, an ease of use, and that have been well worth the investment for our family. I’m also a big fan of sustainability, so many of these products can be purchased secondhand–not to mention a great re-sale value.
For more things BABY, check out our 9th annual Bloom for New & Expecting Parents event!
**When it comes to items like baby bottles, bibs, and pacis, I could offer some personal insight, but really, each child is just so different. What works for one may not work for the other. The items below have been thoughtfully curated as the most loved and used overall. Here we go!
Tried-and-True Baby Products from a Seasoned Nanny & Mom-of-2
I know you’ve probably heard about this children’s play couch, searched for it online, and saw that price tag. I promise this is well worth it! For long-lasting play from infanthood to childhood, the possibilities are endless. Bad weather day? Make a fort! Make a slide! Make a fort with a slide! I’ve used them for nap time as partitions, or as a tepee over a cot. My four-year-old is currently channeling her inner aerialist with her sensory swing (no idea how she stumbled upon this– she’s never even seen one before), but guess what we use as her floor mat… Yup! The Nugget Couch.
Kleynimals Stainless Steel Jangles
Another pricey suggestion– and honestly, you can probably find a knockoff somewhere that will be just as much of a hit. You know how infants are instantly intrigued with bracelets? Well this genius toy is pretty much just that. Four metal bracelets linked together, with movable beads on each one (safe for little teething mouths as none of it comes apart). Here’s a Pro Tip: Use a paci clip to attach the rings to yourself, your baby carrier, or your baby, and you can avoid having to consider how dirty the floor is every time your baby tosses it for fun. I do this with almost every toy if I can find a way to.
Clip-on fan
If you’re new to Texas, I hate to be the bearer of bad news: The warm spring weather is only a preview of the scorching Texas summers. Keep those littles cool and buy a clip-on rechargeable fan from Amazon. I clip it on everything while we are out and about in the summer. The obvious place for it is the stroller, but this thing also gets clipped to the top of the car seat, and even on top of my shoulder while babywearing.
Pro Tip: I’m sure you’ve seen those battery operated fans that also spray water- you don’t need it! I just use the above mentioned clip-on fan and then carry a spray bottle filled with water and if the little ones could use more cooling, I spray some directly on them and or into the path of a fan (they find the latter funnier).
Funny enough I didn’t intend on this being a summer baby item list, but tell me you live in Texas without telling me you live in Texas. I gotta say, these suckers work! It’s best if you use it right after a bug/mosquito bite. I’d also highly suggest practicing on yourself first– you don’t need much suction to give your little ones relief. It really takes the bite and the itch away for good.
I couldn’t tell you how many baby nails I’ve clipped over the years. I know and understand the fear a lot of parents have with clipping their children’s nails. I really dislike the miniature versions of the adult nail clippers that are on the market. It’s just too easy to accidentally clip their skin. My favorite clippers are the NailFrida clippers by Frida Baby. I personally found them to be easy to use the first time, but I’ve heard some people feel intimidated with its weird angle. Just rest their nail over the bottom part of the clippers and clip away! Obviously you still need to exercise some caution. But I can honestly say I’ve never once clipped skin with these. Even with active infant and toddler hands.
Dr. Noze Best – NozeBot aspirator
Y’all, I am not going to lie– I definitely had a bit of regret when I clicked “complete your purchase” buying this one. I’ve never been a bulb aspirator mom. However, NoseFrida snot sucker definitely got a lot of use from us over the first few years. It’s truly been such a game changer for us. We get the occasional cold but the congestion that comes with it lingers for a while with us. The amount of boogies that my kids make is absurd. Spray some saline in, use this even on the lowest setting a few minutes later and voila! It’s rechargeable, portable and pretty compact.
I did not think this would be used as much as it is. I always keep one in the car simply because it’s the easiest to do a quick grocery run with. Did you know how fun ceilings are to look at? Me either. It’s not something that is going to be used past maybe 10 months but it’s here because it came in clutch during the baby stage and it has an admirable resale value. It even fit across our wagon!
What can I say… this has been SO useful over and over again. My only regret is that I didn’t get a slightly larger size. We have had our Gathre mat since our 4 yr old was a newborn. We’ve used it in parks for her to sit on, we’ve thrown it over a mid-drive pee accident in the car, and used it as a changing mat of course! Not only that but this thing still looks brand new! Highly recommend for longevity and the fact that it’s multipurpose. They even have some cool prints, so you could use it as wall art once they’ve graduated from diapers.
This is another item that looks as good as the day I bought it, four years ago. We’ve used it with both kids and all my many nanny charges in between. The Keekaroo is soft, very easily cleaned, and long-lasting.
I do recommend using changing pad liners for newborns in the first few months. It was a little too cold for my liking with my newborn. These munchkin waterproof liners effectively solved that problem:
Speaking of the dreaded illnesses that pass through our home every so often… Force of Nature is my go-to. Being the nanny to three infants, a mom of two, and a dog mom of one, the need to sanitize toys and spaces is constant. If you can’t take my word for it, research this company. They have a small magical machine that combines electricity, water, salt and vinegar and turns it into a powerful NON-TOXIC cleaner. I’m talking 99.9 percent of germs- GONE. Just spray and let it air dry.
I like to pour some into empty hand sanitizer spray bottles and take it with us on the go. High chairs, shopping carts, airplane seats, thrown toys, etc. Especially at this age when everything goes in the mouth. I am no stranger to Lysol wipes but with Force of Nature, I am so happy to not be exposing them to harmful chemicals.
Sensory table:
I don’t care where you get it from I just hope you do. There are endless possibilities for curious toddlers to learn while playing. Like dino washing, pictured above.
I chose to splurge on this foam mat when I had my first baby. I can verify that it has held up all the way until now, for my second and his baby friends. I’ve never used harsh chemicals to clean it either. Pair it with some Force of Nature and this should last you through quite a few babies. Not to mention their prints are beautiful!
Some more Austin Moms favorite Baby Products and more:
Hope this offers some helpful insight or at the very least gives you a little justification if you’ve already taken the plunge and ordered some of these products. Happy shopping Mamas!
