I've rounded up my top 10 nursery items that I can't imagine being without and I will tell you why I love them and in some cases how they could be even better!
1. Prince Lionheart Premium Wipes Warmer - This ensures that the little babe's bottom is never shocked by a chilly wipe. It has a water saturated pad that is placed under your favourite wipes in the main compartment that keeps the wipes moist and warm. I particularly like that this makes the wipes a bit more moist than normal so it makes cleaning the babe's bottom a lot easier and faster.
TIPS: Remember to soak the pad with water at least once a week or else it will start to dry up and discolour. I usually soak it every time I have to change the diaper pail (roughly every 3 days) because you are not likely going to forget to change that! Also, I added this to the list of items to unplug if we are going to be away for a few days or more (just in case).
2. Ubbi Diaper Pail - A perfect combination of function and style. I love that this diaper pail comes in a variety of colours so you won't have a hard time finding one that matches the babe's room. What is even better is the fact that you don't have to purchase the Ubbi refill bags if you don't want to; it is designed to be compatible with an everyday kitchen garbage bag. It does a great job of keeping the dirty diaper smells contained inside the pail so Mía's nursery never has a lingering reminder that there is a pail full of poop in her room. Another great feature is the lock on the top so when the babe is at toddler age you won't have to worry about them being able to get their little hands on the dirty diapers inside.
TIP: As with any diaper pail, when you open the slot (on a fairly full pail) to put another diaper in, there will be a slight smell that lingers for a few seconds. I pop in a Munchkin Arm & Hammer Freshener at the bottom of the pail and that solves that problem!
3. Skip Hop Geo Playspot Floor Tiles - Finally, someone designed foam play tiles for kiddies that can seamlessly blend in with your home decor. I love the cream and grey tones of these and the fact that they show you tons of geometric patterns that you can make, so its like having a new mat everyday (if you were that eager).
TIP: When the mat isn't in use by Mía in our living room, I try my best to keep my little dog off of it because her paws create tiny prick marks on it that drive me insane.
4. Crane Drop Shape Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier - One of these (or any humidifier) is a must for baby's tiny airways. Remember that they produce the same amount of mucus as we do but have a smaller surface area to store it so they are easily affected by a dry environment. We have electric heat and as soon as the weather gets cooler, the air instantly becomes drier. This humidifier is easy to use and works best when placed on an elevated surface like a dresser or shelf. I only use distilled water (for now anyway) so I haven't noticed any white residue that they warn of when using non-filtered water. The fan is audible and doesn't bother us since we are used to having something on that plays background noise for Mía. There is a light that is always on (colour changes) so if you need a completely dark room to sleep, this may not be the best one for you.
TIP: This is annoying to refill and I would suggest having a large plastic bowl or something under it when you do fill it up to help keep the mess to a minimum
5. Skip Hop Moonlight and Melodies Nightlight Soother - Great things come in small packages they say, and this true for this little guy. I sourced this out initially because we were finding that Mía would wake up as soon as the 45 minute timer on her Cloud B Sleep Sheep ended. This owl plugs in and gives you many short interval options as well as a continuous loop option for the sounds. It has 8 lullabies and white noise option (volume adjustable), a pivoting moon and stars projection lens, a night light (adjustable, but I do wish it had a brighter setting), and it remembers the last setting combination you used when you turn it off... can you say all in one?
6. 4moms mamaRoo Infant Seat - This single baby item has saved my arms from exhaustion and has allowed me to eat breakfast and shower from time to time... so major thumbs up in my books! I do admit that it's a hefty price tag and I was nervous that Mía wouldn't take to it as well as all the little babies that I saw on YouTube. I love that I can control the settings from my iPhone so if I see that she is getting fussy I can quickly change up the speed or type of motion. It has a few white noise settings on it and you can connect your phone to the base to play any tunes you may have saved. We didn't use the music settings much, mainly because I found the sound of the motor to be enough of a "white noise"... that being said, I would consider the loudness of the motor to be a con. A great design feature is that you can quickly and easily unzip the seat and throw it in the wash should a poop explosion happen, which it inevitably will.
TIP: Take a waterproof change pad cover and cut it in half. Taking one of the halves and cut slits on either side of it around the buckles and Ta Da... you have a waterproof liner for easy clean ups of any poop explosions that come your way!
7. Kidiway Habana Leather Glider - This chair rocks, reclines, swivels and is dream to sit in. I love the leather because it allows for easy wiping when spit up happens... which it always does! I love having a comfortable spot to sit with Mía for feedings (especially the ones in the middle of the night) and to read books. We purchased this at Babies R Us and it took 10 weeks to get to us (which the sales rep said was to be expected)... so time manage properly if you want the chair ready to go when you and baby get home from the hospital. It is stylish and I can see us using this in an office or reading nook in the future if we didn't have a nursery anymore. One thing I found annoying is that in a few positions it was very loud to get up if you wanted to transfer a sleeping babe to the crib.
8. Keekaroo Peanut Diaper Changer - This is by far one of my favourite nursery items! It is firm, yet soft and is made of a type of material that doesn't allow for odour or fluid to penetrate. Any accidents that happen on it is a quick wipe away from being cleaned versus having to change pads or covers on traditional change tables. Trust me, there has been many episodes on this and they were all a breeze to clean up, which is one less thing I have to stress over during the course of the day. I would vote for any item that would cut down on baby laundry on a given day, wouldn't you?
TIP: I didn't use the adhesive tape that came with it because I didn't know how it would affect the dresser surface. On our hardwood floor it is pretty much non-slip but that was not the case when it was on the dresser. I placed one sheet of the non-slip mat that normally line your drawers or cupboards (dollar store buy) underneath of the Keekaroo and problem solved.
9. Levana Astra 3.5" PTZ Digital Baby Monitor - I love that this monitior has a PEEP option that turns on the screen and sound when the camera detects noises in the nursery (you can choose the sensitivity of this mode) and by doing so it extends the battery life for up to 48 hours. The fact that you can adjust the camera horizontally (300°) and vertically (110°) and also zoom in for a closer look is great and adds to the peace of mind. The set-up is quick and easy because the monitor and camera come already paired and you can actually buy additional cameras and sync it to the monitor if you had multiple kids rooms that you wanted to keep an eye on. It also has a feature where you can talk to your baby through the camera to calm them down, but I don't find it calming at all... actually its makes you sound like a trucker over a radio. Currently Mía is 4 months old and she is turning over from her back to tummy constantly but not vice versa so we are still paranoid and check the monitor non-stop when she is napping so I would have liked this to have a motion sensor mode too (for this stage anyway). That being said they have monitors out there that probably have that technology and a hefty price tag to match.
10. South Shore Drawer Organizers - I was originally going to order the SKUBB Box set from IKEA to place in the drawers to organize the crazy amount of tiny wash cloths, socks, bibs, soothers, etc... you get the picture. Unfortunately my Kidiway dresser drawers were just a tad too short in height to accommodate them. You can even find some great basket solutions at your local Dollar store that will do the same job. What I love about the south shore ones is that they are collapsable so if I didn't need all of them, I can easily store them until I do. I find having the tiny baby items organized in compartments helps keep the drawers from looking like mine... overflowing and a mess. It also makes it easy for Dad to see that each box has a specific item in it so dressing her becomes a bit easier and faster.