My favorite baby and toddler items – the ones that were a game changer for us!

My favorite baby and toddler items – the ones that were a game changer for us!

When I was pregnant I wondered what were the best newborn and infant essentials in the market. And to find the answer I watched SO MANY Youtube videos and read countless blog posts. Now that Serena just turned 7 months and after many trials and errors, I feel like I can now share some of the items that were SO essential for us. Of course there are many essentials (swaddle blankets, diapers, wipes, PJs, etc) but these are the “extras” that were a game changer! You can shop some of my favorite products and Serena’s nursery items HERE on my Amazon storefront (affiliate).

Oh, before I forget…To see more of my day to day life in NYC and get the hottest tips, join my NYC tips Facebook group HERE follow me on Instagram (@marthasachser or @blognyandabout)  and subscribe to my Youtube channel!

Travel Booster Seat

I love going out with Serena but there is nothing more frustrating than going out to eat at a restaurant and not having a high chair available. One of my friends saw my stories and told me about this booster seat that is perfect for dining out. It is also a diaper bag!

Highly recommend it! Click HERE to buy it!

Night light

This was actually a gift from a dear friend. She told me she used it so much with her baby girl that she was now gifting one to every pregnant friend and I was lucky to be one of them! At first I wondered how great it could be but the minute I had to put it to use, I understood the reason why she gave me one. This was an essential item for our newborn stage, when Serena would wake up multiple times and I had to be able to see everything in the room and feed her while trying not to disturb her with our regular lamp. This never left our night stand for months! You can easily charge it, it comes with a USB cable and you can control the brightness with a simple touch. Done and done! You can get yours HERE, on my Amazon storefront (affiliate).

Thinkbaby Stainless Steel Bottle

We’ve tried several sippy cups and baby bottles but for traveling and adventures outside of the house, a stainless steel bottle is a game changer! I’ve read so many reviews but we finally found the perfect one! They have it in different colors and to be honest is not as cute as some of the other ones out there but it works really well! Click HERE to buy!

Lovevery

I saw SO MANY moms talking about this “toy subscription” but I didn’t really do much with that info besides wondering why that would be so relevant, we had a lot of toys (we only got second hand toys from other moms and a few for her baby shower) but Serena was too young to “play” with them. And that’s the point my friend. The toys we had weren’t meant for her age, she wouldn’t interact with them even though the package/label said 0+! Most of them became chewable toys and that’s about it. But the Lovevery subscription box was created by specialists to improve your baby’s brain development. They all have different purposes and so far they’ve been doing their job. She loves them. You can learn more and subscribe to LOVEVERY HERE! I also wrote a blog post about it HERE!

Cushmat

This was life changing and I wonder why didn’t I get this sooner! Cushmat is a BEAUTIFUL play mat! Simples as that. I wanted to get Serena something she could play on, practice crawling and sit on by herself but all the play mats for babies/kids were too colorful and well, didn’t match our living room. Then I saw another mom talking about Cush Mat and I just had to try it! There are many different prints and colors to choose from but we went with the gray and white, simple and clean! But if we get tired, you can reverse it and there is a different print on the other side! How cool is that? We have a small apartment so the play mat has been working really well for us not only to play with Serena – and let her play by herself- but also to exercise and even enjoy a movie on the floor (I love watching movies on the floor haha). You can learn more about Cush Mat and all their beautiful mats HERE!

The best Diapers

Well, we all know diapers are essentials and I was able to try different ones with Serena, well, 6 brands to be exact. To be honest, they were all good, they got the job done – we had leaks with all of them at some point and it’s normal. But there are two that have a special place in my heart: Coterie and Dyper.

First: What makes them essential: they are subscription based diapers. We never run out of diapers, it’s easy to subscribe and place an order. We order today, we get them within 1-2 days. We live in a small apartment so buying in bulk is not an option.

Second: the quality! They are both made with clean and high quality products, Serena never had a rash or allergic reaction with none of them. Coterie is super soft and Dyper is the most eco-friendly disposable diaper we have found. It’s not the softest but I like the quality and I recommend both. For Coterie I have a discount code, COTERIESACHSER to get $25 off your first order of $75 and free shipping.

The Baby’s Brew

Drums please….!! The Baby’s Brew is a portable bottle warmer!! Simple and awesome as that. You charge it and take it with you wherever you go. You can choose different temperatures for formula or breastmilk. You can also get the kit with a beautiful formula dispenser. If you are always feeding on-the-go, this is a must, we used a lot specially in the first 3 months when I was pumping a lot and keeping my milk in the fridge! No more cold milk for your little one, a must have! You can get your Baby’s Brew HERE and enter the code MARTHA15 at checkout for 8% off your purchase! You’re welcome!