gathre leather mats // kytebaby hat // avent newborn pacifier // kyte baby footie // aveeno baby lotion // honest city backpack // converse via rackroom shoes // coco monkey teether // munchkin portable diaper bags // humble weave baby blanket // owlet monitor

. . .

Guysss! The holidays are fast approaching and I’m so excited this year, more than any previous year, because we have little Benjamin to experience it with. Sure, he’s too young to know what’s going on, but I’m just so grateful he’s here.

The past eight months I’ve been learning the ropes of motherhood and making notes of my favorite FAVORITE baby products. And a holiday gift guide seemed like the perfect time to share them with you. Whether you’re a new mom or know someone who is (or is about to be), these are the products for newborns and infants (up to eight months old, natch) that I cannot live without!

• These leather mats by Gathre are perfect for days at the park (waaay better than a standard baby blanket on the lawn) or messy indoor adventures. I have the Tanin Midi mat and take it with me everywhere.

• KyteBABY is a brand I learned about at my favorite local baby store, Babinski’s Baby. It is hands down my favorite baby clothing brand. Everything they sell (onesies, footies, layettes, hats, sleep bags, blankets) is made of bamboo so it’s incredibly soft and stretchy. Their blankets are what I used when sleep training Benj and now he won’t go anywhere without them. This brand doesn’t know I exist, but I am obsessed with them. Be sure to give them a try!

• The second day in the hospital we gave Benji an Avent pacifier for the first time. I had all the fears of a first-time mom. But he took it just fine, didn’t have any trouble breastfeeding afterward, and he’s used a binky ever since. We switched him to MAM brand once he turned 3 months because they stay in better now that his mouth is bigger.

• I have the Honest City Backpack in a gold color, but I love this black one and the design is the same as mine. I take my backpack everywhere I go with Benjamin. There’s plenty of space for everything and the middle outside pocket is insulated for cold or hot items. I went with a backpack so it wouldn’t constantly slip off my shoulder like a traditional diaper bag (ain’t got no time for that!). 😉

• I know it’s common for babies to get eczema, I just didn’t expect Benjamin to get it. He didn’t have it bad, but I couldn’t seem to control the breakouts for the first several months. He gets dry splotches mostly behind his knees and on his elbows and I tried all the cute scented baby lotions with zero success. Then I found this Aveeno (non-scented) baby lotion and I use it after his baths, right before putting his jammies on, and when he wakes up the next morning all the dryness is gone. It is seriously a magic lotion and I need to get some for myself.

• Now that Benji is crawling and pulling himself up on things, I put shoes on him more than I ever did before. When I first saw these Converse sneakers at Rack Room Shoes I about DIED. Now we can go out matchy matchy as a family! Haha. Rack Room Shoes has a really great selection of shoes at great prices (who wants to spend $$$ on shoes your kids will grow out of in a month?!) for the whole family. I also like that they have tons of styles to choose from (dressy, casual, athletic, etc.).

• One of our first purchases was Sophie the Giraffe and I received Coco the Monkey at a baby shower. Benji loooves these, especially now that he’s really close to teething. We always make sure it’s with him in his car seat when we go places.

• When the weather got cooler I started needing extra blankets for Benji’s crib. He sleeps with his KyteBABY blankets and I usually use one other blanket to add warmth. This Humble Weave blanket is an incredibly soft knit that is so rich and cozy. The fabric is classy and luxurious and 100% cotton. I like the playful designs for baby and also own one of their signature throws that I can’t wait to use in our new living room!

• A few weeks into motherhood, my mom bought me these Munchkin scented disposable diaper bags. Not the kind of bag that you carry all your baby’s equipment in, but the kind of bag that you’d use to scoop your dog’s poop in. Except they’re for babies’ poopies! It comes with a little dispenser and I keep these extra rolls in my backpack so I have something to put his soiled diapers in when I’m at someone’s house and I don’t want to stink up their garbage. These are the best and they smell so good!

• Last but not least, the Owlet Monitor was something I was excited to have for Benjamin as a newborn. The truth is, it’s not just for newborns. When I was training Benjamin to sleep through the night around 3-4 months, this monitor saved us! I never thought I’d experience this as a new mom, but one night the monitor detected low blood oxygen levels, and sure enough, Benjamin had rolled onto his tummy. I’ll share more details in a future post, but I’ve never been so grateful for a product in my life. I can’t imagine what might have happened if I hadn’t woken up to the alert. This product is an investment, but it’s worth every penny and I think any new mom would be grateful to receive one this holiday.

Whew! That’s my roundup of baby must-haves. I hope you have a chance to try these yourself or gift one of them to someone you love. If you have any questions on any of them, drop me a line in the comments.

The list doesn’t stop there! Here are a few more of my baby favorites that would make great gifts…

Special thanks to Humble Weave and Rack Room Shoes for partnering on this post. Select product samples provided by Humble Weave and Rack Room Shoes. All opinions are my own.