I've noticed a lot of blogs posting about "great products" lately. That's all great and all except these things seem ridiculous in the first place so how can they really be great?
One of the blogs I followed posted about a kids castle step stool that converts into a easel for craft time. It's supposed to be the best on the market but it costs 10 times more than the old school wood step stools most people have in their bathroom. I don't know if it really qualifies as a great product.
I've seen tons of posts about new etsy.com shops but the prices are very high. I don' know many parents that would spend $10 on one burp cloth or $25 on one onesie. I cringe at the thought of spending that much on a complete outfit for my infant that will just spit up on it. Some would say that's the purpose for the burp cloth, which now makes the ensemble $35 (before shipping!) I think we should start buying off the clearance rack and save easily $20 if not more (TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Ross have great clearance sections, even their normal prices aren't too bad.)
So here's the real point of this post, I want everyone to have a better understanding of products you should buy and what is a waste of money.
If you craft, you already know the essentials (paper, glue, scissors, stickers...) Unless you use die cuts for everything, don't buy a Cricut. They work great and they are super user friendly but as of right now the computer interface is rough at best so you are pretty much stuck only using the images on their cartridges. If you want a die cutter that will last for a decent while with options for upgrades, try a Silhouette or Craft Robo. If you can't afford $400 on a machine, $10 will get you an exacto craft knife. It works just as well as long as you can follow your lines. Don't be ashamed to hit the dollar tree or clearance sections at the craft store. Big Lots is also a great place to pick up supplies for cheap.
For babies, try to buy things you use on a daily basis, a lot of the extra's are useless. Buy things like clothes appropriate for the season (sweater sets in July are probably not your best bet.) Burp cloths are a must but go with pre-fold diapers, they are cheaper and larger so there's less chance baby misses the cloth and hits you back. You wear underwear right? Diapers would be a smart buy, the 7-10 diapers a day estimate is accurate! Wet wipes are also necessity. I would suggest a few blankets but not 30 like you'll receive at the baby shower. Return a few to the store and save the money for more diapers and wipes. (Become friends with your wet wipes, they can clean up almost any mess under the sun!) I had a baby tub and honestly, I loved it but you do not need one. wet wipes work for the first month then bathe with your child or use the kitchen sink. You'll save money and it works just as well, plus it's not taking up precious space in your cramped bathroom (not many are truly spacious!) Don't bother with a baby monitor, everyone I know lets their baby sleep in their room in a bassinet. If you're working in another part of the house let baby have tummy time near your feet or try out baby wearing. Which brings me to the only brand names I would recommend: Try the Moby wrap for baby wearing, it works for babies just out of the hospital (I can even wear my 3 year old!) Once you're into sippy cups the valve free Learning Curve cups are fantastic. We've had to rescue so many valves from the errator and they gunk up so quickly. The LC cups have lasted us about a year without any problems plus they have remained reside free, just use a bottle brush to scrub down the inside like normal!
I have noticed some essentials in my kitchen. Other than groceries, pots/pans and dishes... Find an olive oil you like, it's healthy and can be used in place of butter in many applications. If you can, go with fresh or frozen vegetables over canned. You'll snack more if you have junk food in the house, make the healthy foods convenient for snacking. I try to portion up my fruits and vegetables when I get home from the store so I can grab a baggie when I want a snack and have celery or apples instead of chips. If you buy canned soda, switch to bottled water. I find I'm more likely to drink it if it's in the fridge. We leave cases of soda next to the fridge for when we want them but the water is already chilled (we drink more water now!) Please try out the store brand foods, most of y'all won't notice a difference in flavor and you'll save tons at the end of the month!
Girlies, get an electric heat pad... You won't need it often but when you do, it's worth the cash paid (and cheaper in the long run than icy-hot.)
Please be an informed consumer. You don't need to buy something because other people swear by it. There are things that do make life easier but you don't need to spend a fortune to achieve the goal, whatever it may be. I think I've rambled on long enough... You get my point!
XOXO, A. Scott
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