Since bringing home our daughter, our house has somehow become an annex of the local Babies 'R' Us, as we seem to be collecting every baby gadget and accessory on the market. Some of them have come in extremely handy in making both my mine and my daughter's lives much easier, while some have shown to be an utter waste of money.
Many of the best gadgets, that I've found, are products that have only been on the market for the last several years, so when our parents, or anyone who hasn't had a baby in the last ten years, see them for the first time, they look at us like we're crazy.
So, in the vein of providing guidance to new dads, and parents in general, as well as the impending Holiday shopping season, I've created a list of my top five favorite baby gadgets and accessories, in ascending order:
#5 - Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker 
($149.99) - Although it's a little pricey (which is why it's at the bottom of the list) this baby food maker has come in extremely handy for my wife and I, since our daughter has started solid foods. Basically, it's a food steamer and blender in one device and it allows you to make your own baby food (duh), but more importantly it allows you to better control what goes into your babies mouth. While you may be thinking "Wouldn't it be easier to just open a jar of baby food, than taking the time to steam and blend food for my little tike?" To that I say this: A jar of baby food is about $0.79 and contains one serving of food; A bag of frozen green beans costs about $1.99 and makes about 12 servings of baby food...do the math.
#4 - Graco SnugRider Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame 
($69.99) - This gadget really only applies to someone who has a Graco infant car seat, but most car seat manufacturers have their own version of it. Since infants typically shouldn't be placed in the upright position of a traditional stroller until they can hold themselves up, you'll need a stroller option that will hold your infant safely while you are out and about, unless you really want to work you biceps and carry your child in their car seat everywhere. For those parents who may not have gotten a combo travel system, which included an infant car seat and matching stroller, this item is great because it turns your Graco infant car seat into a stroller, and at $69.99 it's much cheaper than most strollers you will find. We used this frame for our daughter's first six months or so, while we researched which stroller we wanted, since our car seat was a hand-me-down Graco and we couldn't find (or didn't like) any of the matching Graco strollers.
#3 -Boppy Pillow 
($29.99 - $34.99) - Yes, the Boppy pillow is marketed as a breastfeeding accessory. But, consider the shape...doesn't it remind you of something? An airplane pillow, as seen in Sky Mall perhaps? Not only is the Boppy a great item because it keeps your arms from getting tired while holding your baby for feeding time, but it doubles as a great pillow for those fleeting midday naps on the couch! In fact, I used to wait anxiously for my wife to take our daughter to her room to sleep, so I could steal the Boppy and sack out on the couch! For those of you that enjoy letting your baby nap on you, the Boppy also serves as a great way to wedge your baby around your waist, to free up your hands for other things (like video games!)
#2 - Diaper Genie II Elite 
($39.50) - The Diaper Genie, in one of it's many incarnations, are a must-have for anyone who doesn't want their house to smell like baby butt. These handy contraptions operate like a trash can with foot pedal operation, but once the lid opens, the diaper gets dropped into a plastic bag which is then sealed shut once the lid is closed again, effectively locking away all of the smell. Inside, the diapers are contained in a big stinky "sausage" which makes actually makes disposal quite bearable, since the odor is locked inside. However, a word of advice: DO NOT squeeze the excess air out of the bag before taking the "sausage" out to the trash, or your nostrils will be greeted with the smell of concentrated dirty diapers. I had to learn that lesson the hard way.
#1 - Angel Dear 14" x 14" Blankie 
(aka: "Lovie") ($12.99) - My top pick for baby gadgets and accessories is actually the cheapest thing on the list, and I contend that every baby, or rather every parent, should have a "lovie". This silly little blanket with an animal head on it (available in a variety of colors and animals) has been the biggest helper in getting my daughter to fall asleep. For some reason my daughter's lovie has the same effect as an ether soaked rag, and assuming she is generally tired in the first place I can place the lovie on her face and she will instantly close her eyes and pass out. We have two of them to rotate through, in case one is in the laundry, and on nights when she is having a hard time falling asleep, we can double-team her with lovies for twice the knockout power. (NOTE: Once she is asleep we remove them from her face. I do not endorse letting babies sleep through the night with blankets over their airways...duh)
While the items on this list might not be for everyone, and you may even have opposing views on some of them, all I can recommend is what I have personally found to be the most useful items to me, over the first eight months of my daughter's life. At the very least, I hope I may have given you some gift ideas for the new parents in your life!
Happy Holidays!
Many of the best gadgets, that I've found, are products that have only been on the market for the last several years, so when our parents, or anyone who hasn't had a baby in the last ten years, see them for the first time, they look at us like we're crazy.
So, in the vein of providing guidance to new dads, and parents in general, as well as the impending Holiday shopping season, I've created a list of my top five favorite baby gadgets and accessories, in ascending order:
#5 - Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker ($149.99) - Although it's a little pricey (which is why it's at the bottom of the list) this baby food maker has come in extremely handy for my wife and I, since our daughter has started solid foods. Basically, it's a food steamer and blender in one device and it allows you to make your own baby food (duh), but more importantly it allows you to better control what goes into your babies mouth. While you may be thinking "Wouldn't it be easier to just open a jar of baby food, than taking the time to steam and blend food for my little tike?" To that I say this: A jar of baby food is about $0.79 and contains one serving of food; A bag of frozen green beans costs about $1.99 and makes about 12 servings of baby food...do the math.
#4 - Graco SnugRider Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame ($69.99) - This gadget really only applies to someone who has a Graco infant car seat, but most car seat manufacturers have their own version of it. Since infants typically shouldn't be placed in the upright position of a traditional stroller until they can hold themselves up, you'll need a stroller option that will hold your infant safely while you are out and about, unless you really want to work you biceps and carry your child in their car seat everywhere. For those parents who may not have gotten a combo travel system, which included an infant car seat and matching stroller, this item is great because it turns your Graco infant car seat into a stroller, and at $69.99 it's much cheaper than most strollers you will find. We used this frame for our daughter's first six months or so, while we researched which stroller we wanted, since our car seat was a hand-me-down Graco and we couldn't find (or didn't like) any of the matching Graco strollers.
#3 -Boppy Pillow ($29.99 - $34.99) - Yes, the Boppy pillow is marketed as a breastfeeding accessory. But, consider the shape...doesn't it remind you of something? An airplane pillow, as seen in Sky Mall perhaps? Not only is the Boppy a great item because it keeps your arms from getting tired while holding your baby for feeding time, but it doubles as a great pillow for those fleeting midday naps on the couch! In fact, I used to wait anxiously for my wife to take our daughter to her room to sleep, so I could steal the Boppy and sack out on the couch! For those of you that enjoy letting your baby nap on you, the Boppy also serves as a great way to wedge your baby around your waist, to free up your hands for other things (like video games!)
#2 - Diaper Genie II Elite ($39.50) - The Diaper Genie, in one of it's many incarnations, are a must-have for anyone who doesn't want their house to smell like baby butt. These handy contraptions operate like a trash can with foot pedal operation, but once the lid opens, the diaper gets dropped into a plastic bag which is then sealed shut once the lid is closed again, effectively locking away all of the smell. Inside, the diapers are contained in a big stinky "sausage" which makes actually makes disposal quite bearable, since the odor is locked inside. However, a word of advice: DO NOT squeeze the excess air out of the bag before taking the "sausage" out to the trash, or your nostrils will be greeted with the smell of concentrated dirty diapers. I had to learn that lesson the hard way.
#1 - Angel Dear 14" x 14" Blankie (aka: "Lovie") ($12.99) - My top pick for baby gadgets and accessories is actually the cheapest thing on the list, and I contend that every baby, or rather every parent, should have a "lovie". This silly little blanket with an animal head on it (available in a variety of colors and animals) has been the biggest helper in getting my daughter to fall asleep. For some reason my daughter's lovie has the same effect as an ether soaked rag, and assuming she is generally tired in the first place I can place the lovie on her face and she will instantly close her eyes and pass out. We have two of them to rotate through, in case one is in the laundry, and on nights when she is having a hard time falling asleep, we can double-team her with lovies for twice the knockout power. (NOTE: Once she is asleep we remove them from her face. I do not endorse letting babies sleep through the night with blankets over their airways...duh)While the items on this list might not be for everyone, and you may even have opposing views on some of them, all I can recommend is what I have personally found to be the most useful items to me, over the first eight months of my daughter's life. At the very least, I hope I may have given you some gift ideas for the new parents in your life!
Happy Holidays!
2 comments:
Keep on doing whatever it is that you do – Thanks for sharing this.
I'll probably give my baby the fourth one. A stroller can be helpful in a lot of ways. It's also comfortable for them.
toy shops
Post a Comment