12 Items Every First Time Parent Should Have

Disclaimer:  I received this product for free or highly discounted in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine.

After going with my sister to help her register for her baby shower, I saw just how many different products were out there.  How does a first-time parent even know where to begin?  While there are the necessity items, here is a few that first-time parents should get.  These are items that most would not even think about getting, but really should consider putting on a baby registry or purchasing.

4” Baby Monthly Stickers Pack of 24 by KiddosArt

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I had never heard of belly stickers when S was a baby or I would have jumped at the chance to use them.  Instead I got his pictures taken professionally once a month for the first year.  With P I knew the stickers were around but had never really seen them anywhere.  Instead I did blocks with the numbers on them.  These stickers are by far the cutest thing I have ever seen.  I love the monthly stickers that have a cute animal with each number.  There are also 12 other stickers that coincide with holidays and Just born.  There are 1-11 Months with super cute animals, and instead of 12 Months it is One Year Old.  There are 8 holiday stickers for the first Christmas, Easter, Halloween, 4th of July, New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day.  The last two stickers are Just Born with a baby chick and a Coming Soon to be put on the mommy’s belly.  The last two stickers are Little Princess and Mr. Awesome.  The 24 pack of Baby Monthly and Holiday stickers are only $14.75 on Amazon.com.  #KiddosArt

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Baby Bandana Bibs by Pashoshi

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I love the idea of having a cute fashionable bib for my child to wear yet it is also practical.  The baby bandana bibs are the cutest thing ever.  It definitely reminds me of a cowboy/infinite scarf look.  The bibs are 100% soft organic cotton on the exterior showing a cute design.  The backing on the bib is a very soft polyester fleece keeping the moisture away from the baby and clothes.  There is an adjustable snap closure on the back so there is no need to worry about hair getting stuck in Velcro or scratching a baby’s head.  The four designs were charcoal gray with white polka dots, white with black anchors, turquoise with white stars, and white with yellow, turquoise, and black arrows.  As an extra bonus a pacifier clip is included.  Another bonus is the bottle/sippy cup strap.  This is perfect to use on a high chair, stroller, or in a restaurant.  It makes it so much easier to locate the cup, prevent it from falling on the ground, and losing a cup when out and about.  The Baby Bandana Bibs by Pashoshi with extras are $19.95 on Amazon.com.  #pashoshibaby

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Baltic Amber Teething Necklace for Baby by Bambini & ME

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I really only recently heard about these amber necklaces.  I got one for P when she was about 8 months old.  With S I never noticed when he got a tooth, with P she would get diaper rash, run a fever, and become fussy.  I had her start wearing the necklace.  I can’t say I noticed any huge improvements, but the diaper rash and fussiness did subside a little.  I had her wearing the necklace when she was awake.  I would take it off her when she would take a nap and put it back on when she was done.  When I read the card I found out that the necklace was not for chewing on, but the amber was supposed to be absorbed through the skin.  This amber necklace came with a Silicone Teething Necklace for mom to wear.  The silicone ring is made for a little one to chew on or entertain them when nursing.  It is a stylish necklace for mom to wear and entertain the little one.  The Baltic Amber Necklace by Bambini & ME is only $15.97 on Amazon.com.  #BnMeBalticAmberTeethingNecklace

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Digital Baby Thermometer by Bambini & ME

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Every parent needs to have a thermometer.  A simple digital thermometer that can take a baby’s temp either underarm or orally.  There are many other types of baby thermometers which I have tried and somehow always go back to the underarm digital baby thermometer.  This thermometer is so easy to use; you simply stick it in the baby’s armpit, push the button, and wait for the beeping to give you a reading of the temp.  I know I keep one of these in the baby’s room, diaper bag and overnight kit.  The Digital Baby Thermometer by Bambini & ME is only $15.97 on Amazon.com.  #BnMePremiumDigitalBabyThermometer

Maxx Elite Intel-A-Temp Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer

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I never had a bottle warmer with either kid.  I really didn’t need it with P, but when S was a baby it would have come in handy when I went back to work for a few months.  B was always warming up bottles under the faucet because you are not supposed to put breastmilk in the microwave because it kills the enzymes in it.  This bottle warmer can do so much more than just warm a bottle up.  It can sterilize a bottle and even warm up baby food.  The warmer is relatively easy to use depending on what you are using it for, you fill it with water, set the temperature, and time of how long to warm.  The Maxx Elite Intel-A-Temp Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer is only $46.99 on Amazon.com.  #MaxxElite

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Cuddly Pal Baby Pacifier Plush Animal Holder

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Both of my kids were/are binky babies.   I was looking for a cute little stuffed animal that I could attach to a binky.   I wanted something for the baby to hold onto, and something that would also help keep the pacifier in the baby’s mouth.  The Cuddly Pal Baby Pacifier Plush Animal Holder has actually worked out great for us.   It has done so much more for us than I originally planned.  Not only does the stuffed animal hold the binky for P, but she loves to cuddle with the stuffed animal as well.  It has now become her comfort.  When she is ready to go to sleep I simply hand her a Cuddly Pal with a binky attached and she snuggles with it and goes to sleep.  I have seen P in her sleep feel around for the stuffed animal so she can get a binky.   Instead of having to find this tiny object when she is sleeping all she has to do is find this stuffed animal and she knows she has found a binky.  It has helped me with not having to get up in the middle of the night to find a binky for her.  P has been using the caterpillar but we have now added the teddy bear and deer to the mix.  Each Cuddly Pal comes with a new binky that has a cover to help keep it clean when not in use.  The Cuddly Pal Baby Pacifier Plush Animal Holder comes in a Teddy Bear, Deer, or Caterpillar.  The Teddy Bear is $12.97, the Deer is $12.77, and the Caterpillar is $15.97.  All three are available on Amazon.com.  #ProEasyLivingTeddyCuddlyPal  #ProEasyLivingDeerCuddlyPal

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Baby Wrap Sling Carrier by Belephant Baby

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A baby carrier of some sort is a necessity when it comes to carrying a baby around.  I swear P lived in her carrier for the first six months anytime we were out and about.  Having a carrier makes it so easy to keep the baby close to your chest and have both hands free.  With this wrap it can hold a baby up to 35 lbs so; yup P can still go in it.  This is very similar to other wraps out there.  There was a lot of wrapping involved when it came to using this carrier.  It was really hard to even try to wrap P in this carrier, so I used a baby doll instead.  It was actually really comfortable when I put it on.  The wrap is grey so it will go with any outfit.  It comes in a small grey bag so it can easily fit in the diaper bag and go anywhere with you.  The Baby Wrap Sling Carrier by Belephant Baby is only $24.99 on Amazon.com.  #babywrapgrey

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Faucet Extender

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These faucet extenders are awesome.  They make handwashing so much easier for my little ones.  My 6 year old no longer needs to use a stool when he washes his hands, and my one year old can now easily wash her hands because she can reach the water herself with a stool.  I am one of those moms that have S wash his hands when he comes in from playing outside or when he gets home from going somewhere.  He has gotten better at washing his hands and not making a mess but this helps with what mess he used to make.  I got two of them and they are so easy to install.  With the silicone top it easily fit over the faucet and was easy to make sure it was angled down.  I got two of them so we put one in the kid’s bathroom and one downstairs.  I love these and plan on giving them as baby shower gifts.  They are something that most don’t think about, but really will come in handy.  The Faucet Extender can either be bought individually for $8.49 or in a pack of two for $12.49 on Amazon.com.  #NewFaucetExtender-SafeHand-washingSolutionforBabie

Tiki Tiki Cotton Bibs-Pack of 3

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I am always in search of good bibs for P to wear when she is eating or when she was drooling.  These bibs are totally me.  I love pigs, so I also love farm animal themes.  The Tiki Tiki Cotton Bibs each come with a different farm animal chicken, cow, and lamb.  These bibs are big enough to cover clothing if using when eating.  It does not have a catch lip on the bottom so it would probably work better for babies who are just learning to eat solids.  The bibs are super soft and have a polyester backing making them perfect for drooling babies.  With the polyester fleece backing it keeps the drool off the baby’s skin.  Because it is a polyester backing there is not crinkly plastic to cause noise.  I love the snaps on the bib instead of Velcro which can scratch.  The Tiki Tiki Cotton Bibs-Pack of 3 are only $11.97 on Amazon.com.  #TikiTikiBaby

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Handmade 5 x 8 inches Notebook Japanese Bound, 80 Unlined Pages

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What is the purpose of a notebook in baby products, you ask?  Let me tell you it can be used for so many things.  I found that with S when I got home from the hospital I didn’t want to forget anything so I wrote everything down in a notebook.  Because of this I knew with P to pack a small notebook so I could take notes during the labor and after.  Yes, I could have done this on my phone, but I think a notebook is more personable.

I think this will be great when we or the children want to look back to recall memories.  Gosh knows in 10 years I will not be able to recall what happened but this memory book will be a great way to recall it.  It is more private than a digital draft on a phone, and I can get much more detailed.  A Handmade 5 x 8 inches Notebook Japanese Bound, 80 unlined pages by SamutNote is only $13.50 on Amazon.com.  #SamutNote

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C+F Slim Packing Cubes

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I have found these packing cubes to be a very effective way to neatly get everything packed in an organized fashion.  By using multiple packing cubes I can pack all the bathroom necessities, towels, washcloths and jammies separately so I can grab that cube and take P in the bathroom to get her ready for bed when we stay in a hotel.  I also use other cubes to keep S and P’s clothes separate.  It makes it so much easier when S is digging in a suitcase for his clothes instead of him unfolding everything and mixing it all up.  The C+F Slim Packing Cube works great to keep all of the clothes neatly folded and less wrinkled.  The C+F Slim Packing Cube single cube is $8.97 or in a 3-pack for $19.97 on Amazon.com.  #packingcube

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Magnetic Letters and Numbers by Somasix

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For some reason my kids are intrigued by the refrigerator and objects that can stick to it.  These letters are a great source for entertainment and knowledge.  There are 62 pieces contained in this package.  There is a capital and lowercase letter for A-Z in the alphabet and 0-9 numbers.  P loves to stick and unstick the letters fascinated on the ability for these to stick to the fridge.  I am sure that little mind is trying to figure out how this magic trick works.   S on the other hand likes to use these letters to try to spell new words.  This is a great way for him to show me the words he learned in school that day and we keep them on the fridge for the week to go over them daily.  The Magnetic Letters and Numbers by Somasix are only $19.95 on Amazon.com.   #SOMASIXALPHABETMAGNETS

 

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Disclaimer: I have never claimed to be any great writer. So any mistakes that are made are my fault. Sometimes I mix up names B, S, and P, but I think you can figure out who I am talking about. If you find any grammatical errors just fix it in your mind so it sounds right.