As I was replacing the batteries in Kate’s AFV-famed Kidizoom camera, I realized that the tiny phillips-head screwdriver in my grip had a long history of loosening and tightening screws in the battery covers of my kids’ toys and baby gear. From the infant swing and bouncer, clear up to the sizzling stove and beeping microwave of the play kitchen, that little tool has proven to be one of the “baby must haves” of my motherhood career.
Standing at the counter recharging 4 AA’s, I started to think some more about my most used, can’t-survive-without-it Mommy Must Haves and realized that many of my favorites weren’t items included on my baby registry.
Nor were they even items purchased at baby-specific stores.
Take, for instance, our air purifiers. We have one in each girls’ room and use them as white noise machines.
Quality sleep is worth $40 per machine (and a trip to Home Depot) in my book.
Another example: our step stools They are essential for independent hand washing and potty use, as well as “helping” mom to cook in the kitchen.
But we didn’t look for them at Babies R Us.
It drives me crazy when there are discarded socks and last night’s PJs strewn across the floor of my house, so purchasing a tall kitchen garbage can to place in the laundry room as a make-shift hamper solved that problem.
As the girls have grown, I realized I needed a place to store the dozens of dress-up items with which they play. A trip to Lowes produced removable adhesive wall hooks that created a space for our little princesses to hang their Belle, Cinderella and Aurora gowns.
But what about *the* absolute Must Have for a baby? Did I buy the creme de la creme of mommy necessities at a baby store?
Of course not.
Everyone knows Best Buy is the place to go for a wide selection of portable DVD players.
Did you have anything out of the ordinary on your baby registry? What have been some of the baby must have items you’ve purchased to make life as a parent easier?
My baby must-have item came with a prescription and was picked up from a medical supply store. My children’s nebulizer is a life-saver. Literally.
Thanks for being so sweet and not giving up on me, though I’ve been a horrible commenting buddy. I’ve been keeping up via my email subscription, but haven’t been great about commenting at all!
Hope you’re doing well, Liz.
I had cloth diapers on my registry and no one would buy them for me! I guess they didn’t want me to think of them when I dealt with poop!
Really? We’re on the fence about that portable dvd player but it really does sound like it might be worth it.
Yeah, I’d say all of our “must have” items came from some place other than a baby store!
Earplugs. Nope, not kidding. When Blake was teenie tiny and sleeping in our room, earplugs kept me sane. The middle of the night crying became a reasonable 500db, as opposed to 958db.
hmmm Well when my oldest was little it was our CD player – she loved to carry it around and play her music or tape stories. Now for my youngest it is the Ipod – she adores that thing! I guess Best Buy is our store- that makes my husband happy.
Ha this is so true! I feel like diapers.com is starting to catch on to this idea. I think you can get almost anything from them delivered the next day.
I loved my bumbo chair. My little dudes chubby legs could barely fit into it, but he loved to sit in it.
I think you should do a PSA for baby registries. Those are genius.