Hellobee

These are my budget gear favorites for babies newborn – 6 months!

1) Pack n Play: We got one of the cheapest Pack-n-Plays on the market. Basic bassinet insert and no changing table. It was the right choice! Co-sleepers and pack-n-plays with more bells and whistles were almost twice as expensive. But I can’t see how any of the additional features would have been useful to us. Babies are known for having explosive diapers, so the idea of changing the baby literally on top where he slept felt like a bad idea waiting to happen.

2) Crib Sheet: This is the extent of our crib bedding. We took the AAP seriously when they said not to use anything fluffy in a crib! So we bought no bumpers and no quilt. We actually got this on sale for $5.99! Seriously, two sheets is all we bought for bedding and so far it’s all we’ve needed.

3) Antilop High Chair: I love this high chair. It is a modern classic! I fully expect to see one in MoMA one day. We considered getting a seat that sits in a regular chair, but we only have seating for four in our breakfast nook, and I didn’t want to ruin the upholstery on our chairs. So a standard highchair was a must. The red Antilop looks so great in our retro-ish kitchen. It is so easy to clean. It doesn’t have padding, but we made a pillow to put behind Scribble. (Tutorial forthcoming!) I would much rather wash a pillowcase than try to wipe in the crevices of a padded high chair!  The Antilop can be used as a travel chair, since the legs snap off easily.  And at 26 dollars, you can’t beat the price. I covet the gorgeous wooden high chairs that are very popular right now, but the Antilop is perfectly attractive for the cost.

4) Homedics SoundSpa Lullaby: Many moms suggested this to me, so this was one of the first things I bought for baby. It has continuous white noise (with four different noise options), and two discs of images that project onto the ceiling or walls. Although I’ve heard nothing but good stuff about this product, most of my friends’ machines have broken. And eventually ours did as well! The motor on the mobile stopped working a few months ago. But once we started sleep training we stopped using any light in Scribble’s room, so this hasn’t really mattered for us. This plays 24 hours a day and it hasn’t stopped in seven months! So I’ve had no need to return it. And now a new model is out so perhaps the motor burnout issue is resolved! This is far better than a battery-operated option that plays for a set period of time.

5) Chicco Keyfit 30 with Caddy: Getting a Chicco Keyfit was one of our big splurges, but we felt justified buying the best car seat we could afford. I tried out the Cortina travel system, but it was just too bulky and heavy for me! We decided to register for the Keyfit Caddy instead. Truthfully, the combination of Keyfit + Caddy is just as expensive as a Chicco travel system, and much more expensive than other travel systems. But we plan on moving to an umbrella-style stroller after Scribble outgrows the Caddy, so ultimately we’ll spend around 150 dollars for all our stroller needs (unless someday we need a double! One can hope, right?). The Caddy is small, lightweight, easy to open and close, and easy to operate on solo trips.  The basket is very large so I often use this in lieu of a buggy when I am out shopping.

6) Bright Starts Bouncer: Ok, this is nowhere near as pretty as the Bjorn bouncer, or even other more expensive Bright Start models. In fact, when I assembled this, I was really annoyed by how chintzy and lightweight it seemed. But I shouldn’t have been! We borrowed a more expensive bouncer from friends but ultimately Scribble preferred the bright toys on this one. He slept better in the more luxe models, but was only willing to play in this one!

7) Infantino Balance: I coveted the Ergo when I was pregnant, but my husband balked at the price. I was hesitant because the Balance was so much cheaper than other more popular carriers. But we love this carrier! I also have a Baby K-Tan (which I scored for only 17 dollars at a local discount store!) but I prefer this soft-structured carrier. We don’t babywear on a daily basis (only for outings), so we don’t need anything more than what the Balance offers.  My only complaint is that it is not made for exceptionally broad-shouldered people, and it is hard to snap on without help (but it is possible! Just takes a few minutes and you’ll need to be sitting down).  We got our Balance when it was priced around 25 dollars; unfortunately, it has been replaced by newer models, so it is more expensive now. Still, at 45 dollars it remains a steal and I would definitely feel comfortable purchasing other Infantino carriers, which range from 15 to 50 dollars in price.

8) Changing Table: Some would question whether any changing table can truly be considered a “budget” purchase when they are not totally necessary. We got a hand-me-down dresser for our nursery, but it is too tall to use as a changing table. We could have put together a changing station to use on the floor or bed (we actually have one in our living room– it is just a basket with changing supplies and a portable pad tucked in) if we wanted to go super-budget. But I’m pretty disorganized and wanted a place to corral all the newborn stuff in one place while Scribble was sleeping in our room. Now we are using it as ad-hoc Montessori-style shelving for Scribble’s toys. For us, it was a fantastic purchase!

Once Scribble is big enough for his umbrella stroller and convertible car seat, I’ll have some more budget finds to share with you!

What is your favorite budget baby find?