Jax Tested Mother Approved!

Meet Jax. Now that my son is almost two, I feel like I can give you my honest opinion on products that are worth the money. and those that you can just leave off your shopping list. My son takes his job of testing all these items very seriously. Have you ever seen those commercials where items are getting tested with sledge hammers, powerful wind and rain? His testing is something like that.

Baby Furniture

Tip: Pick furniture that grows with them.

I wanting my son to have a cool boys room, so we went with Superhero's! I bought my furniture from Honest company, and all the items I have will grow with my son. I am hoping the theme and furniture will last for years to come but we also want to change his room as his interest and personality change. The crib will become a toddler bed and then a full size bed. Our changing table is attached to his dresser. Whenever he's out of diapers, it'll just be a dresser. We shouldn't have to purchase anything new for his room. I am hoping these items will last well into his teens.

Diapers
Tip: Try different brands to find the right one for your little one.

We have had great success with honest company diapers, and believe me my son put the diapers to the test! (He has always been a very health eater). Not only are these diapers cute and durable, but they have never given my son a rash. Bonus, they come straight to my door so no diaper runs. I can't tell you the last time my son has had a leak! I'm just so amazed by their quality and the convenance of coming to my door. I have the $79 a month diaper and wipe package.

Baby Clothing

Tip: Have fun but don't go too crazy in one size. It's always a good idea to have some things in the next size up.

Now this is my weakness. I just have soooo much more fun buying for my son than I do myself. There are sooo many cute baby clothes out there and I feel like I give myself a break on what I spend. I have a boy and sometimes the selection is small in most kids stores. My favorite places to shop are Children's Place, Crazy8, Target, and Thredup These places really fit my son's style of Tees and Jeans. Yes, I'm raising a baby hipster.  They always have great sales going on, and I get coupons pretty often.

Thredup is also great way to sell your baby's clothing. These are items in new or like new condition that they never got to wear or only wore once. They also have a great selection of children's clothing and shoes. I like to sell clothing to them and take the credit to buy more for my son.  I always try to not buy too much in one size because he out grows everything so fast. My tip is not to go over board with buying shoes. I always make sure to have one pair of nice shoes and one pair of play shoes in his current size. I also think it's a good idea to have the next size up in his closet just in case. I never buy half sizes in shoes because you don't get your money's worth since they are in that size for a hot minute. Room to grow in a shoe is not a bad thing.

Baby Gear

Tip: Pay more on the things you will use the most. Make sure it fits your lifestyle needs and not just your price point.

High Chair

The best thing we bought would have to be our high chair from baby bjorn. This is something that we use everyday. It isn't bulky,  it folds up to easily take it on vacation and trips and it's easy to clean. This is perfect for us because none of our family lives close to us and we travel several times a year. Plus, the small size is a must because our dining space is really small.

Pack in play.

Now this one is a bit on the pricy side but we believe it was a great investment: the 4 moms pack in play.   After Jax was born, we used this every day for the first few months. It folds down easy and sets up in one easy push. We got the bassinet top and used it for the first two months that he was in our room. After that it was our downstairs changing table and then a travel crib. It can also be used as a playpen but my son just never took too the playpen idea. Based on how easy it is to use and how much we still use it, I would recommend this to any parent over every other playpen. We also bought a small micro foam mattress we put in it when it's used as a crib. He seems to like it and since he is use to it, he has no trouble sleeping in it when we travel.

Baby Bag

Tip: Any bag can be a baby bag.

Just use a tote you already own and purchase an organizer. I am sorry but baby bags are not cute. And believe me I looked and looked. The cute ones I found were expensive and just look like a big tote bag or piece of luggage. So save yourself some coin and just use a tote and an organizer to make any bag a baby bag.

Baby Toys

Tip: Anything can become a toy as long as it is safe.

You don't need a bunch for a baby. They mostly just like colorful things that make noise. You can also make anything within reason a toy. My son likes to play amazon with my boxes that come in. He puts toys in and takes them out. I may or may not have an amazon addiction. The truth is, you don't have to spend money on all these fancy toys. My son's favorite thing to do is go outside and look at stuff. He loves leaves, flowers, rocks, grass, you know the things that are beautiful that we take for granted everyday. There is no wrong way to play.

Sharing means caring

Tip: Swap your items with another family!

 You may have some friends or family that are in between kids or finished having them. It doesn't hurt to post the items you are looking for on facebook and see what they have to loan or sell. You can save a lot of money, plus they will have one less thing around the house. I had a friend that was kind enough to give me a lot of her sons old clothing. I didn't have to worry about buying anything until he was over 18 months. That was a huge money saver, and she had a lot of fun seeing the clothing again.

I hope this has helped you with your baby haul. The most important thing to note is that even though we have all this new technology and gadgets, it doesn't mean that we need all of them. All a baby really needs is a safe place to live, food, and someone to love and take care of them. The other things are just stuff. Be present and enjoy your baby because it will be over before you know it.