Holisticaited on Substack! Did ya miss me?! 😜🤣
This took me a while, but I finally got it squared away to share with you — an “updated baby registry” of sorts, haha. I’m currently 28 weeks pregnant (while writing this, but 33.5 now that I’m posting it 🤣) with Baby Bounds #2 and finally finished working on another one of these to add to my baby shower invitation. In the process, I realized there are some modifications I’d make to the OG one. Plus, there are lots of baby/toddler items I’ve purchased since that are worth sharing with you (especially if you found my first “Holistic (& Minimalistic) Baby Registry useful).
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s just get right to it! 😜
Cait’s Updated Holistic (& Minimalistic) List for Baby
Things I’d change or add if I went back and did it again:
There were definitely items on the OG registry that didn’t get used much, didn’t work well for us, we didn’t like, or maybe Alex just didn’t like 😅 Here’s what I’d modify:
The Naturseen Bottles: Even though I pretty much never used bottles, I purchased these Dr. Brown’s glass bottles months after Alex was born because I couldn’t buy a sleeve to protect the Naturseen ones. Plus, we had some trouble with them once we started to change out the nipples as she got older. We’ll see if the Dr. Brown’s ones get some use with Baby #2. Here’s a link to the bottle sleeve I got as well.
The Diapers: I can’t recommend the Coterie diapers enough! We started with Honest Diapers when Alex was a newborn and they honestly SUCKED in comparison 🤣 She was constantly having leaks and blowouts, but once I switched to Coterie, ZERO diaper challenges like this – and I mean ZERO. Yes, they’re pricier, but we go through a lot less of them because they’re so absorbent. She’s also never had diaper rash….so…..yeah. Enough said, right? The other great thing about them is that you can set up an account on Coterie’s website and have them auto-renew as frequently as you like. I have them set to ship once a month, but I receive an email reminder right beforehand and I can modify the size, change the ship date, etc. before they officially send them out.
Sleep Sack: Alex didn’t seem to like swaddles or sleep sacks for the longest time and I knew she’d probably nap better if she’d just let me put her in a stinkin’ sleep sack, butttt, nope. Finally, I found this Nyte Nyte baby one that keeps the legs separate, so she didn’t feel as “trapped.” Game-changer. I put this on her for every nap AND for bed at night. Best believe I’m adding this to my new registry for Baby #2 (probably in a few sizes too 😂).
Baby Wash: I didn’t like the Earth Mama baby wash I had on my OG registry because even though it was non-toxic, it was drying out her skin. I had also purchased the lotion, but felt it wasn’t moisturizing enough for her either. I’ve since used two different brands that I’ve been happy with. Here they are below:
Proudly: once Alex got older, her hair grew longer and started curling 🥰. I knew I needed to find something to support her hair type better, so I found this brand while on the hunt for a non-toxic curl styling cream. I ended up buying the full hair care collection and LOVE it. Now, I have all the hair products AND the skin stuff!
Silicone Feeders: When I made my OG registry, I had no idea how much of a thing teething would be 😅. I originally bought these (which are great) BUT they are small and tricky to put frozen water or milk into so we got these other ones that make it a lot easier. You can put breastmilk (or a smoothie mix) into these molds and they’ll fit perfectly inside the silicone mouthpiece (or you can just do what we do now and grab frozen fruit out of the freezer and stick it in there straight 🤣).
Blackout Cover for Pack-n-Play: When Darius first shared this with me, I was skeptical mostly because of the way the image on Amazon is photoshopped, hahaha 😅 I don’t know about you, but the baby poking its head out just seemed weird to me…like I felt trapped just looking at it 😂. However, this thing actually works really well and if you have to keep your baby in the same room to sleep when you’re on vacation, it can be very helpful for them (and for you) to catch some Z’s. I highly recommend giving it a shot (especially for $22).
Smol Tide Water Table: I think I added this to the registry after the fact, so it didn’t make the OG list. Alex uses it pretty often in our backyard; although, she usually ends up just playing with the hose. All the toys it comes with are great though!
Things I’ve bought since:
Okay so I guess these items fall outside the “typical” baby registry list because they’ll come in handy later on, but I figured I’d share them with you anyway. Maybe you want to add them to yours or maybe you just want to shop for your toddler. Either way, here you go:
Convertible Car Seat: Alex’s Nuna Infant car seat worked great, but when she outgrew it, we were looking for a non-toxic option that wouldn’t break the bank 😬 (although I do believe everything Nuna is amazing). We originally decided on the Maxi Cosi Pria Max (Pure Cosi), but we weren’t happy with it and ended up returning it. It was much cheaper, but it FELT much cheaper – the buckles were difficult, the fabric seemed kinda “itchy,” and Alex always seemed SO HOT 🥵sitting in it. We went back to the drawing board and found the Britax Poplar S. It’s more expensive than the Maxi Cosi, but still cheaper than the Nuna option PLUS we love it! 🙌 The material seems much more comfortable, she doesn’t seem to be as hot while sitting in it, and the straps are quick and easy. The only downside I’ve found is that removing everything to wash it isn’t that simple (I had to watch a YouTube video), but it’s not like it’s a dealbreaker in my opinion.
Toddler Kitchen Tower: These can be very pricey and I didn’t want to spend too much without knowing how much Alex would actually use it. I found a foldable wooden one on Amazon, but it’s no longer available so I linked a similar one.
IKEA Table: This “sensory” table is AMAZING. When I first bought it, I anticipated I’d be using it to prepare sensory bins for Alex to play in; but, not much of that went down, haha. There was kinetic sand in one of the bins for about a week, dried beans a few other times, and ice cubes once, but really this table gets used DAILY for eating, coloring, reading, and playing with toys.
Chairs for the IKEA Table: She loves sitting in her “silla” especially to eat her snack.
IKEA Easel: It’s got a simple design, a whiteboard side, a chalkboard side, and it’s $20. You can buy huge rolls of paper from IKEA too. Such a good buy!
IKEA Table Lamp: I wasn’t going to buy this for the sake of not buying something ELSE on this IKEA trip, BUT it was so cute and inexpensive, that I couldn’t resist it. I keep it beside Alex’s changing table and she makes owl sounds whenever she sees it. It’s a great lamp for keeping it “moody” in the room, especially at bedtime.
IKEA Trones Cabinet: We bought these and installed them on multiple walls in our home. We live in a small space, so it always feels like we need MORE storage. Once Alex was having solids, we needed more cabinet space in the kitchen. We installed a couple on the wall beside the fridge to store her silicone teething feeders, bath items, plates, cups, etc. We installed a row of 3 on another blank wall in the house where we store pantry snacks, glass bottles, food containers, etc.
Crocs: Crocs HAVE to be the best summer shoes for toddlers 😅 When Alex was first walking, I bought her 2 pairs of strap-on Converse (which I do like); however, putting on socks and sneakers every time she wanted to get out of the house (which is very often) was starting to feel like too much work. So, I knew I needed to find an easy slip-on type of shoe that didn’t require socks. At first, I bought a pair of these Native shoes which are VERY CUTE. However, she has VERY WIDE feet (like her Dada 🤣), so I bought some Crocs which seem to be a little wider and they worked perfectly. They’re so easy to slip on her whenever she wants to go outside, plus they’re also easy to get back on if she decides to take them off while she’s riding in the car (IYKYK).
TonieBox & Tonies: I’ve limited my daughter’s screen time since Day One, but I didn’t want that to keep her from the stories and music; so, I got her a TonieBox for Christmas. It’s essentially a box that plays music and tells stories through Bluetooth. You just buy different Tonie characters to place on top and each one will play music and tell stories related to it (for example, the Mufasa Tonie will play stories and music from The Lion King). It makes for easy gifts from people as well — for her first birthday, we told everyone they could just buy her new Tonies.
Camelbak Water Bottle: Getting Alex to drink water was more challenging than anticipated. I was trying to teach her to drink from an open cup for a while because I had read that it was best for their development; however, this would lead to her barely drinking anything because it would just end up all over her, the table, the floor, etc.🙄 Buying this water bottle changed the game for us! She immediately picked up drinking out of the straw, there was no mess, and she started to drink way more water. Plus, it’s the perfect thing to take out and about. Actually, someone inside The Holisticaited Familia recommended it to me! 👯♀️
Moonkie Silicone Food Containers: These are great for packing snacks or small meals (when they’re still babies). They’re made with 100% food-grade silicone (no harmful materials) and although I always prefer glass for food storage, it just isn’t practical for taking out and about 🫣
Stainless Steel Bento Box: I bought this for her recently before our trip to the Dominican Republic because the food containers I linked above are too small for some of her snacks now. This worked perfectly to store snacks on the trip and I’ve been packing her morning snack in it daily since she started at her little school. The only thing is, if you throw it in a bag or upside down, the food doesn’t stay in each compartment so I’ve had to add in the Moonkie Silicone Containers to keep things neat.
Kiddie Pool (well…Dog Pool): I bought this after our other kiddie pool broke and it’s WAY better than anything inflatable. The thing about the inflatable pools is that you have to inflate them LOL 😅 which takes time and energy; so if you’re using the pool often, it’s not practical. This pool is meant for dogs, but it just folds open and closed making it 10x easier to use regularly. Plus, the sides aren’t too tall so it’s easy for Alex to walk in and out of it.
Carter’s by DaVinci Convertible Crib: If you hadn’t heard yet, the floor bed never really happened. We tried it for a while when Alex was very young, but I think she was too young because one night we found her head off the side of the mattress and she wasn’t able to get herself back on 🫣👀. After that, we bought a crib, and she’s been sleeping in it ever since. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s non-toxic (Greenguard Certified) and gets the job done. I have no complaints.
Yeti Tote Bag: I didn’t buy this bag, but it was gifted to me and OMG I use it ALL.THE.TIME. 🙌 I guess you could say it’s like my 2nd diaper bag? I use it for any outdoor activities. So, anytime we go to the park or to the beach, I’m likely packing this Yeti tote bag and leaving the diaper bag behind. I can throw in towels, diapers, sunblock, a change of clothing, her shoes, snacks, etc. all in here!
Wooden Playpen: I got asked for the link on this one often. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available 🙄, but I linked something similar for you. Once Alex was crawling, I was using this to keep her safe if I needed to step away to cook meals for example. It wasn’t long before she was pushing this thing all over the house (even with weights on the ends LOL 😅) but it worked well while it lasted.
Swim Diapers: I own a couple of reusable swim diapers (Esembly) and I also keep a pack of disposable ones (Coterie). I’ll usually put the reusable one on her if I know I’m going to be going back home, so I’m not stuck leaving it wet somewhere for too long afterward. If that’s the case, the disposables are a great option. (both types I’ve linked below are non-toxic)
Sunscreen: I’ve tried multiple sunscreens already, and I can’t say I LOVE any of the non-toxic options so far because they’re usually thick and difficult to rub in 🙄The two that I’ve been using most often for her lately are the Spray-on Sunscreen by Pipette (because it’s just easier to spray it) or this one by Badger (it’s not for “kids” but the one I had bought for babies was impossible to rub in, so her and I both use this one).
Things I’m putting on my 2nd registry:
Yay, New Stuff! Haha. So yes, I already have lots of items that can be reused, but not everything can be reused. There are items that will no longer work for us (like a single stroller), items I need multiples of, and items I’d like to have the 2nd time around after having experienced it all with my first. That’s all for you below:
New Stroller (for two): A new baby means a new stroller because it needs to be able to accommodate two. We love our Nuna Mixx Next so much (like I can’t think of a single complaint) that we’d love to stick with them and get the Demi Next + Rider Board. The stroller has 25+ modes, converts from a single to a double or twin, and includes a rider board which I imagine Alex will love.
Kumi Crib: How beautiful is this thang?! 😍 We’re planning to have the new baby sleep in our room for a while before moving them in with Alex, so this seemed like the perfect compact non-toxic crib option for this!
Crib Mattress: I have no complaints about the Newton Crib Mattress, so I put the same exact one on the registry again for Baby No.2 😉
Recliner & Swivel Glider: OMG I had NO IDEA how much time I was going to spend in the rocking chair breastfeeding Alex. For this next baby, mama needs an upgrade (this thang needs to recline for the lumbar support 😂). Hopefully, the Babyletto Kiwi does the trick! 🤞
Jet Scout Carrier: I just couldn’t resist trying ANOTHER carrier…😜😂
Foldable Bathtub: We don’t currently have a bath in our home (just two showers), but Alex has so much fun in her bath and we figured both kiddos would probably want to eventually play in one together, so this one is large enough to fit both of them, plus it’s foldable!
Keekaroo Peanut Changer: I added this to the registry again, because we’re going to need one in our room to change the baby throughout the night and not wake Alex up 😅
Some additional items repeated from the OG List: another mattress cover, organic crib sheets, and some newborn (Little Sleepies) pajamas 😂
Andddd….
That’s a Muthafriggin’ WRAPPP! YAY! 🥳
I really hope you find this helpful because I’ve gotta say…it felt like a lot of work 😅 BUT I know how tedious registries can be 😉 If you have any questions for me, please feel free to drop them in the comments below 👊
