Must-Have (& Favorite) Items for Your Baby Registry! {& Also what NOT to register for}

As a coming on third time around mom, I feel like I really have the baby items down that we need for baby #3. I also feel many times when I'm shopping off of someone else's baby registry I see so many items they will come to find they really don't need! & thinking back to when I did Landon's registry 6 years ago, I'm seeing there are SO many new amazing baby products on the market that didn't exist back then, or that I just didn't know about being a first time mom and the first mom of all my friends to get pregnant.
I've been thinking about this post for some time now, and wanted to compile a complete and very best list possible. I really limited this list to items you need. Of course there will be items you really just want as well as other personal décor and storage items, and you should feel free to register for those too! But for the sake of necessities, just these items are sure to carry you through :)

FEEDING:
- breast pump
         -most insurances now cover these so call your insurance before registering and see
- nursing pads
         - I actually never needed these, but I believe most breastfeeding moms do - you can always wait and see and AmazonPrime those when you get home from the hospital.
- 6 bottles
        - We liked Avent, and also the medela ones that worked with our pump. The slow-flow nipples they give you in the hospital we used on the medela bottles and they worked great. You only need the 4 oz bottles for about the first 6 months, then 8 oz bottles after that.
- bottle brush
- nursing cover up (optional;))
- I would leave out burb cloths, because you will undoubtedly receive these but even if you don't, kitchen cloths work just as fine. Plus I hate to tell you but 99% of the time the spit up is going to come at you completely un-prepared for.

GEAR:
- car seat
- bouncer or swing
- diaper bag
- stroller
        - we loved the Snap 'n Go for the infant bucket seat - never had it with Landon but we did with Blair and it is amazing. Will be using it again for Baby 3.
       - Once they outgrow bucket seat, we went straight to umbrella stroller and chose the Uppa Baby G-Lite - love, love, love.
- monitor
- car mirror
        - We love our Royal Rascals Baby Safe Mirror. - Super easy to install, adjustable, shatterproof, & comes with a lifetime warranty.
- The Mommy Hook
        - This thing is such a little lifesaver! It hooks onto your stroller to help you carry your shopping bag, baby bag, purse, and the million other bags upon becoming crazy bag ladies.
- Wrap
        - I have and use the Wrap 'n Wear. Similar to the Moby, but much thinner material - a breathable, almost gauze-like material. Used for both Landon and Blair and loved it. Can use it 12 different ways too - including a side/hip wrap for when they get a little older. It also comes with an instructional DVD showing you how to use all the different positions which is super helpful.
- I would personally leave out the Diaper Pail here. We had the Genie with Landon and ended up having to buy the expensive re-fills every time I went to Target. Finally just dumped it and use a regular trash, and just put poopy diapers in plastic grocery bags before putting in the trash - it's been a lot more affordable and much easier too.
- Play Yard I would also leave out - my kids hated being in there, and ultimately you need to watch them 24/7 anyway when they are young so it doesn't really serve it's purpose. If you need to take the dog out or be away from baby real quick and need a safe place to put them for a minute alone, can always use the crib.

HEALTH/GROOMING:
- Diapers
        We used a mix of cloth and disposables. LOVE Everyday Happy diapers, which are disposable but non-toxic and made with 100% sustainable materials. They're made with SFI-certified wood pulp from sustainably managed USA forests, so they are chlorine-free, preventing harmful dioxin formation. And they have ultra absorbent hybrid core wicks moisture away making them feel super comfortable. I've also found leaks/blow outs to be best contained best with these diapers as they have strong reusable grip tape and double leak guards. Additional bonus?? They're at great prices and delivered directly to your door to last you a month's supply if you sign up for their diaper care kit.
- Wipes
        - again, love Everyday Happy bamboo baby wipes for that super sensitive newborn skin. They're infused with aloe vera, vitamin E and cucumber extract, & are perfect for delicate skin.
- diaper ointment
        - Burt's Bees is our fave. Smells awesome, is 100% natural, and works the best by a long haul.
- pacis
- rectal thermometer
- nail clippers/files
- NoseFrida
- if boy/circumcised, gauze pads
- baby wash/shampoo
- infant bathtub
- 3 baby towels/washcloths. Can just use facial washcloths if you already have, no real need then to buy baby washcloths.

NURSERY
- crib
- mattress
- bassinet or moses basket
        -we have & love this one from Trend Lab. This is another product we didn't have for Landon but I got with Blair. It was great for those beginning weeks because you could take baby with you anywhere while you needed to do something - outside the shower while you showered, in the kitchen while you cooked, etc.
- glider or rocking chair
- a dresser or changing table.
        - Been seeing many people use the top of dresser as changing table - wish I thought about that before purchasing our changing table with Landon - makes much more sense!
- hamper
- 2 fitted crib sheets
- 1 changing pad
- 2 changing pad covers

CLOTHING:
- 6-8 bodysuits
- 6-8 side-snap t-shirts
- 2 hats
- 6-8 pairs of socks
- 3 swaddle blankets
        - we love Just Born swaddles, made with 100% cotton muslin. so soft and adorable designs! Also love their Simply Secure swaddle wrap.
- 6-8 pairs of pants
- 2 sweaters/hoodies
I would personally leave out all clothing and blanket items on your registry, because people love to buy these things for you anyway and you will have a surplus. Just a checklist to keep on hand after your baby shower to make sure you have enough of the basics.

I also left out toys and books because again these are items you will receive a ton of, and babies really do not need any toys until about 6-9 months old anyway.

I hope this list helps and remember that lots of baby gear items you can now find at consignment or pre-used, so check out those types of places too. And borrow from friends! Lots of these items are only used within first 6 months and they can be pricey for such a short period of time, so see what you can borrow that someone is no longer using. One last thing to remember is that Amazon Prime is only a few clicks away and 2 days later it will appear on your door step. So anything you didn't get and come to realize you wish you had, its no big deal at all to just order it once the baby is here.
Happy nesting!!

Nowvel Photo Book Giveaway!!

Just received our photo book from our Florida vacation from Nowvel and love it so much!!! I am so excited to offer one of you lucky guys a chance to win your own today!!

Unlike other online photo books this is an actual app on your phone that you can literally just select photos from your camera roll to be placed in the album. So it doesn't take up all your hard drive storage on your computer AND you don't have to transfer photos to your computer!! Every mom's worst inconvenience;) I take SO many pictures of my kids and have so many photos on my phone, which then just get transferred to my hard drive, and I feel like so many gorgeous photos ultimately just get lost in a digital heap or icloud somewhere up there. And creating a photo book felt like making a scrapbook - it would take legit weeks for me to complete and I would stress about making it perfect, agonizing over the correct placement and order of each and every photo.
Now, with Nowvel, this is completely different, and SO AMAZING! It is literally the easiest thing to do now - their software picks and groups your personally selected photos from facebook or your iPhone and automatically generates them into a photo book FOR you. - but don't worry you Type-A personalities, you can still move around, edit, crop all you want, they just make it about a gajillion times easier on you already time-pressed mamas.
They have some super cute cover styles to choose from, it was really hard to pick which one to go with, but I opted for the tropical lime green 'hello' script because it went so well the overall color scheme of my photos. 

And the quality of their books are top notch - their books are printed with super thick, stiff paper stock that lays completely flat when open. They can showcase a single photo across both pages and their books cost $20 flat. Here are a few of my favorite pages from our book:

I know that was a lot, but I literally love every single page so much. The finished product shocked me with how good it came out - Every photo was perfectly placed and the resolution of all the images came out looking like I used a high tech camera. We will definitely be using this app to make photo books for family events, parties, and gifts for others. Speaking of gifts- this would make a great personal Mother's Day gift!

How To Enter:
Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what kind of photobook you would make if you win!!
Please leave your email address on your comment so I know how to contact you if you're the lucky winner!

And if you don't win this giveaway, fret not! You can use promo code "CORNER" for $5 off your order. 

This giveaway and promo code will expire on 4/26/16. Winner will be chosen at random and emailed with the email they provide in the comment. Good luck!!!

Mixed Berry Smoothie

Been making smoothies a ton since the start of my pregnancy -  It's been a great way to up our vitamin C with all these colds around us, and the kids absolutely love them so it's an easy way to whip up something quick & healthy for them and that they'll actually gobble all up.
Here is one we've been making a lot lately, a mixed berry one made with R.W. Knudsen Family's Just Blueberry Juice. We love R.W. Knudsen Juice brand because they stand by wholesome ingredients without any artificial flavors or preservatives - they are made from organic single-fruits, with no added sweeteners and completely sweetened 100% by the juices straight from the fruit, and they taste absolutely delicious. The R.W. Knudsen Family offers over 100 types of natural, organic fruit and vegetable juices, as well as celebratory beverages, bubbly Spritzers, and natural sports drinks, and you can find them at your local grocery stores, Walmart, and Target.

Berry Smoothie: What You Will Need:
- 1/2 cup vanilla or plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons blueberryjuice (R.W. Knudsen Family Just Blueberry Juice is our favorite)
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 banana
- Some other optional healthy add in's or toppings are a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tablespoon of hemp seeds, a tablespoon of chia seeds, PB2 powder, or protein powder.

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in blender. Cover and process until smooth.
2. Top with frozen blueberries, coconut flakes, chia seeds, or any other toppings you fancy & enjoy!