Our Top 5 Favorite Needs VS. Wants-Big Stuff

The thoughts of having a baby are overwhelming in many ways. We waited several years and knew we wanted to start a family but we were a bit overwhelmed financially with all the stuff we thought we needed. We made a list of what we thought the perfect nursery should have, scoured the internet and made several registries with hundreds of things we thought we needed. Fast forward one year later and we have a much better idea of what we actually use every day and what we didn't really use so I am sharing my experiences with you. Someone else may make a list and it may be totally different, this is merely our experience.

NEEDED: Crib....

We have the Sydney Crib from Bily and its amazing.
We had a lot of problems with our original stockcraft crib but that's a whole other post...needless to say, we then finally have another crib which was probably the most expensive item we purchased at $390.00 but again, well worth the money. I love it....its so beautiful, so study and well made. Definitely Buzzworthy

NEEDED: Mattress, the firmer the better. Don't go cheap on this one.

NEEDED: Stroller/Car Seat:

Our best investment was our car seat/stroller. We purchased the Euro Graco Deluxe. Retail price was around $389.00 but with a sale, a price match and a few gift cards redeemed we paid closer to $275.00. It should be one of your most thoroughly researched purchases, we use ours almost every single day and it absolutely worth the money. We used the car seat until our child was about 10 months and we still use the stroller almost daily.

NEEDED:

Sleepers...lots of them, at least a dozen and if you have a baby who spits up, maybe 2 dozen. As cute as the little outfits are, buy them in 6-12 months because most newborns are in sleepers or jogging outfits all day long.

NEEDED:

A swing, we started using ours at 6 weeks and we would have been completely lost with out it. Ours swings in two different positions and plays music and we love it.

WANTED:Rocking Chair with Ottoman:

We had to have one...we used it for a few week and now it usually holds laundry before it gets put away. Its nice, no issues with it, we just didn't really use it much.

WANTED: Designer Diaper Bag

We have a beautiful diaper bag and its so incredibly well made and very beautiful, I loved it the moment I purchased it. I do find we often use the free one from pampers because we can throw it in the bottom or the stroller and I don't worry about it getting dirty or stuff falling out of it.
The diaper bag is so nice I've taken to using it as a purse and no one can tell the difference. So, a bit of a splurge but I've used it often.


WANTED: Change Table

Never used it as a change table, its great to keep all of our child's linens and shoes and what not's but we never used as a change table. Personal preference but that's us.

WANTED: Exersaucer

We used ours for about 3 months, great to put the kids into when you need to go the washroom or are cooking supper but our child didn't really "play" in it...great if you can borrow one or pick one up second hand.

WANTED: Crib bedding

As amazing as those bedding sets can be, we decided to only buy fitted sheets for the crib. Most sets come with "bumper pads" and you are not supped to use them. So we didn't buy a set. I drooled over many and if you have the extra cash, go for it. As a mom on a bit of a budget we determined it was a want and not a need for our family.