Mom Life Archives - Demi Joie

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10 First Birthday Gift Ideas

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I can’t believe that my daughter will be one in two months. I remember bringing her home from the hospital and she was a little potato that didn’t do anything but eat and sleep. Now she wants to be super self-sufficient and doesn’t want mommy to help her with anything. For her first birthday, we decided that we wouldn’t be doing anything big, but I still wanted to get her a couple of gifts to open on her big day. I wanted the gifts to be useful, but fun and something that she could continue to use for a while. And I wanted to share them with all the parents or friends that are also in the same place as my family. Here are 10 first birthday gift ideas!I hope that you’re able to find something to gift the little one in your life.

1 / Wooden Musical Instruments

$29.99 , Amazon

Now that I’m a mother I totally understand not wanting any toys that make noice….but hear me out! How much fun would it be to have musical time with your little one? If you are giving this as a gift to someone else I would definitely ask for permission from the parents first.

2 / Playdate Friends

$20.10, Amazon

How cute are those dolls? They have different six different playdate dolls that you can choose from. It is machine washable which is so important since I know that they will drag this doll everywhere.

3 / Play Hair Styling & Grooming Kit

$19.99, Amazon

We love to explain what we’re doing as we’re doing it to our daughter. And with this styling set, she can participate with us. This can also be used as while teaching everyday tasks. I’m sure that she will try to use these on us as well.

4 / Baby Balance Bike

$49.99, Amazon

How cute is this tiny bike? It is lightweight and can be easily lifted and pushed around the house. It also has no sharp parts and the silent wheels makes it perfect for use indoors.

5 / Art Easel

$47.99, Amazon

I was definitely an arts and crafts kid. So I was excited to introduce my daughter to arts and crafts as well. We tried the ziplock bag with paint inside, but she didn’t seem interested in that at the time. We have high hopes for this multifunctional easel. It can also be turned into a table!

6 / Beeswax Crayons

$22.95, Amazon

Beeswax is a safe and durable alternative to traditional crayons. They are super thick so you don’t have to worry about them breaking during the first use.

7 / Baby Safe Finger Paint

$24.98, Amazon

Sticking with the arts and crafts theme, here are some baby safe finger paint. These finger paints are made from organic vegetable making it safe for young toddlers/babies to use.

8 / Play Cleaning Set

$23.93, Amazon

This is for all the little ones that love to help clean or play with the broom and mop at home. Its the perfect size and has its own little rack to hang them on.

9 / My 1st Wagon

$34.99, Amazon

How cute is this 1st wagon? Perfect to pull the baby in or for the baby to pull the free teddy bear that is included when you purchase the wagon!

10 / Wooden Number Puzzle

$15.12, Amazon

Numbers, Shapes, and developing fine motor skills….What more could you ask for?

I hope that you’re able to find either a gift for a loved one or your little one in this gift guide. What are some of your first birthday gift ideas? What gifts have you give before?

Also check out my other mom blog posts!

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Nuna Baby Pipa Lite RX Travel System Review

While having a really rough pregnancy, I left the task of finding a car seat and stroller to my husband. My only requirements were that it needed to be light, easy to carry, and easily adjustable as the baby grows. My husband took that and ran with it. I would find him up in the middle of the night comparing different strollers. And after many sleepless nights we landed on the Nuna Baby Pipa Lite RX. It was backordered at the time and took us a while to get the stroller. However, when it finally arrived I fell in love with it. We have been using it for 9 months now and I have some pros and cons of the Nuna car seat and stroller.

Table Of Contents

What is the average cost?
Where can you find Nuna Baby Pipa Lite RX Car Seat and Stroller?
What are the Pros?
What are the Cons?

What is the average cost?

NUNA BABY PIPA LITE RX Car Seat & MIXX NEXT Stroller System: $1129-1299 Depending on the retailer

PIPA^™ RX Car Seat: $499.95

MIXX^™ NEXT Stroller: $799.9

Where can you find Nuna Baby Pipa Lite RX Car Seat and Stroller?

What are the Pros?

It is one of the lightest infant carseat, weighing in at 6.9 lbs.
It comes with a “Sky Drape” that shields baby from the weather and sun. No need to purchase a separate car seat cover.
Easy to adjust the straps and headrest as the baby grows.
The stroller is extremely easy to fold and unfold. It does require two hands, no accidentally collapsing the stroller.
Car seat can be used for babies weighing 4-32 lbs. and up to 32 in.
Sturdy. The stroller is extremely sturdy even when empty.
Stroller converts to a toddler stroller once baby outgrows the infant carseat.
Magnets on the side that holds straps in place while putting baby in carseat.

What are the Cons?

Difficulty putting in a small trunk due to the wheels locking in place and being unable to adjust.
If you are use to strollers coming with accessories then this is not for you. We purchased a cup holder for $25 after purchasing the stroller.
The price of the car seat and stroller is definitely an investment.
It takes up a lot of room in a compact car. We are unable to sit in the passenger seat with the car seat in the back.

Do you have some car seat and stroller must-haves? Also check out my other Mom Life posts.

Nursery Must-Haves + Nursery Tour

After we found out that we were pregnant and in between my many trips to the restroom (thanks to hyperemesis gravidarum), I envisioned what I would like my daughter’s nursery to look like. On those sleepless nights, I would stroll Pinterest and Google, trying to come up with some inspiration. And once we moved into our new home, I tried out a few. After what felt like a 1000 different paint swatches and Amazon orders, my vision finally came to life. It’s calming, functional, and has all my nursery must-haves and everything that she needs.

Convertible Crib

When shopping for her nursery, I knew I wanted the centerpiece of her room to be her crib. I also knew that it had to be a convertible crib to make the cost worth it. We originally found this crib on Amazon and added it to our baby registry, assuming that no-one would purchase it. And to our surprise, someone did. It has grown with her this far and one day we can turn it into a toddler bed. We expect to have this crib for at least a couple of years.

Ikea Hemnes Dresser

The Ikea Hemnes dresser is the perfect dresser for a nursery. The four drawers at the top allow for easy access to all your essentials, such as diapers, wipes, burp clothes, and diaper creams. And with some drawer dividers, I’m able to separate her clothes by size.

Changing Pad

As a first time mom, I don’t have a lot of experience with changing diapers. I knew I needed a changing pad that was easy to wipe down and sanitize. I know people say that a changing pad isn’t a must-have, but it is for us. We have had multiple accidents that were easily cleaned up after.

Rocking Chair

This was one thing that multiple people told me that i needed. And they were absolutely right. If i had to arrange my nursery must-haves, this would be number one. It allowed rocking our newborn to sleep ten times easier. We still rock her in today when she needs to be calmed. This one also has a footrest that allowed for comfortable feeding and a place to relax while she independently played as she got older.

Sound Machine with Light

I didn’t understand how magical a sound machine could be. Not only did it help our newborn sleep, but it also allowed us to have more restful nights. This one by Hatch Sleep also has a different light setting. This was a lifesaver for the middle of the night feedings.

Baby Monitor

I believe that a baby monitor is obvious must- have. Especially when your baby perfects the art of pulling up faster than you expected.

Flower Wall

I found this wallpaper while looking at Etsy for inspiration, but it was out of my budget. So I recreated it by buying these Daisy Wall Decals from Etsy and painting the wall. I used paint from Home Depot and then placed the decals where I liked them. I turned out easier than I thought.

Hopefully you got some inspiration from my nursery must-haves + tour! If you want to know what not to purchase then check out 5 BABY ITEMS I REGRET PURCHASING. Also check out my other Mom Life posts!

5 Baby Items I Regret Purchasing

I will be the first one to admit that I was extremely confused on what I should and should not purchase as a first time mom. I looked through countless blogs and baby sites to gain some insight on the best baby items around. Even though I believe that I did enough research, I still ended up purchasing some items that I would not purchase nor recommend again. I’m sure that there are more than 5 baby items that I regret purchasing, but these are the one that I thought hurt the most because I was sure that we needed these items. And I have to share them to makes sure that you will not have the same regrets as me.

Ubbi Diaper Pail

The number one reason why we purchased the Ubbi Diaper Pail is because it didn’t require any special bags. While reading through the reviews a few of them did mention that it didn’t contain the smell as well as other brands. But how bad could it be? BAD! No matter how many times you clean it out the smell is still horrible. It became a game on how fast we could open the top and put a diaper in before the smell hit us.

In-Car Baby Monitor

This is the one time where an Amazon ad got me! This monitor plugs directly into the charging port in the car. There is a camera that points to the baby and a monitor that sits on the dash. Sounds like a good idea in theory. However, if it was sunny outside, the sun would give off a glare on the camera. I was unable to see my baby at that point, defeating its purpose. And if it was dark I couldn’t see anything. I used the monitor for maybe two weeks before I exchanged it for a regular baby mirror.

4Moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet

We purchased this bassinet after struggling to get our daughter to sleep in the original bassinet. It was good at first, but then we noticed some issues. Unlike the Snoo, 4Moms bassinet doesn’t turn on and off based on babies movements. We found that the bassinet would put her to sleep , but it would wake her up in the middle of the night. Sometimes it would jump or skip , startling her out of her sleep. We soon noticed black soot around the base of the bassinet. That’s when we decided to take it out of commission.

Car Toys

I had extreme car anxiety the first few months after having our daughter. We purchased some car toys/distractions that would attach to the headrest. I figured this would keep her occupied long enough for us to get to and from our destination. Well they are still in the box. I started to read so many articles about not using after-market car toys due to the lack of testing during a crash. Better safe than sorry!

Button Pajamas /Sleepers

Out of all the baby items that I regret, this is number one because my husband warned me. People with multiple children warned me about button sleepers. Did I listen? Nope. Do I regret it? Yes. When you’re changing a hungry baby while sleep deprived the last thing that you want to do is button up a sleeper. Trust me, get the zip-up sleepers. It’s worth the extra money.

As a first time mom, we’re going to make mistakes. We’re going to buy things that we won’t use as much as we think we will. But as new moms we need to help each other out and be supportive during this new journey.

Those are the baby items I regret purchasing, what are yours? Also check out my other Mom Life posts.

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