Nested

Ten Baby Products We Couldn't Live Without

Nested returning to the airwaves (so to speak) means that our daily email newsletter is back as well. The tell-tale sign for us that the email is being sent out successfully: The number of automated Out-of-the-Office replies that popped up in our inbox. The neat part of these automated replies is the reason behind them -- women planning and being on maternity leave!

So for all those new moms (and moms-to-be) out there, we present our list of Ten Baby Products We Couldn't Live Without.

Mustela Diaper Wipes
The redness down south doesn't always mean diaper rash. Just switching diaper wipes can do the trick of reducing redness. In our house, the switch to Mustela Wipes made all the difference in the world. For $10 a pack, they're a bit pricey. Tushies, a cheaper alternative to Mustela, seems to work almost as well (not as wet though).

BinkLink pacifier clip
When you're finally ready to bite the bullet and look nipple confusion straight in the eye, you'll need something to keep that pacifier somehow connected to your baby. We love the BinkLink because it is not only a piece of baby jewelry that always makes people smiles, but its sturdy construction puts parents at ease.

Snuggle Nest
While we're strong proponents of co-sleeping, we totally understand the fears that new parents may have about sharing their bed with their newborn. While most co-sleeping advocates say that a new mom's brain is wired so as to not roll over their baby, the Snuggle Nest provides the extra security you desire if you think that evolution skipped over your brain.

HotSlings
If you think parenthood is about completely giving up your old life, then you haven't considered wearing your baby. A newborn sleeping makes a great accessary at restaurants and bars, especially when they look good in a HotSling.

The Miracle Blanket
A number of parents we know are still swaddling their six-month old babies in the blanket. Enough said.

GlamourMom tank top
Five reasons why these tank tops rock: (1) You don't need to wear a bra (2) They're long enough to cover your post-birth doughboy stomach (3) Easy access (4) Your old shirts don't close with your new breasts and this tank bridges that gap (5) you have endless material for all the bondage/fetish jokes that the tank's cut-outs provide. 

Clean Well
Alcohol-free, cruelty-free, biodegradable and most importantly, safe for kids, CleanWell is the hand sanitizer that's cool to carry! One mystery remains: why does the CleanWell in the 1 oz. bottles smell like oregano? As we like to joke, there's nothing like the fresh cleansing power of oregano!

JJ Cole Bundle Me
How many times does a baby blanket have to drag over a stroller wheel before you actually do something about it? Our estimate is about 47 times. And then, the JJ Cole Bundle me saved the day.

A Good Board Book (or two)
A baby is never too young to be read to. Seriously. Read. Right. Now! We absolutely love the Dr. Seuss board books because, they're short and easily memorizable. And they're actually a ton of fun to read. Want to start your collection? Go, Dog. Go! rocks. But you don't have to take our word for it. Dog party!

Sophie, the giraffe
Before you had your baby, you probably never noticed this ubiquitous little giraffe named Sophie. These toys are growing to become standard-issue for all new babies due to its natural rubber and non-toxic paint. From our experiences, ALL BABIES LOVE SOPHIE. Even a couple dogs.

The Rookie Mom's Handbook

Even before you pop out your first baby you are bound to receive plenty of warnings about the downsides of the new world of parenting: No sleep, breastfeeding issues and the general feeling of "I'm supposed to know what to do?" usually top the list. But here's a little secret that most seasoned moms don't tell you:

What most new moms aren't prepared for is the overwhelming boredom that they encounter during those first months of motherhood. Getting out of the house is really more difficult than it should be and suddenly all those activities you used to do just don't make sense when you've got a baby in tow. And don't get us started about the soul crush that is daytime television.

That's why we absolutely love The Rookie Mom's Handbook: 250 activities to do with (or without!) your baby by bloggers Whitney Moss and Heather Gibbs Flett. Their suggestions are quirky, but completely doable -- the sort of things that you'd never think of doing and then wonder "why didn't I think of that?"

Welcome Back Y'all

What does a seven month blogging hiatus look like? Well, in Nested's case, we're pretty sure that it looks pretty adorable and something like this little one.

We're tipping our cowboy hats to every parent out there that manages to update their own blogs on a somewhat daily basis. It's one thing to blog about life -- it's quite another thing to raise a baby/child and find the energy to blog about raising babies and their stuff.

Nested is officially back, though it may take a bit of time to get back in the groove of things. The motivation to return to Nested came with our mention in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle article about blogging, social networks and babies. With such a great little inspiration like Penelope, how could Nested possibly remain stagnant? 

Radio Silence Produces New Product Tester

Apologies for the lack of Nested posts for, well, most of September, but we were busy putting the finishing touches on and hiring a new product tester for Nested. Born almost two weeks past her due date is our daughter Penelope. She's pretty cute and we're sure will look great in the hundreds of neat things we find on the web.

Listography Giveaway Updated

When we said that the rate of posting here at Nested would be a bit less frequent than usual, we weren't kidding. Let's just blame much needed rest for the weary.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their list of experiences for the Listography giveaway. We were delighted to read the responses and, because we had to, picked our three favorite comments. The common theme of all the responses was an optimism on how great life can be. And people love weather! Snow and rain topping the lists of elements.

These three people will receive their own copy of the wonderfully quirky Listography. We received our copy today and just think it's great. Even if you weren't going to make lists yourself, reading the list prompts and then looking at the accompanying illustrations is loads of fun.

Now to our picks:

Win a Copy of Listography!

Here at Nested, we're giving away three copies of Listography Journal: Your Life in Lists, a soon-to-be-published Chronicle book by Lisa Nola and illustrated by Nathaniel Russell.  While Listography isn't exactly a children's book or a book for baby, we definitely see a tie-in that has to do with kids.

Listography is all about "creating a unique autobiography entirely in list form" by asking questions to be answered in list form. While you may not think you're past or present is currently that interesting, we know that one day your kids will love to read your answers and learn more about their folks. And even if it's a while before they can comprehend the concept of mom's guiltiest pleasures, they'll sure enjoy looking at the illustrations.

Soft Cubes & Softies

Want one of baby's first toys to be an item you made yourself? Would you prefer that said toy didn't have any sharp edges? Then try this soft baby cube tutorial posted by Esther over at London Mummy. She documented the steps to making these soft cubes with a picture tutorial over at Flickr.

Speaking of soft things, via AT: The Nursery, we discovered the book Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals (available from Amazon for $13.57). The author/editor, Therese Laskey, also runs the very popular Softies Central blog where you can get your daily fix of Softies. Now, if only we could get over the word "softie" sounding vaguely naughty.

It's Already September!

Did you know that if you sign up and receive Nested by mail, you'll not only get our content delivered straight to your email inbox, but you'll also be entered to win a monthly prize? Well, if you didn't, you do now.

It's a new month so congratulations are in order to Nicole K. for being our August Nested newsletter winner. She receives a $25 The Silly Wagon gift card.

And now onto September! Thanks go to Simply Silhouettes for providing Nested with a $30 gift card to their store. Simply Silhouettes "is a collection of custom designed silhouette products created by husband and wife team, Patrick and Angela Flynn. Destined to become heirlooms, family and pet silhouette portraits are created with classic styling, handcrafted warmth and not least, a touch of elegant whimsy."

We love their "our story" page because it sums up why so many mothers and fathers have started their own online businesses. Definitely check out Simply Silhouettes!

We're also amazed that it's already September. Blogging here at Nested has been a bit slower than usual due to the impending arrival (a matter of weeks) of a new product tester.   

PB Teen Personalized Wall Mural

Want to see your baby's sweet little face in a format writ large? Or maybe you just have a huge blank wall that you've been meaning to fill.

Intended for teens but surely adaptable for little kids and babies (or even just for your own space), PB Teen sells 6 x 4 personalized wall murals created from your own photos. The murals are printed on canvas from a photo that you have uploaded to the site and sell for $199.

Just don't let the exposure go to your little one's head.

Getting Crafty via Craftzine

Via Craftzine, here are three projects to master and produce:

Love the cuteness of Mousey and his bed and it looks like a great project to do with the kids.

Happy Smocket. Because kids can't have enough aprons, especially homemade ones with pockets. And, it looks so easy to make!

You already know that we like making and finding really easy bib patterns. Here's another one to consider: a basic chenille bib pattern with instructions.