Hey y’all! I haven’t even thought about this blog in awhile and I figured it was time to start posting again! Back when I was pregnant I shared about how I wanted to be super minimal with our baby and all the gear and such that we were acquiring to raise this baby! I stuck with that goal and I have to say I think it has helped me a lot mentally! A clutter filled space makes me feel overwhelmed. Anyone else?! I really didn’t want our tiny apartment to be completely taken over with unnecessary baby items we’d be constantly stepping over. I get more easily stressed out when things are a mess or when there is lots of “stuff” out. To me this is just more stuff to clean up, and another thing on my mental to-do list; so becoming more of a minimalist has helped me remain a chill happy mama and also allows me to more easily keep a clean tidy house while looking after Gabe without wasting my my precious time with him cleaning and picking stuff up! I believe minimalism also goes along with my appreciation of “old fashioned” living which was one of my main goals when I started this blog. I often think about what my Nana might’ve had when she was raising her 6 kids back in the 50s and 60s. I guarantee you they didn’t have half of the things people try to make you use nowadays! And I’m sure they got along just fine. When I was pregnant I purged SO much stuff while nesting, and now that Gabe is here I have been really intentional with what baby items I’ve decided to use and basically everything I buy for him! I like to buy fewer things, but buy quality things that will hopefully last for our future kids. Since I said ‘no thanks’ to so many baby items, I thought it might be fun to share the baby items that I DO have and love, in case there are other minimalist moms-to-be looking for ideas on what is actually helpful. So here is my super minimalist guide to baby gear!

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A car seat (obviously): If you only get a couple baby items this will obviously be one of them so you can go places with your baby. I chose a high quality neutral car seat that is both safe and healthier for Gabe. The Uppa Baby car seat is the only one on the market free from chemical flame retardants. The carseat is still naturally resistant to flames, but does not have the harmful flame retardants on it which I LOVE. This car seat is also pretty, and plain!

A capsule wardrobe: I don’t follow the whole “capsule wardrobe” idea to a ‘T’ but my style for baby clothes is quality, neutral, timeless items that will mostly all go together, and that will also last us awhile and not go out of style for our future children! I’m not big on bright colors, phrases, and characters/cartoony animals..all of his clothes are pretty plain and basic. Solid colors or simple prints! Pretty much all of his onesies go with all of his pants, so there are no “outfits” where THIS top must be worn with THESE pants kind of thing, I mix and match, and everything (mostly) goes together! It makes it so easy to dress him and pack clothes in the diaper bag since I’m not searching for matching outfits! I also love sleepers and rompers that are just one piece because you don’t have to worry about a onesie, pants, and socks, its just one piece. Way easy! Most days we just stay home, so leaving him in “pajamas” all day doesn’t make any difference whatsoever and its just easier! Gabe has grown so fast that I keep his wardrobe very minimal because he outgrows an item of clothing in no time at all! (So sad..) I also do laundry often so he wears the same stuff a lot. (Another reason to get quality made items to hold up to lots of washing!) When he outgrows something, I package it away with the same size clothing in a labeled bag to pull out for our next kiddo. (Although if we have a girl I’m sure I’ll wanna get a few girly items too. Or just use the same clothes and slap cute bows on her. Haha!) Cute sleeper pictured below from L’ovedbaby.

A sling/baby carrier: When we’re out and about with Gabe we have either left him in his car seat (if he is sleeping) or I wear him in a ring sling. WildBird slings are my fave! We don’t even own a stroller and I’m not sure if we will spring for one when he gets bigger or not. We will just play it by ear and continue baby wearing until he gets older and see if a stroller is something we’d use. For the first year though, I just don’t see it being necessary for us.

An organized designated changing space: We use elimination communication for our son Gabe, which you can read all about in this post here! Because he uses the potty, we also change his diapers in the bathroom and I wanted a neat little organized space for his diapers and wipes. We use both disposables and cloth diapers right now so I have both available with a pack of wipes and some homemade diaper rash spray (diluted apple cider vinegar) and a changing mat and potty. This is our simple set up for changing. It doesn’t take up much space and has everything I need right there in the bathroom. I keep his diaper changes and pottying in the bathroom so Gabe will grow up associating the bathroom as the space to do his business and further make complete potty training even easier. Organizer found here!

A Moses basket: This is one is not even a necessity but I really wanted one so its one of my fun splurges. After seeing them all over Instagram and having my friend recommend one to me I made the plunge and it really does come in handy!! When Gabe was a newborn I would let him sleep in his basket sometimes so I could take him with me in whatever room I was in if I needed to do some dishes or take a shower. Now we mainly use it for meal times, Ryan and I will eat dinner together at the table and I’ll lay Gabe down in his basket beside me and he’s content. He is actually so fascinated by the texture of the basket and will just stare at it and touch it. 🙂

A Diaper Backpack: I like using a simple white leather back pack for Gabe’s necessities when going out because its classy, goes with everything, holds a lot of stuff, and is hands free!

A Breast Pump: I honestly don’t even hardly use a pump because I exclusively breastfeed Gabe, but it has come in handy before, like when I had a clogged duct! I had to nurse and pump as much as possible to get it cleared. But otherwise, I really don’t use my pump that much and could probably even do without it, but I think its important to have one in case you need one so I’m adding this to my list too. I have a Spectra and I love it! Its so easy to use and looks sleek and even has a nightlight on it that we do use every night. 🙂 If you’re unable or choose not to breastfeed you’d obviously need more baby gear than is on this list, but since I am and I love it and don’t plan on leaving Gabe anytime soon I haven’t needed any type of feeding supplies yet.

That is literally it! Gabe has a few toys and stuffed animals and blankets but otherwise, this is all we have for him, and it makes my life so much easier to only have the bare necessities! I highly recommend it, especially for anyone who gets anxious from clutter or easily overwhelmed by “stuff”. It simplifies our lives and gives me less to worry about and more time to focus on my sweet boy.

Did you have an item you couldn’t live without that I didn’t mention!? Let me know in the comments!

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