Top 11 Must-Have Baby Registry Items November 3, 2012 20:40

 Most expectant parents are clueless when it comes to preparing for their first child. The amount of information out in the universe is overwhelming to say the least, and can be excessively confusing and stressful to try to navigate. Add to that a desire to raise the baby ‘green’ and new moms and dads could be feeling on the verge of a full-on meltdown.

While pregnant with my first child, I became obsessed with what car seat, or stroller or diaper bag we needed. I agonized over what to do about plastic toys we would receive as gifts, or non-organic clothing that well-meaning relatives would expect to see outfitting our new bundle. As the birth neared and some research was conducted, I was able to relax a bit. But I always wished there were more resources available to help us determine what we really needed and what natural products we just could not live without.

Every family is different, and there are dozens of items that your baby will need that didn’t make this list. In the interest of narrowing things down slightly, Ash & Alys Babes has compiled the following list of must have (natural) items that should be on every baby registry.

1.     Blessed Nest Nesting (Nursing) Pillow: This is the most amazing product we’ve found. It is far superior to the popular ‘Breast Friend’ and ‘Boppy’ brand nursing pillows. This unique nursing pillow is 100% organic, super soft and just makes you want to sit in a rocker and cuddle your babe all day long.

2.     Angel Baby Bottom Balm: From Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics, this diaper salve is the best on the market in our opinion, and it won’t ruin your cloth diapers. It smells amazing, and can be used to treat just about any ‘owie’ under the sun, as well as it’s designed purpose as a diaper rash and barrier balm. Personally, I’ve been through just about every diaper rash product out there, and this is by far the favorite.

3.     Smiling Planet Hooded Towels: Every baby needs a hooded towel. Both for functionality and the cuteness factor. These towels, which come in prints to suit boys and girls, are luxuriously soft, very high quality and big enough to grow with your baby for years. Made from organic cotton and designed by a mom.

4.     Cloth Diapers: Cloth diapering is so much easier than general opinion, and provides a more sustainable (and toxin free) option to using disposable diapers. We will be offering FuzziBunz on our site beginning next week, but also love BumGenius and Thirsties.

5.     Organic Cotton Baby Body: We love the long-sleeved, side snap baby body from Under The Nile. Organic, soft and sized just right to grow with you baby a bit, these are a great everyday essential item. Under The Nile also offers adorable striped options as well as their warmzy and bunting bag for bundling up your bundle.

6.     Eco-Conscious Diaper Bag: These are hard to come by, but important for parents who want to limit their consumption of goods to brands that are socially responsible, sustainable and utilizing natural materials. Lassig does a great job of combining an eco-conscious foundation with great design and function. Their diaper bags will be arriving on our site in time for holiday shopping.

7.     Organic Lovie: Every baby needs a lovie to stimulate their senses and provide a sense of familiarity to soothe them during fussy times. There are so many loveable lovies. Our favorites include the super soft organic security blanket from SwaddleDesigns, Sneakle Fox from Eco-Leeko and the striped giraffe from Under The Nile.

8.     Wood Teether: Babies put everything in their mouths, causing worry and dismay for parents far into the toddler years. Rock Love Peace makes sustainably harvested wood teethers that provide a safe option for your babe’s mouth—and they come in fun shapes making them stimulating for your baby to grasp and hold.

9.      Soft Sleepwear: We love Kate Quinn Organics infant saques for bedtime dressing. Another favorite? Kicky Pants bamboo footies. Stock up on these – you’ll never want to dress your babe in anything else!

10.  Story Album: Capturing the magic of your baby’s birth and early life is priceless and something you will treasure for a lifetime. Collard Story Albums are the perfect gift for sentimental expectant parents who want to document every little detail of this special time in life. They save mom and dad the time of creating a handmade baby book, and have endless possibilities in price and customization.

11. The Basics: Of course you can’t go without burpies, washcloths, bibs and body products. We love organic burpies and washcloths from SwaddleDesigns and Under The Nile, muslin bibs from Aden + Anais and silky soft baby lotion from Earth Mama Angel Baby.

-Ashley

Product Testing: Choosing What to Sell October 12, 2012 15:49

Retail buyer was not on my resume prior to founding Ash & Alys Babes. I’m still learning the ins and outs of managing inventory and how to know what quantities to order to keep us stocked and our customers happy. It’s a recurring theme with us: everything is a learning experience. 

That being said, while we’ve been pondering over pricing and quantities and placing orders, we were never intimidated by knowing what products we wanted to offer. Clearly products must meet our green standards for sustainability and safety. But as a mom, I already knew of hundreds of products that I had used, sampled or heard about from friends – this was an amazing foundation for this site.

All of the products we sell have been put to the test on our very own babes (and the mommy products are tested on those babes’ moms). Both directly in my home with my boys over the last four years since I became a mom, and in the homes of trusted and discerning friends, these products have been evaluated to ensure usability, durability, value and quality. Everyone has different tastes, but we feel very confident that most of what we offer on our site will truly become our customers’ favorite and most loved products.

There have been some that don’t make the cut. We’ve purchased a handful of items that seemed to be a great fit for our site that ended up in the ‘no’ pile. If the product isn’t truly usable, or if it doesn’t resonate with the little ones, we won’t sell it. Some of our products have a high price point – we know that causes shoppers to hesitate – but if it is pricey, we believe it is truly a must have item that will prove its worth in your home or as a gift for which you will be sincerely thanked.

We love to hear from other parents. If you have a favorite ‘green’ baby product that isn’t on our site, please tell us about it. You can email us anytime at info@ashandalysbabes.com. We’d love to check it out for a hands-on evaluation. You should also stay tuned on the blog for product reviews every month!

-Ashley