The Ultimate Trendy Minimalist Budget Baby

Whether it's tiny space to work with, living a minimal lifestyle, or you just don't want your home overrun with baby paraphernalia, here's a list of my top picks for baby gear that will fit your lifestyle. My criteria for an item to make the cut was:
     1) It either had to have numerous good reviews, and if it didn't have any, or many, I had to try it       
out myself.
     2) The item had to perform the function of multiple baby items.
     3) It had to be reasonably low budget (comparatively... the baby mama market is CRAZY expensive)
     4) It had to be simple but cute! Many highly rated BUDGET friendly baby items can be a bit harsh on the eyes, while the trendy, nice looking baby equipment tends to be ridiculously over-priced for the average person. But I managed to find some pretty decent contenders! Many of the items below come in variety of colors to suite your taste. 

Aaaaaand after months of research, here's what made the final cut:

• Graco My Ride 65 is the only car seat you'll ever need. From 5lbs and on, your newborn is set through early childhood with this beast. And at barely over $100, this is a steel when you consider that most infant car seats, even the many of the budget options, START higher than this price for an infant seat that will quickly be outgrown. 
• I've mentioned this cute basic, modern, affordable, highly rated crib in previous entries. The Union 4-in-1 Convertible infant crib to toddler bed, is a winner.  It comes in several different fun colors, and if you're on a tight budget, seriously just check this beauty out! 
• A bit of a splurge for "blanket", compared to my other budget picks, but these are not just blankets. They are large and soft and serve double duty.  aden + anais swaddle blankets are not only perfect for swaddling your little one, these are also large enough to be used as a nursing cover, a carseat canopy, a tummy time play place, burp rag, and however else you can think to use them. After reading all the reviews, I got some of these bad boys for my babe immediately.
• My personal favorite, of this list, is this sleek, modern affordable jogging stroller! The Baby Trend Manta Snap Gear Stroller, converts from infant pram (why hello sexy!), to toddler seat. It's reversible, you can get and adapter for your own car seat if you prefer, it's  a jogger,  AND it's light weight! Also, did I mention how CUTE this stroller is! If you can't smack down $300+ on a trendy stroller, this one has a lot to offer for a fraction of that.
• Dr. Woods Pure Castle Baby Soap  naturally cleanses AND moisturizes baby! It can be diluted and used with essential oils as a safe natural home cleaner, or even used to make your own gentle foaming hand wash. So many uses, and one bottle goes a long way.
• The Ingenuity travel swing and seat is a perfect answer for a place to put baby when you need free hands and "tummy time" is no longer jiving so well. This swing /seat is easily transportable from room to room and can be used as a traditional baby swing or a vibration seat. It gets the job done for a whole lot less expense than bulkier, less visually appealing swings, and saves you from having to buy a separate bouncy seat on top of that. WIN.
• If you're planning to nurse, the Fisher- Price Perfect Position 4-in-1 Nursing Pillow, is a great multi-use option. This highly rated nursing pillow, is also a play seat for baby. It has a light weight play bar with toys and can be used in multiple positions so baby can play on their back or tummy; and as baby grows, it provides sitting support for upright play time as well.

I hope you enjoyed my list, and if your'e a new parent, or soon- to- be, I hope this give you good headway in your baby prep!

Budget Nursery 2.0

I realized in my last post, I got pretty Ikea focused.... and not everyone has easy access to Ikea. And though online ordering is an option depending on the item, paying for shipping would basically make the whole budget goal, pointless. So I reassessed my original nursery list, left some of the original items, and switched out the Ikea items to make this list a little more universally accessible. So here we go, Budget Nursery 2.0:

A) The highly rated, Union 4-in-1 Convertible Crib comes in 5 colors and converts to a toddler bed.

Dream On Me Spring Crib Mattress  is also highly rated, and a practical, very inexpensive option to go along with your crib.

B) As of today, this Rocking chair has ZERO verified reviews, so it may be a bit of a risk, not only for that reason, but it looks like this will be shipped from overseas, so it could take a while to arrive. THAT being said, I still thought it worth listing, because it's extremely difficult to find a non- hideous, or at least more modern glider or rocker for under 100, and THIS price INCLUDES the shipping cost. It comes in several colors AND has an adjustable foot rest. You may find this SoBuy Relaxing Lounge Rocker  worth a chance despite the lack of reviews thus far.

C) Among baby changing pads, one of the more affordable options is the Summer Infant Changing Pad which converts any dresser to a changing table, which 1) eliminates the need for purchasing a separate changing table and 2) your child will eventually need a dresser anyway so there's no need to waste the money on changing table at all.

D) A Foldable Pop Up Hamper is a great solution to having an affordable place were all your little one's puked on, and peed in clothing can be tossed into. I personally don't want to spend a lot on something getting this much abuse. Plus it comes in several different colors and is easy to transport. I'm pretty sure you can also find these at many dollar stores as well.

E) No need to spend almost 200 bucks on cute crib bedding! This is just two pieces of the NoJo Twinkle Twinkle 4- Piece Crib Set. The comforter reverses with yellow and white stripes, an this comes with reversable bumpers and a crib skirt as well. The set is currently listed at Walmart for only 39.98, and definitely worth checking out. If you don't like this budget friendly option, there are several other selections close to this price range to choose from.

F) One item that serves double duty: a dresser that is the same height as a standard changing table, which again, along with a pad, eliminates the need for  purchasing a separate changing table, and provides you with a piece of furniture that you'll keep using long after your little one is out of diapers. This Stork Craft Kenton Universal Dresser is a great option. It's  cute, it has decent amazon reviews, and it's only 150 bucks (but looks worth  a lot more).

G) You can make a regular garbage pale work for you, but nothing quite keeps out the stink like and actual Diaper Pail. Especially if you find one under 20 bucks. Hello Safety First Easy Saver Diaper Pail!

Simple Budget Nursery

You don't have to be wealthy or harvest a kidney to give your baby what they need. Here's the complete, non-uggo nursery list for the budget-savvy. Almost all of the items, have very high ratings, come in different color options, and many serve  a dual purpose (less baby gear suffocating your home, amen). Adding a few personal touches like, paint, homemade artwork or a mobile, can really make this a very sweet little spot to welcome your new baby. Here is is a basic, everything-you-actually-need, list that will hopefully serve as a nice spring board for your budget nursery plans!

A) I refuse to spend 150 plus bucks on crib bedding that my child will repetitively pee on. Especially, when there are perfectly cute, simple, available options for FAR LESS! Exhibit A: this cute gender-neutral Ikea FANTASIDJUR crib duvet cover and sheet set which it's less than 10 bucks! ...um, SCORE!

B) And as far as cribs go, this Ikea SNIGLAR crib is solid wood,  and easy to assemble (paintable if you wish, but the natural wood is lovely as-is). It's simple, modern and converts to toddler bed. 

And If you cant afford  a pricey crib mattress, here's a simple Ikea VYSSA SLUMMER mattress that will do the job.

C) Among baby changing pads, one of the more affordable options is the Summer Infant Changing Pad which converts any dresser to a changing table, which 1) eliminates the need for purchasing a separate changing table and 2) your child will eventually need a dresser anyway so there's no need to waste the money on changing table at all.

D)A Foldable Pop Up Hamper is a great solution to having an affordable place were all your little one's puked on, and peed in clothing can be tossed into. I personally don't want to spend a lot on something getting this much abuse. Plus it comes in several different colors and is easy to transport. I'm pretty sure you can also find these at many dollar stores as well.

E) Ikea LEN crib comforter - an amazing baby crib quilt for and amazing price, that you can leave as-is, or put the previously mentioned cute duvet cover on :)

F) One item that serves double duty: a dresser that is the same height as a standard changing table, which again, along with a pad, eliminates the need for  purchasing a separate changing table, and provides you with a piece of furniture that you'll keep using long after your little one is out of diapers. This Stork Craft Kenton Universal Dresser is a great option. It's  cute, it has decent amazon reviews, and it's only 150 bucks (but looks worth a lot more).

G) You can make a regular garbage pale work for you, but nothing quite keeps out the stink like an actual Diaper Pail. Especially if you find one under 20 bucks. Hello Safety First Easy Saver Diaper Pail!

H) And finally a chair for Momma (or Daddy) to feed or sooth the little one to sleep. This Ikea Poang Chair isn't a rocker, but it has a nice bounce to it, and comes in a variety of colors to match your nursery. Also topping off at 109 price-wise for all the cotton options, this is much easier on the wallet than more traditional rockers. Plus, need I even point out, that this chair is simple, sleek and modern- looking, so it won't bulk up or uggify the room. I'd also like to point out, that this chair works very well out of the nursery once your little one is grown and no longer needs it.

I hope this at least gives you a good place to start in the internet vortex of baby planning.... Good luck with all your preparations, new and future P's!