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!