I thought that I’d mix things up around here and share some of my favorite baby essentials that I’ve discovered and fallen in love with over the past 6 months. Whether you have babies of your own, you are expecting, plan to have a baby one day, or need a running list of good baby shower gifts, I can’t recommend these products enough. I tried to pick things that weren’t as obvious as items like the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, Carters basic white onesies, and the Boppy, but admittedly I love all of these things too and think that they should be must haves for any new mom. I discovered most of these fantastic items through friends who are moms and a few of them were gifts that I received and immediately fell in love with.

[Eat] Dria cover I was convinced that I didn’t need a nursing cover and could just use a blanket, so I put off the purchase for months. Well, I’m glad that I waited because in the meantime my friend Kathryn introduced me to the world’s greatest nursing cover that can also be used as a carseat or stroller cover and worn like a poncho. They even make it in a petite size that’s just right for me! The best feature is that the cover is made of the world’s softest cotton and I really like the simple patterns offered. It’s a bit pricier than other nursing covers, but when you factor in how functional it is and the fact that it doubles as something to wear, I think the cost is justifiable. Couldn’t be happier with this one.

[Sleep] Shi Shu Blanket Every baby deserves a luxuriously soft blanket to be wrapped up in. I found this beautiful and soft bamboo blanket on GILT and got a screaming deal. I actually bought it to give as a gift and when it arrived I loved it so much that I couldn’t part with it. The listed price is a bit steep, so keep an eye out for them on GILT. I see them on there quite a bit.

[Play] Mr. Whoozit This silly toy is lovingly referred to as Oliver’s BFF around here. He might like Mr. Whoozit as much as he likes his own parents! As far as first toys goes, this has been awesome. The contrasting colors and shapes make this interesting for any baby to gaze at and as they get older the plush feel and shape is perfect as they’re discovering things.

[Bathe] Burts Bees We have become big fans of the Burt’s Bees products during bath time. The smell is almondy and divine and we’ve found that it’s super sensitive on Ollie’s skin. We love that the soap lathers nicely, the lotion is thick almost like a baby body butter, and that the baby oil is nice to rub on dry spots or in Ollie’s case – on his beautifully bald noggin. Lucky for us, we’ve loved every item in this set including the diaper cream. It’s been a great fit for our boy and I’d give the set as a gift in a heartbeat.

[Clean] Organic Burp Cloths Ollie is a spitter and we use a lot of burp cloths around here. I’ve fallen in love with these organic burp cloths found on Amazon that are literally identical to another set I received from Giggle, but much cheaper. I ordered enough to have one for every day and it’s a great system for us.

[Read] Alex Girard Color We received this book from my dear friend Jeanne as a gift recently and it has found a spot in our daily book rotation. I love the modern images, simple story, and the length of the book is just perfect for a pre-bedtime story for a 6 month old.

[Wear] NY Onesie- Could you just die?! I’m obsessed with this foodie onesie that I found for Oliver at a sweet little boutique (with amazing gifts!) on Mulberry street called Piccolini. This city kid was made to wear this onesie.

photo by my sister (kyliewhiting.com)

Our Ollie is a growing boy at 6 months old and is truly our tiny miracle baby. His best tricks lately are rolling over, babbling all day long, and splashing in the tub so much that most of the water is gone by the time we wrap things up. He’s super cuddly and gives us his best smiles and giggles first thing in the morning. Now if we could only convince him that he’s not too big for naps! I adore being a mama, especially to this very special boy who is happier (and healthier!) than we could have ever hoped for.

Other great baby posts:

Baby Essentials by Oh Joy!

Newborn Baby Essentials by Dandee

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I love this kitchen infographic that I came across while perusing Pinterest late one night. The information is thorough and best of all it’s pretty to look at. To sweeten the deal it’s a free printable.  I like the idea of sticking it on the inside of one of my kitchen cupboards or if I’m feeling really ambitious maybe I’ll even laminate it so that it will stand up to messes in the kitchen. Click here to get a closer look!

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The countdown has begun and we are T-minus 24 hours-ish from getting that turkey into the oven and starting the final preparations for the big feast. Want to know a confession…when it comes to carving a turkey, forget about it. I have no finesse whatsoever and I’m happy to pass this task off to my husband. In fact, I think that he should just assume all turkey carving responsibilities from this day forward. To help him out, we’ll be using this great step-by-step guide from Kitchen Daily on the Huffington Post. There are also plenty of videos to enlist on YouTube as well.

Want a sneak peak at our turkey this year? Well folks, this is what it looks like to transport an itty bitty 8 1/2 lb. Thanksgiving turkey via the Subway. There are a couple of reasons that I think this photo gives me some “city street cred.” First of all no hands. Do you see that? Riding the subway with a turkey in hand and I’m not holding on. I’m officially skilled when it comes to subway surfing. Next, no bag. What was I thinking? Of course farmers who come into the city don’t bring bags or boxes for you to cart them home in. It was raining buckets and I was late so I didn’t have time to pop into a store and ask for a bag, so I just hopped on the subway with my bird in hand. There were some awkward looks especially since our small turkey looks like a chicken. I was able to get the bird home safe and sound and now I’ve got to do some serious math when it comes figuring out how long you cook an 8 1/2 lb. turkey. I definitely won’t have to be getting up at 4 AM!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope that your day is filled with food, family, and remembering all of the things that you are thankful for. xoxo

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We are big fans of basil around here. Especially during the summer months. Whether you grow your own basil at home or you pick it up from your grocery store or farmer’s market, I find that I rarely get through the entire bunch before it starts browning and going bad. I always think that I’m going to make a batch of pesto, but by the time I usually get around to it… I’m too late.

I picked up a great tip in the Food Network kitchens for extending the life of basil for as long as possible. Ironically basil doesn’t fare that well in the refrigerator and it seems to be fairly sensitive to the cold. The better solution is to trim the stems and stick the basil in tall glass with water and then cover with a plastic bag. Rather than the chilly refrigerator, keep it on the kitchen counter. Lately I’ve been able to keep fresh basil around for almost a week!

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