Mommy's Picks

*** FEEL FREE TO GET IDEAS FROM THIS POST, BUT I WAS JUST DOUBLE CHECKING MY LINKS AND NEARLY ALL OF THESE WEBSITES ARE NOW DEFUNCT. OH HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED. 1/19/2017****

Since I am now the proud Mom of 3 beautiful girls, I think I have earned the title of 'Expert Mom'. And with that title, I thought I would impart some of my sage knowledge of all things baby with you. I have gathered some of my fave things for a baby. Feel free to pass this list on to a new mom or be the cool friend and use this list as ideas for baby shower gifts...

I recently got Acadia some sweet socks from Nix. They are really cute retro style, and the kicker is... they stay on her! I love them.

I love, love, love my Magic Bullet. I had to use a big, clunky regular blender when Ariana was young to make her baby food. So, when Annika was born, I decided to go with the Magic Bullet. What a great investment. I have been using it for 4 years now and wouldn't trade it for anything. It's great because I can make a quick batch of baby food and then throw in a little honey & berries and have a smoothie ready for the other 2. You can now get these for a reasonable price at Target.

If you have ever held a baby, you know there is that stage where they are trying to grab everything and put it in their mouth; glasses, necklace, hair... you name it. Well, the appropriately name website, SmartMom, came up with teething bling. This is jewelry that a baby can knaw on! It is stylish, non-toxic, phthalate, BPA, PVC and lead free. This would make an awesome shower gift for a young, funky mom.

Something I didn't have, but would have loved was a Hooter Hider. It covers the baby while you are nursing, yet lets you still look down at her. The name alone is worth buying it!

Something essential for any parent is baby music that isn't baby music. I have seen all 3 of my children really fall in love with music from early on. And while there is a place for Mary Had a Little Lamb and Wheels on the Bus, you really need some music the whole family will enjoy and won't drive you insane as you listen to it for the 12,789th time. We love anything by Dane Zanes and have recently discovered That Baby CD and DVD. Check these 2 artists out. These are gifts I usually give my friends when they are having babies, knowing I am saving them from ripping their hair out from listening to the incessant Barney music.

I really suggest some sort of baby sling. I use a HotShots sling, which is a HUGE help when you have a 3 year old to chase around. I have Acadia in her sling when I take Annika to the indoor gym so that I can keep up with Annika as she is running about. I probably wouldn't get the HotSling again until they start going green later this year. But there are many alternatives. Maya Wrap is a popular one that has been around for a long time and comes in an organic version.

Last, but not least, avoid battery operated noise making plastic junk at all costs! Buy some nice, wooden toys that will last through multiple children, save the environment from oodles of batteries and not drive you nuts with the blinking lights and repetitious noise! Buy from a New England toymaker here or try these toys. Trust me, it's worth it.

This is clearly just a few out of thousands of gifts out there... but since I am the expert, you can trust these are really kick-ass products.