Posted by TinyTotties on February 25 2009
A fitted crib sheet? Check. A baby blanket? Check. These items are obviously on your shopping list when shopping for baby items and preparing the nursery. But there are other useful nursery items that although are not absolute necessities, will make your life easier and the nursery prettier. The best thing? You can find them in matching colors and themes to the crib bedding you’re already buying, so you don’t need to worry about matching or about different patterns and colors clashing.
I’m a highly organized person and I can’t stand clutter, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I consider toy bags to be a necessity. If you don’t have kids yet, you probably don’t realize how much mess they add to the house. The sheer volume of their stuff, accessories, clothes and toys can get overwhelming. A toy bag is a great way to keep all their toys in one place and off the floor. Once your child is a toddler, it’s also a great way to teach her to pick her toys off the floor and put them in the bag.
The fabulous Mod Dots 9-Piece Crib Set by Sweet Jojo Designs, sold for $189.99, includes a toy bag as part of the set.
You can also purchase toy bags separately and have fun with matching them to your nursery’s theme.
Another great solution for organizing baby-related “stuff,” a diaper stacker hangs on the wall next to the changing table, hiding the not-so-pretty diapers and making them easily accessible. Trust me, this is important – you’ll be changing numerous diapers each day (and night, unfortunately) and you’ll want to know exactly where those diapers are and reach for them without taking your eyes – and one hand - off your baby.
One of my favorite diaper stackers is the Giggles Diaper Stacker ($14.95). The pattern is fun, gender-neutral and coordinates beautifully with the Giggles Crib Bedding Set.
Buying a couple of covers for your baby’s changing pad makes a lot of sense. You don’t want to change her diapers directly on the pad for sanitary reasons, and you want a couple of covers so that you always have a cover, even while doing laundry. A changing pad cover is also a great way to give the changing table a more decorative look. Since you can easily match the cover to the rest of the nursery’s items, it can effortlessly blend with the room’s look and enhance it.
I LOVE the Pink Zebra Cover ($24.95). The look is girly, but the zebra pattern ads a touch of sophistication. Take a look at the entire Zebra set and see how well the items go together. What a fun look for a baby girl nursery!
A crib mobile adds a designer's touch to your baby's room and crib. It also provides entertainment for your baby: he’ll have fun reaching out for the hanging toys and trying to touch them. Our musical crib mobiles play a lovely tune that helps soothe your baby to sleep. You can also play the music prior to a diaper change – the music may help your baby calm down during a process that’s otherwise often uncomfortable for him.
The Chocolate Blue Hotel Mobile ($34.95) set includes a musical mobile frame, canopy with hanging toys, and matching arm sleeve cover. It fits standard sized cribs. When wound up this crib mobile spins and plays Brahms' lullaby. The mobile beautifully coordinates with one of my favorite, most sophisticated nursery theme for baby boys – the Hotel 9-Piece Crib Set in blue and brown by Sweet Jojo Designs.
Obviously, wall hangings are not a necessity. But who wants to leave the nursery walls bare? Wall hangings are a wonderful way to add a final touch to your baby’s room and bring all the decorative elements together.
The All Star Wall Décor Set ($29.95) is a great example of a superbly stylish and cute design that would add lots of style to any baby boy’s room.
Lamp shades are a simple, inexpensive way to add a splash of color and creativity to your baby’s room. Take a look at the adorable All Star Lamp Shade for baby boys ($29.95) or at the amazingly cute Pink Zebra Lamp Shade ($29.95): what a low price to pay for adding such a unique touch to your baby’s room!
This is probably a necessity and not so much an “extra.” Your baby will wet and soil more sheets than you can possibly imagine. It’s a good idea to purchase a few extra fitted sheets so that you’ll always have a fresh set of sheets, even while doing laundry. Buying extra crib sheets can be fun, because it enables you to mix and match different themes and patterns and be as creative as you’d like. For the easiest mixing-and-matching, you can always go for a solid extra crib sheet such as the Pixie Stix for baby girls ($14.95) or the Chocolate for baby boys ($14.95).