As we anticipate our upcoming adoption, we’ve been preparing our home and compiling a list of needs for our future child or children. We currently anticipate a newborn, though an older child or sibling group are also a possibility and something we would be very open to!

We’re blessed to already have so many items for kids from this past year of doing foster care. As we anticipate our upcoming adoption, we added items that came to mind as helpful, eco-friendly, and fun. We’re big fans of local, hand-made, and second-hand items, so we’re begging ya’ll to be creative in how you’d like to support us. So, check out our BabyList Baby Registry!

As we cared for newborns last summer and as we research items for our future kiddo, here are my personal favorites:

BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush

Y’all, when we had the twins last summer, little girl had some dietary struggles that led to an ongoing struggle with diaper rash. Purchasing the Baby Bum Diaper Cream Brush was the best thing I could have done and I’m convinced that it’s now my go-to baby shower gift. No dirty sticky fingers? Sign me up! Also, we call it the “butt spatula” around here. Just saying it like it is!

Halo SleepSacks

We were given a variety of swaddles and used all of them, but the Halo SleepSack Swaddle was by far our best option. Limbs stayed contained all night long, whereas The First Years easy wrap swaddle would inevitably have a little foot sticking out. The SwaddleMe brand worked well, but required completely un-swaddling the little babe for diaper changes. I loved that with the Halo SleepSacks I could just unzip from the bottom to do midnight diaper changes. Less disruption for the little one and more sleep for everyone!

BabyList Bottle Box

Finding a bottle that works well for a newborn is a struggle! You could collect them all before you find the best option for your little one. So, when I saw this BabyList Bottle Box, I was pretty pumped. What a gift! I can only imagine how convenient this variety would have been when we were switching between Dr. Brown and Avent bottles with the twins. I think it would have been a much faster process to find the brand that worked if we could have directly compared a wide variety of options.

Burt’s Bees Baby

A friend of ours passed on a Burt’s Bees crib sheet and I’m obsessed. It’s the softest sheet we own and my go-to when making the crib. I now want all of the sheets, covers, burp cloths, and baby outfits in the same fabric. Having used many of their lotions and chapsticks myself, I would also be quick to check out their baby shampoos and lotions. And it’s all organic! Win-win. I’d definitely recommend looking into Burt’s Bees Baby selection!

Parent Fuel

We. Love. Coffee. And as we anticipate an increased need for coffee during those first months of baby-care, it was easy to pick two of our local roasters to add to our baby registry. Bootstrap Coffee and Dogwood Coffee both make fantastic roasts that you should all try if you haven’t already.

Rabbit Pull Along Toy

The wood toy trend is in full force right now, and with good reason. When there is already so much plastic polluting our planet, it feels good to support biodegradable products like wood toys. I’m also a big fan of the minimal colors as I find them more calming for everyone. This cute Rabbit Pull Along Toy can be found at the Minneapolis store, The Foundry Home Goods!

Little Climber

Who doesn’t love to climb? This Little Climber by Lily & River seems like the perfect early childhood indoor/outdoor jungle gym. It seems easy to move from room to room and allows kiddos to safely climb and burn some energy while growing their coordination. Lily & River share that the Little Climber can promote “creativity, self-confidence, motor skill development, balance control, and muscle growth.” All in such a natural, fun way!

Convertible Carseat

For those of you who know me, I’m petite! As we’ve cared for little ones, I can’t imagine lugging around the infant carseat much longer than those first 6 months. Our Safety 1st  Go & Grow 3-in-1 convertible carseat is a lifesaver…or rather a back saver! Not to mention it’s one of the cheapest carseat options and has extremely high safety ratings (just be sure you’re installing it correctly!). It can fit infants from 4 to 40 pounds and and be rear or front facing. You bet I’ll be switching over to this seat sooner rather than later!

Promptly Adoption History Journal

Depending on your child’s age at adoption, the traditional baby books just don’t work. I love the Promptly Adoption History Journal because it asks the questions I wouldn’t have even thought to ask! This seems like a fantastic tool to ensure that you’re getting the information you need during the adoption process (like health history!) and documenting big milestones to look back on and process your child’s adoption together someday.

All of these opinions and recommendations are 100% my own and I haven’t received any compensation for my reviews. The links are just for ease of use and I won’t receive any monetary kick-back. I just like sharing good products with good people!

*All photos are taken from official brand websites and social media. No images are my own.*