Best Baby Clothing: Keep em' Comfy

 As parents, we want to keep our little ones feeling comfortable and happy! One great way to make sure we're achieving that is by picking the perfect baby clothes for our bundles of joy. In this post, let's explore some of our favorite baby clothing brands that prioritize comfort, as well as some fun tips for picking the right garments for your little one.

When it comes to baby clothes, comfort is key! Soft fabric, breathable material, and flexibility are all important factors to consider when picking out outfits for your newborn. It's totally natural to want to dress your baby up in the cutest outfits, but it's essential to make sure they're comfortable and that they don't restrict their movement.

When it comes to finding the best baby clothing brands, look no further! Honest, Hudson, Luvable, Carters, Cloud Island, Teach Leanbh, and Cat & Jack are some of my favorite brands that prioritize comfort, safety, and sustainability. You don't have to sacrifice style for practicality - these brands offer a wide range of clothing options that are soft, durable, and affordable.

Sleepers

A really good option for the first 3 months is sleepers. Look for comfort, warmth, and if they offer an easy way to change diapers without having to take the whole outfit off.  Finding sleepers with mitts are a really good option in this phase before your baby has learned to control their hands to protect them from scratching themselves.

Cloud Island Sleepers-Boy & Girl                                More Cloud Island Sleepers-Boy & Girl

Cloud Island Sleeper-Boy                                             Cat & Jack Romper-Boy 

Carters Sleeper-Boy                                                      Honest Baby Cotton Sleepers-Boy

Honest Baby Cotton Watercolor Sleepers-Boy             Honest Baby Sketchy Square-Boy

Hudson Cotton Airplane Sleepers-Boy                         Cloud Island Sleep N' Play Pink-Girl

Carters Floral Sleepers-Girl                                          Carters Flamingo Footed Sleepers-Girl

Carters Floral Footed Sleepers-Girl                              Gerber Floral Sleepers-Girl

Honest Watercolor Sleepers-Girl                                   Luvable Friends Sleepers-Girl

Luvable Bird Sleepers-Girl

Body Suits, Tops, and Bottoms

My favorite clothing for my baby from about 4 months to 9 months is the body suits, polo shirts, and comfy, durable pants or joggers. Here are some great options as they start sitting, crawling, and learning to get around.

Lala Bear Baby Romper-Girl & Boy                            Teach Leanbh Polo Bodysuit-Boy & Girl

Carters Cotton Terry Pants-Boy                                    Honest Baby Stripe Side Snap Bodysuit-Boy

Honest Baby Cotton Cuff-Less Pants-Boy & Girl        Luvable Cotton Pants-Boy

Cloud Island Bodysuits-Girl                                          Hudson Bodysuits-Girl

Honest Side-Snap Bodysuits-Girl                                 Cloud Island Foilage Bodysuits-Girl

Cat & Jack Pink Joggers-Girl                                        Cloud Island Joggers-Girl

Cat & Jack Black/Pink Joggers-Girl                             Carters Pink/Floral Joggers-Girl

Carters Purple/Floral Joggers-Girl                                 Hudson Joggers-Girl

Clothing Sets

From 9 to 12 months is a good time to find the cute 2-piece outfits. If your baby is still crawling, you might want to find clothing that does not restrict them. If you want to put socks on your baby, choose the socks that have grip on the bottom as they learn to stand and take steps. Here are some of my favorite 2-piece outfits and socks.

Garhartt Denim Pants-Boy                                         The Children's Place button down shirt-Boy

The Children's Place Polo Shirt-Boy                         The Children's Place Cargo Pants-Boy

John Deere Denim Overalls-Boy                               Hudson Quilted Dress & Leggings-Girl

Hudson Quilted Rose Dress & Leggings-Girl           Hudson Quilted Toile Dress & Leggings-Girl

Touched by Nature Blossom Dresses-Girl                 Hudson Plaid Dresses-Girl

Touch by Nature Heart/Black Dresses-Girl                Touched by Nature Butterflies Cardigan-Girl

Hudson Blueberries Cardigan-Girl                             Hudson Rose Cardigan-Girl

Hudson Plaid Cardigan-Girl                                       Hudson Pink Floral Cardigan-Girl

Luvable Blue Floral Cardigan-Girl                            Touched by Nature Purple Floral Cardigan-Girl

Hudson Burgundy Floral Cardigan-Girl                     Hudson Watermelon Cardigan-Girl

Hudson Sunflower Cardigan-Girl

Hats & Socks

Don't forget about hats!  These are essential items to keep your baby warm and protected from the elements. For the best hats, Luvable, Zutano, and Burt's Bees Baby are some of our go-to brands. They make high-quality, cozy products that you can trust.  Socks are not essential unless your baby is going to be exposed to colder weather.  When your baby is learning to take steps, find socks with grips on the bottom.  Try to hold off on shoes when your baby is learning to walk.  Here are some favorites for hats and socks.

Jellytree Brimmed Baby Hat-Boy & Girl                  Zaples Grip Crew Socks-Boy & Girl

Gerber Baby Socks (0-6 months)-Boy & Girl           Rative Crew Socks (0-6 months)-Boy & Girl

Lacy Eyelet Bonnet-Girl                                            Jellytree Brimmed Baby Hat-Girl

Crocheted Beanie-Boy & Girl                                    Fleece Lined Knit Hat-Boy & Girl

At the end of the day, picking the right baby clothing is essential for your little one's comfort and safety. Comfort, breathability, and flexibility should always come first, and by choosing the right brands and avoiding the wrong ones, you can be sure your baby is always comfortable and safe. With all this in mind, you're now ready to pick out the perfect outfits for your little one - happy shopping!

Schedule vs Routine: Making the Best of Your Baby's First Year

When I had my first baby, it didn’t take me long to realize establishing a schedule was a joke.  I have always been the type of person who had to have a rigid schedule on the clock.  I thrive in a well-organized atmosphere and being on time with plenty of time is important to me.  After little Jakie was born, I tried and tried to establish a schedule with feeding time, nap time, tummy time, etc.  I had a lot to learn.  I could have saved myself a lot of stress had I learned the difference between a schedule and a routine.

 

Schedule vs Routine

So what is a schedule and what is a routine?  A schedule is a planned list of activities and events with specific times attached.  A routine is a regular, established pattern of behavior or activities.  Much more flexible and stress-relieving.  I was told I should feed my baby every 2-3 hours. I tried to set up a feeding schedule, but he would be screaming for food within an hour and a half. I learned to just feed him when he was hungry.  I couldn’t compel Jakie to be tired when I decided it was nap time. I learned to just take advantage of his awake windows, (tummy time, learning, etc.) and watch for his tired cues to put him down for a nap. Schedules and routines are both very important but don't beat yourself up if you're not able to establish a schedule in the first year of your child's life. Just establish a routine and be consistent as possible. The schedule will start to fall into place eventually.

Checklists

An important part of a routine is a checklist.  As an organized person, I can say that checklists are vital.  There’s nothing like feeling satisfaction and accomplishment when you check off or cross out an item on your to-do list.  And when you are establishing routines, they are a must.  I started with a checklist of 5 items I absolutely had to have done daily.  Then I created a checklist of things that my baby needed each day.  Then as my baby was awake, I would work on his checklist.  When he slept, I would work on my checklist.  It felt so good when I looked at the checklists at the end of the day.  Even if everything wasn’t accomplished, I felt like I was getting somewhere by looking at the things that were accomplished.  As time went on, I was able to add a few more items to both checklists, one at a time.

 

Consistency

I cannot stress the importance of consistency enough.  It is so important for both you and your child.  Things do come up and that’s ok, it’s not the end of the world if you aren’t able to check off all your boxes or you miss a day with tummy time.  But as long as you try your best, you can be pretty consistent and your baby will feel a lot more secure.  You will be surprised at how your baby does adjust to a schedule later on when you are consistent.  Consistency pays off.  Five to ten minutes of tummy time every day is much better than doing it for an hour every sporadic week.  The same concept applies to eating, playing, learning, and anything that you have to do as well!

 

Enjoy the Journey

The most important thing is to enjoy these moments.  If it’s noon and you start feeling the least bit of stress or discouragement because you haven’t checked one box on your checklist or your baby hasn’t followed one routine, that is ok!  Set it all aside, kick off your shoes, and play with your baby or sleep with your baby, whatever the case may be.  Of course, if your baby is teething, that’s a whole different story.  The point is, it’s way more important that your baby feel only peace and love from you.  I admit, there has been plenty of those kinds of days for me.  Learn to enjoy them and pick yourself up fresh in the morning.

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