"Essentials" For Welcoming A New Babe + A Giveaway (CLOSED!)

There are two schools of thought when it comes to prepping for a newborn. Some suggest utter minimalism, to buy only the bare essentials like a crib, blanket, a few onesies, and maybe a bottle or two. Others tell you to go big or go home and hand you a five page list, with every item marked as essential.

When I was prepping for Aubryn's arrival, every list I made was missing at least one thing. I'd check one of the lists I found on Pinterest, and then end up adding thirty more things. Finally, I decided to get some advice from mothers I trusted about the bare necessities. Rather than tailoring what I bought to another baby's needs, I decided to hold off a bit and tailor what I bought to my own babe's personalities and needs.

So we bought a crib, blanket, a few onesies, and a bottle or two. And as we got to know to know our little girl a little better each day, we got to know her needs better too and were able to figure out exactly what was needed to fill them.

A year and a half later, I'm realizing that I belong more to the minimal school of thought. But in case you're wondering what items are on my list of "essentials", here are just a few of them. And if you can make it through until the end, you might be able to win yourself the entire list.

A few accessories to keep them looking tidy...
There were two things I didn't realize about babies until I became a mother: babies have crazy long nails and man, do they slobber. And thirdly, those crazy long nails are crazy hard to clip. As hard as we tried, we could not cut those suckers down. And when they get a hold of your face, you might just think you're being attacked by a lobster. Non-scratch mittens like these appropriately designed ones from Swear House are the perfect solution.

And then there's the slobber... Nine out of ten of the outfits that you put on your child will be ruined in some way, shape, or form. To avoid having it ruined by things like slobber or spit up, get your babe a stack of cute bibs. And if you're one of those people who prefers white onesies, a patterned bib is the easiest way to dress it up a bit (these ones from Shellbell are our favorites!).

A little something to keep them looking classy...
While we tried to stick with simple clothing items for Aubryn during those first few months, there are few things more adorable than a little babe all dressed up. I promise that you will find at least one event during the first three months of your child's life for them to get fancy for. And if you can't, it's perfectly acceptable to make one up. I mean, really, how cute would your little girl look in this dress from Dream Catcher Baby? And how dapper would your little gentleman look in this bow tie? I promise it will be worth the creativity.

And a few things to cozy up the nursery...
Motherhood is one constant learning experience. And while I literally learn something new every day, there is one thing I know for sure: my daughter loves blankets. If there is anything even slightly resembling a blanket, be it a sheet or a soft burp cloth (heck, she'll even grab a soft cardigan if she's desperate), she will cuddle with it while sucking her thumb. She has this one from LalaKa and it has officially won her over with its softness.

And then there are the pillows... Anytime the girl sees a pillow, she has got to lean back on it. It's a law of nature. And since one of my laws is to decorate with items that actually serve a purpose, a pillow seemed like the perfect addition to her nursery. This one from The Fox In The Attic might be the sweetest thing ever.

Throw in a couple lovies...
Another thing I know about Aubryn, she's a cuddler. Guys, she even hugs her books. When she was little, the key to her heart was the ability to fit in the palm of her hand, and now that she's getting older, there are really only two requirements: bare even the slightest resemblance to Winnie the Pooh; be soft. This little fox from Woodland Tale had her at hello, and I so wish that we would have had this little guy when she was younger because it would have been the perfect size for a newborn friend. These rattles from The Wind and The Sail are great too because they're so soft and cuddly! Her other best friend these days is her personalized doll from ShellBell. It's so fun watching her rock that little doll to sleep or feed her dinner.

Finish it all off with a gift or two for the new momma...
The first few months of motherhood are draining. Wonderfully fulfilling, but so rough. I know that for me, the things that helps me to keep pushing forward is to remember those who are most important to me: Jordan and Aubryn. A locket (like this one from Artistic Origin) with a picture of your little love in it is such a special way to remember those first moments and serve as a reminder of what you can do. You're strong, lady. Even when you've been up all night with a colicky babe. Plus, your little one will love playing with it.

The last thing on my essentials list: advice from others. I wanted to be able to get advice from parents that I admired, so I created these advice cards to use at my baby shower. People wrote down such simple tips, but they were so helpful. And let's be honest, some of them made me cry (curse you, pregnancy hormones!). I do recommend taking all advice received with a grain of salt, but when you seek out advice from people who care about you, you're bound to gather a few gems.

So there you have it...My "essentials." And now's your chance to make them yours. Here's what you'll win:

-a pair of non-scratch mittens from Swear House
-a bib from Shellbell
-a dress or bow tie from Dream Catcher Baby
-a blanket from LalaKa
-a pillow from The Fox In The Attic
-a fox softie from Woodland Tale
-a boy or girl doll from Shellbell
-a rattle from The Wind and The Sail
-a locket from Artistic Origin
-a set of advice cards from TPOC's shop

And here's how to enter:

Share this giveaway on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Link to the giveaway in your post using this ( http://bit.ly/Ylcn5e ) link and make sure to use the hashtag #tpocnewbornessentials. If you choose to share on Instagram, repost the image I shared on @tpocblog's feed to enter. If you would like to pin the giveaway, repin an image from this post and mention the giveaway in the pin's description. MAKE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST TELLING ME WHAT YOU DID!

You only have to share it once to enter, but for each social media site you share the giveaway on, you'll receive an extra entry.

BONUS Entries:
-you can enter once a day on Instagram by regramming the photo I share and using the hashtage #tpocnewbornessentials. Leave a comment on this post once you've shared it.
-pin an image from one of the participating shops to receive an extra entry. For each shop that you pin an image from, you will receive once bonus entry (only one entry per pin, per shop). Leave a comment here once you've done so.
-blog about your favorite items for welcoming a newborn and mention + link back to this giveaway in your post to receive FIVE bonus entries.

Sound good?! Good. Guys, I'm really stoked about this giveaway. I hope you win!

All of the shops participating in this giveaway are sponsors of TPOC and were handpicked by me. I received free products from each of these shops as compensation but the opinions shared here are completely my own.