5 Essential “NON-BABY” Items You Need for Your Baby

I love to find multiple purposes for items in my house.  I use a vase under the kitchen sink to store dishwasher pods.  I use binder clips to keep food items fresh.  I even have a bean bag chair in Chulengo’s playroom that is full of extra linens and stuffed animals that I don’t have room to store.  If I can use one item to complete multiple tasks, it saves me space and money — which makes me a happy mama!

So, when it comes to taking care of Chulengo, I like to find items around the house that I can put to good use.  You won’t see the items listed below on a typical baby registry, but you can find them right in your own kitchen.  I am sure these items were not created with a baby in mind.  But, I have found a way to use them for Chulengo on a daily basis.

Instead of buying baby-specific tools that take up space, use these common household items to take care of your little one.

1. Microfiber Towels
   

    

   • We use these towels Every. Single. Day.  I currently use two for every meal time.  One for Chulengo to hold and chew on while I use the other to clean his high chair off before cleaning him up.  These also come in handy to have in the car and stroller for unexpected messes while we are out.

2. Appetizer Plates

   • When I feed Chulengo, I usually have a small smorgasbord of things to give him.  He is in this phase right now where he wants three bites of everything — nothing more.  So, I offer him a good variety of options.  Appetizer plates are helpful because I can put a few different foods on a small plate and bring it over to put on his tray.  They come in handy if I need to warm up his little portions by putting them in the microwave or I can set the plate in the fridge to cool his food.  Because they don’t take up much space, clean up is super easy.  I can hand wash them very quickly or throw them in the top rack of the dishwasher.

3. Crinkle Cut Knife

   • We chose to follow the Baby Led Weaning (BLW) approach when introducing food to Chulengo.  It is important with BLW that Chulengo can grasp long, fry-shaped pieces of fruits and vegetables.  Because many fruits and veggies are slippery after being washed and cut, a wavy shaped knife, like a crinkle cut knife, makes it easier for Chulengo to grasp his food.

4. Measuring Spoon

   • I have probably purchased over ten baby spoons in the past few months, and somehow, there I don’t always have a clean spoon for Chulengo.  As a substitute, I have used plastic measuring spoons for him to use.  A teaspoon isn’t a permanent solution, but it is perfect for when Chulengo doesn’t have the patience for me to find a baby spoon

5. Food Storage Containers 

   • Chulengo rarely eats all of the food that I prepare for him in one sitting.  He is the King of leftovers.  I also food prep when I can so that I can have food ready to go at a moments notice.  So, when I need to store Chulengo’s food, I find small food storage containers do the trick.  Before I had kids, I would have laughed at these little tiny containers.  But now, I would waste so much food without them.  For example, I can quickly wash and prepare cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries and toss them into these little containers.  I often cut homemade sandwiches into strips for Chulengo and these containers store them perfectly.  I can also grab a couple of containers and throw them in the diaper bag if I am running out the door and we will be away during meal time.  They take up little space in the fridge or the diaper bag.  Since they are see-through so I can quickly see what is inside.

Do you have any items that you use for your baby that aren’t made especially for babies?  If so, comment below and share!