Essentials for 2 under 2: What you need to make life easier

This is a sponsored post I wrote on behalf of BJ’s. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

You guys, babies have a lot of stuff. Like, a lot of stuff. And I’m not even talking about the number of appliances or equipment that can make life easier, like swings and bouncers and wipes warmers – I’m talking about the actual, sheet number of STUFF they need.

Like a billion and seven onesies, because poo-splosions will happen. Oh, and if you have a little with reflux, double that – at least.

Diapers. And diaper rash cream. And wipes. And nipple cream and boob pads and bibs and bottles and pacifiers and formula. And cleaning supplies – both for icky baby booties and your house which at some point will feel like it has a layer of yuck on it.

And that’s not even considering what happens when they get a little bigger.

We try to be ~minimalist~ in our house. not by choice but because our home does NOT have to room for anything more than that. With that in mind with both boys we kept the ‘stuff’ to a minimum and I realized that while babies do go through so.much.stuff, they don’t necessarily NEED a ton of stuff.

And when you have 2 under 2 you need to know what is ESSENTIAL and what isn’t, or else you’ll be drowning in baby AND toddler stuff. Because while babies need a ton of stuff, so do toddlers- and sometimes it doesn’t even overlap.

So today I thought it would be fun to reminisce and share my essentials for living with 2 under 2 so that you can figure out what you NEED and what you don’t.

Essentials for 2 under 2: What you need to make life easier

Baby gate.

This was so important for so many reasons. Keeping Ryan contained but in sight while I nursed or changed the baby. Keeping Ryan and our dog out of where the baby was sleeping but keeping the door open so I could hear him. (I have a THING where I hate monitors, no matter how hard I try so I just don’t use them…. ) Keeping Owen away from Ryan when they were being fresh to one another once Owen became a little more mobile. A baby gate – no matter the size of your house! – is pretty important.

An app or tablet.

I’m not against tablet or screen time, as you may or may not know. Yes, I monitor it closely, but Ry does have his own kiddo tablet. It has a timer on it to stop after a certain amount of time but it’s honestly been such a help when I really need to give Owen my full attention. I give him his tablet or my phone with a kid’s app and he’s happy for a little bit so I can handle another issue.

Bouncer.

With both of my boys, the bouncer was a Godsend. Ryan had some pretty bad colic for the first few months and would only nap if I bounced him in it and Owen had bad reflux, the bouncer kept him perfectly propped to sleep happily. And when you have more than one little, napping or at least hands-free time is a necessity. Having a bouncer somewhere out of reach of the toddler that you can put the baby in and tend to other things without worry was VITAL for me.

Baby carrier.

While Owen didn’t like the carrier nearly as much as Ry did, a baby carrier is ESSENTIAL to getting anything done with 2. Grocery store? Carrier. Cleaning? Carrier. Park to wear out the toddler? Carrier for the baby. Toddler really want you to play with him but the baby super fussy? CARRIER. I can’t stress a carrier more for any mom with 2 under 2. (Or, truly, any mom, ever, )

Microfiber towels.

Before you make that face, hear me out. Microfiber towels are my favorite item in my house for surviving kids. Why? Because they are absorbent – like, really absorbent. When Owen was spitting up gallons at any given moment? Microfiber towel to soak it up. When Ryan inevitably spills all of the things? Microfiber towel. Plus, they’re cheap so if one gets nasty, just toss it.

Bibs with velcro.

This may seem weird, especially since the snaps are so much more convenient when babies start to tug on them. They can’t get the snaps undone as easily as velcro, right? RIGHT, but same goes for your toddler. Under 2, he probably doesn’t get manners and there is a chance he might tug on the baby’s bib. I was always so anxious about this, so with 2 under 2, I would completely recommend using velcro release style, just in case. Obviously, you always should have an eye on your kids but any mom will tell you things happen in a flash. I really love these teething bibs by Nuby because not only are they good at catching drool and spit up, but they eliminate the need for another item – a teether!

Bottles.

YES, if your nursing, boobs are much more convenient. BUT if your toddler poops his pants and/or is just straight losing it and the babe is hungry, you’re going to lose your OWN mind. Bottles can help give at least a small reprieve – especially once babies can self feed with a bottle. Give a bottle to the baby, handle the toddler. Win, win. These Avent bottles are perfect for babies and at BJ’s they come with Smoothies, which are such awesome paci’s! (it was the only pacifier Ryan would even occasionally take as a baby!)

So, yeah – babies and toddlers need a LOT of stuff. But if you can narrow it down to the bare essentials, you’ll save yourself from the explosion of baby stuff that can very easily happen when you bring littles home.

Thankfully, BJ’s Wholesale Club is giving you a chance to win some of your essentials for baby or toddlers! From now through October 6th, head over to the BJ’s Bundle of Joy site and enter to win one of three amazing bundles that contain a year’s supply of diapers plus a variety of baby essentials! 

In addition, if you share an infant-related photo on Instagram or Twitter mentioning why you love shopping at BJ’s for your family and using #BJsBabySweepstakes you will have a chance to be dropped a ‘Bundle of Joy’ from the BJ’s Stork! I was lucky enough to get a special visit from the BJ’s stork and I can tell you, these bundles of joy are EXACTLY what mommas need! 

Make sure you head over to my Instagram and Insta stories to see what the bundles I received included and to enter to win them over at the BJ’s Bundle of Joy site!

So tell me – what were some of your ESSENTIALS for babies or toddlers? Do you shop at BJ’s? Let me know in the comments!