Treat Yo Self: jewelry cleaning, tailoring, waxing

I love Aziz Ansari's character on Parks and Rec, and I love that he has given me Treat Yo Self.



I'd been lagging in some much-needed treating of myself, so I took care of a few items lately that are worth sharing.

1) At-home jewelry cleaning

You know those little round bottles of jewelry cleaner that cost $5 a pop and kind-of sort-of get your ring clean? I'd been using those for years (specifically, the 6.5 years we've been married), but my ring was never really coming out that clean. I wanted to recreate that sparkly-just-got-engaged ring of 2005. It's been recreated twice, both times when Matt took my ring into a jewelry store and asked someone to clean it. Because I feel pathetic taking my ring into a jewelry store every month to get it sparkly again, I started looking for alternatives. Matt found the well-reviewed Sonic Wave CD-2800 Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner on Amazon.

Let me say this product is amazing. It's pretty inexpensive (we paid $27), it doesn't take up much space, and most importantly it makes my ring sparkle perhaps more than it did on the day we got engaged. It's also kind of funny because it looks like a little spaceship for your jewelry, and when you turn it on this blue light comes on (which to me looks like the future). It takes about 3 minutes for the machine to complete a cleaning cycle.

Matt also read that putting a drop of blue Dawn dishwashing detergent in the machine will further enhance the jewelry's sparkle, so we invested in a bottle.

So, if you want brand-new looking jewelry, treat yo self.

2) Saving busted jeans thanks to a good tailor

You know how I love me some too-expensive Citizens of Humanity jeans? Aside from my maternity jeans purchase (which doesn't count), I only owned two pairs of these jeans, and they've gotten me through many, many wearings over three years. Then I had a baby. No, my body actually didn't change, and the jeans continue to fit me perfectly. But having a baby means lots of crawling around on the floor. So one of my pairs of jeans got a giant hole in the knee. That pair was beyond repair and now is my an around-the-house-only pair of jeans. My other pair of jeans got two holes in the crotch area, but the holes are so tiny and hidden that I thought I should try saving these jeans with the amazing tailor I found about five years ago.

I am so glad I took my jeans in for patching a few weeks ago. I spent $20 to get them professionally patched, and I think that small amount of money was a great investment for what will hopefully prolong the life of the jeans for at least another year, perhaps several more. My tailor put some black material inside the crotch area of the jeans and by some act of voodoo sewing made them look perfectly new. Seriously. Amazing. I'm especially glad I saved these particular boot-cut pants because they are practically obsolete, as a recent jean-shopping expedition to Nordstrom revealed.

3) DIY bikini waxing

Man, if I could choose an area of my body to never have to remove hair from again, it would be my bikini line. Because I don't want to invest the time and money into laser hair removal, though, I've experimented with various DIY waxing options, including wax strips and sugar wax. Prior to our recent Bahamas trip -- which I dubbed our second honeymoon, so I wanted to look especially good -- I went on the lookout for some new products. I stumbled upon the Parissa Strip-Free Hot Wax for face, brow, and bikini. I will admit I was both intrigued and terrified by the idea of strip-free waxing, not to mention the idea of applying hot wax to my own body.

 
I have to say I am now converted. Though a bit messy, I found this product way easier to use than I imagined it would be. We have a gas stove, and I placed the metal wax container straight over a burner. It only took about a minute or two for the wax to warm up. One pot of wax can definitely be used for several different applications. Sure, using the wax was a little painful, but beauty is pain, right? I've never had a pain-free waxing experience. Also, the results really did last a long time, and that's what matters most.

So, ladies, go out and treat yo self.

That's clutch

After nearly a year of use our Skip Hop diaper bag has held up well. (Have you noticed that I start every new year writing about a bag? Oh well.) I don't take the bag with me every time I leave the house with Natalie because sometimes it just feels so big and we're not going to be gone very long. The bag is great because of its many compartments, which, when I originally put it on our registry and gratefully received it from a good friend, seemed like they would be helpful way for organizing my keys, phone, wallet, and sunglasses. Over time, though, I would be in a rush to leave the house without Natalie, so I'd grab my phone and wallet but forget my keys and sunglasses, yadda yadda.

Over the summer, tired of running in and out of the house, up and down the stairs, I decided this system was no longer working. The diaper bag is great and gets lots of use, but shoving all my possessions into various pockets was making me less organized. I decided using a clutch purse that I could easily pull in and out of the diaper bag would be the best option.

The search for the perfect clutch began, and it took me a couple months to find it. The winner was this Cole Haan brown leather clutch in a basket-weave pattern that I found at DSW. It's a little more narrow than the width of the diaper bag, so it easily fits inside, but it's still wide enough to carry my essentials. It also fits easily in the basket underneath our relatively small umbrella stroller.

The best part of this is that I never leave anything I need at home anymore. The worst part? By its nature a clutch doesn't have a handle or strap. But, what matters most to me is its size, so I went in knowing I'd be sacrificing a handle.

If you're looking for a way to make your diaper-bag life mesh with your baby-free life, I'd recommend the clutch route.

The short life of the Exersaucer

A number of newly pregnant friends have asked me for baby gear recommendations lately. The most helpful advice I can pass along regarding baby gear would be this: Get as many items used as possible. Bonus points for borrowing.

When I was pregnant I had this mixture of emotions regarding gear. I wanted my baby to have clean, new stuff. But I also hated the idea of acquiring a bunch of stuff in general. Thankfully we received a number of offers of gently used items for us to keep, and then we were able to fill in the gaps by adding other items to our registry.

Natalie is almost 10 months old, and the amount of baby gear we still use has declined significantly. I feel like we used a lot of gear in the beginning when we were trying to find ways to contain her or entertain her. Now that she crawls and climbs everywhere she rarely wants to be contained and instead happily explores. It's also becoming clear which baby gear items have greater staying power than others. Unfortunately, for Natalie the Exersaucer was probably used for the least amount of time out of any piece of gear, but I imagine many other babies get more use out of it if they're less mobile for a longer period.

Here's our gear breakdown:

Gear we're done with:

• Infant swing -- 0-4 months
• Bouncer seat -- 0-6 months
• Infant gym -- 1-5 months
• Bumbo seat -- 3-6 months
• Exersaucer -- 4-7 months

Gear in rotation, though not for much longer:

• Snap N Go stroller frame -- we occasionally still use it for a quick trip when moving Natalie in and out of her car seat seems like too much of a hassle. It got daily use from 0-6 months, and I've only used it a handful of times since then.
• Infant tub -- still using, but I imagine Natalie is just about grown out of it. She is not OK to take a bath in the regular tub yet, though, which is something her constant screaming made abundantly clear.
• Boppy pillow -- still using, but I will definitely not be breastfeeding past the year mark.

What are the baby gear items I think we'll keep in rotation for a long time?

• Infant car seat -- still using. We can use it until Natalie is over 32 inches long, which could be a while seeing as she was 27.5 inches at her 9-month appointment.
• High chair -- we did not start using this until 6 months, but our Stokke chair grows with the child and eventually turns into a regular chair.
• Umbrella stroller -- we started using this at 6 months as well. I love how our Maclaren stroller is so easy to maneuver and so easy to fold up.
• Pack N Play -- although we've only used this a couple times since we folded it away when it was time to transition Natalie to her crib, this has the potential to get a lot more use on trips.
• Ergo carrier -- Natalie is tiny (only 16.5 pounds at 9 months) so I think I'll be able to wear her in this for a while.

So, while I ultimately am a greater proponent of borrowing/buying used as many gear items as possible than I used to be, I will say that for me it makes the most sense to register for/splurge on those items with greater staying power, such as strollers and high chairs.

(And because this, like so many of my other posts of late, has been in progress for a long time, another blogger I like beat me to it with this similar post of her baby products with staying power. Enjoy!)

You can stand under my umbrella (stroller)

Before we took the mini-vacation-that-wasn't-meant-to-be I decided we should test out our umbrella stroller, the Maclaren Triumph. Natalie had turned 6 months old and could mostly sit up on her own. More importantly for road-trip purposes, the desirable feature of an umbrella stroller is its ability to fold up compactly. The Snap 'n Go concept is wonderful, but a major downside is how much trunk space the stroller frame takes up, particularly in our small Mazda Protege.

As soon as we took the Triumph out for a test drive I knew we'd made the right stroller decision. This umbrella stroller is so easy to maneuver -- amazingly smooth wheels. The handle bars are also at a perfect height for me, a 5'4" female teetering somewhere between the petite and regular-length clothing categories. Both of these attributes make the Triumph superior to the Snap 'n Go for longer walks. The Snap 'n Go still wins out, though, as a quick and easy way to transport Natalie when getting in and out of the car on quick errand runs.

A major downside to the Triumph, however, is its sun shade. The shade does not offer much protection, and it's not adjustable, which is the double whammy. Our Graco Snug Ride car seat's sun shade offers lots of adjustment possibilities; not so much with the Triumph. While researching Triumph accessories (specifically, I was looking for a cup holder, another small ding against this stroller), I came across the Protect-a-Bub sun shade. When I ordered it the cost came in around $30, which I figured would be a reasonable price if the shade did its job of keeping Natalie happy on stroller rides. The Triumph's small sun shade was causing Natalie to shift around uncomfortably, seeking a way out of the sun.

As I took the Protect-a-Bub out of its packaging I started laughing at its sheer size. It seemed rather comical before I put it on the stroller. After I tied it onto the stroller it seemed less comical but still questionable. It was only once we took Natalie out in her stroller on a sunny day that I realized this product, potentially ridiculous looks aside, does its job.

Happy baby

 

Not-as-happy baby

A downside to the Protect-a-Bub sun shade is that it attaches to the stroller by tying in four places. The problem with this is that the shade must be taken off and on each time you want to fold up the stroller. Fortunately, we keep this stroller unfolded in the garage the majority of the time, ready to go on daily dog walks. If you plan to use your stroller for different purposes, though, this might not be the best product.

If you compare the angle of our sun shade when attached to the stroller to the one displayed on Amazon you might notice that ours looks different. I'm still playing around with the arrangement of the four ties, hoping I can come up with a way to keep more sun off Natalie's ever-so-tan legs.

And though I still find the overall look of the sun shade attached to the stroller somewhat comical, the good news is that from baby level Natalie still gets a clear view of the world from underneath her traveling umbrella.

Baby products 2-3 month MVPs

Three months ago when Natalie was just a few weeks old I highlighted the products that were essential to our lives during those early weeks. Many of those products have remained essential, with a couple exceptions. The Pack N Play is now playing second fiddle to the crib, only coming out when Natalie is sleeping away from home. (A few people have asked: we went with the Sealy Soybean Foam-Core Mattress, feeling that it was an alternative to the completely organic crib mattresses that tend to be quite pricey.) We put the Soothies pacifiers away as of last week because our little lady much prefers her hand. I hope by writing this I am not jinxing it, but I am thrilled that Natalie does not seem interested in her pacifiers anymore because I was determined to stop using them by the time she turned four months (as suggested in a book I read about how to avoid forming a pacifier habit). Call it a form of baby-led weaning, but I will take it. She is still fitting into her swing, so I imagine she'll continue to use that for another couple months until she completely outgrows it. On that note....

D batteries!
I had heard that these swings go through batteries like it's their job, but man, I was not expecting this. The swing operates on four D batteries, so thankfully this is something we stocked up on pre-baby at Costco. Every time I change the batteries (and it's been about four times now) I sing that song "Stereo Hearts" about old-fashioned boom boxes and their mad D batteries.

Also from Costco...
Laundry detergent
We've switched from the more-expensive Tide Free and Clear to the Kirkland (aka Costco brand) Free and Clear detergent for both washing Natalie's diapers and clothes. It's super cheap at only $14.29 for 186 fl. oz. (or 1.45 gallons). Plus, with the frequent $2.75 discounts Costco offers on this product it's the cheapest detergent I've been able to find. I've always been skeptical of generic laundry detergent for inexplicable reasons, but I gave it a try after borrowing a cap full from my neighbor and I was converted. (Thanks, Mimi!)

Baby wipes
We finally had to buy our own baby wipes in early March after our stash from the hospital and friends ran out. We bought the Huggies Natural Care baby wipes from Costco in a pack of 1,120 (yes, you read that correctly) for $24.99 at the store. At 2.2 cents per wipe it is definitely way cheaper than any deal you could find on Amazon. I anticipate this package of wipes lasting us for several more months as we have used less than one third of the package in over two months.

Sleep
Cloud b Sleep Sheep
When we transitioned Natalie to her crib we started a bedtime routine (which I'll write about more in the future) since we could finally distinguish nighttime sleeping from napping. We use the Sleep Sheep Velcroed to the outside of her crib as her white noise machine. Although it comes with four sounds, we are most likely to choose the ocean waves noise. We also keep it turned on to the 46-minute setting rather than the 23-minute setting. Plus, when I sit down to feed Natalie in her nursery I turn on the sound machine, and then after I'm done feeding her while I am putting her to bed I restart it so that it will play for the full 46-minutes while she sleeps.

The only con I see to this product is that it will not play indefinitely. Last weekend we had 8 friends over for an evening of dinner and board games after Natalie fell asleep at 7 p.m.  As a precautionary measure I took our iPod dock that normally stays in our bedroom and put it in Natalie's room. Rather than listening to her Sleep Sheep she listened to the soothing sounds of all of Jack Johnson's songs for however many hours they play. She stayed asleep through the noise of 10 adults being silly, and I don't know if she's just a champion sleeper or if we need to have a continuously playing white noise machine/iPod dock for her room for when we have guests.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe
The name of this product seems appropriate, given the fact that we've transitioned from the Halo Fleece Swaddle Sleep Sacks we used to use to these lighter weight swaddles now that the warm weather has arrived. We've never swaddled Natalie with her arms inside the swaddle, mostly because she was never swaddled during her week in the NICU and therefore quickly grew reliant on having access to her hands. Now that she's approaching four months old she's rolling back and forth in her sleep and using her hands to soothe herself in place of the pacifier. Still, we swaddle her with her arms out in this product because: 1) it serves as a type of blanket and 2) it stays tight around her torso to produce a swaddling effect that seems to help encourage her to fall asleep. So I'd recommend this product for its ease of use whether you choose to swaddle your baby arms in or out.

On the go
Ergo Baby Carrier
I am so glad we registered for this product. I've been using it most notably when taking Natalie for a walk to the grocery store. It is so easy to use, though at first I was afraid I would not be able to put her in it by myself. After wearing it one time I learned how to put it on with one hand, which seems to be a required parenting skill. I love having Natalie close to me, and she seems to like it too as it almost always puts her to sleep. A sleeping baby on an errand run is definitely desirable. I was using the Ergo with the Ergo Heart2Heart Infant Insert on loan from my friend Dawn, but now that Natalie is bigger and stronger (and incredibly long, FYI) she has officially outgrown it. Getting this product on loan was great because, true to form, Natalie only used it a few months. (Thanks for sharing, Dawn!)

Feeding
Green Sprouts bibs
We registered for this pack of 10 bibs, and during Natalie's first two months we never used them and I thought, "Well, maybe that was a waste." Fear not, drool entered our lives in full effect just about the time Natalie turned two months old, and I've been putting these colorful bibs on her nearly every day. Some days she's more drooly than others, but it is definitely nice having these on hand these days.

Play time
Here's a category I did not include in the newborn product post because, frankly, there was so little time Natalie was actually awake back then that I worried we'd never use all the toys we received as gifts. Fear not, new parent, the time will come when you'll be looking for ways to keep your 2-3 month old baby entertained. Here are our favorite distractions.

Lamaze Symphony Motion Gym
This product wins the award for most-often-used baby product of the last couple of months. We fell in love with this gym over the summer when visiting our friends Dawn and Jon in Argentina and watching their adorable daughter stare in wonder at this masterpiece of baby entertainment. It has a monkey in a spacesuit! It plays non-annoying music! It MOVES! That last part really sealed the deal. When a couple of my mom friends were over at our house with their babies and they realized this thing moves they were impressed, as was I.

For the first couple months I kept thinking, "OK, I guess our baby is just going to always stare at this thing and never use it as a 'gym.'" Well, right around the time she turned three months old she started getting active, grabbing at all the objects with her hands, putting her feet in the air and capturing toys with her toes, even bracing herself with the toys to start practicing rolling back and forth. This is possibly the single best baby product we own, but here's one con: to replace the batteries you must break out a screwdriver, and while I realize it's safety feature, it took me a week to change the 3 AA batteries.

Bright Starts Start Your Senses Sensory Giraffe
Here's a perfectly designed toy for your 2-3 month old. My girlfriends from wine club attached this to the group gift they gave me at my baby shower, and I'm so glad they did because we take it everywhere. It's great because with high-contrasting colors and lots of hanging items to grab it's a wonderful stroller and infant gym toy. (Fun fact: Many people mistakenly believe that babies can only see in black and white, but the truth is that while they can see color they are naturally attracted to high-contrasting colors, such as white against black. This is also why newborns might look like they're looking past you when in fact they're fascinated by the outlines of your face where the contrast is greatest.)

Eric Carle Developmental Elephant
This toy is quite similar to the Sensory Giraffe above, except this one adds a greater variety of textures that help a baby explore.

Sassy Letter Links
OK, some person years ago said, "Let's take plastic rings and market them as a baby toy," and you know what, that person knew what was up. Keeping with the concept of simple toys being the best, these rings in the shapes of letters are a hit. Grab them. Put them in your mouth. Hours of fun. I wish I was joking. I also like the fact that the company that makes these is called Sassy.

Favorite board books:
Right now Natalie is perking up when I read anything that rhymes or has simple images of people or animals in bold colors. Although we've already read each of her dozens of books many times, the two that capture her attention the most are...

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle
This is a favorite of mine from kindergarten, so I was happy to find it at a used book sale at our local library. Apparently it's about to be re-released in board book format again, at least according to Amazon.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury
Someone from my English department at work included this padded board book in Natalie's basket of books, and I'm so glad we got it because I don't know if I would have picked it out on my own.

Not an MVP, but nice to have: The Bumbo
This last item is definitely not essential, but I was happy to receive it as a hand-me-down from my friend Jean and I am sure I'll be loaning it out to friends in the future. The Bumbo seat is helping Natalie learn to sit up, and it is one baby holder that keeps her off her back (unlike the swing, the bouncer seat, the car seat). Although I would not recommend going out and buying one of these because they really are non-essential (and I imagine you can probably borrow one/find one on Craigslist), it has led to some cute photo ops. For your viewing pleasure...

What did you find most helpful during these early months?

Newborn products: The MVPs

I am sure as Natalie grows I will have reflections on products that helped get us through each stage. While we already have items on hand for late in her first year and into the toddler years, for now I can only comment on the items we've used the most during her first few weeks of life. These are the items that, if I was doing it over again, I would make sure I had on hand before she was born. (Quite a few of these items I picked up since her birth, even though I previously thought we couldn't possibly need to bring any more baby items into our home for a long time.)

Sleep
Graco Pack 'N Play with bassinet attachment in Kensly
Keeping Natalie in her Pack 'N Play next to my side of our bed has worked out perfectly so far. She wakes up 2-3 times per night for a diaper change and feeding, and having her at arms reach has made the process much easier. Last night I was able to soothe her back to sleep while just holding her hand. (This required me putting my pillow right next to the edge of her bassinet, but it still worked.)

While our Pack 'N Play doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the other Pack 'N Play products,  frankly I can't imagine needing anything more than this device provides. I know the Pack 'N Play is criticized as being cumbersome for travel, but, having not yet carted it around an airport, I don't find it particularly heavy either.

Graco quilted Pack 'N Play sheets -- get 2!
I don't know if it truly matters or not, but Graco encourages consumers to use the sheets it manufactures for the Pack 'N Play sets. I am fairly certain this is mostly a marketing scheme, but I gave in and got two of these sheets. At first I had only one on hand, which was silly because it just meant more laundry.

Halo Sleep Sack Swaddles -- micro-fleece, newborn size, get 2!
This wearable blanket has been great for keeping Natalie warm and safe at night. The micro-fleece is wonderful for a winter baby, and the newborn size fits infants from 6-12 pounds, which is most likely when you'll want to swaddle your baby. We are swaddling Natalie with her arms out (rather than arms in as you'll see in the photo below) because, believe it or not, Natalie has already proven that she can roll onto her stomach so we don't want to take any chances with her having her arms encased in the swaddle and her face down on the mattress. One of our Halo swaddles came with Velcro closures, the other did not, even though I thought I was ordering the exact same product. The verdict? I prefer the Velcro kind -- easier to keep in place.

Infant gowns -- have 4-6 on hand
I mentioned these before, but these make changing diapers in the middle of the night so much easier. Just lift up the gown to see if it's time for a diaper change rather than deal with snaps or zippers at 3 a.m. Sizing doesn't matter much here. We have some gowns that are size 3 months, some that say 0-3 months, and one that says "one size fits all," and all of them fit Natalie.

Bath time
Safety 1st Comfy Bath Cushion
I know a lot of people like to bathe their newborns in the kitchen sink, but I've been hesitant to try that out thanks to our granite countertops and wood floors in the kitchen. If the little lady bumped her head (or, let's get real, WE bumped her head) it wouldn't be too pleasant. Instead we've opted for bathing her in the hallway bathroom's bath tub. We put this cushion inside her baby bathtub...

Fisher-Price Precious Planet Whale of a Tub
...the frog sponge helps keep Natalie in place since she can't completely control her neck or sit up in the tub.

Circo Bath Time Kneeling Pad (from Target)
...and this pad is keeping my knees from giving way while I crouch over the bath tub.

Hooded towels and baby washcloths -- at least 3 hooded towels and 6 washcloths.
We had just 2 hooded towels on hand before Natalie's arrival, and since she was born we've received quite a few as gifts. This was great because we could use more and Natalie gets the luxury of a totally clean towel every time she's bathed (which is not a luxury I indulge myself in). Two good types of baby wash cloths are these terry velour ones by Swaddle Designs and the ever-popular Aden + Anais line with its so-soft muslin fabric.

Clothing
Hats! -- well, I should say hat as you really only need one...
We have not bought Natalie a single hat, yet she owns at least a dozen. The cutest one that gets all the compliments is this adorable knit bunny ears hat from Baby Gap. It's size 0-6 months.

Zippered footed onesies -- get 4-8. We needed newborn size (despite having an 8-lb. baby)
These are by far the easiest items to dress your newborn in. We have about 4-5 footed onesies in newborn size with snaps and about 4-5 footed onesies in newborn size with zippers. We dress Natalie in both snaps and zippers equally, but I hear less noise emanating from the nursery (both from Natalie and from Matt) when Matt's doing a diaper change when Natalie's in a zippered onesie. Newborn outfits with pants are cute, and we like dressing Natalie in these as well, but they're much more impractical than the zippered footed onesie.

On the go
Graco SnugRidger Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame (aka Snap 'N Go)
Thanks to unusually high winter temperatures we've been taking Natalie on lots of walks. This stroller frame has held up perfectly. I know friends and relatives who live in more urban areas with rough pavement find jogging strollers are the way to go, but for us living in our suburban, ridiculously-clean-and-manicured paradise this really basic stroller frame does the job well.

Car seat
Now, as far as car seats are concerned, I feel like I can't speak with much authority here, seeing as if I did it over again I probably would not choose our Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat because it is so big. We've had a chance to compare it to other people's infant car seats, and ours is definitely the big one. I can't tell you with authority which is the better car seat to choose, size-wise, so maybe some readers can reply with comments on what infant car seat they'd recommend. (Please do!)

Stroller blanket
Instead of getting any attachments for the infant car seat, such as the popular JJ Cole bunting, we've been bundling Natalie with a stroller blanket around two-thirds of her body when we take her for a car ride or a stroller walk. My sister-in-law bought us this beautiful Petunia Pickle Bottom stroller blanket and we take it everywhere.

Nursing
Medela Easy Expression Bustier
This is the hands-free breast pump bra. Without it you're subjecting yourself to 10-20 minutes of holding your arms up while you milk yourself. With it you buy yourself 10-20 minutes to send emails, make phone calls, or write your blog (just kidding on that last one). You will be shocked to know how many of your female friends look like the woman below when they are communicating with you electronically. Ahhh, modern women.

UPDATE: Realize I left these two important items off initially: nursing camis and nursing bras

A Pea in the Pod nursing tank
Awesome and universally flattering.  I have a nursing cami from Target, and based on its inability to enhance my shape (or I would argue most women's shapes) I was happy to spend twice as much money for these way better camis from A Pea in the Pod.

A Pea in the Pod seamless clip-down nursing bra
So comfortable it's kind of like a sports bra, but way more flattering.

Lansinoh Breast Milk Storage Bags 
If you are trying to stockpile your breastmilk in the freezer like I am so you can, you know, get a hair cut, go to the doctor's office, or have a few hours to spend with your girlfriends, these bags are a must-have.

Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads
These are particularly useful to wear at night, I've found, even though they're primarily intended to keep you from experiencing the wet T-shirt contest look while out in public.

Lansinoh HPA Lanolin
I had this nipple cresm on hand in case I needed it, and I used it several times in the very beginning. I can't say that for me this product is a true MVP because I've been so lucky with breastfeeding, but I know it's a godsend to lots of breastfeeding moms.

Boppy pillow with slipcover -- I recommend two Boppys (if you live in a multi-story house) and a couple extra slipcovers.
I did not use the Boppy at first, mostly because I was feeding Natalie in the NICU and I was still dealing with a healing c-section incision. Now that Natalie is slightly heavier and my c-section incision is fully (or at least almost fully) healed, I'm finding the Boppy is helping to keep me from arching my back too much. Now I want a second Boppy so I don't have to carry it and the baby up and down the stairs several times a day.

Aden + Anais Burpy Bibs -- buy at least 6.
These burp cloths are like Burp Cloths 2.0 because they double as bibs when your babe is a little older, they come in adorable designs, and the classic Aden + Anais muslin cloth is so soft. We always have four burp cloths in rotation at once -- one next to the Pack 'N Play, one in the nursery, one in the living room, and one in my purse (I haven't yet started using my diaper bag because we've only taken Natalie out for short trips to the doctor and a couple restaurants [where she slept like a champ!]).

Bottle feeding
Dr. Brown's BPA Free Natural Flow Bottles -- buy 3 of the 4-ounce bottles for getting started.
Natalie needs to be burped often, so we opted for these bottles that (at least claim to) reduce colic, spit up, burping and gas. Others have critiqued these bottles as being too difficult to clean because they involve multiple parts, but I have not seen this as a problem. We pop them in the dishwasher using the....

Oxo Tot Dishwasher Basket
...to corral all the bottle parts and accessories.

Boon Grass Countertop Drying Rack
Some of the bottles and accessories come out of the dishwasher needing some extra time to air out, so this little drying rack is both cute and functional.

Miscellaneous
Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier -- 0-3 months, pack of 2 
I mentioned this in yesterday's NICU post, but even though these were items we did not have on hand at first they have been helpful in calming Natalie when all else fails.

Multiple changing pad covers
Although one of my trying-not-to-go-insane tasks I completed while waiting for Natalie to arrive was the creation of a diaper caddy, we've found we prefer to change Natalie in her nursery on her changing pad. Seeing as the first night home from the hospital she soiled one changing pad cover, we were happy to have another one on hand. Additionally, we've learned to take plain burp cloths (not the Aden + Anais kind) and place them underneath Natalie when changing her for added protection.

Covered trash can for the nursery
I did not want a Diaper Genie in the nursery because I hate how they look and the fact that they only serve one function. Instead I picked up a small metal trash can at Home Goods for diaper and wipe disposal (we'll have a different system in place when we transition to cloth diapers). It has a detachable pail that makes trash day easy to handle, and the seal on the trash can is strong enough that it's kept offensive odors out of the nursery.

UPDATE: I also realize I initially left off this important item: infant swing!

Fisher Price Nature's Touch Cradle Swing
The exact swing we own, because it's a hand-me-down, doesn't appear to be sold anymore, but all the Fisher Price infant swings are roughly the same. I know the Fisher Price My Little Lamb swing is quite popular right now and essentially identical to the swing we own. This swing is perfect for putting Natalie in for a day-time nap. Half of her day-time naps seem to take place in my arms (or Matt's arms), and the other half happen in this swing in our living room.

What I left off...
I have not included diapers or wipes because, while those are clearly needed, you can wait and use up your hospital-issued supply before you go out to buy more. With diapers in particular you may want to wait until you know how big your baby is before you get extras because an over-8-lb. baby will need to be in size 1 diapers (Pampers Swaddlers, at least) whereas an under-8-lb. baby will need to be in size newborn diapers.

I also did not include a bulb syringe nasal aspirator because hopefully you'll be given one at the hospital, but if not this is definitely something to have on hand.

That's my list! I am interested to hear from the parents out there about what you recommend having on hand for those early weeks of life.