>> BASKET AND GRASS FILLER <<
As someone who loves to fully embrace every holiday, I will absolutely be making Sophie a little Easter basket this year, even if she’s too young to remember it. She’s not quite old enough for most little kiddo basket goodies this year (thinking of items such as sidewalk chalk, bath paint / crayons, etc.), but I have a few items that I’m putting in her basket and I thought I’d share in case you also have a <1 y/o that you’re shopping for!
Just a reminder that you do NOT need to give your baby an Easter basket… they literally won’t remember (or care!) if you don’t make one for them. This is just something fun that I wanted to do for Sophie and start a tradition. As parents, it seems like we feel pressure to do ALL THE THINGS, but it’s honestly not necessary — these are simply suggestions for anyone that was already planning to put together an Easter basket and looking for some ideas!
WEARABLE
New Clothes
I recently saw a two cute items from Old Navy that I couldn’t resist adding to Sophie’s wardrobe, but she has more than enough clothes for her current size and for the foreseeable future so I didn’t go overboard in this category. However, if your babe is currently growing out of everything (it happens overnight, right?! HOW) this is a great time to take advantage of sales to stock up on pieces for the coming season in the next size up!
Accessories
We love these mini Wayfarer style sunnies (even Sophie doesn’t mind them!) for polarized eye protection so if you haven’t gotten a pair for your little one yet, this is a great item to include in their basket!
Hats are also great sun protection for baby — we have this one for every day wear and this one for water fun days.
Even though baby may not be walking yet, a cute pair of pre-walker shoes (or two!) to wear for the occasional outing is always fun. These are definitely going in Sophie’s basket!
Swimsuits
Warm weather is coming!!! Whether you live somewhere where pools are abundant (lucky you!), you are enrolling your little one in swim lessons, will be using an inflatable pool in your back yard, or maybe you just have some travel coming up… baby is gonna need a swimsuit or two. I highly recommend long-sleeved suits with UPF50 protection for outdoor swimming — this style brings me peace of mind because it minimizes the need for frequent sunscreen re-applications. This is our favorite swimsuit brand; we love their beautiful premium quality swimwear and that there are opportunities to match / coordinate for the whole family! *Don’t forget to grab disposable swim diapers or a reusable swim diaper! Note that swim schools usually require both.
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BODY
Bath Products
You already know that Tubby Todd is our household’s preferred baby soap / lotion brand. While I love their “always” scents, they often offer limited edition seasonal scents throughout the year and if you need to replenish your supply, take the opportunity to grab a product in a new spring scent (this year’s lineup: Fresh Citrus + Lily Hair and Body Wash, Jasmine + Orange Blossom Everyday Lotion, and Sweet Melon + Pink Geranium Bubble Bath) for baby’s basket! I can’t wait to try their bath bombs someday (once we’ve graduated from the baby tub); those would make a great Easter gift for littles! You can use this link to get 10% off your first order!
UV Protection
With more time spent outdoors in warm, sunny weather comes the risk of harmful UV ray exposure. Protect your little ones with a baby / kid-friendly sunscreen… I’ve included all of the brands we like in the widget below. And if you’re looking for a great sunscreen applicator to use on squirmy kiddos, this is the one we use and love.
*Note that babies younger than 6 months shouldn’t wear sunscreen; please discuss with your pediatrician for guidance.
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PLAY
Pacifiers / Teethers
Depending on what stage your baby is in, adding a couple new pacifiers (+ clips!) or teethers to their basket is always a good idea! These are our favorite pacifiers — I know babies can be picky about their pacis, but I highly suggest at least trying them! Great quality and beautiful. You can’t go wrong with a teether; there are so many fun designs out there! Sophie loves this one and this one.
Toys / Stuffed Animals
We try not to go overboard in this department because (1) babies and kids can get overwhelmed when they have too many toys and unless you’re regularly rotating them to keep kiddos interested they’re often going to go unplayed with after the first few days, and (2) selfishly, the more toys there are, the more mess there is to clean up. We try our best to be intentional with the toys that we give to Sophie — being sure that they are somewhat educational or they can grow with her and be used for multiple ages. I will note that not everything we give to Sophie is educational, but we try to keep that in the back of our minds when making choices (we decided on this toy for Sophie this year — seasonally appropriate and great for dexterity in her current stage as well as testing her memory as she gets older!). We also turned her Easter eggs into sensory rattles by adding some dry beans inside (dry rice totally works too, but our eggs had fairly large holes so we chose to use beans instead)!
As much as we love stuffed animals, we also try to keep those to a minimum because we simply don’t have the space to store very many. This means that we try to get only high quality stuffies that will (hopefully) last for years of play and snuggles; this brand is our favorite.
Board Books
We are trying to foster a love of reading in Sophie so books are ALWAYS a welcome gift (if people feel compelled to send Sophie anything). We stayed with the spring theme and grabbed this one, but if your babe seems to prefer another topic don’t be afraid to deviate from the seasonal choices! Books are books. 😉
Bubbles
At this age, everything goes in Sophie’s mouth so I wanted bubbles that would be nontoxic as the likelihood that she is going to taste her soapy hands is pretty high. This set was the perfect solution and I love that the containers are made with aluminum so they are both reusable and recyclable.
Bath Toys
Now that Sophie is able to sit up in her bathtub I thought it might be fun to get her a little toy to play with while we bathe. Since we’re still in her little bathtub (but at the sitting end now) I’m only going to get her this toy, but when she graduates from her baby tub to the big tub, I think this set looks like so much fun!
Pool Float
Sophie is still too small for the arm floaties or float vests so we got her this inflatable / packable float that also has a protective sun cover for any trips to warm climates this year! This inflatable splash pool is SO cute and perfect for a little water play at home.
I hope these ideas were helpful for you! Happy springtime, friends!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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