Shopping for a baby shower has got to be one of my all-time favorite things to do. I like it so much that when my husband offered to swing by Babies “R” Us on his lunch hour to save me from having to lug four children out in a cold, pouring rain, I said, no thanks, I really wanted to go myself.
Now, Babies “R” Us is a store I go to about once every other year for an acid free baby book to record the vital statistics of the newest Parunak. I head straight for the books, and I don’t usually browse. But today was different. I was shopping for someone else. Armed with my printed registry, I and my four little helpers entered The Aisles. Here, we were confronted with a dizzying array of cleverly marketed, brightly packaged baby paraphernalia of every possible description.
Almost immediately, my oldest saw a fancy pack ‘n play that cost around $150 dollars. “What’s this?” she asked. I explained that you could change the baby’s diapers in this part here, and then the baby could sleep in the other part, or you could lower the floor so the baby could play. Her eyebrows went up. “Wow,” she said, “pretty convenient–three things in one.” We had just gotten there, so I was still feeling somewhat smug and strong enough to whisper, “Yes, but your baby can sleep with you. You can change his diapers on the bed or on the floor. And babies don’t need pens to play in. They can play on the floor. And you can save $150.”
Then I saw this really cool design for a baby bather.
And this folding bath tub thing.
And I started wondering if I should pick up a few things for baby number five (even though I’m not pregnant yet).
And, oh look, bath toys are buy one, get one 50% off.
Ahem.
Before we had left the house that morning, my son had asked me if Babies “R” Us was filled with “plastic junk.” I had said that, yes, it was. And he had asked if it was designed to get kids to lust after it. I explained that, no, that was Toys “R” Us. At Babies “R” Us, everything is designed to get the parents to lust after it.
Apparently, they’re good at manipulating parents.
It occurred to me that I had not been loose in The Aisles since seven years ago when I was pregnant for the first time and registering for MY baby shower. And yet, here I was again, intoxicated by all the choices, and feeling that same twinge of mother guilt over not providing my children with a thousand dollars’ worth of coordinating nursery furniture.
And I already knew how ridiculous it all was. How do the first time moms wade through it all? I know I registered for a lot of stuff I didn’t really need. It seems painfully ironic that everyone is so excited to help you buy stuff for your first baby, but you don’t have much idea of what that stuff ought to be. And I got to thinking, if I could go back in time and get ready all over again, knowing what I know now, what would I get (and not get)?
1. Cloth Diapers
I’ve done two children in cloth and two in disposables, and for me, cloth wins hands down. Yes, it is great to be able to just throw the diaper away, but potty training a child who has lost all touch with his or her body is SUCH a miserable experience, that I would rather throw an extra load of diapers in the wash now and then. Besides cloth is (often) much cheaper, more environmentally friendly, fairly essential for EC, and I don’t know about you, but I’d sure rather wear cotton than paper and chemicals. We use good old-fashioned Chinese prefolds and Thirsties Diaper Covers. With EC and washing diapers about once a week, we find we need about six covers and about two to three dozen diapers.
Cloth diapers also work for burp clothes and changing pads, so no need to buy those.
2. A Simple Diaper Pail
If I could do it over again, I would skip all the fancy stuff. We tried all sorts of nifty systems, but none of them worked as well as we’d hoped, and in the end, we are quite happy with one of the big plastic buckets our wheat comes in. It has a lid that sits on top, and we sprinkle in some baking soda to keep the smell down.
3. Clothes from the THRIFT Store or Garage Sales
OK, I’m going to confess something horrible now. I bought all my first baby’s clothes retail. Some of them were on sale, but still it was a really bad choice. There is NO reason to do that. Little babies just don’t wear their clothes out. They only stay one size for five minutes. And after a few spit-ups and diaper blow outs, all the boutique-y stuff looks comfortably worn anyway. You might as well take what you’d pay for ONE complete Carter’s outfit at Babies “R” US and buy your baby’s whole wardrobe at the Salvation Army or Goodwill, or if it’s summer, at a garage sale. I’d get about a 6-10 soft, cozy 100% cotton sleepers in 0-3 months size. (Skip “newborn” unless you’ve got a really tiny baby. Clothes can be a tiny bit big for the first week. Your baby won’t care.) A half dozen little onsies or T-shirts are good, too. T-shirts are better if you want to do EC. Onsies are more convenient if you’re doing conventional diapering. You might want a couple baby hats, too, and if it’s winter time, some kind of bunting.
4. A Few Blankets (also from the thrift store or garage sales)
I haven’t found that we really need more than around four or five little receiving blankets and maybe one or two warmer ones if it’s cold.
5. A Backpack to Use as a Diaper Bag
When I had my first baby, one of the first things I bought was the cutest diaper bag EVER. It was denim with pastel accents and a melt-your-heart little bear on the front (I have a weakness for all things bear.) I still feel all gushy when I think about it. The only problem was, it was falling apart before my daughter’s first birthday. The plastic lining was getting all torn and pulling away from the seams. The outside was dirty and stained from being set on the floor all the time. And the bag was misshapen from constantly being over-stuffed with all the “just in case” items I was always cramming in. We’ve since made the leap to a nice quality back pack. It is WAY more durable and comfortable to carry, and it’s made for cramming and throwing around, so even after serving us through two children, it still looks relatively the same.
6. A Good Quality Baby Carrier
This one is hard to predict when you haven’t had a baby yet because everyone’s body is different. I wish I had thought to try some of my friends’ carriers to get a feel for the options. As it turned out, I became a HUGE fan of properly sized (that’s essential!) padded ring slings from SlingEZee. (Note: These are NOT the dangerous bag slings that leave the baby in a droopy ball where they don’t get enough oxygen. I always carry my babies upright, with their heads outside of the sling where I can see them and monitor them.) I love slings because they take about three seconds to put on, and you can do it while you’re holding your baby. They keep your baby right up against you, with nothing in between, so you can nurse if you want to. They’re also relatively compact for carrying/packing/throwing around the car. And all four of my babies have loved them. This is the one thing that I would happily pay full price for. I use mine until they fall apart. Also, I’ve never seen a sling that actually fits me in a thrift store. It’s really easy to find the Nojo brand slings, but they are always way too big for me.
7. A Compact Baby Bather
Before my first baby, I bought a rigid plastic bath tub. It worked fine, got me through four infants. But I had to store that silly thing all the rest of the time. It took up way too much space, and we finally got rid of it. Next time around, I’m going to find the smallest thing I can get away with.
8. A Plain, Ordinary Car Seat
Simple is better. With our first baby, I wanted one of those “travel systems” where the car seat clicks into a stroller. Only, the thing was, none of my infants liked riding in their car seat. And I quickly discovered that if you try to power walk with anything but a jogging stroller, you’ll be kicking the back frame all the time.
9. A Nursing Cover-up
These can get SO complicated and expensive, and my first one had a ridiculous “peek through window” that always left me feeling exposed. By baby number four, I had learned that you can make yourself a very simple, functional cover simply by hemming a large square of the fabric of your choice (dark colors or thicker fabric like flannel will give you more cover) and sewing velcro into the two top corners. I have one that is 42″ square, finished, and it works quite well.
10. A Place for My Baby to Sleep
For us this means a king sized bed. For some families this means a crib or a pack ‘n play. This is a deeply personal decision that depends on a lot of factors. I discussed it in depth here.
11. A Few Little Drug Store Items
Baby shampoo, wipes, diaper rash ointment, and an infant fever reducer. I have learned that it’s better to have a few baby medicines on hand BEFORE you need them because you nearly always discover that you need them at 3:00 in the morning. I’m definitely a fan of the dye-free varieties. That way when your baby spits it out all over both of you in the middle of the night, you won’t have stains. Notice I said, “when.”
12. Cheap, Enormous Bibs
Bibs are kind of the clever t-shirt of the baby world: abounding in charming slogans and costing way too much. I wish I had learned earlier that the purpose of a bib is not to announce to the world how much we love Grandma, it’s to get covered in mashed carrots, and by its sacrifice, to keep those carrots off the cute little outfit you paid a dollar for at the thrift store. If I could do it again, I would have started with the cheap hand towels I got in a giant pack at Sam’s Club. They cover the baby’s lap, too, and I don’t feel bad when they get stained.
In my mind, those are the only absolute essentials. There are also a few things that are nice, but not necessary:
1. Double Jogging Stroller
Strollers are an area I bumbled around in quite a bit. If I could do it again, I’d save lots of long-term money and just go straight for the double. If you think you’ll be having more than one child, then your days of needing a single stroller are seriously numbered and far fewer than it will take to actually wear out a stroller. If you didn’t get the double to begin with, you could end up like me, with a single stroller cluttering up your garage for way too long before you finally find someone to donate it to, and wishing you still had the money you spent on it. Also, for me, because I’m an exercise addict, the jogging stroller is essential to enabling me to keep a normal stride, and also for walking on any kind of rough terrain like the dirt roads we have around here. This purchase is easily put off, though, because most babies would rather be in a carrier with Mommy anyway.
2. A Few Toys and Board Books
Thrift store. Thrift store. Thrift store. And garage sales. And library book sales. There is no point in paying four times as much to have these new. Seriously. And if you don’t have money for even the thrift store variety, no biggie. Kitchen utensils make great toys. Most libraries have plenty of board books. And parents are way more snugly than teddy bears anyway.
3. An Easy to Clean High Chair
If I could pick my first high chair again, I would keep in mind that every square inch of it is going to be bathed in goo. Fabric is bad, as are all nooks and crannies. We finally, after a few iterations of impossible to clean nastiness, went with this cheap, utilitarian little number from IKEA. Notice the elegant, “drag it to the sink and hose it down” styling. Of course, you don’t really NEED a high chair right away, and if holidays are conveniently scheduled, you could always wait to get one until Great Aunt Marjorie asks what your baby would like for Christmas.
4. A Comfortable Rocking Chair
These can be lovely if you have the space and money. I have a glider rocker, and I must admit that I love it. It’s by no means a necessity, though, and as always, there’s no reason not to buy used.
5. Expensive, Plastic, Space-Eating Baby Holders
By this, I mean a swing, bouncy seat, exersaucer, and/or gym. These are all things that COULD be lifesavers, or they could just waste your money and take up precious square footage. Each of my children have loved at least ONE of these things, none of them have loved all of them, and they didn’t all love the same one. The key here, seems to me to be, wherever possible, “try before you buy.” Actually, we got nearly all of this stuff as free hand-me-downs from a friend, but if I were contemplating them on my own, I’d go visit a friend with one of these items, put my baby in itand see if he liked it. If he did, thrift store, thrift store, thrift store.
I would finish by assuaging all mother guilt with the reminder that a great deal of what is touted as “must have” is gimicky and pointless and designed by experts to empty my (and my loved ones’) bank accounts as efficiently as possible. Simplicity, space, and the wherewithal to fund future siblings are way more valuable than any three-in-one pack ‘n play or even coordinated nursery furniture.
We ended up moving to Japan, where there was simply no room to store/use our double stroller — good thing we ditched the crib before we moved back here. Ditto with the high chair.
I was lucky, when we had our third one, my husband discovered online auctions and had a great time bidding on (and winning at GREAT prices) second-hand baby items of all kinds.
A friend of mine gave me our favorite bib. It said, “I drink to forget.”
What a great post!
When I was pregnant with our first people got very mad at me because I refuse a baby shower and when ask what we needed I would say: “nothing, we have it all under control”
My husband have 11 younger sibling, so by the time we got married is youngest sister was almost 5 and she was going to be the last child.
So my mother in law ask me to look at what I needed and just take it away.
It was a huge blessing, because along the way she did learn what was essential and what were just for looks you know!
So all the baby clothes that our first daughter wore have been pass on by her aunt and when some of my sister’s in law got married and had baby on their own I pass on clothes for then too.
Now we have 2 little princess and baby #3 to be born anytime and we have bought 1 dress new on sale at 1.99$ (my husband taught it was the cutest thing ever) 3 pack of underwear for our potty trained little one (I think that is the only thing I would not use second hand LOL)and that is it! So our first born is 3 years old and we practically haven’t spend any money beside food on her, like I said we are truly blessed by our inlaws.
We use cloth diapers (made by my sister inlaw) I made some baby carrier (sling and wrap, very cheap to make it your self) I change baby on our bed and couches, babies are sleeping with us, until sleeping trough the night, then moved to the big girls room in a crib then move on to the mattress on the floor.
Seriously we all could raise little one without all those baby gadget and save tuns of money.
Maybe it’s because we are letting God choose the size of our family and knowing that we could have many children that we try not to crowd our little one with “stuff” ironic because people think that we should be the kind of family that could “use” all that stuff LOL
Have a blessed day and thanks again for this post!
Love this post! I linked to it today. I’m expecting baby #2 in December and I’m putting together a short list of what I’ll want to pick up between now and then.
We use cloth diapers with my son and we’ve tried Thirsties. At first I loved the cover, but it just hasn’t held up for us. My favorite diaper cover these days is the Flip. Have you heard of it? Made by the Bum Genius people.
It’s a one-size cover that snaps and holds the prefold/insert really well. LOVE it and it’s economical.
Wonderful, thoughtful, practical post with a consistent philosophy of parenting behind it that I love! Thank you!
The only thing I would add is if you truly want to save the money and the space, it is perfectly fine to bathe babies in the kitchen sink.
It is a blessing when people are so generous. I think I bought one thing for my first born at a store.
Now that he is getting older the hand me downs are starting to wax and wane, but we have been so blessed. We do have a crib which the baby usually spends half the night in, (more now) that was given to us by a family I used to nanny for. Their dresser also given to us doubles as a changing table…but like most people I expect usually change them on a bed. I think the only thing that we bought was a rocking chair second hand.
The other thing though that I did appreciate was a boppy bouncer chair, that was given to us through our Church. Both my kids had a lot of congestion and it really helped for naps for them to be able to be sitting up a little bit.
Slings are a necessity especially once you have more than one. I make mine, you can by the rings at slingrings.com for about 4 dollars and then you need about 2.5 yards of fabric. I haven’t found the need for padding, but I like to wear my babies very snug to me so their isn’t much pull on my shoulder, especially if you wear the fabric spread well over your shoulder.
As they have gotten older we have enjoyed back packs for hiking, (both given to us!)
Where we live we have a “Free bin” in the common area, this has been nice for passing on clothes and finding new ones as well. I have had great success in dying or tye dying onsies!
I haven’t tried cloth diapers, but someday soon when we have our own washer and dryer I might attempt it for our next one. My sister loves them!
Kacie: Thanks for the tip on the diaper covers. I’ve never heard of the Flip. I’ll have to look for it at our local cloth diapering store.
Adele: You are so right about baths in the sink. I’ve been doing that for awhile now with our 12 month old. I’m not sure how I would do it with a newborn, though. Do you have advice for how to keep them comfortably supported and still have a hand free for washing? If I could get the hang of that and skip the baby bath tub entirely, I’d be delighted!
I really appreciate this post!! I am due June 15th with my third baby and over the other two pregnancies I have found that I didn’t need much of the items I thought I did. I agree completely with cloth diapering and no need for all that STUFF I almost never have used walkers, strollers, playpens, or bouncer seats! My babies usually crawl early around 5-6 monts and their favorite thing to play with is a sibling!
I have most of the other practical things you’ve mentioned. I have a cradle because I haven’t usually done the co-sleeping but I am more open to it now and I just can’t wait to meet my baby!
Thanks for the post
Amen for buying used! I have to admit I’ve taken the “have one of everything just in case it’s useful” approach to baby gear, but everything has come from yard sales, Craigslist, hand-me-downs from friends, and a few things from my shower
I’ve already started reselling the things we didn’t find useful on Craigslist to make room for the toddler toys I’m finding at this year’s yardsales…
Great post!! I thought about these things once and meant to write them down. My tastes are very similar to yours! (big surprise!) For a bib, I liked the style where it was a handtowel with a head shaped ribbing inset. You just flop it over their heads and you’re done.
I found the rocking chair to be a necessity, not a luxury. And I have a very long torso and smallish “feeders” so I needed a boppy pillow for nursing. I made these, and they worked well. I am surprised you didn’t say “nursing tops” since you are probably a go everywhere and nurse everywhere kind of mom like I was. I loved the convenience of those tops that allowed you to nurse discreetly and comfortably in public.
Oh, and you can never “count” on another baby. Sometimes they don’t come as often as you think they will.
Jena,
You’re right. I am a go everywhere and nurse everywhere mom. I just find that with two piece outfits and a nursing cover I don’t NEED nursing tops (although I’ve enjoyed the few I’ve had).
And you are so right about not being able to count on another baby. When people ask me if we’re having more, I always say, “I hope so, but it’s all up to the Lord. I don’t want to take fertility for granted. He may not give us any more.” And He really may not. Good thing I restrained myself and didn’t buy anything new at Babies “R” Us.
For a tiny new baby, the bathroom sink probably works better. You can fold up a towel and put it on the edge of the sink. Check out these amazing pictures from Enjoying the Small Things by Kelle Hampton, that blog you linked to awhile back with Nella’s inspirational birth story: http://www.kellehampton.com/2010/05/peanut-buster-parfait.html (Thanks again for that by the way – this blog is now on my list of favorites)
I have read that it helps to put a towel or mat in whatever sink you use to keep baby from slipping. Then the basic hold is arm around the baby supporting the head and neck and hand gripping the baby’s armpit to keep her secure. Here are a couple pictures that show this reasonably well: http://www.babyfoodchart.com/wp-content/uploads/1-thumbs/newborn-bath.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2026/2343592519_31a0f3d2fd.jpg
Also, if you already have a dishpan kind of like this one: http://www.housewaresandbeyond.com/images/items/12210/jpg/Rubbermaid-2951-Dishpan-Almond.jpg it makes a good baby bath for when the baby is really small without having to buy anything special. This is what we actually used until my daughter outgrew it because we had one and it worked well.
I am definitely a sucker for baby things. Trevvor knows to keep me away from the baby sections at Target and Wal-Mart, and I’m not even expecting yet! Oh dear…. Posts like these are one of the big reasons I love your blog: I can’t totally relate yet (obviously), but they’re helping me to get such a good picture of Biblical (and frugal) motherhood that is just so hard to find “out there” anymore!
Great post! I pretty much totally agree. I laughed out loud at your “confession” of buying your first child’s clothes retail. It is indeed a sin in my book, but that’s probably something I should work on.
I recommend the style of high chair that clips onto your dining table and has a removable tray. It doesn’t take up extra floor space, it folds up quite compactly, and we really enjoy have our daughter eat dinner at the dinner table with us. We found ours at a garage sale.
Great summary! We skipped the baby tub entirely. You can use the kitchen sink for tiny babies and the real tub shortly after.
Adele,
Thanks for those great links! If the Lord gives us another baby, I am definitely going to try the sink idea.
Aaron,
Fun to see you on my blog! I’m also tickled to learn that you skipped the baby bath tub, too. If only I’d thought to talk to you guys about it all those years I was trying to decide what to do with my giant plastic monster in the basement.
Amen! Great post. We have hardly bought our baby anything, but people gave us SOOOO much stuff – it was a great blessing to hardly have to spend any money, but we live in a one-bedroom, 500-square-foot basement suite with a grand piano in it. There is just no room for extras! You’re so right … we don’t need stuff. I am already planning how to use less stuff next time around if God gives us another baby! We co-sleep … we breastfeed … we baby-wear … but I do find a Jolly Jumper or saucer or bouncy chair indispensable for when I need to shower!
Great post! One thing you didn’t mention – perhaps it’s not as common where you live – is hand-me-downs. We had a pram, toys, a car seat for older babies and two baby carriers passed on to us by family and friends and simply people who won’t have any more babies and can’t wait to get rid of stuff they don’t need. Oh and clothes – we were given boxes upon boxes of them (some never used and all in very good condition), from newborn to 4 years of age. The only baby clothes we bought so far (and our daughter is 16 months old) are 3 onesies (from the thrift store) and a couple of pairs of socks. Seriously.
What *did* we buy? A second-hand crib, a new (simple) car seat, a baby bath tub (I agree, takes ridiculously too much space) and a folding crib for when we visit Mom.
What did we get brand new as gifts? A bouncy seat (she loved it), a stroller, clothes again (we passed on some of the old ones AND some of the new but not usable ones, I’m sure you know what I mean, like the cute turtleneck shirts no baby will agree to have her head pushed through), toys, books, blankets.
We spent very little money and are very happy with that.
Loved the list! My husband comes from, how can I say it nicely, an ‘indulgent’ family…they never understood why I kept saying ‘no thank you’ to all the offers of baby stuff when Duck was born. We still ended up with 3 times more than we ever needed – but, at least it wasn’t out of my pocket.
This time, I have shunned all offers of baby showers with a very blunt ‘we do not need any plastic baby junk’. Only the basics have been accepted from some generous friends and it has been wonderful! Between the gifts of hand-me-downs and thrift stores, we have spent next to nothing on things this time, too.
Great post! Another idea for skipping the baby bathtub: lay your baby (even newborn) on a towel in very shallow water in your bathtub–you can keep one hand on them or under their head (or place a folded towel under their head) while you wash–my sis-in-law has done this with her 3. I did the kitchen sink or dishpan baths like Adele described with our first three too, worked great! My mom bought me a folding baby bathtub for my 4th (also used it for my fifth), and that’s the only kind I’d use–it fits under my kitchen sink on the dishpan! But yeah, you don’t need one.
Great post! We have only spent a little over $50 dollars for every thing that we have needed for our two boys(excluding diapers). Second hand is the way to go. My parents raised four on thrift store finds. It has also been very convenient having a mother who is the only employee of a consignment store. We have been using cloth diapers and wipes with J. W. since he was born. I only use disposable when traveling. A medium size metal tub that I used for gardening purposes worked well for bath time. Now we just use the bath tube.
Great post! I am about 4 months pregnant with my first. I don’t know how I am going to avoid all the extra baby stuff with my mom. I got a package in the mail at 3 months- with special kids plates, tiny bibs and a onesie. (Yes, specialty plates, the kid won’t use those for over a year!! And I have to store it!=)) It is nice to hear your take on essential. Thanks!
We didn’t do the baby bathtub thing. We were given one, but I thought it was ridiculous with a “shower” and all, so it went back to the store. We just got one of those baby sponges that you put in the regular bathtub with an inch or two of water (but a folded towel on a countertop/table with a small foot-washing tub of water to dunk the washcloth in worked fine for the newborn days). I remember that was all my mom used for my brother and I. The sponge has lasted us almost 10 months now–not stinky or falling apart. We’ll throw it away when we’re done with it (come to think of it, why do I even still need it?). And I won’t be too upset about having to pay another $2-5 to get one for the next baby!
I have 2 little ones so far, and I applaud your list! This is pretty much what we did/do, and I couldn’t be happier.
Oh, and I laughed at the diaper pail thing…we actually use a washable waterproof bag in a COSTCO sized container that used to hold kitty litter! (Hey, it’s got a lid, and it’s big–it works!)
I’m not pregnant (and probably won’t be any time soon), but I am going to have to print this out and save it. I’m definitely with you on the minimalist thing. I can’t stand all the crazy, plastic baby stuff everyone wants.
I also have 2 older sister and I’ve claimed dibs on much of their stuff. I just need to hope I have room to store it if their ready to give it up before I’m ready to take it in.
Ok, I need to bookmark this for when I’m pregs. And THANK YOU for allaying my fears that 5,000 baby accessories are necessary to produce a happy child. I do have a weakness for cute clothes, but the mountain of baby gadgets and gizmos is sort of appalling. It’s good to hear what’s useful and what’s just not worth it.
Dear Mrs P, I love this list, great ideas to especially the sling one, I’ve always been iffy about children cuddled up in them ,but thought a better design would be safer.Also completely agree with you on the bib one, I’m too scared to use the pretty ones except when we go out, it seems a shame to mess them up so I use cheapos at home all the time!From Linda.
Great article, I am new to the blog and followed a link from a friend’s blog. I will definitely be subsrcribing from now on.
I was blessed to be raised in a working class family that valued second hand everything and buying retail has always been, for most things, a last resort for me. At one point Iwasn’t sure if I wasgoing to have a shower so I went to our local thrift store’s big annual 1/2 off sale and bought a small wardrobe of necessities for our baby girl.
When i reached the 6 month mark of my pregnancy, I sent out an email to all the moms I knew and respected and asked them what they found essential for the newborn, and what was a waste of money and space. I was very blessed with great detailed answers with very few discrepancies (the swing being the number one item of contention- some swore by them, others said they were a total waste). This really helped my husband and I to pair down what to spend our limited budget on.
We have also benefited immensely from borrowing and hand-me-downs. We ara currently borrowing a swing and a basinette as well as a tub of 0-3 clothing from a girlfriend that has helped to supplement my daughters wardrobe where there have been any holes, without me having to rush out to buy anything. As for hand-me downs, I got a diaper bag and a sling (never used) from my cousin who got WAY too much stuff at her umpteen showers, as well as some other non-essentials that will get used but weren’t worth forking out dollars for.
great article!
Nicole,
Thanks for stopping by! I’m delighted to meet you!