Baby essentials that outlived the baby stage
Decluttering a lot of stuff during the start of the year made me think about those “baby essentials” bought during that first year that we still use 5 years after.
Apart from sharing personal thoughts and anecdotes about me and the many roles that I juggle daily, I do want to share more tips or even just basic lists that might be helpful for any parent who stumbled upon this post. I have enjoyed reading these and also enjoy creating an accompanying visual (all done in Photoshop because I’m quite old school in this department) for it. At one point in my life, I once dreamed of being an editor for a print or digital magazine. I even had a brief but memorable stint at a popular teen magazine here in the Philippines for a bit. But now, I am just glad that the internet has evolved to allow many platform choices.
I’ve also migrated my domain (www.pearlmargaret.com) to link straight to this Substack with the intention to create and write more in this space. It feels very intimate but I hope it also allows me to feel less overwhelmed with the weight of what I’d like to create.
For the first few days of the year 2025, I mostly spent it dealing with two loud kids who just want mommy 24/7 whilst we were in the thick of household repairs, air conditioning maintenance, general cleaning, and decluttering. We just finished and it’s always so nice that once all the decors were properly kept away that our place suddenly felt much bigger.
After spending quite some time sorting through my kids’ things, I started reflecting on all the “essentials” I felt I had to buy during my pregnancy and during that rollercoaster of their first year. That gave me the idea to share some of the items I purchased when my kids were babies (under 12 months) that we’re still using now, with my eldest at 5 years old and my youngest at 3.5. For the past 5 years since becoming a mom, I’ll admit I’ve fallen victim to countless YouTube videos and Facebook groups detailing their so-called newborn and baby essentials. The truth is, clutter can accumulate so quickly. And even if 9 out of 10 parents swear by a particular “must-have” item, it can still happen that your baby—or your family’s unique dynamics—can render that item unnecessary or completely useless.1
White noise machines - I have two which I bought even before I gave birth to my eldest and consistently use it to this day. Hatch is great because it syncs to an app that I can regulate through my phone and I can set a timer which controls the volume, type of white noise, and the light. The other one is a the compact version that also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and light which is so handy when traveling.
Pillows - The ones here are the super soft Baa Baa Sheepz pillows that we have in all sizes. Actually, we have several of these and have retired a few as well due to the fact that my youngest loves them. He does not have any “lovey” while he was a baby so this was the one that stuck. Until now, touching the triangles still makes him so sleepy. The Mamaway moon pillow which I used for breastfeeding religiously for maybe a total of 2 years is now my husband’s favorite pillow. I had to include it because the quality is great and adults can really use it.
UV Sterilizer - It’s a bit annoying how they marketed it as a way to sterilize bottles or breastpump parts. Now that we don’t use bottles nor do I pump, I use this still regularly to sterilize personal items. It’s just handy. I also moved it from my kids’ room to ours.
Learning Tower - Our Architoyz one is compact and foldable and just fits our small set-up at home. It’s being used daily (and even for play!), so we definitely reached our ROI with this thing years ago.
Splash mats - We did Baby Led Weaning (BLW) for both my kids and purchased these mats partly for that. But it has evolved to be extremely useful for their messy or water/paint activities. It is so easy to clean, wash, and even wipe.
Feeding items - Almost all the silicone plates that I purchased during their solids try-out for BLW back when they were babies are still completely intact and being used daily. Our favorites include the Beaba and Marcus & Marcus ones.
B.box Tumblers - We love these because of that rubber silicone at the end. Ours have withstood a lot of throws and falls. It’s really sturdy! Also, you can buy the straws separately.
A sturdy high chair that can accommodate their growth - I remember buying this during lockdown by messaging an online shop and booking a courier on the exact day my eldest would be trying out solids for the first time. She was exactly 5 months then. This high chair is easy to clean and so sturdy. It can even be used by an adult with just a few easy configurations. It also blends with our decor so it is not an eyesore.
Let me know which baby essentials have you also been using up to now and whether you enjoy these little list things.
All links here are mostly from website or suppliers that ship here in the Philippines.