I love being a minimalist, and I definitely didn’t buy a ton of stuff to prepare for baby. I figured I’d learn along the way what my baby really wants and needs, and since we live in the age of next-day shipping, I’d never need to wait long to get it.

AND there are a few things that have come in SO handy that I think they’d be a great addition to any new-momma gift basket. They aren’t necessarily “must-haves”. More like “I didn’t know I needed this until I had it and my life became so much easier!”.

1. Drool bibs.

These look like little baby bandanas that they wear around the neck. I thought they were just cute accessories and definitely did NOT put them on my minimalist gift registry. I mean, who are we trying to impress? He’s cute enough already. But once the baby started teething he became a drool machine! Drool everywhere always. I bought a whole pack of these drool bibs and they are super absorbent and we use like 3-4 a day because he will soak them through with drool. I may actually buy another set because we use so many!

2. Teething necklace.

I tried to wear a necklace one day when my son was about 5 months old. Because I like it. And it looked cute with the outfit. It lasted about 5 seconds into holding him before he decided it would be fun to try to pull the necklace off me! Now I only wear these food-grade silicone beaded teething necklaces. My favorite has a magnetic clasp so it can't choke me when he decides to hold on while I'm putting him down on his changing pad.

3. A non-slip feeding bowl.

This was a gift from my sister and brother-in-law. The bowl has a thingy that makes it stick so well to flat surfaces that even my husband has trouble picking it up.

When we started experimenting with "solid foods" at 4 months, it never occurred to me he might try to grab the bowl! He wasn't really grabby yet. But now that non-slip bowl is the only thing between my baby and a kitchen floor full of beet puree.

These are my top "I never knew I needed" items. I'd love to hear yours! Especially if they pertain to 6-12-month-olds because that's where I'm at now.

I’m a bit of a neat-freak. I do not like clutter. When my space is cluttered my heart and mind feel cluttered and I feel very weighed-down. I’m a devotee of Marie Kondo, and I try to shed the items in my home that no longer bring me joy.

So when I found out I was pregnant (great news!) I began to wonder about how I’d do the whole baby-registry thing. I definitely didn’t want people sending toys, clothes in 12 different sizes, and plastic bouncers, walkers, and high-chairs even before the baby arrived!

Instead, I tried to narrow it down to just a few things I was pretty sure we’d use right away, and add in services that would be useful, instead of just things.

So if you’re looking for something to add to your baby registry, or something to gift to an expecting friend, that will actually help a TON and won’t contribute to a mountain of plastic “baby stuff”, keep reading for my top 3 picks!

(Oh, and none of this is paid advertising. Any brands listed or linked to are ones I am currently using, loving, and recommending on my own.)

Baby wearing one of his adorable outfits from Upchoose.

Hungryroot

The first few weeks at home with the baby were something truly special! Friends and neighbors showed up with food that kept me and my husband full and happy. My mom and sister each came to stay for a week and were happy to help with errands and cooking up meals. But eventually, James went back to work, and it was me on my own for most of the day with a newborn. I did NOT have time to even figure out what I wanted for dinner, let alone meal plan, order groceries, and prep food for the week.

So when my in-laws asked how they could help, I requested a subscription to Hungryoot. Why this service specifically and not another one like BlueApron or HelloFresh? I’m glad you asked!

Hungryroot doesn’t just send you 2 or 3 meals, it sends almost a full week of groceries! You can customize it for your needs, but we went for the option with enough food for 8 meals for two, plus extra snacks and breakfast items. All the veggies are pre-chopped, the sauces are pre-made, and most of the recommended recipes cook up in under 20 minutes! Plus, the directions are so easy my husband can follow them on his own with total confidence.

As a bonus, most of their packaging is either recyclable or compostable! This helped to minimize my guilt of getting so much pre-packaged food. You can also customize your order to work with your diet (vegan, vegetarian, keto, etc.) which is great if, like me, you’re avoiding dairy while you breastfeed your babe.

Upchoose

Technically I didn’t register for this, I just signed us up, but you can add Upchoose to your registry as well!

This company is amazing! If you know anything about babies, you know that they grow. Fast. My baby has been earthside 2 months, and so far has cycled through 3 clothing sizes (he was only in newborn size clothes for about 5 days). The idea of having to buy a whole baby wardrobe, only to have it be outgrown in a month or so filled me with dread. Lots of baby registry checklists included clothing in newborn size all the way up to 4T (toddlers). I do not have the time to shop for or the space to store all that clothing!!!

Enter Upchoose. They send you a wardrobe for your kiddo in their size, and then in 3 months, they send you the next size up in reusable packaging with a return slip. You wash and fold the outgrown size and send it back for them to send out to another family because new babies are happening all the time! If your little one grows extra fast (like mine, apparently), you can log on and request the next size up early. No big deal.

Extra perks: all the clothing is organic, and from companies that practice sustainable fashion. Nothing cheap or with weird chemicals. And it’s all gender-neutral by default, which was great for us because we didn’t find out our baby’s sex until he was born, and still, I’m not a fan of the whole boy/girl clothing styles.

Keep in mind: Upchoose gives you lots of clothing items, but you’ll still need to buy socks and maybe some extra hats. We ordered the clothes-only set, and that has been plenty of clothes for us! But you can also order a bigger set that includes bibs, blankets, swaddles, and even cuddle toys!

Discount: You can use the code FRIENDSOFMEGANGILLMAN when you sign up for $21 off!

Housecleaning Service

Pre-Covid it might have been considered a kind gesture to drop by a new mom’s house and clean her living room or kitchen while she sat with the baby. But now that same kind gesture carries risks to the parents, new baby, and the visitor! And while I was recovering from childbirth, and my husband and I were learning how to care for our newest family member, the messes kept happening, the dust kept forming little (and then bigger) bunnies, and there’s only so much a Roomba can do.

Luckily, a local maid service offered gift cards! We added these to our registry and several generous family members and friends stepped up to help. As a result, we’ve been able to have maids come once a month to clean our house since the baby was born, and even though James and I still clean up a bit on the weekends, it has been great to not have to worry about deep-cleaning the bathroom on a newborn’s ever-changing schedule.

So there you have it, folx! Those are my top 3 things that I would recommend any new parent adding to their registry. Each one is super helpful, and none of them contribute to clutter around the house.

Share your own minimalist-friendly registry ideas in the comments and let me know what else worked for yoU!

3 Things Your New Mom Friend Needs (but doesn't know about!)