The things I like most about our Summer Infant Best View Digital Video Baby Monitor are:
1 – Remote pan/tilt/zoom the camera – You can really almost cover an entire room with this feature…REALLY COOL!
2 – Night Vision
3 – Picture quality is good
4 – Price is a touch cheaper than the above model.  We got ours thru Amazon for $179.99.

Another tough decision for us was trying to find a baby monitor system that would work well for us.  We went back to consumer reports, read other consumer reviews and settled on two options.  Now I’ll tell you, we ended up taking the Summer Infant Baby Quiets Sound Handheld Video Monitor (pictured 1st) back.  We kept getting interference from something else in the house and it developed a mild hum in the monitor.  I think because this system is 900mhz we were getting feedback from our other wireless “stuff” in the house.  Other people we know have had ZERO problems with this camera.

Some things we liked about the Summer Infant Baby Quiets Sound Handheld Video Monitor were:
1 – Superior Picture
2 – Awesome Night Vision Clarity
3 – Price – We purchased ours thru BabyEarth for $199.99

Baby Bjorn Carrier

This “different” looking device makes walks so much more enjoyable.  In a nutshell your young one sits in front of you on your chest and allows you the use of your hands.  We recently went on a long walk and I had a great time.  I truly wasn’t fatigued and I attribute that to the Baby Bjorn.

Things I like about the Baby Bjorn:
1 – Really allows you freedom to move when you are out and about with your little one
2 – Does not feel flimsy – I was never worried about our little guy falling out
3 – Very light weight

We got ours from BabyEarth for $79.95.  I know there are newer options available now, but I really recommend the original style as it is the only one we’ve used.

The Diaper Genie II is my saving grace.  It offers disposal of diapers and nearly seals all the odor in after the diaper is in the genie.

Diaper Genie II

Basically, all you do is step on the pedal and toss away your diaper.  I recommend rolling the diaper up as much as you can to save on space.  After the Genie is full, this is where the “coolness” kicks in.  You open up the Genie, grab the outside of the bag, use the enclosed cutting tool and tie it up.  If you get good, you can limit odor to nearly nothing and you don’t touch the dirty diapers a 2nd time when sealing the bag up.

To refill you simply pull down some more bag and tie a knot.  Simply close up the unit and you are ready for some more diapers.

This was one of our orders from BabyEarth and we got ours for $36.95!

Graco Pack 'n Play Playard with Bassinet & Changer

We don’t have a ton of places we go and stay overnight, but the few places we have gone we have not left home without our Graco Pack ‘n Play.  The one we decided to go with has both a bassinet and a changer that come with the pack ‘n play.  This thing at first didn’t look so easy to put together, but after reading the instructions once, it really is pretty slick how it works.

In a nutshell, it comes in a square carrying case.  You pull the entire thing out, straighten a couple aluminum legs and PRESTO you’ve got a portable napping/sleeping/changing area for your little one.  We’ve used ours about a dozen times now and it truly is quite handy to have.

Things we like most about our Graco Pack ‘n Play with Bassinet & Changer:
1 – Ease of setting it up
2 – Portability – it is a little heavy, but super portable
3 – Functionality – it can really do more than just act as a portable bed
4 – Price – We found the best price for ours on Amazon for $109.99

Hoop Glider with Ottoman

So any mom and probably dad will tell you, don’t skimp on a good rocking chair.  You’ll likely find yourself spending quite a bit of time in this puppy, so after having the Hoop Glider & Ottoman recommended to us, we splurged and got this rocker.  Both my wife and I love this thing.  She spends quite a bit of time nursing on this rocker and I spend time rocking him to sleep.  It is very comfortable, fits in well with our neutral decor and the ottoman that comes with it is a bonus.

Our biggest pro’s of this ottoman are:
1 – Price – we scored ours for $194.95 from BabyEarth with FREE shipping.
2 – Size – we are both taller people and this fits us just fine
3 – Ottoman – It is very nice to be able to put your feet up, even when rocking!

Floppy Seat

The store carts aren’t all that accommodating for little ones and don’t look at all comfortable.  After we bought one of these and put it in our cart, our little guy behaved 3000% better.  My guess is that the improved comfort is the reason for his drastic change in behavior.

Another nice thing about a Floppy Seat is they tend to keep stuff contained in them if your child likes to snack while you shop.  They also fit over the majority of the part where your child sits, so they act as a small barrier between your child and the germs on the shopping cart.

These are fairly cheap – we got ours from BabyEarth for $39.95 and coupled it with some other stuff to get free shipping.

Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel Stroller System

This travel system is our lifesaver.  We did so much research on strollers and car seats and could never make up our mind.  We finally decided to pull the trigger on a travel system, specifically the Chico Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel System.  To put this mildly, we absolutely love it.  Below is a list of reasons we think it is the best travel system around:

1 – Rated safest stroller/travel system by Consumer Reports
2 – Can be used for kids up to 30lbs.
3 – Literally take it out of the base seat and pop into the stroller and go.  It is almost like a USB device for your computer…plug & play!
4 – Price – hard to beat for what you get
5 – Option for more car bases so if you want to take another car you can and not have to transfer the base from car to car.

One thing to keep in mind, the carrier is a little heavier than others I’ve picked up, but I’m assuming that is what makes it safer.  Trust me/us on this, you’ll absolutely LOVE this thing.  I’m sure they are other good strollers out there, but we can’t recommend this one enough to our expecting friends.

We found ours for $329.99 delivered on Amazon.com

If you are interested in other stroller options, we did a comprehensive run-down on the Top Strollers for 2009.  Click the link to the left to check that site out.  There is loads of good stroller information there.

Boppy Pillow with Slip Cover

This item that is on the top ten I cannot say I’ve used for its intended purpose – nursing.  I have used it multiple times to prop up our little guy or help when craddling him to sleep, but have never used it for nursing.

My wife on the other hand swears by this thing and says it makes her job nursing a TON easier.  She uses the Boppy every time she nurses our little guy and makes her job holding him non-existent.

On this top 10′r, I’m going to default to my wife and what she really likes about the Boppy Pillow:
1 – Super comfy
2 – Makes nursing a lot more comfortable
3 – Price – cheap – she got ours from BabyEarth for $34.95 and it came with a slipcover!

Clean & Green Disposable Changing Table Cover

When you are faced with limited options to change your child on the go, a disposable changing pad can be a life saver.  I use them even with the changing tables in restrooms as to avoid as much germ transfer as I can.

The nice thing about these changing pads is they are quickly and easily disposed of.  They can be used nearly anywhere and are very small and super lightweight to carry in a diaper bag.

We really like these and recommend them to everyone.

You can snag a pack of 8 for $4.95 from Baby Earth.  They are very easy on the wallet.