What's your "holy grail" of baby gear/shtuff?

[magpiedee]

I just have to know, because I found mine the other day, and i'm still jumping up and down inside. Mind you, 80% of our clothes and gear are hand-me-downs, with 18% gifts and 2% purchased by us, roughly. Of our 2%, I haven't paid full price for a single thing. We're not big consumers and don't do much shopping.

Until yesterday.

When I found these: http://www.meinmindfootwear.com/images/P5300047.jpg

Pink skull leather shoes! : At Hot Topic, no less. But i'm thrilled. I love these baby shoes so much, and they are great quality.

I can't wait till she's grown into the 6-12 month size I purchased, and I can doll her up in a pink onesie, her pink skull homemade legwarmers and these shoes. There will be pics. Oh, yes, there will be pics.

What's your holy grail baby item, your absolutely cutest outfit ever, or what baby-related purchase has excited you the most?

[mamamilkers]

very cool! I'll give this some thought . . .

[ColoradoMama]

One of the coolest things we have is a t-shirt that says "Born at home" and was tie tyed by a friend. We also have a little, padded blue jean jacket with the Winnie the Pooh characters stitched on teh back. I found that at a thrift store and all four babies have worn it!

[JenMidwife]

mmm, definitely my diaper bag w/ beautiful Asian olive green fabric... not the most practical, but I love it!

http://www.blingybaby.com/images/DSC04139.JPG

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by ColoradoMama

We also have a little, padded blue jean jacket with the Winnie the Pooh characters stitched on teh back. I found that at a thrift store and all four babies have worn it!

I love finds like this that gets used & used & used...

[veganf]

Definitely the best stuff I've found is used.
I bought EVERY item I could find before Ryan was born from Baby Gap's "Squeak Chirp" line. It was only a year or two out of date back then. My favourite item was the felt blanket wall hanging for his room.

[Meeshi Mama]

I'm not really a *stuff* sort of person, but I get a thrill over cloth diapers. Her babyology wool longies, a gift from a friend, get a lot of useage.

Most of Luna's clothes are hand me downs or thrift scores, but she has two long sleeved onesies that I love and will miss when she grows out of them. One is a dyed onesie with handpainted moon and swirls, a gift from a friend. The other is a grey onesie that Dada got her for Solstice with a batiked owl and moon on it. It matches the grey in her eyes, and of course I love her in anything with a moon, our little Luna.

[BirthFree]

Their clothes normally don't give me too much thought - but the longies, soakers, cloth diapers and shirts that I do for him are my fav.

My favorite thing that I have/use for him is my Mei Tai... I'd be lost without it (even if I have to be walking for him to be in it).

[lenore80]

Originally Posted by magpiedee

Until yesterday.

When I found these: http://www.meinmindfootwear.com/images/P5300047.jpg

Pink skull leather shoes! : At Hot Topic, no less. But i'm thrilled. I love these baby shoes so much, and they are great quality

I LOVE THOSE SHOES! omg. I definately think those just kicked the Robeez Penguin shoes I've been coveting in the butt!

Do they stay on your babies feet?!

[mamamilkers]

I think my very favorite thing for DD#2 is the three thick fleece carter's blankets we have for her. Every single night and every nap time she gets bundled in one. She looks so cozy and cute. I know, this is a boring thing to be a holy grail item, but I really, really love them! I will be so sad when she has outgrown them

[2 in August]

When I was pg with dd I saw the cutest froggy outfit at the Carter's outlet store, but I didn't buy it. My dh said "But honey you are the momma, you're supposed to get baby stuff." I almost cried that I didn't get it since the store was over an hour away. I found the same outfit a few months later at another store and bought it. After I had dd my brother got her the same outfit and the matching bib, washcloth and towel. So now I have the outfit in 2 sizes. Ds just fits into the 3-6 mo size one now. I'm so happy!

[magpiedee]

Originally Posted by lenore80

I LOVE THOSE SHOES! omg. I definately think those just kicked the Robeez Penguin shoes I've been coveting in the butt!

Do they stay on your babies feet?!

Well, she's still in 3-6 month shoes, and I bought them in 6-12 so they would last longer, so I'm not sure about this exact brand and company, but we have similar shoes in her current size from Jack and Lily and Target, and they are amazing! Soft, cute, comfy, keep the socks on, encourage foot play. I never "got" baby shoes, but I "get" it now!

[mrs rockstar]

I'm kind of a carrier addict. Those are my best baby items. I just got a moby d and an ergo for Christmas and I'm in love with them. Now if only I could convince the husband that a rocking baby sling is necessary too...

[bikruca]

Not in your DDC, but I was looking at new posts and I LOVE those shoes!!!! Were they expensive? I wish we had cool stores like that here!

Hmmmm... I am trying to think...

either my baby carriers or...

I loved Bryce's robeez booties when he fit them.. I want to get two pairs for the new babies.. but it's just too $$$

[the_lissa]

I love our padraigs.

I am also a bit of a carrier addict.

[BetsyS]

Before he was born, I found the cutest outfit at a consignment sale. It's velour, striped, with monkeys on the front. I love it. He's worn it every time it comes out of the dryer. Right now, it's starting to get a little snug (it's Gymboree 3-6 months, which runs a little big), and I'm so sad! I'll milk that sucker until spring, though. We're sure to get another few wearings out of it! LOL

[ColoradoMama]

Originally Posted by jesamin

I'm kind of a carrier addict. Those are my best baby items. I just got a moby d and an ergo for Christmas and I'm in love with them. Now if only I could convince the husband that a rocking baby sling is necessary too...

Oh you totally need one! They're awesome. I mean, come on, what other "accessory" are you going to get so much use out of?

[mrs rockstar]

Originally Posted by ColoradoMama

Oh you totally need one! They're awesome. I mean, come on, what other "accessory" are you going to get so much use out of?

Right??? I keep telling the husband we have two kids who are in slings so that means I need twice as many...makes sense, no??

[Bay Area Babe]

Originally Posted by jesamin

Right??? I keep telling the husband we have two kids who are in slings so that means I need twice as many...makes sense, no??

Definitely. My mom just doesn't get it. She wanted to buy me something around $100 and I found a great Didymos Jakob wrap but she wouldn't buy it for me because it 'wasn't personal' and she couldn't see me having 'another wrap that is fabric.' Silly Nana. Slings are like shoes. While you can get along with one pair, having lots of different styles and colors and fabrics is nice!

My Holy Grail item is my fleece Peanut Shell Pouch. Lucas has had more naps in here than I can count.Sadly he's too big for it now and while it CAN be used for the hip carry, I think the fleece is too stretchy for it.

The other thing is a blue sleeper from Old Navy which little green frogs on it. It was a hand me over and is not getting passed down except to our children. I received a lot of used clothes or gifts of clothes and while I was a little sad since I couldn't pick out things myself, I realized how fast they grow out of things at this stage, how often they need to be changed and how expensive the clothes were. So I started buying tons of stuff on eBay. However, I am addicted to Baby Gap socks and Zutano hats which you can't really find used so I buy those new.

[veganf]

Originally Posted by Bay Area Babe

So I started buying tons of stuff on eBay. However, I am addicted to Baby Gap socks and Zutano hats which you can't really find used so I buy those new.

I bought TONS on eBay when I was still working before #1 was born. I bought everything he'd need (in mostly unisex) until at least age 2, some stuff up to size 4. I haven't needed much more yet!
And we're just starting to get holes in some of the Baby Gap socks that we've been using as hand-me-downs from when I was a nanny...so that's 3 kids to wear them, which for socks is pretty good! The new socks I had that someone gave me only made it through one kid before getting big holes.
I have a Zutano shirt that I just love. I find Zutano runs really small though. But I agree that Gymboree runs big, especially the newer stuff.