Best everyday mom essentials that make my life easier
These are the time-saving products I reach for on a daily basis, and recommend to friends.
- A first-time mom shares her essential products for making daily life easier.
- Recommended items include an insulated water bottle, a portable power bank, and a car seat protector.
- Multi-tasking makeup, various types of wipes, and dry shampoo are also listed as daily must-haves.
- For new moms, a baby wrap carrier and a 3-tiered rolling cart are surprisingly useful.
As a first-time mom to a five-year-old, I understand that I might not be a parenting expert, but it does mean that I've spent the last few years figuring out what actually helps make life easier. Between preschool drop-offs, sticky hands, forgotten snacks and the constant rush out the door, I've learned which products deserve a permanent spot in my routine and which ones just take up space.
Here, I've rounded up the mom-approved essentials I always reach for, and the ones I recommend to friends whether they're brand new parents or deep into the school-year shuffle. From quick, low-effort beauty staples to practical everyday must-haves and a few surprisingly clutch finds for new moms, this shopping list is all about saving time, energy and perhaps some sanity.
- Best products for moms that I recommend buying
- What products make life easier for moms?
- What are some surprising products that new moms will love?
Best products for moms that I recommend buying
Stay hydrated with this insulated water bottle
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. From the struggles of early breastfeeding to modeling good behaviors for my little one, I've been carrying an insulated cup around for a while now. My 40-ounce Stanley tumbler is my favorite because even in the dead heat of a Texas summer, the ice lasts forever.
Keep everything charged with a portable power bank
Whether you're scrolling during midnight feedings or taking 100 photos, your phone battery just doesn't seem to last quite as long as it used to. But, now you don't have to be tethered to an outlet, keeping a power bank on you let's you stay charged on the go!
It offers 10,000mAh capacity, multiple ports, and a sleek design that fits easily in your pocket or clutch. Perfect for everyday carry without bulk. Buy now at Amazon
Car seat protector
This is one of those items that I thought was optional, something I could leave off my baby registry. Let me tell you right now, it's not. Now, every time I move my son's car seat, it's a fun game of "how long have these chicken nuggets been here?" Get the car seat protector.
Makeup essentials for moms who need quick, low effort looks
I'm back to a point now where I can safely do my makeup routine without interruption, but those early days required a little creativity. Multi-tasking products are your best friend, I recently grabbed this Kylie Cosmetics tinted butter balm and it's perfect for an on-the-go put together look.
More multi-tasking makeup options:
- Tinted moisturizer: For skincare + makeup in one step, try the Clinique tinted moisturizer with an SPF 25.
- Blush/lip combo: Reach for a product that wears more than one hat, like this TIRTIR mood glider lip and blush stick.
- Eye brightening cream: "Newborn tired" is in a league of its own, but this TikTok-viral under-eye brightening cream takes away the zombie look without having to cake on concealer.
Daily essentials for moms to keep stocked and handy
Aside from a packed diaper bag, you'll find yourself carrying more and more essential items for cleaning spills, sanitizing and more. These are my tried-and-true items that have saved my life on more one than occasion:
More daily essentials to keep handy:
- All the wipes: Kids are messy. If you're not cleaning their hands, or wiping their nose, there's something else that needs to be cleaned. They're not all that different, but there's a couple options: wet wipes, flushable wipes, boogie wipes and hand sanitizing wipes.
- Dry shampoo: This one feels self-explanatory. My priorities do not always include whether or not my hair is clean, so dry shampoo is a new staple that travels with me.
- Lint roller: Pet hair, crumbs, mystery fuzz, a quick swipe from a lint roller and it's all gone and you look a little less sleep-deprived and a little more put together.
- Sunscreen stick: It never hurts to have sunscreen on hand, stick applicators make it easy for fussy little ones, but grab one for yourself too, just in case.
What products make life easier for moms?
Whether you're in the trenches of newborn life, with a baby wrap tied around your waist 24/7 and spit up stains you don't remember getting, or you're dropping off and picking up from school routines to youth sports, parenting is constant, hard work. Here are just a few things to make life a little easier:
Weekly organizer for kids
This weekly organizer is for the mamas with school-aged little ones. I know, the obvious use here is for clothes and planning school wear. But, you can use it for homework, there's a smaller slot that can be used for water bottles, and yes, we're a uniform household so this one helps us track whether he has a clean outfit for tomorrow.
A reusable snack container
You're going to be reaching for snacks, for years. This reusable snack container is easy to pack, easy to open, perfect for car rides, travel days and whatever other adventures you're headed on with your little ones.
My favorite features: It's easy-to-carry without taking up too much space and the containers lock together but little hands can still open it. Shop now at Amazon
Keep bugs away with these tried-and-true mosquito repellent patches
I swear by these mosquito repellent patches, because I am mosquito-food and apparently that's an inherited trait. These keep bugs away, while my kiddo is none-the-wiser about their attachment to his clothes and I don't have to fight with him about bug repellent spray.
What are some surprising products that new moms will love?
I remember those newborn trenches like they were yesterday. There's no miracle product that will get you back in your pre-pregnancy jeans, or perfume that will cover up the smell of spit up. Everyone has their favorite recovery hack (peri bottles are lifesaving), or their favorite breastfeeding bra, tank or cover. But, these are the two items I regularly felt were saving my life and giving me more time to focus on my little one:
Top-rated baby wrap for infants
A soft baby wrap carrier like this one from BobaBaby was probably the number one thing I reached for when my son was an infant. Whether you're trying to make dinner with a cranky two-month-old, or you're just up and moving around again, being able to have use of both of your hands is not something I realized I was taking for granted.
This 3-tiered cart has so many uses in early motherhood
I could have put one of these "stations" in every room. They can work for postpartum care in the bathroom, breastfeeding, diapering and sleep essentials in the master bedroom, feeding essentials in the kitchen, diapering essentials in the nursery, everywhere.
Where can I buy mom-approved essentials?
You can find most mom-approved essentials at major retailers like Amazon, Target and Walmart. They make it easy to restock everyday must-haves quickly, with things like same-day delivery. These retailers offer a wide selection of parenting essentials, fast shipping options and flexible returns, which is important when you're shopping between school drop-off and bedtime.
Look for highly-rated products with thousands of reviews, subscribe-and-save options for items you use often and same-day pickup when available.
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Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the Paste BN Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.