Every new mother-to-be wonders what on earth they really need to buy for their new baby. There’s a big long list of necessities but the list for the nursery is actually quite small. You will spend a lot of time in this room but you don’t need to spend a lot of money on it nor do you need to fill it with “stuff”. I’m here to help you pare down that shopping list a little bit.

8 Must-Have Items for the Nursery

• Crib or bassinet
• Crib sheets & mattress cover
• Blackout curtains
• A surface for changing diapers
• Place to corral the stinky diapers (enter the Playtex Diaper Genie)
• Somewhere to sit to feed your little one
• A place for their clothes, either a closet with some shelves or a dresser
• Cute decals and/or artwork for the wall to spice up the room

I know it breaks your heart a little bit to know that those super-cute crib bedding sets are unnecessary but it’s true. I have purchased these bedding sets for both of my kids and the only thing that ever got any use was the crib sheet. Even the bed skirt you see above didn’t last long – it becomes useless as you lower the crib. The mesh bumpers also didn’t last long. I never even used them for Little J! I miss that decal dearly though – it added stunning beauty to the room at minimal cost. Save the money from that bedding set and spend it on other cute things like wall art & decals, a super comfy chair for feeding and somewhere to put all those stinky diapers.

One of my must-haves is definitely a Playtex Diaper Genie. It was the first thing I added to my registry. Some people will tell you to just use a garbage can but trust me, that stinks (literally). The Diaper Genie keeps away the stink and lets you enjoy the wonderful nursery you have created for your little bundle of joy. I don’t know about you but I’d rather enjoy that new baby smell than that new baby poop diaper smell. It even comes with an insert to get you started and some money-saving coupons for more! The inserts are really easy to pop in. If you’re not familiar with the Diaper Genie, it’s a special garbage can for stinky diapers that is designed to reduce the smell. The foot pedal opens the lid so you can get at it easily without touching it should you have poop-hands. You toss in the diaper & wipes and once you let go of the foot pedal, it drops the diaper inside and closes itself up to trap the stink! There’s a reason it’s such a popular item on baby registries – Playtex knows what they’re doing! It’s an excellent product that has lasted me three years so far and is still working perfectly!

While I do think the Diaper Genie is a necessity, I do have a few comments about it. It’s very easy to empty with the attached cutter for the bags; however, sometimes it doesn’t line up properly when you close it again. You will need two hands and possibly a knee to hold it while you line it up but it’s not a deal-breaker. The more you do it, the easier it gets. The other thing is that the inserts can be pricey. The best ways to save money is to buy them at Costco (where they also go on sale every now and then), watch your local flyers for sales, and coupons are actually fairly easy to come by. Combining sale prices with a coupon will get you a great deal. Each insert lasts me a few weeks so in the grand scheme of things, it’s actually not as expensive as it first may seem. I also suggest adding inserts to your baby registry!