So you just had a baby – congratulations! You’ve got a helplessly adorable little worm, almost no sleep, and a whole bunch of gifts, the functions of which you’re still not exactly sure (I see you looking at that Snot Sucker with a “wtf” look on your face now, but trust me, you’ll be kissing that thing during that baby of yours’ first cold!).

Especially if you’ve had a baby shower, you are likely overwhelmed with STUFF – Generous gifts now fill the nursery and have even taken up some real estate in the guest room. You know you’ll need a lot of it, but do you really need ALL of those 4 packs of $60 swaddles? How about the 10 organic baby rattles and 800 0-3 month baby onesies? Proooooooobably not… So why not return some of that baby jazz and swap it out for something for you?

“Yeah, that’d be great, Nikita, but these rattles aren’t from Saks or Holt Renfrew, what the hell am I exchanging them for?”

Well, my friends, I’m here to tell you that hiding in every baby boutique, there is some seriously great shit, JUST FOR YOU!

Now, you likely won’t be able to get any fun swag for yourself at Babies’R’Us (save those gift cards and store credits for all the damn diapers you’ll be purchasing for the next 2 years), but have you gotten any gift cards to your local fabulous boutique de bébé? WELL THAT’S YOUR GOLDEN TICKET, MAMA! 

The kid has enough crap – all he really needs right now is a couple clean onesies and your boobs anyway. Time to treat yourself at the baby shop. Here’s how:

GO FOR THE LOTIONS

Baby boutiques have a fabulous selection of organic, luxurious, and often locally made creams, balms and even sun screens. Who says all that goodness has to be reserved JUST for babies? With ingredients like shea butter, calendula, calming eucalyptus, almond oil etc, I say hand over that lotion and let me slather my whole friggin’ body in it and feel like the mama goddess I am.

My recent obsession is THIS CREAM by Anointment – so thick and luxurious, I feel like JLo on vacation.

BAGS BAGS BAGS

Diaper bags are no longer bulky and pastel-coloured, some of them are actually pretty chic – totally capable of being pulled off as a purse or travel carry-on. If you’ve already got a diaper bag, why not treat yourself to a different variation: something bigger, something smaller, a diaper clutch, a backpack – THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS! And who doesn’t love buying themselves a new bag for Christ’s sake!

If you’ve got a diaper bag you love, I suggest looking for something more compact for when you no longer need to lug around 10 diapers and 4 changes of clothes everywhere you go. Toddlers require a lot less baggage but they’ll still make you bring their tractor to the park or insist on changing into their sandals to enjoy a splash pad, so a lightweight, dirt friendly backpack like THIS ONE by Herschel might be your best bet.

(Mine comes everywhere with me, and as I’ve always said, when it comes to baby bags, it’s smart to pick something that your dude looks cool carrying so that you don’t get stuck lugging it around. I have a feeling he wouldn’t mind slinging THIS ONE over his shoulder either!)

LOOK CLOSELY & YOU SHALL FIND ACCESSORIES

Yes, friends, bags are not the only accessories you’ll find at baby boutiques. A lot of them have super cute accessories kicking around that are actually super cute for you! During a recent trip to Diaper-Eez, I came for baby stuff and left with a crazy adorable baseball cap by Herschel. I went back a few weeks later, only to discover that they’d received their winter toques and they’re just as awesome! (Fear not, the caps will be back for Spring ’17!)

If your local shop doesn’t have any of these awesome goodies, I’m willing to bet you can at least find yourself a cute teething necklace that’ll be a win/win for both you and your perpetually chewing & drooling baby!

So there you have it. A little reminder that if you’re dying for a little something for you, you can actually scratch that itch in the most unlikely of places – your local baby boutique! Now let’s put those gift cards and store credits to work!

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All products mentioned in this post are available at our fav baby boutique, Diaper-eez. Shop online* or visit them at their Bloor West Village store location… either way, enjoy a special 10% Rebel Mama discount at the check-out!

*online promo code: REBELMAMAS

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