I have had countless moms tell me “You must get this or your baby won’t sleep” or “You must get that; it’s my baby’s favorite!” But every time I go to a website or baby store to check out these “must” items, I feel the oncoming of a migraine due the explosion of bright colors and tacky animal prints. I mean I want to be the worlds best mom and I don’t plan to deprive my baby of one toy, but simultaneously I can’t imagine my gorgeously decorated apartment evolving into what looks like an over-stocked aisle of Toys R Us. Thankfully, due to my perseverance and online shopping skills, I have decided that I can overcome the odds. I finally checked off some of these “essential” items with substitutions in sleek styles and modern aesthetics (well, as sleek as baby stuff can get!). So whether you are putting together your registry, or simply need to update up your home without taking away some of your baby’s most precious items, this ones’s for you. {Check out my other Baby Essentials here.}