Mum's the word: Blog 2 - "Easier dressed, less stressed" - A guide to dressing your baby the easy way

Hi again, new mum Laura here. I've had a busy start to the new year with my lovely 19 week old baby boy. He's already outgrown all his newborn and 0 to 3 month old clothing and is now in size 3 to 6 month clothes and about to progress onto size 4 nappies. It seems like yesterday he barely fitted into his newborn size 1 nappies and now here he is all gorgeous and chubby and really solid within just a few months. He makes me so happy that every time I look at him I want to burst into tears of joy. He really is the best thing I have ever done in my life and every moment spent with him is completely precious.

Talking of time spent with him - as a new mum I am suddenly aware of just how little time you have to do anything anymore. Life has changed from having the luxury of being able to fill my time to having to find a few spare minutes just to catch up with the housework and this is where I have really learnt how important it is to have mum friendly clothes and accessories for your baby.

Thanks to the generosity of my friends I have been given loads of beautiful clothes and toys and I have found out that the clothes which are the easiest to put on and to change my baby's nappy in are by far the best to help you save some time each day even though they are not always the most stylish choice. Even just a few minutes saved is so important so you can catch up on the washing, the dishes, food shopping (online through Tesco.com is the easiest for me at the moment), doing the bins, emptying the nappy bin, cleaning, hoovering, seeing to the dog, trying to catch up on emails, trying to have my shower, dusting, cleaning the bath, sterilising bottles - the list is endless as I am sure all you other new mums out there have found out!

In terms of the best and easiest baby clothes I have found the following to be really great and I hope you find this useful too. In terms of socks you cannot beat Baby Gap as their socks are made of super soft stretchy towelling and have non-slip soles and they really stay put which is great as I have found normal baby socks get kicked off within seconds by my baby boy (approx £5 for 3 pairs). For shoes I have found The Little White Company do these brilliant mini Ugg-style baby booties which have a split down the heel which does up with very strong velcro and I have discovered these really stay in place too as well as being really warm and cosy (£18 per pair but as you won't lose them hopefully they will be worth the investment!).

Moving onto sleepsuits - Mothercare do brilliant all in one long sleeved sleepsuits which have built in scratch mitts (you just turn the cuffs over) and they come in some really funky designs too. Next also do really nice sleepsuits and the material is really thick and heavy which is great for winter babies. Mini Mode (available at Boots and on their website www.minimode.co.uk) also do brilliantly priced sleepsuits which are beautifully designed and look a lot more expensive than they are - ideal for meeting other mums for coffee and you want your baby to look extra smart!. NB: avoid sleepsuits which have poppers which fasten down the back - these are a nightmare to put on and I think they must be a bit uncomfortable for baby too having to lie on the poppers all day!

For smart outfits you cannot beat Mamas and Papas - I bought my baby boy a pair of smart brown twill trousers and a diamond patterned jumper to wear on Christmas Day and everyone commented how cute he looked. They do some of the nicest "posh" baby outfits around and the quality is also excellent - you can wash them over and over and they still look brand new. Their dungarees are also well designed with poppers around the legs which are easy to put on and change your baby in.

For coats I have found TK Maxx do some amazing deals on branded goods. I found a Baby Dior pale blue suede duffel coat in their Hammersmith branch for just £39.99 (it retailed for over £300 originally) and they also have some great deals on bundles of baby clothing too. They also have brilliant toys - I bought my baby a cube toy covered in dangly and jingly bits for just £6.99 and he absolutely loves it.

For very cold days I have found Baby Gap do these great all in one snowsuits which are windproof, waterproof and snowproof for £39.99 which also have poppers between the legs as well as a zip so you can undo the zip and leave the poppers done up so you can put your baby in the car seat and put the safety belt between their legs without disturbing them which is a bonus. For gloves I have found Mothercare do packs of 3 scratch mittens which also double up as gloves for cold days and are really good value (£3.50 for 3 pairs).

For T-shirts I have found George at Asda and H&M do some really trendy designs at excellent prices and for vests I have found Next do really soft cotton ones which also wash really well. Try to avoid anything with buttons near the neckline as these can be a nightmare to try and do up with a wriggling baby and I am also a bit paranoid the buttons might come off if they chew on them and then the baby might swallow them.

For hats I have found Mamas and Papas do some gorgeous thick toweling stretchy hats which really stay put. George at Asda also do some lovely thick cotton jersey hats which also come with little bear ears on - I think you can't beat seeing little bear ears on a baby for the cuteness factor!

I hope my experiences have given you some useful tips and shopping advice. I think finding the easiest and most comfortable clothes and accessories for your baby means that you not only save precious time but you have a more relaxed and chilled baby too. Have a good week and I will be looking at choosing the best pram, travel system, baby carrier and car seat combination in my next blog.