Where to begin!? This was/is such an exciting, yet daunting task. Ask any parent, and you will get a wide range of suggestions, ideas, things you will use, things you will never use, the list goes on and on. I loved everything about registering for our wedding. That is not to say I have not enjoyed registering for baby, it is just a bit different. First of all, the kind of silverware we chose for our wedding should not cause any harm to anyone if used properly. However, registering for an unsafe baby product could end badly for everyone. There are so many more things to consider with baby stuff!
Luckily, a kind friend recommended the book (and purchased it for us) Baby Bargains. This book has been an absolute lifesaver. The authors review baby gear for safety, durability, price, etc. to provide grades for baby gear and suggestions for the best buys in each category. We have referenced this like a baby bible for selecting a lot of our big buys. Some of the big things we already have, which has been super awesome. If you know me well, you won't be surprised to know that I actually bought our crib a year and a half ago from Target. It was their annual baby sale and I got such a killer deal on it, I couldn't pass it up. We also already had the dresser and mattress (same deal). My in-laws got the stroller/carseat combo, and my parents got us our dream glider. We are fortunate to have most of the big ticket items covered, but that leaves a billion little things!
As much as I love state college, and hate bashing the area- we have minimal options for baby gear. Aka Target. Luckily this is my fav store ever, but leaves a bit to the imagination as far as testing out gear. We took a trip to Pittsburgh one weekend to try things out at a Babies R Us, and this was extremely helpful. It is one thing to read about stuff in a book or online and another to see it and person and practice using it. I wanted to sit in a glider before dropping hundreds on something that was just semi-comfortable. We wanted to attempt to take sharp corners using the stroller, and probably most importantly I needed to make sure I could actually lift the carseat (I know I am weak - working on that! haha) Visiting the mega-stores whether you decide to register there or not, is helpful for you to see what all is out there.
When deciding where to register, we obviously wanted to use Target. However, there are a few things they are lacking that we still wanted. They also provide a great gift bag (which our target is still out of lol) for registering and a 10% coupon to complete your registry, but have no rewards that you earn from others purchasing gifts for you. Target was the obvious choice because it is the only store we have locally to return/exchange/look at. Dustin was like a small child in a candy store scanning everything in sight. Including a baby robe that we are still arguing over why a small child needs a robe when the go from bath to jammies!
Secondly, I wanted a website that allowed me to add some of the really cool things I have found over time. Babylist.com is a relatively new site that allows you to add items from ANY site. So I can add the Etsy, Pottery Barn, Amazon, etc. items that I want without making 5 different registries. I think this is such a novel idea, but there are no perks to the website, just flexibility.
Lastly, there were a few big items (glider, stroller/carseat, random things only available there) we wanted from Babies R Us. They have the best (only) rewards program of the 3. You earn 5-10% back of what is purchased for you. They also have a completion discount.
Target Registry
Babylist.com Registry
Babies R Us Registry
Where have you registered or seen good registries? Any items you would swear by? Taking any and all suggestions in an attempt to not fill up our entire townhouse with crap we will never use. We finally decided on a Navy-themed nursery. This is no real surprise. However, selecting the individual pieces themselves has been quite a task! I am sure I will be updating this post as time moves on, and hope to update you on our feelings after using some of the products down the line! We are officially at 24 weeks today, which means a short 16 until our little man arrives! EEICK!
Luckily, a kind friend recommended the book (and purchased it for us) Baby Bargains. This book has been an absolute lifesaver. The authors review baby gear for safety, durability, price, etc. to provide grades for baby gear and suggestions for the best buys in each category. We have referenced this like a baby bible for selecting a lot of our big buys. Some of the big things we already have, which has been super awesome. If you know me well, you won't be surprised to know that I actually bought our crib a year and a half ago from Target. It was their annual baby sale and I got such a killer deal on it, I couldn't pass it up. We also already had the dresser and mattress (same deal). My in-laws got the stroller/carseat combo, and my parents got us our dream glider. We are fortunate to have most of the big ticket items covered, but that leaves a billion little things!
As much as I love state college, and hate bashing the area- we have minimal options for baby gear. Aka Target. Luckily this is my fav store ever, but leaves a bit to the imagination as far as testing out gear. We took a trip to Pittsburgh one weekend to try things out at a Babies R Us, and this was extremely helpful. It is one thing to read about stuff in a book or online and another to see it and person and practice using it. I wanted to sit in a glider before dropping hundreds on something that was just semi-comfortable. We wanted to attempt to take sharp corners using the stroller, and probably most importantly I needed to make sure I could actually lift the carseat (I know I am weak - working on that! haha) Visiting the mega-stores whether you decide to register there or not, is helpful for you to see what all is out there.
When deciding where to register, we obviously wanted to use Target. However, there are a few things they are lacking that we still wanted. They also provide a great gift bag (which our target is still out of lol) for registering and a 10% coupon to complete your registry, but have no rewards that you earn from others purchasing gifts for you. Target was the obvious choice because it is the only store we have locally to return/exchange/look at. Dustin was like a small child in a candy store scanning everything in sight. Including a baby robe that we are still arguing over why a small child needs a robe when the go from bath to jammies!
Secondly, I wanted a website that allowed me to add some of the really cool things I have found over time. Babylist.com is a relatively new site that allows you to add items from ANY site. So I can add the Etsy, Pottery Barn, Amazon, etc. items that I want without making 5 different registries. I think this is such a novel idea, but there are no perks to the website, just flexibility.
Lastly, there were a few big items (glider, stroller/carseat, random things only available there) we wanted from Babies R Us. They have the best (only) rewards program of the 3. You earn 5-10% back of what is purchased for you. They also have a completion discount.
Target Registry
Babylist.com Registry
Babies R Us Registry
Where have you registered or seen good registries? Any items you would swear by? Taking any and all suggestions in an attempt to not fill up our entire townhouse with crap we will never use. We finally decided on a Navy-themed nursery. This is no real surprise. However, selecting the individual pieces themselves has been quite a task! I am sure I will be updating this post as time moves on, and hope to update you on our feelings after using some of the products down the line! We are officially at 24 weeks today, which means a short 16 until our little man arrives! EEICK!
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