Baby registry items w/o 11/18

knarlytaurus

Black Friday and holiday sales are right around the corner... Time to ask away! 

knarlytaurus

So on the last registry page, people commented on double strollers  What about single strollers? I think we'll be able to use my brother and SIL's graco infant car seat (has 2 more years before expiring) and jogging stroller. What about for something that's a bit smaller and lighter weight than a jogging stroller? What have others used and loved? I see such varying opinions in reviews. The chicco bravo gets good reviews and DH and I are also interested in the Nuva tavo. Any others to consider that may be somewhat affordable, but are also great?

aels12

We have a baby jogger City select but got annoyed with how clunky it was to bring in the car for just one baby, we found a baby jogger city mini gt used and love it, it’s still all terrain which we wanted but it folds up compactly and isn’t too heavy. 

mcewen3

@knarlytaurus we have a Baby Jogger City Select and have been huge fans from the get go.  I also scooped up a BJ City Mini on a FB buy/sell group a few years ago and its awesome for a smaller, more lightweight travel stroller.  I started keeping that one in my vehicle all the time and I would only pack up the CS if I knew I'd need a double or a bigger shopping basket  Baby Jogger has a new lightweight stroller out called the Tour, and it looks like it would be a good option too.  I just love the way they maneuver compared to some other strollers I've used.  One handed and easy steering is a big deal to me and I was able to steer the City Mini through cobblestoned streets of Europe this past spring with a fairly big almost-three-year-old in the seat with pretty little effort.  

mcewen3

Something to consider when shopping for big ticket (and really all) baby items is your own personal lifestyle.  How much trunk space do you have? Are you a city dweller who will walk out your door with your stroller each day, will you use it to run errands around town?  Do you live in a rural area where all-terrain is necessary?  Sometimes its a combination of these and its really hard to choose.  For myself, we are those crazy people with 3 different strollers in our garage.  I splurged on a brand new City Select as my primary stroller.  Through my research and knowing that our first two kids would likely be pretty close together, that stroller checked the most boxes for my every day needs.  But we also lived in a rural community, near the mountains and we love to get out and experience the outdoors.  We bike, cross country ski and hike.  We like to have nice things but are also pretty thrifty people, so while I feel good about spending money on a quality piece like a City Select I couldn't justify doing it for each additional stroller we wanted to fit different areas of our life.  Luckily I'm excellent garage sale/bargain hunter and I scored a barely used Thule Chariot Cougar 2 way under used market value.  We have the bike attachment, jogging wheel and cross-country ski attachment for it and use it all summer and winter long.  Same thing with our lightweight BJ City Mini.  All 3 got a ton of use and quite honestly, the two I got used I could probably re-sell for the exact same price I paid originally.  Its worth checking buy/sell pages frequently for good quality baby gear, because some of it gets so little wear its hardly worth buying new.  Bumbos are a big one.  Not at all worth the brand new price but great to score used because they are one solid piece and so easy to clean.  Plus their useable age window is pretty small so its unlikely that anyone would wear one out much at all.

eatinwatermelonseeds

@mcewen3 another thing to consider is do you plan to baby wear? We had a stroller we kept in our trunk, but we used it far less often than I wore him. I could probably count on one hand how many times we used it, I'm glad we got it for free. Now that he's older, however, they're SUPER convenient. 

chloe97

We have the Oxxo Cubbie Plus and I love it. It’s totally not a stroller I would have registered for,  but I got it 2nd hand for 25% of the price basically brand new. I think you can find them at Home Goods of all places for half price. It  folds up easily, is light weight, and has great suspensions/steering and since oxxo just got into the stroller business, they are not well known or in high demand, but I found it great quality!

mcewen3

Yes, exactly @eatinwatermelonseeds.  Its so lifestyle-dependant.  I spend so much time researching each thing I bought, and overall I think I did a pretty good job.  We spent money on quality items that lasted through both girls and suited our lifestyle very well, but I saved on other things that didn't get as much wear and tear, still picking items that I had scrutinized over to ensure they would really suit our needs.  For me, having long-lasting things that I will actually use is important.  I hate having random "junk" that we thought we'd like but ended up being useless.  I got rid of almost all of our baby stuff, so I have some shopping to do for this babe.  I've been making lists, then re-visiting each item to see if I'll really use it. 

mcewen3

This is such a small item, and clearly not something that our May 2019 babies will need for quite some time, but I just found my set and thought some of the mom's with 1-2 year olds might find these useful. https://www.amazon.com/Boon-SNUG-Straw-Orange-Green/dp/B017IQZDX2/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1542570704&sr=8-1&keywords=boon+snug+straw&th=1 They also make them with a regular sippy spout as well.  It turns any regular cup into a spill proof cup, and it really is spill proof.  Up until quite recently I would carry one of these in my purse all the time for when we went out to restaurants.  It works way better than the chinsy plastic lids and straws they put on kids cups and I never liked pouring milk into our own sippy cups when we were out in the city for the day or something because it was so long before I could wash it out properly.  These don't really even get very dirty, so if you really wanted to you could give it a quick rinse in the bathroom but I usually just slip it back into the ziplock bag I had it in in my purse and wash once we're home.  Saved our sippy as a water cup for the day and we never ever had an accidentally spilled cup of milk across the table or tossed onto the restaurant floor from a highchair.  I pulled them out the other day to turn one of our open plastic cups into a spill proof cup for a visiting friend's little 18 month old.  Super handy, inexpensive things to keep around.  

bumbly_b

What kind of wraps or carriers do you guys reccomend? 

mcewen3

@bumbly_b I loved my ring slings with DD2 for something quick to slip her into when we were running around town the summer after she was born.  I had a beautiful woven wrap that I did really like once I got the hang of it, but I found it really hard to master with a needy toddler pulling on my leg lol.  I was a fan of the SSC too. I had a Boba with DD1 and I liked it a lot more than the Ergobaby.  I received a Beco Soleil in a grab bag at a baby event and it was awesome for an older baby or toddler because it had a nice high seat back and was very comfortable to wear.  Everyone raves on Tula, but I have always had other carriers that I couldn't ever justify the price to buy one to try out.  A girlfriend lent me her gorgeous LennyLamb this spring and I used if for DD2 in Europe a couple times.  She was nearly 3 at the time and she still fit quite nicely.  I think it was a woven wrap conversion because the fabric is just gorgeous and so so soft.  I offered to buy it off my friend so I could have it for this babe, because it is amazing.  

eatinwatermelonseeds

@bumbly_b I really like my Tula SSC, but I've heard they're not as nice since they were bought by Ergo. (I think I heard that here actually lol). Lillebaby is a great SSC brand too. Ergo isn't terrible but I've worn both ergo and tula and prefer tula immensely. I'm considering a woven wrap. Didymos, natibaby, osha are some good brands. Ring slings are okay, but usually just in the beginning and even then 7-10lbs on one side is still 7-10lbs on one side. 

DressageDarling

@bumbly_b I started with the Boba wrap and the Boba 4G SSC. I loved my Boba wrap for when DS was itty bitty and then switched to the SSC. I started using ring slings when DS was 1+ yo and still sling him at almost 2.5yo. I have Wildbird ring slings. I also switched to a Tula SSC recently because it was more comfortable of a back carry with DS. I gave my Boba wrap to a friend and plan on getting a Solly baby wrap this time around. 

mcewen3

@eatinwatermelonseeds I had a Didymos and it was beautiful.  And really felt great once I got the hang of it.  I think I should have gone with a smaller one to start, but most of my research said that the size 6 would give me the greatest range for all the different wrap configurations.  It was A LOT of fabric to handle in the beginning though, lol. 

misskimsue

@bumbly_b I really like the Infantino Flip 4-in-1. It's cheap, versatile, and easy to use. I have a more expensive, fancy carrier (Beco, I think), too, and a wrap-style carrier, but the Infantino is the one I actually decide to use time and again. I'm not a carrier expert, but I used it quite a lot, especially with my second.

eatinwatermelonseeds

@mcewen3 I may get a 6, but the moby is technically an 8 and I had that mastered last time, so I'm not too concerned. 

mcewen3

Also, wet bags aren't just for cloth diapering!!  I bought them initially because I was setting myself up for cloth diapering, and obviously they were invaluable for that purpose but I used them for so many other things too.  A travel sized one in the diaper bag is great for clothes that suffered through an unexpected diaper blowout, or any type of spilling mishap.  I also found them super useful for the pool or splash pad.  Much cuter, convenient and environmentally friendly than scrambling to find or just stashing plastic grocery bags in your diaper bag.  

optbaby2017

@bumbly_b I liked the K'tan with DD1. Its kind of like a Moby, but you don't have to learn how to tie it. She's 16mon and 20lb now and I can still use it for a short time, but she doesn't like to be contained for long. Planning to get a Tula at some point.  If you have a Baby Wearing group in your are, they often do events for new parents to try different styles and let you rent/borrow for a month at a time from their "library" so you can test things out. 

aels12

@mcewen3 second that for wet bags! We cloth diaper but I use them for everything.. dirty clothes in the diaper bag, swim stuff, toys in the diaper bag or other random small things. 

We used a solly wrap and then a Tula ssc for ds, I’m debating a Tula free to grow this time though. Has anyone tried a kinderpack?

mcewen3

@aels12 we are long out of the cloth diaper game (like about 1.5 years since they’ve been needed) but I’ve kept the wet bags around.  One for each swim bag and always have one in the car for mishaps.  I have a large Planet Wise wet/dry bag that in our cloth days would hang on a doorknob to catch the diapers but now it’s the bag I take to the beach or pool when we go as a family and it’s big enough for wet towels and swim suits.  

robyn2201

@eatinwatermelonseeds I have a Didymos woven wrap along with a ring sling and ergo. Love them for different things. My woven is a six and it’s pretty long but after awhile I did get the hang of it. 

DuchessOfCambridge

Third it for wet bags. We bought some before DS was born and they have been Lifesavers, especially on planes. I also like the "doggie bags" for diapers. Pretty sure you can buy just actual dog poop bags too.

I have only tried the Ergo 360 and am a big fan.

@mcewen3 I am going to buy those now for my 1 yo! He's pretty good at drinking out of a sippy so that looks like an awesome thing for us to have.

I highly recommend this travel high chair. It's been so much more useful than we could have predicted.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000A7V1EM/ref=mp_s_a_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1542643172&sr=8-7&keywords=travel+high+chair&dpPl=1&dpID=31rONDvn-HL&ref=plSrch

mcewen3

@DuchessOfCambridge they are seriously SO convenient to have.  The only thing I would mention is that they seal almost TOO well.  So if you go with the straw lids that I linked, you'll want to open the little hole where the straw goes with your finger before you stick the straw in just to release some of the air that you trapped while securing the lid.  I've had some milk squirt straight up the straw when I insert it just because it was so airtight, but if I do that first we've never had a problem.  There is a tiny vent hole in the lid, but it doesn't always seem to work super well to prevent this right at the start.

mrsdee15

Another vote for wet bags!! We've had poopsplosions while out and keep everything in them until we get home.  

@bumbly_b For babywearing, I had an Infantino, which was great when DD was smaller, but now we have both a Lillebaby ring sling and a soft structured carrier, the carrier is great now that she's a little bigger.  I'm still working on getting the hang of the ring sling.  I hope to wear this one a lot more.  

This time around we are thinking of getting a bedside bassinet - the frontrunner is the HALO, but has anyone had any experience with these?  We also looked at the SwaddleMe bedside bassinet.  Our first had terrible reflux and needed to be on an incline, not sure if that creates an issue with the HALO.  

chloe97

@mrsdee15 We love our Arms Reach Cosleeper. For us, we knew that we would want to moving it around the house as we wanted DD sleeping in the family room with us for her naps and so the wheels were the biggest selling point for us. 

What is this Dock a Tot thing people are talking in my FB Moms groups? We had a Rock and Play and and a newborn lounger pillow with for DD. We really never used our cosleeper that went in te bed since we would sleep with DD outside our bedroom and one of us would sleep in the bed while the other was with DD. We really only used it to have a place to put DD in our room while getting dressed etc. Did anyone use one and is it really worth the $175? I doubt we would get one, but I am just wondering if I am missing something. 

mcewen3

@chloe97 my understanding of the DockATot is that it isn't actually intended for overnight sleep.  I could be wrong, but I think its like a lounger for during the day, easy to carry around, set up for a little nap anywhere, etc.  They either lost or never had approval from Health Canada so we can't even buy them in Canada anymore, but there are some similar baby nests available that I was looking into.  

I know many people do use them, and similar nests for overnight sleep.  I could be wrong about them not being approved for overnight, but I also know people have always used baby products for things they are not intended/approved for so sometimes its hard to know without delving in to research it.

kvh22

@knarlytaurus one thing to consider for your stroller is whether the carseat you're planning to use can fit in it. I bought the Chicco Bravo travel system. I love the Chicco keyfit 30 carseat that it came with and honestly, the stroller was not much more than the carseat on it's own (I got the travel system on lightning deal in the color I wanted for $100 off, so $280 instead of $380). As much as I say I should have thought about needing a stroller that converted into a double, I still really think it made sense to get that stroller for me at the time. It is not as nice as the City Select and others mentioned above, so it really depends on your budget and needs, as people have mentioned above.

For me, we are walking distance to our downtown and the grocery store so, especially while on maternity leave, I was using the stroller daily. I would walk to the grocery store twice a week and only get what fit in the storage compartment (so that was a big deal for us). I was NOT doing "off roading" or cobblestones so the not-quite-as-nice wheels on the Chicco Bravo were fine but I tried the City Select out at buy buy baby this weekend and am so excited to get it as our double. That being said, I will likely leave it set up as a double and use the Bravo while DD is at daycare during my mat leave with this LO. The adapter to use the chicco keyfit car seat is $50 but I'm hoping it will drop in price sometime before May (or at the very least, it's eligible for the 15% amazon completion discount).

Also, DD slept AMAZINGLY in the stroller and car so I was constantly moving the carseat and having it fit into the stroller was an absolute MUST.

I bought a jogging stroller on Black Friday last year for way less than retail as well. Likek @mcewen3, we will have 3 strollers we use all the time, plus a travel umbrella stroller, although it's a single so we might just be bringing our double for a while.

k2k2tog

@chloe97 honestly, I think it seems like everyone is using DockATots because they handed out a huge amount for free to Instagram influencers, so every mom blogger you might follow was raving about them because it's their job. I would be very surprised if it was actually worth $175 USD. 

@knarlytaurus what kind of jogging stroller is it? I had a BOB and no need for any other stroller (though we did get an umbrella stroller when we went on a trip out west). It's not small and lightweight, but it could go almost anywhere. I lived in Toronto at the time and mostly babywore when I took transit (because even a small stroller is a pain on the bus/subway). I never felt like it was too big for all the walking around our neighbourhood that I did. It fit in the back of our car (VW Golf - which is tiny!), as well (though not with much room for anything else), so the few times we did need to take a stroller with us, we still could. All I'm saying is that if you're using a good jogging stroller, you don't necessarily need a second smaller, lighter stroller. All depends on your lifestyle.

kvh22

@k2k2tog @knarlytaurus for us, we love the BOB but the diaper bag DOES NOT fit in the storage compartment. For me, that would eliminate it as an everyday stroller. Again, it will totally depend on your lifestyle.

optbaby2017

@mrsdee15 We had a BabyHome Dream Air Bassinet for DD (same size/shape as the Chicco Lullago) and it worked great. Nothing super special like the Halo or Arms Reach, but I knew that I was going to get out of bed whenever she woke up, anyway and we didn't have space in our room for either of those (Halo take up a LOT of floor space). It is easier to break down than the pack n play we borrowed, so we took it with us anywhere she was going to be sleeping for more than a quick nap. And we used changing pad covers as sheets. The BabyHome is really good quality, nicer fabric than the Chicco and MUCH nicer than the Ingenuity one that Target carries. 

chloe97

@mcewen3 Oh yeah they are definitely not safe sleep approved, though the AAP doesn't really approve products. The Rock and Play is actually marketed as a "sleeper" at least in the US and it is certainly NOT approved. I would let DD nap in there while she was hanging out with us, but never when we were out of sight. 

k2k2tog

kvh22 said:

@k2k2tog @knarlytaurus for us, we love the BOB but the diaper bag DOES NOT fit in the storage compartment. For me, that would eliminate it as an everyday stroller. Again, it will totally depend on your lifestyle.

@kvh22 that was one of my few complaints about the BOB, though mostly for groceries and other things. I always wanted the diaper bag hung over the handles for easy access anyway. I also have a mommy hook which - FFMC - I definitely overloaded a couple times, forgot, let go of the handlebar and had DD1 tip backwards. She didn't get hurt thankfully, but while at the grocery store, it was suuuuper embarrassing.

kvh22

@k2k2tog lol I did that with our travel umbrella. It's the Summer Infant 3D Lite stroller which I absolutely recommend as a travel stroller once your little one can sit in a stroller. The storage is good and it reclines pretty far which was a must for us as DD loves to sleep in the stroller. I took time off so DD and I could go with DH to a work trip in DC and then see my brother and SIL in VA, We walked 7 miles in that thing in one day around DC. The only downside (which I knew when I bought it) is that when it fully reclines, the storage space gets small, so I had to take the diaper bag out. I went into a coffee shop, took her out of it and the thing flipped over and made a huge scene.

DuchessOfCambridge

Yes, the DockATot is not considered safe for overnight sleep. I was gifted one and do not at all think it's worth the price tag. We used it mainly as a safe place for DS to nap and rest while we were watching him. He played in it a lot until he outgrew it, which was pretty fast! If it was safe for overnight sleep or a safe way to cosleep I think it'd be more worth it. But it's not safe even if you put it in a crib with nothing else, and I don't think cosleep will ever be officially approved.

brichanelle

Does anyone have the $100 ikea crib? Love or hate? 

anonellis

@brichanelle we don’t, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about their cribs and their high chairs (we have their high chairs at both grandparents houses). 

mcewen3

@brichanelle we don’t, but we plan on getting an IKEA crib for this LO.  My SIL’s sister has one that she had used for 2 kids so far and loves it.  We had a more expensive crib for my first two and it really wasn’t worth it, IMO. 

knarlytaurus

@k2k2tog @kvh22 asks for the insight! The jogging stroller is the graco fast action fold infant system https://www.gracobaby.com/en-US/Jogging-Strollers/fastaction-fold-jogger-travel-system-103575fastaction-fold-jogger-travel-system-103575

We're kind of like a hybrid where we are .. Lots of Vermont is pretty rural (dirt or gravel) we live in the city (population 6,000, so more like an urban village), so we do a fair amount of walking but nothing like those living in NYC or other large cities do. The jogging stroller they have is a good one, but it's big and heavy, which is why we were considering a second smaller stroller that a newborn could be in outside of the infant car seat .But I didn't even consider baby wearing for the first few months! Thank you for your help! 

missy052819

Does anyone have the halo bassinet? Or do you plan on getting it? Is it worth it?

wishiwaspreggo

@chloe97 - My wife was interested in getting 2 dock a tots to put in the crib so the babies can co-sleep but now that I've been reading about them I think that's a pass I really want them to sleep together because I've heard that's how they're happiest (being in-utero together since conception makes the transition to the outside world easier on them or something). I mean, it's not like they'll be able to roll over on to each other for the first 4-6 months...

I dunno, having twins is a whole new world and I feel so lost. I don't know what we'll need as far as extra gear goes and what will make everyone happy and sleep/eat well... blah. Just kind of winging it for now. I wish I knew someone personally who had twins so I could talk to them about it but I don't know anyone!

k2k2tog

@wishiwaspreggo we have a twin mom group locally. Like an actual get-together-at-someone's-house-and talk-all-things-twins kind of group. I know the person who hosts it and she has said the group was invaluable because there is nothing like having twins and being able to talk about what you're going through is so important. Anyway maybe you can find a similar group? Do you have a local mom FB group you could ask on? Even to hook up with one other twin mom might be useful!