So ladies I am in a conundrum! I have been reading a lot of posts about people having great turn out for their baby showers, but the people coming aren't really buying stuff of off their registries!! Anyone else have this problem? Well, my shower is coming up Oct 4th and I would really, really prefer if I got the stuff that I registered for because it is stuff that I need as opposed to stuff that I want, which of course there is a little bit of that mixed in too, but I really don't want people to just buy cutsie little things that I don't need! Would it be totally rude of me to put a PSA on Facebook, knowing that quite a few of my guests may read it, stating that I would really like items bought off of my registry? Not that I expect gifts in the first place, but if you are going to buy me something please buy me something that I need!
Suggestions, gripes, insults..... I am open to anything and can handle it all.
Re: FACEBOOK PSA: please buy from registry~!~~
You can always return things you don't want or like, but you can't dictate how your guests spend their money.
If you're that worried about it then make a status about how much fun you and your SO had scanning things for the registry. That may clue people into looking at it.
Last baby shower I went to I bought off the registry. The new mom asked for cloth diapers and registered for shitty ones so I got her a couple that I knew were better quality. About a month later I got a message from her saying that she's obsessed with the brand I gave her and it was the best gift she got!
Let your guests buy you what they want! Some of my favourite items were things I had no idea about and didn't register for.
@MadBloom, That is great advice about the nonchalantly bringing up the resgistry and having fun picking out the things that we put on it. Thanks!
Married 9/28/13
DS born 11/12/15
EDD 8/13/18
But ditto what people said about sometimes the ladies who come who are already moms know something you need that isn't on your registry.
My mom and her generation generally like to buy off of the registry. They want to get something creative or something more personal. Because of this I have received some of my favorite gifts, both for our wedding and our shower for DS. I have also received some strange things but you know what, that's okay too.
Baby Boy born on 1/14/13
People have asked me what I would like for me and or baby.
I ask them, come and see us at the hospital for a cuddle.
That's all I ask for.
Any gift is a bonus.
1) Your registry items may be outside of a person's budget. They are spending their time and money on you and your child. That in and of itself is a gift regardless of whether the product they provide you is what you wanted. Smile, nod, and return it if necessary.
2) STM+ and even grandparents may have a better idea of what you're going to need to care for a baby or take care of yourself post partum than you do. That wipe warmer/formula maker/popular toy you've registered for may actually be completely useless whereas the burp cloths or whatever else they've chosen for you has proven to be very useful.
I honestly don't think I got anything that I didn't eventually need. I don't think I had to buy powder, diaper cream, shampoo, other soaps for over a year. Heck even diapers
Maybe 3 people bought off my registry... I maybe had 20 items on my registry because we are pretty minimal with what we assumed we needed. The rest of the stuff given to us that wasn't on the registry I think I ended up using way more than what was from my registry. That's the great thing about guests who have already had kids, they know what you'll really use vs what is just a gimmick.
OP it's really your call, but be prepared for backlash or people not showing up. I would honestly never post something like that, that to me is right up there with the annoying Facebook status of "worse day ever..." Or some equally annoying negative crap nobody actually cares about (IMHO)
But I wouldn't say anything. My shower is the same day as yours and I'm going to just see what happens and make returns if needed.
As a side note I love home made non registry items. It means so much more!
I actually registered with babylist and you can add homemade items to your registry there which is really cool!!!