LilSugar

Lil Community: Choosing a Car Seat

babysugar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:00:55 PDT

It's registry time! LilSugar reader Beaner is approaching her due date and is picking out all of her baby gear. As she selects a car seat, she asks our readers for some help in The Pregnancy Posse group.

I'm completely confused about what size car seat to get. Friends and family have recommended the Graco Snugride, and they make one that holds a baby up to 22 pounds and 29 inches tall. But they also have one that goes up to size 32 pounds and 32 inches tall. The first one is a bit cheaper, but will a baby outgrow it before they are one year old, when it's time to move up to a new car seat? The main reason I'm tempted to stick with the 22-pound car seat is because a friend gave us some extra bases, so that would save us some dough. But if our baby will outgrow it at 6 months (I heard some can), and we'll have to end up buying the 32-pound car seat, then that would not be saving us money. Any advice?

Want to talk pregnancy with other expectant mamas? Get the conversation started in The Pregnancy Posse group!

Baby Bump: Register in Person

LilSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:00:39 PST

Your first child brings on a lot of other firsts: morning sickness, maternity clothes, baby showers, and selecting baby gear! Some mommies register for their new arrival, and one piece of advice for picking items for your wee one is to go in person.

The Internet is fabulous, but when it comes to your newborn's goods it's helpful to head on over to the store. All those toys, swings, bassinets, and decorations look a lot different when you see them first hand, and since you are about to acquire a lot of gear, you want to make sure you actually like the stuff you get. It's better to take care of the legwork before baby is born, than lug him or her back with your returns after.

Thinking she had outsmarted the system by sitting on her couch and shopping, my pal registered online. Then, she spent a good deal of time exchanging goods once the gifts poured in. Learn from a fellow expectant mommy's mistake and do it right the first time.

Did you register in person or online?

Source

Did You Register For Your Baby?

babysugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:00:28 PDT

The concept of a gift registry makes sense - visit your favorite stores, make a list of all of your gift preferences and have friends and family buy them for you so you don't have to spend your time returning unwanted and duplicate items. Wedding registries are common practice these days, having been around since Chicago's Marshall Field's department store created them in 1924.

If first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage, it is no surprise that baby registries were the next thing. Every time a celebrity announces she is pregnant there seems to be news about whether she has registered for pink or blue items. With so many bottles, cribs, swings and baby carriers on the market, it is no wonder pregnant women state their preferences.

Source

Baby Registry Tips

LilSugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:00:47 PST

I didn't know about baby registries until I was pregnant with my daughter, but since I like the surprise involved in opening presents, I never put a list together. Lately, it seems like more and more stores are registry ready. From Pottery Barn Kids to Babies "R" Us, and Giggle to Amazon, everyone is in on the action.
Here are my must haves for any child's registry:

Britax Boulevard Car Seat - Since you can't drive around with baby without one, I recommend this one ($299) that provides side impact protection for children who are 5 to 65 lbs.
Nano Highchair - I have an old-fashioned wooden highchair, but after cleaning all the nooks and crannies after each meal, I'd much prefer The Nano ($180). It's simple design looks easy to wipe down and you can fold it up to store between feedings.
Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper -My son leaped like crazy in this brightly colored musical contraption ($80) until he walked at 10 months.
Baby Einstein Neptune Ocean Environment Play Gym-Baby can travel under the sea during tummy time and play with plush aquatic friends on this mat ($70).
Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing - This swing ($100) lulled both my kids to sleep and was light enough to move around the house so I could keep an eye on them while I tidied up or showered.

Lil Links: 5 of the Most Difficult Milestones Moms Must Face

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:34:19 PST

The five most difficult milestones for moms - The Stir
Fifteen ideas for your baby's nursery - Houzz
Do allowances do more harm than good? - LearnVest
Jessica Simpson and Baby Buggy announce T-shirt initiative - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Giggle launches all-in-one registry app for expectant moms - Celebrity Baby Blog
Bath time is my new happy hour - FitPregnancy
Get baby talking with sign language - Parenting
Nine pregnancy myths - The Bump
Tidy homes are overrated, right? - Momformation
National Geographic-worthy photos taken by kids - Yahoo! Shine
Budget-friendly birthday-party ideas for kids - Real Simple

Source: Flickr User Fabio Bruna

5 Practical Items to Add to Your Baby Registry (Even Though They Don't Sound Fun!)

Rebecca M Gruber — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 05:31:01 PDT

Walking the aisles of a baby store, it's easy to get wrapped up in the plush towels, adorable mobiles, and the high-tech strollers. While moms-to-be ohh and ahh over all of the options available to outfit their impending arrival, they tend to skip over some of the more practical items that line shelves, thinking they'll get to them in the future. Nail clippers, thermometers, and humidifiers may not be the cutest things on a baby registry, but they'll probably get used more than anything else! Check these and a few other practical items you may have overlooked when building your registry!

Holiday Wish Lists: Practical or Tacky?

LearnVest — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:15:58 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Ah, the wish list.

It made a lovely debut when we were little, often addressed to a certain Mr. Claus. It had a good run for a few years, but retired itself in adulthood as the stuff of kids and dreams (with the exception of weddings and babies, when they take on the adult guise of “registry”).

And now that we are adults, wish lists (outside of those socially acceptable registries) are at best silly and at worst mercenary, right? That’s what many think.

Are We Becoming More Mercenary?

A recent New York Times story discussed the recent trend of the wish list-it’s back, along with more mercenary attitudes towards gift-giving, like a desire for gift cards instead of actual gifts. (According to the story, for the last five years, gift cards have been the most requested gift, according to National Retail Foundation surveys.) A study released earlier this year showed that people who receive gifts they had requested actually derive more pleasure from them and appreciate them more.

Read on for more on wishlists.

10 Wacky Baby Products to Leave Off Your Registry

LilSugar — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:03:58 PST

Tinkle tubes? Potty mitts? Nope, these aren't props from an SNL sketch mocking the absurdity of the baby product industry; they're actual items.

After talking about how exhausting new parenthood is, one of the ideas that's constantly hashed out is the sheer amount of stuff that babies require. Some of that stuff is, of course, nonnegotiable: the baby needs somewhere safe to sleep, diapers, bottles, and clothes. Then there's all of the other stuff. Gear our mothers somehow lived without that we've come to rely on - video monitors, white noise machines, and smartphone apps that can do pretty much anything except nurse the baby. Here's where things get a little weird: amidst the many useful and innovative items introduced every year, there are a handful that range from being totally unnecessary to downright bizarre.

Click through for a selection of baby gear that might leave you scratching your head.

5 Items No One Tells You to Add to Your Baby Registry - But You Should Buy

Rebecca M Gruber — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 04:37:37 PDT

Moms love to give advice. From the best baby bottles to the perfect stroller, ask any mama who's BTDT, and she's sure to offer up an opinion. When an expectant woman is building her baby registry, she'll get input from every mom she encounters on the street. While she'll likely fill the list with swings, blankets, and toys, there are some items experienced moms seem to forget to mention. Here are 5 items moms-to-be might not find in baby emporium, but may want to pick up before the lil one arrives!

Lil Links: Harper Beckham Is a Little Stunner

Nancy Einhart — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:00:32 PST

Harper Beckham is already a stunner at 4 months old - The Stir
Dreading the in-laws on Thanksgiving - Momformation
10 celebs who battled postpartum depression - Health
What's on Beyoncé's baby registry? - The Bump
Jessica Alba and Honor are breakfast buddies - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Stylish mom Ali Larter dresses Theodore in cool kicks - Celebrity Baby Blog
6 delicious seasonal recipes for pregnancy nutrients - FitPregnancy
Safe and not-so-safe Thanksgiving foods for babies - Parenting
7 baby names inspired by Thanksgiving - Yahoo! Shine
How Michelle Duggar stays healthy for baby no. 20 - TLC