Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best finds here!!

[MustangGal]

We have one with a drop side, just becasue I thought that would be easier. I haven''t used the drop feature yet, we just lowered the mattress to the middle level and it''s still easy enough to pick him up from that height (he''s usually sitting up when I go to get him now). I would assume it''ll be better once he''s bigger, but as others pointed out they''re standing by that stage anyway.

 

[cellososweet]

ginger, I was a nanny and even though both kids had drop-side cribs, I never used the drop side ever. When they are tiny and the mattress is at the high setting, it''s easy to get them in and out and by the time you lower the mattress, they are usually standing up to greet you when you come to get them after their naps (by the way, that has to be the cutest thing ever! When you go in to get them after their nap and they are just standing there and they start to grin because you''ve arrived. Ah. Melts my heart every time So cute)

 

[sunkist]

What about a MINI crib, like this http://www.albeebaby.com/da-vinci-emily-mini-portable-crib-in-ebony.html

I''m wondering if anyone has used one of those instead of a full size crib. It looks like it''s about the same dimensions as a pack''n''play, so a kid would probably out grow it around 2 years. I don''t know if that''s too soon to switch the kid to a "big kid bed" or not.

Also, it says it comes with a 1" mattress!! pretty thin. I haven''t looked at BRU yet, but albeebaby.com didn''t sell mini mattresses alone.

It''s just my dilemma right now is we are trying to buy a house right now, not having much luck. So it looks like I might have to set up my nursery in our tiny appartment. Mini Crib would save some space... dunno..

 

[steph72276]

Sunkist, not sure about the mini crib and how long before they grow out of it, but my son was into a "big boy bed" right when he turned two. He had just started climbing out of his crib at that age, so we had to hurry up and get him into a bed where he would be safe. I know some others that still sleep in their cribs much later, but mine did very well so early in one (we just had to get the side rail things so he wouldn't fall out of course).

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Oh, also I heard drop downs were loud. Noise + sleeping baby = no good

Sunkist, I am planning on keeping my DD in the crib AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! She has not tried to escape yet so she will be in it after she turns 2. It helps me sleep at night *knowing* she is contained and safe. My neighbor moved her boys out at 18 months and they no longer nap and she can no longer force them. Don''t want THAT to happen! I would get a full size if you can swing it. DD looked pretty cramped in my mom''s pack ''n play this summer and the mattress is SO thin. I would not want to sacrifice quality sleep for my child.

 

[sunkist]

Ya, you guys are probably right. Thanks Tacori and Steph!

 

[steph72276]

Sunkist, did you check out out walmart.com for cribs? They have some really nice ones for great prices. They also have lots of reviews and you can have it shipped to the store for free so that saves quite a bit on shipping.

 

[sunkist]

Steph ya! Actually I was just looking at the cribs at walmart today! They have great prices. Thanks!

I think I like this one. Anyone know if there''s anything bad about Graco cribs?

http://www.walmart.com/Graco-Sarah-4in1-Crib-Espresso/ip/11081897

 

[KtIceRN]

Hi all. I am reasearching what I want for an infant carrier and stroller and was curious if anyone has the Britax Chaperone? I am seriously considering it but wanted to seee if anyone has tried it out. I was originally thinking about going with the Uppababy Vista, but this one has alot of the same features with a lesser pricetag.

http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/chaperone/videos

I was going to go with the Savannah if I get it. I want to be able to use it with the next kiddo too. Oh and the price is really great. It''s about $530.00 for the carrier, stroller and an extra base and there is a $100.00 mail in rebate.

Let me know what you think!!

 

[steph72276]

Sunkist, I''m not sure about the Graco as far as durability goes, but you can google that crib and see if reviews come up. If you look at that same crib in white, there are also a lot more reviews for it and most are positive. I actually saw that crib in white on display at Toys R Us the other day when I went in and thought it was really cute!

 

[TravelingGal]

Re: Drop side - mine is a bonavita hand me down and I used it all the time. I have a bad back so it helped me a lot, even at higher settings. It''s a great quality crib (not sure if bonavitas are still quality cribs, but this one is over 8 years old and still functions and looks new) and the drop side doesn''t seem noisy to me. There is no way I could currently put Amelia down without it since I still put her to bed sort of cradled in my arms, then have to get her all settled into her sleep sack.

 

[janinegirly]

Hi gals, wondering if anyone can recommend their walker/push toy, especially if you have wooden ones. I''d love to get one for C for her 1st birthday--she is still cruising and think she''d love this. I''ve read that the plastic ones have high tip over factor and since we have wood floors, don''t want to bring in something that''ll result in more bumps and bruises. Looks like the wooden ones are more highly praised..but also more pricey, so if anyone has experience with one in particular, let me know! Thanks!

 

[AmberWaves]

My aunt wants to buy us a glider for a gift, and I was hoping to keep it at $300.00 or so. Anyone have a review they''d like to share? Also, ottoman or nursing stool (or neither)?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

janine, T has this one. I usually prefer wooden toys too but this one is really great. It turns from a walker to a rider so C will get MUCH more use out of it. We have wooden floors too and it has NEVER tipped or even been close to tipping. It is very stable. Plus it is cheap!

 

[lili]

Janine--
J had the one Tacori posted and this one from v-tech.
She didn''t use the hasbro one as a walker though since the base gets in the way.
Maybe because her legs were long or she took bigger steps.
She did like to push it in the car form.
The v-tech one was better for her, but I think that the baby will need to be a little taller so that she can push down on it while walking, otherwise it would tip over.

 

[Mara]

so i could use some help with our stroller. we don''t have to get one now, as our neighbor has a snap n''go she is lending me til we figure it out BUT if we can figure it out now why not. i don''t know how much patience i''ll have once the baby is here to ''see'' what i will need or want. i am more apt to make a better decision with more sleep in me i tend to think.

i really love the Quinny but i think the footprint is too big for the car we we want, and also it is $600 (but $300 at albee baby if i want a glaring halloween orange, tempting). this is my fave stroller hands down. but i don''t necessarily want the maxi cosi car seat and that''s the only one it seems to fit with.

i''ve looked at a lot of the other ones in that price range and none of them are interesting enough to me to spend that much. but i love the euro look of a lot of those strollers... (aluminum metal, big wheels etc).

SO then greg told me he had this reward points at work, so i logged on to see what they had. they offer the bugaboo frog and the bee. he has enough points to get the bee but just shy of enough to get the frog. so i thought the bee might just be fine, it''s a very small footprint and people seemed to like it for what it was, a very compact full-featured but not crazy on the extras stroller. downer is it is not rugged so we couldn''t be out hiking with it and i don''t even know if walking 2-3 miles a day with it would work either. most people who seem to have it are city people.

i might see if he can get the frog and pay the extra but not sure how that works.

SO...my options now seem like $600 stroller for free that would cover like 3/4 of what we''d want it for... or paying $300-600 for a stroller that seems like it would have everything we want, but i''d have to get a diff car seat. with the bee, they have an adapter for graco which is perfect since the snug ride is a top choice for infant seat.

have to run but did i miss anything? suggestions from you savvy ladies who already have strollers/kids ?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

If you want to hike I really like our BOB. Also Baby Joggers City Elite are *really* nice. It was between those for me. Wait until REI has the 20% off deal if you are interested

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 9/21/2009 3:11:53 PM
Author: Mara
so i could use some help with our stroller. we don''t have to get one now, as our neighbor has a snap n''go she is lending me til we figure it out BUT if we can figure it out now why not. i don''t know how much patience i''ll have once the baby is here to ''see'' what i will need or want. i am more apt to make a better decision with more sleep in me i tend to think.

i really love the Quinny but i think the footprint is too big for the car we we want, and also it is $600 (but $300 at albee baby if i want a glaring halloween orange, tempting). this is my fave stroller hands down. but i don''t necessarily want the maxi cosi car seat and that''s the only one it seems to fit with.

i''ve looked at a lot of the other ones in that price range and none of them are interesting enough to me to spend that much. but i love the euro look of a lot of those strollers... (aluminum metal, big wheels etc).

SO then greg told me he had this reward points at work, so i logged on to see what they had. they offer the bugaboo frog and the bee. he has enough points to get the bee but just shy of enough to get the frog. so i thought the bee might just be fine, it''s a very small footprint and people seemed to like it for what it was, a very compact full-featured but not crazy on the extras stroller. downer is it is not rugged so we couldn''t be out hiking with it and i don''t even know if walking 2-3 miles a day with it would work either. most people who seem to have it are city people.

i might see if he can get the frog and pay the extra but not sure how that works.

SO...my options now seem like $600 stroller for free that would cover like 3/4 of what we''d want it for... or paying $300-600 for a stroller that seems like it would have everything we want, but i''d have to get a diff car seat. with the bee, they have an adapter for graco which is perfect since the snug ride is a top choice for infant seat.

have to run but did i miss anything? suggestions from you savvy ladies who already have strollers/kids ?

OK Mara, here''s my two cents.

Since you''re going to use the SnG to start with, the carseat does not need to be a concern. By the time you''re done with the SnG, you''ll not be wanting to hoist a 15 pound kid + 7 pound carseat around. The SnG had a life span of about 6 months at our house. After that, it was the Maclaren all the way.

What I would do if I were you is this:

-Borrow the SnG and whatever infant carseat you like that will work with it.
-Check out the Bee to make sure you like it. Use it as your mall/errand stroller. This means it should be LIGHT and easy to fold/unfold with a smaller footprint. It will also probably stay in your car. Get that stroller for free.
-Buy the BOB for walks. Trust me on this - this stroller ROCKS for walks and other outdoor actiivities. I wouldn''t use anything else (minus a fewer expensive options that are also rugged terrain strollers.)

You''re a suburban mom - the stroller that you take in and out of your car needs to be something you don''t dread using. I never use my BOB for errands - it''s a beast. It stays in the garage and gets taken out for walks, or if I know I''ll be going for a long outing. The bee would work as your "umbrella" type stroller. With the two, you shouldn''t need anything else. If you get the BOB on sale for 20% off (REI''s usual discount), then you''ll have all your stroller needs taken care of for under $400 since you''ll be getting the Bee and SnG for free. Not bad.

 

[Mara]

thanks ladies. see my issue is that i was trying to avoid buying (and then storing) multiple strollers. the snap n''go i can give back to my neighbor so that is easy. but our house is pretty small. do you really have a stroller you leave in the car all the time? if so that makes sense to have the bob or another one that is for walkie walks. is it really common to have 2 strollers? if so...then i don''t mind getting the bee for the car (and it folds up small) and then getting a walker stroller if we are active.

my neighbor who has twins, i swear going to her house is like shopping. she has duals of everything and she has like three dual strollers. she loves the bob dual for their hikes.

 

[qtiekiki]

Mara
I think I am the only mom here who have the Quinny Buzz, and we do have it in the bright orange (the best color for the 2008 models IMO). I know it''s not a very popular stroller b/c of the footprint, but it hasn''t been much of an issue. The wide footprint is only an issue for us when we are in a crowded place, where we might roll over someone''s foot. Otherwise we haven''t had any issues going through aisle at the store/mall. It''s a nice ride for walks; it does well on cement, grass, and dirt. We used the Buzz since birth, and are still using it. I basically leave it in my car, and move it over to DH''s car if we use his car to go out that day. We recently (few months ago) bought an umbrella stroller, so we don''t have to move it back and forth. Overall, DH and I really love the stroller. Have you try it out in store yet?

 

[Mara]

qt i saw it at baby gap and it just solidifed that i LOVED IT... before that i had only seen pics. but yeah i am not sure about the footprint given that we want to get a small A3 for our next car. i know the bee would fit easily in the trunk there. and funnily enough the orange doesn''t repel me, i think it''s kinda fun hehee. it just cracks me up that it''s halloween orange.

part of me wonders if the quinny is $300 at albee then why don''t i just suck it up to get the maxi carseat and then i only need to have one stroller for both walking and shopping. but i saw so many people who hated the big footprint i was kind of put off. oh yeah and then the car issue, doh.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Mara, I leave my Mac Volo in my trunk at all times. The BOB stays in the garage.

 

[Kaleigh]

OMG skip the college fund for my future grandkids, I need to start a Stroller fund. $600???

I hope it unfolds on it''s own and folds itself back up, and hops into the trunk on it''s own.

 

[Mara]

i know kaleigh, it''s shocking really!!! and $600 is not even the HIGH END. there is like $1k strollers and even $2k ones too. crazy.

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 9/22/2009 2:44:42 PM
Author: Mara
i know kaleigh, it''s shocking really!!! and $600 is not even the HIGH END. there is like $1k strollers and even $2k ones too. crazy.

UGH - that''s just WRONG.

I swear, it''s as big a racket as the wedding industry.

 

[gailrmv]

Mara Listen to the sage advice of TGal and Tacori.

Can those points be used for anything else besides the stroller?

Here is what I would do.

Get a Graco Snugride or Safeseat and borrow your neighbor's SnG. Then see what your needs really are. We are about to retire our SnG for our 6 mo baby and could probably use it a while longer if we needed to. No need to store extra strollers all these months, right? Wait and see what you really need - I promise you won't regret it.

I wrote a post to GingerB a few pages back about strollers that might interest you.

We use our BOB ALL the time, love it. The BOB is a pain to get in the trunk of my SUV because it is heavy, so I leave it home for walks unless I am driving to a running or walking trail.

I use my Mac Volo for errands and leave it in the car. LOVE it. I think the Bee is overkill (price wise) for a lightweight errand stroller. I would only get the Bee if your reward points would go to total waste otherwise.

And yes, I do think most people have more than one. A "workhorse" and a lightweight. But you don't need to figure it out now.

That quinny on Albee is a great deal. I love orange for baby stuff!

I know you mentioned getting a new car. I don't know the A3, but I would really think about trunk space. We were car shopping when I was preggo. We were pretty set on a BMW 3 series. I had already bought the BOB with me and took it to the dealership. It filled the ENTIRE trunk and was a huge pain to fit in. Where would I put my diaper bag... groceries.... not to mention luggage if we went away for the weekend.

We got an SUV instead. Took a road trip with 3 month old baby + two dogs and filled the entire car PLUS a car top carrier. Do not underestimate the amount of room a baby + stuff take up!!


ETA: I would NOT use an infant seat + adaptor on your full size stroller. The adaptors are not cheap and it just looks like a PITA. I'd just use the SnG especially since you can borrow one for free!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TanDogMom, I laughed b/c I have an SUV too and we FILL it with 2 adults and one kid (no pets) w/ a car pod for road trips. Babies need so much. Toddlers need even more it seems for long trips. I do take my BOB to the mall or the zoo. It is kinda a pain to get in the trunk. Doable but takes two hands and a little muscle. The Volo is perfect for quick trips. I can close it and lift it with one hand. I am not sad when it gets dirty from taking it on the air plane. The mesh back is really nice for warmer climates.

FYI the BOB does fit nicely in a prius if any lurkers are curious.

 

[MustangGal]

Mara - I also have a lightweight stroller that stays in my car all the time (Graco IPO), and a jogging stroller I keep at home for walks/more rugged use. I started using the IPO when the baby was 3 months. And we also got an SUV as our first family car, after looking at the lugging and lifting involved with trying to get a full sized stroller out of the trunk, I got a small SUV instead (Hyundai Santa Fe). This weekend we took 2 adults, baby and a large dog on a weekend trip and managed to squeeze everything in.

Just try out the SNG for now, then test drive the strollers you''re interested in when you get to that point.

 

[Mara]

ha ha you gals are scaring me with your tales of how much stuff the kids create. we are going to TRY to keep stuff to a minimum, frankly because we just don't have that kind of space. and i hate clutter. and i never had that much stuff when growing up, and kids don't NEED to have it all. it's just our society nowadays. but anyway that's just my take on it. i really hope the A3 works for us because we don't want an SUV or a big car. we just are not large car people. i adore my Mini and i manage to pack stuff in it like crazy. we have taken it on weekend trips with no problems, along with portia and her bed and her stuff too. i know kids create more than that but we figure if we made the Mini work then the kid TECHNICALLY isnt that large. haha. when i go to my neighbors house i am seriously amazed at how much kid stuff they have. and the babies are so SMALL.

maybe we are trying to swim against the stream or something by not just giving into reality (hahaa) but i still have hope we can be kind of minimalists. quite frankly, after moving this jan we were both so scarred by how much stuff we managed to accumulate in 5 years at our townhouse, now we are like 'ONLY the necessities come in'. (does not apply to baby clothes!)

TDM.... for the points, well we always forget we have them... we are so bad about that stuff, but it was greg who noticed we could get strollers through it. unfort it's limited on what brands and stuff they carry. and we don't need anything else 'big' right now, like a TV or anything like that and won't for a while. and i don't know how long the points last. so we figured well, a good brand of stroller for free, what is bad about that? (except i luv the quinny hahaha). but then once i started researching, ugh...yeah then it's overkill how much info you come out with.

i will start with snap n'go and just mull over the rest of the stuff i guess. maybe i'll be hit with some stroller epiphany lightning bolt, something that says 'mara you must buy THIS'.... hehe. i have seen the bob, it's super popular in our area but it's just so big. why are all the strollers so huge??? it's mind boggling! same with car seats! how did my mom fit me in her fiat?!?!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 9/22/2009 5:59:59 PM
Author: Mara

No carseat laws?