Surrounded by Samples

One thing you get when you start going to parenting websites, registering, and doing all the things pre-parents do, is a lot of samples.  Here is my growing supply of samples. 

 

I personally never say no to free samples.  There may be some stuff that I never use and just clutters up everything, but there could also be a few gems in there too.  These are the things that I would call my gems so far:

 

 1- Nursing Pillow from NursingPillow.com.  They sent me a free gift card for this pillow, so I got to pick out everything for it and didn't have to pay anything!  Mark one thing off my registry.

 

2-Nursing Cover from Uddercovers.com.  This is a sister company of NursingPillow.com so it worked much the same way.

 

3-Baby sling from sevenslings.com.  This one worked the same as well.  I liked getting and using these free gift cards because I got to pick out what I wanted and still get the free product.

4-This is from pampers and it is awesome.  It's just a little travel carrier for wipes and diapers but it already seems so convenient.  It's cute and it was full of coupons!

5-I was going to buy one of these anyway and now I don't have to.

6-Avent Bottle.  You can never have enough bottles.  And someone told me to keep the samples around because maybe one night the baby won't like the bottle you're trying to give them.  If that happens I will be trying anything, and maybe that night this bottle will save the evening.

7-Pacifiers.  I think these are probably like diapers, you can never have enough!

So get lots of samples, start researching, and if it’s not for you, then there’s no pressure!  It’s just a bunch of options that you can look through in the comfort of your own home.  And maybe you too will discover some gems!

Brain-Racking Registry

I am a planner.  I get things done way before they need to be, because then I can check them off my list and not worry about them anymore.  And that is wonderful.  Our baby registry is already done.  It was done two weeks ago.  Everything is on it, and I don’t have to think about it anymore.  But that does not mean that it was easy.  No way. 

It was daunting, scary, confusing, and overwhelming, and yet…awesome. 

 There is so much information online about what you should register for.  And everywhere you go, everyone you talk to, will all have different opinions.  And then if you look online there are even more opinions and even more information!  Talk about information overload. 

When Adam and I first walked into Buy Buy Baby we were looking at strollers.  There were probably about 20 and they all looked the same, and we had no idea which one was better, why there were so many, or what safety features actually mattered.  We left that day feeling completely overwhelmed.  And then I tried to research strollers and things got worse.  I couldn’t even think anymore.  I even called my mom and asked her what to look for in strollers and car seats, and she couldn’t really help me because it had been 21 years since she had to buy a stroller.  Things change.

So what did I do?  I went into super Lauren planning mode.  I went to Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us and set up our registries.  I just did this so I could get the goody bags and the registry checklists.  The goody bags were also filled with all kinds of flyers with even more options, so I just put those aside and decided not to look at them.  I then went home and compiled all the registry checklists into a spreadsheet (yes, that is super planner mode).  I also compiled two more online registry checklists into that.

 

  
Then I crossed out the things that seemed unnecessary and started reading.  The registry booklets that I got from the two stores not only had the checklists, but they walked you through how to select things.  I read all this information and formulated some of my own opinions.  Adam and I went out and registered for the easy stuff, like clothes, toys, plates and things.  That was pretty easy.  For the hard stuff, I have this awesome friend, who is a mother of two, who offered to help us with the rest.  So one night we walked around Babies R Us and with her help, opinions, and suggestions, got everything else registered for.  So what did I learn from registering?
Well, let me tell you.

1. You don’t need to buy everything they put on their list that you should buy.  Disposable placemats? 

2. Find a friend who has done it before to help you.

3. The only opinion that ultimately matters is your own.

4. Don’t second guess yourself once you’ve made a decision.

5. Get it done early so you can stop thinking about it.

6. Enjoy the process, get excited.

 

It was a daunting, but rewarding experience.  Now I can plan our money for the big pieces that I know we want and need.  Don’t let registering scare you, you can always just take it one step at a time.