Baby registry: part 2

Okay, at this point we have 80+ items on our Amazon registry. It seems like a lot, and it is I guess, but part of that number is because I hand-picked every.single.cloth.diaper.one.by.one. So that's like 15 items right there. :)

There are a lot of expensive things on our registry, and while we hope some will be group gifts, we also expect to purchase a bunch of them ourselves. It is our baby, after all.

Here's my thought on the pricey stuff: if we're picking items to be used for all our future children (we hope to have more some day!), we want them to be both gender-neutral and high-quality so they will last for many years. Plus, all these things will be in our home and we don't want cheap, bad-looking junk to clutter up our living space.

These are a few of the items I'm most excited about & why they're on our registry:

1. BOB Revolution SE Stroller. I can't even list how many people online have recommended this stroller. Joel loves to run and I'm all about having a stroller we can use on suburban sidewalks and/or walking trails.This is perhaps the most thrilling item on our registry. I daydream regularly about walking around our neighborhood with Joel in the evening, taking turns pushing our little mini in the BOB.

2.  Chicco Keyfit 30 with extra base. This specific car seat has excellent reviews and the color (Sedona) is gender-neutral enough to last for future kiddos.

3. Baby Mantra soap and lotion. I've read mixed reviews about chemicals in baby products and while I know this isn't something I can avoid forever/completely, I want to start our newborn off in the world with skin products that are gentle and safe. Plus, this review is adorable.

4. Bum Genius 4.0 one-size diaper with snaps. We chose a variety of colors for future use, as well. I have read a LOT about cloth diapers and have at least 10 different things pinned related to the subject. These two posts were the most helpful and basically contributed to me choosing this type of diaper. I'll write more on the subject later, but that's the basic plan.

5. 4Moms Breeze Play yard (aka: portable crib for traveling) I read this glowing review and was basically sold on this travel crib. Then we baby-sat for our friends' baby and his crib was so so so hard to set up. Then it left little pieces of itself on our floor. And I was totally sold on the Breeze. We really like to travel and all our family members live out of state; a quality place for baby to sleep away from home is important.

6. Summer Infant bouncy seat. Here's what sold me on this one: NO annoying animals or blinding colors. It's neutral and simple; no bells and whistles (and it won't clash with our paint colors;) )

7. Sakura Bloom ring sling. I have dreamed of this sling for over two years. It's gotten rave reviews and is simply beautiful. Apparently it's a discreet option for nursing on the go and can hold kids from infancy up through age 3.

*I have a love/hate relationship with online product reviews. I think they're so helpful and they have definitely impacted some of my registry decisions. On the other hand, they always involve personal opinions and it's impossible to know for sure whether something is great without trying it out myself. Tricky.

**There are definitely a few silly/adorable/totally frivolous things on our registry, too. I figure if people want to buy us cute stuff, at least I can suggest the type and style I really like :)