Bibs and burpers

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny tells us what Toronto Girl Geek Dinners has to do with bibs and burps. Read on...

As a parent, I love sharing information with other moms and dads. Some of my best intel on bargains and useful items has come through the parenting grapevine, from chatting with other parents at playdates, birthday parties, and so on; and I enjoy passing along any tips that I can, through this blog for example! I’m also continually amazed at how solutions to parenting problems can find us in the least likely places.

I was chatting with Sarah Welsh of Nova Web Designs at a recent Toronto Girl Geek Dinner, and somehow we got on the topic of how difficult it can be to source exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to kids and babies. In particular I bemoaned my total inability to find either decent burp cloths (those handy pieces of fabric that go over your shoulder when burping baby, to save your clothing from the inevitable spit-up) or no-velcro bibs (the velcro scratches my baby’s neck, making her cranky and irritated).

Happily, Sarah had a solution! In her web design business she is working on a website for Stork Approved, a line of bibs, blankets and burp cloths currently available through Etsy. She offered me a couple of samples as the maker was looking for testers to put the product through its paces and report on quality and performance.

I used both a bib (pictured) and a burp cloth with our baby for several weeks, and fell in love with both of them! Both have a lovely fun pattern (helpful for masking stains) and a terrycloth backing for extra absorbency. After multiple uses, I can report that both the bib and burper are so solidly made as to be virtually impermeable – not once did any liquid, food, or spit-up stain baby’s clothes when using the bib, or mine when using the burp cloth. Both have become my new favorite items, especially the burp cloth, which is kept right by the nursing chair as I use it many times a day!

It all goes to show, you never know where you’ll come across a useful tip or connection that makes your parenting job easier!

What solutions or tips have you come across from unexpected sources?

Buying the right car seat for baby

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Rebecca Atkinson shares her experience buying baby’s first car seat and learned an interesting lesson along the way. A must read for all expectant first-time parents!

One of the most important purchases you make for baby while you’re still pregnant is choosing a car seat. Mark and I knew we had a line on a bassinet/stroller combo, so we didn’t need/want one of those three-in-one car seat/stroller deals. My husband, Mark spent countless hours researching car seat options for us. As an automotive journalist, he often has a different car each week, which means the space for a car seat varies greatly. We also don’t have a ton of storage space at home, so we thought it would be nice to have one car seat that could grow with the baby as long as possible.

We finally settled on the Sunshine Kids Radian Car Seat because it was foldable for easy storage, and the narrowest car seat around. The company claims you can put three abreast if needed. The price was a hefty one, nearly $300, but a worthwhile investment since it would definitely grow with our child.

It was a great concept in theory, until Meredith was born and we actually needed to use the seat.

We first began doubting what we thought was the smartest purchase we made before we’d even made it out of the hospital. When they discharge you, you’re required to bring your car seat inside and show the staff you a) have one and b) know how to put the baby in it. The nurse took one look at our car seat and asked my husband how he planned on carrying it. He looked at her and said, “With the carrying strap.” After rolling her eyes, she said, “I meant, how do you plan on carrying it with the baby?”

We stopped and looked at each other. We hadn’t planned on that. I guess in our heads thought we would just carry the baby if we had to take her out of the car seat and weren’t using the stroller or Snugli. Mark said he’d just carry the seat, with the baby strapped in, the nurse rolled her eyes yet again, sighed and sent us on our way. Before we even got to the car we realized how awkward the car seat was and that we hadn’t considered portability on our list of requirements when we bought it.

We spent the next week or so taking the baby out of the seat every time we had to run an errand. Neither we nor baby liked this method of transport as it often woke her when she was sleeping. Neither of us wanted to admit our mistake, but one night as we were going out to get stock up on diapers, we somehow got on the subject of the car seat and sheepishly admitted to one another that we should perhaps look at an easy-to-carry infant car seat.

I can tell you now, that was the best $100 (with tax) we ever spent, and the same seat has been on sale for about $60 since. Sure she’ll outgrow it and it takes up a fair amount of space when rear facing, but both Mark and I can carry it (for now at least) and if she’s asleep, she can stay asleep which any parent will agree is definitely a plus.

While the other car seat will come in handy down the road, it is not something I would recommend for new parents.

Biggest lesson learned? You can do all the research in the world but sometimes you have to learn things the hard and expensive way – by living through it.

What NOT to buy for your new baby

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny explains why you won’t need to shop for baby clothes before you welcome your new baby into the world.

If there’s one thing you DON’T need to worry about buying before baby is born, it’s baby clothes.

I know, it seems counter-intuitive – what will poor baby wear? – but trust me on this. Save your money, at least until after baby arrives. Here’s why.

1. You’re likely to receive innumerable gifts of baby clothes after the birth even if you don’t have a baby shower. In my experience, it’s the number-one go-to gift from friends and family – especially hand-me-downs from anyone who’s already had their brood and has been hanging on to bins of good-condition newborn baby clothes in the hope of finding them a good home. (At this age babies grow out of their clothes quickly, and nothing gets worn out until baby starts to actually crawl.)

2. In the early weeks it’s easier to keep baby swaddled in a blanket or two rather than buttoned into a sleeper or onesie. This allows for faster unwrapping for that essential skin-to-skin bonding that helps your milk come in faster, and kick-starts baby’s nursing instincts (by the way, the same holds true for bottle feeding – baby feeds more effectively when skin-to-skin). It also allows for faster diaper changes – and there will be plenty of those, believe me!

3. Until your baby is born, you can’t know what size he or she will be. Don’t put too much faith in the tags that give age ranges or lbs – those are just a guideline. There are major variations between brands, and every baby is different. The photos above are of three sleepers, from three different brands (George, Snugabye, and Joe Fresh), all helpfully labeled 0-3 months – and as you can see, they vary greatly in length. If your little one turns out to be on the smaller side at first (as our most recent arrival was), you might find her swimming in onesies that are far too big despite being “right” for her age; or if your baby is longer (i.e. taller) than average (as our first-born was and still is), you might find that 0-3 month sleepers don’t offer enough room for her legs.

So when you pack for the trip to the hospital, bring just a few sleepers of various sizes and brands so you can pick the best-fitting one for the trip home; and when well-wishers ask if there’s anything baby needs, give them the specifics on weight and height to help them shop. At worst, you can always send the father or a grandparent on a quick trip to the nearest Real Canadian Superstore for some Joe Fresh sleepers or onesies. And you won’t end up with pangs of regret as you pack away or give away, unworn, the perfectly good baby clothes that never quite fit.

Dear Bargainista #16 - baby gifts

Leona from Toronto writes:

One of my oldest and dearest friends had her first baby (a boy) on July 8. She lives in Edmonton. Do you have some ideas for great baby gifts or unique shops here in Toronto where I could get a special gift?

Thanks for your help. Love the blog,
Leona

•••
Dear Leona,

It’s been ages since I had my babies and things have changed a lot since then. Seems every time I turnaround there’s something new. I’ve listed my top three suggestions:

I just learned about this great new baby bath towel called Kangaroo Towel ($39.99). You can wear it while you bathe your baby so you stay dry. When the bath is finished, you can simply pick up the little one and put him in the in the self-contained towel with it’s own hoodie while you dry the baby and then lay him on the change table. Bonus: the Kangaroo Towel comes in it’s own little organza bag perfect for gift-giving. Check for a store near you or your friend (you may be able to save on shipping costs if you order from a store near her).

I learned about the Kangaroo Towel from Parent Tested Parent Approved Media. You may want to check out some of the other great things on this year’s list of winning products.

The Bumbo Seat ($59.99) also makes an incredible gift. It’s a fun little seat for babies as young as 6 weeks old to 14 months. Babies can sit upright while interacting with you and you can have your hands free. There are so few things babies can actually sit up in during the first few months other than I car seat. The makers also claim it helps improve posture. You can pick it up at Mastermind or order it online. Either way, hey’ll wrap it up and add a gift card for you. I’ve had excellent experiences sending gifts from their online store for years.

Another one of my favourites is the Mini-Whozit ($12.99). It also makes a nice add-on. My little guy had one and wouldn’t go anywhere with out it when he was a baby. There’s a whole line Whozit toys at various prices. You can get it at Mastermind and lots of other place where baby toys are sold.

Dear Bargainista would love to hear from you too! Have a question about shopping, fashion or food? E-mail us.