Bye Bye Babies R Us, Hello Buy Buy Baby!

Three years ago when I was registering for baby goodies during my pregnancy I had many friends from out of state tell me that I had to register at a store called Buy Buy Baby. I had never heard of such a place, as there weren't any locations in the Boston area. So I registered, like all my Boston friends, at Babies R Us (as well as Magic Beans, a local baby boutique.) Over the last few years Babies R Us has unfortunately been my go-to store (if it is something I need immediately, otherwise everything comes from Amazon) as there is always one conveniently close by.

I have never enjoyed shopping at Babies R Us- it has strictly been a convenience thing. If I had a Target closer by, I would go there instead, but I literally have a Babies R Us on the street behind my house (and Target doesn't have the selection that BRU has). The customer service at Babies R Us is sub-par at best. The place is usually a mess and terribly stocked. The products they sell are average baby products. Everything that you buy in a box looks like it has been used and returned before and just wrapped in tape. I will go there if I am desperate for diapers or something that I can't wait 24 hours for Amazon to deliver.

A few months back a Buy Buy Baby opened up 20 minutes away from my house, and yesterday I was finally able to get to it to check it out. Let me say right now, I will never go back to Babies R Us. I will happily drive the extra 20 minutes to Buy Buy Baby to purchase any and all baby related items (again that I can't wait 24 hours for via Amazon - can you tell I am obsessed with Amazon???).

The store was immaculately clean, and carries such a variety of brands for every item. I was shocked to see some high end brands (UppaBaby, Aden & Anais, Boon, Puj, Magnificent Baby, etc.) stocked in the store - and totally delighted. Their stroller department had almost every brand of stroller I have ever heard of - all available for you to try out on the spot. Every car seat, bouncer, bassinet, pack n' play, etc., is out for you to actually see put together, unlike BRU. The furniture department was pretty impressive as well. And the few employees that I interacted with were a total delight.

My only complaint was the lack of options in the bottle department. I think there were only 5 brands to choose from (Avent, Dr. Browns, Playtex, Born Free and one other) - none of those new bottles that actually look more like a boob than a traditional bottle nipple (as that was something I was actually looking for).

Other than that, it was a great shopping experience, and I highly recommend you all traveling to Braintree (exit 6 off 93S, right behind Pier 1 and Barnes & Nobles) to check it out! Oh and they have special parking not only for pregnant women, but women with children - about time!!

Not all bald babies are boy babies

My daughter was born with a full head of dark hair. It promptly fell out. She has spent 9 of her 10 months of life bald. She's coping with this rather well if you ask me. While I do look forward to putting bows and braids in her hair some day, I'm happy with the early onset baldness right now since she rubs peas, carrots, drool, paint, dirt, and dust on her head...at least 3 times a day. The problem with the lack of locks though is everyone assumes she is a boy. She rides in a pink stroller. She wears dresses and ruffled tights. Her shoes have bows on them. But people only ever notice her head. I prefer to be non confrontational so instead of correcting people, I just go along with it, while inside I'm thinking "She's wearing a tutu!!". To prevent future frustration though, I think it's time to invest in a baby wig. Anybody know where I can pick one up? Surely, there's a specialty shop on Newbury St. that sells them.

Nursery Dreams

I have a confession to make. I have an addiction to nursery bedding. My child closing in on 18 months and I am still looking. It began about two years ago, soon after my 8 week sonogram, instantly I began to wonder, “Where will this little angel rest its head, play and grow?”

And so began my search for baby bedding, both boy and girl (at the time). It started as simply as seeing some else’s beautiful nursery, and the mother telling me it was inspired by Serena & Lilly. “Hmmm, what's Serena and Lilly,” I thought as my fingers ran across the key board searching Google. After discovering this Mecca of inspiration, I came back to reality with sticker shock, and decided it was best to wait until after we knew the sex (and where we would be living) to look any more seriously.

When we discovered we were having a girl, I gave myself the green light to start asking other mom’s about what sites and what products they liked for their own child’s nursery. There seemed to be too many options to make this decision alone!

Other new mom's pointed me to some of their favorites; the list included: House by Annette Tatum, Whistle & Wink. Baby Box. PB Kids. Land of Nod, Target...all of these great choices just left me more confused.

Originally, when I drafted this post, I traversed my ups and downs for you of my very confusing, and ultimately disappointing experience to justify why I still look at baby bedding. Ultimately, I made rushed decisions and didn’t follow my gut. So let me see if I can help a few moms-to-be out there with things that I learned along the way, and hopefully, some moms will chime in with other suggestions and even post images of their own nurseries.

1. Bumpers, if you put them on, come off once your baby can pull up. Don’t plan everything around the bumpers. They can be a great inspiration, but make sure you love the sheets and the skirt.

2. Start with a rug, a curtain, a picture or a color as an inspiration. You may find it much less restricting than if you pick a very specific theme (I spent tireless hours looking for the “right” bunnies, and ended up not liking that at all once it was in the room.)

3. Be realistic about your budget. Pick something that you will spend more on, and things you will spend less on. Don’t feel like this is the only room you will ever decorate and go for broke. Chances are when your baby moves to a bed…and it happens faster than you will believe…you may be making room décor changes anyway.

4. Wall Decals are a great alternative to wall paper or stencils. Lots of companies are selling them now and they are very wall friendly—easy to apply and take down.

5. If you are unsure of the fabric, and you are shopping online, do not purchase unless you know you can return the item. Last thing you want is your baby to have stiff fabric on/near his/her skin.

6. Benjamin Moore makes a great no VOC paint. Not sure what VOC do or don’t do to you, but the extra cost is worth it if you are pregnant and around paint or have a new baby and will be near the paint. Warning, there is no “newly painted” smell to it, which is strange, and great.

7. Sample the paint colors on the walls. My daughter’s bedroom is Pink Cadillac, when on a paint chip looks to be faint pink…there is nothing faint about this pink, and I have been struggling to tone it down for months. Again, I rushed and just put the color up and man did I regret it. Same thing happened to a few other mom’s I know…one with a room too blue, another the wrong shade of orange.

8. Custom doesn’t always mean more expensive. There are a ton of companies that make baby bedding and they are comparable to some of the mid-range off-the-shelf products.

What did your nursery look like? Share pictures to inspire other moms, and share your own nursery decision struggles now!

Identity Crisis

Let me introduce myself. My name is Becky and I am a Shoeaholic. One look at the storage bins under my bed and I'm certain you will agree. My mother diagnosed my addiction at age twelve, when I graduated from Keds and entered the world of booties (which are actually back in style) and Mary Janes. In some circles, I am known as The Woman Who Wears Inappropriate Shoes to Work. Like many women, I love a good pair of shoes and can always justify a new pair. You may be wondering, "What does this ridiculous post have to do with babies?" The connection is imminent, I promise.

While pregnant, I watched myself outgrow every piece of clothing in my wardrobe, but my feet remained unchanged. This enabled me to wear my beloved shoes throughout pregnancy, even my three inch, knee-high boots (which also earned me the title of The Woman Who Wears Ridiculous, Unsafe Shoes While Pregnant). As my body became foreign, my shoes allowed me to cling to a little bit of style, a little bit of my pre-baby self. No matter how I felt or looked from the ankle up, my feet looked amazing!

Toward the end of pregnancy, I sadly stored my wedges, heels, and boots under the bed, in favor of flats, sneakers, and flip-flops. Since Baby's arrival, the ridiculous, unsafe shoes only come out of hiding for the occasional date night. Even worse, I have not purchased a new pair of shoes since before Baby. Eight months without a new pair of shoes is far too long for a Shoeaholic. On Tuesday, I relapsed.

On a quest for a new pair of sandals, I took Baby shoe shopping. Our first stop was Super Fashiony Shoes for Trendy, Young Things, where I shopped frequently in my pre-Baby days. After awkwardly pulling Baby's stroller through the doorway with one hand, I looked around at the stark white walls, the minimalist decor, the blinding florescent lights, and the very young women at the cash register. Feeling slightly out of place, I scanned the racks for that just right pair of sandals. Nothing seemed to work. The heels were too high. The colors were too bright. There were too many straps. I don't like zippers on sandals. What was my problem? I used to love this store. As I pretended to scrutinize a pair of gladiator sandals, I looked around again. Nobody in the store was over thirty years old (except for me). Nobody was wearing sneakers (except for me). And absolutely nobody had a baby (again, except for me). Now that I am a mother, does that mean I do not belong in the trendy shoe store? I certainly felt that way. As a twenty-two year old saleswoman approached us, I mumbled something about nap time and backpedaled toward the door.

There had to be a different place to buy sandals, I thought, as I pushed Baby around the shopping center. Around the corner I found a different shoe store, Practical, Sensible Loafers for Women of a Certain Age. The ambiance in this store was markedly different; warm paint and fake stones on the walls, an abundance of plants, and Enya wafting through the speakers. Amongst the Crocs and clogs, I found a pair of sandals I actually liked! They seemed comfortable, yet cute. Sensible, yet stylish. I was just about to try them on when I noticed the other patrons in the store. Most women were at least ten years older than my mother. Most had shortly cropped, white hair. And most wore cable knit sweaters with turtlenecks and corduroys, even on this seventy degree day. Oh My God! I was in an Old Lady Store! Again, I ran away from the saleswoman, this time mumbling something about missing rush hour traffic.

I stood defeated on the sidewalk outside. Where did this Shoeaholic belong? Clearly too old for one store, yet many decades too young for another left me at a crossroads. Does becoming a mother mean having to forgo fashion in favor of practicality? Does caring for a baby mean a woman must stop caring about her style? Do certain stores have an unwritten rule that reads, "No Shoes, No Shirts, No Babies, No Service"? Do I have more in common with the stately women in turtlenecks than the carefree women in mini shorts?

Empty handed, discouraged, and confused, Baby and I went home. Until I figure out where I belong, I am shopping online. And after I buy that sought after pair of sandals, this Shoeaholic is entering rehab.