Shopping quiz!

[Tracey S]

I am bored - yes I should be working as have not got a proverbial pot to you know what in and have not earnt since left my job and set up on my own etc etc infact since I lost Oliver in september but it is very quiet here on this side and even the posts are all sensible so here goes.............

What have you lot been up to in the shopping stakes - I want details and lots of them - baby stuff, nursery stuff etc - all the brands etc! Jackie I know you have bought a house but what else?

I can then report back to Nikola too - she loves shopping as you know - next best thing is what we have been spending the overdraft on!

Jules and all the other mummies you can then comment on how daft we have been on buying certain items and we just might manage to take them back and change them before it is too late. For instance in my pg fuddle I have now bought two yes I know I probably won't even need one of the flaming things as want to breast feed while I can??!!!!! TWO AVENT BOTTLE WARMERS - so if anyone wants one!
Bought a new one last year with my boots points (bang went the jazzy make up) and then a new one never used off my down fall EBAY!!

CAtch you all soon I hope
Love
Tracey
xxx

[phil]

tracey, this is a great post for me as i haven't bought anything apart from a few baby sleepsuits and vests. so i'm looking for tips and lots of them before going on a spree.

say hi to nikola too, maybe she can set up a shopping advisory service from the hospital!

lol

phil

[Jules R]

Hi Girls

Firstly Tracey, we ended up with 2 Avent bottle warmers once they were both on formula at 6 months old and they were very useful. Other people will tell you to microwave milk/use a jug of boiling water but we found that the bottle warmers gave us just enough time to get them ready for bed before the milk was ready.

Our best buys were:

*Grobags, which we used from about 2 months onwards and are still using now (well, not the same ones!) even though they're in beds.

*2 baby gyms to keep them occupied and for them to sleep on when they were tiny, before they moved on to bouncy chairs. Because they slept on the mats, we had no need for moses baskets/carrycots for daytime naps.

*Nipper Double pushchair. With hindsight we wish we'd bought a 3-wheeler from birth but actually waited until they were blooming heavy to push in our old pushchair at 12 months old.

*3 changing mats (on the floor, didn't bother with changing units) - one downstairs for during the day and 2 upstairs so that we could change them together. When they were tiny, the one place I could put them if they were crying hysterically was on the mats in their bedroom and they would stop crying!!

The only things we didn't use were:

*Two slings, which they hated.

*We bought way too much bedding because you can fold over blankets when they're tiny to give extra layers and once they were in Grobags, we no longer needed anything other than bottom sheets.

There's probably loads more that I've forgotten. Don't buy too many small baby clothes 'cos people will buy you loads. And if possible, ask for slightly bigger clothes as presents because that's when you suddenly find you have to start buying clothes yourself!

Jules

[SBROWN]

Hi Tracey....

Just getting in some practice being on this side cos I will be over here soon!!!

Im sure its too unsophisticated you or Nik reading the SUN but there was something in there today that should cheer everyone up........

Its official-shopping burns up calories.......I think they say an average shopping trip burns off 193 calories!! Not a lot I know, but if you go shopping EVERY day thats over 1,000 calories.......How good is that......

and if you finish off your shopping trip with a bit of slap and tickle thats even more calories burned off........

Not sure what our husbands will make of this, they may be worried about the other ££pounds that will be lost!!!!!

Anyway, am back over the other side before I lower the tone for any grown ups reading this!!

Sarah
xxx

[sue.m]

Hi everyone,

All of Jules' advice was spot on. I was a late starter with the grobag but really recommend them. Dan was always kicking his covers off, so a grobag sorted that.

Linden day/night feeding system was probably our best buy.......no getting out of bed in the night. And it cools 2 bottles so would be good for twinnies too.

Stick with basic front fastening sleepsuits, they're much easier to get on and off, especially if there are any leaks in the night. And bibs, go for velcro/poppers or those that slip over the head. I've got loads of the tie fastening ones and they're just a pain in the a*se. Muslins are good too for catching any projectile vomit!

Can't think of any other shopping tips at the moment. And lets face it you have to go and just enjoy blowing some cash on all the cute bits and pieces, even if they then prove to be a bit useless.

Happy spending.

Suzanne.x

oh and I bought a sling too, which has hardly been used in 6 months....I put it on the other day to take Dan out for a walk, but never again.....way too heavy now!

[bertie]

Tracey
Well, Winnie the Pooh is my hero so our nursery is decorated in this. DH says he thinks I've decorated this for myself and not for babe!!
We've bought lots but to look at it you wouldnt think so.
We have bought a 'travelling gym mat' from Argos. We thought this would be a good investment as it can be used at home and also taken on hols as it folds up. We've also bought an inflatable bath - it can only be used up to 6 months but we are off on hols in July for 2 wk so it will get used then (obviously we have also bought a normal baby bath for home!!!)

This is gonna sound silly but I think the best thing I've bought is for the car. Our car is quite old so I've invested in central locking operated by a key fob SAD OR WHAT. Before this we had central locking with the key but you had to open the drivers door and sprint round to the passenger door before the alarm went off!! I think this will be very useful in the very very near future.

I dont think Nikola will get too excited with my alarm shopping though. Hope she is keeping well and send her my luv.

Luv Bertie xx
34wk & 3 days

[Lisa Ch]

Hi all

I went shopping yesterday and ordered 2 britax cosy tot premium car seats, in hessian. 2 cot mattresses, 1 Emaljunga twin pram that faces my way when tiny then you can turn the chassis round so they face out. I have bought my first pack of newborn nappies/tiny newborn sleepsuits and a pack of bibs. We have decided on the cots from Mamas and Papas but thought we would wait a bit before ordering them.

DH is busy at the moment, decorating their bedroom, it is going to be Millie and Boris from M and P, he has painted the ceiling and top half of the walls a light hessian type colour, then put up a high picture rail the border will go underneath then the wallpaper.

It seems so strange after all these years but starting to feel that little bit real, at last.

Bertie, dh thinks your idea about the central locking fob was excellent, you have put an idea in his head!!!!

Happy shopping everyone.

Love Lisa xx

[Tracey S]

OOOOOOOOOOOO details - how I love them

hil - get sorted - you have some serious shopping to do!

Well what have I done - thanks for all the tips by the way baby mummies
Jules - thought I might have one warmer downstairs and one up - don't know what might happen re breastfeeding versus bottle or both so best be open minded I thought.
The nursery is now yellow - we had started it just before Oliver's scan. For someone who still thinks something bad is going to happen at the 20 week scan and what with oliver too I have done some serious shopping.
Last weekend we did the Humphrey border - the yellow one not this years's cream! WE had new carpets go in on Wednesday on oatmeal.
The curtains are done and DH needs to do the black out blind.
WE are constructng the cot this weekend to judge room and positioning - it is Mamas and Papas Valerian cot and will try and get another the same.
HAve got two sleeping bags already and quite a bit of Humphrey bedding- the inlaws want to get the other cot and the rest of the bedding. HAve a microwave steriliser etc and just ordered an AVENT backpack off ebay - less than half price and she only used it twice. Great idea re the changing mats - I am not getting a special changing table either but some pine chest of drawers - far more practical.
HAve bottles etc already and several clothes but loads on the way as various friends have promised them and I am not particular about it all being new - hardly in them anyway are they? Stocked up on one packed or muslin squares from John lewis but need to bulk buy I feel.
Thought of getting two chairs - one with batteries as don;t want to keep jigging my leg and the other don't mind. Two gyms/playmats are to be purchased - phew still goes on. Hve some cuddly humphrey toys already.
Thought either Britax or the maxi cosi car seats with side impact bags. The John lennon sun visors for the car from B Marv arrived today - DH is oblivious to most of this - until I had to empty the wardrobe last weekend for the carpet fitters and he could not work out why I had been gone for nearly an hour and filled the spare room - he laughed in that nervous way he does before the bank statement arrives.!
As for buggies - like the nipper Jules but not robust enough would you believe for me, the twins and Gabbie's walks which are rough terrain - not even paths most of the time so has to be the mountain buggy (most expensive!) with the carrycot attachment I feel. Thought might try and get a cheaper on ebay used maclaren or somehting for around town.
That covers some of my purchases.
Nikola has asked DH to take in her catalogues so she can start shopping again
Love to all
Tracey
xxx

[Helen Reid]

Hi

I have only bought a rattle and that was last weekend but it is cute it attaches to the wrist so when its moving its arm it rattles. It was my birthday this week (have not been on here all week too busy lying on the couch or out and about) and my mum and sis bought me a few things. A pack of bodysuits, tow wrap vest, mitts, a hat, little tub of powder, bar of soap and my mums dog (Trigger) gave me little booties. I could not stop crying they are so tiny my dh says they will never fit (he has a lot to learn i think). I did get normal presents as well.
We are going to try and finish what i started i the nurser,even if we clear the furniture out it will make a difference.
I still cannot believe that i will be 5 months next Tuesday and people are starting to notice that i am pg the woman that delivered the flowers asked my sis the next day if i was pg as she had not heard, so i am delighted. I must look it yeh!

Take care
Helen

[Loonpants]

Well I'm glad to see you all recommend Grobags cause I've had my eye on them. I've ordered every single catalogue that is available so I can shop whilst sitting on the settee.

I've only bought a couple of babygrows from an NCT sale I went to as too scared to buy big stuff yet (17 weeks pg tomorrow, only got to 14 last year).

I am going to The Baby Show at NEC Birmingham in May so will have a good look around. www.thebabyshow.co.uk

Love to you all.

Lisa(Loonpants)
x

[Helen G]

Hi Tracey

Glad to see the shopping hormones are kicking in big time!

Like Jules, one of the best things we've brought are Grobags. Little Harvey spends a lot of the night with his legs upright (very funny to look at!! ) and he was forever kicking off his sheets and blankets. Now he can do what he likes and he stays warm. Definitely sleeps better! Like Jules, we brought way too much bedding - one blankets = 2 if you fold it in half. If you do end up using Grobags, you'll find yourself with a bedding mountain if you're not careful.

The other best tip I have is Graco car seats with base. They're fab. You secure a base in the car and the car seat just clicks into place. You don't have to faff about with strapping a seat in, etc. Must save ages!

Bottle warmers - haven't used mine yet but I've just introduce a bottle in the late afternoon to help them put on more weight so must dig it out!

If I think of anything else, I'll letyou know.

Happy shopping girls!

Helen, Max & Harvey xxx

PS - will you be finding out the babies' sex at your next scan??

[Helen G]

oops - just remembered that I read you think you're having 2 girls. If you think pregnancy hormones are bad - wait until you've had the babies. My memory is shot to pieces!!!

[Lisa_P]

HI there

I've been trawling the web so thought you might find these websites useful for all your baby shopping needs!!

www.twoleftfeet.co.uk
www.kiddicare.com
www.bebeconfort.com
www.onlinebabystore.co.uk
www.mamasandpapas.co.uk
www.cradleandall.co.uk
www.discountbabystore.co.uk
www.nurserygoods.com
www.lullabys.co.uk
www.babyproductsdirect.co.uk
www.babyassistant.co.uk
www.babies247.com

[bubblymichelle]

Hi Trace,

You saying about bottle warmers I did I went out and brought one and to be honest I have only used it once and I wasn't so keen on it to be honest. Mine is now back in the box!! waste of money to be honest and I much prefer to use a jug. Also I would recommend if your getting sleepsuits etc.... I preferred the ones which fastened down the front, back fastners are just so much of a pain to be honest so I wouldn't recommend at all.

One thing I like I brought some Talc from Mothercare now its a cream which dries to a powder and I find that great. The baby talc in the powder seemed to get up Alex's nose and make him stuffy so I tend to use the cream and it smells lovely but its a little pricy at £3.99

Love
Shell.
xx

[Lisa Ch]

Hi
saw some bargains for mums to be yesterday. I use the Avent cream/lotion etc for me and a little pack of 4 is about £10 but Asda yesterday had the packs on offer for just under a fiver and big bottles of bubble bath reduced from £4.50 to £1.97!!
Thought that was excellent value and handy to take into hospital aswell.

Happy shopping

Love Lisa xx