https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:34:13 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001713 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:50:22 +0000 avivoca 2001713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought the big stuff: crib, mattress, changing pad, car seat, and strollers. My MIL bought us a Moses basket, and everyone else gifted us a bunch of little things. I wanted to make sure we had the big things we wanted and felt weird putting expensive items on our registry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001711 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:49:53 +0000 catlady 2001711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I purchased all the nursery furniture, a stroller, all my pumping/nursing gear, and a few items that I wanted to splurge on. We threw everything else on the registry and were happily surprised that most people bought off of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001694 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:34:52 +0000 Anya 2001694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: that's actually a really appropriate coworker gift when you think about it, because it's the one thing you actually use AT the office! Haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001688 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:30:30 +0000 Corduroy 2001688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We registered for everything except furniture. I ended up returning a lot of stuff because I found it cheaper/used. </p> <p>I debated putting a pump on my list since I thought it would be weird for my coworkers to see it. I got over that fast when my office got me gift certificate for the amount of the pump and then DH's office gave me the actual pump and supplies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001637 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 19:51:10 +0000 Caly 2001637@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought (or made sure we had - ex, we were given cribs by friends and bought mattresses) the necessities by approx 30wks in case the twins came really early &amp; also since we knew we wouldn't have the time or energy to put up a crib, etc as time went by. Luckily we were gifted other necessary items like their car seats early. Otherwise, we waited til after the showers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001574 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:43:59 +0000 autumnleaves 2001574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used the Baby Bargains book and a few recommendations from friends and blogs to put together our registry. We went ahead and bought the crib, bedding, car seat, and stroller and registered for the other necessities plus books and a few toys. I waited till after the LO arrived to purchase nursing supplies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001559 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:27:57 +0000 PawPrints 2001559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're approaching this decision pretty frugally. I'm 26w and so far we've been good about sticking to our rule to not spend a single dime on anything until we know what we're going to be gifted/loaned. The one item we did buy off Craigslist, two weeks later a good friend offered us theirs for free. We're hoping not to repeat that experience, and so far it's working out really well since we have been insanely lucky with people popping up with offers to give/loan us their secondhand stuff. I know there will be some items that people will ignore on the registry (probably the cloth diapers) but I also know I'm going to get some giftcards so we could use those to scoop up remaining items. Anything left after that, we'll either get at Goodwill or decide maybe we don't need it after all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001554 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:23:40 +0000 anonysquire 2001554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: I was under the impression that hearts, pink and glitter is gender neutral ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001553 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:22:43 +0000 cascademom 2001553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: That's interesting. Since we knew it was a boy, we got a ton of boy clothes. LO has some hand me downs from my niece which are a bit gender neutral like jeans. His daycare jeans at one point had hearts on the butt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001549 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:18:05 +0000 anonysquire 2001549@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: yep! I know, I was sorting through the gifts again last week and was excited there were so many little boy things! I think most people just got a gift going with what they thought my baby was going to be haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001544 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:15:19 +0000 Mrs. J 2001544@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought the bedding. We honestly did not have to buy much--the crib my inlaws bought, my grandma bought the travel system etc. The dresser was hand me down, as were the rocker and highchair, although we did replace those two things. People will go in together to buy things, so it's nice to have all price points. I know my great aunts were mad I didn't register for some big thing they wanted to get. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry/page/2#post-2001542 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:12:53 +0000 cascademom 2001542@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: Did you get both boy and girl clothes from your initial shower? I guess the boy stuff would come in handy now. :happy: Our downstairs neighbors were team green with their son. His clothes seem pretty gender neutral, but I wouldn't be surprised if his wife bought a ton of boy clothes post delivery. Since we're having another boy, we have plenty of clothes for him and almost the same seasons too since LO 1 was an August baby and this one's poised to be a June baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2001536 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:01:42 +0000 anonysquire 2001536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. J: see and I was team green. And got so many gender specific outfits. Which is fine. But it's just funny :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2001535 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:00:44 +0000 Mrs. J 2001535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: I think people get distracted by clothes when they know the sex of the baby, to be honest. It happens a lot--they'll ignore your registry for cute clothes, esp girls. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2001030 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:49:51 +0000 edelweiss 2001030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i bought the crib and some bedding. we got a ton of hand me downs for clothes, but if we hadn't i would have bought a few pieces and see what people got from the registry. we also had diapers, wipes and emergency supplies (thermometer, tylenol, etc.). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2001000 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:19:08 +0000 Mrs. Coral 2001000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We purchased the stroller and the infant seat ourselves. They were more pricey (City Mini and Britax) than I was comfortable putting on the registry, considering cheaper options (Graco, etc.) would have worked just fine. I found great deals on ours. </p> <p>We also purchased the crib and dresser from IKEA, because who wants to haul one of those to a baby shower?!</p> <p>We got 2 pack and plays, activity gym, high chair, Ergo carrier, as well as a few other $40+ items from our registry. Hardly anyone went off registry and we got minimal clothes even though everyone knew it was a girl. I had a hard time keeping the registry stocked with the $40-$60 items, which people seemed to gravitate toward. I was shocked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000998 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:17:32 +0000 youboots 2000998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also worth mentioning...l registered at Target &amp; Amazon so I have been buying little things from PBK, Nordstrom, IKEA, BabyGap etc. Even though Amazon lets you sign up for universal registry items, I only wanted a few fun things on there since I think people who are not as tech savvy may not get it.</p> <p>We bought our own crib, mattress and bedding. As well as changing pad and covers and a fair amount of basic clothes since we are team green. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000993 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:09:56 +0000 Meowkers 2000993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We registered for everything except nursery furniture and fixtures (although my father in law did buy us the glider.) At our shower we received pretty much everything we registered for and a good amount of cash. We then used the cash to purchase the one big item that was not purchased (the mattress), and to pick up the random odds and ends that we didn't receive at the shower. I was really blown away by people's generosity at our shower. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000964 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:46:38 +0000 Radish 2000964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I found a good sale, I bought it. I hated the idea of someone else spending more than they had to on something or if I didn't get it I would pay more than I had to. The big items I never even put on my registry because I wanted to buy them were the carseat and crib. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000956 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:41:16 +0000 Chillybear 2000956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I registered early and checked it often... No one bought our cloth diapers and I started purchasing one at a time every couple weeks during my pregnancy. We didnt have a nursery space to set up until i was 33 weeks and didn't have a shower until i was 35-36 weeks. I was sweating bullets.... </p> <p>I purchased all our nursery decor, diapers, random things that i saw and loved. My parents and inlaws gifted us our furniture (crib, mattress, dresser) and we were gifted a 2nd hand rocker from my mom's friend. These were not surprises and we had them in our house before the shower.</p> <p>One nice thing about having the later shower and checking the registry was that I knew what we were going to be gifted but i didnt have to store all the baby paraphernalia for weeks and weeks while we tried to get the nursery ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000938 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:31:42 +0000 cascademom 2000938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: We received registry stuff from our wedding. The weirdest non registry gift was a bottle of cherry wedding wine from Door County, WI. It looked gross. I think we finally got rid of it recently. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000935 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:30:10 +0000 anonysquire 2000935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: @looch: maybe it's just Utah people with this problem haha. Same thing with my wedding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000932 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:28:56 +0000 looch 2000932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: haha, I only buy off the registry, if there is one, I don't have the time or desire to be creative! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000929 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:26:55 +0000 cascademom 2000929@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: I agree with the getting distracted part. My friend has a lot of clothes on her registry. It's pointless since people love to gift baby clothes not necessarily the ones you register for. I stuck to some bath stuff we like. I think she looked at my Pinterest page on newborn gear because she grabbed some of the stuff we liked for LO as infant. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000925 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:24:58 +0000 anonysquire 2000925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: I usually get 1 item off the registry and then make an item. So I'm not perfect. I just find that most people have great intentions but get distracted by the cute baby stuff at the store! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000917 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:22:58 +0000 anonysquire 2000917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JennyG: I wish people had done that with me! I mean yes of course, any gift is wonderful!! But I got 14 4 packs of aden swaddlers and 500 outfits. And disposable diapers which we were going to use cloth. Just would have been helpful for them to look on the registry :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000916 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:22:50 +0000 cascademom 2000916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anonysquire: I just bought some items off of a friend's registry for her shower next month. Going off registry for baby showers aren't my thing unless I know them well enough or want to gift them our go-to's as ones who survived the infant phase. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000914 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:20:21 +0000 JennyG 2000914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We made sure we had the absolute necessities (bassinet, car seat), but even those were gifted to us. At the shower with my family (10 hours from where we live), we got almost only gifts off the registry. The shower with my DHs family was canceled because the baby came early at 35 weeks. Basically, I would make sure you have the basics, but put the rest on the registry. </p> <p>@anonysquire: I always look at the registry to get what the family really wants/needs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000913 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:19:41 +0000 cascademom 2000913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had two showers.<br /> My family bought:<br /> -stroller<br /> -crib (my brother and SIL)<br /> -misc. stuff</p> <p>Inlaws:<br /> -Pack n Play<br /> -Graco bucket carseat</p> <p>We bought:<br /> -changing table (on Zulily, cheap)<br /> -changing pad<br /> -crib mattress<br /> -tub<br /> -Rock N Play<br /> -other stuff</p> <p>Hand me downs:<br /> -baby carrier<br /> -breast pump</p> <p>We got gifted a ton of clothes. We only bought kimono tops for LO when he was newborn because of weather and his stump. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/purchase-yourself-vs-registry#post-2000907 Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:12:17 +0000 anonysquire 2000907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don't put anything you actually need on your reg8stry. No one looks at it anyways. </p>