must-have

When making baby registries, one thing I always recommend to new Mom’s is to think about registering for things you will need when our little one’s are visiting Grandma and Grandpa’s house!

When Grandparents  live near by, their homes can be a home away from home- and often Grandma and Grandpa relish in setting up small nurseries or areas in their home for their new grand baby.  If they need a little help on how to decorate a nursery they can look at these videos for tips!

If you are going to register for baby items to be kept at Grandma’s – these items don’t have to be as “supped up” as the ones you keep in your primary nursery. There are plenty of options of quality baby essentials that do not have all the bells and whistles- and are way more affordable.

 

1.  Baby Monitors

While most parents today love their video baby monitors, a really great quality audio monitor is something that would be great for Grandma’s house!

We recommend:

The Samsung Simple and Secure Digital Baby Audio Monitor / retails $69.99

This one was tested by my sister-in-law, a new mom of a beautiful baby boy (6 months old). Here is what she had to say:

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Why We Love It

– Amazingly clear sound! We could hear every move he made.

– The “range” light  is a great feature to help you know when you have gone too far from the baby unit.

– The  belt clip for when you are moving around the house or where ever you may be.

– Reaches up to 900 ft.

 Drawbacks:

– Both “On” and “VOX” settings allowed for background noise and a minor hum.

 

2.  Chair Top High Chair

Chair top high chairs are less bulky, can be easily stored away and very honestly, I used it as my primary high chair for my second.

We recommend:

The InGenuity Chair Top High Chair  /retails $69.99

Why We Love It:

– Has all the functionality of a full size highchair. It can tilt back for the little ones and sit upright for the bigger ones.

– Easily storable, no bulk!

Drawbacks:

-You will need to have an “extra” seat on hand when baby is around.

-If you have plush or leather top seats, it may leave an indentation on your chair.

3.  Extra Infant Carseat Base

With all the fancy high-end baby gear available, Graco’s Snug Ride infant carseat remains a parent favorite. It is a great idea to get extra bases to keep in grandparent’s cars.

We recommend:

Graco Snugride Infant Carseat base/ Retails $29.99

Why We Love It:

– Easy and convient for baby swapping from parents to grandparents

– Baby gets to stay in their familiar cozy infant carrier

– Easy to install with Latch system

Drawbacks:

– None

 

4.  Affordable Lightweight Strollers

The travel system strollers are just bulky.

For rear facing infants we recommend:

Baby Trend Snap N Go/MSRP $69.99

Why We Love It:

– Easily folds up for storage

-Lightweight

-Allows baby to go from carseat to stroller without having to interrupt naps

-Under seat storage and cup holders like traditional strollers.

Drawbacks:

– None

 

For babies 6months, and older while we loved our McClaren Triumph – and used-it-to-death- it could be a bit pricey for Grandparents occasional use.

For babies and toddlers we recommend:

The First Year’s Ignite Stroller /retails: $59.99

Why We Love It:

– Easily folds up for storage

-Lightweight 11lbs

– Multi-position recline

– 5-point harness

 

Drawbacks:

– Basket is a bit small and hard to get into

 

5.  Octagon Gate

Let’s be honest,  playpens are a thing of the past… and while Pack-N-Plays are on just about everyone’s registry these days, it doesn’t take long for a new parent to realize there just isn’t much room to… play.

This is another item we LOVED and used in our home that is also a must have for grandparents.

We recommend:

North State Superyard XT Playard/ retail $59.99

Why We love it:

– Great for indoor and outdoor use

– Easily folds up for storage

– Extra panels available for $29.99 to make play area even larger

– Great to gate off Christmas trees!

Drawbacks:

-You will need a large area to set up

-When babies reach about 18 months old, some may be able to push it around (Mine never did, but I’ve heard it can be done).