These are a few of my favourite things....

Lindsay, who shopped with us at Dear-Born (check out her nursery design over on her home blog) has been sharing some of her adventures of shopping as she became a first time Mom. Now that her son (little Oscar!) has joined us, Lindsay is sharing with us some of her favourite purchases to date! For this blog post she's sharing her favourite things for her nursery. (Up next, she'll show you what she got for her stroller, carrier and more!)

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Hello! Now that Oscar is here, I was asked to do a roundup of some of my favourite things that I have. From our Glider, to the sound machine, these are the things that I could not live without, as well as my reason as to why it's on this list. :) I hope these are inspiring for you, as you get ready for your new little one! xo Lindsay

(1) MY CRIB - Jenny Lind Crib - I ADORE my crib. Click here to see my original blog post on it that I did on it. :) It's classic, well made, and was on budget for us. Oscar didn't sleep in the crib right away, But now that he's 3 months he's happily napping and sleeping at night in his lovely crib. :) When Oscar shows people his room, people immediately gravitate towards it and LOVE it. Available in-store, call for shipping quotes.

(2) Rena Glider, ordered with Buckwheat Fabric Style - (See original blog post here)
Oh my goodness, this is the comfiest gliders. Now, I debated getting a glider/rocker for the longest time, not knowing if we should invest, and let me tell you ---- it is the BEST investment. At night I rock little Oscar to sleep, read him a book (see number 6) or hum a lullaby to him. I didn't get the ottoman, however, in retrospect, I now wish I had. The fabric that I ordered is neutral enough that it goes with any decor, and it will easily work itself into our decor in our house, when it's no longer needed in the nursery. Available In-Store

(3) Dwell Studio, Sleep Sack - My Mom bought this for me, and I love putting Oscar in it for his naps to keep him warm. It doesn't hurt that he looks absolutely adorable in it as well... ;) BUY ONLINE HERE

(4) Safety 1st High Definition Colour Video Monitor - I debated a video monitor and when I saw this one on sale for 50% off I jumped at the chance. If you're a new Mom, debating a video monitor vs. just a sound one - I really do stress that I think you'll be much happier if you invest in a monitor that has video. I love it because it takes away the concern I have when I hear a sound over the monitor, and with a click of the button on this monitor handheld, I can see what is going on with little Oscar. And at night - there is night vision. (Sooo cool) Now, sometimes he's just wiggling in his bed, other times talking to his mobile, and other times, I can see that he's stirring and needs to be attended to. Really - this is something I would highly, highly recommend. I love this model of monitor (it fits in my hand so I can bring it around the house) and it has different levels of sound/noise. BUY ONLINE HERE (LIMITED QUANTITIES)

(5) Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets - I got these as a gift, and holy moly they are the BEST swaddlers around. I bring a blanket with me wherever I go - I can keep Oscar warm, I can use it to shield him from the sun if we're going for a walk, and best of all, they are so big and soft making it perfect for swaddling him at night. (Something I need to do, otherwise he startles himself awake) BUY ONLINE HERE

(6) Books I didn't get this at Dear-Born but it's right now his favourite book, so it was worth sharing. It's well too advanced for him to understand, but any book with rhymes (which this one has) he adores. I read it to him in our comfy Rena Glider. ;)

(7) Classical Music - Part of his bedtime routine is to listen to soft, baby classical music. He, and I both adore it and is a nice way to end the day.

And I totally forgot my other favourite thing....How could I forget?

I use the Graco Sweet Slumber Sound System EVERY night. Although it doesn't help Oscar sleep it helps KEEP him asleep as it muffles street noise and us walking up and down the stairs in our house. Love it!

There you have it - some of my favourite things in the nursery for Oscar. :) xo Lindsay

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Salus Baby Vest

Summer means the cottage and pool time for us. But with our new little family member now having a place at the cottage picnic table and also a spot on the family boat, it became evident that safety was going to take a whole new meaning with a 6 week old in our lives.

Here is a product that I VERY much recommend, if not insist you add to your buying list if you have a cottage, or a pool, or will vacationing where water is this summer.

Product: Salus Marine Bijoux Baby Vest 9-25 lbs
$69.99 CDN Available Here




(Above, our little one safe on our family boat this past weekend)

But a big part of our summer involves water - whether at the family pool, or at the cottage where water surrounds us. And although I have no fear of our 6 week old running off the dock, or jumping in after a frog, there is that new Mom fear of being on a dock, or by the pool without some safety.

Enter the Salus vest.

LOVE this. It was easy to put on our little one, who didn't fuss much when we put him in this - and a few seconds after we snapped him in, and tightened the straps, he was fast asleep. We were confident that he was safe, and it was obvious, he was not bothered by being in a life preserver. (See pictures above) We went for a little boat ride, confident that he was safe.

And although he is much too tiny and young to go into the water right now, when he does, his Salus life jacket will be on him, so I feel comfortable. The design ensures that the baby will turn face up from a face forward position and the 3 piece collar cradles the head when lifted by the collar straps or while the baby is floating on their back.

For this summer, or next, when you have a little one and are anywhere near water like us, even if the baby won't be swimming, it's best to put a little vest on them to be safe. And come the time when we can bring him into the lake, or the pool, this vest will be also on him, making sure tha water can be enjoyed safely, and make for amazing summer fun.

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Glider in Nursery

One of the purchases we debated for a long time on this end, was the purchase of a Glider. Now that we have our son, I have to tell you - I simply ADORE the fact that we ended up getting one. This glider is SOOOO comfy. It doesn't scream "baby" and it cushions all of the parts that are aching right now after birth. ;) I can easily curl up with our baby, sush him to sleep and read him some nursery rhymes.



So, if you're looking for a glider that will fit with your decor long after baby, consider the BEST chairs at Dear-Born (Lots of styles to pick from and fabrics). And if you're debating getting a glider for your nursery....if you have the room, I definitely recommend it. :) We adore ours, and I know it will have a LOT of use in the upcoming years!

Lindsay

Product Details
Rena Chair by Best
$749.99 CDN
Call, or visit the store for fabric samples
905-881-3334, 72 Doncaster Avenue, Thornhill, Ontario
(Lindsay picked the fabric called Buckwheat)

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Safety 1st High Definition Colour Video Monitor

Picking a Monitor By Lindsay

I realized last week that I had forgotten one big item on our baby checklist - our Baby Monitor. I started to research which monitors would be best. Truthfully, budget always plays a bit of a role on our selection, but I also know that you get what you pay for - and sometimes it's cheaper in the long run to buy the best upfront, then to buy something you hate, only to go and want to replace it months down the road. I really fell in love with the Summer Complete Coverage Color Video Monitor Set. We had bought this monitor as a group gift a year ago for a family member and they LOVED it but since we are buying baby stuff on our own, it was difficult to sell ourselves on. (But awesome group gift!!!) I had told myself that a video monitor was out of our budget, and started researching other models. BUT, then I saw the Safety 1st High Definition Colour Video Monitor that was originally $319.99 but get this....it's on sale for 50% off!! Only $159.99!!! Done!



Above, we put the video portion on the dresser in our nursery. It's pretty discreet, and is focused on the crib that is just on the other side of the closet.



So there are 2 parts - the Video Camera (Left) and the Handheld video monitor (right) that is the size of an Ipod, that has rechargeable batteries, but also plugs in, which we have placed on our bedside tables.



Super Simple. Just hold the ON button and....



Full colour, amazing at picking up sound, and fits into the palm of our hand. It also comes with a belt clip which we love!

We loved this model because of the price, and the compact size. One thing I thought of, is when we go to my parents we can easily take the video camera off the dresser in the nursery, and bring it with us. It's small, lightweight, and has amazing quality. And at 50% off it was PERFECT!

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About this Product: Safety 1st High Definition Colour Video Monitor
Regular price: $319.99 Sale price: $159.99
Available On-Line and In-Store, Sale while quantities last
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{ABOUT LINDSAY} Our friend Lindsay over from PennyPeople.com, who also does graphic design work for us, is expecting her first baby this summer. Like all of our new Moms (and Dads!) Lindsay is in the process of picking out all the necessities for baby. We've invited Lindsay will do a series of posts about her picks, which will hopefully help our other Mom-to-be's out there. Click here to read more on Lindsay and others....

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Picking a Glider for the Nursery

Since we started decorating our nursery, we debated, like many parents, whether we should buy a Glider. With our nursery not being huge, and again, like many parents, watching the budget, you try to decide what are wants vs needs. We really sought a lot of advice from friends and even strangers, who were really amazing at giving their 2 cents to us. About 99% of people who gave us advice, without hesitation said "Get a Glider". Moms told us that Gliders were helpful for feedings and calming baby, so we decided it was well worth the investment. So then it was, which Glider to choose.

I fell in love with a few styles and manufacturers of Gliders, but the ones that stood out for me, were a line from Best Chairs in their StoryTime Series. What I personally really liked was that the chairs look like beautiful pieces of furniture, that I can move, one day, somewhere else in our house.


Aren't they gorgeous? And I was pretty excited when Dear-Born confirmed that they did carry this line of chairs (So not only did I find an awesome chair, I get to do a fun blog post about it for you!) So again, it pays to ask, just like I did about my crib. :)

So, what did we pick?
I ended up going with the RENA Style of chair (Top Middle) for its clean lines, and smaller frame. We picked a beautiful fabric called Buckwheat (not shown above) from the swatch book that was at Dear-Born.

Here are my 2 tips on working a Glider into a Nursery....

PICKING A FABRIC
I brought a sample of the carpet from the nursery to make sure that the colours all matched. The women at Dear-Born were super helpful at flipping through the book with me explaining the benefits of each fabric style, and we narrowed it down to Buckwheat.

DETERMINING IF THE SIZE WILL WORK We did our research before ordering, and used the product dimensions on Best's Website to tape out on the nursery floor, the "footprint" of where the glider would go. Remember, Gliders come in different shapes and sizes!

And so, I now await my glider. It took me awhile to come to the decision to buy one, but I'm really excited to have a spot in the nursery where I can be with baby. :)


Rena Chair by Best, Available at Dear-Born Baby
$749.99 CDN
Call, or visit the store for fabric samples

About Lindsay - Lindsay Stephenson is a First Time Mom to Be, and a good friend of ours at Dear-Born Baby. To see Lindsay's Nursery Designs on her Home Renovation Blog click here. To see all of Lindsays posts on products shes found with us click here!

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Graco Sweet Slumber Sound System

As we do the final 8 week countdown on our end until baby arrives, we're realizing that big items, like the car seat, and stroller need to be addressed. Ack. I'm waiting to go to the BabyTime Show (April 30-May 2nd) to go see a variety of strollers and see which one may be the best for us. Being able to speak with the stroller companies directly at the show is an amazing opportunity. I'll take pictures & be sure to update you on the collections of strollers that I see!

In the meantime, I thought I'd post about something I keep hearing about from all my girlfriends that already have babies. And most recently, at a recent baby shower I attended, each and every single Mom said that this was a "Must Have". Rarely have I heard such unanimous love for a product, so it got me intrigued.

It's the Graco Sweet Slumber Sound System. A little white noise machine. CUTE! If I didn't have the rave reviews from girlfriends, I likely would have overlooked this, but I kept hearing such AMAZING things, so I've added it to my Gift Registry as a "must have". If all of the Moms I know love it (not one said that it wasn't useful) then it obviously is a life saver! And, you can hook up your MP3 player to it, which won my husband over for the tech component! :)


$59.99 Online and in-store at Dear-Born Baby

Thought you'd like the little tip, as if I didn't have 10 Moms telling me it was awesome, I likely, as mentioned, would have overlooked this product. :)

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New Mom - Gift Registry

Getting Read for Baby ---- Gift Registries
(and I thought our wedding one was hard!)
By Lindsay



Back in the day, when my husband and I got engaged, the gift registry process pretty easy. The hardest decision for us was trying to decide if we needed 8, or 12 place settings. Here we are 5 years later and we're expecting our first baby. We were encouraged by family and friends to register for some baby items as we have some fun baby showers coming up.

I went up to Dear-Born a few weeks ago and though; this is a snap. I'm going to go through the store, make a list of what we'll need, and voila. I'll be done. But it didn't happen that way. I walked into the store and was overwhelmed. China was easy. Buying for baby was a totally different story.

Thankfully, I was approached by Hope, one of the team members at Dear-Born. Hope encouraged me to make an appointment so we could do a registry together and so I made an appointment to come back a week later. On my drive home I realized how nice the concept was...Someone was going to take the time to walk through the store with me and help me pick the best things for my lifestyle. I felt pampered.

Today, I had my appointment with Hope. I was calm, prepared, and excited that I had someone to guide me, to hold my hand, and help me pick the right items.


(Hope helping me with a checklist of what we registered for, and what I may like to think of later)

Here's how it worked. Hope guided me from one end of the store to the other, carefully going through each section, explaining what I would likely need, or would like to have for when baby came. When I saw an item I liked, Hope wrote down the Product Number. Quick + Easy. We moved on to the next product and it was so simple.

My appointment took an hour and a half because I asked a lot of questions. I hadn't done research before hand on what sling or carrier I wanted, breast pump (hadn't even gotten that far in my planning for baby!) but having Hope with me, I utilized every single piece of knowledge she had. She patiently answered questions, and explained the benefits of different models like slings and bassinets, bottles, bath tubs, bottles....and every thing else.

Hope explained that after I left the store she was going to create my registry so that items would be available online for friends & family to see. I would also be able to modify quantities of products on my own. In reality, I may take some things off my registry and I may add more, but the key was that I got 99% of it done today because of the huge, huge help of having hands on guidance.


(a snippit of the wall of awesome diaper bags...!)

So to my fellow Mom & Dads to be, I highly recommend booking ahead of time a registry appointment. Go on a full tummy, bring a bottle of water, and get excited for the experience!

One more thing checked off my list, which is a little more weight off my shoulders!

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New Mom - Picking a Crib

Our friend Lindsay over from

PennyPeople.com, who also does graphic design work for us, is expecting her first baby this summer. Like all of our new Moms (and Dads!) Lindsay is in the process of picking out all the necessities for baby. We've invited Lindsay will do a series of posts about her picks, which will hopefully help our other Mom-to-be's out there. Click here to read more on Lindsay and others....



When I found out I was expecting, I was absolutely overjoyed like all new parents. One of the things that has kept me occupied, apart from reading all of the books on preparing me for our new addition, was focusing on our nusery design. I was delighted when Dear-Born asked me to share my shopping fun after I posted on our home blog about our crib. We're working on a budget on our end, so we're trying to incorporate new (like the crib) with some older pieces.

I'm a pretty big design nut on this end, having recently gone through a series of renos which my husband and I documented on our home blog. Thinking about designing a nursery was exciting as oh-the-fun you could have with different looks. I contemplated a lot of crib styles but fell in love with one particular look called the "Jenny Lind".

The Jenny Lind style of crib was popular when I was a baby 30 years ago. The crib has been been gaining visibility once again by popular blogs and awesome room designs that are encorporating the traditonal crib into modern day designs. Here is one picture that inspired me...

Ebony Jenny Lind Crib via Making it Lovely
(To see more inspirational pictures head on over to my home blog where I've posted more) :)

I hadn't seen the Jenny Lind crib at the store, but I thought I'd ask if they knew about this style of bed. I was estatic to learn that although it wasn't on the floor at the store, it could be ordered! And, to make it even more appealing, the crib was under $300. Right on budget. :) (so my tip here is...it always pays to ask!)

We built the crib just last week and posted it on our home blog but here it is again so you can see how it is so far working in the room. I'm working on other elements (hence the empty frame that is propped up on the crib!)


Image via our home blog

But I also realized the crib wasn't enough! Baby needed a mattress. :)

We decided to buy a mattress when we were at the store picking up the crib. I asked Hope, my awesome guide around the store that day, what Mattress she would recommend and she pointed out the Jupiter Health Assure Mattress ($229.99). She pointed out that this particular mattress had 2 sides. A firm side for baby and a softer side for Toddlers. When I asked why the 2 sides, she told me that pediatricians recommend firmer mattresses for babies. As I read on About.com when I got home...

" Soft mattresses seem like a good choice from an adult perspective, but babies need a more solid sleep surface since they can't move themselves out of positions where their face sinks into the mattress if they get turned over."

Seems logical!

I also liked the fact that it had an unbleached, organic mattress cover that was made from 100% Certified Organic Cotton. Needless to say, this baby has one nice mattress, and it's probably beter than the one I sleep on. :)

And there you go! We picked our crib. Now I just need bedding. :)

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