Secondhand or “Pre-Loved” Baby Markets Provide Cheaper Baby Products
Filed under: Baby Clothes, Baby Gear, Baby Safety, Baby Toys, Premier Baby Stores
Everyone wants to save money these days, including new parents. We’ve mentioned about purchasing secondhand baby items before on here, in particularly from consignment and thrift stores. But while baby products at these places are secondary, markets geared specifically toward parents have popped up. The Tiny Tots Baby Market in South-West Sydney, Australia has parents selling their “pre-loved” baby clothing and toys; parents needing slightly worn items for their babies and young children attend when the market opens every three months. Considering that most babies and children go through clothing and toys at this rate, parents can stop by Tiny Tots and stock up on basics their children will need.
As the link above mentions, secondhand or pre-owned markets have several benefits. First, cash-strapped parents can get the items they’ll need and stock up on clothing their children will quickly outgrow. Second, parents are selling to other parents, and the market offers a greater selection of baby products. Third, recycling clothing is green.
But parents should also be careful when taking the secondhand route. For example, while slightly worn clothing saves money for the parents, other slightly worn products may no longer be usable – or could have been recalled. Certain items, such as strollers, car seats, and furniture may no longer be in usable condition, and parents should examine each larger piece. Toys, similarly, could have been recalled at one point or another and parts, even from non-recalled items, may break off easier.
When attending a secondhand market or accepting hand-me-down items, examine them first before purchasing. Although clothing is generally safe, toys and furniture should be scrutinized. Beyond knowing if a product was recalled at one point, check toys for parts that could break off easily or are a clear choking hazard. For furniture and strollers, make sure that the child can be strapped in firmly and won’t get loose easily.
Bamboo Baby Products Become More Visible
Bamboo, in general, seems to be one of the latest trends in fashion. The material, when combined with cotton or used by itself, has a cashmere-like softness and naturally has antimicrobial properties. The fabric, as it needs no pesticides to produce, is also green. As environmentally-friendly fashion has expanded over the past few decades, bamboo is an alternative to organic cotton, and various green designer lines use the material.
But, when it comes to baby products, bamboo is also an asset. Organic clothing manufacturer Organica Essentials put out a press release recently for its line of Baby Bambu clothing. Baby Bambu garments are made from a cotton-bamboo blend and have the same softness that adults prefer for themselves. Additionally, all garments by the brand are gender neutral and have UV resistant, hypoallergenic, and odor-resistant properties.
Baby Bambu isn’t the only manufacturer of bamboo baby products or clothing. While this brand is sold in various baby boutiques, other retailers carry baby products made from the fabric. Baby and Me Boutique and Dada Baby Boutique both carry blankets, sheets, pillows, and car seats that use bamboo-cotton fabric.
As the increased visibility of bamboo fabric for baby products indicates, going green is possible even with your baby. Both clothing and blankets are made from bamboo or organic cotton, and such products release less chemicals into the atmosphere of your child’s room. Babies sleep for 70 percent of their first year – unfortunately, their sleep patterns aren’t on your schedule – and need a safe environment. Mattresses, sheets, and blankets made with conventional cotton – a product needing many pesticides to grow and other chemicals to be processed and dyed – release some chemicals into the environment, and your child could potentially breathe them in.
Baby Aspen Introduces New Baby Products
Filed under: Baby Bath Time, Baby Clothes, Baby Gear, Baby Showers, Baby Toys, Premier Baby Stores
Many moderate to upscale baby boutiques carry Baby Aspen products. The brand is best known for its collections of Welcome to the World wagon gift sets, but the brand recently put out more baby gifts. Their press release gives more details about the new products, many of which appear to be animal-themed.
Several retailers carry baby gifts by Baby Aspen. Various products by this brand are found at Baby and Me Boutique, Dada Baby Boutique, and Designer Baby.
Baby Aspen is often a brand many go to for finding a baby shower gift – or any type of baby gift, for that matter. The brand has perfected the fun-but-practical baby gift: each present is made from soft cloth and contains a combination of toys and clothing. Animal themes are often common, allowing several Baby Aspen gift sets to be perfect unisex baby gifts. Gifts by the brand range from blankets and soft toys to bath clothes.
Finding the right baby gift can be difficult, especially with so many products from which to choose. In general, the present should be both fun and practical. After all, the parent should be able to get more than one use out of the gift. In general, toys and everyday clothing are common baby gifts. Stuffed animals, such as the plush toys carried by Baby Aspen, are often welcome, and ones with “educational” or “stimulation” colors – red, black, and white – serve a dual purpose.
If you can’t settle on just one item, a gift basket is a way to put all of your ideas together. Many baby gift baskets, such as the sets by Baby Aspen, combine a blanket, clothing, and toys – all items a child will use during its first year. Baby retailers may carry pre-made or their own put together baby gift baskets and sets.
Ways to Be Economical with Baby Products
Earlier this month, we talked about going to secondhand stores for baby clothes and making sure all furniture and strollers were new. Aside from these tips, more can be done to make having a child more affordable. When it comes to baby products, what is necessary and what is affordable? What is a splurge? What don’t you need? An article from GoToBabyGift gives a few suggestions suggestions:
• Always buy new cribs, but if you expect another child in a few years, choose a unisex design.
• If you want a fashionable diaper bag, make sure it holds everything you’ll need.
• Stick with cloth diapers.
• Only use wipes for emergencies and go with soap and water if possible.
• Make sure you have four and nine-ounce baby bottles, which should be BPA-free.
• Have ample onesies around in sizes 0 to 18 months. These, too, can be unisex.
• Invest in a baby monitor.
• Strollers don’t need to be expensive but they should be sturdy enough to protect your child and to last through the toddler years.
• Have multiple swaddling blankets on hand.
• Have a baby thermometer in your home.
While many of these suggestions will help a parent save money, the article doesn’t address one issue: baby toys. Although toys, on some level, might been extravagant and excessive, they’re necessary for a baby’s development and growth. Consider stimulation toys that are age-appropriate: mirrors and crib books and various soft toys with colors, sounds, and textures. Additionally, find a mobile that also stimulates sight and sound. Several retailers carry baby toys and offer a selection of stimulation or educational toys.
Additionally, a car seat is an item that will last for several years. Like furniture and a stroller, a car seat should be new and solid enough to last a few years. The car seat may be part of a travel systems stroller or it may be purchased separately. In either case, it should support the needs of a baby – head support – and a toddler.
Buying Frugal: Which Baby Products Should You Purchase Secondhand?
As all parents know, having a new baby or another child is expensive. In addition to the expense of having a child in a hospital, getting all of the appropriate gear is a significant financial hurdle. Parents are advised to stick with the basics, but even this is a long list of clothing, furniture, toys, strollers, and diapers. If you could use hand-me-downs or purchase items secondhand, part of the initial financial burden would be lessened. Parents, however, are advised not to purchase certain items secondhand or receive hand-me-downs, but some are perfectly fine.
Baby clothes, according to an article on NOLA.com, is one of those products that can be purchased secondhand. Many new parents who still have baby clothes donate them to thrift and consignment stores, and many of these items are lightly worn. Going to a consignment or thrift store is a way to pick out basics: onesies, t-shirts, coats, pants, and hats. You can go and pick out the clothing you’ll plan to use for the first year, and, later, you can find clothing a toddler will use. As babies and children go through clothing quickly, purchasing them secondhand is helpful to your wallet.
On the other hand, certain items should never be purchased secondhand or as a hand-me-down. Baby furniture and strollers should always be purchased new. Certain pieces of furniture and strollers may have been recalled, and secondhand stores may carry these recalled models. Additionally, these items experience wear and tear and have a higher likelihood of breaking. Drop-side cribs, in particular, have been in the news for various safety hazards and have a greater potential for breaking if purchased secondhand.
Strollers, similarly, went through a large recall earlier this year and also have the potential for hurting the child or parent assembling it. Purchasing a new stroller means that the product will be in better shape.
Choosing Baby Clothing: Consider Celebrity Style or Not
It seems that only a few years ago that celebrity kids were known for oddball names like Apple, Rumer, and Moon Unit. These days, the curiosity extends beyond this innocuous aspect. Unique and unusual names, these days, it seems are to be expected and, instead, gossip columnists to parents critique the young children’s style – and the parenting behind it.
A few months ago, Suri Cruise (and mother Katie Holmes) was criticized for wearing high heels. More recently, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt – supposedly the product of perfect genes – has been criticized for her tomboyish style. The criticisms have even extended to mother, actress Angelina Jolie, for supposedly enforcing a masculine style – a byproduct of Jolie’s proclaimed bisexuality from 10 years ago – on the child.
No matter which gossip you believe – or even follow – should the style of celebrities’ children have any bearing on your own?
The answer is yes and no. For the latter, parents – no matter how much they read US Weekly — need to realize that celebrities will automatically have a large amount of money to spend on a child. This may include a $600,000 wardrobe, with high-heels, and even a child’s personal stylist. Is this reasonable for the average person? Not in the least.
But, one aspect that has surfaced from celebrity children gossip fodder is the development of personal style. Angelina may describe Shiloh as a tomboy and Zahara as girly, but each one is still young and finding their identity some way through clothing.
While a large and expensive wardrobe is simply unfeasible, clothing for a baby or toddler doesn’t need to stick to onesies and t-shirts. Instead, you can throw in a few pieces of unique baby clothes that may show off a child’s style. If the child is old enough, he or she can pick out a few of these pieces.
Should You Overspend with Children?
How much is too much when you consider spending with new children? Some parents, especially those with their first child, want the best for their child. Starting from the beginning, this may be the finest clothing and the most sturdy and beautiful furniture. But, after a while, practicality sets in, and new parents see that, after two years, many of the high-quality furniture and clothing they purchased can no longer be used. At this point, what do you do?
Some keep the designer baby furniture for future children, while others end up giving it away to second-hand stores. Then, because a child has grown significantly from a baby into a toddler, more furniture and clothing need to be purchased at some point.
Does the pattern of wanting to spend on your child ever end?
A recent article suggests, however, that you can spend but still be reasonable. For example, don’t go for the most expensive baby pieces, when you know a child will grow out of it in a few years. The same goes for clothing. Some pieces can be purchased second hand, particularly if you know a child will grow out of it quickly. Others, instead, should be durable, particularly the crib and basic baby clothing, but “durable” doesn’t always mean “expensive.”
Another possibility is investing in children’s furniture that’s convertible and multipurpose. Convertible cribs are one option. These beds start out as ordinary cribs and, when a child starts growing, the crib folds out into a toddler-size bed that can be used for a few years. In this case, the bed you purchased for your baby will last until the child is about four or five years old. Additionally, other basic pieces for a child’s room, such as dressers and tables, can be purchased as high-quality furniture in adult sizes, particularly as a child won’t be using many of these for a few years.
Donations for Children and Babies
Around the holidays, many organizations and shelters take donations for homeless or poor families. In many cases, a combination of clothes, food, and toys are given to the family for them to celebrate the holidays. But, while families overall are receiving items through such organizations, a dearth of items for babies is often present. From website Bloom-Normal News, a reporter wrote a brief story about such donations for homeless families and suggested about donating items specifically for babies.
If you’re considering such donations during the holiday or any time during the year, which items are appropriate? Typically, mothers or caretakers of infants and children under two need the basics. Baby toys might seem like a luxury and, generally, are given around Christmas, but certain developmental toys can be appropriate. Here are some suggestions:
• Baby clothing. In some cases, shelters will specify the ages and sizes of children living at the shelter but, if not, look for packs of basic baby clothing, such as onesies, t-shirts, and pants to give. Onesies come in sizes for zero to six months and six to twelve months and are sold in sets. Pink and blue baby clothes are available but, if you don’t know the sexes of any babies at the shelter, many unisex baby clothes in yellow or green are available. Additionally, colder weather means a child will need to be bundled up outdoors, and, in this case, baby coats, hats, shoes, and gloves will be helpful to any families with babies at a shelter.
• Baby food. Shelters and soup kitchens don’t always have options for babies, with the exception of apple sauce and broth. A donation of jars or cans of baby food, as well as formula, can help families with babies using the facilities.
• Baby books or toys. Children need to develop and toys have often been useful in this case. Like with clothing, sticking to the basics is best in this case. While knowing the age of babies or young children staying at the shelter is helpful in choosing books and toys, donating a variety of items geared toward children under two years of age can be beneficial for parents with children in that age group.
Buying Custom Kids’ Clothing
For the fashionistas out there (or those tired of dressing their babies in solid-color onesies), the clothing options get more interesting after the first six months. And, once your child reaches the toddler years, the clothing starts to have a bit more style. Just like those who are particular about designing a baby’s room with the right décor, those wanting to dress their children more stylishly, until the children can make their own clothing choices, have more options out there than solid-color and pattern onesies. As a result, baby websites featuring clothing have options for choosing more interesting and fashionable baby clothes.
One brand that has gotten around for fashionable baby clothing is Junk Food. Vintage style t-shirts have been in for teens and adults over the past few years, and, inevitably, this same style would get passed down to baby clothing. Websites like Hunky Dory Online sell vintage inspired baby clothing, from t-shirts and onesies to clothing sets. Style for these are based on iron-on t-shirt styles and include various ‘70s and ‘80s cartoon and comic book characters, as well as logos for rock bands that were popular at the time. All of these styles are available for boys and girls and, if you continue to prefer the same styles, toddler sizes are available for the same designs.
Aside from dressing your baby in some of the latest fashion trends, another popular trend in custom baby clothing has been organic wear made from 100-percent cotton or bamboo. If the news about all the chemicals that go into growing cotton and making fabric scares you, many styles of baby clothing are designed with organic fabrics. Organic cotton is still the most popular, but bamboo is gaining some hold in the fashion world. Bamboo fabric often has either a bamboo and cotton combination or a bamboo and nylon mix, and, when looking for clothing for your baby, the former is the true organic fabric. Organic cotton clothing one had an off-white color, but, these days, the designs use all natural dyes for a wide palette of colors and patterns. Various retailers carry organic baby clothing in styles for baby girls and boys, including the basics like t-shirts, onesies, and footies.
Baby Shower Present: Baby Gift Baskets
Filed under: Baby Clothes, Baby Gear, Baby Showers, Baby Toys
If you’ve been invited to a baby shower, picking out a gift can be difficult if you don’t know what to get for a new baby. Although the parents probably have some of the basics picked out, such as baby furniture, part of picking out a baby shower gift is finding something useful that will be used for the first six months to a year. If you can’t decide between a set of blue or pink onesies or a baby toy, gift baskets combine many of these useful and necessary baby items. Some baby gift baskets are more clothing centric, while others focus more on toys, or stimulation baby toys, but some even have an all-around variety of baby items, including clothes, toys, and a blanket in one basket. Which one do you pick?
If you know parents will have distinct style tastes for their child, perhaps a clothing gift basket is one way to get a start on a new baby’s wardrobe for the first year. Often, these baby clothing gift baskets are centered on various clothes, such as onesies, footies, baby shirts, socks, and hats, and come with a blanket or a toy, usually. If you know the sex of the baby, many of these gift baskets have pink or blue baby clothes, but unisex options in yellow and green are available.
Baby toy gift baskets are simply a combination of toys. Some might contain toys with some clothing, but others will also be various baby toys, including stimulation baby toys. For the latter, these stimulation toy baby gift baskets have various black, white, and red toys and baby books put together. As stimulation from toys and other objects like mobiles and play mats helps a baby with developing its senses, a stimulation toy gift basket will have all of these options. Aside from stimulation toys, some baby gift baskets have toy themes, such as musical toys, tying the basket together.