With a belly finally starting to look less like I just haven't worked out in a while (Shhh!) and much more like a belly with a growing baby, I've started looking into things for the future and considering all of our options. I've had so many wonderful and caring friends and family offer things and ask what we need/want, and the easier thing for us would be to post something on our blog and start a registry.
So here are some of our thoughts put in a central location to help with any confusion.
First of all I looked all over the internet to find something that one could shop from more than one source. While I love Target, there are MANY other sites that have great, more natural items. Also, we needed something reflected our values and beliefs.
Enter "Baby List!"
I came across Baby List the other week when I wanted to include Etsy in my registry and wasn't sure how to go about doing so. I love handmade items, particularly since I am an artisan myself and it is wonderful to support fellow hardworking artists and crafters.
As a
couple, and soon to be a family, we believe in all things natural, pure,
and practical. We can't handle harsh chemical smells, dyes, and other toxic every-day items that are on the market these days. Things that are in plastic toys, diapers, toiletries etc, and though we are on a budget,
we try to only surround ourselves and the growing little one with wholesome
surroundings and nutrition. It is far worth it, whatever the cost. (This goes for my animals as well. They need the same respect in giving them pure and natural anything.)
With that being said, here's a little list of our tastes and our distastes. This is in no way shape or form meant to sound snobby, because I am not a snob! Just opinionated. :-)
One important thing about us is that we are we are absolutely not TV watchers or radio listeners and are happy to stay
this way. (We have Netflix and watch movies, but no traditional TV set
up.) Therefore, we are not fans of popular characters seen slapped all over a lot of
children's clothes and accessories.
(**Note**For quick and easy reading (because I am in a particularly loquacious mood!) I am also a Virgo and divided our "Safe List" and our "Pass List" into Red for Pass (thanks but no thanks) and Green for Safe.)
For example, we usually pass over items with the following graphics:
TOY STORY and its characters
SPIDERMAN
BLUES
CLUES
VEGGIETALES
TRANSFORMERS
CARS
SPONGEBOB
DISNEY PRINCESSES
DORA
HANNAH MONTANA...You get the idea. Though I do love a lot of the
classic Disney movies even Toy Story and a lot of the princess movies, I don't want to look at it all over my kids clothing. There will be plenty of time for all that when they are teenagers and want to wear whatever emblem or ugly band t shirt they want! God knows I wore that at a lot at one time. ;-)
Along the same lines, we also pass over anything with CAMO, MILTARY, or PATRIOTIC to name a few.
We are
also trying to buy things in neutral colors, (even though I adore pink),
thank God there are some wonderful new options out there in other colors I love in a lot of Earth tones such as greens, browns,
burgundys etc. One reason for the neutrals is that we have opted not to find out what gender baby we are having, - not that we (at least I!) don't want to know! - it just is a decision to not put such a tender being through any un-nessacry testing for our own benefit. I don't really care how "safe" the status quot will tell you it is, I never listen to that anyway. Second reason being, if we have a boy, we're not fans of the stereotypical blue, blue and more blue for boys with Thomas, John Deere, or shovals all over their clothes. Bugs are great! So are animals and things to do with nature. If we have a girl, there are things that are really cute without the opposite stereotypical themes, more so than with boys clothes, that I've noticed anyway.
OK, now I guess I should start writing things on our safe list!
Basically, we love natural fibers such as:
COTTON
WOOL
BAMBOO
LINEN...again, you get the idea. Even FLEECE is good, though it is not typically natural.
Since I made a list of characters that I don't like, (ok some I almost despise!) here are some "safe" characters I don't mind, in fact, I rather love:
101 DALMATIONS
WINNIE THE POOH (especially the classic Pooh!)
BAMBI
LADY AND THE TRAMP
BEATRIX POTTER (adore, adore adore!)
HARRY POTTER
SHLEICH TOYS
LORD OF THE RINGS (because we are both proud dorks.)
Other animals or themes we love and can definitely be gender neutral are:
SHEEP
OWLS
LIONS
COWS
RABBITS
CATS
WOLVES (Though typically not seen on baby items)
HORSES, DONKEYS, MULES...
DOGS
MICE
I am usually drawn to more woodland type animals than jungle or safari, but really I love all animals.
P.S. Target has some really cute clothes right now in the Disney Artist Collection. Figaro, Ah! So CUTE!
Another thing I felt like adding and think it is an important point to make, thrift stores and consignment shops are AWESOME. Seriously. I would much rather poke through places like these to find exactly what we like. It is MUCH cheaper especially since babies outgrow things so fast, and quite honestly, I find a lot things in there cuter than in most stores these days.
Babies don't have to be as expensive as everyone makes them out to be!
One other thing I forgot to add is that I have a sewing business, therefor sew all the time. I'm going to be buying lots of my own fabrics to make a few things instead of purchasing them, and flannel fabrics in 1 - 1.5 yard increments are always welcome to make more newborn baby blankets and sheets! My baby is going to be be born in the winter, and we heat with a woodstove.
Wow, that was a verbose post, did you really just read all that?!
I am so looking forward to being a natural mama and watching and learning to see who my new little one will grow into. While I have plenty of my own beliefs and values, I am also a firm believer in letting my child grown into the soul he or she is supposed to be, even if he or she grows to be someone who is my complete opposite, I will still love and cherish my child and enjoy every conversation with him or her for the rest of my life.
Cheers, everyone! To life!
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