My registry

I met with a bunch of friends this week, including one queer femme friend who is 8 month pregnant, and they convinced me that having an online registry at a couple stores is actually really helpful for people in my life who might want to help me out with some baby stuff.  So, I decided to jump in with two feet. 

If you haven't already read this post of mine, please do.
http://growyourownsquirrel.blogspot.com/2011/06/preamble-to-upcoming-registry.html 

Now... on to the registry stuff.

I decided to register for one fairly accessible big box store and to an independant baby store in the two cities I live in (i.e. Ottawa & Toronto.)  I also included a list of books that I like, as I really appreciate gifts of books and they are nice affordable little items to invest in,

The big box store: 

"Toys R Us / Babies R Us"

Please go to http://www.toysrus.ca/registry/index.jsp  and search for me by name.

I’m listed under my full name, in Toronto.

You can also go directly to a store and they can look up my registry and show you the things I have signed up for.  Some of them are only available in-store and not online.

One Toronto independent environmentally-focused baby store: 

“Baby On The Hip”

http://www.babyonthehip.ca/registry.php?view=1&registry_id=1453

This store has 2 locations. I couldn't sign up online for some of the things that they have, so I might go in there to see if they can let me sign up for those in person.

One Ottawa independent environmentally-focused baby store:

“The Extraordinary Baby Shoppe”

http://www.extraordinarybabyshoppe.com/registry.htm?rgid=244&rguser=cmoffatt

At this site, the online registry wouldn’t let me sign up for particular colours of clothing or diaper bags so it defaulted to the standard colours.  I’m going to try to fix that, but please feel free to just pick out something that you think I’d like. I do like pink (so you don’t need to try to avoid it) and I like prints, but not usually the wildest of prints.  I will also be adding some diapering supplies to this site sometime in July.   Please stay tuned.

Also, you might find it useful to look at my Amazon wish list for baby. I don't actually expect you to buy things from Amazon (unless you happen to live in America?) but it'll give you ideas of some of the things that I like. This is a good place to figure out what types of books I'm hoping to get for le bébé.  There is also a bunch of other stuff listed there, which is pretty nifty.

http://www.amazon.com/registry/baby/7VQMRF7BHC4N

And, last but not at all least ...

the one expensive item that I am really really hoping to be able to get is a stroller.  I'd be honoured to accept some financial contributions towards one.

I am happy to get a second-hand stroller. There are also websites that ship to the USA only and which regularly have crazy 50% off sales. I have a connection with a PO Box in the USA that is 1 hour from Ottawa, so I could pick up the stroller there or get a friend to get it for me.  Most of the strollers that I am looking at have a resale rate of 50% of about or more of their regular price so even an expensive one would be a good investment even if it’s a lot of money up-front.

I would like to have a jogging stroller that has good cargo carrying capacity, which is dual-purpose so that it is suitable for infants and a reasonably heavy preschooler. I would also like it to have a really good UV/sun shade and wheels that are big enough that I can easily trek through Ottawa’s snowbanks. A stroller that is easily foldable would be the best since I will have a busy lifestyle and will often be putting it into a car AND I will likely have a small apartment with not a lot of storage space.  I don’t need a stroller that will eventually become a double stroller. (I am not interested in the “travel system” type that you commonly see at Sears, Toys R Us, etc. because I plan to have a separate car seat.)

Here are some strollers that I like, in order of preference:

1. Bumbleride Indie:  http://www.bumbleride.com/strollers/indie-home.php  This one is my favourite strollers!  I must admit that a big part of my liking it is that it is NOT UGLY. Seriously! I'll need to use a stroller several times a week (possibly daily) for years and I'd love to have something that doesn't feel like I'm lugging a glorified MEC backback around. (I hate MEC backpacks.) Anyway, style aside, this stroller is awesome because it comes with a lot of bonus things that you have to pay for on most strollers: rain cover, cup holder, car-seat-mount, etc.  Also, it totally fits my my needs for a jogger with a high wheel base and large carrying capacity. This cute stroller works from infancy to preschool. I want it!  There are retailers in Ottawa & Toronto that sell it, and I've recently seen some awesome used ones on Craigslist Toronto.
2. Baby Jogger City Elite: http://www.babyjogger.com/city_elite_lp.aspx  This is my second favourite one. It has all the features I want, including a one-handed foldaway feature and snow-friendly tires. It just happens to look sporty and I don't really like sporty.
3. Uppa Baby Vista: http://www.uppababy.com/products/product.php?id=119 (This is one of the two non-jogger strollers that I would consider. Some friends have new and useds ones and they all love them.)
4. Baby Jogger City Select: http://www.babyjogger.com/city_select_lp.aspx (With this model, I can borrow the bassinet attachment from a friend. This is the only other non-jogging stroller that I like a lot. Two friends have it and love it.)

STROLLER UPDATE! July 27, 2011

I just purchased a used 2008 Uppababy Vista via Craigslist. A friend in Ottawa picked it up for me. It was a really good price, though it was still at the top of my budget. I know that I could have bought a simpler/cheaper model but I am very enthusiastic about the mobility support that this one will give me since my lifestyle in Ottawa is predominantly about walking places. Walking to run my errands is how I get my fitness, and I figure that $300 would be a bargain price for a bicycle so it would be silly to balk at spending that on a stroller that I'll use almost every day.  It's also got a bassinet in it, which will make a good travel bed when we go to visit family in NB when the baby is only 2 months old.
I also learned that the Bumbleride stroller and the BabyJogger stroller that I was looking at are not actually suitable for jogging and that true jogging strollers have a longer wheelbase and a suspension system (shocks.) So, this made my decision a lot easier to make.
I'm grateful.
(A bit stressed about money... but still grateful for what I have and will have.)