baby registry: Online age helps mothers-to-be with baby registries

By Kristi Hockemeyer 08/03/2006

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to set-up a baby registry. What doesn't sound appealing about spending a day opening presents given by friends and family while enjoying a Carvel ice cream cake?

This end result may seem fun, but I've found that just compiling a list of everything I need - and want - all of a sudden is quite a chore!


As soon as I announced my pregnancy at eight weeks, everybody wanted to know where I was registered. I would reply, "The baby is the size of a lima bean. It's too early to be deciding whether or not I want a Diaper Genie. Let me at least find out the gender first."

Six weeks later, the doctor told me I was having a boy... and that's when I really got to work.

A mother can walk into any store and work on their registry, but thanks to the innovations brought by the Internet, many stores now encourage online shopping.

For the expecting Internet junky, establishing a baby registry online can be beneficial due to:

* At-home convenience. There is no need to drive around town, fight traffic and wait for employees to assist you with your account. The computer becomes your own personal shopping assistant by providing "similar purchase" recommendations based on items placed in a registry.

* Research. A parent can learn a lot about the quality of baby products that are for sale. If registering through Babies R Us or Target, you learn about the product's description, but you can also read reviews by parents who have already used the item. This way, parents have a better understanding of what is actually practical for their needs.

* Creating a specialized registry. Babies R Us and Wal-Mart only teased me with their supply of "Baby Snoopy" nursery merchandise (one offered a diaper bag; the other offered the bedding through their online store). But neither sold the entire nursery line at their stores! I didn't want to do the typical Winnie The Pooh, baseball, fire truck nursery theme. "Baby Snoopy" is not only different, but also encompasses all of the great memories from my childhood of watching "Peanuts" cartoons. I 'googled' for the Snoopy nursery theme and - Voila! - I found www.felicite.com (a Web site that leads to several businesses that can help parents create a unique registry). I went from having two or three things for my nursery on my Babies R Us, Wal-Mart and Target registries to having 14 items of Snoopy-only goodness on www.funtocollect.com.

Despite the advances of modern-day technology, the Internet cannot replace a mother's need to see the merchandise first-hand. I found myself completely changing my online registry after having a chance to see - and touch - everything at the store.

Some places, like Babies R Us, reward parents for setting up their registry at their store. Parents receive a welcome packet filled with tips and coupons. When I registered, I was able to take 50 baby shower invitations for free. These were pre-printed cards stating "The mother to be is registered at Babies R Us," which comes in handy when you're mailing out over 25 invitations. I found more than enough room on the cards to add my Wal-Mart, Target and www.felicite.com registries.

I would recommend that expecting parents utilize both the Internet and local stores in order to have the most comprehensive baby registry. You may find the greatest things at the store, but not online. And vice-versa.

For Marco Island women, visiting the stores may be a bit more complicated due to the distance. However, I still feel these are the top three places that are worth making the drive:

Babies R Us - This store is 100 percent dedicated to the needs of expectant parents. The closest store is located in Estero, Fla. at 10002 Gulf Center Drive and will take Marco Islanders about 50 minutes to an hour of travel time.

Wal-Mart - This store provides a lot of different options and often at the lowest price. The closest Wal-Mart is only a 20 to 25-minute drive, located at 9885 Collier Boulevard in Naples. Eventually, the drive will be even shorter once the new Super Wal-Mart is completed near the intersection of Collier Boulevard and Tamiami Trail.

Target - A little more expensive, but the store is better organized with their merchandise and they offer a higher quality of nursery furniture that's still cheaper than Babies R Us. The store is about a 40-minute drive from Marco and is located at 2322 Pine Ridge Road in Naples. In addition, Party City is located right next door. Why not get a head start on planning the baby shower, too?

Speaking of baby showers, I'm currently in the process of planning for my Aug. 19 party. Perhaps that'll make an interesting topic for next week's column. And maybe by then, I'll become a little more organized!

Kristi Hockemeyer welcomes all suggestions and comments from expecting and experienced Marco Island parents. Please feel free to contact her at marcoislandparent@yahoo.com to share your stories.



©Marco Island Sun Times 2006