Let’s Talk About Registering For Baby

(All Photos have links and any words in color have links… feel free to explore)

As soon as I found out we were having a baby I insisted on registering. Partially because with Arabella we didn’t know if we would be shopping for pink or blue and this time I finally got to enjoy the experience of imagining with this next kid was going to be like. It may also be because prior to getting this house I purged all of our baby stuff and donated it to local moms. The reason I registered was not because I expected people to go out and buy things for us! We don’t plan to have a shower and we certainly don’t expect people to go out and buy things for us just because we are having another kid. We registered because I knew that there were perks to registering and because I knew there would be things we need and want. The biggest perk is the 10% or 15% coupon each place gives out when the due date gets closer.  The COUPONS are amazing. Another reason I register is to give myself an idea of what I still need and what I really want. I find myself constantly updating things that are no longer available and things we have already purchased. It helps keep me sane. HAHA. This time around I chose to register at Amazon, Babies R Us, Target, Walmart, and Kohl’s.  Because I’ve registered so many places I now have an idea of where I feel is worth the hassle and where is mostly just a waste of time.

Kohl’s is probably my least favorite place that I registered. I originally registered here because I sometimes get coupons in the mail from them and I thought it might be useful. However, I found registering online somewhat tricky. The pricing on items was quite a bit higher than other places and there wasn’t a big selection of items. They said you get a free gift for registering but I never received one and the people in store didn’t seem to know about it either. The good news… they give you 15% off close to your due date that you can spend on any baby related item. They also give you little coupons that you can send to your friends for 20% off (if they spend $100). The incentives aren’t bad but they aren’t special either. I love shopping Kohl’s clearance section but it’s hit or miss.

Babies R Us was the second place we registered. We went into the store, heard their spiel  about how awesome they are and then scanned our hearts out. It was really easy to add things to our registry and there was a big selection of items to choose from. After we registered they gave us a bottle of water, a NUK Baby bottle, a newborn diaper, and some coupons. It was a fun little gift to walk away with. Usually the prices at babies R Us are pretty high BUT they price match! We found our car seat at Babies R us for $299 but were able to price match with Amazon for $159. The incentives for registering at Babies R us are the gift, a 10% off completion coupon, and you are supposed to get 10% back on all purchases. However, I’ve found several glitches with their system. For example, the car seat was on our registry but when we purchased it we did not receive the 10% in points. Also, we randomly log on to update the registry and random things have been removed or mysteriously upgraded to must have items. I’ve had several errors that told me I could not log in to my registry because my e-mail was not associated with a Babies R Us account and have had to call in to get it fixed. It’s been interesting to say the least. It’s worth it to register at Babies R Us because the coupons are pretty awesome but it’s kind of tricky sometimes.

Target was actually the first place we registered. The have a decent selection of baby items and it’s really easy to navigate. We went into the store and used the scanners to pick things out. I enjoyed being able to see all the tiny boy stuff in person. The app is really easy to navigate as well. We found a bumbo on “Let Go” for $5 and it was easy to check it off the list. I haven’t had any issues updating our registry and they also price match! When we completed the registry they gave us a welcome bag that contained a Nuk bottle, a newborn diaper, sample wipes, a baby soap sample, and some coupons. 8 weeks before baby gets here we get 15% off anything on our registry as a bonus. The only negative thing I’ve seen so far is most of their cute baby clothes are Cat & Jack… and they can’t be price matched because they are store brand (Not sure that’s really an issue though) Oh did I mention they gave us a Buy one Get one Starbucks coupon? Yep awesome bonus!

We registered online at Walmart because they have REALLY affordable deals. If you shop the sales rack you can find new Carters outfits for anywhere from $1 to $5. So it’s easy to find cute things for really affordable! The perks of Walmart… well you don’t get any coupons for signing up but they do price match and they do tend to have more competitive products to begin with. I’ve noticed a lot of the clothes are the same quality as shopping elsewhere and they are just as cute. The app is really easy to navigate and update. The biggest downfall lately seems to be that their price matching is getting pickier and pickier… aka they wont always price match even though they say they do. However, they are now offering free shipping which is pretty awesome.

I saved my favorite for last. I love registering with Amazon because they have the universal wishlist button. It is SO easy to add ANYTHING my heart desires. I can add things I want from any site on the net like Etsy, independent stores, etc. This year Amazon had a special welcome box if you spent $10 off of your registry.  I was excited because I really wanted the hedgehog swaddle blanket and was able to get it for free. I just ordered the bathtub we wanted and BAM they sent me a box with a bunch of stuff. It was by far the best welcome gift out of all of the places we registered. Amazon also does a 10% off (15% for prime members) completion coupon when you get closer to your due date. You can use this on pretty much anything on your registry. I have a free student prime trial so I also have free 2 day shipping. We add random household things we plan on buying so we can use our completion coupon all at once and get one big discount when things get closer. The app is really easy to use but it’s a little tricky to update when we purchase something. Also, I logged on the other day because we found the bassinet we wanted on OfferUP for a decent price and I noticed that half my registry had some how become “Must have” items. It took me a while to go through and individually update about 50 items because they were not “must have”.  It’s still my favorite place to register because it is so easy to use. A negative thing… it’s too easy to add stuff HAHA!

So there you have it! This has been my experience with registering at multiple places! We have 11 weeks to go so I haven’t gotten most of my coupons yet but I’m excited for when I do! I’ll let you know how that all turns out!