My parents were just in town to help paint the kid's room. It's not done, but they did a nice job getting it started. Eventually, it will look like this...
Until then, it is basically a room with white/cream walls.
The other way in which we've begun to prepare is to register for items we will need to insure that this kid is well taken care of and is able to fully participate in our society's pointless consumption of goods from the git-go. For all those necessities and for those gift-givers who want to give us something we'll really need, we registered at Target and Baby's R Us.
Registering for gifts is a funny thing. Take our wedding registry almost three years back. Here I was, ready to be legally bound to this really cool, smart, attractive person, and I got to pick out the gifts my friends and family were to give to me. It was win-win all the way. I couldn't go wrong. Now I get a kid of my own and a bunch of gifts. "You mean I get the chance to create and raise a kid who will love me and look up to me and you give me a bunch of stuff in order to make that all happen?" Deal.
Anyway, as we walked through Target and Baby's R Us, I realized that a lot of the toys and clothes were not all that great. There was a ton of gendered stuff and some just plain stupid crap. Don't get me wrong. We like and have registered for items in these stores. I was just hopeful that I could find more products that I thought were cool as well.
We've also looked online, but most of that stuff is terribly overpriced. However, I realized after watching a co-worker's baby shower bounty that we could get a bunch of stuff not on the register. So, I've decided to use this blog to post the alternative registry. (Because I know you are all just dieing to buy us some baby crap.)
Being that I always wear rock t-shirts, I figured that my kid should do the same. I remember when a lot of rock bands used to sell onesies at their shows. There are still some cool onesies out there.
Two of my favorite indie labels have onesies for sale. Sub Pop has come a long way from their grunge days to become more of a family-friendly company with its famous logo now emblazoned on a onesie. I was hoping for a baby version of their famous "Loser" t-shirt, but maybe that would be in poor taste. Besides, the kid can have mine once he/she is old enough. The other label to offer baby attire is the uber-hot North Carolina record company known as Merge.
There are even some bands with cool baby threads out there. Most were for the "classic" rock, but I found a couple with indie roots. The Shins represent the present indie scene while The Smiths can remind the kid's mom of her days as a vegetarian. Then, there's always the band that spans both eras and provides something for when the kid gets a little bigger: Sonic Youth. Of course, if I want my kid just to be identified as an indie rocker, there's always the fine folks at CafePress.
Speaking of CafePress, I have designed some products with living in misery-themed logos. Scroll down and you'll find a few items for my kid or yours. I plan to add a few more items in the near future.
We have also seen the light and it is powered by William-Sonoma. The Beaba (pronounced bay-ah-bah) Babycook steams and purees vegetables and meats for easy baby digestion. It's really quite amazing. You should check out the video on the link.
Finally, there are the toys. I haven't really gotten into the toys, but I know I will have to eventually. I do know that I like the plush toys by Uglydolls because they are...well...ugly. That and they're not your run-of-the-mill baby toys.
I'm sorry if all the baby-talk bores you. I'll get back to some properly miserable topics in the near-future. For now, enjoy this...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Alternative Baby Registry
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11 comments:
Weezer also has the cutest little onesies, for that charming geek-rock appeal. I don't really like babies but i gotta say, i'd definitely warm up to them if they all wore indie music gear!
My favorite baby onesie that our daughter "rocked" was her little black one with the CBGB logo.
z: check out etsy, man (www.etsy.com). it's mecca in all ways: supporting independent crafters/makers and the hippest stuff you'll find, all reasonably priced.
you can set up an online registry of etsy items through myregistry.com. or, you could tag lots of favorites through your own etsy account and direct your family and friends to that url. anyway, etsy is my one-stop source for all things baby/gifty for my friends.
also, i'm embarrassed i haven't commented on your blog before (at least i don't think i have?). but i really enjoy your blog and have read it off and on since you started posting to vittles. it's good stuff--just sayin.
watch out for the Target registries...there have been issues with things getting removed from the list after being bought; thus, duplicate gifts. the real issue is that you will need a gift receipt to even return it.
We spent $30 bucks on a Jimi Hendrix onesie that V wore once. Cute picture, but she wore it one time. I'm just sayin'. They grow fast. And you never get that thirty bucks back, but now you're stuck with a Smiths onesie that has been pooped on.
My store has the coolest converse and vans for the wee ones. I squeal every time an order comes in, but then I get chastised for letting my ovaries take over. :)
Point is, you should also register for stuff when they get a little older, like shoes for when they start crawling around. Okay, now i'm starting to crave a little bebe' again...gotta go!!!!!! -kristen
Wow--Abby and I are making our first comments on the same post! I gotta second the recommendation on registering for stuff for when they get bigger. I got my nephew a Merge onesie (from Mergefest 10 in N.C.! Wooo!) and they literally put it on him once for a photo. 5 minutes later, it was too small.
Also, in that video, the boy kid is reading "Rolling with the Stones." I think that would be a good baby present for some quality reading time with Dad.
Looks like the little one's room is going to be wonderful. My parents painted my first bedroom walls in rainbow colored balloons, floor to ceiling. It was the most obnoxious thing ever. The picture you have up looks calming and refreshing. Great choice. Another great choice, The Smiths onsies. If I had a baby, they'd be wearing one for sure.
Yeah, the pic of the room looks good. We are going with a monkey theme for our lil one. Are you going with cloth diapers? Better for the environment and stuff. But if you go the other route, make sure you get the bigger sizes in those too in order to be prepared because I remember Ally growing out of those like crazy! This time around we are hoping the cloth diapers work and the baby doesn't get rashes or anything from them. I want to get a sweet onesie for you guys. That would be cooler than sending you something "typical." ANd you may appreciate this from your days back in Cbus, my vegetarian wife is dead set on raising our new one vegetarian. I'm on board but not sure how long it will last. It is just so much easier to throw in some meat. At least we won't fall into the dreaded chicken McNugget rut with this one. That stuff is crack to little kids. Can't get Ally off of it!!
Check out www.seriouseats.com to read about the Beaba cookware. Apparently it isn't as great as it sounds. Not sure you still want one.
I registered at a couple of stores. I think it OK to have more than one baby registries.
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