things not to register for

As i think about all my friends and family members who are pregnant or have babies, i feel the need to share my list of things you should leave OFF your registry

baby towels you will probably receive some from your showers anyway, AND who says you can't use a regular bath towel? honestly, i think that regular bath towels are softer than the baby ones, and your baby will only fit in them for the first 9 months to a year. after that, what do you do with them? i had SO MANY of these from my showers and i rarely used them. waste of space.

beach toys Don't get me wrong. i LOVE my sand toys for my toddler, but you do not use them before your child is one. i would suggest asking for them for their 1st birthday instead. you'll just be storing them for a year or more before your child is old enough to use them.

Blankets unless there is a blanket that just PERFECTLY matches your decor... lol. you'll get TONS of blankets from your showers anyway. don't waste your time registering for them. if someone is going to shop off your registry, they will probably want to purchase something that is a little less common.

bottle cooler the hospital gave me one of these, actually two of these, and my doctor gave me one as well. no point in registering for something you get for free. and i rarely use it anyway.

bottle warmer i heard Dr. Sears on The Dr's TV show say that the only reason to warm your baby's formula is if he won't take it cold (usually breast fed babies). most bottle fed babies don't know the difference. if you start them from birth with room temperature formula, there is no reason to warm it up for them. AND, if you have a breast fed baby who is used to it body temperature, you can warm a bottle under a faucet of hot water. this works faster without the equipment taking up space in your cupboard.

crib toys this is a personal preference. I think the crib is for sleeping, not for playing. giving them interactive toys for the crib just makes them think that nap time is play time. instead, invest in a mobile or lights for the ceiling. these toys mesmerize the child and help them fall asleep instead of stimulating their senses.

diaper bag you will get one of these for free from your doctor or the hospital anyway. i think i have 4 of them from 2 babies. unless you have one you just HAVE to have, in which case, make sure it has outside pockets for bottles. honestly, i got a beach bag after summer last year on clearance. i LOVE it! it has much more room for stuff and was much cheaper.

diaper pail if you wan some sort of diaper disposal system, do NOT get a diaper geeny. it wastes so much space and plastic! get a kind that uses regular plastic bags and that dumps all the diapers into the same bag. much more economical. or, just use a garbage can with a lid. and another use for those plastic shopping bags... individually wrap the stinky diapers. this keeps the stink down a LOT! and it fulfills the "Reuse" in your three R's.

laundry soap don't waste money on Dreft baby soap. a lot of laundry soap companies have products that are die-free, fragrance-free, or hypo-allergenic. that is all that is required.

nursing stool my tip for this is to either use a stool you already have, or register for a stool you want your child to use when they get older (toddlers) the purpose is only to lift your knee and bring the baby closer to your chest while nursing. i just tucked one foot in, halfway into indian-style. this raised my knee enough to nurse effectively.

plates and silver wear these won't get used till they are one. before that they will only be spoon fed or eat finger-food. and bowls work better for this, i think.

Positioners like the bumbo seat. i did not have one for my first kid. i just put her in her bouncy seat when i needed to get something done. i borrowed one for my second kid who was a fussy kid and didn't like to lay down. she only used it for about 3 weeks. by the time she was 4 months old she was sitting up on her own anyway. i would, however, highly suggest a vibrating bouncy chair. the kind you can bounce with your foot. my first kid slept in hers a lot.

Swimmy Diapers don't bother with a package of disposable swimmy diapers. instead, go for the washable kind. they don't get that dirty, you can just rinse them and let them air dry to use the next day. the purpose of swimmy diapers is to hold in the poo, in which case, either hand wash or throw in the washer. no big deal. i got a package of disposables with my first and am still not through the diapers 2 summers later!

wipe warmer why spoil your baby's bum like that? i don't get warm wet wipes to wipe my bum! lol. and these can cause burns.

AND those are my thoughts!