Baby Gear

I've started going through endless product descriptions and reviews to find some of the best baby gear for our needs. I've been looking for things that I don't think people will buy us as gifts (but I wouldn't ever complain if they wanted to! HA!) which include, crib, mattress, car seat, stroller, some furniture for the baby room, rocker, etc. 

Here's where I'm at so far! 

CRIB

I wasn't originally going to buy a crib. We still have the crib from when my step sons were babies and I really wanted it to work out for us. However, it's a drop side crib and I've recently read that those have all been discontinued. I'm not terribly upset about this because I love shopping so this wasn't a totally heartbreaking discovery. We'll give the old crib to my Mother-in-Law, and it will serve a purpose at her house since it's still a decent crib! 

In the meantime! I have been looking for inexpensive cribs that are good quality and sturdy. I think I've found  one at Ikea. I've read the reviews and read user comments and it seems to be a very loved and VERY inexpensive crib which just works out perfect for what I want. It's modern looking and a different colour which will go nicely with my plans for nursery design (more talk of that in a later post!). 

It's the SUNDVIK Crib in a grey-brown colour and at the insanely low price of $159.00. 

I still would like to go check it out in person, but in theory, I'm in love. 

To add to this, I'll get the mattress from Ikea as well at a whopping $119.00. I'm not out to get the most expensive and lush mattress around. It's a baby and they aren't going to know the difference and as long as it is nice and firm, I don't care where it's from (I think).

CAR SEAT

I'm pretty sure this is one of my no compromise buys. The Chicco Keyfit 30 is the car seat I want and with all the research I've done on it, I don't think I can be convinced otherwise. I've checked it out in store and it seems like it fits all my needs! It costs about $209.00. 

The only dilemma I have here has to do with a stroller that works with it, but that's NEXT! 

STROLLER

Now, I am in LOVE with the City Mini stroller. It's got everything I want in a stroller and accommodates almost all the ages a child would need a stroller. It's not a traditional jogger, which is great because this lady does not jog! It folds up insanely nice and it is also decently priced at around $280.00. 

HOWEVER, I don't think the infant car seat adaptor is compatible with the chicco keyfit car seat. *cue pregnant lady sobbing*.   So, despite my love of this stroller I think I'm at square one in finding a stroller compatible with the car seat. I do not want a travel system stroller because they're bulky and hard to deal with and I will also pettily admit that the city mini comes in the colour black (and tan! I'm not totally morbid!) which are colours I would much prefer over ... any pastel green/pink/blue etc.

What were your favourite pieces of gear that you could  not live without?