Registry Fun

I couldn't wait to register.  I never had a shower before (we planned a wedding in two months because my grandma and dad both had limited time left here with us so I really didn't care about registering or a shower) and baby stores are just tons of fun as far as I'm concerned.  So the first big question was where to register.  

We browsed a few stores including Target, Babies R Us, and Buy Buy Baby.  Target was out right away - I didn't like their selection, there is NO ONE to help you, and I've heard nothing but horror stories about their return policy.  That left us with the other two giants.  

I fell in love with Buy Buy Baby for a few reasons:  

1. They take those 20% Bed Bath and Beyond coupons that everyone gets in excess.  I love saving money and would prefer that anyone who chooses to shop off of my registry also has the opportunity to do so.  
2. They carry what are, in my opinion, better brands - particularly this Burt's Bees clothing line  and a bigger and better stroller selection (I'll write more about my stroller issues another day).  
3. A personal consultant who will accompany you while you register (with an appointment).
4. If you do not choose to take advantage of a personal consultant (which we did not) there is someone in each department who is knowledgable and more than willing to answer your questions and or really show you the ins and outs of a product.  I think the gentleman in the stroller department spent about 40 minutes with us, and he really knew what he was talking about.  
5. Their floor models are all in good working condition.  Most of the swings were plugged in so we were able to see the motions and hear the music on all of them.  
6. Their website is easy to navigate.  I have been online at least a dozen times to make changes to our registry.  
7. They have a gift wrapping station that is free of charge.  
8. If you want to win me over, free stuff is the way to go.  Like I said earlier, I love saving money and I love getting samples.  Therefore, the Buy Buy Baby registry gift bag made me very happy.  

Buy Buy Baby Gift Bag

This is my BBB gift bag.  On top of the registry book, BBB coupons and other miscellaneous literature, I got some great samples.  They gave me two different kinds of personal lubricants, a belly salve, facial cleanser and moisturizer, breast milk storage bags, disposable breast pads, lanolin, nose wipes, gummy snacks, formula, wipes (Pampers and Huggies) and a teeny tiny diaper, a pacifier, and some really awesome coupons for bottles, breast feeding supplies and diapers.  I had lots of fun going through everything here.  

While it is great, there are a few cons to Buy Buy Baby:

1.  There are only two locations in my area and they are out of the way.

2.  Unlike Bed Bath and Beyond, who take expired coupons and will overlook the exclusions listed on the coupons, Buy Buy Baby actually sticks to them.  

3.  The store is older, so it's not as nice and shiny as the new BRU but it gets the job done.  

As much as I love and prefer Buy Buy Baby, I ended up moving the bulk of my registry over to Babies R Us **sigh**.  They came out with The Sweetest Registry Deal Ever that gives you up to 10% of what is spent on your registry in a gift card up to $200 10 weeks after your due date.  You had to register by November 15 in order to get the deal, but they have extended it through January 31, 2014.

So now all that's left on my BBB registry is what BRU doesn't carry (my car seat, some stroller accessories, an Aden + Anais pack of swaddlers in a pattern that BRU doesn't have, and some clothes).  Thinking about how the two stores compare, I can say that if BRU wasn't running this registry incentive program, I probably wouldn't have bothered to register there for a few reasons:

1. There is no one to help you.  They hire [mostly] teenagers to stock shelves and many of them are not very knowledgable when it comes to finding out where a product is located in the store.  Forget asking about specs on a product.    
2. They claim to accept competitor coupons, but they will not take Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, and they have a lot of exclusions that they don't tell you about until you are on the line trying to use a Buy Buy Baby coupon.  I have yet to receive a BRU coupon in the mail.  
3. It's always a mad house in there with lines that are way too long. 
4. Many of their floor models are badly damaged.  My husband refused to register for the Snugapuppy swing because of how badly broken it was in the store - he is now convinced that it's junk.   
5. No gift wrapping station - but you can purchase lots of overpriced baby wrapping paper and gift bags.  
6. They don't carry all of the higher end brands.
7. I couldn't log in to manage my registry because they entered my information incorrectly at the store.  On the plus side, their customer service was pretty good and gave me a new password over the phone with no trouble.    
8. Their gift bag is kind of eh.  

   

   Babies R Us Gift Bag

   It included some wipes, a diaper, breast feeding pads, butt paste, and a couple of pretty decent coupons.  Other than that, it's pretty boring.  However, the deal was just too good to pass up.  Even if we only get $100 back it will be great to put towards diapers or other essentials.  The other big advantage to having our registry at BRU is the fact that they are everywhere.  No one will be inconvenienced should they choose to shop there (especially us as it is about 7 minutes from our house) via back roads.   
   
   
   As far as registering itself, it was fun.  I would recommend, however, finding and printing out a registry checklist.  It did get overwhelming and we forgot quite a bit while in the store.  Other than that though, knock yourself out and happy registering!