Buying for Baby?

I will have to admitthe multitude of baby products out there is mind boggling. Wandering the various retail venues for baby items has been a bit overwhelming.

My memory is challenged at times but I don't remember nearly the choices of clothing, cribs, strollers, wipes, diapers, swings, high chairs, play pens, gates, utensils, pumps that is available now. Could be there were choices back in the day but I must have been oblivious. The other thing is living in small, rural communities the choice of stores and items were limited. There wasn't internet shopping then. We had Montgomery Ward and JCPenney catalogs and to call in a order if we really needed something from the wish books.

On a recent weekend excursion to the big city, we were able to accompany the expecting couple in our family to a couple of baby stores.

The first one was a store where you can get new and gently used baby items. Talk about jam packed with choices. This store had a section toward the back for purchasing of those gently used items. I did overhear one of the workers explaining to someone on the phone that they will only allow three laundry sized baskets to be brought in at a time for purchase. I would imagine there has to be limits on that part.

There were toys and seasonal outfits in the store. I thought the lady bug rain coats were just about the cutest thing plus they had matching boots. I resisted temptation to purchase that shining bit of cuteness. I will definitely pay a visit there in the future.

The next baby store was to one of the big chain stores. Wow. I was on choice overload again. Now I had been there previously but I still saw so many cute and adorable things that I could not choose. Partly because I thought if I got started, I would over spend and partly because I didn't know where to start.

There seemed to be a bazillion swings, strollers, and diaper bags. There was a whole section of rocker/gliders. There was a huge section on crib choices. Glad the kids already took care of that but I was looking at the pack-n-plays and there were a bunch of choices there too. I could not make a choice which was a bit aggravating.

I failed at baby item shopping this trip because all I bought was a couple of bags of cotton balls. That was a safe choice and besides everyone needs cotton balls. Thank goodness I have a little bit of time to get my head around this shopping thing for our future generation.