Well as most of you know we're preparing the third bedroom for the arrival in November/December of our miracle baby (Ha! Take THAT so called specialists!)

Anyway.

We've been looking at Babies R Us, Mothercare (how much??!) and so on, then we read someone who had bought the Salisbury range of stuff from Argos. Personally I'm wary of buying anything "important" from Argos, like cots and cribs and baby-changing tables etc. I don't mind stuff in the second bedroom like bedside cabinets, that's not important, so if a handle goes wonky and drops off who cares? But this stuff's been given some good write ups, and its solid pine which beats veneered chipboard, so we went on a search.

Well it seems they're having a sale on. The Salisbury stuff, if bought separately, would have come to close on £500. With their sale, it was being advertised as £399 for everything. Five items: Chest of drawers, changing top, wardrobe, cot/bed, and under-cot slide-out drawer.

We hummed and hah-ed for a bit, then we figured, ok, as it was the best deal we'd seen so far. But then we added it up - instead of coming to £399, it actually comes to £374.

Surely some mistake, we thinks. There's a button saying "Add special offer bundle" so we gave that a click, then went to "Buy and Review."

Surprise! Instead of it now working out at £399 or even £374, it only costs ... £243.19

We thought we were doing something wrong so tried it on other browsers, and it still works out the same price. Example, their wardrobe is £136.99, sale price was £102.74, but with the "bundle" thingy it works out at £37.93 ... wth?

Anyway it got delivered today, all 5 items ready for me to assemble over the weekend, thought I'd share in case anyone else is looking to furnish a nursery. Good luck and get in before they notice!

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"I done a lot of things I ain't proud of. And the things I am proud of, are disgusting." - Moe Syzlak

lol lucky, congrats on the find. Babies, they are, for the most part, really easy to make but damn they're expensive.

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Is this the voice of experience I hear? :)

I knew a girl who used to spend a fortune on her kid, took her to the Bear Warehouse (or whatever it was called) and was blowing loads of cash. I couldn't work out how someone could just go spend £100 on dressing up a teddy. Now I think I'm turning towards the same path, and think nothing will be too good for my child ... I've gone soft in my old age

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"I done a lot of things I ain't proud of. And the things I am proud of, are disgusting." - Moe Syzlak

;)

What kills me is the clothing, the amount one has to buy for each stage considering how often one has to change them and how fast they grow out of it. It's quite the industry.

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We've noticed that too, but they got you over a barrel - they know you'll do anything for your kid, including paying top whack for something they'll wear for 3 months and then it's surplus to requirements ...

Still I suppose there's always ebay to help us get rid of our excess clothing n that :)

Unless lightning strikes twice and Fi get pregnant again O.O ... guess we better keep it for a while ... just in case ....

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"I done a lot of things I ain't proud of. And the things I am proud of, are disgusting." - Moe Syzlak

Wow, that's a great deal!!

A couple we know are pregnant and they are planning on getting a lot of stuff at a second-hand store, and painting it up so it all matches. I've seen some brill ideas - like buying a ton of second-hand/antique cupboard door handles, all mis-matching, to jazz up a boring old chest of drawers. Or combining them with a dull plank of wood to make a kind of coat rack for babies clothes and diaper bags etc.

Also, have you seen these?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazonas-Koa...3610469&sr=8-2

Similar in principle to a moses basket, except I think they look a lot nicer, plus it lasts for longer, and you can rock the baby. Make sure and ask around your friends who have babies to see if they have any clothes they no longer need. Most items will only have been used for a few months, so you can get some lovely nearly-new stuff for free.

Have fun with your flat pack :)

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Dude, Deady.. bargain or what :o

I wonder if they'll realise that their system was messed up, lol.

To be honest, I don't spend a lot on my son, even though he is a first born :P He has some great outfits and stuffs.. but I don't dress him up like a doll or anything. Whereby he has 10 pairs of shoes or anything like that.. That's the part that I can't understand. They are so tiny, but only for so long!

Can you believe that I've only bought 2 outfits that are 0-3 months? The rest came as gifts. lol. That is a very important point, btw. If you know you've got a huge family and plenty of friends and know that you'll more than likely to be getting baby clothes, then trust me, they'll be buying clothes under the ranges of 0-3 and 3-6 mostly. So a little tip.. don't spend too much on baby clothes in the early stages :P Work on 6+ months. That's the fun part, anyways.

Each baby is different, anyways... but in the early stages, one piece body suits are definitely the best (even if they do look like they're wearing pj's 24/7, lol! ) 'cause boy you need to be fast with the nappy changing... little patience do they have! Baby nerdy is 12 weeks today, actually. Yesterday I started packing away his 0-3 clothes that don't fit anymore. Boy did it bring a tear to my eyes, heh. But yeah, it's fun shopping around for the bigger outfits.. :D He has more patience now with getting changed, so it's awesome.

Also, not only is eBay great for selling the stuffs on. But also look out for great baby clothe bargains :D I've found some awesome outfits 6+ that I've been buying. New with tags, at a huuuuuge bargain price, heh.

Deady, have you looked into pushchairs yet? Have fun with that.. ha! *sigh*

Yeah we're looking at those 3-wheeler pushchairs by Greco / Graco or something ...

When Fi was in New Zealand visiting a few years ago she ended up pushing her ex's cousin's baby in one of them and reckons its a lot more stable and comfortable than a 4-wheeler. Not convinced yet, but that's a way off. I'd prefer one that lets the baby see the mummy/daddy (haha! thats ME!) instead of facing away and looking at unknown things, or scary pensioners going "ahhh coochie woochie woooo" ...

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"I done a lot of things I ain't proud of. And the things I am proud of, are disgusting." - Moe Syzlak

One problem with the three wheelers is that they are longer generally than the 4 wheelers. This isn't always a problem, but if Fiona is planning on using public transport often, they can be a pain and be in the way.

Also, you know when there are steps outside, and you get two grooves at the side for pushchairs? Well, having 3 wheels instead of 4 can make that hard work.

Also, I've not often seen the 3 wheelers that are suitable for new borns. You need a stroller that can fold down flat so the baby can lay down. Maybe the 3 wheelers do that too, but I think often they are more suitable for older babies.

Other than that I have heard good reports about them.

EDIT: This one can be used from birth and has a forward and backwards facing chair

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neonato-Reve...3611685&sr=8-4

EDIT2: Hmm.. a lot of the 3-wheeler ones say they are suitable from birth due to a seat setting that lays the baby flatter than a normal pushchair... but... well, I'd check some out in babies r' us or something - and if the newborn setting isn't completely flat and is a bit squashed up or something I'd personally give it a miss. Laying flat on their backs is really the best position for them - not sitting hunched. Just my personal opinion.

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ROFL! Ha.. it's true though. I have to say, I wanted a push chair with the baby facing me. But in the end, I thought ya know.. it's better for the baby to look around. They are very observant little things and I do believe it helps them in that sense. Looking at mummy and daddy all the time isn't a good idea. They do enough of that at home. I figured we should give them some time where they feel they can look around and perhaps with their parents not with them (you're behind them, they can't see you ;)) make them a little more independent. Says me.. with baby nerdy sitting up with me here looking at the computer.. rofl.

I bought a 3 wheeler one. And your wifey is right.. 3 wheeler ones are easier to navigate. :)

Edit: Vik is really right. Especially with the whole step thing outside the house. We've got two steps outside of ours! URGH! Annoying! But for walking around, I do find the 3 wheeler ones easier. Or maybe it is because my one rocks? ;) lol. Oh, and they've been proven to be easier rides for the baby. Which is crucial in the earlier stages especially.

Nerdy - I'm curious - did yours come with a carry-cot type thing for the chassis? So it looks like a traditional flat bed pram? Or how is the 'laying flat' function on it?

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It's not a traditional one. It's like a normal one... but the back can be adjusted to lay the baby flat for when they sleep, etc. Which is great. A lot of them are going that way now, with a strap so that you really can just adjust it to any position possible. The push chair comes with a car seat too, and you can attach that to the pushchair and baby nerdy can face us. But I don't like doing that, tbh, lol. Too chunky and long winded for me. Plus, I find it quite cute that he looks around observing stuffs...

Not sure if that answered your question.. hehe.
Might as well show you which one I got..

Here 'tis

It's actually a sports one. But that part is intentional. We go a lot to hilly places, and this is absolutely fantastic. I can't stress enough how awesome the wheels are on this thing.. <3 It just moves around so smoothly!

That's a cute one!

What I really meant was this kind of thing

http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Adventure-...3613089&sr=1-8

With a carry cot attachment so that the baby can lay down really flat, and has some space so there is no danger of overheating.

I think the important thing is to buy whichever one suits your needs. If you're using it on rugged terrain, or in a place that sees a lot of snow, a jogger is good. If your wife doesn't drive and the baby will be spending a lot of time in it's pushchair, they maybe one with a carry-cot thing is good so the baby gets some air circulating around it. If she'll be driving, make sure it fits into the boot of her car, etc etc.

Have fun picking one out!

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Yeah I had a feeling that was the type you meant. I do like it, but I thought the additional amount you spend for that extra part (with some of them, anyway) wasn't worth it. 'cause the one that I got is adjustable anyways, so the baby can quite easily lay flat. Plus, I found that most of them had the baby facing you. Then when they weren't, I found that the actual pushchair wasn't nice. Or wasn't easy to use.

One annoying thing is.. some push chairs can just be IMPOSSIBLE to open! There was one similar to that one ^ that I REALLY (!) liked, and it had like 4 different things you had to do in order to open it! They even labelled the four different parts, lol. I just found it long winded. So I turned it down for that reason :(

That's the thing about push chairs.. it's really hard to find the perfect one. One that is exactly how you want it in terms of where/how you position the baby, how easy it is to open, how easy it is to navigate.. and for me, most importantly, how light it is!

God, this is such a fun thread. hehe XD

To give you a better idea of what I meant with my mis-matching door knobs thing - here's a picture..

http://www.idealhomemagazine.co.uk/i...26171.jpg.html

That kind of thing, but with chests of drawers and wardrobes too :)

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I'm getting broody just reading this thread and there aren't any babies in it! I have nothing particularly useful to add right now other than "wow, what a bargain!" and how much I love walking around Mothercare cooing at baby clothes whilst making squishy faces and scrunching my hands up when I see cute teeny tiny baby clothes as if I want to buy then just for the sake of having them :)

Babies do cost a heck of a lot of money though. Oh, good tip/thing, Deady, before baby nerd was born we went to the mother and baby show; you can get loads of baby things from there for a cheaper price and there's often latest products there too. Loads of stuff all under one roof.

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Woah, you'd nearly be inclined to just buy the room now, in case you ever get a baby.

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As in the RC thread, here's what we've gotten built so far. We left the "changer top" off the chest of drawers for now, wardrobe is to be built later today.

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"I done a lot of things I ain't proud of. And the things I am proud of, are disgusting." - Moe Syzlak

awww ^_^ deadlock is mr.carpenter :D making all the cuteness furniture for his baby :D
(and awwww, that little guy on the windowsilllll) :D


good luckkkkk :D with the wardrobe :)

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I know it's unrelated, but I see two identical floor boards close to each other (with one row in between) in the middle of the picture. Is it real wood and a wacky coincidence, or laminate :P?

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It's sadly laminate, but extremely thick, about 10mm which compared to standard at 7mm is rather impressive. If I'd planned it better I'd have avoided those similar-plank things happening, but I was doing it alone and missed it. Never mind, if we get a rug down nobody'll know (apart from you lot and you won't say nothin, ya dig?) ...

The floor and underlay only cost £53 all in so to get real oak floor for that price I think would have been close to impossible :D

Actually I think there are 3 planks in a row but you can only see 2 as in this picture from a few weeks back ...

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"I done a lot of things I ain't proud of. And the things I am proud of, are disgusting." - Moe Syzlak

Well I was gonna comment it was a nice looking wooden floor till I spotted those two planks. So it does look pretty convincing! (Better than ours here... haha)

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Well, laminate is a lot harder wearing and is easier to maintain than real wood, so it's a good choice for a kid's room :) I love the colour, too.

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It's those little "groove" things between the joins that make it look better than regular laminate, and a lot more hard wearing. I think its currently selling in Homebase for around £9 a pack which makes 2 square metres.

We were unsure what colour to do the whole room and furniture, when it came down to it. Remember that we were in the process of adopting so we thought it would be an idea to get the place sorted before they (hopefully) gave us a v young girl or boy (like around 12-18 months, we hoped). But we didn't know what we'd get so decided on a white wall so we can colour the rest with rugs, blankets, bright coloured stuff, a better light shade, lamps etc. The floor was chosen because we didn't want dust and fluff gathering too much, and vaccuuming laminate is like a guarantee that there won't be anything left in the cracks afterwards . The colour wasn't really a factor but it looks more natural than some of the others, beech looks orangey and rustic oak looked better, but the grooves made it the choice for us.

So far that room has cost around £350-380 Not bad really!

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"I done a lot of things I ain't proud of. And the things I am proud of, are disgusting." - Moe Syzlak