(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best nursery decor

I'll be adding my Top 5 recommendations shortly!

Edit: Ok. I wasn't planning on giving recommendations but due to the new rule, here we go!

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1. My favorite piece is probably the airplane shelf but my Aunt found it second hand somewhere. I found a similar one on Etsy: Biplane Floating Shelf | Industrial Airplane-Shaped Display Shelf | Rustic Style | Metal and Wood | Wall-Mounted
   
2. The crib was also a gift from my parents. I'm actually not a huge fan of the changing table part. It's pretty small and not very cushioned. I ended up getting another changing pad for the top of the dresser anyway. I probably could have gone with just the crib but it also turns into a toddler bed so I'll end up using it for a while. Here it is on Amazon: Delta Children Abby Convertible Crib and Changer, Grey'
   
3. My Mom got me the glider and ottoman. It's super comfy and the price isn't too bad compared to other rocking chair options. Also on Amazon: Forever Eclectic by Child Craft Cozy Glider and Ottoman, Cool Gray with Dark Gray Cushion
   
4. Something I actually purchased myself lol... the play mat. I think it's a bit overpriced but I couldn't find one like it anywhere else. I wanted something similar to the old school road map carpets but with colors that matched a little better. It's definitely not as durable as a rug but its spongy soft and it was a good addition to the room. On Amazon: MAXYOYO Play Mat for Baby Grey Area Rug Foam Play Mat Living Room Floor Mats Baby Crawling Mats Climbing Pad Nursery Rug Carpet, Village, 59 by 79 Inches
   
5. As soon as I found out we were going to have a baby I knew that I wanted a chalkboard wall! Being artistic, I thought it would be super fun to be able to draw different characters and themes as he grows. As well as him just being able to play with it himself. I don't remember what brand the chalkboard paint was. It was whatever our local Home Depot had in stock. Fair warning if you plan on doing it too is that the paint is not like normal wall paint as it is very thick. The foam brushes worked best. It is very time consuming and it may drip, which will mean you need to sand it and go over it again! I'm pretty sure it's only meant for small surfaces but I definitely wanted the whole wall lol. Here are the chalk markers I got for it: Brilliant Bee - 18 Mega Pack of Liquid Chalk Markers
   
   So yeah, a lot of what we got was gifted and then I just worked with what we had available. The dresser and chest of drawers are actually still filled with my clothes but I'll slowly be phasing my stuff out with his (once I figure out what the hell to do with my stuff haha...)

Here are a couple more pictures.

Top Five that money can buy:

1. Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 crib. I’ve seen this crib in lots of nursery pics. It is easy to put together and sturdy. We picked ours up off Facebook Marketplace for $125, including the conversion kit.
   
   
2. Hatch Rest sound machine and night light. we got a chance to trial run this little gadget a couple days ago when a friend’s toddler napped at our house. It was nice being able to change the sounds and light colors and turn up the sound using an app on my phone. Toddler was fussing and we turned up the sound a little and he went to sleep! Magic!
   
   
3. Jellycat stuffed animals. They are just so cute. I give one to all the new babies in my life. My brother and SIL gifted this baby with one.
   
   
4. Ubbi diaper pail. I don’t have experience using it, but it calms my nerves about poop. 🤷‍♀️
   
   
5. Nambe photo frame. This was a gift. It is the sweetest little frame ever and not something I think I would have splurged on for myself, but seeing it in person, I think it would be an amazing gift for new parents and even worth buying for yourself. It’s so precious.
   
   Top Five that money can’t buy:
   
   
6. The quilt hanging in the wall was made by my great grandmother and was my baby quilt! My mom surprised me with it at my shower.
   
   
7. The framed art and picture. The top is a painting of baby garibaldis (sooooo cute!), which is the state fish of California. The bottom is a photo of my husband riding on his dad’s shoulders as a toddler.
   
   
8. This book collection. We asked people to just gift baby with a book (they gave us soooo much more in addition), and we ended up with the most wonderful collection of funny and sweet books that will continue to remind us that we have an amazing family and network of friends.
   
   
9. Box full of Beany Babies. Sentimental gift to baby from my mom.
   
   
10. The yellow giraffe basket. My best friend gave us this and told me that she had bought when I was pregnant the first time (with a baby I lost to miscarriage). For some reason it just makes me so happy that there’s something meant for that baby in this room. ❤️🌈

More pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/77u6lur

1. The rocker glider we got off of craigslist for $100. Super comfortable and clean! Way better than the old Windsor one I had that broke within a month. I’m not sure the brand but it’s very good quality and the folks we bought it from said it was from a friend’s furniture store.
   
   
2. The crib and dresser set were $150 for the pair, also bought off of craigslist. Amazing score! They’re both Delta products. The changer topper was bought off amazon to hold the pad in place:
   
   Delta Children Changing Kit, Black Cherry Espresso https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TR5A036/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_a3dXDb6Z3X2CJ
   
   
3. The mobile is off of Amazon and we bought it last, it’s got a space ship and airplanes/clouds — we thought it was perfect!
   Mini Tudou Musical Baby Crib... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9BHLYV?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
   
   
4. I couldn’t find the link to the storage cubes for some reason, but it was a SONGMICS 6-cube storage rack, also bought off amazon. The cubes were separate:
   IKEBANA Set of 6 Multi-Colored Handle and Label Holder Foldable Fabric Drawers Storage Cubes, Convenient for Clothes Storage Or Kids Toy Organize https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QDQLHZH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_a7dXDbBJMAARZ
   
   I absolutely love this piece with the art we also bought off amazon above it. The frames were from dollar tree! We use the cubes to store his blankets, extra changing pads, pump materials, toys, extra bottles and pacifiers, etc.
   
   
5. Here’s the link to the curtains: BGment Blackout Boy Curtains -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075PQH5LK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
   
   And the stickers: DECOWALL DAT-1406B1506B Animal... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXXXJGC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share (balloons/planes)
   
   RoomMates RMK2619GM Wall Decal,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1FVSLO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share (rocket ship)
   
   ElecMotive Wall Stickers of Tree Owls Wall Decals for Kids Rooms Nursery Baby Boys & Girls Bedroom https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C8FVL0W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qaeXDb3SYBDMG (owls)
   
   We originally wanted to do a space and elephant themed room, then changed it to animals and space, then changed it to a general sky theme. These pictures are from yesterday when we finally finished, a day before our c section we were just surprised with! Due to complications this ended up being our best option, I’m sitting in the waiting room right now trying not to think about how thirsty I am, haha. Pictures and birth story are soon to come of our baby boy Isaac! 😊
   
   Edit: ignore the plain gray sheet on the twin bed, that will have a comforter set on it soon for my seven year old daughter who will be joining us part time in a couple months. It’s hard to see in the photos but we put some glow stars over her bed, and my mother will be making her a sheer canopy to hang over as well.

So this is baby # 2 and we were all about the hand me downs this time around. Would’ve liked to paint but we rent and I didn’t feel like dealing with all that. We did have a baby sprinkle and scored some big ticket items like a double stroller, infant car seat, diapers, and swing. First time mamas, let me encourage you to buy secondhand. I could’ve saved literally over a $1,000 on my first born’s nursery had I been a little more open to used items. IMO, both nurseries are just as nice except this one was substantially cheaper to create.

Not easily seen from my poor quality video are Babar prints. If you can just look past the fact that it’s a story endorsing French imperialism, one can’t resist having an elephant nursery without Babar the elephant!

Top five items:

1.) Secondhand IKEA crib; my friend used this with all three of her kids. It is the Snigler crib. Super basic but super reliable.

2.) Dresser: secondhand, purchased on Facebook marketplace. Also has changing table topper but we omitted using that and just secured the changing pad to back of dresser.

3.) Elephant decals: Wall Pops WPK0841 WPK0841 Tag... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E2XCOB4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

LUCKKYY Elephant Family Wall Decal Removable Vinyl Wall Art Elephant Bubbles Wall Stickers Baby Nursery Wall Decor (Grey) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C7Y4F3D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kbhwDbJVV9ATB

4.) Hatch sound machine: we used this with our first (still do) and it was a sleep game changer. In my opinion, the best white noise machine on market. Also doubles as an ok to wake clock and is operable from your smart phone!

Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine, Night Light and Time-to-Rise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XMRCC94/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KchwDbHWZB7S4

5.) Ubbi diaper pail: we’ve tried several diaper pails over the years and this is the most smell proof and easy to use. It has a lock mechanism to prevent curious hands from digging through dirty diapers and can use regular garbage bags.

Ubbi Steel Odor Locking, No Special Bag Required Money Saving, Awards-Winning, Modern Design Registry Must-Have Diaper Pail, Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00821FLSU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eehwDb961APP4

More photos here!
We’re second time parents expecting a baby boy any minute now (I’m being induced tomorrow morning if he doesn’t come sooner!) and we’ve already done a soft gray gender neutral nursery for our dd. This time I wanted something a little darker with pops of color. We completely renovated our guest room with new trim and paint and drywall work on the closet to make this room happen. I guess you could call the theme travel and exploration but it’s truly just a mix of things that my husband and I liked. I’m thrilled with the result and can’t wait to bring this baby home to it very soon!

Top 5:

1. Sweet Baby James pop-up book My mother-in-law used to sing this song to my husband when he was a baby and it’s our daughter’s favorite. This little book has gorgeous illustrations.
   
2. Curtains and Starry table lamp from Target. However, I don’t recommend ordering the lamp online, I received 2 broken lamps and 1 with a crushed shade but I was able to combine two of them into one complete lamp. It was ridiculous!
   
3. The moon, stars, and cloud decals are from amazon and I combined two different packs into one. They’re a little bumpy on our textured walls but I think it makes them look painted on!
   
4. I hand painted some of the artwork (Dream Big and Henry) and the lemur was a free printable. There’s also a free print from NASA which is one of many awesome space exploration posters.
   
5. The ottoman was made by a graduate of our theatre program who now has an MFA in scenic design. One of her first big projects was to make a pouf for The Secret Garden and she made us this baby pouf for our daughter and now it goes perfectly in our son’s room!
   
   There are a few special items on the gallery wall including an elephant from my dad sitting next to a copy of the Velveteen Rabbit and a wooden wall hanging featuring Noah's ark and a rainbow, both gifts from my younger brother. There's a book from my mom called "I love you more.” There's also a set of temperature gauges from my older brother and a collage that my daughter and I made out of cut paper and glue stick one Saturday.

Wooden blocks. Best.toy.ever. Both girls play with them all the time. We've had the same wooden blocks played with almost daily for the past 2.5 years. They have been everything from castles and houses to food and animals. We have this set and a set we got at a second hand store which is much like this one. This past Christmas we also got our 3 year old a set of pattern blocks and print off designs for her to follow.

Wooden train tracks are awesome, too. We have a set from Ikea, which were great at first, but with time the plastic connectors are getting sticky since they don't expand and contract with the wood. The Brio/Thomas the Tank Engine set holds up much better in the long run.

Both our girls love their white noise stuffed animals. C has Sleep Sheep and L has Gentle Giraffe. They won't do what an actual white noise machine does, but the girls both found them very soothing as they were falling asleep and when they woke in the night.

They both have Kinderglo night lights. C has an owl and L has a hippo. We had a defective hippo and the customer service we received from Blue Moon Lites was phenomenal. They sent us a replacement hippo with absolutely no hassle, which turned out to also be defective. When I contacted them a second time, they were sincerely apologetic, referred to our experience as "unacceptable," then ran another replacement hippo through additional quality standards testing to be sure it wouldn't happen again. I haven't received that kind of customer service in a long time...and the last hippo is still going strong after a few months of "toddler testing."

Any and all Sandra Boynton board books. They're funny and cute and the girls love them all. We've memorized quite a few of them.

More pics here!

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Disclaimer: There's really no theme to our nursery, despite the abundance of giraffes and Poohs. I already owned all of these Winnie the Pooh stuffed bears...he's a lifelong love of mine, and I just think giraffes are neat.

TOP FIVE

1. Crib: Graco Benton 5-in-1 in Pebble Gray. I got a really, really good deal on this through amazon, because the box it came in was damaged and they couldn't guarantee that the crib itself wouldn't have some superficial damage. I wasn't bothered by the prospect, and luckily it turned out I didn't have to be! Crib was in perfect shape and I got it for 50% its normal price.
   
2. Mobile: unfortunately, I think this particular style of mobile is sold out, but I got it from Sorrel & Fern on Amazon. Here is a similar style, though it's woodland themed.
   
3. Blinds: we had some old pull cord blinds before, which were some of the first things to go. I got these magnetic blinds here. I will say they're a liiittle too big for the size window we have but nothing a little adjusting can't fix. They were super easy to install, too.
   
4. Marquee 'J': I love this so much. I don't even know why.
   
5. We got a lot of hand me down furniture from friends and family - our changing table, dresser, and the recliner I have set up in my nursing corner. I think my favorite contribution from family is the hand-made giraffe that my Aunt knit for him. I know it took her a lot of time and I adore it.
   
6. Bonus stroller: My MIL bought this for us, which I'm really grateful for. We live 2 blocks away from a sizable park and I wanted something that would be easy to handle on the walking trails.
   
7. Bonus floating shelves: I had a hell of a time installing these, but that was a fight between me and the drywall than it was the fault of the shelves themselves.

Hey!

Here are some ideas that I thought of:

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A stress-kit, a nice photo box with bath bombs, tea, socks, their favourite movie, some snacks etc. Things that would help her during this stressful time, and you can include some inside jokes or things like that in it. Something like this

A custom Road trip map like this

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Nasa and Space stuff like:

Cute Sweater

Iron on Patch for her to put on whatever

Space Bracelet

Moon Light

BFFs Sun and Moon Plushies

Really anything from this section of thinkgeek:

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Coding sets are super popular right now, they are meant for younger audiences but some of them good be really fun for her.

Code Rocket

Coding Robot

Cosmo Coding Robot

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You could make a Photobook online, you don't have to be a scrapbooker to make a really beautiful photobook of your road trip. (You could also put this in the stress-box. Here are some links to popular, easy, cheaper photobooks.

https://www.mixbook.com/

https://www.shutterfly.com/?esch=1

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My LO is 12 weeks. She's very curious but doesn't particularly like "toys" yet. She has a few little baby rattles and rings, but doesn't seem to really care if they are around or not.

She is REALLY entertained by light fixtures though, and windows.

Over the past few weeks it has been easier to get her interested in her crib mobile, though. I made that for her (why they don't sell Star Wars mobiles is beyond me). She really seems to think that's cool.

We were also gifted a crib bumper like this. She really dug that for a while (ie, 10 minutes, but that's pretty record breaking for her).

Edit: For activities, it's generally tummy time, plus rolling her around, and singing. They like to pretend that they're having conversations, so you look at them in the eyes to talk, then wait for a response (from them, a coo or whatever sound comes out), then respond back (I usually laugh, so she laughs, etc). A lot of people suggest mirrors under them during tummy time, mine doesn't care two licks about that but yours might!

My babies 6 months and she finally has a nursery now that we moved into our own place.

I’m so lucky to have had so many people offer hand me downs and gifts to help fill her nursery! We’re a young couple just starting off and to see how many people wanted to pitch in was really incredible.

Changing table and diaper pail were both given to me by my moms neighbor.

Crib/mattress and bedskirt were shower gifts. The sheets were hand me downs.

Some of the stuff is my own baby stuff my mom saved. The music boxes were mine, some of the books and the Madeline dolls as well as a couple stuffed animals.

Things I bought:

Dresser I found free on FB marketplace! I’m thinking of painting it light blue but still haven’t gotten to it 🤷🏼‍♀️

Twin bed frame I also found on FB marketplace for $25. I sometimes sleep in there with her if she’s having a tough night. This room also doubles as a guest bedroom for. The mattress and comforter were somethings my mom had saved.

The rainbow polka dot wall decals were an amazon find! $7 Love how they brighten up the room in our all white apartment.

The rug I found at home goods on sale for $40!

The “r” above her bed was another homegoods find for $8

The tassel dream catcher $10 on amazon

Look, a lot of talk going on here about loud noises, bangs, booms, PTSD and scary situations.... not to worry my friends....

Just make sure you all have your authorized safety vests on !!
That is all !!

Sincerely, Navy Medicine Representative

Sparklely Good Feeling Vest

Vest for all E-2C Hawkeye Aircrew

Ultimate for all those super cool Tacticool types


Happy 4th of July !! God Bless America and all Her Service Personnel, home and abroad !!

My son is 12 weeks old, and I'm currently his favorite toy. My hair is fun to grab and pull, my thighs and boobs are great to kick, and my face is pretty hilarious.

Also these are pretty cool too..
Light up counting dinosaur
Captain Calamari
Dinosaur mobile

My son loved this at that age - we still use it as a noise machine. But one of the settings is it changes the colors of the projected stars and it THRILLED him as an infant.

VTech BC8312 Wyatt the Whale Storytelling Baby Sleep Soother with a White Noise Sound Machine Featuring; 10 Stories, 10 Ambient Sounds & 10 Calming Melodies with Glow-on-ceiling Night Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCM7795/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_WOpOBbAKN5XRV

Also, does your fussy one like ceiling fans? Ceiling fans were the ultimate calmer when my son was little. Even now as a one year old lying under a fan soothes him really well. Good luck!

Small, flat pillow, like for a toddler. Use it for the ride home to put between your belly and seat belt. You will inevitably sneeze and it hurts like a mofo. The pillow will help tremendously. I also had dry shampoo but honestly, I just didn't shower for the first weak. I felt week to do anything! How will you eat? Frozen meals if needed. Disposable water bottles near your bed, enough for a week, if you don't have anyone to help you fill up.

Good luck!


ETA:

Pillow something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Being-Sleeping-Breathable-Hypoallergenic/dp/B07H171NJX/ref=sr_1_132?keywords=toddler+pillow&qid=1562820791&s=gateway&sr=8-132

Also, CHAPSTICK!!!!!

It's going to totally suck for a little while, but you gotta bite the bullet and hold strong. Stick to the bedtime routine and DO NOT give in. You can go in to quickly settle/comfort her in increasing intervals (after 15 minutes, then after 20, then 25, etc), but don't lie down with her. If she sleeps on the floor, that's fine. Just make sure she's wearing nice warm jammies. After a week or two it should get much better, but it will probably get worse at first as she rebels against it.

If you want, you could look into something like this so she has something to focus on that she can control.

Aw, congrats on the bebebebebe! Don't sweat not being able to tell him when you wanted. The day your baby arrives will probably put even a bigger smile on his face. Cheer up buttercup!

This should be on your wishlist! It's cute, baby related and a DIY project to decorate!

I got this owl thing for our son. We've been using it for nearly 2 years and it works great. It has some built in basic options for white noise that it can play and it also has a Bluetooth speaker. It charges via usb cable so you can take it on trips and stuff as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HP06EFW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2ixgDb3C2QFR0

HaloVa Diaper Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RLWKGQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_p2BlDb7ZQACD8

b&h Baby Bath Floating Duck Thermometer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073GGVN3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_r-BlDb2WFQSE8

SoundBub, White Noise Machine and Bluetooth Speaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HP06EFW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?th=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=froourhidpl00-20&linkId=34bb9c1662cbe0b851d4aa01447e155a&language=en_US

Sarah Wells Claire Breast Pump Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714M16GL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WMClDbTYY2SW1

Ergobaby Carrier, 360 All Carry Positions Baby Carrier, Pure Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DFVLH4P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MNClDbT74AG9X