House Update

Hello - well, as most of you know, along with preparing for a new baby, PJ and I are trying to buy a new house! For three years come July, we will have rented the same house in Broad Ripple - who knew we would be there so long! Anyway, we originally started the search last spring, but then halted and resumed this spring. Thank goodness we have a patient realtor (at least, she is patient when around us!!!). Anyway, we have spent numerous Sundays looking and endless hours online searching. We thought we had found "the house", but then it sold. And maybe for good reason. Our big hang up is finding the right house in the right area. We LOVE where we live now, but in order to afford a house, have to give up space (which would include a third bedroom and second bathroom possibly), or style (we might not get a cute bungalow!). Most of you know how I feel about vinyl villages (aka, mass produced subdivisions with no trees and flat backs of homes) - not my personal favorite. Though, you do get a lot more space for the $. Just not in our area, which is landlocked. Dang. So.....back to sqaure one. What do we choose? More house for the $ in an area we just think is okay? A smaller house in the area we love that will continue to retain and increase in value? A house we can stay in for 5-10 years? A house that will be too small in 3-5 years? Proximity to work and future daycare? So many questions and the bottom line is that we can't have it all! Well, we could both go work in the private sector (and give up jobs that we both love) and then maybe afford that half million dollar house in Merdian Kessler or Butler Tarkington. What a dream.

Anyway - needless to say, we thought we had ended our house search, and after not getting what we thought we wanted, have come back to reevaluate what we really want. For now, we are in full search mode with no end in sight. Good thing we have our lease through July (though if I am moving in July, I might die!!!!! 8 months prego in midwest humidity? No thanks!).

Other than the house search, things are great!!!!!!! Belle was in town this weekend and we spent a long time at Babys R Us adding things to the registry. So fun!!!!

Registry Info

While it may not be totally appropriate, I have opted to include a registry list on my blog. But, unlike registering for a wedding (which is not only much easier, there are also many more options), registering for a baby is tough! First, there are only so many places to register that are available across many states. The return policies at many of these places are horrible and the selection is overwhelming. To help you all, I will share insight from some research I have done (thanks to my book Baby Bargains and researching policies online at various store websites). I do not have a preference for where items selected on any registry actually come from (but appreciate gift receipts just in case...).

Please consider the following:

• Babys R Us - if you look at my registry online, you will see that many things are listed as unavailable, but if you visit a store, they might be available (negative for Babys R Us - this is very common and makes for difficult shopping!). Return policy here is that with a return of a gift, you only recieve store credit, even with receipt. You can return online purchases in store. Registries are not always updated in a timely fashion.
• Baby Depot - have heard not so great things........don't know their return policy off the top of my head, but think it is getting better, but still archaic.
• Target - I will not be registering here. If you are a Target shopper (and believe me, I love Target as much as the next person!) and have ever returned anything, you may have noticed their return policy is HORRIBLE! You are only allowed to return up to a certain $ amount in any calendar year (they run your driver's license to keep track). In addition, regardless of if something is on your registry (and like Babys R Us - registries are not updated in a timely fashion), you must have a receipt to get store credit. If you do not have a reciept or gift reciept, you are only entitled to purchase items in the area that you return came from, and your return is done at the current price. So if you get a book, don't have the receipt, and return it, you can only purchase from that department, in the save visit that you returned the book. Needless to say, it is a hassle to even think about recieving too much from Target should a return be necessary. They can deny a return even with a receipt if you have already hit your return $ limit for the year, which means you can end up with two of many items.

Other places to consider:

• Buy Buy Baby - http://www.buybuybaby.com/ - sons of Bed Bath and Beyond Owners have opened this chain, but only available in the northeast currently. Good options online. Return policy looks good. I LIKE THIS ONE!!!!!!!!
• Land of Nod - http://www.landofnod.com/ - part of Crate and Barrel
• Gap - www.gap.com - such cute bedding and clothing! They have a new return policy, but it is still generous.

I'll add more later to another blog as I research more and learn more. I may have items here and there from various sites. We still need to pick out furniture, and may opt to do that at a regular furniture store.

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