Where to Register: A Baby Registry Guide

I did a ton of research when I first found out I was pregnant. One of the most difficult tasks was deciding where we would start a baby registry. After talking to friends and reading a bunch, I decided to do one online-based universal registry and one in-store registry. This allowed for baby shower guests of all ages and abilities to be able to shop if they wished to.  I ultimately decided on Amazon (Shop Amazon - Create an Amazon Baby Registry) and Babies R Us (Create a Registry).  I wanted to explain some of the benefits of the many popular baby registries out there.

Note: This page may contain affiliate links.  Mom & Baby Bargains/Oracle Bee Deals is a participant in several affiliate programs, designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to their sites.  Mom & Baby Bargains/Oracle Bee Deals receives a small commission on purchases made through affiliate links on this blog, as well as all Mom & Baby Bargains/Oracle Bee Deals sites and social media outlets.

Amazon's Baby Registry

Shop Amazon - Create an Amazon Baby Registry

The Amazon Baby Registry is a great choice because it is a universal registry, meaning that you can add items from ANY website, not just Amazon items. So if you really like a sleeper set from the Carter's website, add it on! If you love clothing from a small boutique's website, add it on!

 There are a lot of perks to the Amazon registry, which is why I've mentioned it first.  First, all registrants will receive a completion discount of 10% off of the remaining items on their registry. Amazon Prime members will benefit the most, receiving up to 15% off of eligible remaining items on their registry (the completion discount.) One of my favorite things about having the Amazon Registry is the ease of returning items.  You can return items up to 90 days after purchase!  This is really important because time is precious when you have a little one, and you may not be able to get these things done right away.

Registrants can also receive a Welcome Box, valued at up to $35, by following the instructions at sign up.  The welcome box is, in my opinion, better than any of the other stores' goody bags.  It typically includes products by Babyganics, Burt's Bees, Philips Avent, and more.  Some more perks of an Amazon registry:   you will receive a 30% off coupon for Huggies, a 25% off coupon for a maternity purchase, a 25% off coupon for prenatal vitamins, FREE SHIPPING on all of your registry items and more! See all of the benefits and register here: Amazon Baby Registry Benefits.

Babies R Us Registry

Like the other store registries, Babies R Us offers a 10% completion discount (sent by mail to your home) for items remaining on your registry.  They also give you a welcome gift, which for me was a small diaper clutch containing a diaper and small pack of wipes.  Babies R Us also price matches items, so keep an eye out for great deals, and spread the word to family and friends!  Another perk is up to 1 year for returns, which is the longest time period of any store.

The biggest perk of this registry is the Endless Earnings program.  This program allows you to get up to 10% back on all of your registry purchases, including purchases that you make!  With my Babies R Us registry, I, first, added things that we really needed.  After my baby shower was over, I added on all of the items that I knew we would be buying (like nursing supplies that I didn't feel comfortable asking for.)  If I was in the store shopping and I saw something I liked, I would use the Babies R Us app to add the item to my registry before checking out.  About 10 weeks after your expected arrival date, you will receive an email with an e-gift card for about 10% of what was spent on your registry!  This is amazingly helpful, as you may still have things to buy or just want to stock up on diapers, wipe, etc.  Our registry items totaled about $2,000 (this includes items I added on after, that we were buying anyway) and I received an e-gift card for about $190.  I nearly forgot about it so it was quite a pleasant surprise when I checked my email.  So keep an eye out for that email, and check your spam folder!

babyli.st Registry

Also, a universal registry, this website offers a platform to add items from anywhere on the web.  They also have lists of the most popular items and checklists to help you choose the products that are right for you.  There aren't any coupons or goodie bags, but it is a nice, simple website.

buybuyBaby Registry

After starting a registry, buybuyBaby will give you a goody bag, available at any store location.  They also offer announcement cards to include with your baby shower invitations.  buybuyBaby also offers a great referral program, rewarding registrants with $25 off of $100 when they refer a friend to start a registry.  There is also a completion program for any remaining items on your registry.  See all of the benefits of their baby registry here:  Buy Buy Baby Registry Benefits

Kohl's Baby Registry

Kohl's will send you announcement cards that can be sent with baby shower invites.  These announcement cards will contain a 20% coupon for your guests.  Kohl's also offers a 15% completion discount for remaining items on your registry.  Many people love to shop at Kohl's because of their great rewards program and high value coupons.  Coupled with Kohl's Cash, the savings are significant!  See all of the benefits of their baby registry here:  Kohl's Baby Registry Benefits.

*This post contains affiliate links. The opinions and reviews of said products are honest and not in any way influenced by the affiliation. For more information, go to the "About Oracle Bee" section.

Mystery Shopping

A few years ago, I discovered the magical world of mystery shopping.  I had always heard about this phenomenon, but wondered how it worked and how to get involved.  I never really had time to do it but I was always fascinated by the idea of getting paid to shop. Eventually I acquired a comfortable work schedule that allowed me enough free time to try out mystery shopping.

Here's how it works:

Once you decide which company to work for (I chose a few for more opportunities,) you can sign up with them, using your social security number in the case that you make enough money to pay taxes.  Based on your area, the company's website (or app, in some cases) will show you available "shops" within the regions you have selected.  You can choose which shops to complete and you are not obligated to complete all or any of the shops.  Each shop has instructions to follow, a report to fill out and a completion deadline.  Some of the reports are more complex, requiring long narratives regarding the visit, while others are short and to the point.  Many shops will require a purchase be made, some reimbursed, some not, but returns are always allowed.  You will be rated on the quality of your shop performance, usually on a scale of 1-10, and as long as you have followed all of the requirements, you will be paid.  Payments are usually dispersed via Paypal, though other options may be available, and can take up to 8 weeks depending on the company.

An example of a mystery shop scenario:

A female shopper will go into a clothing store and walk around for 5 minutes until she is approached by a salesperson.  If she is not approached, she will seek out a salesperson.  She will ask the salesperson if a specific item is available in her size.  She will evaluate the performance of the salesperson, noting their name, appearance, professionalism, knowledge of the inventory, etc.  The shopper will then utilize the fitting room to try on at least two items.  They will evaluate the fitting room attendants, as well as the cleanliness and availability of the fitting rooms.  Finally, they will make a purchase of at least $10.  They will evaluate the wait time to be checked out, the cleanliness of the checkout area and the associate at the checkout counter.  Upon departure, the shopper will take a picture of the front entrance of the store.  Once all of this is completed, the shopper will then complete the form for this shop.  They must use proper grammar, void of spelling errors, to describe in detail the experience that they had.  They must upload the photo of the store's entrance, as well as a photo of the receipt from the store.  After the completed form is submitted, the administrators will update the form to show that the shop was received and later will note when the shopper has been paid.


Companies to check out:

Intellishop
http://www.intelli-shop.com

See Level
http://www.seelevelhx.com

Baby Registry Products Reviewed

   When I found out that I was pregnant, I couldn't wait to gather every bit of information possible and buy every little thing I could ever possibly need.  I wanted to know everything there was to know and I wanted to be completely prepared for the big day. (Spoiler alert:  I didn't learn everything and I wasn't completely prepared!)  I spent hours and hours scouring every baby website and blog, searching for safety ratings and "top baby registry items", first baby "must-haves" and every other possible tidbit I could feast my eyes upon.  They were all extremely helpful in one way or another and I've always wanted to create my own list of items that I used and loved, and the ones that I may not have used at all.  I will never say that you don't "need" any item, because realistically, having a baby is exciting and, for me at least, it was a great feeling to try every item, even if I had been told a thousand times that it wasn't necessary.  Also, see my must-haves baby registry list for an entire list of items Baby Registry Must-Haves and Essentials.

Note: This page may contain affiliate links.  Mom & Baby Bargains/Oracle Bee Deals is a participant in several affiliate programs, designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to their sites.  Mom & Baby Bargains/Oracle Bee Deals receives a small commission on purchases made through affiliate links on this blog, as well as all Mom & Baby Bargains/Oracle Bee Deals sites and social media outlets.

Baby Registry Items:

*Wipes Warmer - This was probably the #1 debated item that I read about on all of the baby sites and blogs.  Half of the commenters would say that it is a waste of money or dangerous and the other half would say that it is a lifesaver.  In my opinion, it has been extremely helpful but if I had a limited budget for baby items, I would probably skip it.  That being said, I am forever grateful for my Munchkin Wipes Warmer.  When I researched wipe warmers, like most new moms, I read every single review and comment.  Here are some of the issues that I came across. 

• "Wipes warmers are fire hazards."   This may be true, depending on the brand of warmer used and the way that it is used.  For me, there has not been an issue.  Yes, you are putting paper in water, inside of a plugged in box.  I did not feel that my Munchkin warmer ever got to be that hot.  I keep all of the items on the changing table away from the warmer, so that there are no issues.  We have left the warmer on every day for over a year (with the exception of one week when we were on vacation and a few day trips that we took.)  We have not had a problem with fire and hopefully never will.  We do keep several fire extinguishers throughout the house in case of any issues in general.  I highly recommend that, whether you purchase a wipes warmer or not.
• "The wipes turn brown/burn."  -  Nope, in 13ish months, we have not had any of our wipes turn brown... well, not from the warmer anyway ;)  
• "We are coddling our children by warming the wipes." When I am completely sleep deprived and my poor baby needs his diaper changed in the middle of the night, I am not going to startle him with a cold wipe.  Not happening.  For many of those MOTN diaper changes, he actually stayed asleep through the change! I was very lucky for this, and I'm not sure if it would have worked if I had used an unwarmed wipe.

What I like about my Munckin Warmer:  Wipes on top are as warm as the wipes on the bottom.  It is large enough to fit an entire stack from a refill package. (Remove the wipes from the plastic before putting them in!!) It has a light that always stays on, but isn't so bright that it keeps the baby from sleeping.  It also has a button to make the light brighter, which really comes in handy when you're fumbling around trying to get a diaper in the dark.

We also purchased the Prince Lionheart Compact Wipes Warmer, Green so that we could have the luxury of warm wipes while on the road.  It simply plugs into the car outlet.  I liked this for the car, but it does not hold enough wipes to be helpful otherwise.

*This post contains affiliate links to products. The opinions and reviews of said products are honest and not in any way influenced by the affiliation.