Baby Gear Envy

I have to admit, shopping is my hugest addiction and problem. I was watching "True Life: I'm a Shopaholic" and found myself siding with the people who had the problem! I would say to Todd, "oh that seems normal! They're just overreacting!" But really, it isn't normal!

Maybe my problem isn't so much shopping as it is researching new products. Once I buy something new for Kirsten I immediately start to research the same product and start to get buyer's remorse. It's pretty awful. I spent so much time making the perfect registry when I was pregnant, and now I find myself wanting DIFFERENT items! I wonder, "can I return that??"

Also, I get HUGE baby gear envy when I run into other moms or visit my friends. I think to myself, "wow that stroller looks awesome!" or "wow! I never saw that swing before? Look how happy their baby is in it!" I feel like this is ingrained into all of our heads when we become mommies. We suddenly become obsessed with what OTHERS have!

Being a mommy and baby gear is a competitive sport, and I really don't think men truly understand how involved and intense it can get. I find such pleasure walking around BabiesRUs for hours, looking at each and every product. Whereas my husband would prefer to just walk in, get what is cheapest, and leave as soon as possible.

I spend hours on the interest asking the same questions over and over, convinced there is still something BETTER than what I already have for Kirsten. I feel almost foolish at times, thinking, "didn't I already do hours of research when creating my registry? Why am I finding things that are SO MUCH BETTER now that we already have tons of stuff??"

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." This is the tenth commandment from the Bible. And even back then they knew how crazy mother's can be when it comes to shopping, and more importantly, wanting what everyone else seems to have discovered.

It is truly remarkable how quickly the change happened, from me being envious of things for myself that other's had (especially shoes!!!!) to being obsessed about things for my baby. I would go to the bar and stare at the shoes of every girl in the bar, and be truly sad if someone had on better ones than me. I would spend hours and tons of money at the mall looking for the best and cutest shoes. And with the shoes came the perfect outfit, but shoes always came first! Now, I spend hours looking at sites with 4 year old age limits.



In case you were wondering, here is my latest obsession. I honestly wish I didn't turn my nose up at things that aren't the super popular name brands. I was very much the "it has to be name brand, and not too different" type of person when I shopped. Now that I have been doing so much research on organic items, or other companies outside of Graco and Fisher Price, it is mind boggling the amazing things I have found!

Well here it is, the thing that will honestly keep me up at night until I find a way to get my grubby little mommy envious hands on....



It is the Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair.

It just looks amazing to me, and I really like that it is a chair that can be pulled up to the table so that Kirsten will be more apart of family meals, instead of over in her own chair with a tray. We currently have a Graco model highchair, which I am sure is great and perfectly fine, but I am allowing my curiosity get the best of me and may attempt to return it so we can purchase this! They sell it through the Gap's website with special cushions for the chair. Seriously... neat looking chair and sold through the Gap??? They are just dangling this right in front of my face!


First step is to see if I can return the other highchair, and then I will go from there. Wish me luck!