Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Drool Baby Expo organized by Magic Beans for the second year in a row. It’s an event highlighting the latest baby gear, clothes, trends, local companies and more. Since we are having our third baby fairly soon, we don’t need too much stuff at this stage of parenting. I did find myself excited by a couple of new items that would be worthwhile for a new mom or a third time mom.
I did see a number of items that are cute and fun from a novelty perspective, but really not worth the investment if you are creating your priority list of baby needs. A fancy labor gown is really not necessary. Trust me when I say your outfit is the last thing you will be thinking about during delivery. My old boss gave me a great tip once, pack a beautiful pashmina or scarf. Add that around you for some pre/post baby pictures to give your pictures a little more color. Otherwise, just let the focus be on that new little baby.
Also, if anyone is thinking about buying a stroller that requires two hands to fold it, don’t do it. I made this mistake with my first stroller purchase and just wish I knew how often I would only have one hand free to fold down a stroller. The stroller was expensive and works well, but I tried to avoid folding it and bringing it in the car, ever. The great part of being at the expo is being able to try out all these strollers yourselves and have the brand expert answer all your questions. You can find lots of other stroller experts at your local Magic Beans store as well.
Disclosure: I attended the Drool Baby event to offer media coverage, which covered the cost of my ticket. All opinions expressed here are my own.