Baby Planet has some incredibly cool stuff.  Their main focus is strollers, and they have more kinds of strollers than I knew existed.  They also have bassinets, chairs, and combination things like the Eden 3-in-1 Bassinet.

But I came across something else that they do that’s the coolest thing of all.  They have an endangered species line of strollers.  They have teamed up with the Wildlife Conservation Society to raise awareness of 4 different animals that are in danger of extinction in our world.  This is such a neat idea; I mean, your stroller only does one thing, right?  Well, why shouldn’t it do one more?  It can safely transport your baby and bring attention to the plight of other living creatures. 

The stroller themes are the lemur leaf frog (I love the vivid green on this one!), the tiger (I like that this one isn’t too bright an orange, but a more natural tan and black), the snow leopard (a gorgeous gray and white, but maybe too light for long-term stroller use?  My stuff always got really dirty),  and the monarch butterfly (black with just the right amount of orange accents, not too orangey).

All these stroller fold up for portability, and they have those wonderful big storage baskets underneath.  Your baby is safe and comfortable,  your stroller is extremely cool, and you are helping save extinct animals.  It’s a heck of a deal.  You can get these great items at regular old stores, like Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Babies-R-Us.

Most of us, when we dream about having a baby, imagine how we’ll decorate the baby’s room.  Perhaps we’re partial to Winnie-the-Pooh or Noah’s Ark, or even the classic pink-for-girls/blue-for-boys schemes. 

Maybe real life bursts our dream bubble right around then, and we realize that the cost of paint, furniture, wallpaper, and a bajillion diapers really adds up.  For example, DH and I ended up decorating our first baby’s nursery in two complimentary themes.  There was “Can we get a crib in here with all these books?” with accents of “Crap from Grandma’s basement.”

But still, nothing softens our hearts like a pretty little themed room.  Friends of mine did their grandchildren’s room in a wonderful Peter Rabbit theme, and it’s so lovely I don’t know how they allow kids in there.  I could just sit in there (or stand–I wouldn’t want to wrinkle the PR bedpsread).

I have some suggestions for creating a themed nursery, even if money is tight. 

• Choose early, and stick to it.  It’s all in the planning. 
• Choose gender-neutral themes.  Peter Rabbit, Winnie-the Pooh, biblical themes (Noah’s Ark, Good Shepherd, etc), nature, clouds, animals, teddy bears, alphabet are good for both boys and girls.  Avoid pink and blue (after all, ultrasounds can be wrong!)

Make a list.  If you have 7 months between finding out you’re pregnant and putting the baby in the nursery, you have plenty of time.  Count how many paychecks you have coming between now and your due date.  Buy one thing with each paycheck.  Paint, then wallpaper borders, then curtains, then crib sheets, then framed photos, then stencils, then changing table covers, then a lamp… you get the idea.  The whole thing costs a lot, but piece by piece, not so much.

• 

  Penguin lamp

  Register!  Babies-R-Us, Target, Wal-Mart…almost every place has a baby registry, and everyone wants to do a little something for you.  Let them buy the $15 penguin lamp you’re dying to put next to the crib.  Let them buy the framed poster of Lambchop.  They want to, so let them!  Just make sure they know what you want, or who knows what you’ll end up with!

With planning and thought, your baby can have a soothing, stimulating room–one both you and your baby love to spend time in.

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