Ramona, Jeff, & Baby Angus

“Congratulations! Where are you registered?” When you tell people you are pregnant, this question soon follows. For many months, I had no answer. Several close friends with toddlers had promised to give me their baby items, but what exactly they would be handing down, I had no idea. Furthermore, as a new mom, I was totally confused by the cornucopia of baby paraphernalia in stores and magazines – convinced I needed one of each, yet sensing I was being misled by the naivety of a first-time mom. The prospect of clearly identifying what I needed, how many, and which style/size/color/theme was too overwhelming. I was cowed into inaction, and answered my friends and family with a lame, “Um, I don’t know. I think we’ll figure it out soon…”

My friend and colleague, Stacy, heard the fatigue in my voice and gave me the best present any friend could give: she surprised me with a SimpleRegistry. By the time she presented it to me, dozens of colleagues had already bought items – created by Stacy – from the registry. Though she had explained to my colleagues that I would redeem the registry for cash, she had created such thoughtful gift items along with short explanations that the registry felt very personal and specialized. For example, she added a baby Bjorn with the note, “So that Ramona and Jeff don’t have to leave the doggies behind when they go for walks with the baby.” Our friends and family know how much we love our dogs and how much we would value an item that allows us to walk the baby and the dogs at the same time. Stacy also knows we are avid readers, and added a gift of baby books with the explanation, “Any child of Ramona and Jeff is sure to be a bibliophile!” And of course, there were a few items that simply could not be included on a traditional registry, like money for a babysitter to allow mom and dad to have a night out.

I cried from joy when Stacy gave me the registry and when I saw how many of my colleagues had already contributed. Not only did we have a new baby fund, we also had an easy answer when someone asked where we were registered. I checked the registry regularly and was touched to read the notes people added when they made a contribution. In fact, I printed those notes out before we closed the registry, and I will save them forever. When he is older, I can show my son all the wonderful things people wished for him. Those print outs included addresses and made my thank you notes a breeze.

When I was ready to cash in on the registry, it couldn’t have been easier. The money was transferred to my bank account with a few simple clicks. By that time, I had already received the hand-me-downs I’d been promised, and I had a much better idea of what I actually needed. And the best thing – we kept some money in the bank to purchase the things we didn’t know we’d need until our son, Angus, was actually here. Angus is now four months old, and we are still using the money from the registry! It’s great to have that extra fund – I don’t feel guilty about spending a bit more from time to time to spoil him with special gifts.

Could things have worked out so well with a traditional registry? I don’t think so. SimpleRegistry allowed someone else to create a registry for me, made it fun for people to purchase personalized gifts and leave notes with their purchases, and created a fund that I could use for whatever I ended up needing. I tried my best to prepare for a new baby, but honestly, I had no idea what to expect (or what I needed). SimpleRegistry was simple to use and gave me the flexibility to buy exactly what I wanted, when I wanted it. And with a newborn in the house, simplicity and flexibility were just what I needed!