We finally found our crib set! And what a relief, after months of meticulous searching and debating. I never imagined it would be so hard... Thanks to GG, we didn't have a strict budget. So it was really just a matter of choosing a set with the style and features we wanted. Sounds pretty simple, right? NOPE. Not for me at least. I've probably stared at every crib and crib set on the market. I spent countless hours shopping online and went to all the big baby retailers as well as the small independent ones. It was always the same- if I found a crib I loved, it didn't come in espresso. If it did come in espresso, the matching furniture pieces weren't great. (We wanted a set with real furniture that our kids would be able to use all growing up, nothing too specifically "baby"). If I found an entire set that I liked, it turned out to be made of really cheap particle wood or had bad reviews. We thought about getting a high-end set with two pieces (rather than three), but the thought of buying baby furniture that was fancier and more luxurious than our own adult furniture was just too absurd. And of course we wouldn't have felt right about stretching GG's pocketbook that far.
Anyway, long story short, here it is! The Graco "Lauren". And you'll never believe where we got it (well, if you know me, you will, ha!) WALMART.com! NOT the place I anticipated buying it, but Walmart actually sells all of the same cribs as the other online baby stores, but for less. As far as the look and the quality, it was the best overall value out there. And whether or not we eventually convert the crib into a full size headboard, our kids will be able to use the dressers until they've fallen apart- which hopefully won't happen for a long time!
This Graco "Lauren" crib was only $139, and it came with a free mattress when we ordered it. We returned the free mattress (and actually got $25 back for it, even though it came "free") and bought a higher quality one for $75. OH, and it's a convertible crib, with the conversion set already included.
This Graco Combination dresser is currently $271.96, and comes with a free changing pad. It works great as a dresser/changing table combo, and alleviates the need for any additional drawer space in our small nursery.
This Graco 4-Drawer dresser is currently $249.99. We don't have space for it in our current nursery, but we'll be able to put it to use sometime in the near future.
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So, let's total it up: The cost of the three pieces of furniture was $660.95. Then, we got $25 back when we returned the free mattress, and then spent $75 on a better one. So, ($660.95-$25) +$75= $710.95
And does anybody want to guess how much shipping from Walmart.com was? Not only for these three pieces, but also for the free changing pad, the free mattress, and the Pack 'n Play that we ordered at the same time? Get ready..........$7! I'm not even joking. Holy-cheap.
And thanks to GG, our total out-of-pocket cost was $0! With such nice help from family like this, it freed up our budget for nursery decor.
Since I mentioned the Pack 'n Play.... we finally ended up ordering this rather than a regular bassinet or co-sleeper. It's a bulkier piece than I wanted, but it should be great for long-term use. Especially considering that we'll probably have a bigger than average baby if genetics has anything to do with it.
Can't wait to start setting up the nursery!!! Up next: infant car seat, cloth diapers, breast pump, baby carrier, and more.... Oh boy, here we go again! :)
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