Registry runaround

If you've never registered for baby gifts, brace yourself. It's an often overwhelming process, particularly if you're trying to find things that:

• Aren't made with potentially dangerous materials
• Aren't poorly made
• Are a little more "classic" than your run-of-the-mill toys, jumpers, etc.
  

Honestly, between trips to Babies Я Us (I didn't want to do it, but the pickings are pretty slim in this neck of the woods) and researching and registering online, we've probably spent at least 15 hours working on this registry - and we're still not done.

The biggest problem is when something says it's organic but actually isn't. How this is possible, I have no idea. My guess is that either there's no agency that regulates this or there's a baseline amount of "organic material" that has to be in a product for it to be labeled organic. Plus, there's so much differing information out there about what's good for babies and what isn't. Trying to navigate it is enough to make your head explode.

Case in point: Among the the freebies Babies Я Us gives you when you register is a latex pacifier. On the back of the package, it says, "All natural latex can weaken after 2-3 months of normal use and should be replaced." Yum.