heart to heart blog

I have to say, it is really starting to become  a reality that our Parker Party of 2 will soon be a Party of 3.  Beyond my growing belly, I recently had the chance to familiarize myself even more with all of the great baby products out there.  Graco attended the annual ABC Kids Expo® in Las Vegas earlier in September, and I have to say I found myself wearing different shoes this year as a first time expectant mom (literally too - trading in my heels for comfy flats).   The All Baby & Child Expo (aka ABC Show) is the primary trade show for the juvenile products industry and trust me, there is A LOT to see! From set up to tear-down, Graco employees come in (in shifts, otherwise it tends to be an extremely long and exhausting week) to ensure a seamless show, touring buyers and media through our latest and greatest creations.  Here are a few that recently hit stores (or will very soon)!

Lovin’ Hug® Plug-In Infant Swing: You now have the option of AC plug-in or battery operation, allowing you to choose the power source that best suits your needs

My Ride™ 65 Convertible Car Seat: Holds your child rear-facing longer than most US seats – up to 40 lbs. Then, secures your forward-facing toddler in a 5-point harness up to 65 lbs.

SnugRide® 35 Infant Car Seat: Extends SnugRide comfort and performance for babies from 5-35 lbs. and up to 32 inches, with an easy-install base design and side-impact tested construction

 Nautilus™ Elite 3-in-1 Car Seat: All the performance of our Nautilus 3-in-1 seat, with a convenient integrated seat belt lock-off 

 So, this year, amidst my duties to manage a successful install and dismantle of the 5000 square foot booth as well as work the show,  I made a point to walk a majority of the show and get the scoop on all of the wonderful baby products out there.  I packed my suitcase a bit on the light side purposefully so that I would have some additional space to bring home some loot–and that I did!  Many of the exhibitors present at the show want to skip the worry (and cost) of shipping all of their goods back home, so they offer to sell it on the show floor at wholesale prices.  It was like Christmas for me!  Not knowing the sex of the baby at this point was probably a good thing, I could have easily broken the bank purchasing all of the adorable ‘gender specific’ things out there.  Bringing home the goods I was able to snag has definitely given me the ‘nesting’ itch…more to come on that very soon!  So needless to say, my perspective (and shoes) were very different this year at the show and I’m looking forward to actually getting to use my knowledge (and purchases) very soon!