Dh has only recently started griping about the number of carseats around the house. It seems to have coincided with my blogging, lol. Up until now, I’ve been fairly frugal with my carseat purchases: we only have 2 kids, so I’ve bought just what we needed, passing down seats as they were outgrown as well. I’ve gotten great advice before purchasing and have liked what I bought, so no need to buy the newest seat on the market. It’s not like they’re technology after all 😉 . I mean, I’ve bought a few seats in my time, but I don’t trade them like trading cards (you know who you are!). I know what you’re thinking—she’s a carseat geek and she doesn’t buy carseats?! Well, I’ve lived vicariously through Joolsplus3 😀 .
We were recently getting ready to go on a vacation and dh was trying to be helpful (funny how dhs try to be helpful, but end up being unhelpful) by collecting my ds’s clothes for the trip. He ventured into Never Land, otherwise known as my ds’s walk-in closet. That’s where I keep most of my stash of unused carseats. They’re very tightly packed away in there and covered by clothing, so just a casual glance in there and you won’t see much. I’ve got a Britax Frontier, a Marathon, an expired Roundabout, an expired original Maxi-Cosi Priori in Ziggy the zebra print (sigh, that harness adjuster puts the RA’s adjuster to shame), a Graco AirBooster, and the back portion of a Fisher Price Safe Voyage booster. Until I moved it to the garage in September, the Britax Husky also had a home in there too. And all was right with the world because dh stayed out of there. Then he had to find my stash.
Of course, I’ve got a SnugRide in the attic that I keep for demo purposes. Or really, just keep, because the only time I’ve used it is for the videos and pictures on my web site. I have the base of the Fisher Price booster in my van, along with the Compass B505 booster that I bought years ago for ds. I sometimes bring the neighbor kids home without notice, so I need something back there for them. I used to have a Combi Dakota hanging around, but darned if I know what happened to it (I secretly think dh pushed it into the open trash can and it now resides at the dump). Then there are the various seats hanging around the house that are here for review purposes. I tend to be slow with reviews (sorry!) so the seats hang around for long periods of time. It’s a necessary evil, part of the job. I try to keep my stuff compact and out of the way because I hate clutter.
That’s why I was so surprised that dh said something. Sure, there may be carseats hanging from every nook and cranny that my kids don’t actually use, but they’re out of the way. Unlike dh’s trainer for his bike. If you’ll recall, he’s a rider and when he’s training for a long ride, he sets up a trainer in our garage that inevitably everyone trips over because it’s so gangly. Might I add that even though he may be in training for a particular ride, he actually uses the trainer less than I use the carseats I have in storage. I really wouldn’t mind it being set up if he actually used the thing, but it blocks me from my noodles that I use when I’m trying out new seats, the kids from their toys, and other essentials. I think the truth is that he dropped a wad on it and it makes him feel better if we’re tripping over it just so it’s being used for something, lol.
Ah well, now at least I have a need to do something with some of these seats, but what? My 2 favorite seats, the MCP and the RA, have both long since expired, but I’m just attached to those. Some of the cutest pictures of my ds were taken in those seats. They’re a part of the family. Dh will just have to deal. Oh and shhhhhh, don’t tell him that I just bought a Cosco Highrise to replace the Compass that all the kids have outgrown.
I’m pretty sure that we determined the old Priori covers don’t fit the new Prioris. It’s too bad because the Ziggy is really nice.
Hahaha, thanks for dropping my name, Heather, I feel all famous now ;). And suddenly feel the urge to collect my unused seats and contain them much more nicely than they are… (some in the attic, guest bedroom closet, garage shelves, office… ugh, way too many!)
will the cover of the old Maxi Cosi Priori fit the new Priori? Methinks you could get the retail value for the whole SEAT out of that cover if it does!
That Maxi Cosi Priori Zebra cover is awesome!
LOL The infant seat DH told me not to get (for free) lives in the trunk of my car so he won’t trip over it. Otherwise I actually DID get rid of my stash (including Piper’s very first ever seat. *sniff*) So this means I usually have four seats in my car (Piper’s Nautilus, Laine’s TFP, the RSTV is tethered in there so I don’t lose it, and the Evenflo POS infant seat), there’s the Parkway in DH’s car for Piper, the Avenue in my closet for travel, and then a High Rise on a shelf in the basement. They’re spread out enough that DH doesn’t see that I have seven seats for two kids, even AFTER my big purge.
I don’t get new seats constantly either. I like what I have. 🙂 Though I could be talked into a Parkway SG fairly easily, though we use the Nautilus’ cupholders and storage a lot.