Expert Q+A: Must Have Baby Gear with Courtney Santillano of Crib and Kids

Amanda:

Hi friends, Amanda, with Alamo City Moms here. We are with Courtney who’s the owner of Crib and Kids. She’s at her store right now. You can see behind her how many goodies she has in there. And we’re going to be talking baby gear and a little bit of transitional kid gear, what baby gear you actually need, where to spend, where to splurge, and the things that you should be looking for. And to make sure that you’re getting things that actually work well for your life and your lifestyle.

Courtney:

Hi guys, I’m Courtney Santillano with Crib and Kids, as Amanda said. I am a mom of three. I have two girls that are nine and six and a little boy that is 15 months old. So definitely still in the baby world for sure—all the way up through big kid and I’m excited to be here.

Amanda:

So I know from previous conversations that you and I have had that the two best things to splurge on, if you will, are are mattresses and car seats. Mattresses, I can understand, okay, fine. It is what it is. Good. But car seats to me are just, I mean, it’s like a black hole. It sucks you in, how do you choose the right one for your family? Like what features are actually important? Do we go for infancy or do we go straight to a convertible? And then let’s not even forget about installation and trying to get it installed in your car correctly, so it actually does its job. Now that I just dumped all that on you talk to us about car seats!

Courtney:

Right? I mean, that’s how most of our customers are when they come in—car seats and strollers are very, very overwhelming, because like you said, there are so many different brands in the market. All our car seats do have to pass a safety standard. So they definitely go through a lot of testing. However, that doesn’t mean that they all perform in the same way.

Amanda:

Okay. So they go through the same testing before they go to market, but not everybody made an A-plus.

Courtney:

Exactly. That’s the perfect way. So if you’re, you know, at the doctor, do you want your doctor that passed with a D because they pass—all we’re doing as pass or fail—or do you want them, the doctor that maybe got to the top of her class? Exactly. So it’s the same kind of thing with car seats. There are a lot of different features first and foremost, it does come down to fit of the child in the seat and the fit of the car seat in your vehicle. So hands down, two most important things. And that’s why we do have a lot of car seats out and we actually will physically bring them out to your vehicle to make sure that they’re going to fit properly for you. And then when you start going a little bit deeper into that, there’s a lot of different safety features that the car seat may or may not have that are additional.

So for example, a load leg or an anti-rebound bar, those are both things that are going to help either disseminate the energy into a spot instead of up into the seat and or help with the rotation of the seat if you do get into a car accident. So again, very important safety features that are going to handle the performance of your seat. They’re also made with different kinds of foam. So there’s EPQ and EPS foam. They absorb differently and react differently again in the event of a car crash. And then there’s even some that have what’s called a react system in there, so there’s aluminum in there. It’s kind of like crushing soda cans. So again, just different ways to help in the event that you do get into a car accident. So it’s definitely not a one size fits all for everybody.

Amanda:

This is a question we get often in community conversations: I’m having a baby, my mother-in-law or my nanny or whoever wants to buy a car seat for their car—is it okay if we just buy a convertible or should we buy an extra base? What should we do for that short amount of time where they’re so little, but you know, they’re going to outgrow it and you want something with some longevity.

Courtney:

That’s a great question. And we get that one often in the store too. So I would say about 90% of our customers do start with an infant car seat. And that’s great whether it’s for you, or you can buy an extra base to put in the nanny’s car or in grandma’s car or whatever you want to do. So it’s an inexpensive alternative to make sure that everybody has access to the same seat. And it makes it really easy because the baby stays with the same seat. So we’re harnessing, it’s done one time. And then that way, if grandma picks up the baby, you know that everything is harnessed correctly, hopefully you’ve taken our car seat education class, and it’s already installed safely in grandma’s car as well.

So you do have that option if you’re looking long-term and let’s say a mom’s the primary caregiver, and they’re the one taking the baby out and about most often, but dad, every now and then we’ll have the baby in the car. ‘Cause they’re either together in mom’s car. Most of the time is a great option too, because you can use it from birth. It does go all the way up to 65 pounds. And we do have some car seats that actually will take you all the way up into booster mode, to an all-in-one car seat gem for some families as well. What you lose with a convertible car seat is the fact that you cannot take the baby out onto the stroller. So you do have to wake up baby anytime you go in. I usually want to let them sleep. So that’s a huge benefit of starting with the infant car seat.

Amanda:

Don’t wake the baby at all costs, right! So you talked about your car seat safety class and we see that people don’t always install them correctly, even if they think they are. Y’all offer an installation service. What do I look for in an installation service?

Courtney:

So we do—it actually comes as a complimentary service and it’s a one-on-one class. So it’s just you with one of our certified car seat technicians. You can bring as many people as you want. You can bring grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, nanny, whoever’s going to be with the baby because our primary goal is to make sure that that baby is always buckled in properly.

We also teach you how to install it into your vehicle. And that’s very personal because it’s very different for each vehicle for each child. Let’s say you have three children in your car, it’s going to be a different installation than if you only have one child in the car. So there’s a lot of variables. Hospitals offer classes as well, but you’ll be in there with 10 or 20 other couples in there, and they’re giving you kind of top level information, which is great. And it’s really important. However, when you start drilling down into your specific seat in your specific vehicle for your specific circumstances, that information might change. We might be able to offer you just a little bit more insight into that personal one-on-one experience with you.

Amanda:

I just love though that there are people who are smarter than me at this who can hold my hand the whole way through.

Courtney:

Yeah, let’s do that.

Amanda:

Exactly. Let’s talk about strollers because we talked about taking the infant seat out of the car and connecting it to a stroller, being out in the grand scheme of your child’s life, that is kind of a small amount of time. I think that sometimes we get caught up thinking about, well, the stroller for right now, but taking a stroller is so personal and completely depends on your life.

I have a really good friend whose sister-in-law convinced her that she needed a jogging stroller because it was like the best. She’s not a runner, she’s not a trail hiker. She’s not a whatever. And when she finally switched to a different brand, that was a little bit narrower, easier to get in and out of the car at La Cantera or wherever she was going, she was so much happier. And I was just like, well, if you went in and you looked, you could find one that works good for you.

Courtney:

Yeah, that’s so true. And we hear that all the time here too. You’re going to obviously rely on recommendations from friends and family, and that’s a great way to get started with your brand lists that maybe you’re considering. But again, I highly recommend coming in store because you’re going to get that personalized service. Every one of our associates knows all the brands that we carry inside and out. So what we do is just help you kind of narrow it down based on the information that you give us about your lifestyle, to make sure that we’re lining you up with the best stroller for your family.

Amanda:

And your priorities.

Courtney:

Like you said about the jogging stroller. If you’re a runner, just walking on trails a lot, so maybe that would be a great stroller for you, but if you’re not, then you’re just carrying around a heavier stroller. That’s going to be a little bit bulkier. Maybe you travel a lot. We have a lot of great strollers that are very compact and you can take on an airplane. And you can even clip a car seat onto some of them now. So you do still get that travel system. Plus you get the convenience of a really small compact stroller.

Maybe your family is still growing. There are strollers that will start as a single stroller, and then if and when baby number two or three comes along, you have to buy a second seat. So you don’t have to now reinvest in an entirely new double stroller. You’ve got it now, a double. And then again, when the older child outgrows that you go back to a single, so that’s a lot of things go into it. It shouldn’t be a quick impulse purchase. You definitely want to do your research. And again, we’re happy to walk you through with an outside perspective versus somebody you know saying you have to have it because they loved it…

Amanda:

Because they loved it. Right. When we came into the store, my husband is an entire foot and a couple inches taller than I am. So it was important to us to have one that was very adjustable. So it was comfortable for each of us to push because he takes the stroller as often as I do. And he didn’t want to have to bend over while he was pushing the stroller.

Courtney:

Like you can kick the wheels when you’re really tall, not falling far enough out.

Amanda:

Yeah, exactly. I love that. Okay. Talk to me about things that moms or dads, that parents come in and say, I never would have thought about that. I never knew I needed this, or this was the best thing someone bought me. What are those little things that you would really encourage someone to at least consider?

Courtney:

That’s a good question. So there are a few items that come to mind. One that’s been kind of a universal success story is the “Baby Shusher.” It’s a sound machine basically, and you turn it on and it just shushes, but it shushes like you do. So it’s not necessarily in the same noise that you do when you’re trying to calm the child and it’s small and portable, so you can take it everywhere. A lot of people have a sound machine for the room and that’s something you think about. And they’re great, but to be able to take that in the car seat and diaper bag, when you’re out and about or at grandma’s house and consistent sound for them is really beneficial. Another one that I personally loved is called the pillow floor pillow.

Courtney:

So a round pillow that’s just a lounging pillow at the beginning. So you lay them down in there cause you know, I mean baby’s with you all the time. So whether you have to go to the bathroom, they need to be there with you, right? So this just gives you something that you can take from room to room and just place the baby in. So they’re in a nice, safe space, but what I love about it is that it grows with them. So because of the size of it, then when my baby was five months old and he was trying to set up on his own, I could sit him in there and then no matter which direction he fell, he wasn’t going to hit the ground because we have wood floors. So that was an important thing for me. And even now at 15 months, he still loves it and he just climbs in and just kind of snuggles up on it. A universal item that you get a lot more use out of versus some other ones out there that you’ll literally only gonna use them in the newborn state.

Amanda:

Well, and it’s a nice alternative to where, like you said, when they’re sitting up, it’s not a structured piece of equipment that forces him to sit up, but allows him the opportunity to try to sit up. And I know there’s been a lot of conversation around that lately as well.

Courtney:

Exactly. It’s a safe way to allow them to kind of build those skills.

Amanda:

Awesome. So I think that that covers everything. Is there anything else that I didn’t ask that you want people to know about baby gear, strollers or cribs or anything?

Courtney:

Search and you’ll find some different things that might be fun to splurge on or something you like—we have a good reward system. So a lot of our customers come in and, you know, if they get furniture and car seats, strollers, all that kind of stuff, then they have all of these rewards build up like literally hundreds of dollars.

One of my favorite stories—we had a family that did all that and they did a registry and they came back and they’d got the veer wagon. Well, you can use it with an infant car seat all the way up, but just fun stuff like that. So, we’re here to help in any way that we can and always fun talking to you.

Amanda:

And I just want to mention to you all that there’s a lot of places you can go in and touch and feel and see baby equipment, but Courtney’s store is great. She has recliners you can sit in and make sure that the nursing recliner or the feeding recliner feels comfortable. Especially if you’re on the taller side or the more petite side, y’all know they don’t make things standard for it.

Really take your time and consider your lifestyle and consider what you need and ask a lot of questions, because there are so many options out there and it does get overwhelming. You’ll know you’re getting one that is also of good quality.

Thank you so much Courtney for sharing. And if y’all have any more questions you can pop by the store, call the store, they have contact info on their website.

Amanda
A fifth-generation San Antonionian - who happened to spend her formative years in Austin - Amanda loves the SAT from the confetti in her hair to the bluebonnets under her feet. Never one to miss a reason to host a party or decorate for a theme, Amanda revels in the 'mas Fiesta' attitude of the city. She's mom to Vivi (2012) aka #HurricaneVivi, Mac (2020) and wife to Francois, whom she met at Texas A&M (FTAC '05). She has a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a Doctorate in Making it Up As She Goes - which means she's a sometimes-fun-mom. You can find her on Instagram . She loves confetti, croissants, and a cold Ranch Water. Favorite Restaurant: Piatti's Favorite Landmark: Johnson Street footbridge in King William Favorite San Antonio Tradition: Fiesta Medals