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We hope you enjoy Kim’s personal story of finding joy while decorating her very own first-time nursery—and enjoy her pro-tips!

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve waited and how much you’ve dreamed about having a baby and creating the perfect nursery… when the time comes, it’s all a little overwhelming. In my case, I’m a thirtysomething who has waited, wished and dreamed for a LONG time. I have been working in the “baby business” for the past 3 ½ years, educating new parents and selling them all of the essentials for their most precious babies. I assumed I was a true expert and would know exactly what I wanted when my turn finally came along. {Insert laugh here}.

It’s amazing… blame it on the hormones, the pregnancy brain, my cankles, everyone’s unsolicited advice or just the fact that all the sudden it was my money having to buy all this stuff, instead of someone else’s and I found myself a basket case. All of the things and brands and products that I was previously so sure of, I was suddenly questioning and feeling overwhelmed. Quite frankly, everything about this whole baby process is as overwhelming as it is magical and wonderful. We need to eliminate the “overwhelmed” part and focus on just what an incredible and magical journey it really is.Here are a few tips that might be helpful to consider, as someone who helps people prepare for baby’s needs, as well as someone who is anxiously awaiting and preparing for baby’s needs …

There is no right or wrong. What may be right for one, might not be right for you. Politely consider all of the advice that you get and then do what YOU want, considering YOUR lifestyle. The amazing fully-suspended jogging stroller that Betty down the street swears by isn’t worth the money if you’ve never jogged a day in your life and hate even walking to the mailbox and back.  Same thing with diaper bags, bassinettes, co-sleepers, cloth diapers vs disposable etc. etc. etc. Everyone has an opinion, but there are so many fantastic options out there now, do your research and consider what’s best for you… your lifestyle, your budget and your sanity. There is not one “right” product. Period.

Remember that there are no rules when it comes to nursery décor. Some of the most amazing nurseries that I have seen are mismatched and eclectic. Decide what you want to spend the money on and look for other bargains or pieces that you might already have that can be re-purposed. You can do incredible things with a can of paint or some interesting fun, new hardware. Figure out where you can save a little money to spend elsewhere.

I highly recommend a great nursery glider. Of all the things that I have spent money on, it is currently my wisest purchase!  My little miss isn’t even here yet and it’s already my favorite place to sit in the middle of the night. (You know, third trimester insomnia…between sleeping with a watermelon attached to your abdomen, having to pee every 37 minutes, the leg cramps and the sudden thirst and hunger pangs… you’re bound to have some sleepless nights and that’s before there’s even a crying baby in the picture… help!)

Don’t be paralyzed by color or “baby themes”. Gone are the days of strictly pink for girls, blue for boys or yellow for you die-hards that don’t find out. There are some amazing modern and contemporary nurseries out there that don’t utilize traditional colors. One of the most popular colors I have seen this last year used in nursery bedding is steel grey, mixed with all kinds of amazing non-traditional nursery colors. Who would have thought and who cares what your mom or grandma says (“Well, this is interesting. It sure is *ahem* different than what we did in MY day”), it’s YOU that will be spending all your time in there, eating up that precious baby.  Have fun with the art and décor. Play with fun, funky lighting. Remember, you don’t have to do teddy bear décor, just because it’s a baby’s room (unless you want to, of course). They won’t know the difference anyway.

I chose to go with very non-traditional baby girl nursery colors and I LOVE it. I used slate grays, browns, yellows and a splash of avocado. Yep, you heard me… an entire baby girl’s nursery without pink (don’t worry… I may incorporate a bit in here and there).  It’s totally feminine, yet modern and most of all it feels calming and comfortable for me as well as hopefully her. As a new and first time mom… that calming, comforting feeling is something that I think I’ll be thankful for when she and I are both in tears as we try to figure out our new life together. Besides, I know that starting in about 2 years; it will be all about Disney princesses and sugary, glittery pink tiaras and in the meantime… I get to choose and I didn’t choose pink and that’s okay. I fully stand behind my decision.

In the end, just think outside the box. Don’t stress. Enjoy this amazing journey. Don’t take a minute of it for granted. Take people’s advice and opinions for what they’re worth… then throw them all out and follow your heart and your gut. I hear that the instinct we’ve heard about our whole lives is pretty legit… trust it.

Since this post was originally written, Kim gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Leah.