Two Best Baby Registries - Target Baby Registry Vs Amazon

Congratulations, you’re pregnant! The glorious news has arrived. Now what? I know you are thinking now I wait for the baby to come. But it is not like that. Now, you start preparations for your baby birth. And those preparations include creating a baby registry.

What is a baby registry?

A baby registry is a list of items the new mom wants for her baby when it arrives. Once the news of pregnancy becomes public, the gift givers arrive from all sides. And having more than one of most things and none of what you want is not something you want to go through after your baby shower. So moms open baby registries at the stores where you can make a list of all you want and your friends and family can select things from that list to buy as a gift.

The store manages the purchases and ensures that there are no duplicate purchases made on the registry items. Every registrant you add gets a thank you note and you can buy every remaining unpurchased item in one order at a discount.

Is it necessary?

I would say yes. Babies need a lot of stuff. And for first-time moms, everything needs to be purchased. By the time you realize that the list is too long, you are already exhausted. Moreover, the guests coming to your baby shower will know what to bring for you. You get what you want, no hassle of returning and exchanging products.

Usually, moms start making a list at 12 weeks. It may seem early, but making a list of all the items for a registry takes a lot of time. There are so many things to compare, so much research to do. To find the best things suitable for your baby is very time-consuming. So, it is better to start as early as you can.

What should be added to the registry list?

A first-time mom can put anything and everything on the baby registry. The best baby registry would be one which has all the baby must-haves along with the expensive items. The best baby registry items are those which are safe and could be used for a long time. You can put items from the following categories in your list:

1.    Clothes:

I would start with clothes because it is easy to shortlist. Select clothes according to the weather. A baby won't need shoes until the time it starts walking. But be sure to include bodysuits, pajamas, mittens, booties, caps, and onesies all in 0-3 months' size.

2.    Changing supplies:

Next comes the changing supply items. You don’t just need diapers, you will need a diaper bag, a changing pad with cushions, baby wipes, baby cream, bottom covers and even inserts. You can put all of these on the registry.

3.    Bathing supplies:

You will need a bathtub/chair, baby bath towel, anti-slip mat, lots of washcloths. Apart from these, you will need to buy baby soap, baby shampoo, baby powder, nail cutter and filer, hairbrush and toothbrush (the finger brush).

4.    Transport supplies:

Though you will not take out the infant immediately, you will need supplies like a baby carrier, car seat and a baby stroller.

5.    Feeding supplies:

Make a list in such a way that it is useful for almost next 2 years. You will need a nursing pillow, nursing pads, burp cloths, floor mat, convertible high chair, baby food containers, sippy cups, milk bottles and also a bottle cleaning brush.

6.    Bedding supplies:

You will need a baby pillow, blankets, and bassinet for co-sleeping and a crib, crib mattress and bed sheets for the nursery.

7.    Other supplies:

Apart from all this stuff, there are many small and bid items that could be added to the list like a thermometer, a safety gate, baby monitor, baby grooming kit, rocker, playmat, teethers, humidifier and so on.

Most of this stuff is in the basic needs category but you can always shortlist according to your requirements. For example, baby grooming kit entirely depends on your personal preference; a safety gate is also dependent on the type of house you own. Also, a baby humidifier is highly recommended because it cleans and humidifies the air which makes it comfortable for the baby. Plus, dry air can aggravate the cold and cough symptoms. But that also depends on the location where you live.

Where to start the registry?

Huge stores with all the products in stock which facilitates online buying are ideally considered the best places for a baby registry. But that is not it. There are other factors to consider like after sales services (i.e. assembling of the crib), updating the registry list, return policy and gifts. Mostly all big stores like Target, Amazon, BuyBuy Baby, Babies R Us, Pottery Barn Kids etc. give out gifts and freebies for registering your account or starting a list. According to my research, the best baby registry sites are Amazon and Target. There are many others but out of all of them, these 2 stand out as winners.

Why are they, winners? Find out the reasons below:

Amazon Baby Registry

The baby registry of Amazon is becoming more popular every year. The greatest thing about Amazon is that there are no best items for Amazon baby registry. Amazon has the largest collection of baby products and is considered the biggest online retailer. So everything you want, any model or version is available here. Amazon is the best universal baby registry.

Upsides:

·        One of the greatest reason is you can add a product from any site on Amazon. It does not have to be an Amazon product or link. Suppose you like something on Pottery barn kids, you can add it to your Amazon Baby registry with just a mouse click.

·        It has been an experience with a lot of new mothers that the prices on Amazon are usually cheaper than other sites.

·        The return policy is awesome too. Almost all baby gear is returnable within 90 days of purchase. Moreover, the person who gifted it to you is not informed about the product being returned. So you can use the store credit directly.

·        As discussed above, it has everything under the sun.

·        If you have friends or family members who like to buy from stores, they can still mark the products as purchased from the registry list. They don’t have to buy it from Amazon.

Discounts:

·        Amazon gives 10% discount right from the go on select items in your registry.

·        If you are a member of Amazon Mom, you get 15% discount.

·        If you are a Prime member on top, you get delivery within 24 hours. Even for non-prime members, delivery is free above $49.

·        There is also a completion discount where if select items are purchased within 30 days of due date, you get 10% off up to $5000.

Downsides:

·        For non-prime members, shipping and return policies are a little less friendly.

·        The discount period is only for 30 days.

How to make an Amazon baby registry?

Just click on this link – and click on the button named “Get Started”.

Target Baby Registry

Target is the most convenient store in the USA. Almost everyone has one Target near their home. It is the best place for baby registry because you can create a baby registry which works both on their online store as well as the offline store.

Upsides:

·        It has both online and offline options to cater all kinds of the crowd.

·        They have a fantastic refund policy where you can return or exchange the unopened, unused products anytime within one year of the event. So you get one full year. It is a very convenient option for busy parents.

·       The gift-giver is not notified in case of returns; you can use the store credit directly.

·       After completing your registration, you get a big complimentary package full of discount coupons, samples, and promo supplies. It arrives at roughly 8 weeks before your delivery date.

Discounts:

·        6 weeks before your delivery date, you get a 15% off coupon for every unpurchased item in your registry list.

·        Above $25, shipping for everything you buy is free.

Downsides:

·       The return policy though extended accepts only unopened items. While Target's counterparts accept opened items as well.

·       The in-store selection of items is much smaller than their online version.

·       The stock in various Target stores varies widely.

·       The 15% off coupon needs to be used in just one day. Though it could be used multiple times in that day.

How to make a Target baby registry?

Just click on this link – and click on the button named “Create Registry”.

Conclusion:

After reviewing the 2 best baby registry sites it is kind of clear that the perks and advantages of Amazon are unmatched. Their range of products, pricing, facilities, and even discounts are the best. Though Target does not come close to these perks, them having stores all across the USA is a handy feature. The convenience of Target is something Amazon cannot compete with. But it does have an option of adding Target products on the list as an answer to that small downside. In short, with Amazon, you simply can’t go wrong.

3 Best Kitchen Scales to Use with Your Air Fryer Cooking

The secret to a great taste of any food is the perfect measurement. Of course, you know that! And you do use volumetric measurements while cooking. But how do you measure anything that is not liquid? In a cup, teaspoon or tablespoon, isn’t it? How do you decide how much parsley to put when recipe says a handful of parsley? What about the size of your hand, size of the leaves? Etc. And then there are ingredients like tomatoes and onions. How to decide a medium–sized tomato is the one you are holding? You see I went through all this confusion too while I first bought my air fryer and couldn’t cook the perfect meal. And I found the solution. You need the Best Kitchen Scales in your kitchen to nail any recipe perfectly.

What is a Kitchen Scale?

A kitchen scale is a small, dependable appliance which allows measuring your food ingredients accurately and getting results consistent with your recipes. It is a must need thing in your kitchen because you can never do the kg. to cup conversion as accurately as actually measuring it.

Benefits to Customers When Using Kitchen Scales with Air Fryers

Without a weighing scale, you are just working on approximation. And that never sits well with a complicated recipe. You change the measurement of one item and it changes for all other ingredients proportionally. A vegetable can weigh differently according to the size, so your flour measurement cannot remain according to the same cup. The weight is affected. A kitchen scale actually makes cooking easier and faster. It has a lot more other benefits as given here:

·        As I have repeatedly said, they are more accurate than volumetric measurements for everything except liquids.

·        They are very easy to use. You don’t have to do anything.

·        They do not cost a fortune. They are an affordable kitchen accessory.

·        They are very small, so won’t take up a lot of your kitchen space.

Top 3 Kitchen Scales on the Market

Here are the 3 best picks available on the market right now:

1. Bigaint Wall mounted Multifunction stainless steel Digital kitchen scale with round shape

This weighing scale is accurate and easy to use, but it has a lot more other features than that. The biggest positive factor is that it has a hook for hanging. So, it takes actually zero storage space. Plus, there is stainless steel body, high precision sensors, auto-off and large digital display to make it the Best Kitchen Scale.

Pros:

·        The stainless steel surface is very easy to clean

·        Net weight of the item can be measured by peeling function

·        LCD display with blue light for night vision

·        The high-precision tension meter sensing system gives accurate weight with less than 1% chance of error.

Cons:

·        It does not show nutritional information.

·        It is not waterproof.

2. Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale

This weighing scale is available in many different colors to match your kitchen decor. And that is not the only offering it has. It is easy to clean, durable, accurate and consistent while measuring the items more than once.

Pros:

·        It is compact and lightweight.

·        The display is large and easy to read.

·        The control panel is sealed which protects it from accidental spills and makes it durable.

·        It has got tare feature which clears the weight of the bowl or container before weighing.

·        Non-slip rubber feet

Cons:

·        It only weighs up to 7 pounds

3. Vont Bowl Design 11lb/5kg Stainless Steel with Alarm Timer & Temperature Sensor Digital Kitchen Food Scale

Not everything you want to weigh sits well on a flat surface. And using a different container every time screws up the weight. That is why this sleek weighing scale is very useful. It has got a removable steel bowl of its own. It is easy to clean and shows weight, volume, and temperature. What more can anyone need?

Pros:

·        Stainless steel bowl is easy to wash, easy to store and durable.

·        It shows both weight and volume. As a result, it can be used to weigh liquids too.

·        It also allows measuring the temperature to make sure all the ingredients are in the right environment.

·        If you change the measuring bowl, it also has a tare function.

·        It has a built-in timer for up to 99 minutes.

·        Quick and easy unit conversion

Cons:

·        It doesn’t have backlighting for display.

How to Choose the Best Kitchen Scales to Use with Your Air Fryer?

Ø Tare: The basic purpose of a weighing scale is to measure accurately. So the most important feature is the tare function. You need to know the weight of the ingredients without the container.

Ø  Functionality: Having a weighing scale makes life easier. But a good scale should have a large weighing area and high capacity.

Ø  Size: Utilisation of kitchen space is really important. So a weighing scale should be such that it does not take a lot of your kitchen space. It should be easy to store. It is always better if you can hang it on the wall.

Ø  Measuring Units: Different ingredients are measured in different units. So if one single scale can handle grams, kilograms, ounces, pounds, litres everything, then it is worth buying.

Conclusion:

We work just fine with approximation and in-house conversions. But trust me; once you find your Best Kitchen Scale, there is nothing more addictive. After you are used to a kitchen scale, you will realize how wrong you have been cooking all your life before. An air fryer needs a perfect mixture to cook up the perfect recipe. So if you want your recipe and your fryer to work in best partnership, you need to add a team member. A kitchen scale will go a long way in your kitchen. Though the above-described three products are just some options, I found them the best Kitchen Scales to my research. There are a lot of other options available, but among the above products, all the essentials of a scale are covered. So go buy one today and enjoy cooking!

3 Best Oil Sprayer Bottles to Use with Your Air Fryer Cooking

Now that you’ve bought an Air Fryer, I am sure you are full of culinary possibilities. But they are not coming out as you intended. The food was not a disaster but they are not your best results either. Am I right? Thought so. Don’t worry I know what is going wrong. Your solution to limp and soggy air fried food is an Oil Sprayer Bottle. It is a cooking accessory which will solve all your problems and we will discuss the Best Oil Sprayer Bottles here.

What Is an Oil Sprayer Bottle?

Oil Sprayer Bottles are the bottles with a spray pump attached to them which produces a fine spray of oil that coats the food evenly. It is an affordable and important kitchen tool that cooks your air fried food all brown and crispy. Crunchy food needs a thin, even spray of oil on the surface while cooking, and an Oil Sprayer Bottle does just that.

Benefits to Customers When Using Oil Sprayer Bottles with Air Fryers

An air fryer cooks’ food that is usually deep fried. So sometimes you need a little oil while air frying your food to bring the same look and taste. Also, without any oil, the food sticks to the pan. Now you can do that with a brush or a commercial cooking spray. But the downside to those is with the brush you cannot control even spreading and quantity of oil. You can end up putting more oil, or chunk of food stuck to the brush. And cleaning the brush is a completely different hassle. And with the cooking spray, it’s just more chemicals you are putting on your food.

All in all, mentioned below points are the most important benefits according to me.

·        By spraying the oil, you can get oil on the entire surface of the pan and prevent the food from sticking.

·        The Oil Sprayer bottles could be refilled and ultimately reduces your cost of buying new spray cans every time.

·        You can fill any oil of your liking in the bottle. You can even mix up oils if you want. Thus make the best combinations according to the food you are cooking.

Top 3 Oil Sprayer Bottles on the Market

I have researched a lot to present the Best Oil Sprayer Bottles available on market, which are described below:

1. Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer

All the cooks around the world swear by this sprayer. It is sleek with the trending minimalistic design. It is very easy to use, just a 2-step process. Pump the container until you feel the resistance and then press the pressurized valve to spray out the oil. Cleaning this sprayer is also equally easy. Just repeat the same process with soap water and then with only water.

Pros:

·        It is durable.

·        This sprayer provides full control of the amount of oil spray.

·        It can be refilled with any other liquid like water, vinegar, juice etc. to serve all your purposes.

·        It is very easy to clean.

Cons:

·        You can fill the bottle only half-way, which can contain up to ½ a cup of oil.

·        You have to unscrew the ring and release the pressure after every use.

·        As the oil level in the container goes down, you need to pump more to maintain appropriate pressure.

2. Olive Oil Sprayer for Cooking

This is one of the Best Oil Sprayer Bottles and the strongest one with steel and glass body. The build is very solid and durable. The pumping is simple and sprays a fine, contained mist with a total control over the amount of oil. The size is also good, 100 ml, portable.

Pros:

·        Completely BPA free. It is made of glass bottle and stainless steel.

·        For spraying, 100 ml capacity goes a long way and so it can be portable and does not need a refill every now and then.

·        The transparent glass bottle lets you see how much oil you have used.

·        Very easy to clean.

·        Can be used with any kind of liquid.

Cons:

·        Needs cleaning every time before refilling.

·        The sprayer needs to be pumped a few times before it works well.

·        For better usage, you need to tilt the bottle while spraying.

3. Premium Olive Oil Mister and Cooking Sprayer with Clog-Free Filter and Glass Bottle by CHEFVANTAGE

A great thing about this product is that it never clogs. And this particular feature allows you to infuse your oil with herbs and it won’t create any problems for you while spraying. The bottle is durable, made of glass and steel, and completely reusable. You can use it for any other liquid like lemon juice, water, all types of oil etc.

Pros:

·        You don’t need to prime the pump before using. It has a non-aerosol air pressure pump mechanism.

·        It has a special anti-clog filter.

·        The glass is anti-bacterial and scratch resistant.

Cons:

·        Can fill only up to halfway

·        Needs cleaning before every refill

How to Choose the Best Oil Spray Bottle to Use with Your Air Fryer?

Ø Material: The first thing you need to consider is your sprayer should be made of BPA-free, durable, anti-bacterial material. You may also want to consider the dish-wash friendly option.

Ø Capacity: The larger the bottle, the lesser time you will spend refilling it. But at the same time, you want it to be portable for barbeques, picnics and porch cooking.

Ø  Spray Pattern: The spray pattern needs to be consistent otherwise you will end up having blobs of oil on your food.

Final Thoughts:

All the above described three products are appealing and will get the job done perfectly. I would say choosing the right one from these 3 is completely dependent on your personal preferences. But one thing is for sure, buying the Best Oil Sprayer Bottle is a necessity when it comes to air frying. The health and cost benefits are enough for adding it to your kitchen essentials, but with that, you get a prolonged life of your air fryer too. No doubt, it is a smart investment.

3 French Fry Cutters To Make The Ultimate Air Fryer French Fries

Who doesn’t like fries? It is unanimously the most loved food item around the world. And if all the home-made fries look the same with the exact same shape and size, well what more can anyone want, right? But that is not possible without French Fry Cutters. And combine it with the air fryer cooking and voila, your French fries are ready with minimum effort. And you know what I just realized? Using a French fry cutter while making fries in an air fryer can be a lifesaver when you have unexpected guests.

What is a French Fry Cutter?

A French Fry Cutter is a kitchen appliance designed to make the French fries enthusiasts around the world able to make perfect fries effortlessly. It has a blade which cuts your potatoes into even sizes and a body, container or lever which holds and pushes the potato through the blade. It ensures that you are able to make mouth-watering French fries at home like a pro!

Benefits to Customers When Using French Fry Cutters with Air Fryers

The biggest benefit is that it makes your home-made fries look like it came straight from a professional food shop. Who wouldn’t love that? But there are a lot of other functional benefits too. I have listed them below in bullet points to help you read and understand them easily.

·        It makes cutting even sized potato fries effortless.

·        The cutter helps achieve precision which is impossible when you do the cutting by hand.

·        It saves a lot of pre-cooking time. Best when you have unexpected guests.

·        You can chop a large volume of potatoes in no time at all.

Top 3 French Fry Cutters on the Market

Given below are some of the best French Fry Cutters you can purchase:

1. Prepworks by Progressive Vegetable and French Fry Cutter

With this cutter, you will love making a lot of fries with a single push of a lever. Your only work is to put half cut potatoes on the head and squeeze them through the blade. The cutter has 2 interchangeable stainless steel blades for thick and thin fries with 25 holes for large fries and 49 for the smaller fries. Hand wash under running water and you are done!

Pros:

·        Very easy to operate.

·        Made of sturdy material and rust-free stainless steel.

·        Incredibly easy to clean

·        Can be used to cut other vegetables Julienne style.

Cons:

·        Large potatoes need to be cut down to half to fit the bed size.

·        The maximum fries size you can get is 3-1/2 inches.

2. Thunder Group French Fry Blade Cutter

This fry cutter is popular for its design and is one of the best when it comes to quality and convenience. A stainless steel rod pushes the potato in the cutter and you get 0.5 inches of potato pieces in a jiffy. You can use this cutter on any surface and at any place e.g. platform, table, wall or wherever you are comfortable.

Pros:

·        It is durable and made of rust-proof iron body

·        It can be table or wall-mounted

·        The parts can be dissembled for cleaning conveniently

Cons:

·        Hard potatoes need to be pushed with more strength or you may get them stuck in the middle.

3. EEO French Fries Cutter

The EEO French Fries Cutter offers an ergonomic and durable design for cutting-up potato fries. This machine is completely made of high-quality stainless steel with no plastic used in the entire body which gives it a very long life. Moreover, the restaurant-grade blade is engineered for equally long usage.

Pros:

·        No plastic body makes it durable

·        Interchangeable blades of 2 sizes

·        Very easy to clean. Just reassemble, wash and let it dry.

Cons:

·        The sweet potatoes need to be cooked or microwaved for 2 minutes to soften before cutting.

·        The blade needs to be cleaned after cutting 2-3 pieces of potatoes.

·        A large potato needs to be cut in half to fit the cutting board.

How to Choose the Best French Fry Cutter to Use with Your Air Fryer?

Ø The first thing you need to consider as a priority while buying a cutter is the durability. The lesser the use of plastic, the better it will be. No matter how durable the plastic is, it is bound to crack or break at some point. But an iron or steel body will not have any such problems. Having said that, make sure that the metal is commercial-grade metal and not a flimsy one.

Ø The next thing you need to check is the convenience. Nowadays, most of the French Fry Cutters are wall or table mountable. So, why go for one that does not have a wall mount feature.

Ø Next up are blades. The blades need to be engineered of commercial-grade steel which remains sharp for years to come. You don’t want to lose the sharpness of the blades in a year or two of using the cutter. And if your usage volume is high, then definitely go for the heavy-duty ones.

Ø You should also consider the number of blades you get with the cutter. The more the merrier. Especially, if you are one of those who like their fries in different styles, shapes, and sizes.

Wrap Up:

Honestly, it is very boring for me to cut every single piece of fry out of a potato by hand. And it never gives a precise, equal sized result. And I am a stickler for perfection when it comes to good-looking food. Well, French fries are the favorite among people of every age, and if they look appealing, well it is heaven. That is why I completely depend upon the French Fry Cutters. The above-given options are completely based on my knowledge, experience, and logic. There are other options available in the market but according to the research I did while buying one for myself, I found these 3 to be the best. I hope my research and experience is useful to you and you get the best French Fry Cutter for you.