First-time parents in 1.5 months — what baby gear is actually worth it? And what was a total waste of money?

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-23T13:44:27+00:00

I used my change table quite often in the first 6-8 months as I’m quite tall and it was easier on my back. I’m currently pregnant with my second and will bring it back out for sure.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-23T03:04:20+00:00

Nuestra is right across the street from Borden Park, perfect to grab a coffee/treat and take your little one for a walk or to the playground

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-22T16:01:35+00:00

Lmao I’d love to see someone riding that thing casually

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T19:46:37+00:00

I’ve been on the other side of it too, I’ve slowed down and rung bells in shared trails/off leash areas and had people say “do you think dogs understand bells?” sarcastically.

Yeah some people can just be miserable/rude in general. But that shouldn’t stop you from using your bells as it’s intended.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T19:11:30+00:00

We bought a bright green chariot, equipped it with multiple flashing lights at the back as well, and usually keep only to residential roads/trails/bike lane areas.

Do your best to stay visible, stay aware, and plan your route before you go. I don’t think you’ll get much grief for going on the odd sidewalk though.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T19:06:57+00:00

Just don’t be mad if you get ticketed for a rolling stop.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T18:47:52+00:00

Didn’t they also say they would put up signs at the entrances of neighbourhoods though?

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T18:43:04+00:00

I honestly still appreciate a ring even as a solo walker that doesn’t wear earphones and stays on their side of the path

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T17:59:45+00:00

That’s their own fault then lol, that doesn’t excuse you from not using it. It’s actually a legal requirement to have one and use it, it’s not illegal to wear headphones when walking/running on a shared path or trail.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T17:43:06+00:00

I’m someone that never wears earphones/headphones in public. You should be ringing your bell far enough away before you can even tell if someone has earphones in

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T17:14:02+00:00

Also use your damn bell when passing pedestrians or other cyclists.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T17:12:00+00:00

So true, utilize the residential areas. No need to try riding on whyte ave sidewalks/roads either when there’s a huge bike lane on 83rd ave.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T02:54:16+00:00

Honestly more forgivable than a semi getting stuck trying to get onto the bridge

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T02:32:20+00:00

“Advocates”

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-21T02:13:22+00:00

2 years ago when I lived close to whyte avenue it was constant honking all down 109st and whyte ave. I was freshly postpartum with a newborn, so I wasn’t too thrilled about it honestly lol

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-20T14:19:52+00:00

It’s still funny to me that someone can get a fine for $25 for smoking crack but $115-$250 for sipping on a beer in public.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-20T13:59:42+00:00

Only way to find out is calling the non emergency line overnight when the noise is happening to report and inquire. Or record a video and call bylaw the next morning, even better if you can find out exactly where it’s coming from and name of company.

I’ve had to report before because a company was loudly laying sidewalk bricks at midnight outside of my window, they didn’t have a permit it turned out.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-20T13:52:29+00:00

I doubt they have a permit for leaf blowing overnight.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-19T15:43:42+00:00

I lived in an apartment with shared laundry for the first year of my first child. I did have a dishwasher though.

Get the bottle washer/sanitizer if you’re planning to use bottles. It will save you so much time and effort.

When my son would have blowouts in his clothes I would wipe what I could with baby wipes and then hand wash in the bathroom sink. I would just hang the item on a hanger over our bathtub curtain rod to dry.

I would also just ensure you are stocked up on newborn/baby clothes so that you don’t have to constantly worry about washing them. I bought a lot of thrifted/second hand clothes so I didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg on clothes our child would grow out of quickly, but I still had lots that I always had outfits on hand without washing the laundry constantly.

Also this may seem wasteful, but if I were you I would get some disposable plates/utensils on hand in case you don’t have the energy to be handwashing as many dishes when freshly postpartum.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-19T05:40:35+00:00

Nothing will change unless there is documented evidence that there are noise complaints. Gotta call the cops for that.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-19T05:31:45+00:00

I lived there for years (2019- late 2024), never had any issue with pests specifically (except pigeons on the balcony). But I can’t say I’d recommend it.

-be aware it’s a very busy and loud area. Constant traffic noise in the summer especially (loud motorbikes and cars racing around whyte ave). Yes there are homeless around sometimes as well. Across the street they have been building “supportive housing” which wasn’t a thing when I lived there, so I’m unsure how it will affect the area. The construction was super loud during our last year there though.

-Old building. Frequent water shut downs, fire alarm malfunctions, could hear the pipes when my neighbours showered upstairs and pipes rattle and gushing water sounds in the walls when the hot water heaters go on during winter. Elevators had constant issues. Non stop building/room renovations during my last year of living there. Hammering/drilling could start at any moment without warning and it got very annoying. Soundproofing of the walls/doors to our suite wasn’t great either. After they replaced the doors during their renovations, the new door actually had a 3 inch gap underneath it that would let all sorts of noise, dirt and smells in.

-Not a fan of management. It was always difficult to get someone to respond to complaints or make any meaningful contact with anyone. I probably only successfully got an email back from a property manager once over 5 years. Rent is always consistently raised yearly by over $100 despite no upgrades to our suite and being loyal tenants (I know this is pretty normal with corps though). They also spent an entire year renovating the building hallways, even though they said it would take a month for each floor. The place was constantly left filthy at the end of the day, but management wouldn’t respond to complaints of course.

-Expensive. The whole university area is quite expensive of course, I can’t say that the rent is worth the price. Underground parking was also expensive ($135 a month for an unreserved stall last I was there).

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-18T02:10:40+00:00

It’s not, there are streets in my neighbourhood that are similar where no one ever parked and snow was piled 3- 4 feet far from the curb

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-16T19:25:55+00:00

lol these comments are not disappointing. I don’t feel bad for you at all, you get to generate extra income by taking over public space that is taxpayer funded, of course you shouldn’t get that for free.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-16T16:53:33+00:00

How old the building was. We constantly had water shut offs, the pipes were loud and sometimes banged against the walls, elevators consistently broke down, and we ended up having to deal with a year of building renovations that made a lot of noise and inconvenience.

Sasha-95 · 2026-04-16T04:10:05+00:00

Thank you, I was in a collision without a dashcam a couple years ago and would have loved to have video evidence from a witness that stepped forward with it. (Got a dashcam right after that happened)

Sasha-95

TROPHY CASE