The Nursery

The nursery of the past was, as the name suggests, a place to nurse and care for the baby. It still is. But those functions, and the ease with which they're done, have expanded enormously over the past generation.

In The Nursery

Even such a simple thing as the need to store diapers has evolved to a high point of safety and convenience.

Diaper bins come in a variety today unheard of in the past. They offer a seal-tight enclosure to keep odors locked inside until the diaper can be washed or disposed of permanently. Once emptied, keeping germs at bay is a simple matter of a brief spray with a disinfectant.

Boxes to store fresh diapers are sterile, yet stylish. They can easily be kept free of bacteria with a simple wipe of disinfectant. The outside can range anywhere from a traditional, rich-looking wicker to a high-tech marvel of design. A range of styles and colors allows for decorating the nursery in any way that's desired.

A nursery box is so much more, though. They provide a stylish, convenient place to store toys or crayons or CDs or.... The list is endless. Many have special compartments that provide a safe place to put fragile CDs. Many have numerous pockets for softer items that are now within easy reach. And the range of colors and designs is equally endless to fit right in with the nursery decor.

Nursing kits are a must and they, too, have advanced.

In the past, a simple glass mercury thermometer might have been the centerpiece, since body temperature is a key element of infant health. But those were always a little risky and sometimes tricky to read. That piece has been replaced with an indestructible, digital thermometer that is quick, accurate and completely safe to use.

You may want to have iodine or antibacterial spray with band-aids accessible without having to rush to the bathroom. A nasal aspirator is not something you want to have to search for, either. A medicine dropper is much more useful when it's within arm's reach. All these and more can be part of a nursery first-aid kit that holds all the items you need.

But the nursery is about more than just function, as important as that may be. It is also an element of the home that you want to decorate according to your individual taste.

As your baby grows a little older, a rocker is both a great way to sooth young nerves and work off some excess energy. But it needn't be merely functional, it can fit right in with a chosen design for the entire nursery. It can match that walnut dresser, or the gingham-covered wicker nursery basket. It is part of the total that includes that perfect bassinet.

Look into the broad range of nursery products available today and save the nostalgia for some other area of life.