What is/was your best self indulgent buy?

[MrsPaynie]

Aside from all the essentials you buy for baby, what's been your best purchase that you bought 'just because'? With DD I bought the Graco Sweatpeace swing, and although expensive it was the best purchase by far, it was amazing at helping with the colic fits at 3am and generally just helping her to sleep during the day, plus she was high enough off the ground to stop DS or the dogs waking her up.
This time Im thinking of buying a baby hammock rather than a crib for the bedroom, but not decided yet... Still a few months to go.
Have you had any items that you didn't really need to buy, but now couldn't be without?

iCandy Peach, i love it :)

The week before I went into labour with DS, I totally spoiled myself. I had a massage and a full manicure :) I also went to the theatre with my sister. It was wonderful as it took my mind off giving birth :)

Bugaboo cameleon :) totally unnecessary but I love it

Hammock sounds lovely and another way of getting sleeping baby above toddler reach

My lin and Leo changing bag. It's gorgeous I can't wait to use it.
Oh and our bugaboo donkey-did get an amazing deal on that though

Oooh Florin please tell me more about your Bugaboo Donkey deal, am tempted but can't stretch to it

My Uppababy Vista was definitely more than we'd planned on spending on a pram system.

I'm with milk; a day in a spa with no kids and friends and totally pampered! Bliss!!

A spa day does sound perfect! May have to talk the DH into treating me towards the end

The Dorchester has pretty amazing pregnancy options. I'm planning on a day there, followed by afternoon tea and a magazine at the beginning of my maternity leave. They do a deluxe pregnancy pedicure with foot wrap, massage, etc. Bliss! Expensive bliss!

Is this just about baby stuff? If not then without a doubt my best ever indulgent purchase was my pocket sprung/memory foam pillow...which cost £80 but which I grieve to leave behind when I go on holiday. Seriously, if it wasn't so bulky/heavy, I'd take it.

For me: black maternity leggings from H&M. Not expensive, not a luxury but the most used item for me from around 6/7 months. I'd wear them for bed, for daytime. They overtook my wardrobe.

For baby: a playmat with activity arches over. From around 3 weeks old, DD would quite happily lie there and gaze at her toys and now at 4 1/2 mo she rolls around on it grabbing and kicking her toys.

I'm due tomorrow. DD usually does 3 days a week in nursery but for this week & next week is in full time. This was originally booked as I'm still not quite sure whose going to look after her when I go into labour and, if I go into labour during the day, gives me a chance to sort things out (I have various people on standby given the time of day/night, day of the week etc). However, as I've had terrible insomnia, its been fab to drop her off every morning and then come home & crawl into bed for a few hours sleep. There's no way I could have kept up with her & I'm in complete hibernate mode at the moment so can't be bothered to have friends around or go to visit friends. To counter the guilt, I'm collecting her around 3pm each afternoon (she's usually there until 5.45) and taking her to the park or coming home & baking with her or doing something else she really enjoys.

I had a pedicure yesterday but personally considered that to be an "essential" as one bit of me has to look presentable in labour!

Oh, and we bought a Britax B Dual double rather than a cheapo one but its so much easier to manoeuvre that I think I'll be glad I got it.

Agreed Madame about the play may with arches over, both my DS and DC loved theirs!

baby hammocks are lovely. Worked really well for us. (I have a gorgeous cream one somewhere I need to dig out & sell).

I loved my long curved PG sleep pillow - I had such troubles sleeping when PG with DD2 & this made a huge improvement.

sedgieloo we got donkey for £599 however it was because we bought it at the baby show. We were helped by some chap who was quite high up in the company but obviously had no idea how to use the till. It all got very complicated with all the bits we bought and he made a muck up of it (and we didn't say anything). Haven't used it yet (34 weeks pregnant with ds1) however it looks beautiful. Have taken it round to my parents to look after otherwise dh and I would spend every day pushing it round the house!

ipad :)

read on here on a similar thread that it's the best bit of baby equipment going and mumsnetters are very wise so who am I to argue

I had to psyc myself up to buying for large muslin swaddling cloths from Aden and Anais for £35. When they arrived DH asked how much they cost, I said £8.75 and failed to say each

Worth every penny.

madame chin - i love those muslims.... shame it is my last baby and i already havetoo many (albeit less luxurious)

best baby splash out: my leather changing bag, very practical, still looks fantastic after 4 years

best splash out for me: an iRoomba robot hoover it does the hoovering for me every other day - life is so much better when i come back to a clean flat at no extra cost or effort from me :)

Now I could do with a Hoover that does that! Especially with this god awful SPD!

muslims

a robot hoover? Thats amazing, does it talk?

lol, sorry, of course i meant muslins!!!

the iRoomba is worth every penny... I highly recommend it!! just google for reviews
(and yes it does talk to let you know it swallowed a lego or that it has finished the job :)

impatientwine tell me more about the benefits of the iPad as baby equipment? i desperately ant one but need justification!

He he, like this thread :)

mutette Defo with you on the pedicure, when you can no longer see your feet let alone reach them it is an essential not luxury.

eggsMichelle iPad is super easy browsing with one hand so you can feed etc. and have a nice old chat/read of MN at the same time :)

Polarn o Pyret clothes for the baby. Best purchase I made, they are expensive but very nice, cool designs and so practical and last and wash really well. Most are unisex too so I will be using them again this time round and buying some more!
They have vest and trouser sets that were so much easier to use than baby grows and they seemed to last well as the baby was growing too.

This time I will buy myself a good changing bag I think.

Oh and my Dh's ipad might become mine for a while!