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I have been to A LOT of baby showers in the past year. For every one I went to, I got a copy of my favorite book as a child. I wrote a personalized note inside each book with the date. I think any book is a fabulous gift.
I usually get "Green Eggs and Ham" my most favorite book of ALL time so that it will be something the mother can read to the child, and then the child can someday read for themselves. In addition, I get like a huge box of diapers b/c newborns go through LOTS of diapers.
The book idea is such a good one!
Two of my favorite gifts I've given have been 3 months of cloth diaper service {the mom was planning to cloth diaper, obviously you'd want to check that first!} and a personalized art print {there are so many options on Etsy!}.
My SIL's favorite gift from her shower was a custom scrapbook made by a friend of the family who scraps. She already knew the gender/baby name so it was really customized.
Just a word of advise - Anything personalized is GREAT, however, don't be upset if the mother doesn't want to hang it in the house/nursery. My friend is about 6 months preggo and she is very against these things. She really wants the room to have a certain "feel/look". Her sister was offering to do something like that for her and she was really against it. It still will probably make a great gift, just be careful about assuming the mother will want to hang it in the room.
I got my friend a ton of disposable food containers and spoons (you can find them at wal-mart, etc). She told me the other day she was surprised how quickly she needed them (for babyfood etc) and how nice it was already to have a set.
I don't know if you follor Mrs Dumplings blog 'OMG I'm a Mom' but she swears by this super cute gift for something around $14 and they're on Etsy....They're pretty brilliant!
EDIT - PS - how is married life? Miss ya around the engaged boards, LOL
Sometimes I like to get the baby something they will wear later. They get so many tiny baby clothes that they will never wear or only wear once.
Depending on the weather where the mom and baby live I sometimes buy the snowsuit or snow sac they will need later if they live in a cold climate.
Another cute gift is to buy a pair of jeans and his first pair of underwear if the baby is a boy.
Or a swimsuit, beach towel ,and sunglasses in a larger size.
For mom I sometimes get a gift certificate to a local restaurant or fast food delivery place. I put it on top of a brick , wrap the whole thing in freezer paper and tell the mom to place it immediately in her freezer- that it is an emergency dinner for some night when she doesn't feel like cooking. They always think it is a casserole, and I always get a suprised phone call a few weeks or months later when they take the "dinner" out of the freezer.
@julies1949: That is such a cute idea about the brick in the freezer!!! Thank you!!
And thank you ladies so much for helping!! The diapers are a GREAT idea & you def. can't go wrong there.
@caszos: Thank you for the advice, I will keep that in mind!!
@Lees - if you friend is planning on breastfeeding, you can get her a nursing cover. I bought one for my friend after she had her baby, as she was so grateful, because she said most of the gifts given at the baby showers are for babies, but not for mothers. She told me she found it challenging to breastfeed in public (women will have different thoughts on this), so she really appreciated the cover up, and the look really cute while allowing baby to nurse happily and breathe.
I bought her this style:
Good luck!
One of my favorite gifts was a Build-a-Bear elephant that a friend had made. It was really sweet, and there is always the option of buying more clothes for the stuffed animal when the child gets older.
My favorite childhood book was Ramona the Pest. My mom found a read-along version of the book. I love it, because I get to share my favorite book with my daughter.
Also, larger clothes are great. I have tons of newborn, 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 6-12, and 12-18, but almost nothing in the 9-12 range. My daughter hasn't worn a lot of the clothes. I was also overloaded by washclothes and blankets.
Diapers and wipes were always welcome, as were toiletries and bottles.
@Valhalla: That is a great idea! I'll have to ask her if she plans on breastfeeding. Thank you!!!
@Superstitions: Getting bigger clothes is a great idea. I was thinking about getting her an embroidered shirt that says her name in pink in different sizes so that she can wear them as she gets older.
Thanks ladies!
One of my friends got me a wagon- a really nice one- of course they cant use them till they're older and sitting on their own but it was a really cute idea. You can NEVER go wrong with diapers! they go through them sooooo fast! Someone also gave me embroidered onsies that were diff sizes. Also, a cute idea.
I think giving a copy of your favorite book with a little story is very cute. I got a couple of those at my shower and enjoyed the sentiment and notes.
My s-i-l gave us a stack of books and wrote little notes on each one (taped on with paper - but I taped them inside to keep with the books) that were written from my nieces (3 years old) point of view to her new cousin. Like "This is my favorite nighttime story mommy and daddy read to me". Or "Every cousin of mine needs to know what a princess is".
Another gift I received was a 'newborn photography session'. A little more spendy - but a very special gift indeed.
I would use caution in giving children any clothing with their name embroidered on it where others can see it.
It can be used by those with ulterior motives to call the child by name. The child then thinks this is someone they are supposed to lnow.
Our local police department recommends against such clothes for small children-should be ok for babies though who are not mobile on their own.
@julies1949: Great idea! I will probably get some babies clothes but as for the older clothes, that's a great point. Thank you for the advice!
I would avoid blankets. My DD received (and still receives from time to time) so many blankets, we just can't keep them. I have 8 (yes EIGHT!) hand knit blankets, 6 minky blankets, and 3 cotton quilt blankets. UGH.
I love the book idea, that would be so cute!
Also, maybe one of those plaster kits where the kids put their hands and feet in to make a keepsake, or the ink ones they sell. I always thought they were cute.
I received A TON of clothes. A baby outgrows newborn clothes in the first month or so. I'd recommend bigger clothes.
My SIL received so many clothes my nephew never wore the same thing twice for a long time and didn't wear a lot of what was given, so yea I think if you give clothes at all I would go for larger sizes.
I think it is always nice to do one practical thing (ex. wipes) and one personalized/sweet thing (ex. book).
I bought my very good friend a giftcard to get a newborn photo shoot done with our wedding photographers. It was a pricey gift, but I split it with friends. She said it was the absolute favorite gift that she received. My FSIL has already requested I get her the same gift when she gets pregnant. I'll do that and give her these along with it: http://pickysticky.com/shop.php
The other thing that might be nice is a baby/mother bath set.
Sometimes moms/babies like to try out new bath soap/lotions. I know a lot of moms that love Burts Bees. I think there are lot of other brands that might be fun to put together an assortment of that kind of stuff. If she registered for a baby bath you could get that (so there is something off her registry) but fill it with the washcloth/towel that you already got and make it kind of a theme basket using the bath tub as a basket.
From the baby showers I have attended, diapers are the most overlooked yet appreciated item. You can not have too many of them. The same goes for baby shampoo/lotion. Everyone will give the baby cute clothes but no one buys diapers or wipes, etc.
Go for something off the registry. You know how everyone complains on here about the bridal shower / wedding gifts they get that they don't use / don't like - it's the same situation.
Clothes for 6months +!! babies outgrow newborn clothes quickly and moms-to-be always recieve lots of them!
Things she will really need off the registry (that may not be as cute or fun to buy) and put them in a cute little basket that says "baby things" or something...my favorite gifts to get and give are ones that are packaged together sweetly by the giver :)
Shower gifts I use all the time:
Hooter hider
Diaper bag
Newborn sizes (I got everything 3 mo +)
Toys for the car seat handle, teething rings, stuffed animals
Hooded towels (pure love!)
SwaddleMe swaddle blankets
The Rock a bye baby CDs (we are wearing them out!) and the Putamayo CDs
Burp rags
Children's books and Meditations for New Mothers
Shower gifts that didn't work for me:
Disposable diapers
Lotions/creams/shampoos/powders (we are trying to avoid certain ones from the cosmetic database)
Totally agree on the registry! Some gifts are so adorable but the stuff on the registry is what's really needed/wanted. So rather than try to be all creative, I go the boring route :)
I like the idea of books, diapers, or something off of the registry. If you buy clothes, buy larger sizes. And I agree on the blankets - I got like 15 of them, and we have over 25 bibs. People really like to buy that stuff.
I also have to say that if you don't get somethign from the rergistry, then give a gift receipt just in case. :)
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Good afternoon ladies!
My good friend is having a baby and her baby shower is Aug. 29th. I already got her a few things. Like a cute little wash rag & a cute piggy bank that is decorating like a princess & now I'm getting her baby's name routed out in PVC Material and I'm going to paint & decorate it so that she can hang it in the nursery. But I want to also get her some other things, some things that would really hold true to her heart & that she would LOVE!
I know there's always the registery, but is there anything that you got at your baby shower that was the BEST gift? Or anything you gave? Please help! Thank you ladies!!! :)