Good To Go Baby Gifts

I heard from a grandmother who is ordering one of the specialty baby gift baskets for her grandchild and is wrapping the 7 gifts in separate packages.  She was out after the Sleep Sheep that comes in the baby gift basket with 6 other items and a basket (that she is using for her Christmas cards).  She said she was unable to find the Sleep Sheep in stores and heard that it helps the baby to go to sleep.  I read an article about it and the experts says it really does lull the baby to sleep.

The grandmother says the First Teddy Bear, the Vibrating Caterpillar, the Crazy Daisy Squeaking Wiggler, the two burp cloths, and the Sleep Sheep will be packages under the tree for the baby.  The Baby Print Maker and the Hot Fudge Sundae Mix will be packages for the mom and dad.  What a deal!

There are so many items babies will require right after birth, that it’s not always easy to determine what to buy for a baby shower.  You don’t want to purchase something the parents already own, and you don’t want to give the parents the same gift as someone else, after all.  Here are a few unique baby gifts that are sure to delight parents-to-be:~Baby Monitor – this is an essential item that will allow the parents to monitor their child from a far distance; great for night time and working around the house. 

~Personalized Gifts – if the mother and father have picked out a name for their little one, a personalized baby gift is sure to give any item a unique appeal.

~Clothing of Different Sizes – a newborn is liable to have dozens of clothing options at birth, but to save the mother and father a little time and money down the road, clothing for ages six months to one year is a great option. 

Once a toddler is old enough to recognize the stigma that ‘older is cooler’, they’ll want to start doing all the same things the bigger kids are doing.  Though obviously you shouldn’t let your toddler use the microwave to heat up lunch or draw their own bath, there are some activities that are okay for toddlers to start doing themselves.  For example, a child washing their hands in the bathroom is a safe activity that can be achieved with a step stool and a little knowledge of how the faucet works.  Purchase a personalized step stool to make them feel like they’re a real part of your home, and soon enough you’ll be able to ask them to wash their hands for meals and supper without supervision. 

There are several other activities toddlers can start helping with, like dressing themselves, putting on their shoes, and putting away toys and clothes. 

Today it is very cold here where we live.  They say it is more like January weather.  I am getting out the heavier sweaters as we are going to need them.  Coincidentally, an article was in our local paper about using layers to keep our children warm when they are outside. 

The article mentioned the importance of wearing a hat that covers all the way down over the ear lobes.  Just using a hood will not do, but a hood could be put on over the hat for even more protection.  Kids lose a lot of heat through their heads (So do we.)

While wearing a coat,  the baby or child needs to keep the neck warm, according to this article.  Most children do not want the coat zipped up that high and most hate to have a scarf tied on them.  A good cure for this is to have a sweater underneath the coat that keeps the neck warm.  A roll neck monogrammed baby sweater fits the bill as the neck is high but not so high that it bothers the baby or child.  This monogrammed baby gift is an ideal gift for Christmas and can be given to a boy or girl.

The article goes on to state that a baby or child needs gloves or mittens.  At one time they thought that mittens were better than gloves because they kept the fingers together.  That is not the case anymore, but mittens for babies is still the best bet because they are easier to put on. 

The article says that the feet need to be covered with some kid of bootie, heavy sock, shoe, or boot.  Any of these will do if they are heavy enough.  A sock and boot or shoe is the best.  Loose decorative socks can be saved for a warmer day!

It’s also a good idea to wrap a baby blanket around the little ones when you carry them.  That extra layer keeps them warm. 

My husband and I will be attending his office holiday party this week-end and I went back to thinking about the times we attended the holiday parties when I was pregnant.  We had a pact that since I couldn’t drink, he wouldn’t drink.  It went really well as we had two healthy babies.

In the Avera Health Care Focus they go on to say that while you are pregnant, you are strongly encouraged to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and smoking.  “Alcohol has been shown to damage the growing fetus resulting in low birth weight, Fetal Alcohol Syndrom and a loss of nutrients for the baby.” the article says.  It states further, “Fetal Alcohol Syndrom causes both physical and mental problems for the child.  Studies also have shown that even consuming moderate amounts of alcohol gives you a higher risk of miscarriage.”  That is why it is best to avoid alcohol completely when you are pregnant.

Caffeine can also affect the baby.  The article says, “Caffeine is a stimulant, which causes your heart rate and metabolism to increase, therefore affecting the blood flow to your growing baby.  Doctors recommend cutting down caffeine intake to one or two cups of your favorite caffeinated beverage a week.  The best plan is to give it up all together.”

Women are also encouraged to avoid smoking while pregnant.  The article goes on to say, “Smoking has been linked to low-birth-weight babies and poor mental and physical development of the baby.  Studies also show that women who smoke are more likely to miscarry, have heavy vaginal bleeding or ectopic pregnancies.”

So the best baby gifts you can give your baby is to do your best to have a healthy baby by staying away from these three substances.  It will keep you healthier during your pregnancy but, most of all, it will put your baby at less risk.  The article concludes by saying, “Consult with your physician about the best way to quit any of these substances if you are having difficulty giving them up.”

A classic toy is one that is fun and promotes learning, according to the article by Claire S. Greene.  The classic toys help the child to imagine, create, discover, and explore.  In other words, that is what play is all about.  These classic toys don’t control their play but give them a chance to play in a number of ways.  The toys promote endless play that has many possibilities for learning. 

There is no time like the present for a classic toy.  After consulting with the Strong National Museum of Play, the article goes on to list the 10 Classic Toys.  They are:

Crayola crayons

Radio Flyer Classic Wagon

Paper Airplanes

A doll (that neither talks or performs bodily functions)

Legos

Play-Doh

Bicycle or Skateboard

Puzzles- The unique baby gifts baskets contain two puzzles that can be wrapped separately and will be played with for years. 

Action figures

Non-electronic toy cars and trucks

I had the TV on yesterday and they were stressing to order or buy one gift basket and then divide it up into several gifts to save money.  I saw a gift basket of meats and cheeses yesterday that was on a huge sale.  It would be the perfect item to buy and split up among several gifts.  I save the gift bags and ribbons from the year before so the items could go right into those gift bags. 

The newborn baby gift baskets like The New Animals Gift Basket is a perfect example of a baby gift basket that can be divided into 3 or more gifts for 3 or more babies on your list.  There are 3 plush toys–a bear, a giraffe, and an elephant, 2 burp cloths, a finger puppet book, a baby print tin, and a basket.    Divide them up and wrap them up in the gift bags and ribbons you saved from last year and you have 3 or more gifts that are very economical but GREAT. 

 I even heard of a young mother who used the basket to put fresh baking in to take to a new mother.  She put a piece of fabric that she had on hand under the baking to give it a “bakery look.”  The meats and cheeses I talked about earlier could also fit into the basket with a scrap of fabric you have on hand.  One mother lined the basket with plastic, put in potting soil and planted slips from plants that she had been rooting.  It looked like it had come from a green house.  The possibilities are endless. 

I’m like many of you today as I am doing my holiday shopping on the computer.  I’ve had several requests this morning for a monogrammed baby gift and I have them.  One is ordering the luxury monogrammed baby bath robe, one is ordering the ultimate monogrammed baby sweatsuit, and one is ordering the roll neck monogrammed baby sweater.  I have the orders processed and the items will be on their way soon. 

It’s fun for me to place orders to get moving on my own shopping and it is fun to help others out.  You busy mothers and grandmothers can just sit by the computer and place the orders.  I have ordered more items this year on the computer than any year previous.  I remember that in the year 2000 my goal was to order a gift on the computer.  We have all come a long way, haven’t we?

I have heard from so many people this Thanksgiving season who have expressed that they are thankful.  I remember having my students write about what they were thankful for every year.  I heard from a dad who just became a father and told me how thankful he is to have a son.  His newborn son is doing quite well now but had some health problems at first. 

With our economy like it is, I think we are all looking at being thankful for small things.  I am thankful for being born and I am thankful for every child that is born.  The little newborn baby gift baskets tell others who are having babies that we are thankful that their child is born.

Have a good Thanksgiving and be thankful for yourself and your children!

I couldn’t stop laughing today in the store.  One mother had her monogrammed burp cloth with her and was trying to catch the “burps” from her little baby while trying to wipe the face of the older one, who was eating a snack, with the other monogrammed burp cloth.  All I could think was, “thank goodness the personalized burp cloth comes in a package with two in it.”

I asked her if I could help her and she said that she does this all of the time.  She was glad that she received several baby gifts with the monogrammed burp cloth because they are constantly in the wash.  She was so relaxed when she shopped with her little ones.  She told them what she was buying and let them look at the item.  She went on her way just like she does every day!  What a good mom.  Whoops, I just saw another burp that she caught!