Advice/Suggestion On Baby Shower Gifts

This was the best present i have given at a baby shower....Baby Detergent and dye/fragrance free dryer sheets. Its not expencive but all mothers now you have to have it. I love the Baby ALL. Its just as good as dreft but a lot easyer on the pocket book.

At this point, practical gifts are the best. Packages of diapers and wipes are a great start. Gift certificates to Giant Eagle, Kroger, Meijer, Target, etc. (for more diapers! ha ha) are great and easy to wrap.

Some other things I appreciated getting were: bottles of Dreft for washing the baby's clothing; bibs in bigger sizes for when they're eating baby food; videos like Veggie Tales, Pooh, Little Einsteins, Wonder Pets, etc.; disinfecting hand wipes in a stylish travel pack for diaper changes on the road, when it's hard to find a place for Mommy to wash her hands; and ibuprofen-the big bottle for mom.

If you know these women well enough, you could also put together a "Pamper Mommy" basket with lotions, shower gel, etc. in fragrances that they enjoy.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

I loved the SwaddleMe blanket (with the velcro) I got for a shower gift. I give one to all of my friends for showers. I think they are about $10.

the best gifts I got were packs of diapers! They'll need them for years! Or, you can get each a pack of diapers and a gift card to kiddie kandids - it's a wonderful, child/baby centered place to get pictures! They do a fantastic job and you know that they will be getting their baby's pictures taken every 3 months!

The one thing that I get for people is the Nojo Secure Me Seat. It helps little ones who can't sit up on their own sit in a highchair or shopping cart. It's great for that time when they are too big or don't want to be in the infant seat but can't yet sit on their own. It's about $15 at Babies R Us.

Clothes are always nice and you can find nice reasonable stuff on clearance racks(like at Macy's, Children's Place, etc.). I would recommend buying some clothes for the baby to grow into, like 9-12 months. I know when we had our babies people mostly gave us newborn size clothes which they grew out of so fast, then we didn't have any bigger clothes.

You can make a really nice fleece blanket for almost nothing. Go somewhere like a walmart with a fabric center and find 2 cute fleece patterns that you like and that coordinate well together. Maybe like a sports themed pattern matched with a plain color in whatever color you find in the other fabric. It'll probably be about $4/yard and you'll only need about 1/2 yard of each color or design. Cut matching slits about 2 or 3 inches around the edges so they look like they're frayed and just tie them together with the frayed edges. If you have trouble picturing what I'm talking about feel free to email me at ____@____.com or just respond to me here:) Hope this helps you out!

One of my favorite gifts to give is a nice frame and a SmileSavers membership from Sears Portrait Studio. Other studios like The Picture People offer similar memberships. It's something they will definitely use, and it will save them money every time they have portraits taken (so it's the gift that keeps on giving).

I also agree that you can never go wrong with the essentials - sz 1 diapers, a wipe refill, a small tub of vaseline, Johnson's Baby wash, a small bottle of baby powder, Balmex or Desitin, and some multipurpose burp/changing cloths. Dreft and Shout are great, also! Put em in a box and cover it with two new receiving blankets instead of gift wrap!

If you're looking for something special, you could get a no-sew blanket project (cut and tied edges) from a craft store or wal-mart, or make your own - it is thoughtful and inexpensive. You could buy a kit for $10-$15, or you could go to Jo-Ann's and pick out fleece for $20 or less.

Also as something special, if you know the recipients well, perhaps you could get them something religious to keep? Maybe a nice cross for the baby's wall (or other appropriate religious icon depending on the family's religion)?

Take care!

You could try little things like diaper rash creams or outlet covers, even diapers would work because you can never have too many. I also went to a shower and bought Dreft baby detergent. The mom-to-be said she never even thought about that. Hope this was helpful.

How about a book that was a particular favorite of your son's?

I always enjoyed scrapbooks for the childs first year of life.

I saw that someone put diapers, wipes ect. I agree. I am pregnant with my 3rd and the greatest gift I think is diapers and wipes, goodness knows you never have enough. Also, similar to a photo album, might be scrapbook and scrapbook papers/stickers. My sister bought that for someone for Christmas that was expecting and she loved it. That way she will be all prepared when the new baby pictures come. Good Luck.

If they have already had showers, I think it would be perfectly acceptable to get them basic necessities such as diapers, wipes, bathing items etc. Speaking from experience, I had 2 baby showers and got MORE than I ever needed in the way of clothes, blankets, keepsakes, toys, etc. While I am very appreciative of everything I've gotten, I now have probably 2 dozen stuffed animals, a complete drawerful of toys that won't be touched for months, and a whole bunch of picture frames that would take up all the dresser space in the nursery!

On the other hand, my husband's boss got us a 5-pack of diaper wipe refills and my mother-in-law gets us a box or bag of diapers every time we turn around...and that's all money we don't have to spend on stuff we absolutely must have!

I was going to suggest the Bumbo seat too! Nobody got me one, I bought my own and it was the best thing EVER! I really like the diapers and wipes idea, or any baby bath product. No matter how much you have, it will get used eventually. Try to buy in bigger sizes so they have them for when the baby grows. Same w/cloths. Figure out the season of the babies age and buy her some cloths for when he gets older. When I had my first shower I thought why are some of these people buying me 12 mos. cloths when we won't use them for a year. But when that 12months rolled around and I had NOTHING I was glad they bought them! A training potty is good too or a potty seat (one that just sits on the toilet) again, won't need it yet but will. Or buy the mom something for herself, bath products, lotion etc...

S.

someone got me a gift for one of my children that i loved and i know is inexpensive. it is a small tin with a substance in it to do the baby's hand and foot impression. it's easy to do and i think the kit is only about $6. i know they have them at walmart. another idea is to go to the dollar store and purchase a small basket and fill it with changing table items (diaper cream, baby powder,infant nail clippers, etc) then the mom can use the basket to keep all those little things on the table together, and those items are all available at the dollar store. good lucke!

Buy a plain picture frame and "jazz" it up. Paint it, put stickers on it or write something on it to personalize it for each person. Since it is people from work, they can keep the frame on their desks.

I have done this for for years for baby showers, wedding showers and also new home gifts. I will buy a small laundry basket and fill it with the appropriate items. For babies it would be new born onesies/sleepers, diapers, wipes, hooded bath towels and washclothes, baby wash and oil/lotion, bottles, bottle brush, just the basics and a few toys. With the baby gifts I have also opted to forgo the laundry basket and fill a diaper bag.

H.

At my baby shower i got lots of things i needed and had to hv. But since ur buying for 3 and u still want ur gift to be special. My fav. gift (and i still hv yrs.later) was a beautiful baby photo ablum. Also i luved the memorie book u can write in as well. But my dauthers grandmother on the other side got me this cute photoablum with ruffles and nited botties on it and i just luv it. I put pics from the hospital and beging times. Beside each picture slot is a area it write the day time or big moment. I leave it out for people to see. Hope that helps. Cause that wouldnt cost alot and would be a great gift:D
R.

I was in the same boat not too long ago. I decided to get a couple of coworkers in on the gift. I wanted to get them a picture package with a local photographer (We used Kiddie Kandids). So may people liked the idea that more than a couple of people went in on the idea. I am a scrapbooker and I love pictures. I don't think that you could ever have enough. The girls loved it and they said it was the best present they could get.

The best gift I got for my daughter was the pre-made scrapbook. I am NOT a scrapbooker, not nearly creative enough. But I still love having something so beautiful for my baby. One of my friends got me the scrapbook with all the cuteness already in it, buttons and bows and whatnot, and all I had to do was add my pictures. It is so easy even a new mom has time to do it and now my daughter has something fun to look at when she gets older even though her mom is a scrapbook loser. I think she got it at Michaels, and I can't imagine it was more than $10 or $15. Good Luck!

When we have work showers, we usually take several people and go in together on a larger item, especially if it is not someone you are close to.
What I got from people at work that I loved were a personalized piggy bank with my first and a gorgeous blanket with the second, I know it was from Target and did not cost much, but I loved it. The more personal gifts were from people I directly work with, and sit right next to. I also remember getting a baby lullaby CD with a book that was very nice.

I have also given these books, and gift certificates for them many times and they always seam well liked: http://www.iseeme.com/
My free shipping code is fsd7185 if you want to use it.

Have you thought about maybe pooling a bit of money together between a few other coworkers and getting a few gifts that way? When I was pregnant my coworkers threw a combined shower for myself and another father here at my job. The best gifts I got were diapers and books, especially books from other moms that their kids loved. What I liked were getting diapers or clothes in a bigger size, because I had already stocked up on the newborn and 0-3 months sizes. You could even think of a gift certificate for like a pregnancy massage or something to that effect. I sure would have liked one of those at the end of my pregnancy! Good luck!

I think a book shower is always a wonderful idea. Everyone picks out books to start the babies home library and they can range in age. Or a gift card is a great idea, for my work shower i got a $200 Borders Books gift card (my choice) and another woman got Target.

One of my Fav gifts was a journal. Some of the things I like to give are humidifiers or vaporizers. No one seems to think of those till you need one. Also, I recently bought a (pink) tee-ball glove and baseball for a friends new born girl. (Dad is really into sports.) But, by far my favorite gift to give is books.

How about a Baby Album? My mom got one for me from a Christian Bookstore and I absolutely love it. It seems to be one of those things that no one buys. A photo album or scrapbook would work well, too. If they have picked the name and spelling of their baby, you could give them something personalized. We got a plaque for our daughter with her name on it, it's meaning, and a Bible verse. Someone cross-stitched a little picture with her name and birthday on it, and that is really neat, too. Give bigger clothes if you decide to give clothes- at least 9 months, preferably 12 months. Diapers and wipes are great and always appreciated. The Halo Sleep Sacks are wonderful, especially when the baby is about 4 months old and learns how to roll out of blankets (probably medium size, depends on when baby is due). The baby can't kick the Halo Sleep Sack off like a regular blanket so they don't wake up in the middle of the night because they are cold, and you put it right over the sleeper. We used ours every day for several months until she got too long for it. A really cute teddy bear (or other animal) with a favorite book or lullaby CD would be great, too. My daughter's favorites are the ones like "Good Morning, Good Night" with the soft faux fur textures. We have the lullaby CD from Target (one of the ones in with all of the cultural type music), and it is really great. My daughter has listened to it every night and for naps for about a year and a half, and still loves it. Another great shower gift would be a "Mom" basket-with stuff for during labor, or for after the baby comes. I hope this helps. Have fun!!

A few suggestions...
if they didnt have it on their registry, I always get people the Kiddopotamus "Snuzzler" and everyone I know loves it. Its amazing how many people dont register for it. Its perfect for in the carseat as opposed to the head rests, works in strollers, swings, baby joggers, etc. You can get it at babies r us, meijers,(i dont think target carries it except online)

the other thing someone got me was a little plastic caddy with infant tylenol, motrin, infant qtips, cotton balls, vaseline, etc etc....you could pick what you want to put in it...she tied up each individual item with blue and white tissue, put them in the little tupperware caddy, and gave it to me that way. even if they have those things, they will use them over and over!

if you are looking for something less expensive, I often get new moms the "snack trap" cups...these are great, and most new moms dont know about them. Granted, its for when their baby is a little older and able to eat finger food like cheerios, etc, but my four year old still uses them in the car for goldfish, etc. they have these at babies r us, toys r us....and they are called Snack Trap.

lastly, its always great to get someone a few books for the baby. i usually go to tjmaxx where they have a great selection of board books for babies, and are far less expensive.

The best gift is a book called, The Momager (Mom & Manager) Guide: Empowering Moms to Leave A Loving Legacy! It shows you how valuable mom is (over $142,000 per year), gives you lots of tips to be your own best mom, and how to live a more balanced life. You can buy it online ($15) at www.momager.com.

Hi:
I got a few things "off" the registry that I use all the time. The first is the Bumbo chair -- that thing is great! I know they have them at BJs and I think I've seen them at WalMart. I can't remember the price, but it may be around $20. The second was those mesh food holders. Everyone that sees my baby with one asks where we got it. I think they're at Target. The best thing was the BabyDaze schedule keeper -- you can order it online. It was my bible for the first 3 mo. to keep track of nursing, dirty diapers, naptimes, etc. I just got one for my friend who just had her first.
If you're crafty, a friend made me one of those hankie/bonnets and put a poem in it about how baby can wear it as a baby or use it as something "old" on her wedding day. I'm sure there's info online about that too. Good luck!

Hi,

I have family memebers asking me now what I want for gifts - eventhough I'm having #4 in June (I currently have a 12 yr old girl, 3 yr old girl, and 22 mo old boy). I'm not planning on a babyshower... since I had one with my 12 yr old and 3 yr old - we got rid of everything after 10 years of not being about to have another one.

But anyways... I have been asking for diapers (not the newborn ones - but the 1-2 diapers... babies grow out of the newborns so fast), lavander baby bath or lotion... it smells much better then the regual and it does calm the little ones, diaper wipes, diaper cream is a maybe... there are so many and everyone seems to like a different one, rattles or carseat toys (we found my boy didn't like care rides till we got him a toy that attached to the carseat), baby powder (? so kids have issues with powder and it can affect babies if they have breathing troubles), baby laundry soap... basicly the stuff you use for everyday care. It may seem weird, but the more useful it is the better.

One thing that I didn't think about before having the little ones, was hats/caps. You may get one at the hospital, but a few extras never hurt... they get dirty just like everything else they wear. And all of my little ones were born without hair so there little head got cold, I used the little caps till the two littler ones were almost 3 months old.

I know shoes are cute, but I never used shoes on my little ones till after they started walking. I have read and been told that putting kids in shoes before they walk can affect their balance when they start walking and growth... so personally I wouldn't get anyone baby shoes.

I do hope this helps a little... I'm sure you will get lots of advise on this! Take care & good luck!

I agree with everyone who mentioned diapers and wipes. A new mom can never have too much of those! Something you can add to the diapers and wipes (if it's not already on their registries) is a fold-up travel changing pad. A college friend of mine gave me one made by Fisher Price. It's blue with fish on the front, and it comes with a plastic wet wipe case. It rolls up very well, has pockets for the wet wipe case and diapers, and a plastic pocket for wet items (I also keep my Desitin and antibacterial hand cleaner in the plastic pocket). Unfolded, it looks like a great big triangle with good sized "changing area" between the pockets. Everything is right there at your fingertips. It has probably become one of the gifts I use the most besides the essentials. I always make sure it's filled with diapers, so I just have to grab it and throw it into my purse, rather than take the whole diaper bag. It was great on a recent trip, too, because I found a lot of bathrooms without changing stations. The changing pad allowed me to change my son on the floor without worrying about germs!

I LOVED the diapers and large box of refillable wipes I received! They are necessities that my husband and I didn't need to spend money on for awhile. You might want to buy size 1 diapers instead of the newborn size, though since babies outgrow these sooo fast.

If any of the moms plan on using cloth diapers, you can get a package of those for pretty cheap as well!

Let us know what you decide!

Buy pre-folded cloth diapers (I think Walmart, Target and Babies R Us all carry them - usually Gerber brand, but whatever they have works). Sew a decorative ribbon down the center of them. This makes a fantastic burp cloth - soaks up everything and lasts forever. A package of pre-folds is probably $10. You could buy two packs and split up the "burp cloths" between the three women.
Best Wishes!
J.

I agreee with heather l. I've done alot of baby showers and no matter what all the baby needs and essentials you need to take care of a baby are the best thing to do if you don't have a exact gift in mind, and they will use most of it sooner or later to care for their baby! The special hand made quilts and blankets i recieved meant alot to me, and i still have some of them to this day, even though my children are older, for sentimental reasons, and my grand-daughter got to use them too. Don't forget diapers, everyone sure uses alot of them.