Baby Shower Gift - Los Angeles,CA

My friend turned me on to the idea for one-year-olds of a subscription to National Geographic's "Wild Animal Babies." It comes on a regular basis like magazines, but is more of a board book, which withstands little ones' mouths. If you google it, you can find discount subscription houses where it is around $15 for a year subscription.

My standard 1 year old present is a ride on toy. The kind where they can ride on it, but also stand behind it and push it when they start walking. They usually have buttons that can be pressed to make all sorts of sounds. They're usually around 20 to 40 dollars and are always a favorite of the kids.

Kiddie Kangaroo seat protector with adjustable pockets make a great baby gift. Go to www.kiddiekangaroo.com to see this great baby product in use with pictures. Mom, Dad and baby will love it as it provides storage accessible by the one year old for bottles, sippy cups, snacks, toys and more while traveling in car seats and strollers. Easy to use!

I second NOT getting a gift card.

LOVE the idea of a hooded animal/dragon towel. You can soooooo never have too many of those. They're huge, colorful, fun, and oh so useful.

For any child the book "Mama, Do You Love Me?" is fantastic. If you don't know it, it's a book about a toddler in the arctic who keeps coming up with crazy things that MIGHT make her mama not love her anymore, and her mom's responses back to her. "But what IF I...."

http://www.amazon.com/Mama-Do-You-Love-Me/dp/0811821315

So too, the 3-d handprint sets...extra's can go to gparents or be saved for the next year...or personalized books are awesome.

You already have so many great ideas but I thought -- if I didn't know them well, I'd ask around and go in on a gift with a group of people you are more familiar with. It isn't as personal but you can be really generous since more people have gone in on the gift.

M.:
Did they register at Babies-r-us or TArget. if they did using the registry is so easy. I'm a school teacher so I always buy books for babies and birthdays. There are wonderful board books and picture books at Barnes and NOble, Costco, and Target. You can also look at Amazon.com. I would limit the spending to $25 even for a gift card.
S.

Hello M.,

No gift card...

Opt for a bath toy!! I enjoyed many gifts, but non given for the bathtub. Buy some baby bubble bath and add a few toys in a plastic sand pail. You may add a tub-book and a cute hooded bath towel. This way you can stick to your budget.

I would spend $15-20. Then, at another occasion, when you know your supervisor better, you may buy something else for his new family.

If you just want something quick, I would opt for a video or a book. Don't forget to inscribe something in the book with your name on it....

First of all Congrats on the new job! In this economy we have to be thankful to be working! I think a more personal gift would be great. Are they real open about adopting or is it kinda hush hush? You could have shirts made up for the little one. We have a few for our kids that say "Sorry Angelina, I;m already taken" or "We dont have to look alike to be a forever family" (we dont look anything like each other :) ) If you go to http://www.findgift.com/Occasions/New-Baby/Adoption/ you can get some other ideas as well as cafepress.com for shirt ideas. What about a gift card to a photo studio, even like JCPenneys so they can have family pictures taken. And if they have any other children it would be great to get them a little something to make them feel special too. Good luck and let us know how it went.

Definitely a small gift. Nothing big, but something that they can hold on to. A friend of my mother gave me a small red book of poems when I was young. My mother used to help him in his tender years and I still haven't let it go.

LA ZOO MEMBERSHIP. I can't tell you enough how much people love this gift. It makes the event free and they think about the gift all year long. Or another membership ie- long beach aquarium.

As a mom of a one year old, books are my favorite gift.

I would buy a nice piggy bank and maybe some type of board book for toddlers. You could drop a few coins into the piggy bank and do that. It is never to early for a child to have a savings account.

I recommend giving Discovery Toys products for a gift. They are educational, developmental, non-violent, unique, and guaranteed for life. I have been a consultant with Discovery Toys for almost 28 years and I have never had anything but compliments (and squeals from the kids!) for the gifts I have given.

P. Nelson
Yorba Linda, CA
____@____.com

I don't know if your boss is "religious" at all, but there is a really great book by Max Lucado called "Just in Case You Ever Wondered". That would be a really nice gift to attache your gift card to. With the book, I would give $20, without a book, $25.
Good luck with your job!

I think a $25 gift card should be sufficient. I also think that a stuffed animal and a book like Good Night Moon or Guess How Much I Love You, or a lullaby music CD make a nice reasonably priced gift as well.

something around $25 dollars seem like a reasonable amount for a baby shower. Good luck

I think a good gift would be a cute hooded towel (toddler size) and washcloth set - like a frog towel, etc. A couple of my employees gave me hooded towels and I thought that was great. I use the towels all the time, and my daughter looks really cute wearing them. If you want to give more than that, you could add some bath soap and lotion or bath toys.

You could always do a little outfit or toy plus a $25 gift card or something... that's the thing I don't like about gift cards - the amount you spent is right there! But we all know how nice using a gift card is for things like diapers!

The Baby Book by Dr. Sears covers birth to age two and is a Godsend, it has great tips on what to do, especially when they are sick, what foods to give them, changes in behavior, milestones. I love this book and I am a Mom to an 18 month old girl and one boy on the way. Best of luck!
E.

All new mom's appreciate a nice photo album or frame. I would stay in the $15-20 range. I tend not to like gift cards since they seem so unfeeling. Just my opinion. If you buy an outfite you can always get a gift receipt....also they are probablly registered so see what they need. The biggest thing is to share the joy of the new parents.

Hi M.,

Hollyhoods are my standard baby gifts from now on. I got one for each of my son's when they were born & have since bought two more.

Here is her website. http://www.hollyhoods.com She can usually turn them around in about a week. They are about $40 but you could go in halves w/ someone on one. There are so many styles and colors. Good luck.

D.

I would advise against a gift certificate. It puts a price on what you spent and could seem less personal! I agree with a book, a toy or even clothes. You can find clothes on sale and they don't have to know what you spent. I would buy stuff for 18 months, or maybe even 24/2T since they have surely over bought/recieved 12 mo out of excitement.

Hi, M.,

I'm a mother of a two-year-old and a one-year old. Here's my preference (as a recipient). Gift certificates, esp. to large stores, are fine. I like the flexibility that they provide. My family received too many blankets, clothes and toys. All the gifts were beautiful, but the money some people spent on my family was wasted because I couldn't use all the gifts people gave us. Some of the toys were great but collectively took more space than we had in our apartment. (Consider the size of your supervisor's home if you know it.)

One thing that I would have loved to receive was a pair or two of Baby Leggs, which keep the baby's legs warm. It's easier to change the diaper of a baby wearing Baby Leggs than one wearing pants or a (full-length, zip-up) sleeper. Baby Leggs are also quite useful for babies, like mine, who are too skinny for most pants that fit in terms of length. I think that a pair costs approx $12.

Sincerely,
Lynne E

I also adopted a little boy. One of the best gifts I received was "What to expect the First Year." It was a great book to reference to every month.

Good Luck

K. K

Hi M.,

Ditto on the no gift card idea. The hooded towl or books are great options.

Good luck on new job and with your new boss.

M.

Hi M.: First of all I want to say that you sound so nice saying that you want to be generous, that of itself is generous of you. God Bless you.
As per an appropiate gift, Baby books are always a hit. Pop-up books are always great. My girls and son always enjoyed those type of gifts to date. I hope this helps.
I.

If this is their first child, I would recommend getting them a subscription to a parenting magazine. I've always enjoyed Parents.

I give a 2 year subscription to Parents for every "first baby" baby shower and inevitably the mother comes to me months later and says that it was by far the best, most helpful gift they received. Bonus - it's cheap! A 2 year subscription is only about $25.

Good luck!

I once had to bring a shower gift for the pregnant wife of the soon to arrive new pastor of my church. I didn't know the woman or husband. I knew a lot of well meaning ladies would turn up with expensive gifts. I just could not see this so:
I made a very clever stuffed animal. It took some time,but I enjoyed the project. Years later when I did know the people rather well, they were still talking about the animal which had become a family favorite.
Just a thought - you are on the spot.
B. v. O.

As a mom of 4, (and veteran of many baby showers!) I can tell you that anything personalized is greatly appreciated. That's especially true for an adopted child. An engraved photo frame is fairly inexpensive, but very impressive. Gift certificates to a portrait studio would be great - it celebrates their new ststus as a family.

You've got some great suggestions...here are a few more. Check the registry, a lot of times there will be nice affordable items in the $10-20 range. Check out Old Navy too as they have some adorable clothes that are very affordable. A cute graphic onesie with a cute tiny toy is a sweet and thoughtful gift. Also, at the age the child may be walking or soon to be walking...sand toys for the park are great (pail, shovel, rake, etc.) and attach a bottle of bubbles for an inexpensive personal touch. Books are wonderful too...I read my 14 month old several books a day and he "plays" with them all the time. Be sure to buy board books as they will definitely go into baby's mouth and get gnawed on. Sandra Boynton is a BIG favorite in our house. She's got a great book called "Bath Time" that floats in the tub, attach a bottle of bubbles, bubble bath, or a rubber duckie. Another favorite is "Snuggle Puppy" which is a special book for parents to share with their child. Eric Carle has great board books, a particular fave is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" and is a great way to introduce children to colors and animals. Finally, music CDs for children are great. My son loves to dance and music is always on in our house. Putamayo has wonderful children's CDs. You can find these in the children's section of Whole Foods or the bookstores. My son loves the Hawaiian one and I've given "World Playground" several times. I hope this helps. Best wishes and good luck on your new job!

Hi M.,
I think $20-$25 is ample, if it is in your budget. You just started a new job and everyone knows how the economy is. Do not fret. Your boss is probablly not expecting much. Alternate idea, buy one or two lovely books and you might be able to get away with spending less. -L.

I would suggest buying an actual gift instead of a gift card(more personal & requires thought) Just give a gift receipt so if they get doubles they can return. Diapers are a great gift and blankets, are they registered if so that's easy check out what they are asking for. I also agree books are great gifts. Good luck I think around $20-$30 is more then enough.

If you get a gift card, I would say $15 or 20 is good. Babies always need clothes, and there are a lot of adorable outfits for $10. Just include a gift receipt in case they get too many clothes.

If you are going for a gift certificate, I would say Target is better. There really isn't much you can get a 1 year old at Baby's R us, assuming they already have the highchair and stroller... which they can also get at Target.

How about an inexpensive, but very creative diaper cake? I make them and would love the opportunity to create a cake for you. Check out my website: www.haveyourcakeanduseittoo.com

I always do a gift so they don't know what you spend. Target & Walmart have the same stuff as Babie's R Us and cheaper, EASIER to return too if they already have it...
infant/toddler tub
baby bjorn front carrier
bouncer
travel diaper changer(not the diaper bag)
they will get a ton of clothes
grocery cart/ high chair cloth cover with toys
floor gym
BOOKS

Considering that you do not know these people, I think $25 is a lot of money, personally. Especially in this economy. I would go with a nice children's book and wrap it beautifully. If you scrapbook, I'd consider making your own card to personalize it even more.

Hi M., I make Diaper Cakes. They are a fun gift Very usable and look like they cost quite a bit. Check out my Website at www.bearbottomdiapercakes.com. Or contact me directly and we can work with your price range. Other great ideas are books or of course a gift card with a little toy or book attached, burp clothes that are handmade... check out eBay or ETSY sites too for some really great ideas that have free shipping. Good luck.
K.

My favorite baby gift is a book called "How to Photograph Your Baby" by Nick Kelsh. It's an easy reason but provides invaluable tips for getting amazing photos of baby and kids. I have photos I've taken of my kids that people swear were done by a professional photographer. This is one of my standard baby shower gifts, and a year down the line the moms always tell me it's one of the best gifts they receive.

I have the perfect gift. You can give them something that for sure they wouldn't get from anyon else!!!
What if you gave them a book that THEY CREATE AND PUBLISH? They could create a book on their new little one. They could publish a storybook about their adoption.
If you like the idea check out my website -
www.yourtreasuresinprint.com
You can see the different products - call me.
Good luck with your choice of gift.
T.