No, I won't be babbling on about Justin Beiber in this post.....I promise. Thankfully, there is NO Beiber Fever in our household. We have kept the 8-yr-old and the almost 7-yr-old in the dark about the whole thing. Big E even asked Josh about some shirt with his face on it: "WHO is THAT?!?" in an indignant tone. Score one for us.... ;-)
This post is actually about real babies.
You know, the kind that I find cute but don't really want more of myself. The kind that I love buying gifts for....gifts that I would never want for my own children. The noisy toys and the extravagant books and etc.....oh, come on--I'm (mostly) kidding!
I have been picking up gifts here and there for 3 of my family members who have or will be having babies. Baby clothes and baby items can get very pricey, so I always make sure it is really something they will use before I invest lots of money in it. I have realized after having three of my own babies, and buying gifts for many nieces, nephews and friends, that there are a few items that you almost can't strike out with.
1. Diapers and wipes....what new mother doesn't need more of these? Just make sure that the baby doesn't have any allergies before you buy a specific brand. And always get a gift receipt!
2. Gift cards....I think these should be mandated for every special occasion but that is just me. Young parents love gift cards though--there is always an item that you didn't get at any of your showers that you HAVE to have.
3. Personalized items....it is always fun to have your baby's name up in his/her room, especially if your kids have unusual names like mine. This can be a pillow, a wall hanging or an item engraved with their name. I like to make shadow boxes with the baby's initial inside, done in the nursery's colors. If you are not craft-y, check out Etsy for some fun personalized stuff.
4. Onesies and socks--if you have had a baby, you know that this is the first item to get dirty when the diaper blows! I cannot tell you how many onesies I went through with my 3 kids. It is always nice to have a supply--I like to buy plain white ones so they can be used for either gender and they match with everything. We also went through tons of socks, partially because I tried to get by with cheap ones that never stayed on. By my third kid, I discovered that the Sonoma brand from Kohls stayed on well and were a good value for the price.
5. Books....it is always fun to build a library for your baby, and books from other people are so meaningful as they get older. I always make sure that I write my name and date in it, so the child can look at it years from now and remember. I still have books that were given to me by aunts, uncles and grandparents when I was a small child. And because books are so expensive, always check Amazon or Goodwill first. I often find brand-new books at Goodwill, for a fraction of the cost of new ones.
Although it is always fun to buy that amusing bib or adorable teddy bear or crochet that fuzzy blanket, sometimes sticking with the basics can bring the most blessing to a new mother. What do you like to give as a baby gift?