Best Baby Gifts!

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Springtime means cleaning, organizing, open windows, returning to the playgrounds as well as baby showers and birthday parties galore! After cold weather and hibernation have faded away, the birds and the bees have…well…gotten busy! Here are a few of my favorite, and most well-received, baby gifts to inspire you this spring!5TRKXpeqc

Before Baby Arrives: (aka shower gifts)

– Something from the registry. Fine. This might be boring. Here’s an alternative: get together with a few friends and purchase a bigger ticket item than you may have purchased separately. Go for the baby carrier, car seat, or stroller!

Feeding gear that might have been overlooked. Is she hoping to nurse the baby? Put together a “goodie bag” of nursing essentials that no new mom wants to (or knows to) purchase for herself. (Think nursing pads, lanolin, nursing tanks, freezer bags, shield, or those awesome freezer icy packs. I also would include a note instructing the mom to feel free to peruse the items at home later).

– If you’re feeling the need to buy baby clothes, consider getting them a few sizes larger. Buy 6-12 months or even a gift card. Little outfits are cute, but they grow out of them so darn quickly if they even stay clean…

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Our photo books could use a little updating!

– Photo Books- Studies have shown that babies recognize faces at nearly adult levels as early as 4 months of age. This photo-insert books we’ve found is plastic, easy to clean, and parents can swap out photos as often as they like. These make great toys for the car, plane or stroller! I personalized this one for my dear cousin a while back, asking her husband to be sneaky and email me photos of people that I couldn’t find trolling Facebook….

Reese
Reese loves ‘reading’ her family photo book!
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My boys’ first year calendar scrapbooks.

Baby’s First Year Calendar – (above) This is probably my favorite gift of them all. My mom kept calendars like these for years. I tried, for each of my boys, to write or draw something on most days. Not only does it serve as a scrapbook of memories and benchmarks but kids will enjoy having them later on in life!

After Baby’s Arrival:

Food- Sites like takethemameal.com allow coworkers, family members, or Facebook friends to schedule homemade meal delivery or even send a pizza to a family with a new little one. This is the gift of time. If you happen to live close by, delivering some pre-made freezer meals or a coffee unexpectedly earns friendship bonus points and will get you some baby snuggles.

Diapers- No explanation necessary.

– Something personalized/monogrammed. (This can also be included in the shower gifts if the couple has announced the baby’s name). Blankets (love our embroidered Pottery Barn Kids fuzzies), crib artwork (so many cute ideas on Etsy!), or small pieces of quality furniture. I like to paint stools and toy boxes. If you’re not feeling super creative – there are sites that will also decorate them for you. With a coat of lacquer on top, these are easy to clean and will last for years. I found these stools at Walmart.com and the toy boxes from Hayneedle.com!

Madeline and Thomas
Madeline and Thomas with their stools.

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Have you given (or received) any favorite baby gifts? 

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Julie P
Julie is a full-time 5th grade teacher, full-time mommy, part-time runner and resident of Ridgefield! Originally from Colorado, she grew up in SW Fairfield County and got married in 2008. They spent a few years south of the Mason-Dixon, got a dog, and returned to CT to raise their family. A former collegiate tennis player, she loves staying active and finding ways to get outside with her two boys (Oliver - February 2011 and Miles - October 2013). When she's not grading papers, playing racecars, or training for a race, Julie is trying to cook healthy meals for her (picky) family, keep their golden retriever out of trouble, take photos, stay organized and save some money to buy a fixer-upper.

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