An few tips for putting together baby gifts, with a bit of an organic, Montessori, crunchy granola theme.
Just a little (not sponsored) post about a baby gift I put together for a friend. I have been to a few (ahem about a million) baby showers and had two bubs myself so I have a little system going when it comes to putting together baby gift baskets that I thought I would share.
Combine forces.
My first tip is to grab a few friends to chuck in with if possible, unless you are super wealthy (and let's face it, people who have or read DIY blogs usually aren't – no offence he he) buying all the things to put together a cute package to wrap in cellophane is just too much. You want it to be popping out of the basket, without having to give someone a beautifully wrapped up basket full of tissue paper. Thanks Ames and Heath for chucking in for this gift by the way.
Sit it pretty.
And that brings us to the basket, if possible grab a nice one so it can become part of the nursery, Down To The Woods have absolutely gorgeous wire-ware but if that's too much even Kmart has some cool stuff. If all else fails a lovely basket full of newborn nappies is a great gift that can be done in the car on the way. Just wrap it up with some cellophane or light material so the parents to be can suss out the contents without having to open it all up.
Separate Clothing.
When it comes to the clothing this is where I may differ from most, I buy separates rather than onsies because they don't grow out of them nearly as quickly. A 000 onsie only fits a bub who is 000 but a pair of pants and t-shirt can be worn when they are a tiny bit smaller or a good bit bigger. I also don't see the sense in having to take off everything they are wearing because of a leaky nappy or a bit of puke. This penguin outfit is from Pip Organic Clothing and it is so soft and perfect, it makes me want to have another bub just to use it, for organic bub stuff they are so well priced too.
Go unisex.
Did I ever tell you about the time my bestie was told she was going to have a girl and we threw her a pink baby shower and yeah… you guessed it, not actually a girl. Lucky she had a 38 week scan and was corrected or she would have already pulled all the tags off and washed everything she was given. This is obviously rare but what is really common, when you know what you're having, is to end up with piles of pink stuff, or mountains of car and dinosaur clothing and it is always nice to break it up with something different. The penguin top would look super cute with a tiny tutu or some blue shorts.
Lotions and Potions.
I say only include them if it's a product you know is really good. It can be an expensive part of the gift and not everyone uses them, lot's of people only bath with water, don't use baby powder or are worried about scented products.
The QV range is really great, it's what I use for bathtime because it is super sensitive and you can buy it in huge bulk bottles. I also swear by Covitol for nappy rash, Squawk rarely got it but when he did it would be so bad that his skin would go shiny and weep and nothing would clear it except hard core prescription cream and to get that we would have to go to the doctor and then someone would pick up Hand Foot and Mouth or goop eye from hanging out in the waiting room. I don't know how or where I found it, or why it smells like sea weed but it works like pure magic and I have tried EVERYTHING!
Toys.
You guys know I am a bit of a Montessori nut so I like to give a little hat tip to the way we do things, the interlocking disks pictured above are beautiful, encourage hand to hand transfer and are finished in food grade beeswax, but most of all they are a little bit different and not expensive at all.
I usually stay away from comfort toys in baby gifts, strange considering I was given a Peter Rabbit comfort toy for Scout's baby shower and it became a life long obsession. I prefer to go with something a bit cool that can sit on a shelf and decorate the nursery until bub is big enough to play with it. I got the wind up bird from a lovely local shop and it wasn't expensive at all.
Charity and shopping small.
I am such a fan of shopping small, there are so many amazing Aussie designers and stores to support. If you can find an online store that is in your area a lot of the time you can organise local pic up to avoid the postage costs. Also, if you follow the brands and stores you like on Facebook or Instagram you can find out when they are having sales. I have a Facebook gift guide album here for you to check out.
If you're unsure of what to buy or the mama has asked for no gifts you can always hit up Oxfam and buy a pregnant mama in South Africa a lifeline or give hope to some orphans.
