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Baby Gifts: How to
Make Yours the One They Remember
by Stephanie
Gallagher
Why do some baby gifts
stand out from the crowd and others seem to
get lost in the
recipient's memory, never to be found again? Surprisingly, it has little
to do with cost of the baby gifts. Rather, it's the little, thoughtful
touches that make all the difference.
Some tips:
Add an Element of
Humor
You don't have to spend
a lot of money to give baby gifts that are memorable. Try putting
together your own "Nursing Survival Kit," with breast pads, Lansinoh
cream, frozen peas (to ease nursing soreness), and a copy of The Womanly
Art of Breastfeeding.
Put Together a Creative Baby Gift Basket
Create a "Sleep Like a
Baby" baby gift basket with a soft baby blanket or lovey, a white noise
CD (vacuum sounds are great!) and a Miracle Blanket (for easy
swaddling). Or transform a simple baby book into a "Remembering the
Moment" baby gift basket, by adding a copy of the local newspaper from
the day the baby was born, copies of Time and People magazines from the
week the baby was born, a current postage stamp, and a sales flyer from
the local grocery store.
Twenty years from now, the parents and grown child will have
fun looking back at everything from the price of a dozen eggs to who the
hot celebrities were back when junior was a baby.
For more clever baby
gift basket ideas, check out
http://www.gifts-babies-love.com/baby-gift-basket.html.
Include Everything the New Parents Will Need to Make It
Work
Nobody likes extra
work. So do whatever you can do to make it easy for the new parents to
enjoy your baby gift. For example, if your present requires batteries,
include a small package of batteries (the correct type, of course,) with
it. You don't even need to give the whole pack -- just the right amount
for the item you've given. You'd be amazed how grateful the new parents
will be.
Put it Together For
Them
The best baby gifts for new parents are those that require no
work on their part to enjoy. However, this is a strategy that's best
used when you are absolutely positive the new parents want what you've
gotten them. Remember, baby gifts that are put together aren't so easily
returned. So do this when you're buying something off the registry or
when the recipients have specifically asked for what you're giving them.
Include a Gift Receipt
They may love what
you've gotten, but they may have also gotten two or three baby gifts
just like it. Make it easy to return yours, and they'll be grateful.
Include Your Full
Name and Address on the Card
After 36 hours of labor and two weeks of sleep deprivation, a
new mommy can't be counted on to remember her own last name, let alone
yours. That's true even if she's your sister or best friend. So make it
easy for her by writing your full name on the card. Including your
address, too, makes it easy for to write the thank-you note.
About The Author
Stephanie Gallagher,
a.k.a., The Shopping Mom, is the author of several parenting books and
Editor of The Shopping Mom's Guide to Baby Gifts,
http://www.guide-to-baby-gifts.com.
More information:
Choose a Lovely Baby Gift...