Baby Shower Gift Ideas

I can’t resist giving things I know other parents & babies have really liked & used longer than just a few months.

Here are some general ideas for gifts (further below are specific ideas/reviews of potential gifts): room decorations, bedding, removable wall stickers or decals (vehicles pictured below by Djeco), diaper bags, carriers like the Baby Bjorn, the Ergo Baby, or Slinglings, baby bottles (glass or plastic), pacifiers, baby bathtub, or an Exersaucer and let’s not underestimate the appreciation of diapers or gift certificates to baby goods stores (in NYC right now a case of diapers can be about $40).

Clothes:

Clothes are so hard to resist but sizes can be tricky to buy. For brand new babies I would stick to Onesies or really basic soft cotton clothes. As a gift I would buy outfits at 3-6 month size or bigger to make sure the baby gets a chance to wear the outfit before he/she grows too big for it. Here are some suggestions of brands to check out: keep in mind sizes and seasons. Also keep in mind where the baby lives weather-wise so the seasons match up with the baby’s size in that season. (In NYC in April it can still be pretty cold, yet stores will have only spring clothes out.)

Gerber‘s organic line is generally extremely soft and wears well. The onesies fit particularly well on long slim babies. This is the same for Petit Bateau. It’s hard to go wrong with Petit Bateau…sooo cute especially for 0- 1 years old. The clothes do run small and if you dry clothes in a dryer they will probably shrink. I didn’t dry any baby Petit Bateau clothes and they seem to have kept their original size.

Carter’s brand clothes tend to be really cute and durable as well but run really big. I didn’t find they shrink at all. Not always a bad thing as they might fit big now but you will have them longer, especially for pjs.

Tea has really beautiful and soft clothes. The clothes fit well and are classic yet with an exciting edge, often with bold and fun patterns.

If you have a winter baby who is 0-1, really nice gifts are warm pjs or a sleep sack as they can be expensive but great to have if the baby doesn’t like blankets (like mine at that age). Velour or terry cloth sleep sacks kept Vivien snuggy all winter. The online store Trendy Chic has Petite Bateau pjs that are super cute and they often have decent sales. Comfykid.com has nice Absorba ones I saw recently. I’ve also seen Absorba brand baby clothes at the discount store Daffy’s at great prices.

Another favorite for quality and cute/fun design patterns is Zutano. If in NYC FAO Schwarz has a large department downstairs of Zutano as well as Bunnies by the Bay. Bunnies by the Bay also has stuffed animal blankets. Viven loves her Emmit the Duck blanket.

Swaddling Blankets:

The Miracle Blanket. We used one and LOVED it. It has a pocket at the bottom which really helped us keep Vivien tight and snug. We also had a Kiddopotamus swaddling blanket but we couldn’t keep Vivien in it as she kept getting her feet loose.

Another great brand is Aden + Anais, whose muslin blankets have super designs and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy these as a gift. If the blankets are too big for the baby to swaddle (have heard some moms mention some trouble they’ve had with too much fabric that the baby can tangle in) they can still be used as a cover for over a stroller, a blanket on the floor, and as the baby gets older it becomes a summer blanket for bed or at the beach. Toddlers can even use them as fun capes. They also have summer weight sleep sacks, which I’ve seen in stores and would work perfectly to keep the draft off little ones in warmer weather. (see posts Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddling Wraps & More and More Uses for Aden + Anais Swaddling Blankets)

Stuffed Animals:

Small stuffed animals are great because if the baby gets attached to one it’s best for it to be more manageable for parents (when in transit, pushing a stroller, traveling, etc). Below are a few worth checking out:

Sigikid Doudou stuffed animals ( pictured to the right)

Bunnies by the Bay stuffed animal blankets

Jelly Cat Vivien has many of these…LOVES them.

Cuddling Toy Mouse from Doudou et Compagnie is a pretty special cuddle toy and comes in a really nice box…they have a pink cat and yellow bee too.

I love Kaloo brand as well…Vivien has an orange cat of theirs she loves. They wash really well and dry pretty fast (fast turnaround equals less separation anxiety/hassle).

Products:

Basket of baby products from California Baby or Mustela shampoos and cleansers are the two brand we love to use but are pricey. I was particularly fond of the Mustela PhysiObebe No Rinse Cleansing Fluid after much bum wiping.

All California Baby products are great, but two in particular that the new spring/summer parents might not think to get is their all natural California Baby Natural Bug Repellent or their Spf 30 Sunblock Stick No Fragrance.

Boiron Homeopathic Medicine Camilia Teething Relief Single-Use Oral Doses or Cocyntal for Colic Single-Use Oral Doses. I used the Camilia for more than just teething and I think it really helped take the edge off when Vivi wasn’t feeling well and was fussy. I never tried the ones for colic as I couldn’t get them in the US at the time. I was getting the Camilia from France and Switzerland but thankfully in the last year I have found it at drug stores like Duane Reade. Besides online, the cheapest place that I found Camilia was at Whole Foods.

Random Fun things:

A special version of a classic toy that goes the extra mile in quality and cuteness is Anouk, the Pyramid from Lilliputiens (pictured to the right below)

Small Rattles…Haba makes really cute ones, Bunny by the Bay has a very cute soft carrot rattle.

Sophie the Giraffe is a very popular french baby gift I see everywhere in the USA now. All French babies have one…they are great teething toys.

Passy chains. Our favorite one was the Haba one pictured below. It was thin and a little longer than some which made it easier for us in the stroller.

Wee Gallery Black and White cards and their Mobile to hang the cards. I hang photographs of friends and family on Vivien’s now.

Snug muffs for stroller (especially for city kids who are outside a lot) are a great thing to have. These save parents from having to over dress the baby, undress the baby, then dress the baby again when going in and out during the cold months.

Books:

Happiest Baby on the Block, The Baby Owner’s Manual can be helpful for the parents. Children’s books are always a good gifts at any age and soft fabric books for babies under 1 years old are great as babies tend to chew on the books.

Music:

See posts Rockin’ to Sleep & Let’s Make Some Noise

If in a pinch or don’t like to look all over the place for baby or kid presents I love Moolka.com. It has a lots of great toys from birth to probably about 9. Prices are generally the lowest when compared to other sites and you can save things in the cart to “shop” then decide later which items you really want.

For Mom:

And let’s not forget…maybe something for the new Mom. A gift that’s for her, not baby related. A gift certificate to the spa or a new extra comfy bathrobe. Babysitting coupons. One more: Champagne! After all what’s a celebration without Champagne?

There are so many great things so please add your comments if you want to share something you have found you couldn’t live with out or just plan loved.

1st Year Baby Gifts