Great Ideas for Baby Shower Invitations

One way to celebrate the impending arrival of a new baby is to have a baby shower.  These fun showers are a great way to let friends and family know that you care and are excited about their new arrival.  Of course, if you are throwing a shower, choosing the perfect invitation is important.  After all, the invitation gets guests excited and ready to celebrate.  Here are some tips for choosing the perfect invitations for your next baby shower.

Personalize

Love Grows Baby Shower Invitation

Personalized baby shower invitations make a bold statement.  This invitation from Tiny Prints is set up to include a picture of the new baby.  A sonogram image makes this invitation fun and unique.  Ten invitations are just $23.90 and the price decreases the more you order.  This invitation is sure to delight both guests and the new mom alike.

Make It Memorable

Ten Toes Magnet Baby Shower Invitation

It can be hard to remember the dates and times of baby showers.  These clever invitations double as magnets to make posting the invitation on the fridge simple.  This is a great way to keep the baby shower in the mind of the guests so that they don’t have to rush out to get some last minute baby shower gifts.  This cute magnet invitation is from Storkie and can be customized using their easy to use customization program.  Prices start at $2.89 per magnet.

Get Crafty

Homemade Diaper Baby Shower Invitation

Another idea for baby shower invitations that really stand out is to make homemade invitations for the event.  There are many ideas out there if you want to make your own invitations but these custom diaper invitations from Make Your Own Invitations are clever and unique.  These invitations are made using a diaper and other simple supplies.  They are easy to make and should get a great response.

Great invitations set the stage for a great baby shower.  Use these ideas or a few of your own as you plan the perfect celebration for the new baby.

Homemade Baby Gifts

Every once in a while the crafting urge strikes.  If you want to make an extra special gift for a new mom or baby, the homemade route can be the way to go.  Of course, since we aren’t all skilled and creative crafters, it can be helpful to have a few cute ideas on hand for homemade baby gifts.
Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Homemade Baby Blanket

This simple and cute baby blanket seen on Momtastic is an impressive and adorable gift.  It is also deceptively easy to make.  In fact, even a novice seamstress can create a stunning final product.  If you can cut, sew a semi-straight line and pin, then you can handle this project.

Homemade Lamb Pillows

These cute little lamb pillows are perfect baby boy or baby girl gifts.  They are easy to make and oh so cute.  This design and instructions are found at The Purl Bee.

Homemade Toddler Crayons

If you are looking for a super simple homemade gift project, consider making these Toddler Crayons seen on Say Yes to Hoboken.  While baby will have to wait a few months to enjoy these crayons, they are super simple to make and could even make a great gift for a new older brother or sister.  Consider packaging them in a cute decorative bag or tin.  These crayons are simple to make and very affordable for those on a budget.

Choosing Art for Your Baby’s Room

Those that struggle with interior design may feel a bit stumped when they look at the empty walls in their baby’s nursery. What is an easy way to make nursery walls come alive?

Simple and inexpensive nursery art may be the solution. You will find that there are many fun choices to for nursery art. Etsy is a great place to start your search for affordable and unique nursery decor.   Here are a few of our favorites…

Hedgehog Playing Standup Bass in Blue

This fun print comes from the Etsy shop Barking Bird Art.

They have this cute print and many more fun and animated animal prints for the nursery.  Art at this shop is affordable.  The hedgehog print sells for only $18 plus shipping.  If you are looking for cute nursery art pieces, look here for some great ideas.

Another great idea for nursery art are wall decals.  These sticker like objects are easy to apply and remove and can really make the room come alive.

Butterflies Vinyl Wall Sticker Decal Art

These fun butterfly decals come in packages of 44 butterflies in varying sizes.  The butterflies are available in a variety of colors which makes them easy to match to any color scheme.  They are available for $20 plus shipping from the Etsy shop Urban Walls.

The alphabet is a great theme for nursery art.

Animal Alphabet Baby Nursery Decor

It is $16 plus shipping and very cute.  Fancy Prints has other great options for nursery art as well.

If you are struggling to find great art for your nursery, take some time to peruse around Etsy and find fun and original options for your baby’s room. Happy Hunting!

2010 Summer Best Baby Gift Coupon Codes

Do New Moms Hate Personalized Baby Gifts?

Okay, hate may be too strong a word, but while it is hard to believe, some mothers really dislike receiving them.   Are we making a HUGE gift giving mistake by giving her a gift she is only going to regret receiving?

The problem does not lie in the personalized baby gift itself, but in the givers, you and me.  Even if we have children, and they are years past baby stage, we tend to forget what new mothers need.  We tend to buy impractical gifts that are only going to clutter her closets with trinkets she’ll maybe use when she finally gets around to organizing her photos.

It is not that she does not want personalized baby gifts, she wants the right ones.

Here are three easy steps to remember while purchasing a personalized baby gift:

1. Buy useful items: Blankets, clothes, pictures frames, jewelry, nursery decor can be used or worn by the baby or in the nursery.
2. Keep Focus on Baby: While cute sayings are tempting, a new mom can find them annoying. It is best to keep personalization simple: Name and Birthday.
3. Keep it Small: Be thoughtful and remember she has to lug over-sized gifts home from the shower, office, or worse, hospital. If it is over-sized, ship it to her home.

Unique and Stylish Baby Onesies…..Put Simply: Just Cool!

Every once in awhile a baby gift merchant will contact me about their store.   Some of these sites are just the ordinary repackaged to look extraordinary.  I think, “boring” and hit delete. I am looking for a unique baby gift!

But this time, I was truly amazed when I received an e-mail from Rob and Jen, the owners of Redsnapper™.  Starting and running forbabygifts, I have seen a lot of baby gifts.   I mean A LOT! So I can safely say I am somewhat of an expert about baby gifts.  And when I see something unique, something that truly stands out, I want to send a shout out!

What Redsnapper™ has done has taken an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, I might yawn gift – the baby onesie – and made it truly unique by adding cool and hip designs and colors.  Check out the elephant pattern below.  It just shouts happiness!

Iconic Elephant

The green against the yellow, orange and red – can you say WOW?! Compare that against solid white, beige, or even black.   ZZZZZZZZZ! Truly a unique baby onesie

With similar designs for boys and girl at very affordable prices (around $20 with the gift box – $17 without), my favorite is the Money’s Worth, you simply cannot miss.  Money’s Worth is free if you buy two others.   But only during the month of June.

But best of all is that Redsnapper™ is just as stylish as the baby clothes they sell.  Easy to navigate, big and clear pictures with cute babies on nearly every page.  I get the feeling that Jen and Rob will make sure you are a happy customer from beginning to end.  I can tell they love what they do!

As new parents that are very trendy ourselves, we noticed that there was a real lack of cool baby clothes out there. We decided that we wanted to start a line of our own that was cool enough that even we would wear it.

To take our product a step further, we introduced our patented center red snap on all of our clothes.

As we quickly learned, squirming crying babies made it very easy to snap the onesies crooked. The red snap provides two things:

1. Color coding for moms and dads to be able to easily snap the baby right the first time, every time

2. A very unique design element as well!

Handmade Security Blanket with Tags

Love handmade items? Well, I found a great baby shower gift from one of my favorite stores: Etsy.

The Handmade Security Blanket with Tags. This wonderful gift comes from the ericmandybarnett’s shop. What sets this blanket aside from store made security blankets – beside that it is handmade – is that “the tags do not form a loop. The ends are finished to prevent fraying during wash.” To me that says, lifetime friend for your newest baby!

$10 with free US Shipping.

Handmade Security Blanket with Tags

Save on Diapers, Wipes, and Formula

Amazon is offering a great deal for diapers, wipes and formula.   Below the banner are some details of their offer.  Ends April 20, 2010

• Free 2-Day Shipping on all diapers, wipes, and formula sold by Amazon
• An additional 15% savings through Subscribe & Save, our auto-delivery program
• Favorite brands like Pampers, Seventh Generation, Huggies, and Similac

One of my friends, Laura is walking for the March of Dimes Babies.  If you want to make a donation, her team page is a great place to start.

Now here is a good idea! Designer Birth Gowns, or Designer Hospital Gowns.   Personally I like the term dressing gown.  “Hospital Gown” sounds too serious, and the image association is rather depressing.   (think drab green)

And the owner of dearjohnnies – Rachel Zinny – understands this – so much so she has a celebrity following! You could say a celebrity of the celebrities.  That’s nice!

dearjohnnies embodies the idea that hospital patients and those recovering at home deserve to wear something better than an ordinary hospital gown.

Since I being of the opposite sex will never give birth even if medical science allows for it, I do have second-hand knowledge of the event.  My mother was a registered nurse and taught Lamaze classes for many years.  And I have had heard labor/birthing stories from friends, and by most accounts, it does not sound pleasant.  One friend was in labor for 27 hours!  My point?

It is not an experience that can leave you feeling your best.  And to dress up, as Rachel writes, “in “a ‘used’ gown worn by who knows how many other patients before me wasn’t appealing.”  I think the old hospital gowns can be rather dehumanizing too. In other words, you want to do your best feeling your best come time for new baby’s arrival.

Perfect Baby Shower Gift

Now many new moms – the first timers – are anxious about their new arrival.  Books and baby shower can prepare a mother up to a certain point.  It takes an experienced mother, or an insightful friend, to get her something she would overlook.  Mainly, looking her best at the hospital! You can be that friend by getting her a Designer Birth Gown

Here is just a small sampling of what dearjohnnies has to offer.  Besides a wonderful selection of designer gowns, you can find blankets, gift sets, junior collections (nice touch for the wee ones)- all can be monogrammed too!

Rory Designer Gown by dearjohnnies

]]> http://www.forbabygifts.com/2010/03/designer-hospital-gowns-designer-birth-gowns/feed/ 0