Category Archives: gifts

Oh Silliness…

I did such an amazing job hiding the kids’ Christmas gifts, I don’t remember where I put them. I feel like a squirrel. Running around, hiding nuts. Except squirrels have better memories. Do squirrel’s give each other nuts for Christmas? Maybe some pecans or cashews. Not the everyday fair. I could probably do some research on squirrel Christmas habits. Fascinating business. I bet people would be lining up to read that.
The big gifts are easy to find. They are oddly shaped, and placed just above the children’s eye levels. So basically I put everything on the coffee table. It is the small trinkets that give me trouble. I thought I was being very clever and inventive with my hiding spots. Apparently I was, and outsmarted myself.
I will now spend the next several hours scavenging my house. Knowing me I probably put stuffed everything just out of reach in the children’s closet.
Speaking of their closet, I stopped at Target on the way home. I went in for frozen pizza and accidentally ended up in the little girl’s clothing section. They had some adorable little dresses that would look very nice on Munchie. Unfortunately they were around $100, and I couldn’t justify spending that for something she will only wear once for a few hours.
Now, I know what you are thinking, women do that all the time. Yes, you are right. But we can justify the purchase because we can tell ourselves that we will wear it “all the time!” And there are no physical restraints preventing this from becoming reality. I can still fit into the dress I bought for Heather’s wedding four years ago. Have I worn it since? No. But if I want to wear it, I have that option. Little girl’s clothing is different. I cannot trick myself into believing that this dress “is totally worth it because it will get a lot of use.” In a few months Munchie will outgrow it. So basically I can’t delude myself into shopping.
However, I did see this:
There are two things wrong with this jacket. It is too big for Munchie. It is too small for me.
And I think I remember where I put the children’s gifts. I will need a ladder.

Best Baby Shower Gifts

I have had baby showers on my mind. Don’t worry Mom, I am not pregnant again. This may have to do with the upcoming baby showers I will be attending. But I attend baby showers all the time, so really it may just be the season. I mean, Spring is coming up, and that is the season for fertility. It is also the season for a lot of other stuff… but those are like five different posts that have nothing to do with baby showers , so  we will get into that later.
I have been doing my baby shower shopping (because I have leaving things for last minute). Now, none of the lovely women who will having baby showers are first time mommies, which means they already know what they want or need. They also already have the big ticket items. But nevertheless there are a few essentials that are welcome to most baby showers.
Diaper Cakes
Most baby showers have a diaper raffle, where everyone brings diapers, gets a ticket and someone wins a prize of some sort. Even if there is no diaper raffle, diapers are always welcome. A diaper cake is just a super decorative way of bringing diapers. Also, depending on what you got, you can put most, if not all, of your gifts inside the “cake” for an added surprise. If you have no idea what I am talking about, thisis what a diaper cake is.
It takes time. I remember the first few I ever made. They were horrible. I practically wanted to cry. Now, I do a pretty good job. In fact, people request them. So if yours doesn’t come out the way you wanted. Don’t give up. Keep at it. If you are nothing like me, and don’t attend 523 baby showers a year, which means you won’t have time to practice and hone your diaper cake making skills, then call me. I will do it for you (because I love you, and making diaper cakes is super fun).
Older Baby Clothes
Itsy bitsy newborn onesies are adorable. But guess what, everyone is going to be getting them for the mommy to be. She will be overloaded with tiny onesies. More than the kid may ever wear. I have almost an entire box of really cute onesies Munchie never got to wear (I am saving them for when my brother in law or my best friend has a kid… and with my luck they will both have boys that probably won’t want to wear Munchie’s pink and frilly onesies).
9-12 months baby clothes are also cute. And it will save the parents having to buy as many clothes when the child grows. Also, from personal experience, some babies are bigger and grow faster than others. Ducky was huge, and he grew very, very quickly. Some newborn onesies never even fit him. And the ones that fit stopped fitting within a month. He is five months old wearing twelve months clothes.
Bigger is better when shopping for baby clothes. Babies grow at different rates, but eventually they will fit in the outfit you got them.
Gift Cards
I love gift cards. When I get gift cards it allows me to buy all the stuff for an occasion that I did not receive. For a baby shower they are great because the mommy to be can hold on to it until after the baby is born and use it for stuff she didn’t even know she needed. For Munchie’s baby shower I received a lot of gift cards and they became very useful in her first few months. As a new mom I did not know everything I would need. And all babies are different. Just because my friends used product X doesn’t mean I will have any use for it. There is also the stuff I thought I would not need, and turns out I was wrong. You really can’t go wrong with one of these.
Boppy Pillow
You can’t have too many. I received three of these at Munchie’s baby shower. I thought I would surely return at least one because what do I need three for? Turns out, they were great, and I ended up using all of them. At the time we were living in a two story town home, so I had one upstairs by the bed for night feedings. I had one in the living room so Munchie could lay on it during the day and I could use for afternoon feedings. The third resided in my car for when we went anywhere. We are now using them for Ducky.
Make sure you get the kind with a removable cover. Babies spit up. Enough said.
Honestly, you can’t really go wrong with a baby shower gift. In the end, it is the thought that counts. And anything is usually appreciated. If the mommy to be has a registry, consult it. If not, hopefully this gift guide has been helpful.
What are some of your favorite things to bring to baby showers? What are some of the best things you received at yours?

3 Must Haves On Your Christmas Shopping List

I am a meticulous shopper. I do all my research before buying anything, and I have put a lot of thought into my Christmas shopping list. The following three items are absolute must haves for this season… for a toddler. If you don’t have children, and are not planning on buying anything for anyone else’s children, then please feel free to read my other posts. They are very good. I promise.
If you are interested in shopping for small children, I guarantee the following three items are a crowd pleaser. Even if your crowd consists of itsy bitsy ones.
They help your toddler further develop their fine motor skills, and expand their imagination. And if you don’t mind finding duplo blocks all over your house, they will keep your toddler occupied for hours. Totally worth it.
It gives your toddler oodles of buttons to press. It is instructional. Best of all, it keeps your little one off of your laptop. Next time he/she reaches for yours, hand them their own. You will both be happy.
Your little one is getting to the age where they will see puppies and kitties and want a pet. This one is perfect. You don’t have to feed it. And walking is optional. If you already have a dog, this one is easy for your little one to walk, and it will play with him/her endlessly.
All of these products are affordable. Also, they make minimal amounts of noise (even the laptop is not terribly annoying). Happy shopping!
If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to read my other ones, they are all equally good. If you read this far, and did not care for this post, I swear this is the worst post I have ever written, so read others because they are much better.