DIY: The Perfect Baby Shower Gift Basket

Baby showers, we’ve all been to one. I’ve planned some, and even had one of my own. We never had one for my little guy because they were so close together (15 months apart), it felt downright rude to expect a bunch of family & friends to gather again so soon and shower us with gifts... Again. Also, we didn’t need anything! I learned something after my first rodeo, most registries look exactly the same. Something you may have learned as well, a lot of that stuff isn’t necessary. I found myself surrounded by friends and family suggesting tons of different registry “must-haves.” Yet it’s filled with stuff you either don’t need right away, or will mostly likely not work and never be used anyway.

It seems the moment you get pregnant everyone has advice for you, but that’s another post for another day.

I found that every time I went to a baby shower I wasn’t sure what to get for the mom-to-be. After learning about the true necessities in early motherhood, I vowed never again to shower someone with useless items whether it’s on their registry or not. There’s no need to feel confined to only buying from the registry by the way. Most of the awesome gifts I received and could not live without, were not on my registry.  So when one of our beloved friends announced they were expecting, I couldn’t wait to shower them with all the pearls of wisdom from my experience. Perhaps that’s what was happening when I was receiving tons of advice, I suppose motherhood is much like anything else, a very personal experience. No two situations are exactly alike. I digress.

So I decided to put together a DIY Baby Shower Basket of my own! One that reflected all of the basic necessities and thoughtful gestures I wish I had been privy to in my pregnancy.

Now, these are all ideas that can be used as a single gift for someone who you may not know very well, or as a whole basket for close friends or family that you love.

Either way –  these items are thoughtful and functional all at once! They are perfect gifts for the experienced “Crunchy” mom in your life, or the mom who is interested in a more natural approach to parenting but not quite sure where / how to get started.

Diapers: Let’s be honest, who doesn’t need diapers? This is ALWAYS a welcomed gift, in fact it’s even requested on some invitations! I’m a cloth diaper advocate, no secret about that if you’ve read my Cloth Diaper Confessional. Cloth diapers are an awesome gift to give, but not quite functional for the mom who doesn't know how to put them to use. So in this case there are alternatives – Biodegradable Diapers! It's the next best option next to traditional disposable diapers. The Honest Company has gift bundles online that you can purchase in monthly increments. Obviously the more you buy the better the price. In this case I was able to provide a month’s worth of these stylish diapers with wipes. Indeed, this is gift enough for most showers. If you’re interested in “upping the ante”, then keep reading!

Baby Wrap: I'm pretty passionate about baby wearing, I wish I knew more about it when my oldest was born. I had an Ergo carrier and loved it, although even with the newborn insert it didn't quite fit right until he was at least 5-6 months old. For this reason wraps work great for smaller babies. The benefits of baby wearing have long been studied and there is plenty of research pointing to the positive hormonal effects it has as well as the increase in lactation for the mother. The Solly Baby Wrap has long been on my radar as one of the most stylish and comfortable baby wraps around. Their adorable patterns and soft lightweight material make it perfect for South Florida weather.

Nursing Cover: A good nursing scarf is a great gift for the breastfeeding mom. The Nuroo Baby scarf is by far the most innovative and stylish scarf I've come across to date. It's unique  snap enclosures allow for multiple ways to wear this and make it optimal for discreet nursing in public. 

Maternity/Newborn Photo Session: What better way to celebrate a new bundle of joy than giving the gift of memories. A Maternity or Newborn photo session is on the "to do" list for most new parents these days. The miracle of pregnancy and the celebration of life is something we want to look back on and remember with detail. For this basket the highly talented Jennifer Reina Photography offers a unique baby shower gift certificate good for one maternity or newborn session. She presents it beautifully in a complimentary picture frame with details on scheduling and a free print. This is a wonderful gift for anyone who is expecting.

Photo Props: It doesn't hurt to throw in an adorable little striped crochet elf hat to include in their newborn shoot. Couldn't help myself!

Blankie Pillow: This cuddle pillow was featured in my MOABS Recap, and for good reason! If your babies suffer from acid reflux or silent reflux, then you know what a necessity a pillow like Blankie Pillow is. This comfortable pillow is ideal for propping baby up after feeding to avoid any spit up. It also converts into a toddler pillow as your baby grows! I wish I had one of these in my early days of motherhood! It comes stuffed in this awesome little sack. As a rule I pass this one along to all expecting mommy's I know!

Onesies: What new mom doesn't need onesies? These aren't just any onesies, The Little Boss has the cutest selection of newborn / infant and toddler necessities for your new "little boss in training".

Rattle: This montessori inspired hand crafted wooden baby rattle from Essential Montessori is an awesome addition to this basket. Baby's first rattle is sealed with a custom beeswax/olive oil blend and tinted with all natural homemade dye that's safe to the touch. Perfect for baby's first grip and safe for teething.

Baby Moccasins: These are just plain adorable! Although they do serve a purpose as they are great for keeping those teeny toes clean and comfy while they take their first steps. They are also thin and very natural to the touch  so as to keep babies feet firmly planted on the ground.

Gift Cards: Gift Certificates to be redeemed at a later date are an awesome shower gift for expecting parents. It gives them a gift to be excited about after the baby has arrived. In this case I presented them with a gift certificate to Budsies, one of my new favorite companies. I first featured this company in my Ultimate Mom's Night Out article, for their ability to foster creativity and bring it to life. They will print a physical doll from your baby's first drawings!

Protection: Once the baby arrives, there will be no shortage of well meaning family members wanting to come and meet the newest addition to the family. Unfortunately, they bring with them a host of germs, allergens or any outside carcinogens that are picked up by the average adult in every day life. However, the new little bundle is not yet equipped to fight off such pathogens. The Kuddle Coat is the perfect gift for the overprotective parents or germophobe in your life! It keeps any harmful chemicals or harsh perfumes from coming in direct contact with the adorable bundle of joy.

Relief: I first learned about Motherlove all natural organic salve with my second son. This absolutely saved my life! It really helps aid in healing and is completely safe for ingestion so there is no need to wash in between nursing.

Books: Books are a wonderful gift for any occasion, especially baby showers! This particular shower requested a book on the invitation, this is a growing trend. It's a great way to get a good start on a wide reading selection and encourage a love for reading. You can never start reading to your children too soon, I started at about 3 months old and I have two boys who would rather sit and listen to me read a book than watch television. I first got this idea from my friend and fellow blogger Lindsay from You Are The Roots, she bought this book for her son Ethan and decided to have all the teachers he has over the years sign the book at the end of each term. This way he has wonderful memories to look back on highlighting his educational career and how far he's come. It's a sweet tradition and makes for an amazing gift!

I decided to deliver these gifts in a canvas basket instead of gift bags or wrapping the presents separately, ensuring they could also use as storage or a baby hamper. I hope that this DIY Gift Basket has given you some helpful suggestions on some functional necessities for a new "mommy-in-training." It sure made this mom to be happy!

Essentially Yours,

Erika

The Mother of All Babyshowers - Recap!

Okay, I am fully aware of how far behind I am on my blogging and how late this post is. BUT! Better late than never, right?!?! Between all the blogger events, oil classes and Halloween activities and parties these past few weeks, there is never a dull moment!

Let's talk #MOABS!

This event was incredible! It had everything this mommy blogger could ask for! We are fans of the Young At Art Museum and let me start with saying they completely transformed the place! There was everything from celebrities, to an expert panel of certified pediatricians and lactation consultants, as well as mommy lifestyle blogger Modern Boca Mom (my fave)!

The variety of different panels had their thumb on the heartbeat of all the issues all the new mommies and mommy-to-be's were facing. There were no shortage of questions regarding nursing, lactation, feeding and even sleep issues that were addressed.

As soon as we walked in we were greeted by the lovely "mompreneurs" Alicia Ybarbo and Mary Ann Zoellner, authors of "The Sh*tty Mom". They were super sweet and hilarious guest speakers on the "Mom Panel". Some of the excerpts from their book were down right hysterical! Although I'm an advocate for attachment parenting and couldn't pull of some of their "mommy hacks", the main premise for the book is to poke fun at something we all deal with, Mommy Guilt! An empowering message to women to do the best with what you've got, laugh at what you can and move on. #YaYa!

They shared a table with the adorable NFL Network host and new mom-to-be Jenn Brown. She was absolutely gorgeous and gracious enough to send me home with an autographed picture for the hubby! #CoolestWifeEver!

I was curious to see some new vendors so after a quick photo-op with my favorite mommy blogger and guest panel speaker Modern Boca Mom, we hit the ground running!

Thanks to Jennifer Reina Photography for the awesome photo booth!

The first vendor that really caught my eye was the Nuroo Pocket booth! This is an absolute MUST HAVE for any baby wearing mom! The benefits of skin to skin contact with babies are endless! From accelerated brain development, soothing, lowered stress levels, improved sleep, weight gain and even building immunity! Not to mention the benefits for moms like increased milk production and lowering your risk of post partum depression, and the liberty of being hands free! There is a ton of scientific research supporting these facts and you can learn more about hormone stimulation and the soothing effects of skin to skin baby wearing on the Nuroo Baby website.

Nuroo Baby also had an adorable selection of swaddlers (with babys hip development in mind), as well as some fashionable nursing scarves. Where were these when I had a 15 month old and a newborn to care for? This was my mantra at just about every booth I encountered at #MOABS. 

Next on my list were the lovely people at the Soothe Jewels table, turns out were Instagram besties!

I used teething jewelry with my youngest son, but boy has it come a long way! Their selection was gorgeous! Fashionable and safe jewelry for a purpose, I was in love. Such a great find for new moms!

This event had something for everyone, even dads! I decided to hit the "Dad Zone" and check it out. But first, let me explain. MOABS was catered by Whole Foods Market, I was surprised to see a table with a  wonderful selection of  pasta salads, dips and even cake! 

How cute is this???

Needless to say the line for this table was filled with pregnant bellies and hungry moms as far as the eye can see (myself included)!

Which is one of the reasons I went to check out the Dad Zone, which was awesome! There was virtually no line and they served beer! I treated myself to some fine Pumpkin Ale and scarfed down a few of the tasty Swedish meatballs served by Ikea.

Now, you notice there are no photos of this area. That's because what happens in the Dad Zone STAYS in the Dad Zone! 

I moved on to my next favorite table, the folks from Kuddle Coat! Can we just say, perfection??? This recovering germophobe was thoroughly impressed!

This germ resistant coat gives nervous new parents peace of mind knowing that there is a protective barrier preventing transmittal of harmful bacteria and allergens. If you have one of these handy you can simply ask your guest to put it on before holding your new bundle of joy, GENIUS! No need to feel as though you are inconveniencing your guests by constantly making them change or worrying if your precious little one is at risk, this coat protects from strong odors like pet hair, pollen and perfume as well as carcinogens from cigarette smoke. You can check out their website for more info on all potential effects on newborns and young infants.

(photo credit: Sandy Smith, CEO of Kuddle Coat)

I strolled past the folks at Blankie Pillow on the way to retrieve "alleged meatballs and beer" and had to double back to take a look afterwards. They were so soft and so comfy I wanted to take one home for ME!

Having survived severe acid reflux with my firstborn I couldn't help but wish I had this on those tough nights. This comfortable plush pillow is not only great for propping up your infants while relaxing or for tummy time, it doubles as a toddler pillow as they grow! This is a win/win in my book, I can't tell you how many time my little guys toss and turn at night looking for a cuddle, these arm rests are great for that as well as ensuring they don't take a tumble turning over! A wonderful comforting pillow for children of all ages.

MOABS was a complete success! There was no shortage of new and interesting vendors. It seemed every time I turned a corner there was a new section I hadn't seen with new and interesting products. Couple that with some awesome raffles and giveaways and this event is aptly named. It was quite truly The Mother of ALL Baby Showers. 

It only adds to the appeal that the founder of MOABS, Amy Lundy is a "mompreneur" herself. She's a mom first and decided that moms needed a place they could go to find out about all the top notch products geared towards babies and children. It's easy to get overwhelmed as a parent in a market that is over-saturated with products that either don't work or you do not need. I heard she's already busy with big plans for the next Mother of All Baby Showers, I can't wait!


I'll be sure and keep you all posted!


Essentially Yours,

Erika