Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Archive for the ‘Mom Ideas & Gifts’ Category

When a woman is expecting, she needs a little extra pampering. Here are some ideas on the kinds of new mom gifts that would be just perfect to pamper. You can give these at any time. (But remember, the baby shower is a time to give presents for baby.) Surprise an expectant mom today!

Spa Time

Nothing soothes the soul better than a day at the spa. If you know an expectant mom who’s feeling uncomfortable or is in pain, treat her to a neck massage or a facial. Just be aware that she may not want to be in a salon where a lot of manicure or hair chemicals are being used, as they can be toxic for pregnant women to breathe. If the spa has a back room that they use for massages, she should have no problem there and can enjoy relaxing. If you’re at all unsure if she’ll love and use your gift, give a gift certificate that she can use any time before or after the birth.

Child-Free Time

If the expectant mother has other children, why not offer to watch her children for the afternoon so she can rest, shop, or just have time for herself? This is one gift that will be priceless to her and she won’t turn down. If her children are older, you can offer to pick them up from school and take them to the mall or out to eat to give mom some alone time.

Cozy Time

An expectant mother would love a pair of cozy slippers and a lush bath robe. She can wear them now and take them to the hospital for the birth as well. Other pampering products she can cuddle up with include a soft blanket (the ones with arms are really handy), a beautiful, soft pillow, a new book or just a nice spa gift basket. These are especially good presents if you’ve got a mom who’s on bed rest.

Dinner Time

As soon as the baby comes, there will be a whirlwind of activity. Why not give an expectant mom a few nights off from cooking? You can give her meals you’ve made (or purchased) that can be frozen and used whenever she needs to prepare a quick supper. Vary your choices so she’s not eating the same thing every night for a week. Your thoughtfulness will be much appreciated.

Little Extras

Depending on whether the expectant mother is having her first child or her fifth, you can vary your gift ideas. If she’s a newbie, give her a bunch of magazines on babies and parenting. She’ll love to have the info. If she’s a seasoned mom, give her a few magazines for pure enjoyment on any of her favorite topics.  Offer to do a mom’s grocery shopping for her. If she’s got someone else to handle that, show up with a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread every so often. It’s hard when you’ve got a new baby on your hands and run out of staple groceries. Anything you can do to make her life easier will be a blessing to any expectant mother. Even offering to drive her to the doctor appointments towards the end when she’s feeling uncomfortable and can’t get around so easily will be greatly appreciated.

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Mommy and Baby Combination Gifts

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When a newborn comes into your life, you’re going to marvel at its tiny feet and hands. Before those hands and feet grow too big, it’s a lovely idea to make an imprint of them to keep as a memory. There are many ways to do this.

3D Kits

Many online and crafting stores sell kits that allow you to cast baby’s handprint or footprint in plaster of Paris. The basic idea is that you place baby’s hand into the gel that comes with the kit, make an impression, then remove baby’s hand. Now you’ve created a mold. Fill the mold with plaster of Paris and allow to dry. When dry, remove the gel mold and you’ll have a perfectly formed 3-dimensional handprint. You can do the same with footprints. The process itself is very easy. However, you may have a challenge getting baby to stay still long enough for you to make the impression in the gel. It may be a good idea to wait until baby is asleep, then gently place their hand or foot into the mold. Be sure to wash all residue from the gel off baby’s delicate skin.

Flat Impressions

Many companies sell kits that allow you to place baby’s hand or foot in clay or plaster of Paris to make an impression. These kits come with a tin and you usually pour the plaster mixture in and then gently press baby’s hand or foot in. These can be fun and quick to do. They also make nice thank you gifts to people who’ve given baby gifts or attended your baby shower. If you don’t want to purchase a kit, you can easily create the impression yourself.

Mix up some powdered plaster of Paris yourself and pour into a decorative tin. Dip baby’s hand or foot in and allow to dry. The whole process takes just a few minutes and you can save a considerable amount doing it on your own. If you do decide to purchase a kit, you can choose from many options for the final product from teddy bear frames to decorative flowers. Some kits also come with several imprint tins so you can keep a record of baby’s growing prints over a year or two years.

Ink Prints

Another nice way to take an impression of baby’s hands and feet is to use a non-toxic ink pad and some nice paper. Wait until baby is calm, then place her hand or foot onto the ink pad. When you are sure the ink covers the entire surface, gently place the foot or hand on the paper. You can create greeting cards or frame the images. You can even copy the prints onto iron on paper and make t-shirts or bags with the images. You can give them as very special holiday or birthday gifts to aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Etched Glass

Many stores sell kits that will allow you to have baby’s footprint or handprint etched onto glass to create a memorable frame or other decorative item. For this type of product you would make an ink stamped impression of baby’s hands or feet and mail the print to the company doing the etching. They will mail you back a frame with your baby’s prints etched into glass.

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• 50 Best Toddler & Baby Toys
• Great Ways To Get Dad Involved with a New Baby
• Mommy and Baby Combination Gifts

When you have a child, every piece of clothing that touches their skin is precious.  You want to save the outfit you took him home in, the pajamas he wore when he first slept through the night, the bib he had on when he tried cereal for the first time…. Since we can’t keep our babies tiny forever, saving their clothes is the next best thing.  When the clothes outgrow the closet, and you have to make room for bigger sizes, a baby memory blanket will allow you to keep the pieces you love and transform them into something new and unique. How do you make a memory blanket?

There are different ways to make a baby memory blanket, depending on your level of comfort with sewing machines or embroidery needles.  But regardless of how you are going to make the quilt, whether it's for your baby or to give as a baby gift, the first step is to gather your fabric.  A 36-inch x 6-inch quilt will use about 30 articles of clothing, depending on the size.  Lay out the pieces you want to incorporate into the memory quilt to get an idea of the colors and patterns that are emerging.  Cut squares of the same size: for a 36x36" quilt, for instance, 6x6 inch squares are great. You can supplement your baby clothes with other fabrics: fleece and flannel are especially well-suited to baby quilts.

If you prefer not to use any of your baby’s clothes, you can use other fabrics and embroider them with names or special memories.  You can use fabric paints or pens to decorate the squares, or better yet, to have each family member make a square.  You can also buy photo fabric to incorporate pictures into your quilt or have fabric squares made by photo printing companies.  This certainly lets you remember all the special moments without sacrificing clothing that could be used again.

An easy way to complete the quilt is to sew your squares on a soft blanket.  This gives you the shape and form, not to mention the beautiful texture that you need.  It is a bit easier than assembling everything, basting, quilting, and binding a quilt, although that certainly is an option as well.  It is more time-intensive, but the results can be more traditional and lovely.

After the squares have been sewn or quilted, you can adorn the top by sewing on cute baby socks, hats, mittens, or bibs.  These are cute embellishments, and when your child is grown, you’ll marvel that his feet once fit in these tiny little socks.

If all this talk of sewing has put you in a panic, don’t worry.  You can still make a beautiful baby blanket. Ticche and Bea, for instance, sells a reasonably priced kit that comes with pre-cut squares, batting, cotton backing, templates, straight pins, safety pins, and very clear, detailed instructions.  You simply assemble the quilt, saving untold time.  If this is not calming your sewing fears either, you can send the squares you’ve made from your baby’s clothing back to Ticche and Bea, and they will sew the quilt for you.  This costs about $40 more, which may be well worth it to save you time and pricked fingers.

A baby memory blanket will allow you to preserve treasured memories while making entirely new ones.  They also make wonderful gifts when your baby is all grown up and expecting a baby of his or her own.

Love this article? Try this post on Handmade Baby Gift Ideas.

Piggy banks have been around a long time. No one knows how long for sure. And the way they came about is somewhat of a silly story.

Pigs seem like a funny shape for a bank to be fashioned after. Pigs don’t save anything like squirrels do. They aren’t symbols of power or wealth. So, why would the humble pig end up as the symbol of saving money?

Back as far as the Middle Ages, people were known to have piggy banks. Because metal was quite precious back then, the average person couldn’t afford to have a bank made out of metal. So, instead, they would choose the next most readily available material—clay. Orange clay that was used to make pottery and dishware during the Middle Ages was called “pygg.” Pygg was used all over Europe for everything from vases and plates to cups and serving bowls. So, it’s only natural that the clay would also be used to fashion banks.

The story goes that as time went on when a craftsman was asked to make a pygg bank, he misunderstood and made a bank in the shape of a pig. The rest is history.

Today, piggy banks can fetch big dollars at auctions and in antique markets. The pig has now been elevated to an art form. Piggy banks come in ornately decorated porcelain styles as well as metal, wooden, and tin styles.

You can find a number of vintage collectible piggy banks online at sites like eBay.com and etsy.com. Collectors now see the value and beauty of the pig in bank form. Some fetch as high as $450 or more at auction. Depending on the shape, size, age and condition of a piggy bank, it may be classified as a valuable antique.

The most rare and valuable piggy banks from yesteryear are the cast iron type. These piggy banks are heavy and were often decoratively painted. A cast iron bank in good condition with the original paint intact can bring in hundreds of dollars. Other cast iron bank shapes that collectors look for are bears, human figures, cats, dogs, and rabbits.

Next time you are out at a flea market or tag sale, keep your eyes peeled for piggy banks. You may be able to pick up a pig for a bargain price. Start your own collection and you will be in good company. Entire web sites and books are devoted to the collection of piggy banks. You can peruse photos of the earliest piggy banks on record and start to train your eye to pick originals out of a crowd.

It’s fun to collect piggy banks as well as to admire them from afar. If you’re thinking of getting your first vintage piggy bank, be sure it’s in good condition. If you are planning on using it for savings, be certain you can access the money without “breaking the bank.” The term comes from the days when a person would have to smash their glass piggy bank with a hammer to access the coins they had saved. If you don’t want to damage your new find to get your change out, choose one with a cork or other stopper that allows you access when you need it.

Want to read more on this? Try this article on Unique Piggy Bank Gifts For Kids.

When your little cutie pie comes into the world, you’ll start taking hundreds of photos of him. There’s not a thing he can do that isn’t considered extremely adorable. You’ll find photo opportunities all the time. Where are you going to put your photos? Why not make a frame so you can print out at least one great digital photo to keep on your desk?

These days most people forget to upload their digital photos or have them printed. Instead of letting your precious pictures linger in your camera unseen, choose one or two that are your favorites and print them out.  Then plan your baby picture frame around it.

Decide on your frame size, style, and color by the photo it’s going to house. If you’ve got a great black and white to showcase, you can work with any colors. If you’ve got a color photo, try to match one color in the photo and it will make that color really stand out. Don’t try to match every color or it will get too busy.

What can you make a photo frame out of? Just about anything! The first thing that may come to your mind is to buy a frame at a craft store. That’s fine and craft stores carry many different types and sizes. But start looking around your house for ideas, too. You can use recycled cardboard but why not think outside the box? Try different materials. Do you have an old glass frame that you’re not planning on using again? Why not make it into a baby photo frame. Are you sick of one of your old, outdated frames but don’t want to throw it out? Make it over for baby’s photo.

Use any materials you can find. You can cut a frame out of an old record album, a pretty storage bin, or an old box that has a vintage appeal. There’s nothing you can’t use as long as you can cut an opening for baby’s photo. Or, if you can’t cut the opening, you can lacquer baby’s photo onto it.

Say you want to use an old frame and revamp it. Think about all the materials that you can finish it with. Use paint to cover the old surface, but then add polymer clay details. Make bears or a train out of clay and glue to the frame. Or make the whole frame out of polymer clay and glue it on top of the old frame.

If you want to use a surface that isn’t right for cutting, use shellac designed for photos. You’ll find it at the craft store near the scrapbooking supplies.  Prepare your frame by sanding it down and painting it or cleaning the surface. Then, shellac your photo right on top of the surface. Decorate the edges of the photo with ribbon trim, paper cut outs, clay rolled into snakes and other embellishments.

There are so many frames out there that are just boring. Make your handmade frame exciting by spicing it up with details that could only come from you. No matter what you use, you’ll need a good easel back so that it stands. You can find them at craft stores. Or, just hang it on the wall without a stand.