Unique baby gift baskets are nice, because they can be customized as much as you want.  They can be as cute, cuddly and adorable as you want.  And they can be as practical, useful and helpful as you want.  Lets take a few themed gift baskets for example, and see what we can come up with.

Baby Bath Time Gift Basket

How about a baby bath time gift basket.  Bath time is a big event in juniors life, so you know this one will be used a lot.  Bath time is often fun time as well, so you get the extra opportunity to bring smiles to everyones face with some amusing and playful toys here.  Why not go for the rubber ducky theme with this gift basket.  Yellow is a bright, happy color here, so why not use that in picking out the itmes for this basket.

You can include some of the following items in this gift basket, but don’t be afraid to use your imagination and add some more.  How about some plastic rubber duckies.  Maybe a momma duck, and some smaller baby ducks.  Washcloths with ducky insignias and coordinating colors are nice here.  And don’t forget to include a ducky bath towel.  The hooded kind are nice, as they keep baby extra warm on those cool winter nights.  Your turn, what else could you add here?

Baby Sports Gift Basket

How about a sports baby gift basket for the future hall of fame Olympian in the family.  Everybody has a favorite team, and favorite sport.  Probably more then one of each.  And, hey, if mom and dad have seperate rival teams, that makes it a little more fun.  You could go for two seperate team gift baskets, or simple one big basket with a little from each team included.  Of course, if you want to be a real trouble maker, you could just pick one team and taunt the opposing parent.  Dad’s are always a good target for this one.

Depending on the sport, there are lots of different items you could include in this basket, but here are a few to get you started.  Clothing of any type with the teams logo plastered over it shouldn’t be too hard to find.  Most sport teams are all about making money these days, and sell just about every imaginable item with a team crest.  Don’t be limited by their marketing departments imagination though.  It’s easy to get decals made up, or have any clothes embroidered these days.  You can get a little creative with this, and include the babies name, and birth date on the back of their PJs, or front of the bibs.  The perfect sports gift.

That’s just a couple to think about, but here’s a few more you could go crazy with:

• Disney Themed Baby Gift Basket
• Fairy Tale Princess Baby Gift Basket
• Sesame Themed Baby Gift Basket
• Car Ride Baby Gift Basket
• Fire Truck Baby Gift Basket
• Teddy Bear Baby Gift Basket
• Learning Baby Gift Basket

As friends or family of the new parents, we all hope to express our feelings for this momentous occasion with gift giving. Baby gifts can be as unique and diverse as the parents, family and friends can be. They’re all special in their own way and say as much about the recipient as the the gift giver themselves. Most of us realize that, and for some that’s what can make buying a gift difficult. Especially for the indecisive ones in the crowd.

Of course, if you’ve already had your own children, the whole process becomes much easier. Knowing what your children played with the most, or what books, songs and movies were the favorite, gives you some terrific insight into what gifts other babies will enjoy. Additionally, as a parent, you’ve done your fair share of product testing as a trial by fire with all the important baby equipment. Strollers, bottles, diapers, cribs, creams, formulas and a whole host of baby essentials. Don’t let that expertise go to waste.

Of course, they’re always new stuff coming out. It’s amazing the new toys and gadgets manufacturers keep coming up with to make mom and dads life easier. Not to mention amusing and engaging junior at all kinds of sensory levels. You can even get wireless crib cameras to keep on eye on your new little person. Simple sound baby monitors just don’t cut it anymore. Technology is wonderful isn’t it.

Of course, the old standbys are still around. Books, stuffed animals, rattles and balls will never go out of style. If there’s one gift that is often overlooked, is the gift of time. Being such a mad crazy consumer society, it’s often easy to forget that giving a little of your time can be a wonderful respite for mom and dad. A chance to go out for a date, even if it’s a simple hour for groceries together can be terrific for everyone. Sometimes the best gift of all doesn’t come from a store . . . as my old friend the Grinch used to say.

So remember, when it comes to spoil the new one there are all kinds of ways of doing it.  From spending your money, to giving your time, or even a little advice to other less experienced family members.  It all contributes to getting that extra special baby gift for someone that will be loved by all.

Be The Mom

Moms know what’s best they always say, but it’s not always true. Being a mom is a learned skill just like everything else in life. What if you’ve never been a mom (or even a dad) before. How are you supposed to think like one when looking for gifts a mom will love. There are some guidelines you can follow, and here are a few tips to keep in mind.

If you can find out before had, try to find out the gender of the baby. Not everyone likes to divulge this big secret, so you may have to resort to other tactics. The most obvious being, wait till the baby is born and start looking then. A slightly better idea, would be to do a little pre-birth gift shopping, and come up with two lists of perspective presents. One for boys and one for girls. Make sure your list is complete with store, prices, and anything else you can think of to speed up the final purchase. This way, it’s a simple trick to pick up your perfect gift on the way to the hospital.

Be health, and safety conscious when picking out your gifts. Just think like a protective mom, and consider all the troubles baby junior could get into. Most baby items these days are pretty well tested, but checking with consumer reports is always a extra step to be sure you get a safe gift. Babies (and other family members), can be bothered by dust and other allergy inducing items in the air. Be sure whatever you pick out is hypo-allergenic.

While we all have a frivolous side, we don’t have to give in to it all the time. Give giving can be frivolous, but the gifts themselves don’t have to be. Baby toys that grow with the baby are a terrific idea. As well as gifts that can be used in different environments are really cool. A favorite toy that can be used in the home, at the beach, on a picnic, or on the car is much more likely to be used more. As newborn moms and dads seem to cart truckloads of gear everywhere with them, having a unique toy baby gift that is small can be a blessing.

Easy Peasy Please

Keeping all this stuff in mind is not always easy, but will be appreciated once all is said and done. And, hey . . . if it doesn’t work out the first time, there’s always more birthday, anniversary, christening, and a mitt full of baby celebrations coming where you can hone your baby gift giving skills even further. Have fun breaking out the credit cards.

The Big Slugger Gift Basket

Often considered most appropriate for newborn boys, that thinking is getting a little old fashioned. Being the father of three girls, who all share a love for sports, there’s no reason why a sports themed gift basket can’t be given to both newborn boys or girls. No time like the beginning to break down those old stereotypes. Any little sports themed toys are great for this basket. Baseball, tennis, gymnastics, bicycling, running, basketball or hockey all work well with this theme. Clothes are an easy ticket for this basket, as many popular sports teams sell children and newborn clothes these days.

The Boy / Girl Genius Basket

Why not put together a gift basket with all the tools junior will need to rock the halls of academia. It’s never too early to start hitting the books. There’s all the Baby Einstein products which are great for newborns, and even wonderful to use as the baby grows. Books and music are natural for this type of baby gift basket, but don’t neglect toys as well. Many baby toys these days are designed to be both physically and mentally stimulating. Toddler puzzles of all different shapes and colors will work well here.

Blast Off For Adventure Basket

You can have a lot of fun putting something like this together. Start off with either a hand made or store bought container in the shape of an adventure vehicle. This falls under the category of both cool and unique baby gifts. I like the idea of a space ship, but there’s nothing to say it can’t be a sail boat, a train, a covered wagon, or even a jumbo jet. Know it’s time to think like India Jones, and come up with all kinds of fun adventurous toys to fill up the big adventure ship with. Dress up clothes, books, music and baby movies would all be fantastic additions here.

Can You Feel The Love Basket

Babies are very sensory by nature, so here’s an opportunity let them develop that side of their nature. Baby toys and clothes are often made these days to not just look good, but to feel good to a little ones fingers. Your families new baby will love running their fingers over these items, and will enjoy playing with them even more. Not just baby hands will be used here. Remember that junior loves to pick up things and put them straight to their mouths. It’s one of their very important brain pathways for learning.

Above all remember to have fun and use your imagination. Putting together a great baby gift basket can be fun for you and the little one.

Luckily for both groups of gift givers there is a terrific solution. Whether you belong to the incredibly gifted knitting but parking lot phobic, or the love to shop but don’t know which end of a knitting needle is the business end it doesn’t really matter. There is a compromise somewhere in between.

Why not try a little bit of both the next time your in the market for a baby present. Buying a simple and plain item from your local mall, and then employing some simple creativity to make the purchased bib, booty, jammies, mitts, hat, scarf or whatever more personal is a fun way to make gift giving a nicer experience for both the giver and receiver.

The little extra you add to an item could be as complex as embroidering a picture of mom and dad on a bib, or a simple as using some colorful gel clothes markers to convey your own message of love and affection towards the new baby. Anyone can write, and anyone can draw simple pictures. We’re talking baby stuff here boys and girls, you don’t have to be Monet. you just have to be a little creative.

You don’t have to do it alone either. It can be a fun experience for your friends and family. Get your own kids involved if you have any. If not, borrow a few. They’re bound to come up with some great ideas. Especially since their minds tend to be more infantile anyway, it’s bound to make for a great gift for the impending infant. More you know it you’ll have some unique personalized baby gifts, any little one would be proud to call their own.

Another nice thing about a gift that’s had your TLC added to it, is how they seem to last longer with the new family then generic gifts. Personalized gifts are far more likely to be passed down to newer family members, and become keepsakes and mementos full of memories for years to come. It’s the little something extra that people remember and hold on to that really matters.

Good luck, and have fun with all your gift shopping, making and giving.

When shopping for shower gifts, it’s really important to keep the gift recipient in mind, and not focus so much on the price. It’s the pleasure and enjoyment the gift will bring to the receiver that’s truly important. Shopping this way makes the whole experience that much more fun. I find, if I can picture the person opening the gift, the look on their face, and the feelings they’ll have using the gift, then the whole shopping experience becomes so much more fun.

With baby shower gifts, I suppose that can be a little tricky depending on whether the gift is for the mother (or father), or the baby. Since the little bundle of joy isn’t here yet, it can be kind of hard to visualize them. If that’s a problem for you, then just imagine the cutest baby you’ve ever met playing with the present. Since, I’m sure the new baby your shopping for will be just as cute anyway.

One of several very unique baby shower gifts you may want to consider, is a new baby nursery wreath to hang on the nursery door. Wreaths have been symbols of celebration for years. The nice thing about wreaths, is they can be handmade for a very personalized touch. They can be made from any combination of baby items. Use your imagination. They’re a great way to announce the birth of a new loved one.

Hand crafted gifts, never go out of style, and can be fun to make as well. Apart from the usual selection of hand knitted booties, sweaters, blankets and mitts, there are plenty of other craft items that make for great gifts as well. Put your scrapbooking skills to task, and come up with some imaginative wall hangs for the nursery wall.

If you embroider, then why not embroider some store bought items to add more of a personal touch. Imagine bibs, or clothes with a personal message or picture that is memorable for you, the baby, or mom and dad. Funny little anecdotes or sayings will bring a smile to everyones face.

A little imagination and effort will go a long way to give a shower gift that will be remembered and cherished for years to come.

Whether the new little person is a nephew, niece, grandson, granddaughter, cousin or friend, we all want to be a part of this exciting event. What better way to do that, then finding the perfect, unique baby gift for the new baby? Finding that gift can be tricky sometimes. If your the indecisive type (I am) it can seem like you’ll never find just the right present. This ones the wrong color, the wrong size, the material, etc etc.

I know it’s cliche to say, but it really is the though that counts. I like to think, that those of us that are having a hard time deciding, are really just putting a lot of thought into it. With all that thought, the present we finally pick must really be special. Right? But, at some point we really do need to decide. That precious little bundle of joy won’t be little forever, and we do need to pick out something before they pass their driving test;)

With that in mind, heres a few suggestions you may find helpful:

Diaper Cake: I know, I know. When I first heard of this, I though eeech, that sounds really gross. But their not at all. They’re actually pretty cute and very practical. It really is a bunch of diapers arranged in the shape of a cake, and held together with ribbons and bows. As well, it’s decorated with all sorts of cute baby stuff like stuffed toys, rattles, soothers, and baby bottles filled with candies. They’re often used as center pieces at baby showers, but there’s no reason why you can’t give one as a regular present. Given that they are so simple to make, you can add your own personal touch as well for a truly unique baby gift.

Baby Knee Pads: These definitely fall under the category of truly original. Who ever thought of this one really had some time on their hands. Or maybe just a new dad, who is also a carpet installer by trade. Why not let the new one crawl around in comfort. No need to get rug burns crawling around on carpets all day. And, of course you can get them in all sorts of designer colors and designs.

Baby Jewelry: Your never too young for diamonds they always say. And, they always know what their talking about. Baby bracelets or anklets are probably the best bet here. Be sure to pick out something that is considered safe and durable for a child. Stay away from baby necklaces no matter how safe the manufacturer may claim they are. Although you do see some babies with earrings at very early age, that’s a decision that’s best left to mom and dad.

Well, there’s just a few ideas to get you started. Keep looking, as there’s lots to choose from out there. That precious little one, is anxiously waiting for his/her favorite new gift from their favorite you. Happy shopping, and good luck finding some unique baby gifts.