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Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

by | Jun 3, 2015 | Cassie, Children's Rooms, Decorating Inspiration

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Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

Hello friends! It’s Cassie here with my monthly guest post! As you have heard and seen, I have babies on my mind. A lot. That seems to be what happens when you have a one-and-a-half year old and one due in a few months.  I also cannot remember a time when no less than 5 of my friends were expecting. Between my own little one, my friends’ little ones, and thinking about our new one, I am very used to looking at, buying, and making baby things.

The world of baby gear of overwhelming. Strollers, carseats, diapers, feeding supplies, furniture, clothing, blankets- the list could go on forever. There is a long list of necessities, and a long list of things that simply make things easier (or more cute!) You can easily pull up dozens of lists on Pinterest that tell you what to register for, who makes the best this or that, and who sells what.

I am here with a list of some of my all time favorite baby items. These are items I have either given as a gift, have been given, or both. Most of these things are a little more unique then what you commonly find at Babies R Us. These are items I have fallen in love with, because I either found them very useful or just very adorable.

Note: This isn’t a recommended registry list, although some of these would be great on a baby registry! These are just items I really like. When I am buying for someone else, I try to always get them a “need” off of their registry and also something as a surprise or “want,”  like one of the items below.

Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

1. Baby’s First Year by Lucy Darling. I just stumbled upon this book a few months ago, and I can’t say enough about how much I love it. It comes in an animal version and a floral version, and both are so lovely. I love it because it is so simple, beautifully designed, and records just the right amount of information.

2. Bandana Bibs. Bibs have come a long way. I love the bandana bib style since it looks much nicer than a traditional bib and works just as well. I particularly like these ones since they are reversible.

3. Puj Flyte Baby Tub. Although this isn’t going to be tub you can use for a super long while, it was perfect for our small baby. It’s very compact and can fold away, which makes it easy to travel with. It also fits most any size of sink, including most bathroom sinks.

Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

4. Beatrix Potter Classics. A few months ago, I found a vintage set of these at a rummage sale and I was thrilled. These are the classic tales of Peter Rabbit and his animal friends. I loved them growing up, and have loved sharing them with my daughter. Although this isn’t the same set I own, I love how they are all individual books that come boxed together. Also, if you are a Beatrix Potter fan, I highly recommend reading anything in the Old Mother West Wind series.

5. Noodle and Boo Baby Lotion. You know the amazing smell newborns have? Well this stuff makes my 18 month old smell like that (almost).

6. WubbaNub Pacifier. If you haven’t ever seen these, it’s simply a stuffed animal attached to a pacifier. Which seems pretty basic, but kids love the things. My daughter didn’t even like pacifiers and she loved hers. They are great because the pacifier can’t get lost (usually), and it gives the baby something to hold on to. They also work great for teething babies.

Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

7. A Cute Boppy Cover. Boppy pillows tend to be the nursing pillow of choice for most mommas, and thankfully Etsy is full of unique, custom covers. I particularly like all the prints that Iviebaby sells, but beware they have a long wait time. I found that having at least two covers was helpful since one was always in the wash.

8. Skip Hop Diaper Changing Station. This is great for at home or out and about. It has a wrist strap, pocket for diapers and wipes, and the changing surface is nice and big.

9. Solly Baby Wrap. Baby wearing is great for lots of reasons. I wore my first in my Ergo pretty much anytime I went anywhere. I never mastered the wrap with her, but I am determined to with my second, as having my hands free will be a necessity. I have heard so many rave reviews about the Solly Wrap, and have one on my baby shelf waiting to be used with my second.

Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

10. Freshly Picked Moccasins. You may have heard of these, as they were on Shark Tank a few months ago. These are the best of the best when it comes to baby and toddler soft shoes. I resisted buying them myself because they are pretty pricey, but when I received some as a gift I was beyond excited. They don’t fall off, they are a wonderful shoe for babies who are working on walking and need a soft sole, and they are very well made.

11. Stroller Blankets. People tend to give blankets a lot for baby gifts. And although sometimes overdone, a nice quality stroller blanket is a lovely gift. They aren’t something I would necessarily buy myself, but the ones I have received that are high quality and a good weight are wonderful to have.

12. Boon Pulp Feeder. This little device is wonderful when starting baby on solids. I found it particularly useful when my daughter was teething. This version is also much easier to clean than some because it is made of silicon and not a mesh material.

Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

13. Aden and Anais Swaddle Blankets. These are pretty much everywhere. They are classic muslin swaddles that work great for swaddling as well as for a nursing cover, carseat cover, changing station barrier, and pretty much anything you can think of. There are multiple versions of these blankets: The Aden brand (sold at Target, these are a little lighter weight and a little smaller), the original, the bamboo version, and an organic version. Aden and Anais also does collaborations with companies to offer exclusives designs if you are looking for a more unique pattern. Some of these include the Honest Company (seen above), Serena and Lily, J Crew, and Nordstrom.

I hope you all find this list helpful for the babies and mommas (and dads!) in your life. My next post will feature a tutorial for one of my favorite baby items you can make yourself! I am excited to share it with you!

Favorite Baby Gifts to Give and Receive

8 Comments

  1. Debra Jerry

    My daughter is expecting early August so I enjoyed your post! Beatrix Potter stories have always been some of my favorites. The bandana bibs are adorable! We definitely will be buying some of those! Thanks so much for your list, Cassie.

    Reply
  2. Lauren English

    These are great ideas! I feel like all my friends are having babies, and as a non-mama myself I feel a little lost about what things would actually be useful. I usually end up just getting cute onesies or outfits, which are fun but maybe not as practical. I will definitely use some of these tips for some of the baby showers I’ve got in the next few months. Thanks for sharing! :)

    Reply
  3. Louise

    Thank You, Cassie!! I have a baby shower on Saturday and was just heading out to do errands, one of which was to look in a big box store for who-knows-what baby gift, when this post arrived. It was SO helpful to have suggestions from a mom currently in the active phase of what I used to call “extreme motherhood.” I chose and ordered the Skip/Hop diaper changing station–I know it will be a good fit for this particular mom-to-be. Had to take time to let you know. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. melissa @ the inspired room

    I love this, Cassie! I am forever confused what to buy and wondering what all the new mamas are wanting these days :). It’s been awhile since I had my babies and was in that season of babies so THANK YOU for sharing this! Amazingly helpful to me and I’m sure to so many others!

    Reply
  5. SoCalLynn

    My daughter had a baby 5 months ago and I can testify to the awesomeness of those muslin swaddle blankets and the Wubbanub pacifier. Another great gift she received and loved is a minky soft blanket that is satiny on one side and fluffy on the other.

    Reply
  6. Ken Jones

    Cassie, thank you so much for including our kishu bibs (#2) in your list! We really appreciate the mention and are so happy you love our bibs! Ken Jones, co-owner, Kishu Baby

    Reply
  7. Esther

    The list is very much helpful. Looking forward to read more of your blogs…

    Reply

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