So You're Invited to a Baby Shower Part I

Hi everyone! Here's some news from Parenting on Pennies: we are in the process of buying a house and moving! With that said, updates and posts may become slightly scarce for the next couple of weeks.

So someone you know is having a baby…

…and you want to give a gift that isn’t a gift card (Those are FANTASTIC to give new parents, by the way!) There are so many great gifts to give new parents that may not be on their registry simply because new parents have NO idea what they need! And even if they consulted friends with little ones to make their registry, something almost always gets left off the list.

The newborn-version of The JuJuBe. This picture always gets me. 

Disclaimer: It’s totally cool to use their registry and get the parents gifts they actually want. 

Another disclaimer: I love insanely practical gifts, so my list will be built accordingly.

Last disclaimer: Any gift you give soon-to-be or new parents will be appreciated. We felt so loved from every gift we received. I'm simply offering suggestions for those of you who may not know exactly what to purchase.   

Here are some suggestions for a $10 or below price point:

$10 or under:

1. Diapers (any size other than newborn). Simple. Obvious. Now, for parents who are cloth-diapering, obviously this gift won’t likely work, but if they are using disposables, shop sales and coupons for these. I check the Krazy Coupon Lady or Southern Savers to see what kinds of diaper deals are out there. Just because I'm buying someone a gift, doesn't mean I'm not going to find a way to stretch my dollars! 

2. Wipes. Wipes. Wipes. So many wipes. This is always a great gift. Always.

3. Sensitive Skin Baby Bath Wash or Lotion. 

4. Diaper Cream

5. Infant’s Tylenol

6. OxyClean (I’m serious. Blowouts are part of the new life.)

7. All Free and Clear (or similar detergent. We use Arm & Hammer Free and Clear. A huge 160 load bottle of liquid detergent from Costco is $10.99)

8. Lanolin Cream (for nursing Mamas)

9. A $10 gift card to a restaurant or store. Doting on the new parents doesn’t go unnoticed!

10. Bibs, pacifiers, baby spoons, or other small accessories that get overlooked.

11. Some books for Baby's library. We LOVE books. Our daughter's library is currently being packed into several boxes as we speak. These are so great for baby and for parents. Such great moments get shared while reading a book together.  

What the new parents DON’T need:

1. Baby Blankets. SO. MANY. BLANKETS. I will say, we received some beautiful handmade blankets that are precious to us. But please, PLEASE don’t give the gift of blankets. Babies can’t even keep them in the crib with them anymore. What to give instead: A sleep sack, zipper footie pajamas, or sleeping gowns.

2. Stuffed animals. Our daughter received some adorable stuffed animals and she does play with them, but…oh me.  What to give instead: books, stacking rings, or animal parade links (these are crazy useful). 

Animal Parade Links- Inexpensive and a great gift! You can use them to hang pacifiers, toys, and cloth books from car seats. 

3. Newborn-size clothes. If you must purchase outfits for little ones, please purchase outfits that are bigger. I recommend 6 month size clothes or older.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my blog. I am grateful!