View Full Version : Shower Gifts you've loved - or Childrens Books you love
I was listening to the Leonard Lopate show today and they had an author named Art Spiegelman on there... http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2011/oct/06/art-spiegelman-emmeta-mausem/
Before I even had my kids, I found this children's book at a yard sale and bought it, thinking 'Maybe one day I'll be a Mommy', if not, it's a pretty cute book in and of itself.. Open Me, I'm a Dog
http://www.amazon.com/Open-Me-Im-Dog-Art-Spiegelman/dp/0060273208/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_12
Anyway - I just got home and looked up the book and it's the same guy I heard the pretty deep interview with. Both of my kids have loved this book - and I have loved reading it to them.
Other Favs:
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Ten Little Rabbits by Virginia Grossman
The Rockabye Baby CDs --- www.rockabyebabymusic.com
And I would love to have a professional grade thermometer right now, but can never bring myself to purchase one ($35-$50). I only have a cheapy Walgreen's one and never really trust it.
Anyway, I know we talk about shower gifts on occasion here. I have loved and treasured all the nice gifts I've gotten - b/c most times I would never bring myself to buy the things for myself. And the gifts I haven't liked/needed - I've either exchanged for something I do really want/could use or regifted or donated to goodwill.
I can't use my super snazzy pepper grinder (that I registered for a wedding gift) without thinking of my childhood friend's parents that are now deceased. It brings warm feelings of love each time I use it.
Ooh, I love this thread!!!
Shower gifts I loved were the gifts I was able to dress my little ones in after, adding to their tiny little cuteness! i.e. Colourful sleepers, pyjama sets, adorable outfits, etc.
My very favourite children's book I found for my kids is, You read to me & I'll read to you: 20th-century stories to share, by Janet Schulman. Such a fun book! My kids loved it!
Handmade baby items were my favorite. I received blankets (some of which were throw-sized and in not-just-baby-colors and are still in use!), knitted clothing, an embroidered baby bath towel.
My favorite book for the tiniest set is Time for Bed by Mem Fox.
Just thought of something else I want to mention. Hand-knitted goods from neighbours! i.e. Touques, hats, gloves, outfits, etc. Always so lovingly crafted.
I am so pragmatic when it comes to baby showers.
I always give a package of cloth diapers, sleepers in the 3-6 month old size or Helen Oxenbury board books.
It's never to early to start reading to children. I read to mine when they were infants.
Anne Lee. Pragmatic is good when it comes to baby. :) You simply can never go wrong in choosing all things practical!
I'm so glad I live in NZ.
Here, everyone gives hand me downs/overs. Essentially, whatever is around is handed over to new mothers, and that's enough for the shower. And people are usually happy with used.
The second expectation is that you will cook for the new family. I made an asparagus and leek quiche and also a swiss-chard and leek quiche for my neighbor who had her baby on tuesday. Both freeze or could be eaten over several days, and it keeps it simple.
This is how it rolls out in NZ. I've been to two baby showers this year. I gave my used woolens to one mother and my unused wrap (the other wrap that we used only some times). Each one also got a cloth baby book that Hawk no longer uses/reads, that he gave to eat baby as his gift to them, plus his hand-made card (which we all signed). He picked which mama got which book.
Of course, everything was clean and we wrapped it as well.
I'll have a shower to give/go to next May, and I think the bead-toy will be going to that baby, because hawk seems less attached to it day by day.
I love childrens books and off the top of my head I really like -
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, William Steig
Dr. Desoto, William Steig
Any of the Calvin and Hobbes books and I highly recommend the box set as a gift. Great reading for adults and children alike
I think parents often overlook reading comic strips out loud to their children.
Well, I don't have kids, but when my niece had her first baby, I stocked her freezer with frozen meals and she and her husband still talk about that and the "baby" is 11 now. So I think that was a hit. :)
I think one of my favorite wedding gifts was a crystal bowl that one of DH's mother's friends gave us. It arrived out of the blue a couple months after we were married (we eloped). It's a beautiful, heavy piece and something I would have never bought for myself, but it's absolutely beautiful and I love having it out on the dining room table. It's one of those things that just makes me happy when I see it.
The more onesies, the better! I used to go through three or four of them a day, since my babies always had a lot of those (too-much-info-alert) massive, blow-out poops that went all the way up the baby's back! I always ran our of onesies before anyone got around to doing a load of laundry. And if the gift could be special, cute ones, rather than the uninteresting pastels you get at Target or Babies R Us, that would have been a real treat for me. We couldn't afford those cute ones from The Gap, or Hannah Anderson.
And as for books, you can't beat "Pat the Bunny" for early reading pleasure--I read that one to mine as soon as they could reach out their arms to touch something on purpose. "Here are Paul and Judy. They can do lots of things. You can do lots of things too!! (turn the page). Judy can pat the bunny. Now YOU pat the bunny!" (your baby pats the bunny) and so on.
The other posters can add more original ideas. These are practical, like the frozen meals.
Pat the Bunny holds some kind of record for best selling kids book.
Oh Lordy lord I've got tons of favorite children's books but can't name appropriate ones at present. I like to give picture books for presents to little kids. Stella Luna is a pretty book. When I start getting into lovely picture books I veer off into collecting mode and no one wants to hear all of that insanity. Anyway.
Last year I ran across a really great picture book about pugs, and the next day there was a 2nd book about pugs (not so perfect as the first one, though) so I bought both and gave them to the pre-K kids down the block who have pugs. That's how I like to give presents--randomly, when I see stuff I like for people for whom it fits.
My friends just gave me the most fab drawing of 3 dancing French bulldogs. They couldn't walk away from it at the art show without buying it for me!
My cousin made my son a Papa doll. It was the neatest thing! I'm sure she must have had a pattern for it. It was made out of material and it had snaps on the end of his hands so that he could hold another tiny boy doll. We'll keep it forever!
A small quilt is easy to make. Just get the material you like and a liner and sew it together. Then put yarn through it every few inches to keep it together. You can find some cute baby themed material.
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Originally posted by Ke3.
I used to go through three or four of them a day, since my babies always had a lot of those (too-much-info-alert) massive, blow-out poops that went all the way up the baby's back!So happy I didn't use disposables...
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