I am more of a minimalist mom. Less is more. However, most of my friends are not! One of my very best friends recently had her first baby and – she probably already has more baby stuff than I do – but I still wanted to get her stuff. This post is brought to you by the Publix Baby Club. All opinions are my own.
When I had my first baby, the things I was most worried about were cute clothes. Every day, from infancy, she had on a cute onesie or outfit with a little headband or barrette. It was fun and I loved it! With each child we’ve welcomed into the family, the things that I wanted in preparation changed. By my third son (fourth child) I didn’t really want anything but diapers and a nice swaddle. And the little useful things I use every day.
I took my 1 year old with me to Publix last weekend because I knew he needed some time with me individually. Lately, his schedule has been out of whack and so has his little attitude. He’s my first child that tries to act cheeky and mischievous for a laugh and I think we’ve finally figured out how to suppress our laughter, ignore his cuteness factor, and work on his heart. But that’s another story…
If they already have everything, then don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Try to be useful. I try to err on the side of less stuff, more consumables. That way they don’t have to store it, they can use it!
So here’s what I got my friend and some ideas for what you can get your friends who seem to already have it all.
1. A good thermometer.
I really wish someone had given me a nice thermometer as a baby gift. Maybe because I’m frugal in nature, but spending more than $10 on a thermometer seemed like a waste. Until I realized how hard it was to get a good temperature with the cheap ones. I got my friend a nice thermometer and when I told her she thought that sounded great. I hope she won’t have to use it with her little man often, but having a good thermometer in the middle of the night is a lifesaver.
2. Pacifier (if they use them).
Granted you won’t know if your friend is going to use pacifiers until they have the baby, and see if the baby will take it (pros and cons of pacifiers here). But if you know they plan on using them, find out what type and stock up. I bought her two little blue pacifiers to keep in her stash since her son takes one. I personally think that, if you use pacifiers, you can never have too many. Some for the room, your purse, the baby bag, in the car, etc. It’s usually when you want it most that you’ve forgotten it.
3. Soothing products.Â
Another thing I’ve recently discovered since my youngest has eczema, is soothing products. Aveeno has soothing bath packs, gel, and lotion. There are other brands as well, and even soothing night wipes that you can buy scented, unscented, or with lavender for its calming properties. These are great gifts that a mom can keep in the bathroom and put in during a bath or immediately after. Also, they’re handy to around in case your baby gets a type of itchy rash since you can’t predict those.
4. Travel packs for diaper bag.
One way to guarantee you diaper bag system is not working too well is if you have to pack it with things you use at home every time. Then when you need them at home you’re running to the diaper bag. It needs to be packed and not unpacked, in my opinion, full of some of the stuff you might need like diaper cream, lotion, baby oil, etc. Buying small travel packs are perfect for diaper bags or even to be kept in the trunk of the car for emergencies. Again, with babies so much of what needs to be done is preparation.
5. Simple cutesy extras.
If I’m giving cutesy extras, I try to keep them minimally priced because you never know if they’ll be used or not. One thing I saw in Publix I’d never seen before was these little high chair place mats. They can be used at restaurants or at home, obviously. While using disposable place mats every meal would not be considered green, it is a lot easier than cleaning up messes in public with wipes. I think they’d be handy to keep in the diaper bag and use at restaurants if not for playing on them with toy cars. Ha!
If you have a Publix near you like I do, you can join Publix Baby Club for free and receive coupons, helpful tips, a newsletter, and other goodies right to you. I think this is convenient in that purchasing baby products is a large part of a mother’s expenditure and being able to buy food and baby stuff in one place saves a lot of time. You’ll particularly want to check this out if you coupon!
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Love these ideas. I always think batteries are super helpful, too!