The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift List With Top Five

Because I am obviously an expert...

I love to give gifts. (I love to get gifts too...hint hint to everybody!). I've been perfecting my baby shower gift by practicing on all the gorgeous friends of mine who are having beautiful babes of late.

It is easy to fall into one of two holes with baby shower gifts:
1. Something frivolous but cute
2. Something seemingly necessary but potentially superfluous

Let me explain.

You folks who go out and buy the-very-cutest-little-outfits-ever fall into Category #1. This is not a bad category, and, to be honest, new moms like to get cute outfits. How-ever, these items are hardly ever used to their potential beyond one-to-three wears per child due to frustration of parents, growth of child, and wrong season-to-child size ratio (i.e. my child fits into the snowsuit now, but it's July...)

Category #2 is made up of people who are even more well-meaning than Category #1, because they try to buy something useful, at even the expense of their own gift-buying-delight, but these items are often too specific to the parents to hit the nail on the head, even with a registry, because new parents don't know yet what they are really going to be using (i.e New Mama thought she'd love baby yoga, so you bought her 16-disc DVD set she wanted, but New Baby is not-having-any-of-it.).

Now, if you have fallen into these categories, fear not! You can stick to them (oldies and goodies), or you can check out...

Drum roll please...

Thanks, Nick.

Solution!

The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Basket of Useful Stuff for a New Mom

What I have developed is a gift basket of TONs of useful items that new moms don't know yet that they will need. What's great about this basket is that it can be customized to *your* friend, and the amount of money that you want to spend. I usually buy little things periodically that will fit in. Here's the break-down of the basket:

1. Nursing bra (get a cute print, guess on the size & include the gift receipt)
2. Cloth breast pads (practical, reusable, green)
3. Udderly Smooth body cream (or similar, for Mama-pampering)
4. Eos lip balm (b/c something cute for herself)
5. Snot Sucker (aka Bulb Syringe of Blessedness, to be used w/ the Saline drops! )
6. Lansinoh Lanolin ointment (ABSOLUTE must for nursing mamas!)
7. Thermometer (yup.)
8. California Baby diaper cream (or similar, just something on the fancy-end)
9. Ferro Roche chocolates (duh.)
10. Baby Nail Clippers (b/c Aunt Janet says you can't have enough of these, and she's right!)
11. Cliff Bars (or similar, for energy to get to the big day!)
12. Aveeno Baby Sunblock Stick (or similar, mineral-type fancy-ness)
13. Witch Hazel (SO helpful for post-partuum soreness!)
14. Saline nose drops (If you put nothing else in the gift basket, put 5 bottles of this. #1 home remedy for snuffy noses!)

Bonus: The basket can be used later for clothes/blankets/toys by the Mama

The basic formula for the gift is:
1. Some things to pamper/support the mom *now*
+
2. Some practical baby-care items for later, so she doesn't have to run around after them
+
3. Some things to pamper/support the mom *later*
=

Now, the list above is obviously the *Ultimate* pack, but there are times that you need to economize a bit. To that end, I have developed for your viewing (and useful) pleasure:

The {Five Favorites} Baby Shower Gift-Pack

{Suitable for sending across the country via post, or putting in a gift bag, more last-minute}

Good Greens Bars | Eos Lip Balm | Nursing Bra from Target | Little Noses Saline | Lansinoh Lanolin

These top five are the best of the best in terms of pamper now-support later you can get. These bars are *the* most awesome-tasting, healthiest things I've come across. They are SO yummy, and full of good nutrition. I think even the most nauseous of Mamas can tackle some protein disguised as chocolate-y-goodness. The bra and the lip balm will make her feel special, and the saline drops + lanolin ointment are the top picks for home-remedy wonders.

Not buyin' my formula? I just noticed that Grace @CampPatton *just* posted an awesome {labor & delivery} necessities post, and she just had a great post on items to add to your baby registry too. And, if all else fails, give books!

So...what are *you* going to give the pretty Mama-to-Be in your life?

Linking it up with Cristy @ Fountains of Home for Hallie's Five Favourites