What To Get When She’s Expecting… A Surprise!

As more and more parents-to-be choose to keep their baby’s gender a surprise, selecting a shower gift has been made a whole lot trickier. Shopping for the perfect new baby gift this summer? Here are some ideas to show off your creativity.

• Start a scrapbook to record baby’s story. Start with a family tree, a page each for the mother and father and have a few pages already prepared for mom to add in her shower photos and cards.
• If you’re especially crafty, and have access (and permission!), a beautiful christening gown can be made from the train of the bride’s dress.
• For a co-ed shower with a modern twist, guests can pitch in to buy the parents-to-be a digital camera or video camera to record all of baby’s firsts.
• As soon as baby arrives, finances are always a top concern. Purchasing a certificate or savings bond to go toward baby’s college fund is always a wise investment.
• Most parents-to-be are familiar with all of the usual items for baby-proofing the home, but often overlooked are home safety items that will be needed in the nursery, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• If you know what the parents have selected for baby’s name, you can name a star after the baby through a service such as www.starregistry.com.
• A book of advice, tips, personal stories, and words of encouragement is always appreciated. Circulate brightly colored cards to shower guests (and friends unable to attend the shower) beforehand to have them write out their thoughts and then assemble them into a book.
• Mothers are always showered with adorable baby clothes to suit their newborns, which are quickly grown out of. Purchasing clothes in a variety of sizes will ensure mom stays well stocked.
• Sometimes the simplest gift doesn’t cost a lot of money. Create a coupon book for much-needed items like free babysitting, a prepared meal, a shopping excursion (also redeemable for grocery store trips when she’s pressed for time!), and even “an adult conversation” for something fun.