Showing posts with label baby clothes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby clothes. Show all posts

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Essential Supplies for your New Baby

As every parent has surely discovered, you are never quite prepared for the arrival of your new baby. No matter how much time and effort you might put into preparing yourselves and your home for your new arrival, there are always a few things that tend to get overlooked. This is not without good reason, mind you. It is such a wonderfully exciting time for expectant parents, so naturally you are going to be less focused on trivial day-to-day matters. For all of the expectant parents out there, this article is for you!

The nursery is the first place to start when you are preparing your home for your new baby. The crib is likely the first major piece of furniture you will purchase for your child. Be sure that the crib you purchase meets all of the mandatory and voluntary safety guidelines. You will also want to invest in a quality crib mattress, as your baby will be spending upwards of 70% of his or her first year on it. Bedding is another consideration, and very much a matter of personal preference. Just don't forget to pick up a mattress cover! A changing table is another option, but not entirely necessary. Alternately, a baby monitor is an absolute must-have for your child's nursery.

The next area to focus your attention on is that of baby supplies. While most people have a reasonable idea of what their children's needs are, it is a good idea to pause and reflect every so often. Baby supplies are very popular, and there are so many choices to make. Be sure you purchase mild baby soap and shampoo, as chemicals and fragrances can have a terrible impact on a baby's fresh skin. A high quality, all-natural, moisturizer should also be used. Some parents are keen on using baby powder to help keep their baby's bottom dry. Try to find a baby powder that does not have a talcum powder base. It can be terribly dangerous if inhaled, so be on the lookout for one with a cornstarch base.

After all of the necessary supplies and furniture have been secured, it is time to think about fun and entertainment for your baby. While the world itself will provide hours of fun and discovery for your child, certain toys and playthings can considerably enhance their experiences. A mobile is an excellent toy for new babies, as they spend a lot of time in their crib at that age. Some soft, fluffy toys are also nice, especially if they are designed to provide some sensory stimulation of some sort. Teething toys are an absolute necessity as your child grows older. There are some wonderful toys on the market for young children, just be sure to consult the consumer reports for information about recalls and other possible dangers associated with children's toys.

Friday, 19 March 2010

Buy Baby Gift Items That Are Personalised

By the time you finish reading this, you will know how one can buy baby gift items that will stand out from all the others through personalisation. In the market today, one has a wide range of options to choose from. Unique baby gifts and baby gift baskets of the highest quality are available. One might want to buy baby shower gifts.

A range of unique and creative baby gifts and accessories await you if you are going shopping for your baby. Personalized keepsakes can last a lifetime and one would prefer a personalised baby gift rather than a simple one which has no personal touch. Buy baby gift items and personalise them to add value and uniqueness.

All About Personalised Gifts for Your Baby

An enormous list of options available for personalisation includes silver gift sets, silver photo frames, birth candles, bone china, pewter and glass products. You could personalise china plates in 22ct gold with the child's full name, place and date of birth. They make a very special newborn baby gift. When looking to buy baby gift items for personalisation, a gift with lasting appeal certainly adds value.

Another option is personalised children's music CDs. Kids enjoy singing along to songs and will certainly love hearing their own name sung in the lyrics of the songs. Along with their great entertainment value, these personalised CDs help to build self-esteem and develop self-confidence in the baby.

Baby gift baskets are another great option. They are filled with great things for both mum and baby. They are the perfect pick as baby shower gifts, newborn baby gifts, as a first and second birthday baby gift. Browse all baby gift baskets and see that the basket is not filled with useless and cheap trinkets. See to it that the baby gift baskets have practical, useful and fun stuff within them.

Other possible choices which help the little one feel comfortable in their first bedroom include artwork, hand painted furniture, bedding and cribs designed and personalised for the baby. Comfortable baby blankets and cosies can be found in this category as well.

Another choice is personalised books for children. For sale are deluxe framed names, in which the name of the child is written alongside beautifully illustrated pictures for each initial, and the origin and meaning of the name is explained.

Soft toys, which babies love to have, can be personalised as well. Included are a number of personalised teddy bears, with embroidered details. The best part is that a personalised bear can include any name or message up to 50 characters long, from a simple birthday greeting to complete name and birth details.

A mug can also be personalised with around 50 characters and kids love to have their early morning drink in them.

Baby clothes are an item that parents cannot get enough of. Of course, many different ways of personalising clothing exist, such as embroidery, hand-painting, and iron-on artwork.

Keep in mind the following while looking to buy baby gift items:
- The age of the baby while making the selection
- See that the quality of the selected gift is good.
- If the baby loves music, give him a personalized CD
- Buy clothing items a few sizes larger so the baby can grow into them if shopping for personalised t-shirts etc.

Sunday, 14 March 2010

A New Baby Can Be Expensive!

A new baby brings a lot of joy and hope to a family. It also brings some uncertainty. You may be concerned that your home is too small, or that you need a larger car, among others. Whether you are expecting your first or your fifth child, chances are that you need baby gear! There are hundreds of different items that you need when the baby arrives, and it is important to remember that stocking up doesn’t mean you have to clean out the bank account.

If you do a little bit of research beforehand, you can get everything that you need at a fraction of the retail price. My favourite money saving tool is the e-coupon. You can sign up for e-coupons at a variety of different retailers, and start savings instantly.

The first question that a new parent-to-be asks is “what baby stuff do I need?” There are many things that are convenient to have, and many things that are a “must have.” Once you distinguish between the two, you can start stocking up on the “must haves”. I recommend that you start shopping for bargains early on in your pregnancy. You will save more money, and eliminate the last minute rush that many parents undergo. Most baby sites will provide you with a checklist of the baby “must haves.” Print this list out, and then begin to compare prices and makes and models.

Every parent-to-be is on a budget. The trick is to make the most out of that budget. First consider looking at local sales for various baby stuff. You can often get some cheap deals on things that are in good shape. If you are looking for some really good deals, go online. There are hundreds of different baby sites, which offer many products at deep discounts. If you use an e-coupon service, you can get coupon codes to save even more on the items that are “must haves.” Most of these services are free to use, and can save you hundreds on your favourite baby gear. You may also try an auction site like EBay. I have found some great deals on items that you need every day, like bottles and bibs.

Shopping for baby on a budget can be a lot of fun, if you approach it correctly. Create a list of the items that you want to shop for, and stick to it. Look for discounts and deals both locally and online. In no time, you will have a nursery full of baby gear ready and waiting for your new little bundle of joy! Congratulations and happy shopping!

Saturday, 13 March 2010

5 Simple & Inexpensive Baby Shower Gift Ideas.

With the pregnancy bug in the water system, you are bound to know someone who is having a baby, if you aren’t having one yourself. Pregnant women equal shopping time. Here are 5 gifts that any mother will most certainly be appreciative of. The baby shower gift ideas are great for those who are shopping or for Mum’s to put on their gift registry.

A baby shower is an exciting event for a new mom where she and the new baby is the centre of attention. Even if you are not attending the baby shower (for example if you are a male family member or friend) it is still a good idea to pick up at least a small gift for the baby.

The new mum may have made a list of some general things that the baby will need, and if she has a list like this, you can check it out. However, frequently you will have to pick a gift without a list. So here are some pretty 'safe bets' as far as baby shower gifts go. I got a few of these gift ideas when I was in a Target store looking for a gift. I asked several parents who had babies with them in their shopping cart what sort of gifts would be good for a new baby and here are some of the answers that I got.

These baby gift ideas are very easy to find and very reasonable at a store like Target. For £30 you can get a whole assortment of goodies.

1. Clothing: All babies need clothing, and they grow very fast! If you have ever shopped for baby clothes you may be amazed to see that there are several different sizes of clothes needed for the baby just during the first year!

There is 0-1 month, 3 to 6 months, 6 to 9 months and on and on! Therefore, there are plenty of types of clothing that will be needed in plenty of different sizes. Just remember to keep in mind how old the baby currently is, because baby clothing sizes change rapidly, and you would not want to buy a gift that is already too small by the time you present it to the parents!

2. Teething toys: All babies 'teeth' and will need little chew toys of sorts. These may become dirty quickly and it is probably smart to replace them often, so a number of these teething toys may be useful. You might find ones with rattles or bells. Just make sure it is not big enough for a baby to swallow.

3. Stuffed animals: A cute stuffed animal may make a nice gift. The softest kind available may be liked the most for snugly comfort. Additionally, some of these stuffed animals may have sounds built in. You may want one that makes sounds, or you may want an old fashioned one without noise. A good example is Winnie-The-Pooh or Eyeore.

4. Nappies: Parents always need nappies and they are a very practical and useful gift. Just remember to look at the sizes correctly, considering how many months old the baby is. You also might find out what type of nappies the parent prefers to use.

5. Baby books: It is great to read to young children and really helps there little minds grow. While a very young baby won't be able to understand stories yet, parents are always looking to build a nice little library of quality books to read to their children.

There you have 5 simple baby shower gift ideas! Hopefully you will be able to find a nice gift or even a shopping bag full of little gifts to bring the baby and the parents’ enjoyment.

5 Baby Shower Gifts That Mum Will Love

1. Nappies, nappies and more nappies. That is quite a bland gift but a very much needed gift. I don’t any Mum who will complain about having too many nappies with a newborn at home. To make nappies snazzy you have to dress it up a bit. You can find diaper cakes in lots of gift sites. Some come with as many as 150 nappies, plus booties, bibs and tons of other essentials for baby, but all in the shape of an all so cute cake.

2. Layettes, blankets, socks and burp cloths. Chances are they are going to get tons of these. However, these gifts tend to come in newborn or 3 months sizes which after a few weeks probably won’t serve its purpose anymore. Making this a great gift is if you buy them in larger sizes. After a few months, Mum still has brand new gifts for the baby to enjoy.

3. Pamper products for Mum. The last few weeks of pregnancy are very uncomfortable and can be hard on Mum. Let Mum have the star treatment as well. Once the baby is born, Mum’s 15 minutes of fame are over.

4. Savings Bonds. A savings bond is a great way to help invest in the child’s future. While everyone is thinking of now you are thinking ahead. It may also help jumpstart parents to jumpstart on baby’s future if they haven’t already.

5. Gift Certificates. You can never go wrong with a gift certificate. Mum and Dad get to choose what they want and you gave them that satisfaction. The obvious choice for a gift certificate would where the registry is set up. If they do not have a registry set up, good choices could include their favourite supermarket (formula, nappies) or baby store. Another gift certificate idea could be a check card gift certificate. It works like a credit card and can be used anywhere.

Tip: I don’t suggest buying clothing unless the parents-to-be suggested so. Chances are they have already gone shopping and couldn’t resist those tiny adorable outfits.

4 Baby Care Tidbits Every Parent Should Know!

New parents face many problems and issues that they are expected to understand and deal with immediately. Unfortunately, newborns do not come with an instruction book so here are a few topics that you may need to know about.

Bathing your baby: Until your baby’s umbilical cord falls off one to two weeks after their birth, only give her sponge baths. A cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with alcohol can help to dry the umbilical stump or follow your paediatrician’s directions. After the stump falls off, you can give him a bath in a sink or shallow tub.

Caesarean delivery: A caesarean is usually performed to make delivery safer for you or your baby. C-sections can be done for many different reasons including stalled labour, complicated labour, problems with the baby that may make delivery difficult, or other problems. It does not matter if you deliver vaginally or by a caesarean section, you are still a mother with a beautiful new blessing.

Circumcision: Many doctors agree that there may be some benefit to circumcision, but it may not be absolutely necessary. It may help to lower the risk of urinary tract infections and eliminates just about any chance of penile cancer. Circumcision does not cause long-term emotional problems for your child.

Crib death (SIDS): Many studies have been done regarding SIDS. Although the cause of SIDS has not been definitely defined, there are some correlations that have been made between SIDS and the following things:

Male babies are more likely to die from SIDS than females

Prematurity makes it more likely

Minority children are affected by it more often than non-minorities

More children of young, single mothers die from it

Children who live in a home with one or more smokers are more likely to be affected

Some people say that sleeping with your baby can reduce the risk of SIDS, but the American Academy of Paediatrics disagree with this statement and go on to say that there is a greater risk of SIDS in babies who co-sleep.

Back sleeping is what most paediatricians recommend for babies to decrease the SIDS risk. The reason for this is widely debated between health experts. If you have concerns, talk to your paediatrician.