2 Jun 2014

5 Gifts to Give to New Parents

Let's face it, receiving gifts is one of the biggest pleasures for new parents. Ah, oh, erm, I mean other than the bundle of joy you've just popped unto the world. [*looks around*, did I get away with it? Phew]. 


But sometimes those well-intentioned and generous gifts can be a little…well, vanilla. A bit meh. I was given countless cutesy bunnies and dozens of babygros that would have been rendered useless by all the family hand-me-downs I also received. So the gifts were put to good use by being exchanged for credit to buy stuff I actually needed or wanted. Ungrateful, maybe. Practical, yes. But I figured it would have been more ungrateful to use said onesie once and then relegate it to storage forevermore. 

So hopefully this list will give you a little head-start on what a mama actually needs, and will win you brownie points for ingenuity. If you get an actual brownie do pass it on. Sharing is caring after all. 


1 - Complete Works of **** - I'm loving the Winnie The Pooh complete works I was given and read a passage to Bean each night. He's much too young to understand but will still get so many benefits from our little bedtime tradition. Pick your favourite author from your childhood - Dahl, Hargreaves, Tolstoy - and get a really pukka set or beautifully printed edition. Cue years and years of happiness and fond memories.

2 - Door Letters / Name Plaque - Bean was given a really beautiful set of letters which adorn his door. I feel for the person who bought them as he has the Longest Name Ever, but I absolutely love them and they are perfick for setting the scene to his cosy nursery.

3 - Ewan the Dream Sheep - seriously cult product. You will get major kudos for this. Not only are you giving an awesome sound machine but you are also promising the gift of sleep. Just. Epic.

4 - Keepsake Box - Most retailers do some sort of keepsake box and, really, most will fit the bill and please Ma. You could even craft it up and give it a bit more bling or personality if that's your thing. For everyone else (myself included) something personalised like this box from Not on the High Street is really striking and would mean a lot to any new mama.

5 - A really good quality blanket or muslin - and I mean really good quality. Something super soft and H-U-G-E in both cases. Even handmade if you can do that shizz. I have a Jojo's blanket that gets serious mileage and I adore the super sized muslins from Aden and Anais. Pricey but worth it.

And to get a Brucie Bonus take round a ready meal when you visit. Seriously. No new parent has time to cook - someone I know lived exclusively off biscuits for the first 10 days as they couldn't bring themselves to visit the shops. WTF?

What do you think of the above - any classics in there that you would be lost without? Anything I've missed? Make sure you let me know!


Anon
xxx Mama Mumbles xxx