Mama in the City

This afternoon Ben and I had the most delightful date with my good friend Su. She is a lover of babies and also very generous and thoughtful too! Su asked me about buying a baby gift for one of her expectant girlfriends and of course I had a few things to say on that topic. Oh presents! I have to be honest and say that I do love presents and shopping and both of those combined. I love to buy gifts for other peoples babies and I also loved the sweet thoughtful gifts that Ben received.

I was constantly amazed and surprised by gifts that showed up in the mail or at the doorstep when Ben was first born. Our own friends and friends of my parents sent little cards or handmade gifts and they were all so appreciated. One of my favorite baby items is a blue handmade knit sweater with a little hood that Ben wore throughout his babyhood. It was given by one of my mum's friends and it was such a treat.

The first thing to think about when choosing a gift is to know the parents style and try to go with that. There are parents who are in love with all things Disney and than parents who are all about modern hip baby wears. Put their taste into your gift selection. Are you buying a gift for first time parents or for parents who have had a few babes and might have already have all of the basic items? One last thing is to consider if the parents have lots of space to put big baby items or if space and storage is limited and gifts need to be more streamlined. Now, don't fret too much on all of these points because a gift is a gift and it is always so nice to receive and to give.

If you want to splurge on a baby gift I do have some specific ideas for you! Gift a beautiful sling to carry the new baby in from Gorgeousbaby. I didn't really know about baby slings before I had Ben and sort of thought the only option was the Bjorn baby carrier. I still use my sling and in fact I used it today while we were out with Su. There is a sizing guide on the website to help you figure out how to buy the right sized sling for your baby gift. There are so many really beautiful fabrics to choose from and don't forget it is totally cool to give the father a sling too!

Another shop that I frequently look at on line is Purl Mama & Baby. I have used this shop to buy many baby shower gifts for special girlfriends because I like the selection of interesting products to pick from. You can find great things like gifts of fancy nipple butter and cute martian fronted sleepers with a snap open bum! This shop always ships super fast and their shipping fee is quite doable.


We were given a few toys that we stocked away for later and we have been bringing them out as Ben grows. A really cool place to check out for infant and toddler toys is Dandelion Kids in Vancouver. There actual shop is kind of tiny but they have an excellent selection on line. They have so many toys to choose from it can be hard to pick.

There are lots of things that new parents love and admire but would never splurge on it themselves. This fun set of soft fabric blocks by Dwell Studios is fun and fancy to give to a new parent.

Sophie the Giraffe is a great little gift to give to that potential teether and you can get it at Chapters in their gift section.

I also really like to put a bit of a theme into a baby gift. Not all the time but it does work well for mixing small fabulous items together into one thoughtful gift. I would pair up some Burt Bees Baby wash with some soft washcloths and a cozy baby sleeper. You can go to whatever level works for your budget and still be thoughtful and give a present that will be well received.