What is/was your favorite or most appreciated BABY gift, product or item?

Or what would you suggest as a really neat thing to give or receive for a new baby rather than a stuffed diaper bag full of goodies or gift basket or gift card? I'm looking for answers of individual items such as: bottle cozies, washable car seat covers, hand crafted baby quilts, etc...





Thanks for your input! I'm way past the baby stage but have several showers to attend this summer and fall!

What is/was your favorite or most appreciated BABY gift, product or item?
It was a gift certificate to Burke Williams Day Spa. Ever since I got this, I give it to everyone of my friends. It's something that I looked soooo forward to. You go 9 months and some change that you can't use certain medicines, certain shampoos, detergents, hair dying, etc. I felt like I was a big mess when my baby arrived. After a month or so I used my spa certificate. It was something I was so grateful for. I give it all the time now. When people see the gift bag, they know its from me and tuck it away immediately.





The best gift for a baby is a happy mommy too :)
Reply:wipe warmer or bottle warmer. definitely
Reply:diapers and baby wipes but if you want to do something different try on-line stores they have stuff i would have never thought of
Reply:I appreciated all my gifts...but my sister had a great idea. She bought ME some nice, comfy pajamas and slippers! It was so nice after a rough day of diaper changing, feeding, %26amp; burping (not to mention colic) to climb into those comfy pjs and take a load off...after hubby got off work, of course!
Reply:my funniest gift was from my parents "CATS"


it was a big regtangular box wrapped up and the card said, "we hope our Nephew is as CLEAN as we are" and i opened it up to see 2 of everything. baby wash, lotion, powerder, diapers, wipes, all sorts of bath items. i didnt run out of some of that stuff for a long time.





also liked burp clothes, those infant gowns, blankets,


for baby stimulation----anything red, white and black. or other bright colors like that.
Reply:Maybe a voucher to get the babies feet and hands plastered like this similar in Australia.








http://www.impressionablekids.com.au/





I know it was and still is the best gift ever!!
Reply:Boppy pillow. Hot Sling baby carrier. Developmental activity mat. Cute diaper bag stuffed with infant grooming/child-proofing supplies. Diaper Genie or Diaper Champ. Those little needed extras that add up: tinted window clings to block the sun in the back seat of the car; mirror to mount near the car seat (so driver can glance back and see the baby); head positioners (for use in swing, bouncy seat, etc.).
Reply:The gift I appreciated the most was a fuzzy blankey I recieved at a baby shower thrown by my co-workers. The girl who bought it had never bought anything for a baby before and had no idea what to get, so opted for the blankey. My daughter is almost 4.....the poor blankey is threadbare and faded, but she still holds onto it. It's her lovey. Wrapped her in it the day she was born and she never let go of it since.
Reply:My favorite gift given at a baby shower was actually for me. Name brand body lotions and body washes. Also what I wish I got was a gift card for Gymboree or similar baby gym. And the quilt idea is great, check out these:





http://www.bellajaneoriginals.com/
Reply:The best thing I got was an Ocean Wonders crib toy, it plays about 5 or 6 lullabyes and the fish dance around, it worked so good for my baby to put him to sleep and he still uses it every nap and bedtime and he's 20 months now.
Reply:For our third, I got the gift I wish someone gave me for our FIRST! http://www.miracleblanket.com/ along with the book and dvd "Happiest Baby on the Block". Seriously, it was a Godsend (all of it). I thought I had the baby thing down until we watched the dvd and used the blanket!
Reply:I really liked a baby nursery lamp i got. Maybe because it was different, and made the room look really cute!


We give alot of people like girls at work, neighbors, hand crafted patchwork quilts that my mom makes, with each square having a cute little animal in it with some embroidery for eyes and stuff,and i seriously wonder if people even appreciate it!. I know we do cause it's made by our mom/grandma, but other than the thank you note, i never notice any of them using them, or mention them.........
Reply:The best gift I got when I was pregnant was a package containing a magazine, a tea cup and a box of tea. It came with a note saying that when I put the baby down for her/his nap before I start doing all the chores that I couldn't do when the baby was awake (like laundry) I was to make a cup of tea, sit down and read an article in the magazine or a chapter in whatever book I was reading. It may only take 15 minutes but the ME time was important to retain my sanity as a new mother.





I have often given the same gift to my friends when they are expecting and get many hugs in return.
Reply:My cousin's GF mostly appreciated the wipe warmer. She would never have bought it herself and even I thought it was just a gadget. She loves it and I am smarter (now will get those for others). Another thing she still uses (2 years later) is the baby monitor. She has a multilevel home and it makes it easy to know when baby wakes from nap.





My neighbor just had a baby and she really liked the afghans and blankets. She used up the diaper bag full of goodies and continues to use the diaper bag.





Now, I always make afghans or quilts for a baby, and maybe now will also buy the wipe warmers, but I have also included a cup with exotic cocoa or coffee (if I know they like this stuff) for just them to splurge. Oh, and for my one friend, I included a can of beer (she'd been SO waiting to have one) in a sealed package marked "Do not open until after baby comes home." Some I have seen would include scented body powder or lotion.
Reply:Definitely diapers and wipes. What I also needed that no one really got me was PJ's and clothes in bigger sizes that where season apporiate. Large changing pads, sheets and bedding for the crib are always great. Usually if you stick to the register then you should be OK.
Reply:Diapers (there are some really fun ways such as diaper cakes, to give these and make a fun impact at the same time)





Clothes in sizes other than newborn and 0-3





Toys for toddlers, we got a great big box of Duplos from a child in my class (I was a teacher), it was so fun pulling them out when he was 1 year and letting him chew on them, then when he was a year and half he had fun stacking two of them together, and now he can build towers and all sorts of things with them (he's almost 3). It's one of those gifts that just keeps giving.





A personalized trash can (we used it as a laundry hamper) stuffed full of diapers, wipes, and other goodies.





A Boppy





A baby swing





If you're looking for an ipact, there are so any fun things to give, look for gifts with unique presentations.
Reply:I liked getting baby clothes that were simple, comfortable and NOT newborn size, maybe like 6-12 mos. I had tons of nb size things but when they got bigger i had to go shop ( yaaa, that was easy LOL). Also, i loved the little white noise machine. MIRACLE machine!
Reply:i love my boppy and so does baby. it helps me feed him, was great for nursing, and now he sits in it and it helps him stay propped up. it was an unexpected gift and i didn't know how awesome it could be.
Reply:If you can make the quilts, do that ... or you could crochet or knit afghans for each of those babies. Moms can NEVER have enough blankets for their babies, and a 'hand made blanket' will be the 'favorite blanket' because it was made 'just for that baby' and no other ... even if all the moms know each other, and 'know' they'll be getting a blanket from you.
Reply:my best one was a stroller. it lasted through 3 kids and my nephew. thats over 11 years!
Reply:I've been buying this little bear called Mother's little Helper.


Inside the bear is a noise activated heart noisemaker is the best way I can say it. It actually makes the sounds of the inside of the mother's womb for forty minutes to sooth the baby. You can remove the noise maker from the bear to take it along where ever you go and as I mentioned if the baby makes a noise the monitor go on automatically and you can adjust the volume. It sells for about $18.
Reply:A nappy service is a fantastic help to a new mum.
Reply:I loved my


bumbo chair (with tray available only online)


target gift cards


diapers


wipes


boppy


books (blender baby food, or if you are friends with the dad the expectant father)


hangers (cause everyone forgets those)


stuff for the mom (bath and body works stuff)


hand crafted quits are memorable but I'm always afraid to use mine or wash it...


good luck!


or get a scrap book and do a couple of pages so all the mom has to do is add pics...do themes like halloween or one for each month you know..someone got that for my cousin and its the only way she did a memory book.

sports shoes