BABY FOOD WARMER

If you are a first time parent to-be, there are numerous tasks that must be accomplished before your new baby’s arrival. One important and fun “labor of love” is purchasing baby clothing. However, with such a large selection of baby clothing, you may be asking yourself which of these adorable little items are essentials. This is crucial information to know, as well as their proper care.

“Onesies” are basically baby t-shirts and are a necessary baby clothing purchase. To keep the onesie from creeping up and exposing your baby’s belly, most onesies have easy close snaps. They can be worn alone or as an undergarment. Onesies, also known as rompers, come in basic white, for more details visit to www.baby-care-book.com colored or patterned varieties. For your basics, you should have between 5 to 10 onesies.

Sleepers are one-piece items with long legs and long or short sleeves. They usually have snaps down the legs for easy accessibility for late night diaper changes.

When preparing your basics, you should have between 5 to 8 baby sleepers. These are necessary as it is recommended that a newborn not sleep with thick blankets. This could inadvertently cause suffocation. The best material for both your baby’s warmth and comfort are cotton or fleece sleepers.

For your baby’s requirements, you should purchase between 6 to 8 pairs of baby socks. Although socks are not required in warmer weather, for more details visit to www.create-super-baby.com they should be worn if taking your little one outside in chilly temperatures. They are also indispensable at night if your baby is wearing a sleeper without feet.

Baby socks are made of either thick or thin weaves. You should purchase a combination of both, as thin socks are better if your baby is to wear shoes.

Hats are baby clothing essentials for your little bundle. When taking care of your newborn, it is important to keep them adequately warm. Newborns often have difficulty regulating their body temperature and much of their heat escapes through their head.

It is recommended that your newborn wear a hat through his or her first month of life. After that, it is not as important unless you are taking them outside on a chilly or cold day. For this purpose, you should have 1 or 2 fairly snug, hats for your baby.
When caring for baby clothing, there are two schools of thought. The first is that your little bundle of joy’s clothes should be washed in special detergents to alleviate the risk of skin allergies. There are numerous varieties of mild laundry soaps that are scent and dye-free. Many of these detergents are aimed at the baby market, such as Dreft that boasts “A gentle clean. Just for baby”.

The other school of thought does not believe that “gentle” laundry soaps are required for baby clothing. If your baby’s skin does not react adversely to certain detergents, then a special detergent is not necessary.

Your bundle of pink or blue will not think twice about staining their cutest outfits. Certain formulas, baby food and stains caused by leaking diapers are often difficult to remove from baby clothing. If pretreated before washing, some of the most stubborn stains can be eliminated, leaving the clothing both clean and in pristine condition. One tried and true stain remover is Oxi-Clean. You may want to “audition” or try different stain removers to find the one best suited for your laundry needs.

Before dressing your baby in new clothes, it is essential that you wash them first. Although baby clothing may look fresh and clean on department store hangers, many have come into contact with dirt, little four legged creatures and bugs during the shipping and packaging process.

Minor skin irritations may occur from sizing placed on many pieces of baby clothing. Sizing is used to keep items looking nice until they are purchased.

Getting prepared for your little one’s new arrival is both a joyous and stressful time. Knowing what baby clothing is essential in your little one’s layette and how to properly care for their clothing is one of the many tasks that lay before you. Knowledge is power and being prepared is half the battle.

Creating your own baby theme gift baskets is really easy and fun. You can save money by making them yourself instead of buying them from a trendy gift store. You can make them for personal use to give as gifts or start a home based gift basket business.

You only need a few simple supplies to get started.

Supplies:

Basket
Basket Filler (shreds)
Basket Clear Cellophane Bag or Basket Wrap
Ribbon (to tie off the bag)
Ribbon (to make a bow)
Gift Tag
Product Fillers
Scissors

*optional* disposable cameras to pack in the baskets.

Now its time to pick a theme and go out and buy some product fillers for your gift basket. Here are some theme ideas to get your creative process started.

1. Baby Bath Care Basket: rubber ducky, bath toys, baby wash cloths, baby bath towels, baby body wash, baby bath shampoo, baby powder, brush and comb.

2. Baby Diapering Basket: newborn sized disposable diapers or cloth diapers, diaper pins, rubber pants, diaper rash cream, clothing diaper changing pads, disposable diaper changing pads, diaper wipes, toy and dirty diaper disposable bags.

3. Baby Feeding Basket: disposable and cloth baby bibs, feeding spoons, wash cloths, hand wipes, sipper cups, plastic feeding dishes (cup, bowl and plate), box of baby cereal, jars of baby food, teething ring and a toy.

4. Baby Nursing Feeding Basket: baby bottles, bottle nipples, bottle liners, bottle cleaning brush, bottle sterilizer, burp pads, baby bibs, wash cloths, hand wipes, pacifier, teething rings and a toy.

5. Baby Toy Basket: baby rattles, baby teething rings, rubber ducky, plastic soft-cover baby books, particle board baby books, lullaby music cd and a teddy bear.

6. Baby Basics Basket: 3 baby wash cloths, 3 baby bath towels, 3 baby bibs, 3 baby onesies, 3 pair baby bootie socks, 1 baby hat, 2 baby sleepers, 1 pacifier, 1 toy rattle and a teddy bear.

7. Baby First Aid Basket: diaper rash cream, antibiotic ointment, band aids, ear thermometer, rectal or oral thermometer, baby teething relief gel, infant fever reducer medication, medicine spoon, medicine dropper, tweezers and a teddy bear or other toy.

8. Bedtime Baby Basket: 1 baby blanket, 2 soft cover baby books, 2 hardcover baby books, night light, lullaby music cd, 2 baby sleepers or night sacks, crib sheets and a teddy bear.

9. Grandma’s Theme Baby Basket: (all items in this basket should have something to do with grandma and you can find a lot of preprinted grandma and nana theme items) bibs, sleepers, onesies, books, toy and a teddy bear.

*note* extra special idea: look for one of those going to grandma’s house theme totes and pack your items into one of those instead of using a basket.

10. Baby Travel Basket: (all items are small and can fit into a diaper bag, travel sizes work best) diaper wipes, diaper rash cream, diaper changing pads, shampoo, baby lotion, baby bath body wash, baby powder, comb, hair brush, hats, booties, blankets, hand wipes, sipper cup, baby bottle, travel-style baby bottle warmer, disposable dirty diaper bags and a teddy bear or toy.

You can find a lot of the smaller items to fill your baskets at the local discount dollar store to save money. I have also found basket filler shreds and basket bag wraps there too.

Kiddicare Megastore

60,000 square foot over three floors showroom and distribution centre for Kiddicare.com
Hundreds of prams, highchairs, cots / cotbeds, toys, bedding and alot more on display….

When we think of a baby gift basket being presented, we think of the baby shower. Certainly the baby shower is one of the first gift-giving opportunities for the new parents, but baby gift baskets can be given and are more than appropriate for the many other gift giving occasions that are in store for the new little one.

Just to make it comprehensive, let’s start with the baby shower. Most of the time, this is a first child for the couple and they need practically everything. The expense of a new baby after it arrives can be daunting, especially if the parents need to add items such as baby formula, baby food and diapers to their weekly shopping list. Along with all of the weekly supplies, there are regular doctor visits that need to be afforded and other incidentals that the baby will need. The baby shower is a perfect opportunity to help lessen the burden financially so the parents can concentrate on enjoying every minute with their precious new bundle of joy.

Use the baby shower to give a baby gift basket of items that they will definitely need. Sure, it may be more fun to buy that 6 foot tall giant stuffed panda bear, but what are they going to use it for? More than likely, it will become a new sleeping place for the family pet. The baby shower is an opportunity to ease the overwhelming sense of responsibility and stress that the parents may be beginning to feel as the day of their baby’s arrival looms closer and closer.

Gift baskets, such as traditional layettes or an assortment of one-piece undershirts or even a crafty display of diapers will be most appreciated. If you are especially talented, present the new parents to be with an array of hand made baby items. Hand sewn baby quilts, crocheted or knitted booties and receiving blankets and little toys are not only practical, but because they are hand made, they could become family heirlooms that get passed down to grandchildren. If it is appropriate, this is also a wonderful opportunity to give a hand made baptismal or christening set of a gown, booties, cap and blanket.

Just because the baby shower has passed doesn’t mean that the opportunities for giving baby gift baskets has passed with it. Once the baby arrives is a wonderful excuse to come bearing a gift. Now that the baby’s gender is known, if it wasn’t before, and he or she has a name and is becoming his or her own personality makes putting together a gift even more fun. Now is the time when you can personalize your gift giving and your gift basket can reflect the new child that is actually here.

Now that the baby has arrived, there are still plenty of times that a gift basket can say just the right thing. If the baby is going to be christened, that could be a wonderful time for a small gift basket of Bible story board books, religious jewelry or keepsakes. You could also include a small photo album for the parents to put all of the photographs from the day.

Still the opportunities to give baby gift baskets are upcoming. Throughout the coming year, the baby will be experiencing all kinds of firsts. Every holiday that arrives will be a magical one for the new family. It is always joyful when you can share in these marvelous times with them.

Imagine the possibilities of creating a gift basket for baby’s first Christmas. You could include items such as a tree ornament that represents something that is special to the baby. Or a small nativity set or a Santa’s village that is made of larger soft-sided components. If the baby’s first Christmas is a few months after their birth, this would then be a good time to purchase warmer sleepers for them in their larger size. If the baby is eating solid food now, a gift basket of baby foods, cereals, snacks and formula would really help the parents out especially at this Christmas time. This could also be the perfect opportunity to begin the baby’s movie collection by starting with some of the Christmas classics like Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

Another big holiday for the new baby is Easter time. What a more perfect opportunity to give a gift basket than at Easter. Depending on the child’s age when he or she celebrates their first Easter, you could give appropriate snacks, toys or stuffed animals. This may also be a good time to buy a new spring outfit for them or new shoes. Don’t limit your imagination. Find a beautiful Easter basket that the child could use every year and fill it with everything you can imagine a child of that age appreciating.

Two other holidays that you may not necessarily consider giving a gift basket on are Halloween and Independence Day. These are two holidays where you could really come up with a gift basket that is very unique and special. Again, always shop for items with the baby’s current age in mind and have fun. For Halloween, you could include a small costume or stuffed animal. And of course, don’t forget to add some “treats” that the baby could enjoy. Pop them all in a plastic pumpkin bucket and you are all set. Independence Day gift baskets for the baby could include red, white and blue toys and stuffed animals and some safe celebration toys that do not have any small parts on them like a kazoo or small drum or trumpet. If the child is old enough, he or she will love to add their own noise to the celebration.

And finally, we come to the day of celebration that is all their own, their first birthday. By this time, many babies are crawling and some are even walking. A gift basket at this time could include a small scooter and walker combination that allows the child to push the vehicle or ride it. Many of these are in the shape of small cars, bikes, trains and trucks and have a compartment on them that opens up. Fill this compartment with other items that a one year old would love.

Little ones love to push items like small cars and many are just beginning to experiment with crayons and scribbling. You can find special markers and pad sets that only write if the special marker is used on the special paper. The parents will especially appreciate the thoughtfulness.

Another great gift is a child-safe soft padded plastic mini photo book. These albums usually hold about eight photographs and are equipped with a handle so the toddler can carry it around. Inside it holds pictures of the people who are special to baby, so he or she can open it up any time and see the faces of those they love. This is a wonderful gift especially if the baby has grandparents that live too far away to visit on a regular basis.

As you can see, the life of a new baby is basically one gift-giving experience after another. Use as many opportunities as you can to give the little one a unique gift basket and fill the child’s first year with lots of mementos and small presents. After all of this, if you weren’t a member of the family already, you will be now.

Baby showers are always fun with different games. Having games for small prizes is always good way to liven up the party. Imagine a baby shower without games, it’s two to three hours of non-stop baby talk. The games keep the party from getting boring and allow everyone to constantly keep the fun going.

The prizes don’t need to be anything fancy. It could be a baby-themed piece of chocolate, a plush animal or anything you think women can enjoy. Some of the more imaginative gifts have been cute little knock-off sunglasses or pocket books, making women shout in excitement for the prizes.

There are many different games you can choose from when it comes to baby showers festivities. Try to get games of different varieties so that everyone at the party will find something they will enjoy. You also want to have games that require the guests to interact with each other. If there are many people who don’t know each other, this is a great way to get them talking.

Here is a list of games that you can choose from for a baby shower:

1. Gift Bingo: You create a sheet of paper with 25 empty boxes. The guests will write in what gifts they think the mom-to-be is going to get when she starts opening her presents. The boxes should all have different presents such as bottles, diapers or bottle warmers. As the expectant mother opens the presents and shows them off, the guests will mark off the boxes that represent that gift. Once someone hits bingo, they call it out and win a prize.

2. Guess the Number of Bottles: Get a regular-sized bottle and fill it with a tiny item, this could be mini pacifiers or jelly beans. Pass around the bottle and have the guests try to guess how many pacifiers or jelly beans are in the bottle. The person with the closest number wins a prize.

3. Memory Game: Show the guests a tray full of baby items. Have them look at it for about 30 seconds. Put the tray away and have them write down the items on the tray. The person who remembers the most items wins.

4. Baby Food Game: Purchase a few different bottles of baby food, remove the labels and number the jars. At the party, the guests are going to have a tiny taste of the food. This game always has a great amount of laughs and a few gags. This will make women have an appreciation for their babies eating such crazy food. The way the game works is you have the guests taste (sometimes smell) and guess the flavor. The person with the most correct will win a prize.

5. Don’t Say Baby: This is a popular game at baby showers. You get a bunch of mardi gras-style bead necklaces. Get the same amount of necklaces as there are guests at the party. The rule of the game is that no one at the baby shower is actually allowed to say baby. If a person says baby, you call them out on it, but not by saying baby. If you catch a person saying baby, you get their necklace. The way a person wins is by having the most necklaces by the end of the party.

This isn’t a complete list of baby shower games. There are dozens of other games and you can even make up your own. Try an ad-libs type of game where people pick words to fill in a story that is pre-written about the expectant mom and her family. You can have a crossword puzzle or a word search. Come up with different games so that the women at the party won’t get bored.