Choosing Favors for your Baby Shower

If you're planning a baby shower you don't want to forget to purchase favors for your guests. It is customary to offer a small token of your appreciation to your guests for their generosity.

When choosing favors keep in mind that you want to get something the guests can actually use and enjoy. Why give something like a wash cloth lollipop (a baby wash cloth rolled up to look like a lollipop) or an item with your initials monogrammed on it? These items are cute but more than likely it will be thrown out or given to someone that can use it.

It is not necessary to spend a fortune on baby shower favors. Edible items are always a hit. If you are handy in the kitchen you can make cookies using baby shaped cookie cutters,decorate them with icing, and wrap in cellophane tied with a ribbon. You can get cookie cutters shaped like baby carriages, ducks, diapers, etc. There are also a lot of bakeries and online sites that sell ready-made cookie favors.

Don't want to bake or you don't have the time? Purchase candy or mints and wrap in decorative favor bags or tulle rounds tied with a ribbon. There are so many cute favor bags and boxes available and they are very inexpensive. There are also baby shower favor kits available that include everything except the candy.

Bath confetti is another popular favor. Get small tins, fill with confetti and tie with decorative ribbon. Favor bags can also be filled with small fragrant soaps or candles.

Add a special touch to your favors with personalized tags and labels. These are very inexpensive and can be added to just about any favor. You can personalize with the mommy's name and baby shower date or just about any message you want.


When choosing baby shower favors ask yourself this question - "Is this something I would enjoy or will it sit on a shelf collecting dust?" Just keep it simple and you won't go wrong.

Homemade Baby Shower Favors

If you are planning a baby shower for a friend or family member you don't want to forget to get favors for your guests. It is not necessary to spend a small fortune to give your guests a token of your appreciation. Homemade baby shower favors are inexpensive and easy to assemble.

There is a vast variety of themed favor boxes, baskets, favor kits, and fabric bags available that can be filled with candy, cookies, mints, bath confetti, or small candles. When deciding on baby shower favors take in to consideration your theme, the guests that are attending, and your budget.

You could go out and buy ready-made favors but these can be expensive, especially if you are having a large baby shower. Usually edible favors are a good choice. Who doesn't like a yummy fresh baked cookie or chocolates?



Any of these adorable favors boxes and kits can be filled with sweet treats for your guests. Most of them include gift tags and ribbon so all you have to do is add the treats.

Not only are these favor boxes inexpensive but they are easy to assemble.



Don't bother buying useless over priced baby shower favors that will sit on a shelf collecting dust or be thrown in the trash. Consider making homemade baby shower favors. Your guests will appreciate the small, tasty gift!

Unique Nursery Decor that's fun and fashionable!

It's been a long, hot summer and we've been busy, busy, busy! Alexander is enjoying going to school and can't wait to get out of the car every morning! If only that would last through high school. Maybe I will get lucky.

We have added a lot of new baby items to our site. If you are looking for unique nursery decor to spruce up your baby's nursery check out these gorgeous crib bedding sets from Trend Lab Baby. They feature unique designs with luxurious fabrics and beautiful color combinations.

Some of my favorites:

Angel Baby with soft blue velour combined with sage and blue gingham seersucker.



Baby Butterfly features bright purple velour fabric with embroidered butterflies.



The best thing about these crib bedding sets are all the great accessories that you can add to the set. They include wall decor, such as frames, clocks, and shelves, table sets, curtains, storage bins, and more.

All these great designs makes it easy to decorate your baby's nursery in a fun and fashionable style.

Polka Dot Diaper Cakes

I remember when I first heard of a diaper cake, I thought, "Is that a cake made to look like diapers?".

I never thought diaper cakes would become such a popular baby shower gift as they are today. You can find just about any theme or style - from flowers to polka dots, 1 tier to six tiers, for twins and triplets - the variety is endless.

Diaper cakes are a great way to give a unique baby gift that includes all the essential baby needs. You can never have enough of the main ingredient, diapers. Some of the other ingredients on the cake might be receiving blankets, bibs, burp cloths, bottles, rattles, and bath items. That is what makes a diaper cake such a great gift - it has so many necessary baby items that you can never get enough of for baby.



Not only do diaper cakes make a great baby shower gift but they are fairly easy to make. You can easily put together a baby gift that is unique and practical. Instructions on how to make a diaper cake can be found on our site articles page.

Whimsical Newborn Baby Gift Sets

There is nothing cuter then seeing a newborn baby dressed up in an adorable matching layette gift set. Baby Aspen's new line of whimsical baby gift sets includes nursery rhyme favorites and playful games that will bring back cherished memories.


The newest arrival is the Patty Cake Nine Piece Layette Set which is available in pink or blue. This impressive tower of hatboxes features the complete Patty Cake nursery rhyme and is filled with beautiful bibs, soft blanket, bodysuit, and more.



The classic Mother Goose nursery rhyme comes to life in the Mother Goose 7 piece gift set. Tucked away in her hidden compartment are three memorable nursery rhyme characters, perfectly sized for baby's tiny hands - Humpty Dumpty, This Little Piggy and the Hey Diddle Diddle Cow that jumped over the moon. This adorable baby gift set is sure to become a treasured favorite for many years to come.

Other sets include Five Little Monkeys and Pig in a blanket which features This Little Piggy nursery rhyme. Any of these baby gift sets would make a great baby shower gift or newborn gift.

We all have cherished memories of nursery rhymes and childhood games that we have carried through life. These unique baby gift sets are the perfect way for the new parents to share these joyful and cherished games with their newborn baby.

Baby Layette Checklist: Basic Baby Needs for the First Weeks

Getting ready for a new baby can be so overwhelming! There are so many baby products available and some of them are so cute. It's hard to choose the best basic layette needs for baby's first weeks. When choosing layette clothing items, keep in mind that a newborn baby grows quickly and will outgrow them before you know it.

What is a layette exactly? A layette is defined as a complete kit of clothing and equipment for a newborn baby. This baby layette checklist includes the essential baby needs to get you and baby through those first few precious weeks of life.

Clothing:

• Disposable diapers or Cloth diapers - 10-12 per day. If you are using cloth diapers you should purchase at least 2 to 3 dozen depending on how often you want to do laundry.


• 6-8 Diaper covers (for cloth diapers)


• 6-8 Sleepers and/or gowns


• 8 Onesies


• 2-3 Shirt and pants sets


• 6-8 Pairs of socks


• 2 Caps


• If you live in a cold weather climate - 1 sweater, 1 coat/snowsuit

Bedding:

• 4-6 Receiving blankets (for swaddling)


• 2 Sleep sacks (safer for baby to sleep)


• 3-4 Crib or bassinet sheets

Bathing/Changing:

• 2 Hooded bath towels


• 6-8 Wash cloths - if you are using wash cloths instead of disposable wipes for diaper changes then you will need at least 2 dozen wash cloths.


• 1 large box of disposable wipes


• 2 changing pads (waterproof)


• Natural shampoo and body wash


• Natural baby lotion


• Diaper rash ointment

Feeding:

• 6-12 Bottles, depending on whether you are breast or bottle feeding


• 10-12 Burp cloths


• Formula (if bottle feeding)- start with 1 weeks supply


• Bottled drinking water or sterilized, boiled water (to mix formula)

Grooming/First Aid:

• infant nail clippers


• Thermometer


• Petroleum jelly


• Alcohol swabs (to clean baby's belly button)

Nursery Equipment & Baby Gear:

• Crib or bassinet


• Diaper bag


• Car seat

There are tons of adorable baby products for everything you can possibly think of, but these basic baby supplies will be all you need to get you through your first weeks without a worry.

Butterfly Wash Cloths for diaper cakes and gift baskets

I was trying to think up a cute way to put decorative accents on my new boutique butterfly diaper cake using wash cloths and burp cloths. I came up with these cute butterfly wash cloths that are really easy to make.

You need baby wash cloths and pipe cleaners to make these. The wash cloths I used measured 10 1/2" x 11".

• Fold the sides of the wash cloth in to meet in the middle.
  
  


• Fold the other ends in to meet in the middle.
  
  
  


• Tuck one end inside the other.
  
  
  


• Scrunch the wash cloth together with your fingers.
  
  


• Twist a pipe cleaner around the wash cloth and bend the ends up to look like antennas.
  
  
  

I did a butterfly with a onesie and a burp cloth. The onesie is a little harder. You just have to play with the folds until you get it the size you want. These would look really cute if you use a wash cloth with a design on the fabric.

Here is my finished 4 tier boutique butterfly cake, front & back:



Perfect for a butterfly themed baby shower centerpiece!