Black
Friday, Cyber Monday – shopping season is here!!! If you have a new mom in your
life, let me offer you some holiday shopping advice before rushing to the mall
to pick up a ridiculous baby-themed tee. One of the really cool gifts I got was
a new mom survival kit. It had some fun things like condoms, a sleep mask, and
chocolate, but it also had nightlights, pocket tissues, and gift cards to
Starbucks and Babies R’Us. If you’re not in the mood to get creative, follow
the list of gift ideas I’ve put together that a new mom is sure to love. When
in doubt, get her something she can really enjoy and use on herself.
Before
getting into the gifts she’ll love, here are a couple things NOT to get her.
Wipes, diapers, diaper cream… Don’t get her things for her baby. Unless you
know exactly the brand and size she needs, you’re just adding to the clutter in
the house and the pile of crap she needs to return to the store. Plus all those
things are for the baby – not her. Also, don’t get her anything for cleaning
unless it’s something she has asked for.
Okay
– Now what you SHOULD get the new mom in your life:
·
Professional house cleaning – It’s
no secret that having a baby doesn’t leave much time for house cleaning. If
this new mom likes things neat, hire a professional house cleaner to clean her
home from top to bottom. My parents gave me this after I gave birth and it was
the best present I could have asked for. The cleaning woman they hired was a
personal friend and for 3 sessions she charged $60 each for green/organic
cleaning. This will also depend on the size of the home. We have a small
2-bedroom townhouse and it was already relatively clean. If you don’t know
anyone and live in central NJ, I’ve heard great things about http://www.maidformommy.com/.
If you’re not in the NJ area, check out Molly Maid or ask around your
neighborhood.
·
Mani/Pedi gift certificate – Who
says a new mom can’t have nice nails? It’s tough to feel pretty when you’re
breastfeeding every 2.5 hours and barely getting a chance to shower or shave
your legs. This gift will not only give her the chance to sit and relax for an
hour but it will also be a total self-esteem boost. This probably wouldn’t cost
you more than $35 or $40. I recommend you choose a salon that is close to her
home.
·
Massage or facial gift certificate – Once
again, new moms don’t get to relax much (if at all). A massage or facial could
be JUST what the doctor ordered. It’s not likely she will purchase this for
herself but she will totally love you if you get it for her. My hubby got me
this for my birthday and it was definitely the present I enjoyed the most.
Massage Envy has 1-hour introductory massage sessions for $49, which makes this
gift totally affordable.
·
Gift card for Babies R’ Us –
Babies are expensive and everyone can use a little extra dough. Trust me,
eventually she will find something she needs and will be more than thankful for
your generous contribution to her growing family.
·
A night or day of babysitting – She
would probably love a chance to go out and have a date night with her
husband or friends that she probably rarely sees now. If you’re good with
babies and she feels comfortable with you watching her child, let her know that
she can count on you for a night of her choice. Just keep in mind, if you
rarely see her or her kid then don’t offer this because chances are she won’t
feel okay leaving her child with you. A lot of people have offered to watch my
son but they have barely spent any time with him so obviously I wouldn’t be
okay leaving him with them.
·
Professional photo shoot – My
father-in-law and his wife hired a professional photographer for our son’s baby
pictures. The photographer was amazing and she took such great pictures that I
will treasure forever.
·
A great diaper bag – Okay
so I got this one for myself. The one I got from my baby shower broke (that’s
what I get for putting a pretty one vs. a practical one on my registry). I
decided to spend a little more and got a really beautiful and classic looking
bag with tons of pockets, zippers and space for everything baby-related I need
to carry around. Not to mention it doesn’t exactly look like a diaper bag and
it’s gender neutral so my husband doesn’t feel weird carrying around something
too cutesy when he is on daddy duty.
·
Comfy robe & slippers – Those
feedings in the middle of the night are really tough. You’re just so exhausted
and it helps if you have a comfy and warm robe and slippers to crawl into
before sleepwalking your way into the baby’s room for 3AM mealtime.
·
Digital picture frame – For the
working mom, give her a digital picture frame she can put on her desk. We working
moms miss our children terribly throughout the day. A small digital picture
frame would be a perfect temporary solution for when you’re aching to hug and
kiss your baby.
·
Local food delivery for dinner – Makes life so much easier when you have to cook one less meal. Find out a local restaurant she likes and order dinner takeout. Better yet, just get her a gift card so she can choose when and what to get.
Originally posted: Miss
Grown Up
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