What Is the Best Baby Shower Present You Have Ever Received??

Food. Seriously. My sister came to my shower pulling a cooler behind her with lasagna, enchiladas, soup, cookies, etc. They sat in the freezer and were put to VERY GOOD use when we came home with the baby 4 weeks later.

Personal? Yes. Adorable? Not really.

Honestly, I'd skip adorable and go practical. I agree with the other person who suggested the smaller items. The gift I used the most was a grooming kit that had a baby hair brush, nail clippers and other basic items. Used it all the time!

People went crazy with baby blankets, but I just didn't need 20 of them and ultimately sold off most at a garage sale. Same with stuffed animals.

One of my co-workers went to Sam's Club or Costco and bought a jumbo box of diapers and wipes for me which I think got me excited more than anything because I actually ended up not buying diapers or wipes the entire time I was on maternity leave. It was one less thing to worry about when there's so much other stuff going on in the house with a newborn.

My aunt got a plastic basket on wheels (that was actually a toy holder/bin) and stuffed it full of the basic necessaties - diapers, wipes, binkies, bath lotion, baby shampoo, baby nail clippers, baby medicine, etc.. All that small stuff. It was the best b/c I didn't realize how much we needed that stuff (when I was a first time mom, lol). Now whenever I go to a shower I do the same exact thing. I take the moms registry and buy as much of the small stuff as I can and make a basket. I am always told how great it is to receive that stuff. Ususally mom get a lot of clothes (which is great) and the small stuff doesn't get purchased.

The things I actually registered for! Why do people not buy you what you want? I will never understand this!

BTW: the BEST gift I ever bought for MY babies are the plaster cast kits for their little hands and feet. I've always bought a kit for all of my friends and they are simply the most treasured things I own...besides, my children, of course.

I did not receive these but went to a baby shower and thought it was cool. I was envious. They gave 12 onesies embroidered with 1 month, 2 month and so on. The idea was that they could take pictures on their baby at each month in their onesie for their first year. They were simply adorable and a very clever idea.

A Marpac white noise machine!
I have them in both of my kids' rooms, and now it's the standard shower present I give to every expecting mom.
I've lost track of how many people have thanked me for it 3 months later!

A giant stack of baby wipes. Ok it wasn't cute or adorable, but it sure was practical and it was decorated very nicely and made a nice shower decoration.

My best friend gave me a basket full of goodies. Diaper cream, baby shampoo and lotion, Mylicon gas drops, infant Tylenol, baby orajel, baby q-tips, binky leash. It was nice because as a first time Mom, I hadn't thought of all those things!

A pregnancy massage gift certificate and a journal to record the rest of the pregnancy through the early childhood years. I LOVE having the journal now because as much as you think you're going to remember everything, you just don't. (At least with me anyway, but maybe it's because I had twins and a lot of "M./ baby fog" due to lack of sleep.) You could write her your own personal best of luck wishes in the inside of the front of her journal. Look for one where you can insert photos. (My 9 yr. olds love looking at it now.)

I am changing my answer... DIAPERS. On the it was printed for everyone to bring a package of diapers and a box of wipes and they were entered in a raffle. We put a REALLY nice gift basket together, and I received about 6 mos of diapers, all diff sizes.

I don't know if this was the best, but I (later) appreciated it the most out of everything! I got the hamper off of my registry filled with care items, most of which I never had thought of till I needed them, and boy was I glad to have them on hand! It had: infant Tylenol, Motrin, gas drops, shampoo, lotion (both sensitive skin brands), diaper cream, etc. I had forgotten about everything medicinal until I saw them!

I had a baby shower for my third and my best girlfriend gave me a great gift! She knew I was going to be breastfeeding so she got me a "breastfeeding kit" if you will.

Lanolin
Breast Pads - disposable and re-usable
Water Bottle (to stay hydrated!)
Home Made Hooter Hider - but if you're not handy you could get her one
Breast feeding bra

It was a great gift and is being used all the time.
L.

I am a personal chef and I sell maternity gift certificates. All the new moms I have cooked for are so thankful to have one less thing to think about. Especially if you are nursing it is wonderful to have healthy precooked meals to just pop in the microwave.

If you live in the Raleigh NC area check me out on

culinarydelightsnc.com

I'm super practical, so I liked the stuff I needed the best: boppy pillow, Fisher Price Healthy Seat, Sheet Savers, Cute Rainbow dishes from IKEA, etc.

We did get a gift cert for a photo studio, which was nice. You could even do a photo package for pregnancy photos.

For her birth, we got a personalized frame with her name, weight, date of birth, etc. that was cute too.

My husbands cousin made us a laundry basket filled with baby clothes, sleepers, towels, washcloths, blankets, socks, etc. all hanging on a clothesline. The basket was wrapped across the top with a little toy on top that said Pull Me. When I pulled it, it was attached to the clothesline and I kept pulling out all of these cute things that seemed to go on forever, then it finally ended with a bottle of Dreft at the bottom. It was so cute that I did the same thing for a co-worker. I also liked a basket of board books, practical things like diapers, and of course, something for Mom-to-be is always a great idea.

Ok well I cancelled all three of my baby showers. Long story short, my dad died and it wasn't the greatest time to celebrate. It was too late to tell everyone not to attend the one my inlaws threw for me, so they had it without me. I absolutely love all of the decorations from it, and the diaper cake! They were all soooo cute.
3 different home made baby blankets (I LOVE them)
My stroller travel system (my dad was going to purchase it for me, and my inlaws didn't even think twice about going and getting it when he passed...knowing that I wasn't even thinking about it).
My fisher price sleep aquarium (I always wanted one and was soo happy when I opened it up).
I liked all of my gifts but those stand out in my mind the most. =)

the best gift I received and now often give is the following

square or rectangle tub with big handle in the middle (sort of like a shower caddy)
in it are the following
shampoo
babypowder
lotion
desitin
a&d ointment
diapers
babywash clothes and towel
disposable changing pads
nightgown in newborn size
socks
outfit
baby toy
couple of receiveing blankets
it is sort of like a portable changing station it can move about the house into whatever room you happen to be in. we always kept one on the first floor of our house.

A big Basket filled with things for ME ! LOL Comfortable (nursing) PJ's, socks, lotions/facial wash (they knew the kinds I used), hair ties (for the oh so convenient ponytail) , lansolin, chap sticks, ETC. just things they knew I would appreciate !
~ Ellis got Awesome FOOD !!! That would be Excellent for new parents !!!

The best gifts I received were the ones on my baby registry. If people know that there is a baby registry, they should buy something off of that instead of buying clothes or something. That is nice that you want to do something personal and adorable for your good friend, but the best gift you can give her is something she truly needs.

honestly.....it was a pregnancy massage. I LOVED IT!!!
When I was a massage therapist I had given many of these, but not until I had my own did I realize how truly wonderful they are.
That was a gift for me and baby.
The best gift for baby was a diaper cake (held 1.5 packages of diapers)with a ton of essentials attached. nipple cream, lotions, shampoo, nail clippers, booties, mylecon, etc.
if you want to know how to make the diaper cake PM me.
My sister also had everyone make me an ABC book for baby. She had felt pages with the letters and everyone grabbed a letter and created their page during the shower. Both my boys LOVE the book! It helps with colors, abc's, shapes, animals, etc. and they like to hear who made what page. It's a great project for a shower and a wonderful keepsake.

I agree w/ the moms who said a gift basket filled w/ baby essentials (diaper creme, lansolin, gripe water, plain onesies, skull caps, teething tablets, diapers, burp cloths, baby wash/shampoo, baby CD (my two favorites were the Beatles instrumental lullabies http://www.amazon.com/Bedtime-Beatles-Cover-Jason-Falkner...

and Guitar Lullaby by Ricardo Cobo: http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Lullaby-Ricardo-Cobo/dp/B000...)

Good luck!

At the time, I thought it was a bassinet that I recieved (it was the cutest bassinet!), but once my baby was born, I NEVER used it, not even once. My baby prefered to sleep in his crib and he part time co slept with me. I wound up giving the basinet to a catholic charity later on. Looking back, the best gift I got were diapers, bottles and ready made formula. LIFESAVER. I always used these.

I did not have a changing table with my first baby and wanted one VERY badly when I was pregnant with my daughter, my FAVORITE gift ( although I know it was pricey) was from my MIL & FIL it was a dresser that had a changing pad that went on top that could be removed later ( my daughter is now 10 and STILL uses that dresser to this day) for every person who poo-poo'd the idea that I wouldn't NEED a changing table I tell you I used the heck out of it, it saved my back!
But for more reasonably priced practical ideas I really did enjoy some of the custom made gift baskets that had baby wash clothes and milacon drops and infant tylenol and the little teethers that get put in the fridge because those are things that at some point you will need and not always have on hand.
Diapers and wet wipes and diaper ointment are always Awesome!!!
It seems like no matter who you are you always end up with too many blankets, and with each one of my little ones, they were rather choosey about what kind of blankets they liked, for my first son it was the cheapo thin cotton blankets, for my daughter she liked the polar fleece and for my youngest it was all about the silky!

All in all, any gift is a thoughtful gift ( I especially LOVED the cd's I got and the toddler board books I got as well!)
Whatever you get I am sure your friend will love.

My MIL made my daughter a quilt in the theme that we used and it's still her blanket in her toddler bed now. BUT, the best gift was a hand-crotched blanket made by a total stranger to me (MIL's co-worker) and it's now her blankie. Her blankie is her best friend and while it's ugly and falling apart now, it's still my favorite because she loves it so much.

The Snap-n-go stroller - it's under $100. Its the aluminum frame that fits most car seats. Was kept in our car truck for the first year of life with both. Other would be the skip and hop diaper bag. Stupidly, I started out with a trendy diaper bag that was just that - stupid. The skip and hop is the best out there and not too expensive - actually I just gave it to a friend at her baby shower this weekend.

One of my husband's friends brought a "cake" made out of baby items. It was so pretty and creative and cute. It was made of receiving blankets, diapers, onesies, little socks etc all put together just so....and provided me with alot of essentials. Also at the bottom layer was a fleece blanket that she made herself with ribbon edge...one of the best blankets I got, used it through both kids.

Also my aunt made me 3 or 4 double sided blankets...usually one side was cotton with some cute baby print or a pastel color with texture in the cloth and the other side flannel, usually solid. They were nice big warm blankets that could be used well into their toddler years. Every time I got them out to use them I thought of her and what a great gift they were.

There are a million ways to answer this question -- but for my daughter, I received a couple gifts from this Etsy site. A lovey and a sensory toy with her name embroidered on it. I love that it's so personal. http://www.etsy.com/shop/twigsandtweets

There are some great ideas for personalized gifts on Etsy. I wish I was that creative!!

Other more practical favorites: burp clothes, swaddle blankets (big muslin or flannel ones), my baby swing (gentle touch papasan I think it's called)...

I was not thrown a baby shower so I can not answer this from my perspective ... but everyone always talks about the gift I give .... The Miracle Blanket, it is the BEST swaddle you will ever find.

http://www.miracleblanket.com/
my fav color combo to give when we do not know the gender is the yellow/aqua trim.

Frozen homeade meals, A 'sound machine' that helped me AND baby sleep, and a CD called "Grandma's Fussbusters' which we used the 'vacuume' track on repeat to calm our VERY fussy baby for months.

The best thing I got was a Bumbo its a chair that helps them sit up when they are to small. Then when she got bigger I used it to feed her. She still sits in it now and much more convient than a high chair.

www.etsy.com has really cute homemade baby stuff. We got a couple of the cutest beanies/hats and a couple of the cutest booties both were hand crocheted but I had never seen anything so cute and so unlike what everyone else was getting. I shop on etsy all the time now!

My most memorable was a diaper cake my best friend made for me. In addition to the diapers (which rolled up were perfect for sticking in my purse), it had little baby hygiene items, such as safety clippers, diaper cream, baby wash, etc. It also had a few little toys like a rattle, teething rings, and a cute stuffed animal. It was adorable and a hit at the shower. The trial size items were wonderful "backup" items when I ran out.

I always give the Creative Memories Every Day Display, with photos of the mom/dad on it. The photos adhere with magnets, so when baby arrives, they put the baby's photos in it. They are just perfect for baby's bedroom!

http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/photos/quick_pr...

And the baby "accents" are on sale for 40% off this month of Feb.

This comes in white, black or chocolate brown. It is big - 18" x 18", and really makes a STATEMENT. Good luck!

www.mycmsite.com/marycluley

My boppy pillow!!! Saved my back :)

My best gift ever was housekeeping service. The first two months I was home with the baby I was too tired to worry about cleaning. Three of my friends went in together and paid for a house cleaner to come in twice (I got to pick the days and times, so I scheduled it around dr visits and visits to grandma). It was WONDERFUL!

I LOVE to get and give books...some of the most known like Goodnight Moon and the Giving Tree and then a few really nice ones that you happen to find at the book store. You can stack them and tie them with a nice ribbon. I just love books for the kids and cannot get enough of them. You can also write a little note in them.

Honestly, the best gifts I received were all the ones from my registry. I was expecting twins, and lots of people chose to give us adorable matching outfits and sentimental items. We had to spend a lot of money on all the little items we didn't receive. I was so thankful, but the reason people register is to get the items they want. There was a lot left over we had to purchase, and I only registered for essentials knowing we were having two.

Well I was thinking about something personal. One thing my mother-in-law did was a diaper cake, it was so completely cute and I got a bunch of diapers!! I really like monogrammed things. Like maybe a very cute diaper bag with baby's monogram. I LOVE hooded towels and I would have loved some monogrammed hooded towels. One thing I have enjoyed with both of my children are the little adorable onsies that say super cute things. Like I had one with my first that said "I pulled an all-nighter", so cute. With my second I had this one that said "If you think I am handsome, you should see my Daddy". I like little things like that, just cute and always give people a laugh. Oh, or is she into any particular sports team? I have seen people give all kinds of things in a person's team, bibs, onsies, jammies, shoes, you name it. Sports fans go nuts for that stuff, and even it the baby is a girl, they have all that stuff in girlie styles as well. Well hope that helps!!! I know you'll find the perfect thing :D

The best thing I got, I ended up buying for myself: a frame that holds a pic of my daughter and plaster that I could use to make prints of her hands and feet. The frame is personalized with her name and birthdate. I got it here: http://gifts.redenvelope.com/baby/deluxe-baby-keepsake-ki...

Other ideas that are always helpful: meals to put in the freezer; a gift certificate for a massage or mani/pedi for post-partum (nice for Mom to get a break and do something for herself); a promise to come once a week to watch the baby for an hour so your friend can do something she wants to do, even just take a shower or take a nap; some really cute baby booties, I received these and just loved them so I saved them: http://www.whatshebuys.com/bun-w110211.html?zmam=37532548...; a nice baby quilt to match the baby's room.

I received a ton of blankets, so I would not recommend one of those. I literally have a large moving box full of blankets that I received but never used.

Good luck!

I received a cute "Mom" heart-shaped necklace from my son when I was expecting his little sister. They are 15 years apart. As a personal gift it was THE BEST.

I loved the kid closet organizer size dividers I received. Not quite adorable, but so practical, inexpensive and helpful! Of course I loved the bouncy seat, changing table, etc. But these organizers are something that stand out as unique and something I wouldn't have purchased for myself.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

I am a huge fan of a lot of items from One Step Ahead. They are innovative and practical and you can find a lot of items here that you cannot find anyplace else.

Have fun shopping!

the baby back packs that you can carry your baby in. great for when they have mamaidis or a blankie or lovie what ever you want to call it. one with the animal head attached to the blanket small square. but only the ones with the silk back. mine started using one but he will only use the ones with a silk back and he loves the ones that rattle. either a rattle in the head or the ears with like plastic in them where when you rub them they rattle at you

Wipes warmer. What a lifesaver and the baby stopped crying during changes.

LOL, I swear some people respond just to make things difficult, create confusion and drama. That's why people are starting to put please answer the question only no negativity and the self-righteousness need to be right all the time, know it all attitude is hilarious.

The best gift that I got (most useful/unique) was these baby clothes dividers by size. Didn't have them with my 1st and I can't tell you how many cute outfits got passed on unworn because the baby was too big for them by the time I realized the clothings size! I usually give this along with a bunch of other useful items...like large packs of diapers in different sizes!

http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Buddy-Size-Closet-Organizers/d...