Guest Post: Baby Gift Ideas

It's Alex again from lex in the city, Renee's asked me to do a blog post and I of course said yes.

I'm not sure about you, but all (most, okay, some) of my friends are either pregnant or have little babies. My news feed is filled with baby pictures and birth announcements. And cute little pictures of fingers and toes. And then there's the baby showers. If I didn't work for a kid's clothing company, I would have no idea what to get as a gift. I don't have kids. What do babies need? What is the perfect gift?

Well, it's your lucky day because I have a ton of ideas. I work for mini mioche, so I will be extremely biased in saying that we have the cutest stuff. I have to warn you, there will be no frilly tutus in this post.

Here are some gift ideas based on the type of gift you want to get:

1. For the friend who doesn't know the sex of the baby. This is easier than you think, as there are a lot of unisex options out there, and you don't have to get green or yellow. And if you do, it's not pastel.

- Onesies. Yes, it's boring, but babies spit up and poop and sometimes there are messes. Opt for a plain coloured onesie (grey, white, bright green) so that they can pair it with anything and everything. And go for something soft. Do you get 0-3 or 3-6 or 6-12? I would go for 3-6, it will fit sooner than later.

 - Slippers. Except for the hottest days of summer, babies always have their feet covered, and socks can be boring. Grab a pair that has a stretchy elastic opening so that the little bugger can't kick them off!

- The bundler. This contraption has an open, elasticized bottom for easy diaper changes. Especially the first few weeks when it's 4am and you want to get a diaper change over with as quickly as possible, these are a life saver.

2. For the shoe-a-holic. Get a pair of baby Toms or Converse. Or if you want to spend a little more, Frye. There might not be anything cuter than a miniature version of your own shoes - for newborn sizes, go for anything between a 1 and a 3.

3. For the newborn baby. If the baby was already born, and you just want to get something extra, then get something in a 6-12 month size. Babies grow fast. Keep in mind what season you're buying for as well. If you're not sure, then going with a cute little cardigan, or some jeans (yes, little stretchy jeans, babies can be stylin') will be perfect for most seasons.

More important, I think, is what you might want to steer clear of while shopping for a baby gift:

1. Hair clips. Even if the baby is born with a head of hair, it will be too fine to stay put.
2. Most toys. Anything that needs to be built, or requires work is probably not for a kid under 2 or 3, and won't be used within the first few years.
3. Clothes and shoes in size 12-18 or bigger. Parents will put these gifts away and not remember them until it's too small.
4. Items that can't be exchanged or returned. Yes, you got the perfect gift, but so did Aunt Sue last week. So unfortunately yours needs to be exchanged. Always grab a gift receipt. Most often it's just a size exchange, so don't doubt your awesome gift selection.

Those are all of the tips that I have for shopping for baby gifts. But if you're in Toronto and want some help picking out a gift, visit me at mini mioche and I'd love to help you out! Or just stop by for a visit, I like visits too.