Gift ideas for wanna-be stay-at-home first-time mom?

[freemotion]

In case you missed it, this came up in another thread, not wanting to hijack, here we are....

I am looking for ideas for a gift for a lovely lady who is due in about a month and is planning on staying at home and a bit worried about finances.

She put cloth diapers on her gift registry, wants to give them a try.

So I am putting together a gift basket based on info from other threads and sites, not having any kids myself, I am looking for suggestions. Hints and tips are also useful, as I will print them out for her as well.

I am currently going to include laundry soap mix and instructions, including recipes for fabric softener and oxyclean. Also flannel squares to use as baby wipes and recipes for moistening them in the nursery and on the go. A few feminine products to try and patterns and instructions.

What else???

 

[patandchickens]

is there a Once Upon a Child store in your area, and do they do gift certificates?

A sling or other carrier?

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Homesteadmom]

Sippy cups, toddler utensils, feeding spoons, bowls, toddler plates, etc., things that will be needed in the future are always a great gift. It saves them from having to buy things in the future also.
Not sure what her dh's income will be but have her check out WIC too, after she is not working & has no income herself.

 

[punkin]

If she has internet access, include links to appropriate sites: SS, household recipies, etc.

Homemade cleaners and disenfectants (sp) in a spray bottle would be useful and you can include the recipie for them.

 

[homestead jenna]

I would recommend this book that was my life-saver when I had kids in the 80's (well, I had the original one):

http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Alman...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232995125&sr=8-1

This is a very down-to-earth, extremely practical book with lots of information and experiences. Probably the best thing I took away from it was to listen to your child...that's your best resource for how to be a mom. It's not just a baby book...it's more like a "family" book in a lot of ways.

This is the book from which I learned to make baby food at home....

warning!
:-:-:-:-:-ANOTHER JENNA STORY FROM REAL LIFE-:-:-:-:-:

My son was old enough for vegetables in October and I had a pumpkin that I spent maybe 4 years cooking in the oven (not really but it seemed like it). I carved out the pumpkin and spun it in a blender with some apple juice and dutifully divied it into ice cube trays to make handy 2-oz servings. Since I had done this in the morning I reserved some for his lunch.

Now - you must understand that my son was in the "active" category of newborns. The child didn't sleep much at all. It was all I could do to keep him entertained...but I think that's why he has such a practical frame of mind now...because I simply carted him from oven to washer to broom to grocery store to wherever with me all the time, propped him in one of those icky plastic proppy baby seats that were the thing then and did my thing.

Well, anyway - it got to be lunch time and after that nap time (yeah, it sounds like I had a schedule, now, doesn't it?). I fed him the pumpkin and laid him down for his nap...and the kid slept so long I had to go in there and make sure he was still breathing! A three-hour nap - unheard of - but I must admit...oh-so-welcome.

The next day at lunch I served him pumpkin again...and again he snoozed a monster naptime. I didn't know what was going on....unTIL....I ran my finger around the pumpkin bowl.

AGAST! HORROR! WHAT HAD I DONE!!!!! CALL THE AUTHORITIES!!!

Apparently the apple juice I had used for yonder Sleeping Baby's pumpkin was - in the vernacular - Kentucky Stump-Blower. It had turned alcoholic! (which gives you some idea of my LACK of scheduling and/or general mothering abilities!). No small wonder the kid was snoozing...he was sleeping it off!

As I raced to the freezer to out the wicked liquored-up pumpkin, my mind raced ahead to visions of his stumbling out of a bar at age 4, panhandling at 12, and then living in a gutter. And did I damage his brain? Would I live to regret this foolish act?

But...and this is selfish but true...I HATED tossing out all those little pumpkin cubes that could give me a break from this high-octane kid every afternoon.

What you people must think of me......

 

[farmerlor]

A stick blender for making baby food and maybe some baby food recipes if that's something she would be spooked about.

 

[ams3651]

I always make up a small bottle bag with the little things that can get forgot. Clippers, baby hair brush, insulated bottle holder, pacifier clip, hair bows if its a girl, etc. I think a sling is a good suggestion for a stay at home mom who can carry the baby while working around the house.

 

[punkin]

I would recommend this book that was my life-saver when I had kids in the 80's (well, I had the original one):

http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Alman...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232995125&sr=8-1

This is a very down-to-earth, extremely practical book with lots of information and experiences. Probably the best thing I took away from it was to listen to your child...that's your best resource for how to be a mom. It's not just a baby book...it's more like a "family" book in a lot of ways.

This is the book from which I learned to make baby food at home....

warning!
:-:-:-:-:-ANOTHER JENNA STORY FROM REAL LIFE-:-:-:-:-:

My son was old enough for vegetables in October and I had a pumpkin that I spent maybe 4 years cooking in the oven (not really but it seemed like it). I carved out the pumpkin and spun it in a blender with some apple juice and dutifully divied it into ice cube trays to make handy 2-oz servings. Since I had done this in the morning I reserved some for his lunch.

Now - you must understand that my son was in the "active" category of newborns. The child didn't sleep much at all. It was all I could do to keep him entertained...but I think that's why he has such a practical frame of mind now...because I simply carted him from oven to washer to broom to grocery store to wherever with me all the time, propped him in one of those icky plastic proppy baby seats that were the thing then and did my thing.

Well, anyway - it got to be lunch time and after that nap time (yeah, it sounds like I had a schedule, now, doesn't it?). I fed him the pumpkin and laid him down for his nap...and the kid slept so long I had to go in there and make sure he was still breathing! A three-hour nap - unheard of - but I must admit...oh-so-welcome.

The next day at lunch I served him pumpkin again...and again he snoozed a monster naptime. I didn't know what was going on....unTIL....I ran my finger around the pumpkin bowl.

AGAST! HORROR! WHAT HAD I DONE!!!!! CALL THE AUTHORITIES!!!

Apparently the apple juice I had used for yonder Sleeping Baby's pumpkin was - in the vernacular - Kentucky Stump-Blower. It had turned alcoholic! (which gives you some idea of my LACK of scheduling and/or general mothering abilities!). No small wonder the kid was snoozing...he was sleeping it off!

As I raced to the freezer to out the wicked liquored-up pumpkin, my mind raced ahead to visions of his stumbling out of a bar at age 4, panhandling at 12, and then living in a gutter. And did I damage his brain? Would I live to regret this foolish act?

But...and this is selfish but true...I HATED tossing out all those little pumpkin cubes that could give me a break from this high-octane kid every afternoon.

What you people must think of me......

Sorry, laughed myself silly. Not a mother out there who hasn't had some sort incident. If there is, she has a Nanny.

 

[freemotion]

Thanks for all the input....but....I need to clarify.....I want my gift to be totally homemade of things she will be able to experiment with and see if it is something she wants to continue to use to save money so she doesn't need to go back to work. She has an extensive network of friends who, I'm sure, have given her all the easily purchased doodads! And her MIL, who she loves, is a doolah and homeschooled her kids and they are all well above average in the smarts department!

Hence the beginnings of the gift basket described earlier....little homemade, ss-type things for her to explore. She is a client, not in my inner social circle, but she is a major sweetie-pie and she and her dh are quality people. So I will put a little more into it that I might normally, if that makes sense without sounding cold or rude!

Plus, a chance to win another one over to the dark side....bwahahahaha!!

So.....ideas???

 

[freemotion]

PS: I would like the pumpkin cube recipe for when my mom visits.....how long do I neglect the apple cider in the back of the fridge before it is potent enough???