The proper gadgets can really make this job easier. Here were some of my favorites…

Straw Cups

Someone told me quite awhile ago, that straw cups were recommended over traditional sippy cups. I did a little research and found they were right. You can read more about it here. I have 2 cups on here. The first is the one by Zoli. It’s great because it has a weight in the straw to help babies get the last of the liquid out. Lots of my mommy friends love this cup. The other is the pink one by Playtex. I love this one because you can squeeze it a little and help the baby learn how to use a straw. Perfect! We started experimenting with this one when Mia was 5 months and she was a pro by the time we started solid foods at 6 months.

Spoons

Yes, I think these Beaba spoons are a little pricey. But they really were my favorite when it came to first spoons for baby. They are super soft for baby gums, and shallow enough to allow baby to get all the food off.  I highly recommend these and think they make a great gift.

Beaba Babycook

The Babycook is only for the mom who plans to make all her own baby food. This isn’t for everyone. We did it this way, and I found it a lot of fun. But buying food is totally fine too. You can definitely make food without this contraption, but I found it really easy to use. I could set things to steam and walk away without having to check on them. I like that it allowed me to steam and puree in one machine. Not for everyone, but I really liked ours.

Thermos

I loved having this Foogo Thermos. I found that I was feeding Mia a lot of soups and stews when she was first transitioning to “real” food. This was great for taking them on the go. We could go out for burgers, and take along last night’s soup leftovers for her. It would still be warm when we got to the restaurant. We’ll be able to use this for many years, its not just for baby.

Food Containers

Speaking of taking food on the go, I used the 8oz mini food storage containers almost every day. They are the perfect size to throw in a couple cubes of frozen baby food and let them thaw while you run errands. I love the screw on lids.  I was never worried I hadn’t snapped them on all the way.  I still use them today to hold different snacks for her.

Bibs

I love these bibs by Tommee Tippee for when they start eating finger foods. They are perfect for catching dropped food (of which there is a ton). I also like them for when we are out and about because you can tuck a dirty spoon inside the pocket and roll the whole thing up for easy transport home. I just handwash them in the sink and don’t have to wait for a load of laundry to go through.  You can use smaller fabric bibs for when they are just eating purees.

Freezer Trays

Last but definitely not least are probably my favorite item that I used the first year: the Beabe Multiportion Freezer Trays. Love love love these. Like I said, I made all of her baby food. These made it so easy. I made several different kinds of fruits and veggies when I had time, froze them in these trays, and then stored them in labeled ziploc bags. When it was time for her food, I took cubes from different bags to give her a large variety of different fruits and veggies. I love the way these trays are silicone, so you can pop the cubes out easily. And the best part is, I still use them. I fill the cubes with soups, stews, pasta, meatballs to make little portions of leftovers that we can easily defrost for her to have for dinner.

There were some of Mia’s favorite toys during her first year of life. These are all a nice add-on gift for a baby shower.

Squishy Ball

The squishy ball is a must-have for baby. This version is from Amazon, but anything similar will do. All the babies I know love this thing. Its the perfect toy for when they just figure out how to hold onto something. Its so cute to watch them hold and stare at it. This was the first toy that Mia really held by herself. This is exciting stuff for a new mom.

Lamaze On the Go Toys

There are many different varieties of these crazy stuffed animals, and after all the time I’ve spent with babies in the last year, I am convinced that all babies love these things. The variety of colors and textures must be the key, but whatever it is, I’m a firm believer that these are a must-have. Plus they have super cute names: Jacques the Peacock, Freddie the Firelfy, Mortimer the Moose, etc.

Plastic rings

These plastic rings are a hidden gem to the new mom. They were fascinating to Mia when she was starting to grip things. But I primarily used them to hang different toys off car infant carseat. These a the perfect item to tuck into a shower gift. She’ll thank you later.

Sophie

Yes, I think this plastic giraffe is over-priced. But babies really do love this thing. Its a great shower gift.

Stacking Rings and Shape Sorter

These two colorful toys are from my favorite spot to buy toys: Ikea. Who knew how fabulous the selection of toys was at Ikea? I always breezed past that section before I had a baby. Now I head right for it. The stacking rings and shape sorter two were a few of Mia’s favorites over this past year. They are examples of free-range toys, which are recommended for development: simple and basic toys that encourage imagination. I love them because they are durable and cheap.

Today’s theme is bathtime. Here’s all my favorites:

Bath Towel & Wash Cloth Sets

Hooded bath towels for babies are one of my favorite things in the world. They are just so cute. I have given and received many different kinds of bath towels over the years. It is so tempting to register for the cheap sets at the big baby stores. DON’T DO IT! And if your friend does it, DON’T BUY THEM FOR HER.  They really are terrible.  My husband was in charge of bathtime when Mia was a baby, and one day he finally told me we needed new towels. Ours were terrible: thin, small, not very absorbent.  So I went on a search for new ones, and can say with confidence that my favorite towel on the market is by Aden & Anais. And I love that they are big enough that she’ll use them for several years.

I also like the towels from Pottery Barn Kids, and think a monogrammed one makes a great gift.

Shampoo & Lotion

Bottles of shampoo and lotion are the perfect add-on to a shower gift. My favorites are these by California Baby.

Rubber Ducky

This isn’t just any rubber ducky. It has a heat sensor on the bottom that will indicate if the water is too hot. I had no idea these even existed, but someone gave me one as a shower gift and I loved it when she was little. You have so many worries about temperature and such, that one more reminder is great.  Another nice add-on to a nice bathtime themed gift.

Bathtub

I love this tub.  When they are small you place them in a sling and use it over the kitchen sink. When they get bigger you remove the sling and place it in the bathtub. I like this model because we are still using it over a year later. Yes, she could go in the big bathtub, but she fits in this guy still and it allows us to use much less water. We are green, and she is clean — win, win!

See my last post for all the goods related to sleep.

Since this is a party blog, and not really a mommy blog, I decided to make a baby shower gift guide. Ideas for what to give your expecting friends or family.

Its so funny how after you have a baby, the way you give a shower gift completely changes. You realize that the adorable and expensive dress or sweater isn’t very practical. You want to give something that you found helpful. So I’m going to do a little series on items I have found helpful for us, and maybe you’ll get an idea for what to give at the next shower you attend. (Or maybe you’ll use some of these ideas to build your own registry).

(Note: For the record, I loved every single one of the adorable, expensive dresses I received at my baby shower!)

Since I think themed gifts are fun, I’m going to highlight products based on their theme. Starting with (arguably, the most important topic for any new mom): Sleep!

Books

One of the main things discussed in mommy circles for establishing good sleep habits is a bedtime routine. Books are often the key feature of this routine. And by definition, you are reading the some book over and over and over again. The baby associates it with snuggles and settling down for bed, and you just keep reading it over and over and over. My point here is that you need a book that you enjoy since you’ll be spending so much time with it.

My favorite children’s author  is Sandra Boynton. And luckily she has several appropriate bedtime books available.

Snoozers, The Going to Bed Book, and Pajama Time are all fabulous.

Sleep Sack

Sleep sacks are safer than blankets for babies. We tried several and this one by Baby Deedee is my absolute favorite. We have both thin and thicker versions for differnet seasons. This is perfect for the baby who is old enough to not need to be swaddled at night.  My favorite features are that snaps at the shoulders, which makes it much easier to get on a sleeping baby without disturbing them (You can’t always predict when they are going to fall asleep!). I also love the glow in the dark zipper.  Mia has been in her medium sized one since she was 3 months old, and she is still wearing it well past her 1st birthday. That is money well spent!

White Noise Machine

This thing is so so so important. I originally registered for a stuffed animal with a white noise feature that attached to the side of her crib. The problem was it only played for 45 minutes at a time. And it only took batteries. I finally figured out how important it was to have white noise that went all night without interruption. And one that could plug in! No more changing batteries in the middle of the night! We started using white noise from the time she came home from the hospital and I really think it helps her fall and stay asleep. We bring it with us wherever we go to help with the transition of sleeping somewhere new.

This is ours, though there are many models that would work just fine.

Seriously, don’t bother with the stuffed animal ones. You can get an app on your phone for portable white noise that is just as good. (Though not as cute).

My friend Leslie’s little guy Dylan turned 1 recently. She hosted a “Little Man” party for him. He is just so cute, and so was the party!

Here’s all the details…

As usual with our crew, this party was a group effort.

Our friend Alana made wonderful signage for the party, including the welcome sign.

Lindsay made clip on bow ties for all the kiddos to wear.  This cute little display greeted guests as they entered the space.

The welcome table also held the guest book.

Leslie used this book as a guest book. Everyone signed the inside cover for little Dylan.

There was a yummy taco bar for lunch.

I made a monthly banner to hang over the food tables.

Cute striped straws were set near the drinks. And the adorable stacked suitcase trio held applesauce pouches for the smallest guests.

Drea made Dylan’s smash cake.

We displayed it on a vintage suitcase. Lindsay made a tiny little bunting banner for embellishment.

I made lots of cupcakes for the dessert.

We used some fabric-wrapped boxes and one of Alana’s signs to build the display.

These candies were the perfect (easy and affordable!) toppers.

We had a photo booth set up in the corner with props for guests to use.

The backdrop was a black shower curtain from Ikea.

Chocolate mustache pops served as party favors.

What a wonderful party!

Resources:

Venue: JCC

Food: Pancho Villa

Suitcases and paper straws: Sweet Shop Lulu

Table linens: Danny Thomas Party Rentals

Photo booth props: Darling Wednesday

Chocolate mustache pops: Crabby’s Treats

And, you can see Leslie’s baby shower here, and Dylan’s sip and see here. (They are both really great parties, check ‘em out if you haven’t seen them already!)

I’ve been MIA as most of my (unfortunately limited) “blogging time” lately has been dedicated to getting the new site up and running.

I am loving the new look! I hope you’ll let me know what you think.

And if you are so inclined, grab a button from the right side over there —->

And now, the reason you are really here: a new – and super cute- baby shower!

My friend Katie was sweet enough to share a few pictures of a recent shower she threw for her sister in law, Whitney.

This is such a fun theme!

Simple invites set the stage for the theme.

You know I always love a kids book as a guest book at baby showers!

Katie used “Should I Share My Ice Cream?” Too cute!

A sweet banner for the new baby, and several of Katie’s ice cream cones hung on the mantle. The cones are fabric covered styrofoam balls on paper cones! Katie added a little ruffled embellishment around the edge. So cute!

Lunch was pulled pork sandwiches and a few different salads.

With a few more ice cream cones hung above.

Cute little food labels to match the invitations.

The star of the show was the dessert: ice cream, of course.

I am loving the sweet display!

The paper cups, wooden spoons, food labels, everything is so cute!

Perfect party favors: colorful sprinkles!

Resources:
Ice cream cups and wooden spoons: Sweet Shop Lulu

I also had to keep guests away from the equipment.  I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.  I decided to rent some stanchions and chains to rope off the party area to keep it on the mats.

In the end I think it came together quite well…

I love this picture. I feel like it captures the wonderful chaos of so many family and friends packed into the gym so well.  Makes my heart smile. 

Anyway, the reason why you are here: The details!!

Isn’t it great?
I had them printed on brown paper, and used a rounded corner punch.

(sorry, iPhone photo — but you get the idea)

I had decided on this theme awhile ago, and thought I’d died and gone to heaven one day when I was randomly browsing at Gymboree and found a line of sunflower dresses on the sale rack.

I never get that lucky. But the stars were aligned that day and I snapped up the only 2 dresses left in their sizes. They were SO cute, and this mom was happy!
Ella’s grandma crocheted sunflowers for their hair.  (Thank you Audrey!)

My big chalkboard sign greeted guests.

I rented tables and chairs to scatter throughout the party area.  We had yellow tablecloths and burlap runners.  I had ordered some flower arrangements from a local grocery store that had sunflowers in them, and the order was messed up.  I ended up with these potted plants instead. No sunflowers, but I was just happy the colors were right!

How could I not?