| Creating gift baskets for women, especially the new | | | | of these suggestions, it would be an expensive |
| mom in your life is a wonderful gesture! With this | | | | present. So pick and choose according to your |
| idea, you can make something a little extra special | | | | budget. In the day and age of camera phones and |
| for those first few months with the new baby. | | | | digital cameras, you may be wondering why I |
| Creating new mommy gift baskets for women, is a | | | | suggest a disposable camera. It will serve as a |
| thoughtful and sensitive way to show you | | | | reminder for her to snap some pictures during this |
| understand about the first few months home! | | | | time, maybe even put a little note on the camera |
| Everyone eagerly anticipates the birth of the new | | | | suggest this. I didn't take a lot of pictures during |
| baby, preparing the nursery, having the showers, | | | | those first few months, and I regret it. A simple |
| celebrate, celebrate, celebrate! Then the wonderful | | | | reminder would have been good, even if you have to |
| day occurs, the beautiful baby arrives! And here in | | | | get it developed at the store, the old fashioned way! |
| America we moms have a whopping two days in the | | | | When choosing an actual basket to load your survival |
| hospital, then we are on our way home with our new | | | | kit into, I honestly think a toy army helmet would be |
| bundle of joy! If we're lucky, we're not in a lot of | | | | darling! It goes with the whole survivalist theme. You |
| pain after the birth of our baby. We're overjoyed, | | | | could even make your own baby shower gift basket |
| we're not sleeping, we're exhausted! It's a vicious | | | | greeting card that goes with this theme. And if your |
| cycle of emotions. | | | | friend is having a boy, it doubles as baby boy |
| I remember that time quite vividly. The first three | | | | presents! |
| months were a blur of emotions. I was supposed to | | | | Directions to make your baby shower gift basket |
| be in this la la land of sweet baby smells and pure | | | | greeting card |
| joy - and I was, but somehow it was much harder | | | | - Purchase a sheet army green paper from your local |
| than that. I had a baby that woke every hour to eat, | | | | craft store. |
| he was jaundice and in a little blue light incubator for | | | | - Purchase two more sheets of coordinating colors, |
| a while, it was exhausting and scary too! I have | | | | lighter in color. Cut one rectangle from each color of |
| friends, and you do too, who've had babies with colic | | | | paper. Make the smallest rectangle 3 inches wide and |
| and they constantly cry. If this is your first baby that | | | | 2 inches tall in a lighter color. Make the army green |
| can really mess with your emotions! | | | | rectangle just 1/8 inch larger than the first. Make the |
| During my first few months when I didn't sleep much | | | | third rectangle 1/8 inch larger than the army green |
| and wore my same pair of sweats for days on end, | | | | layer. If you have decorative scissors you can use |
| I had one thing that was comforting to me that I did | | | | these for an extra special touch. When you're done |
| on a regular basis. I washed my hands a million times | | | | cutting, stack one on top of another, gluing down |
| a day (not really, but you get my point) because I | | | | each layer. |
| didn't want any germs on my new baby. My hands | | | | On the top layer, with a large tip marker write "New |
| were REALLY dry. So I kept a bottle of hand scrub | | | | Mom's Survival Kit". After that is written, take a |
| and lotion near the kitchen sink. And at the end of | | | | whole punch and put a whole in the corner to loop |
| the day when I was looking ahead to a long night | | | | ribbon through. On the back side create your "to and |
| with the baby, I would put on the hand scrub and | | | | from". |
| then lotion. It was an insignificant action, and yet it | | | | To Assemble Stack your assembled gifts in your |
| really helped my attitude during those first few | | | | basket choice with the largest items in the back, the |
| months. Embellish on that and you have a great gift | | | | smaller items in the front. Place each item to where |
| idea for the new mom! | | | | the label shows toward the front of the basket. Cut |
| So here's my gift ideas for moms everywhere ... | | | | two pieces of cellophane according to the size of the |
| The New Mom Survival Kit Basket Here are some | | | | basket you used. Cut a 12 inch piece of curling ribbon. |
| items you could include: | | | | Lay out the cellophane in a criss-cross manor, place |
| - Eye mask for cat napping during the day | | | | your gift in the middle of the cellophane and gather |
| - The best hand lotion you can afford, make it | | | | up the edges. Using your 12 inch piece of curling |
| luxurious! | | | | ribbon, tie a double knot around the cellophane to |
| - Hand scrub | | | | hold it secure. Curl a good portion of your curling |
| - What to expect the first year book ~ I lived on | | | | ribbon, gather it up and attach it to your 12 inch |
| this book! | | | | piece that is already attached to the gift. Tie a |
| - Soothing instrumental music | | | | double knot. Attach your gift card last, with the |
| - Gift card for a free dinner - even if it's for pizza | | | | "New Mom's Survival Kit" facing forward. |
| delivered | | | | There you are! You've done it! You've made one of |
| - Paid services of cleaning lady for a couple visits | | | | our special gifts, it's homemade, it's thoughtful and |
| - Coupons for babysitting from a trusted friend | | | | warm! For more unique gifts for moms, please visit |
| - Gift certificate for massage at her favorite spa | | | | our articles section often, new ideas are always being |
| - Disposable camera | | | | added! |
| - Cellophane and ribbon Obviously if you purchased all | | | | |