A Quest for the Perfect Gift

     I wandered through the baby aisles of my favorite department stores, distracted by tiny sleepers, nifty gadgets, and a huge wall of diapering products.  In my first attempt to buy a baby gift I'll admit I was totally overwhelmed by all the cuteness!  My first thought was to be sensible and buy some diapers, but the vast array of brands and sizes was enough to give in to my urges to buy an adorable little sleeper instead.  For future gifts I learned to seek out the registries first, and as I became a mother myself I got an even better idea of the most usable and precious gifts.  

     Here are two lists, one with more practical useful gifts and the other with some more creative ideas:

Practical, I think so!

1. Diapers 

  (Both cloth and disposable options usually list the appropriate weight ranges for the diaper, and you can check out reviews to discover the most popular brands.)

2. Wipes/Wipes Solution

(Again, check the reviews if you're unsure about which brand to buy.)

3. Baby Wash/Lotion/Washcloths/Towels

(Every baby needs to be clean, right?  And these are items that a Mommy could use two of if she receives duplicates.)

4. Bibs & Blankets

(Almost enough said...I will say extra large receiving blankets are nicer for swaddling larger babies.  Our terrycloth personalized bib is being modeled below by last year's photo contest winner!)

5. Any unfulfilled item off Mommy's registry

(If the Mommy has a specific list of items she needs, she will most likely have created a registry from which you can choose items she will use.  Be sure to have the clerk mark the item as "fulfilled" on her registry when you buy it!)

6. Books/Baby Toys

(As far as I'm concerned, a child can NEVER have enough books and could also use a few fun toys!  Our Melissa & Doug ring stacker is pictured below.)

7. Gift Cards

(These can be used as the need arises, which can be very helpful.)

More on the Creative Side:

1. A Medical Kit

(Not many new parents think about buying infant medicines until their baby is already sick or fussy.  Getting a bottle of Infant Tylenol, a thermometer, saline nasal spray, a "nose-picker" bulb, and gas drops would be a great starter to their medicine cabinet.)

2. Baby/Toddler Music CDs

3. A "Date Night" kit 

(Frazzled new parents can always use a baby-sitting coupon, movie tickets, and a gift card to have a nice meal out.)

4. What About Dad?

(Most gifts are intended for baby or sometimes Mommy, but a thoughtful gift for Dad is also always welcome.)

5. Meals On Wheels

(You and a few friends could coordinate a schedule and bring a meal to the house once a day for the first week or two after the baby arrives.  This was done for my family after our first child, and I REALLY appreciated the good meals with no effort on my part to cook them.)

6. A Pre-made Scrapbook

(Busy moms don't have much time to put all the photos they take into a scrapbook.  Some time for them is definitely saved if they get a gift of a scrapbook with pre-designed pages.  The idea is that they can just stick the pictures into a pre-made template.  Pre-made pages could include the first birthday, first Christmas, baptism, etc.) f

7. Gift Set with a theme

(We carry Baby Aspen gift sets that are cute, creative, and functional.  "Five Little Monkeys" is pictured to the right.)

Giveaway: Build-Your-Own Fitted Diaper! CLOSED

Build-Your-Own Fitted Diaper

 One of our newest products at Bum Covered Diapers is our custom fitted diaper.   These fitted diapers are made exactly the way you want them! You get to choose exactly the diaper that works best for your baby, and we'll sew it for you!  We will cater to almost any request, even options not listed or pictured on our site!  Prices range from $6.00-$9.00, depending on your choices in materials.

These diapers will require a waterproof cover. Plastic pants will do, or PUL covers like AppleCheeks Envelope covers, Thirsties, or Bummis Wraps will work fine. We only have AppleCheeks covers available at http://www.bumcovereddiapers.com/ at this time but will carry Thirsties covers in the very near future!

Because our pattern is so new, we're offering these diapers at a LOW price. In return, we hope that you would give us your feedback on the style, fit, absorbency, etc.

 

Outside Print

The outer fabric for our diapers is flannel, and we carry a variety of different prints and solids.  See our store for a full selection...I've put a few of our available prints in this article, and I'll search for a special print if you have something else in mind for your order.

 Soakers (sewn inside the diaper)

For this option, you have the choice of flannel, terrycloth, or even microfiber for heavy wetters or overnight.  With this option prices will vary.  Flannel soakers come with the basic $6.00 diaper, and each upgrade is $.75.

 Lining Material (against baby's bum):

Here your choice is between flannel or microfleece ($1.50 extra).  The microfleece is better for more sensitive bums, because it wicks away moisture.  

 Want an extra doubler?  Just let us know, and we'll make one for you at no extra cost!

 THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED...CONGRATULATIONS, LISA!

Our giveaway this week is a custom fitted diaper to one of our readers!  Here's how to enter (Please leave an email address with each entry so we can contact you if you win!):

1.  Follow our blog via Google Friend Connect.

2.  Follow our facebook page.

3.  Post about this giveaway on your own blog or facebook account.  (leave a link to your post)

4.  Go follow Marine Parents blog!  (They hosted another givewaway from us this month, which has since ended.)

5.  Tell us which diaper you would build.

We'll pick a winner on February 18th!  Good luck!

The Cloth Diaper Foundation: Helping to Keep Babies' Bums Covered!

This month Bum Covered Diapers is donating 10% of every sale to the Cloth Diaper Foundation, so we thought it would be very fitting to feature this amazing organization!  

Run by a small board of directors, this nonprofit organization is "dedicated to helping qualifying families all over the continental United States get a jump start on cloth diapering."  This foundation provides much needed help as families try to build a diaper stash. 

 To be able to assist in this manner, the Cloth Diaper Foundation accepts monetary donations as well as cloth diapers, inserts, and other accessories.  Here is a list of items this foundation will accept:

• Stained Diapers
• AIO/AI2/Pocket/Fitted/Contour/Prefold/Flat/Etc. Diapers
• Cloth Trainers (not Gerber or plastic pant trainers)
• Inserts/Doublers/Liners
• PUL/Fleece/Wool/Nylon (higher quality)  Covers
• Wipes/Wetbags/Pail Liners/Wool Wash/Lanolin/Wipe Solution
• Diaper/Cover Making Fabrics – PUL/Fleece/Hemp/Cotton/Etc.
• Diaper Notions – Snaps/Aplix/Elastic/FOE/Size Tags

And here is a list of items NOT ACCEPTABLE for donation:

• Gerber Prefolds (polyfil soakers)
• Plastic/Rubber/Vinyl pants
• Gerber (or other) Padded Training Underwear
• Disposable items
• Diapers in need of major repair (snap replacements are ok)
• Diapers on their last leg

The Cloth Diaper Foundation has a website (http://www.clothdiaperfoundation.org) with a wealth of information available about donations and applications for assistance.  This website also provides tutorials for sewing your own diapers and covers! 




 This website also contains information about cloth diapering, recipient reviews, FAQs, Fundraisers & Sales, and Giveaways.  For those of you with facebook accounts, the Cloth Diaper Foundation has a facebook page as well:  http://www.facebook.com/clothdiaperfoundation

If you are a mama in need of diapers, or if you need to find a new home for used diapers, we encourage you to contact the staff at the Cloth Diaper Foundation!  Let us all do our part to keep those baby bums covered!