Have to buy a baby gift for someone? Think of these first!

I must have had like 20 receiving blankets (on top of the 20 or so I got second hand) from my shower.  I had a few newborn items on my registry because a sage friend of mine warned me that most of the clothes I receive at the shower won't fit a newborn.  So, I put a few onesies and pants on my registry and my dear good friend Sara bought them for me, along with one of those crazy, the-designers-must-have-been-on-LSD, Manhattan Toys toy.  See?  She, a new mother herself, knew what was important and got me something that was useful off of my registry.  Another woman got me a starter set of cloth diapers (thank YOU, Julie, for the most generous gift: 12 fuzzibunz!!!) and other women got me really great baby books that fit my parenting philosophy (thanks, ladies of DFPM!)

So, as a new mother myself, I implore you to really get to know the gift recipient's wants and needs before you start buying her the typical Carter's newborn set because you're just not sure of what to get.  Look at her registry (if she has one) and pick out something that you would feel comfortable getting for YOUR child, but don't push your parenting beliefs on someone at their shower.   If you're still not sure what to get, consider a HABA toy.  Haba toys are the best thing that toymakers ever invented on this planet.  At least for Desmond for the past 5 months or so.  Haba is a German company whose focus is on making toys (usually out of high-quality, eco-friendly wood and non-toxic paints) and it defines itself as a toymaker for "inquisitive minds." 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not the type of parent who only lets Desmond play with wooden toys; he has his fair share of plastic toys that light up and sing and beep.  However, Des loves his Haba toys.  I was introduced to them on accident.  One of the hand-me-over toys that I received before Des was born was this:

Haba Caterpillar

Des loved the different sized rings and, as soon as he was able to sit up, would put it in his mouth and sit there with it hanging out of the side of his mouth.  He would grab it by the end ring and wiggle it around in the air, pull it and have it snap loudly back together, and squeal. 

Once, at my SIL and brother's house, Desmond spied one of Nico's toys:

Haba rattle

He picked it up and immediately put it in his mouth.  I was so enthralled with the adorable design and how nice and smooth the wood was.  Desmond was enthralled with all of the different shapes and how the pieces on the top wiggled around in his mouth.  I was sold; I went out the next week and bought my very own rattle for Des. 

Now, I keep it in the diaper bag and pull it out for very special occasions when he's inconsolable.  They are beautiful toys, are non-toxic, and babies love gnawing on them.  I would highly recommend these as a baby shower gift.  These are on my wishlist:

You could buy all these toys and more from Amazon's website.