old country house blog

MY 5 FAVORITE “IMPRACTICAL” BABY GIFTS

There was a time when I sent at least one baby gift a month. And there was a time when I was the lucky recipient of baby gifts what seemed like…monthly.

 Baby Gifts

CHUBBY TOES.... PINTEREST
CHUBBY TOES….
PINTEREST

…make total sense and yet are in a some ways… are a strange concept. Some are immensely practical…ESPECIALLY with first babies…they get put to use immediately, worn out, out grown  and thrown out, or handed down, used up or taken to Goodwill. And then there are other gifts, timeless gifts that are perhaps useless and impractical in the Real world of REAL babies, but somehow survive childhood and are the things which remain, long after your child is a baby…

The practical gifts are not really up for debate..though I am sure everyone has their own life saving favorites...mine was the vibrating bouncy chair….and .babies need places to sleep, pacifiers and teething rings, baby monitors, clothes to wear, a car seat to travel in and strollers to get from here to there. And there are ranges within each of these categories from inexpensive to swanky but in the end.. so long as they get snuggled and loved, changed and fed….babies don’t really care what kind of stroller they bop around in.

BATHTIME BABIES
BATHTIME BABIES

HERE ARE MY TOP 5 FAVORITE IMPRACTICAL BABY GIFTS

1. SILVER SPOONS, RATTLES AND OTHER SHINY THINGS –

Yesterday, looking for a can opener, I stumbled upon a tiny silver spoon with a giraffe on it. It brought back sweet memories of tiny hands with sticky fingers…banging on the high chair tray and the fights which erupted over “who got the Giraffe spoon” . The fancy spoon which I simply threw in with the rest of the silverware became a favorite…you never know…and maybe one day…the kids can fight over who gets to give it to their child!!!

REED AND BARTON 3 PIECE SET...WE STILL HAVE  THE MONKET AND THE PARROT FLOATING AROUND SOMEWHERE!
REED AND BARTON 3 PIECE SET…WE STILL HAVE THE MONKEY AND THE PARROT FLOATING AROUND SOMEWHERE!
"NOT MY FRIEND" BLANKIE" AND SILVER SPOON
PHOEBE’S WELL LOVED BLANKIE AND THE SILVER GIRAFFE SPOON

2. MONOGRAMMED BLANKETS 

Babies need blankies and warmth but fancy monogrammed blankets…babies can’t read!

BABY COOPER
BABY COOPER  WITH HIS MONOGRAMMED SATIN EDGE BLANKIE…

Our daughter Phoebe got the satin edged monogrammed blanket as a baby gift. It became her MOST FAVORITE thing, the Transitional object” that went everywhere she went and to this day, at age 16, she keeps it under her pillow. It was lovingly named “FRIEND BLANKIE”…and the same replacement which we kept on hand in case God forbid she lost it,  Phoebe named “NOT MY FRIEND BLANKIE”. More than once…the identifying fact which helped us reclaim the lost blankie…was the “PHD” monogram !!!

PERSONALIZED PINK CUDDLE ME BLANKET FROM LAND OF NOD
PERSONALIZED PINK CUDDLE ME BLANKET FROM LAND OF NOD

3. FANCY PHOTO FRAMES

Scan 130480003

I love photos…AND I always loved having special ones out to see. I have received many frames as gifts, but this one, a crystal frame which we got when our youngest Cooper was born, has occupied a special place on our Living room mantle for 14 years. I rotate the photo but the frame remains in place. Perhaps it just reminds me of the fragility of it all…how swift the time passes…or maybe it is just pretty…whatever the reason…I adore this frame and while I cannot remember who gifted it to us…if I did, I would thank them all over again!

BABY COOPER IN THE FANCY FRAME
BABY COOPER IN THE FANCY FRAME
WATERFORD LINSMORE CRYSTAL FRAME BLOOMINGDALES
WATERFORD LINSMORE CRYSTAL FRAME BLOOMINGDALES

4.WOODEN BLOCKS

A set of blocks are an impractical gift for babies, who can’t even hold their own head up. And yes, they may sit unused for a while while baby learns to get around…but I will choose wooden blocks over toys which beep, clang and whistle every time!  And once baby can grasp..they NEVER EVER are NOT a good toy…and if anything you will find yourself wanting to buy MORE…BLOCKS ROCK!

Blocks in the playroom
Blocks in the playroom
BLOCK SET - ONE KINGS LANE
BLOCK SET – ONE KINGS LANE

5. ART – OR ANYTHING HANDMADE

ART is such a wonderful gift. And anything handmade carries with it such sweet sentiment and love.

Artist Dawn Wolfe created this original folded-paper collage by carefully assembling hand-cut forms into the shape of a pleated dress. The resulting three-dimensional work is full of charming vintage style. The piece is signed and dated by the artist and set in a classic white shadow-box frame.

ONE KINGS LANE – Artist Dawn Wolfe created this original folded-paper collage by carefully assembling hand-cut forms into the shape of a pleated dress. The resulting three-dimensional work is full of charming vintage style. The piece is signed and dated by the artist and set in a classic white shadow-box frame.I would have LOVED something liKe this for Phoebe’s room!!!

VINTAGE POSTERS ARE GREAT ART GIFTS FOR BABY’S NURSERY…

 

VINTAGE DOG POSTER GEORGE AND BESSIE
VINTAGE DOG POSTER
GEORGE AND BESSIE

ERIN FROM HOUSE OF TURQUOISE

NIKKI
ERIN FROM HOUSE OF TURQUOISES FRIEND NIKKI OF LOVELY SCRIBBLES MADE THIS CHALKBOARD FOR THEIR SON WESLEY BEFORE HE WAS BORN

ETSY IS A WONDERFUL SOURCE OF AFFORDABLE HANDMADE GIFTS…WITH NO SHORTAGE OF TREATS FOR BABY!

Personalized New Baby Gift - Nursery Art - Baby Gift - 8x10 Framed Personalized Paper Tree
Personalized New Baby Gift – Nursery Art – Baby Gift – 8×10 Framed Personalized Paper Tree

DOMESTIC NOTIONS

I HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF  PAINTINGS AS GIFTS…..INCLUDING THESE KIDS…

"DRAGGYDANDY" is Phoebe's nickname. It came to be that when she was a baby. Phoebe and Tate are 21 months apart. Tate wanted to name her "Raggedy Andy" but could not string all of those sounds together and somehow it came out as "Draggedydandy"...overtime, it was shortened to "Draggy" and Draggydandy"...I painted this portrait of little Draggy when Phoebe was 6 years old.
“DRAGGYDANDY” is Phoebe’s nickname. It came to be that when she was a baby. Phoebe and Tate are 21 months apart. Tate wanted to name her “Raggedy Andy” but could not string all of those sounds together and somehow it came out as “Draggedydandy”…overtime, it was shortened to “Draggy” and Draggydandy”…I painted this portrait of little Draggy when Phoebe was 6 years old.

I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME, SNUGGLE MY BABIES AGAIN…

IT ALL GOES TOO FAST…BUT THE MEMORIES LINGER AS DO SOME OF THESE TREASURED ITEMS I HAVE LISTED…THEY REMIND US OF THOSE EXHAUSTING PRECIOUS DAYS..WHEN AN ENTIRE DAYS SCHEDULE MIGHT REVOLVE AROUND RELIEVING TEETHING PAIN…CHERISH EACH MOMENT…WHERE EVER YOU ARE…

ME AND MY THREE BABIES
ME AND MY THREE BABIES

6 thoughts on “MY 5 FAVORITE “IMPRACTICAL” BABY GIFTS

  1. I have a three-year old (turns four in a few weeks), a two year old and a seven month old baby. Life is a little crazy sometimes (pretty much all the time!) but thanks for the reminder to enjoy where they are at now.

    1. Michelle…oh yes, been there. I remember being so relieved when the kids were all asleep so I could DIGEST the day…seemed I was always “coping”. The pace was slower and simpler when they were small…even if it exhausted me. But I tell you what…I had great arms! carrying kids is great for the biceps! hang in there!xo

  2. I wish I *had* thought to embroider my daughter’s initials onto “Best Blankie” — because the name written on the tag was apparently not enough to get it to come back to daycare when it went home with the wrong child.

    Likewise… I wish I’d embroidered her name on Panda (just panda) because he went for a bike ride with her — and she came home alone. We replaced him on Amazon… but we all know he isn’t the SAME panda because he just doesn’t have the “well loved” patina.

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