Kvetching and Baby Gift Ideas

We're gearing up for the baby around here. It's insane! I've had several conversations with my sister this week (she's also pregnant!!) and she's given me insight into things I need vs. things I can do without. She told me that unless I want to do laundry every day (which I'm likely to do anyway), get something called a sheet saver. I googled it and it turns out, I can make one on my own. DIY is way more my style anyway. It's essentially a bathroom hand-towel or smaller bath towel that you place over the sheet to keep spit up  and accidents from spreading to the sheet. Oddly enough, about a month ago, my Mom told me about something similar she made when we were babies.

After talking with her, I spoke to my Dad about what we need vs. what we want. If you didn't already know this, things in Israel are EXPENSIVE! Holy cow! We have six bottles and two pacifiers. My Dad says that's not enough... we can always re-stock later, right?

Last night, I decided I needed to get out of the house. I'm kinda on bed rest... I say kinda because I'm allowed to do things and go places but I need to take it easy. I spend most of my day in bed playing with the iPad... so I let myself go to the grocery store. I noticed two things:

1. I have no patience for the grocery store. Too crowded. Too hot. Very annoying!!
2. 5 shopping bags should not come out to 250nis ($66) - sh*t's expensive here!!!

We noticed a "sale" - 2 "large" packages of diapers for 84NIS ($22)... that is hardly what I call a sale. Craig was ready to take advantage of the sale and stock up but you can't buy size 4 diapers for a baby that hasn't even come out yet!

Photo Courtesy of GiftBasketsPlus.com

Upon venting to a friend, she asked me a very interesting question "so, what do you recommend as a gift for a bris?" Here was my answer:

1. Gift cards - in America, you can get them to Toys R Us, Target, Walmart... anywhere that sells baby stuff. You can add it on as a "little something extra" or just get a bunch of people together and make it a large gift. In Israel, get a gift card from SuperPharm or NewPharm... or better yet, look into IsraCard, a WishUCard from CAL, or a LeumiCard from Bank Leumi. I think you can also pick up gift cards from Shufersal. I did a simple Google search and found quite a few sites that offer gift cards. I do not recommend gift cards to Golf, Shilav, or individual stores where you are limited on what you can buy.
2. DIY Baby Bath Kit - I'll tell you right now, this works VERY well in Israel and the US. It consists of baby shampoo, baby body wash, lotion, baby oil, some washcloths, a baby towel or two, and diaper creams. You can put a gift basket together for less than 200NIS ($50). If you're shopping in the US, use coupons. If you're shopping in Israel, find some gift kits that contain the shampoos, lotions, and washes - and break them up. 
3. DIY Mommy Relaxation Kit - giving birth is hard work (so I've been told), so don't forget about the Mom... she will often forget to take care of herself. A pampering kit containing lotions, a gift certificate for a manicure, and maybe even a Groupon deal for a night out with the hubby really helps her keep her sanity. Also keep in mind that we've been in maternity clothes for a long time... a gift card to H&M or another favorite store REALLY helps as we're transitioning back into fashionable post-maternity clothes. We're also less likely to spend money on ourselves right now, we'd rather spend it on baby-stuff.
4. Baby clothes - Sure, onesies are cute but babies also need socks, leggings, sleepers, and hats. We have 3 pairs of baby socks that will fit the baby for now... and many others that will fit him later. If you're going to buy baby clothes, remember that we get a lot of newborn clothes - so think in advance. Clothing for 3-6 months, 6-9 months, and 1 year are often overlooked. If you buy clothing for the baby that's intended for later months, make sure it's seasonally appropriate. If a baby is born in Winter, getting him a sweatshirt for 6 months-time is probably not the best idea.

Other ideas: baby formula (if the Mom isn't breastfeeding), pacifiers, baby carriers, bottles, bottle cleaners, play mats for the baby, baby bouncy-seats, and alcohol (for the parents). 

If you're buying for a friend who lives overseas, Etsy is AMAZING! You can buy one-of-a-kind baby clothes, blankets, carriers, and baby bath kits for reasonable prices... and they'll ship it to your friend!!

In truth, we'll take whatever you give us! I got so many amazing things at our baby shower and all of it will go to good use. As I packed my hospital bag last night, I had a hard time picking out an outfit for the baby to come home in because everything is TOO CUTE!! Decisions, decisions...

As we speak, I'm being reminded to make food for Craig so he doesn't starve for the 2.5 days I'm in the hospital and for the week after the baby is born. We're not having a public bris (sorry!) but we are encouraging our friends to come by and visit whenever they want! We'll likely need the company...