Five Essential Baby Shower Gifts

Ask first time parents-to-be what baby shower gifts they would like to receive. Watch their response -- you�ll quite likely see a look of real confusion on their faces! Or maybe they�ll come up with a stock answer like �diapers� or something similar.

Exactly what a new arrival needs is not obvious to someone who�s never had a baby before. And many times, guests are in no better position either, when it comes to deciding on baby shower gifts.

Of course, there�s a lot more to baby showers than just gifts. But helping parents to stock up for the new arrival is an important part of these celebrations.

That�s why the following list of top five baby shower gifts can be quite useful.

Top gift #1: Monitors

Monitors are excellent anxiety-busters, especially for first-time parents. That�s why they hold the No.1 position on this list.

Once they can listen to the baby from anywhere in the house, parents find their confidence levels zooming. The latest monitors are very sensitive and can pick up the slightest sound from baby, even her breathing.

If your budget allows for it, take it one step further and buy a video monitor. That�ll really ease anxiety. However, they are much more expensive, so perhaps this can be a joint baby shower gift from two or more guests.

Top Gift #2: Playtime mate for baby

Babies love to play. Anything that helps them play and be active not only keeps them engaged, but also stimulates all round development.

One of the best products for them is an activity gym or playpen. This is a soft cloth mat surrounded by a baby-friendly structure of bars and arches with many different toys suspended from various points. Baby gets to play in a safe environment.

Basic activity gyms are excellent baby shower gifts. There are also more advanced ones that include noisemakers and a variety of toys. The suspended objects have different colors and textures to help develop baby�s cognitive abilities.

There are also excellent portable gyms and playpens available to help parents move around with baby. These are lightweight and designed to be easy to carry around.

Top Gift #3: Baby sling

Most babies love being carried around in a sling. It�s the next best thing to being cuddled in mom�s arms. Many parents have had the experience where babies get restless and cry while they use other types of carriers, but immediately calm down when put into a sling.

Baby slings are believed to foster a closer parent-child bond. Whether that�s true or not, slings do have another great advantage -- they leave your hands free to do other things. That�s definitely a big plus and is a reason why this baby shower gift is highly appreciated.

Top Gift #4: The baby travel pack

Moving around with baby can be a chore -- you have to pack a seemingly endless array of baby stuff even for short outings.

One way to ease this problem is to have one or more baby travel packs handy. What�s a travel pack? Essentially, a diaper bag filled with baby necessities. It can include disposable diapers, a small toy or two, bib, complete change of clothes for baby, safety pins, and other supplies.

It�s a great advantage if the parents receive more than one travel pack. Then one pack can always be kept ready whenever they want to go. No need to mess around with picking up and stuffing items into a diaper bag at the last minute.

Top gift #5: Car seat

Lots of parents say that a well-designed car seat is a wonderfully useful baby shower gift to receive. In fact, it�s useful from the moment they leave hospital with the baby.

There are infant car seats available as well as infant-toddler convertible seats. The former can be used only till the baby is up to 22 pounds or so (typically). While the latter can usually be used till the first birthday.

Want more special gifts for showers? Check out this page for more information: http://www.baby-showers-advisor.com/diaper-cakes.html

Make sure these top five baby shower gifts are part of the event you�re hosting. The guest of honor will end up thanking you long after the party gets over!

About the author:
Jessika Ryder is a successful writer and party enthusiast providing valuable information on baby showers. See more articles on baby shower gifts , invitations, party planning and other aspects of these celebrations at: http://www.baby-showers-advisor.com

Source: Article Directory

Preparing Your Home For A New Puppy
While excitement and anticipation will be at the top of the list when bringing home a new puppy for the first time, preparing for his arrival should rank highly on the list. Just as you would have to prepare a home when you have a toddler, pet owners also have to take certain precautions when �puppy-proofing.� Before you begin preparing your home for a puppy, you should think about the front yard and garden. First, check fences and gates to be sure there are no holes massive enough for him to get his head stuck in or escape through. Watch for litter and trash cans, which can be knocked over, giving your new puppy the opportunity to eat things that might mak...

Unique Baby Names
What�s in a name? Er�well, everything, really! Of course your little bundle of joy is the sweetest, most beautiful thing you have ever seen and you want to choose a name that reflects his/her individuality, spirituality, uniqueness and all-round special-ness.But wait a minute!Remember that the unique baby name you choose will help define junior�s life - how they are viewed and accepted - for many, many years. What sounds cute and original for a 5-year-old, may not sound so funky for a 15-year-old�and what about a 55-year old?Time was when only celebrities could get away with unique baby names (Zowie Bowie, Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa, etc), but in the modern world, individuality is more prized than ever before, and increasingly, this starts with our names. Great ide...

Hem Support Group News- July 2005
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````HEM SUPPORT GROUP NEWS - July 2005 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````~JULY'S HIGHLIGH...

Baby Care - Mothers Share Buying Habits Of Childrens Bedroom Furniture
Just two months ago, a group of mothers from three generations (Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomer demographics) shared their buying habits with retailers and manufacturers on purchasing childrens bedroom furniture and baby products. This occurred at the fifth annual Kids Today conference in Bonita Springs Florida.Author and entrepreneur Maria Bailey, an executive in the fields of publishing, marketing, and business development, was the keynote speaker at the conference and a moderator for the panel. Maria Bailey has worked for numerous companies, including Automation USA, AutoNation, Discovery Zone, The Miami Herald, Broward Community College, and McDonald's. Her experience as an executive and the mother of four young children led her to specialize in assisting mothers in balancing their home and work lives. Bailey explained t...

Baby Care - A Lifelong Birth Gift
If you are a mom at home and think that you do not need a nanny, I am afraid you are wrong, but not because of any reason...

Baby Care - Use Party Favors To Brighten Up Any Party!
Many times, when you attend a party, you receive a party favor. This is usually something small that you can take home with you to remind you of the party for years to come. In most instances, party favors are only given to women or children as a small gift. Kids party favors might be a simple balloon or even a goody bag filled with small items for the child. Adults often receive small statues or trinkets as party favors.Birthday party favors can be anything from balloons to toys given out at the end of a child's birthday party. Baby shower party favors might be little booties with the couple's name stitched in or simply a ceramic shoe that looks like a child's. Wedding shower party favors may be very stylish and elegant, so simple and playful. Gra...

Baby Care - Pork Ribs
Recipe by: Richard Thead Yesterday I smoked some ribs. I got an 8 lb pack of spareribs, and a 6 lb pack of baby backs (cryovac packages from Price Club). Here's roughly how I prepared them: After rinsing and drying them, I removed the membrane from the underside of each rack. I know some people debate the necessity of this, but I always do it. BTW, use a paper towel to get a good grip. I rubbed them liberally with the Galena Street rub from Penzey's. This is a pretty decent rub mixture. I'm not sure if I'll buy more, since I have a recipe that I like, but hey, I got a two cup shaker bottle out of the deal. I smoked them for 4 hours (~220F) using whole pecan logs. I the...

Baby Care - Tipping For The Holidays: Who To Gift And How Much?
The holidays are the time of year to share your love and appreciation to the most important people in your life. For many, that includes those people who provide support and services throughout the year. From your favorite babysitter, housekeeper or the hair stylist who always gets your cut just the way you like it, a tip - enclosed in an envelope with a handwritten note - is sure to be appreciated. But how do you know how much to tip? Holiday tips will vary according to your means,...

Baby Care - The Trickiest Gift On Your Shopping List
Thinking of Giving Clothes as a Gift? There's one Recipient on your Gift List Who's Sure to be Thrilled.When it comes to the art of giving, a gift of clothes is fraught with peril. We've all had encounters from the receiving end. We all have stories to tell. If you don't, you will, just give it time.Mine started early. My grandmother, having survived the Depression, knew how to stretch a dollar. Buying clothes for her grandkids meant getting everything 3 or 4 sizes too big so we could "grow into it". We endured our baggy clothes, with the sleeves and pant legs rolled up, until we were finally big enough to wear them with dignity. By which time we'd more or less destroyed them.��Then there's my husband. Heaven forbid I sh...