I’m at that time in my life when all my friends are getting married and having babies. One of my younger sisters just had her third baby at the start of January! My oldest friend is pregnant with her third. My best friend is about to have her first child. And on and on… This baby explosion means I need thoughtful gifts to commemorate this exciting time. But I hate giving the cliché ducky-covered baby blanket or onesie. I’m all about the creative and unusual gifts.

Homemade Photo Album

If I know anything from watching my sister have her first child, it’s that moms have NO time for extras. It’s baby feedings and diaper changes. Late nights, early mornings and little sleep. They also take A LOT of pictures, although mostly they are just stored on the camera or iPhone or maybe in a photo box. Making a photo album, complete with artsy backdrops, gives the new mom an easy way to display her photos without spending a lot of time in making a personal scrapbook. With this gift all she needs to do is add the photos to the album. (This could even make a great one-year gift and you can add the pics yourself.)

Baby Quilt

Forget the basic swaddling blankets that everyone gets. A personal quilt; one that has a theme or color scheme, one that includes the baby’s name and birth information (day, weight, length). I’ve seen some adorable alphabet quilts lately. Or how about a t-shirt quilt that uses old shirts from mom and dad? Awesome. (You’ve got to check out the quilts my mom makes!!! Make Mine Quilted)

Pamper Kit

Put together a little basket full of things that the new mom can use to pamper herself when she gets a spare moment to do so. Lotion, bubble bath, nail polish, her favorite high-end shampoo and conditioner, maybe even new makeup. Add in a personalized t-shirt or even some ultra comfy yoga pants. And a bottle of wine!

Stuffed Animal

I have an aunt who decided each of her sibling’s kids would receive a stuffed animal in the same family at the time of their birth. My siblings and I all received leopards or different shapes and sizes. Our cousins got tigers.