Picking a birthday gift is always a tough proposition, but picking one for a one-year-old? Ouch. Thankfully, it’s not as tough as you think if you just think logically and go for something useful.

Chances are, a sense of panic might set in when you’re asked to attend a one-year olds birthday party. I mean, it’s hard enough to buy a gift for your friend and you’ve known him or her for twenty years. Getting a gift for your friend’s baby though, well, you don’t even know where to start. What can a one-year-old use? What does he or she want? What’s safe? Do you select from a selection of  baby keepsake gifts? Do you go with a book even though they don’t read? Or what about clothes? It sounds like a great idea until you realize they can only wear them for a few weeks until they outgrow them. What are you to do?

Unfortunately, there isn’t any full proof answer… but before you slam down your keyboard and pull out what is left of your hair, I will say that you have a few options that will no doubt go over well with your friends (let’s face it, you want to outdo everyone else and get the best gift, right? Don’t lie…). My first bit of advice would be to skip clothing, unless you really know what you’re doing. It’s true that babies go through clothes like a sick person goes through tissues so unless you’re buying for at least six months in the future don’t even bother. Instead you might want to go for a gift card to a baby boutique so the parents can use the proper clothing. That way they don’t have to return any clothing that the baby has already outgrown.

Another good route to go would be the book route. Now, before you go and buy the newest Tom Clancey novel, remember, the kid can’t read yet. Stick to picture books with colorful pictures (just look for the ones with thick pages) or basic books that a parent can read to their child. You know the kind: Dr. Seuss, Go Dog Go, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, etc.

If you’re still out of ideas when it comes to what to buy, chances are a walk around a popular chain store will provide you with countless ideas. Chain stores usually have several full aisles dedicated to baby gifts… very, very cute baby gifts (advice: you usually can’t do wrong with a product featuring a cute animated hippo, elephant or giraffe). If that doesn’t work, there are always picture frames, mirrors, plates, and even puzzles. Or, if you really can’t decide a gift card will also do the trick, though the parents will probably just put it towards the purchase of a new flat screen TV or something like that.

Author Kimberly Green gets the cutest baby keepsake gifts from MamaBebe.com

Chances are unless you have a baby or have someone close to you who has just been blessed with a child of their own, you probably don’t pay a lot of attention to baby clothes and accessories.

While they have their own sections at stores like Wal- Mart, Target and K-Mart, chances are if you’re not specifically looking for baby clothes or gifts you’ve consistently skipped that section on the way to electronics or bathroom supplies. Because of this, you’ve probably missed the fact that baby clothing has been getting pretty fashionable lately.

Gone are the days of plain colors and cookie cutter designs, children’s clothing has been getting serious attention from some of today’s hottest designers. It’s not just for the celebrity mom either, fashionable prints and interesting color schemes are showing up everywhere from high-end baby clothes boutiques to your favorite mega stores.

This is good news for both new parents as well as those looking for baby gifts as there are now many more options to match both the a parent’s and child’s personality. By just scanning the website of a baby specialty store you’ll noticed a large and intriguing selection of clothing for babies. A few of the options include:

-    A onesie featuring soft florescent colors with the words “punk rock” on it.
-    A onesie featuring a Japanese style tiger with a leaf background.
-    A full line of fashionable shirts featuring such phrases as: “all natural”, “fat and happy” (my personal favorite), “uber snuggler”, and “peas out” with green peas on it.

Clothing such as sundresses and pajamas have also modernized by utilizing new and exciting colors and styles while continuing to feature such classic patterns as polka dots and straight lines. Colors like black and white are now being paired with pinks and purples to make contrasting designs that really stand out from the crowd. One of the more adorable dresses I came across has a repeating pattern of pink and green flowers.

On the accessory fronts, those looking for a new and exciting gift have much to choose from. Bibs come in all different fabrics and colors and many companies have coordinated the colors and designs of their baby clothes and their bibs. In fact, most companies offer matching towels, hats, bedding and even diaper bags so parents can plan a color scheme and stick with it. Even hair clips, pacifiers and footwear are now designer made and make really wonderful gifts for any occasion. There really are so many cool ideas when it comes to finding baby gifts!

So there you go. If you ever find yourself in a position to buy a gift of baby clothes or accessories you can use your full fashion sense for your purchase. Next time you find yourself near the baby aisle at your favorite shopping center take a look inside, you might be shocked at what you see.

Kimberly Green can always come up with cool ideas when it comes to getting baby gifts

If you’ll be going to a baby shower, consider personalized baby gifts to make your gift to the new baby a special one.

For the mom-to be, being the guest of honor at a baby shower can be loads of fun.  For one thing, it will save the new mom a lot of shopping.  But shopping for gifts for a baby shower can be very difficult for the guest.  You want your gift to be something special, something that the new mom will remember, for a long time, that you gave it.  To accomplish that, take a look at personalized baby gifts to make your gift special.

And be prepared, when you attend a baby shower, not only with your special gift but also to have lots of fun.  Games are often played at baby showers and you might even find yourself heading home with a gift of your own.

For instance, how well do you know your nursery rhymes?  Do you (or did you) read them to your own children or grandchildren?  Then you will probably do well in the nursery rhyme game.  Depending upon which version of the game is played at the baby shower, guests will either have to guess the name of a nursery rhyme or remember how it finishes.

How are your spatial skills?  Think you can just look at the new mom and guess how big she is around?   You might find cut up pieces of string or ribbon at the party.    Only one of them will perfectly fit around the mother to be.  Can you pick the right one?

And how long ago were you feeding baby food to toddlers?   If pretty recently, then you will probably do well at the ‘guess the baby food’ contest.       Labels are removed from baby food jars and the jars are only identified with a number.  Each guest then gets a sample from each jar and has to guess what it is.   Pureed spinach anyone?

And be sure to get your memory in good shape before attending the baby shower.  One very popular game has an assortment of baby items put into a box and each guest has just a few seconds to look in the box.  Then, everyone writes down what they remember was in the box.  What was there?   Bib?  Diaper?  Bottle?   Whomever gets the most right wins.

So head over to the baby shower, have a great time but don’t forget to look first for personalized baby gifts so you have your own special gift to give to the new mom.

Author Kim Green has children as well as nieces and nephews and has experienced not only receiving personalized baby gifts but buying them as well.

When a baby is born, or about to be born, family members and friends love to give baby gifts to commemorate the occasion. However, this is not the only time when baby gifts are given.  This article will cover the significance baby gifts.

There are many occasions to give a baby gift. The new arrival of a baby, a baby’s christening, baby birthdays and celebrating special milestones that a baby achieves are just a few of these occasions. Baby gift giving usually starts with a baby shower before the baby even arrives.

The first few baby gifts are usually those that are given to assist the baby’s parents. A baby shower is a traditional event that is held some period of time before the baby’s arrival. At a baby shower, many traditional gifts are given, such as; baby blankets, diaper bags, lotions and powders, sweaters, hats, all in ones, sleepers, socks, and baby booties. These baby gifts are much appreciated by the parents to be because they help the new parents get ready for their baby’s arrival and prepare them for bringing their baby home.

Baby gifts can have a significant meaning to the family as they commemorate a special day in a baby’s life and can become cherished family heirlooms. There are any keepsake baby gifts such as; a bracelet with the baby’s birthstone, a beautiful music box that will delight the baby for years to come, or even a handmade blanket. This also applies for baby’s christening gifts. These types of baby gifts are cherished family mementos, kept for years by family and many times are passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter, grandfather to father to son or between siblings.

You can find baby gifts that are perfect for any occasion. Baby gifts can be educational or a soft and snugly toy that will comfort baby. It is also a good idea to occasionally give baby gifts that are purely practical, such as baby clothing or gifts that are beautiful and decorative, such as an embroidered baby blanket. Those gifts too can be heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation.

You don’t need a reason or an occasion to give a baby gift.  Babies and parents appreciate baby gifts at any time.  Babies grow at a fast rate; therefore they outgrow clothing rather quickly. Babies are continually developing and exploring the world around them and educational baby gifts are always welcome no matter when they’re given.  Babies also have basic needs that must be met and practical gifts such as diapers and bibs are needed constantly.

Remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re a new parent, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, a next-door neighbor or friend of the family, baby gifts are a great way to tangibly demonstrate your love and affection for the baby.

Author Kim Green has children as well as nieces and nephews and has experienced not only receiving baby gifts but buying them as well.

With the rising costs of toys today, buying a baby gift can be an expensive endeavor so making sure the baby gifts you purchase are of quality is a very important must for today’s economic environment.So there is a new baby in your life and you’d like to purchase a few baby gifts to welcome it into the world. Perhaps it’s the baby’s first birthday and you’d like to celebrate with a heart felt present. Well there are several factors that go into purchasing a fun, safe and economically sound gift for a baby.

First and foremost when you think of a gift the most important factor should be safety when you are buying for a baby. Safety can mean several things. First, all today and most baby related items come with indicators that tell you for what age the product is appropriate. This is important to pay attention to because the older the age groups the more intricate and likely the more smaller the pieces of the toy are likely to be which could cause a choking hazard. When thinking about toy safety for baby gifts you must also give consideration for toy recalls. Many toys get recalled every year due to safety issues and there are many online resources that can help you determine which baby items have been recalled.

Second, a great baby gift is a gift that helps to develop motor skills, cognitive skills and intelligence. Many times these types of educational toys are overlooked for simpler, shinier and more colorful toys that can do very little to help a child hone and advance their skills. A well thought out choice for a gift can give the child years of educational enjoyment. Shop around and avoid picking out the first thing that catches your eye. Focus on those toys that will enhance a child’s play time and your gift will be a sure fire success!

Any toy that helps a child develop is usually a good value but once you determine which toy you would like to purchase, do a little online research for the quality of that toy. Just because it hasn’t been recalled doesn’t mean it’s a solid value. Some toys tend to break just hours after a child gets their hands on it. Not only does this run the risk of having an upset child it runs the risk of dangers from sharp corners or small broken pieces that can cause choking. Mommy blog and children’s toy review sites are all over the Internet. Put a toy’s name in a search engine and you are sure to find tons of responses from mothers who have had first hand experiences with the toy you are interested in. Who’s better to tell you the quality of a toy than a mother? No one!

Following these tips will help you ensure the baby gifts you purchase are of high quality that will supply the baby in your life with hours of enjoyment, entertainment and education.