During a recent trip back East I met up with a friend who showed me her nursery adorned with baby keepsake gifts. Don’t worry, I didn’t know what they were at first either, but you should learn.

This old friend, whom I have known since college, hadn’t seen each other for a few years so this was my first time seeing her since she had given birth to her new six month old son. The kid was beautiful and she looked great (she credited that to good genes and a great personal trainer), but one of the things that I was most impressed with was the child’s nursery. Besides beautiful furniture and subtle but wonderful paintings, the room was adorned with a variety of baby keepsake gifts from different family members. This gave the room a personal touch that was hard to miss.
So, the first question you probably have after reading the opening paragraph is probably the same question I had upon entering the nursery: what exactly are baby keepsake gifts? Essentially it’s just a fancy word for heartfelt baby gifts which are given to a newborn for them to either play with or decorate their nursery. They can range from usable to decorative and in price from $1 to, well, just about anything. Keepsake gifts are all about emotional value and are gifts that will be kept and cherished throughout a child’s life.

When I returned from my little East Coast jaunt, I started keeping an eye out for these keepsake gifts as many of my girlfriends are either already or trying to get pregnant. I found that there are dozens of websites and specialty shops offering different types of keepsake gifts for almost every type of baby or taste. These keepsake gifts included such typical fair as towels and plush toys, to decorative gifts such as plaques, paintings and tins and even seasonal items such as ornaments. Each of these products was beautifully crafted and hand decorated.

A few of the items I came across really impressed me, such as a rocking horse (a bit out of my price range, but nice none-the-less), a simple hand crafted piggy bank (it’s never too early to teach kids the importance of money) and small, soft hangable crosses (which I actually purchased for an upcoming Christening I’m invited to). I was a bit surprised at how big of a business these baby keepsake gifts are, but then again, we all love to give baby gifts to newborns, so why not give them something that parents will be sure to keep and cherish throughout a their  life. Sounds like a good purchase to me.

Author Kimberly Green’s favorite gifts have always been those that can be used as baby keepsake gifts

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

Christmas is right around the corner and it’s time to figure out what you’re going to do to make this the most special holiday season for all of your loved ones! With a little practical advice you’ll be able to find that special gift for that special person.

With the busy world we live in it can be extremely difficult to find the time to go holiday shopping and with the way that the our extended families keep extending, the time it takes to make sure you remembered everyone can be daunting not to mention extremely expensive! However, with a little thought and a whole lot of planning you can easily buy for everyone you need quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.

The first step you take is to make a complete list and group it into several sub lists. For example, you can list it in age group, which can make group gift buying easier. You can list in relationship groups. Family member’s in one group, friends in another and business associates in a final group. After that, you could even sub group into age.  If you have a well-defined list of people you wish to buy for it will help you when decide on what to buy.

Once you have your list together utilize the Internet for gift ideas if you haven’t put “feelers” out already. Using the Internet is one of the easiest ways to put a list together and honestly, it’s also the easiest way to complete your shopping. However, for this guide, I’m assuming you love the hustle and bustle of retail in December!  Se the Internet and decide on the item or items you would like to purchase. Write down each item and the store you would like to purchase the gift at. This will help you group your list by store once you have reached shopping mode.

On a cost saving thought, if you are buying for children often a group gift is a great idea. However, this is where keeping a list of age groups will help. You don’t want to buy a group gift for age group one to seven. You might want to forgo buying a group gift for that one year old and possible opt for baby keepsake gifts instead. It’s not likely that one year old would appreciate a video game anyway and we all know that your six year old would not appreciate a rattle at all!

Once you have your list together and you’ve picked out all of your gifts you must refrain from straying from your list. If you do that you’ll likely end up more frustrated and with less money in your pocket at the end of the season. The biggest pit fall to holiday spending is impulse buying. This is also where most people end up returning gifts because it was purchased hastily and without thought.

A thoughtful gift idea will go a lot further then any impulse buy and you’ll have a more enjoyable and festive time during the buying process. Also, don’t forgot to have fun during the giving process. Many people focus so hard on buying that they never enjoy watching those special people open their gifts. This is often as hectic as the buying process. Take it slow and enjoy the season!

Author Kimberly Green feels baby keepsake gifts are perfect for baby showers and first birthdays