Fear not. It’s just another incredibly imaginative baby gift from the incomparable designers at Baby Aspen. And it IS cute! We have here one of the most adorable, amazingly affordable baby shower gifts ever, and I’m tickled to be the one to introduce you “Caterpillar Crawlers” Baby Socks Set.

The baby shower crowd will love the gift presentation, and the mom-to-be will love the pulchritude and practicality of four pairs of socks, so baby will have something stylish to hang out in. Each pair of machine-washable socks sports a different pattern, and they’re not gender-specific, so you can give this gift even if you don’t know what the expectant couple are having.

I’m particularly fond of the antennae with the fuzzy little balls at the top. Without that, you’d just have four pair of socks shaped like a ball. With it, you’ve got an awwww-inspiring baby gift that will knock their socks off at the shower!

When it comes to baby shower gifts, we have two choices: we can purchase something from the mom and dad’s baby registry, or we can pass on the registry in favor of our own taste and preferences. I’m about 50-50 in my choices. Sometimes I buy what’s on the registry, because I know it’s what they need and like. Other times, I want my gift to be a total surprise—something they weren’t expecting that puts the shower in an uproar of oohs, ahhhs, wows and awwwwws. And I’ve found a way to do it every time!

Here’s My Secret!

I always look to Baby Aspen for my baby gifts. For starters, you don’t need to gift-wrap them, because the packaging is always as imaginative as the present. The prices fit my budget, and they always make the overwhelming impression I just mentioned. I also mentioned socks in the title of this blog for a reason. I want to show you two new baby gifts featuring socks. There are lots of socks in fun designs for newborns, but in the grand scheme of things, socks aren’t much of a gift, unless…

They Can Knock Their Socks Off!

On the left is Mr. and Mrs. Sock T. Pus and “Caterpillar Crawlers” is on the right. If you’re going to give the gift of socks, this is the only way to go! The “Sock T. Pus”, in pink or blue for you-know-who,  is also a plush toy. It’s easy to see why either of these simple sock gifts is a big hit at a shower.

I always marvel at the ideas Baby Aspen designers come up with. It must be the most fun place in the world to work, because the results are spectacular. If you hear someone complaining that they can’t find a really cute baby gift, tell her to put a sock in it!

What’s America’s favorite sweet treat?  Chocolate!  And lots of it!!  That’s why it comes to no surprise that chocolate is the number one edible baby shower favor to send guests home with a little something sweet.  Perfectly coordinated to match your theme, they are just one of the ways that you can make your baby shower chocolicious.

Chocolate Fountain

Especially if you’re having a fruit display, why not add a chocolate fountain for guests to dip until their heart is content?  Nothing makes fruit, bread, cookies or other foods more delicious that a drizzle of decadent chocolate.  And, for an added twist, think COLOR!  As the picture on the right demonstrates, chocolate fountains don’t have to be milk chocolate.  Try pink, blue, white or whatever else coordinates with your theme.

Chocolate Favors

Sending guests home with a little chocolate will definitely leave a lasting impression, especially if you choose something unique and fun, like these Classic Oreo cookies.  They are drenched in chocolate and decorated with your choice of baby motif and sprinkles.  Available in pink and blue, they are almost too cute to eat.

From chocolates shaped like baby bottles to Italian biscotti dipped in chocolate, there are many designs that can be used for baby shower favors.  You can even personalize them with your own custom text.

Chocolate Game

Find out what’s in the dirty diaper with this variation of the Dirty Diaper Game, called the Poopy Diaper Game.  Instead of just placing melted chocolate in one of the diapers to see who discovers it, you’ll include a different melted chocolate bar in each diaper and have guests guess what kind of chocolate bar it was before it was melted.  “Chunky” varieties work best and are the most fun.  Think of their expressions as they try to determine whether the “melted mess” in the diaper is a melted Snickers, Almond Joy or Three Musketeer.  Here are the instructions:

Playing the game:
Baby diapers are filled with melted chocolate candy bars, making it look just like a poopy diaper. Using their senses of smell and sight, guests must guess what kind of chocolate candy bar fills the dirty diaper.

Game preparation:
Gather 5 or 6 chocolate candy bars (Snickers, Milky Way, Mr. Goodbar, etc.) and melt separately in microwave. Spoon the melted chocolate into baby diapers (real or homemade.) Give each guest a pencil and paper to write down her guess as to what kind of candy bar is in the diaper. The guest with the most correct guesses wins.

There you have it.  Three delicious ways to add chocolate to your baby shower and make it CHOCOLICIOUS!

Kudos to the folks at Event Confetti in New York for planning such a great baby shower event.  I thought it was so cute, I just had to share it with you.  Maybe it will inspire your next event.  From the invitations to the centerpieces right down to the cake and baby shower favors, they used every opportunity to capitalize on the movie theme.  Here’s what I mean:

Super cute baby shower invitation was custom designed for the event.

The flowers in the popcorn bucket centerpieces bear a striking resemblance to popcorn, don’t they?

The cake is a real show stopper!

(Since I’m a real movie buff, it would be great to see my name in lights like this!)

…and finally, the favors!

They filled these “About To Pop” favor boxes with a mixture of popcorn- and soda-flavored jelly beans.  How fun!

I think they did an excellent job with carrying the theme throughout the event.

###

If you’ve planned a baby shower that really captures the theme like this, tell me about it.  I’d love to hear about it–especially if you included some of our fab favors.

Did you know you can purchase one wedding favor from Favors in the City to see if you like it before you order dozens of them? This goes for bridal shower favors and baby shower favors, too!

Seeing—and Touching—Is Believing…

I don’t know about you, but I always like to see, touch and evaluate what I’m buying before I plunk down my money. Of course, that’s often virtually impossible when I buy online, which is a super way to get things that might not be readily available in brick-and-mortar stores in my area. For the most part, I like and keep what I get about 97% of the time. It’s the 3% that disappoint and need to be returned—a small hassle, wouldn’t you say? And you’re back to square one searching for the product you still want/need.

Usually, the disappointment is in quality. It looked so good on TV/my computer screen/in the newspaper or magazine ad. Up close and personal—not so much. And when it comes to something uniquely important, like, oh, I don’t know, let’s say wedding favors, I would want to make absolutely sure I’m 100% thrilled with everything about it before I give it to even one guest.

Sample an Example of Your Favorite Favor!

With their no minimums* policy, Favors in the City lets you purchase single samples of one or several favors so you can get the full effect of each favor and make sure it’s the one for that once-in-a-lifetime day you’re planning. When a company is confident of their product quality, sending you a sample shouldn’t be a problem. You’ll be charged the unit price of the product sample(s) plus shipping and handling. Once you place your final order, Favors in the City refunds your original shipping cost. Meanwhile, you can sit back and relax, knowing that, when your wedding favors will arrive, they’ll be exactly what you envisioned!

Just another favor to you from Favors in the City! Gotta love ‘em!

* Except on personalized items, edible favors or items sold in a set.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…well, you know the rest. We’re all about helping you get ready for two of the biggest milestones in life, and when your friends have babies, here’s where you’d come to find, not only some of the most adorably  unique baby shower favors on the market if you host the baby shower, but totally unique baby shower gifts, too.

That’s why I’m here to show you the newest from Baby Aspen’s incomparable “Big Dreamzzz” collection.  Their line of  “aspire” attire—career-connected sleepwear sets—is delighting new moms and dads everywhere, giving the new mom, dad and baby a glimpse into the future! Baby Aspen recently introduced the fourth in their ever-expanding line—”Big Dreamzzz” Baby All-Star. Like all the “Big Dreamzzz” sleep sets, Baby All-Star comes with a cap, a bodysuit and booties. In this set, the booties look like little baseballs!

If you think this baseball-themed  layette is for boys only, think again. Why shouldn’t girls go after traditionally male careers, too? Especially when this outfit is just as becoming on a girl as it is on a boy.  Sure, people will take one look at the outfit and assume the baby is a boy, so 21st-Century moms simply need a prepared comeback to “Oh, what a precious little boy!”

Mom’s response: “Not even close. We’re teaching our daughter Grace Dyan that she can be anything she wants to be when she grows up instead of being guided by gender-biased assumptions. This outfit was a gift, and we love it!”

A

A

Of course, if you’re still tied to those long-standing beliefs, we also have the gorgeously girly Baby Ballerina sleep set. Somehow, though, what I said in the previous two paragraphs, about gender bias and aspiring to non-traditional gender roles doesn’t hold up as well here. I don’t think many fathers would be evolved enough to appreciate seeing their son in this particular sleep set.

A

A

But there are two more “Big Dreamzzz” options—Baby MD and Baby Camo, precious and proper for either gender, especially if baby’s parents are doctors, members of the armed forces or avid hunters. I’m sure they would be proud for their children to follow in their footsteps. I wouldn’t be surprised if your gift became a keepsake. After baby outgrows it, mom and dad can frame it and make it wall decor, continually reminding their baby to dream big! Here at Favors in the City, we like to keep the dreams alive!

Yes! Three fantastic new baby gifts, including one adorable organic baby gift, just arrived, and we know you’ll love them as much as we do! Baby Aspen, one of our favorite baby gift designers and manufacturers, added to their collection for 2010, and here’s what we have to say about them!

“Just Hatched” 7-Piece Layette Set in Charming “Chick” Wagon

When the mom-to-be gets her first peep at this plucky little baby gift, she’ll get even more excited about hatching her little chick! First, she’ll start thinking about how cute her baby (boy “or” girl!) will look in all the adorable clothes, and next she’ll figure out which of many things she’ll do with the adorable “chick wagon!”

“Fresh Produce” Sweet Pea Five-Piece Organic Layette Set

As fresh and natural as the produce you pick yourself! Lead the mom-to-be and her little sweet pea down an eco-friendly path with our earth-loving “Fresh Produce” Sweet Pea Five-Piece Organic Layette baby gift set. Talk about setting a great example in style!

“Mother Goose and Friends” Five-Piece Plush Gift Set

Who’s on the loose with Mother Goose? It’s three of our favorite nursery rhyme friends ready to relate their enchanting stories when baby is sweetly snuggled in mommy’s arms. Our unique baby gift set, neatly nestled in an amazing, book-themed gift box. It’s a toy full of joy for a girl or a boy!

We’d love to know what you think? Which one is your favorite?

When it comes to adorable baby gifts, we’ve got ‘em!  Especially if you like little monkeys.  Cute, cuddly and clever, you can’t help but go ape over the idea of these useful gifts that don’t monkey around.  These are our top picks for unisex baby gifts that are fun, fresh and sure to be appreciated by Mom and baby.

Wanna banana?

Holding on tight, Monkey Magoo doesn’t look like he’s in the mood to share his favorite snack.  But, he will definitely share the blanket that’s inside.  Impressed by the soft fur and playful expression, Mom will be delighted to peel the “banana” box to discover a comfy blanket inside.  With an embroidered monkey and space for your child’s name, it makes a great personalized baby gift. Because of the “sticky” velcro hands, you can attach Magoo to cribs, strollers and diaper bags so that there’s always a friend nearby.

Monkeying around!

Now if you think Monkey Magoo is cute, check out this baby gift set about FIVE little monkeys!  Frolicking their way through the day, the rhyme about these little monkeys bouncing on the bed is embroidered around the edge of the blanket and on the keepsake wicker basket.  Yep, there’ll be plenty to keep baby busy with this unique baby gift that includes a plush monkey, blanket and partially peeled banana rattle.  It even includes a “baby sleeping” door hanger so that all your little monkeys can get some rest.

We see these “Baby On Board” signs in car windows all the time. It’s a cute way to let people know you’re traveling with precious cargo, but sometimes the signs annoy people, and I’m sure you’ve seen the anti-Baby On Board signs. My favorite is the iconic yellow sign with black letters that says, “No Kids. Take Your Best Shot.” But I digress.

Shower Power

Whether you love those signs or hate them, Baby On Board! is a super theme for a baby shower. Guests would be asked to buy baby shower gifts Mom and Dad can use whenever they take baby out, which presents a lot of choices from diaper bags (and everything that goes in them) to portable changing tables and playpens to cute clothes and toys. Of course, you simply ask the bakery to create a Baby On Board sign in frosting on the cake, and the decorations might be big Baby on Board signs along with other road signs and road maps cut into different shapes.

“Baby On Board” Shower Games

Here’s where you get to be creative. How about a game called How Far in the Car? Hand out pens and preprinted sheets with the mom-to-be’s address at the top and a list of places like the nearest grocery store to that address, the nearest park, the nearest fast-food restaurant, grandma’s house, daddy’s workplace, your own house, and maybe a few nearby cities or towns. Mapquest can help you with the mileage. Whoever gets closest to the mileage for the most places wins.  Then there’s Pin the Sign on the Rear Window! (Think Pin the Tail on the Donkey.) On the cork board, put a large picture or drawing of the back of a car, so you can see the rear window, the trunk, the bumper, the rear tires, etc. Make a small “Baby On Board” sign and have a blindfold and a push pin handy.  Trace the BOB sign where the sign is usually placed on the rear window,  so contestants will have a target to shoot for. When it’s her turn, give her the small sign with a push pin, blindfold her and spin her around a few time and watch her go!

When the Party is Over…

And everyone has had a wonderful time, send them home with a heartwarming reminder. The perfect baby shower favor for this theme? Hands down, it’s the “Baby On Board” Expandable Pen! Not only is it unique and as adorable as can be, it’s a practical, fun favor that will have all your guests asking where you got it! And you’re sure to get a reputation as the most imaginative party host in town!