What would you prefer for a baby shower gift?

coasterqueen wrote: My cousin's baby shower is this weekend. His wife registered for just about everything under the sun and the same things at two different places. Anyways, my mother, sister and I are going to combine our moola and bring one gift. We are trying to decide if we get a basket and put a ton of little stuff (diapers, wipes, creams, pacis, bottles, breast pads, etc, etc) or get a big ticket item. We have roughly $100 I think between the 3 of us, as long as my sister doesn't go cheap on me like usual.

I was thinking back to when I had my shower and well most people didn't even shop off my registry, they just bought me a gazillion pink outfits so we had to buy just about everything ourselves. But I was trying to think if big ticket items would ahve been better to get or a bunch of smaller stuff.

What would you rather get? Keep in ming his wife comes from an extremely rich family and has already said she's buying everything off her list that doesn't get bought. My sister, of course, said "why buy her anything then".

luvbug00 replied: I'd get her dipers and essentails in a basket. it will be more helpful in the long run!

BAC'sMom replied: The best gift I ever got was an answering machine. It REALLY helped me when was my phone was ringing off the hook after I had my first baby. I put a cute little message on there something like.

Sorry I can't take your call right now, but I have the baby in one hand and a poopy diaper in the other. Leave a message and I'll call you back, afterall I am a NEW mother.

Cece00 replied: Big ticket item.

coasterqueen replied:
That's great. Course I know she already has an answering machine. I could give her a pre-recorded tape, though, but she's extremely prissy, I don't think she'd like to have a message on her recorder like that. No offense to you, I'd like it, but I'm still trying to get an image of her changing a diaper.

booey2 replied: I like the basket idea better, she has money to buy all the big stuff, the little stuff is more practicle in my mind.

BAC'sMom replied:

No offense taken!

coasterqueen replied:
Good . I will however use your idea for a friend of mine. She'd LOVE it!

A&A'smommy replied: WELL either way I think I would want everyone to bring the little stuff so I could buy the other stuff myself BUT either way I'm sure whatever you do will be fine!

luvmykids replied: I liked the little stuff, one more thing that if we didn't get to it we'd still have a basic supply on hand.

Cece00 replied: Oh, OR another good idea....I find a lot of ppl love this stuff...

MONOGRAMMED baby gifts.

Like, a monogrammed boppy, or fancy blankets, or a pillow.

I get those types of gifts @ a baby boutique near here & they tend to cost alot...You'd probably be able to get a blanket & pillow monogrammed for about $100.

Ashlynn's Mommy replied: When I was pregnant i always focused on having enough of the big stuff like the crib, swing, bassinet, stroller, ect.................... so thats what I recieved at my baby shower. I did get one gift though that was a big basket filled with baby essentials like nail clippers, first aid kit , pacifiers, baby wash, ect........................................... I was so grateful for that gift, because while I was pregnant I never thought of that stuff.

3_call_me_mama replied: A big item. mostly cause i can pick up that littel stuff ehre and there and it really doens't require saving for or a lot of $$ (especially for a combined gift)
When we had our shower no one bought off our registry and just got us random baskets full of things. Honestly how many bottles of baby wash and lotion does one need? Seriously. I never used lotion on my kids. It's not good for their skin. Also peopel bought us diapers in a brand that we didn't plan to use so we had teh hassle of returnign them. Also buying things liek pacifiers are hit or miss as some people have no intentions of using them. Same for bottles. We got like 10- 15 bottles of random brands (everyoen got us their favorite brand ) eventhough i was breastfeeding adn only planned to use Avent bottles with teh pump. So i had ot excahnge or regift all those bottels. And some thought to give us baby meds and such (mylicon drops, tylenol etc) most were expired LONG before we ever even opened them so out they went.
I know i probab;y sounds ungreatful but it was a big waste of a shower. And i am very well aware of it's teh thought that counts but people make registries for a reason. And if they plan to have more than one child a big item off their registry will be much more used and appreciated than a bunch of littel things. (Especially since peopel only usually have one baby shower (at least here ) and a high chair cna last through 4 or more kids if it is taken care of. Just my thought though

Kaitlin'smom replied: best gift for me was dipers I got TONS of them, so even if you get a big ticket item and have money left over get a pack of dipers.

I had so many I did not have to buy any for 6 months

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: For a few of dh's coworkers I bought everything off the registry that was under $5 so total was usually about $30. IT was alwyas stuff they wanted but no one else wanted to give them a pack of hangers or stain remover. I would probably do the same thing but probably go in the $10 and under range or whatever gets you up to the ammount you were planning on spending. YOu could always throw in somethng like a bouncy seat or whatever if you went with the $5 route and needed to bring the total up.

Boys r us replied: I think she's more likely to get more of the little things in baskets or diaper bags packed full of little things..so if you can get a big ticket item on her registry, then I'd go big ticket!
She's probably already going to be getting 10 bottles of baby lotion..lol!
KWIM!?!?

Mommy2Isabella replied: I would say a basket of the essentials! Being almost to my baby shower, I already have a crib, dresser, car seat and stroller, and TONS of outfits! So diapers and wipes ... but diapers in different sizes that she can not only use when the baby first gets here but also when the baby grows!

The theme my friend chose for my baby shower was Diapers! So, everyone was asked to bring a pack of diapers size 1 or larger ...

MommyToAshley replied: I would say the big ticket item if it is on her registry. I loved that I got a stroller and some of the bigger items, but they weren't the ones I would have picked out myself. I was very appreciative and kept the ones that was given to me. But I am embarrassed to admit that I was a little disappointed that they didn't buy the ones from my registry.

Another reason I would say a big ticket item is because most people will get her the smaller items. If she registered for the same thing at different places, she will most likely get duplicates of the smaller items. Since you are pooling your money together, I doubt others will get her the same thing.

Have fun! I LOVE shopping for baby showers... and new babies!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I would prefer a big ticket item off my registry. I know you're a mom and know what's good, but I'm picky about the brand of lotions, diapers, breast pads, etc I use...so I would prefer picking out the small things myself.

CantWait replied: I would get the big ticket item. Like a bouncy seat or something like that. Good luck deciding.

Jamison'smama replied: IF she will buy all the big stuff anyway and it is not a stretch for her to do so, I would say little stuff but I would do a theme-makes it more fun. Sometimes new moms don't realize all the stuff they need--

--Pack a diaper bag (diapers, wipes, antibacterial hand cleaner, toys)
--Bath stuff (bath tub, towels, tub toys)
--Laundry (Dreft, an adorable laundry basket, stain remover)
--Medicine kit (Tylenol, Gas relief drops, Hylands, teething rings, neosporin, cotton balls)
--Toddler feeding stuff--by the time they are 6 months + it is fun to get out new stuff--- bowls, sippy cups, spoons, bibs, plastic snack containers etc.

ETA My favorite thing---TiVO!!!! That was from DH and it made BF in the middle of the night---ALMOST enjoyble

MyLuvBugs replied: When I was PG with Lorelei I got so annoyed b/c people didn't buy off of the registry and gave me stuff that I didn't like or didn't need. KWIM? probably why I still have 15 quilts in a bin in the closet. lol

However, one gift that I got, and I've given to other new mommies since, is a basket with stuff that you wouldn't think of puttin on a registry. Cause ya know...your a knew mom and your putting on BIG things and cutsie things, but you never think of baby oil, baby shampoo, diapers, desitin/butt butter, lotion, nipple cream or pads, etc. So, I think a basket full of that kinda stuff is the best gift you could get. And what I like to do too is get big bottle for the house and little travel sizes for the diaper bag. New moms never know what to put in a diaper bag until it's too late. lol

Adrienne522 replied: I like the idea of a basket fullof essentials. A friend of mine gave me a huge basket full of everything I NEED. Medicine was the best present. Tylenol for kids, drops. I was really pleased with the basket.

KingMom replied:
I also agree with Rae and Dee Dee.

Rae said it best with "I would prefer a big ticket item off my registry. I know you're a mom and know what's good, but I'm picky about the brand of lotions, diapers, breast pads, etc I use...so I would prefer picking out the small things myself."

and Dee Dee did too!

So...I say a big ticket item. It's more likely to be what she wanted (of that type of item) and it's less likely she will get a duplicate. She can also use the big items for future children if she wanted.

Our Lil' Family replied: Wow, the responses are really mixed!

I say big ticket item as well, like her swing or bouncy or something.

My most favorite gift was the Bumbo seat, I'll attach a link. I think it's like $40, then you could still get something like her bouncy seat.

Babies R Us sells Bumbo seat

AlexsPajamaMama replied: I would have liked to get more of the bigger ticketed items at my shower. LOTS of people got us diapers and little things. I think everyones first thought is oh she will diapers, and it is true, and its way handy to get a million at the shower...what a about a bouncy seat or play mat the baby can lay on.

Chiflata2003 replied: Well at my shower all I ever got was cheapy dollar store crap (they didnt check my registry either) so I would say a big ticket item.

Jamison'smama replied: I suppose when it comes down to it, it really depends on what kind of person your cousin is. Would she appreciate the thoughtfulness of picking out needed items or would she prefer you just get her one item? You could get a basket of small stuff off her registry--bath stuff etc. so it would be her taste or make it easy on yourself and get the one item> I think it is neat when experienced moms get stuff I would have never thought of.

I think that it is important to remember that we want people to gather together to celebrate the upcoming birth of a baby. The "stuff" is just extra. I tried to remember that at my shower, sure I got lots of things not on my registry but some of those were my favorite gifts. I was just touched that people came.

paradisemommy replied: brenda has a good point but with that said, i'm gonna vote for the big ticket item. i waited until after my shower to see what i needed (i didn't bother with registering anywhere cause i figure people don't pay attention to those) so i still needed quite a bit of the big ticket items. i got a ton of little knick knack stuff, essential stuff and not so essential stuff. i would say don't go for the diapers only because you don't know how big baby will be and all babies are different - with ds we only used pampers, now with dd we only use huggies and i can't stand having to use other brands or generic.

my one gift i loved was a big bottle of dreft cause that's one thing that i didn't even think of.

coasterqueen replied: Thanks everyone for your thoughts. If I would have more time to think about this I would have done something a bit more sentimental. I'll do something of the sort after the baby is born.

We ended up going with a diaper theme. We bought her a Diaper Dekor, Wipe Warmer (I loved mine, lol), wipes, diapers, cloth diapers, and diaper cream. All of the things she had on her list. I knew people probably wouldn't get things like the Dekor (because it's expensive) as well as the cloth diapers, so we compromised on some things we knew others would probably get and some they wouldn't.