There is hardly anything more fun than shopping for a baby gift. All the little baby items are so cute, it’s hard to decide what to buy. Assuming the baby is not your own, there are two levels of baby shopping we all get to do from time to time. Those are first, shopping for the baby of someone very close to you. And second, shopping for the baby of someone you only know casually. Perhaps the entire office staff is throwing a baby shower and you don’t know the mother all that well, but you must go.
Now, in the first category, your shopping experience will really be fun. If you don’t already have a good idea of what you want to buy, you might even want to ask the expectant mother what things she has and what she needs. Although sometimes I hesitate to do this because if she says she needs tons of diapers, or baby hangers, or burp rags, your shopping trip just dropped a degree or two on the fun scale. Of course, you could buy monogrammed diapers, or hangers with clothing on them and that would make it more fun. Or embroidery something on the burp rags. But often times the mother says she needs everything, and that opens the door to the fun world of baby stuff.
Go for something adorable that your friend will remember you by. There are hundreds of adorable clothing outfits, precious little shoes, plush stuffed toys, gorgeous blankets, and jeweled items. I’m talking pacifiers, brushes, combs, spoons, fingernail clippers, shoes, hair accessories, you name it – all jeweled and irresistible. Use your imagination and try to think of your friend’s taste. Her personal tastes in clothes and accessories will carry over into how she dresses up her baby.
If you are in that second category of a casual acquaintance, try to be less special. That’s not to say buy something tacky. Just don’t try to give her something she will remember you by. That can make a person feel a little awkward. Go for a nice crib blanket, or stuffed toy, or clothing item. Use good taste, but don’t go for the most breath-taking thing you have ever seen. Even so, it will still be enjoyable just because baby shopping is so much fun.
