Bring the BEST Baby Gift

Babies seem to require a lot of "stuff". Baby showers seem to serve two purposes:

1. To give new moms so much "stuff" that they have no place to put the baby.



2. To eat yummy food (aka chocolate) while the mom opens up and oohs and aahs over each gift (which, more often than not, is the same as the last gift she opened, but maybe in a different colour).

Then, the exhausted mom gets home, has a mountain of thank-you cards to write for things she either has 5 of, or doesn't really need in the first place, not even remembering who have her which gift.

If you want your gift to stand out in the crowd - here is how you do it.

Give her a cheque for $5000. Wouldn't that stand out and be remembered?

OR, you could get her a "green" gift. And I know just the ones that will make everyone oooh and aaah at your next baby event.

The TurnAround all-natural wood plates. These are beauties! They are the perfect-size for your little ones, have a lip around the edge to keep the food on, and they are so beautiful. They are thick, and built to last through many a fall from the table, being tossed at a sibling, an impromptu drum, a hat for the dog, for standing on ( I have no idea why my toddler did the last one - the rest are daily occurrences with her and the plate - who needs toys eh?). Best of all, they won't break the bank - really! Go to The Green Collection website and I just bet you are amazed at the price. I couldn't believe it.

These beautiful pieces are handcrafted in Canada by a local artisan using wood from trees that have not been farmed, but have fallen from natural causes i.e. windstorms, ice storms. Made from Canadian Beech, Maple or Cherry these 6 1/4" round plates are a beautiful addition to your child's mealtime rituals, or make a unique and thoughtful gift. Each piece is finished with a natural linseed oil and beeswax, and a final buffing with a food safe carnuba wax. Kids can be spoiled with gallery quality items!

I love this plate - and I love it so much that I have been telling everyone I know that they have to get one, or two, or more. The only problem with the plate is this: my daughter keeps taking it out of the kitchen to her playroom, and uses it for her dolls to eat. We have actually had a couple of battles over it. She says it is so "pretty" that her babies NEED it. I guess I am going to have to get another one to get some peace.

To go with the plate, you can get a bamboo fork and spoon set, by Bambu. I feed my baby with these, well, the spoon anyway, as he is only 7 months old. I'm not worried about nasty BPA's and all the other things that can leach from plastic spoons. And they aren't as hard as stainless steel on delicate baby gums. Once again, though, big sis likes to take possession, and insists that SHE use them at meal time to eat, because she is a big girl and she NEEDS them (are you getting that she may be a bit bossy??).

These items, as well as many more unique and green gifts, are available from The Green Collection , which is a relatively new store in Perth, Ontario. You can shop in store, or order online. Shipping on most Canadian orders over $100 is free. The owner, Kristina Morrison, is a mom herself, and she has exceptional taste. I just love everything she carries in her store. She offers gift wrapping for your online orders too. There is also an online gift registry option. For all you moms-to-be, this is a great way to avoid getting that same pair of sleepers, in pink, green, blue AND yellow.

Another item that I absolutely love, and I think it would make a great gift for my bossy princess, is her very own tea party set. They have a TurnAround turned wooden tea set that is gorgeous and a real keepsake. You can even get the items engraved, if you are looking for a gift with some sentiment as well as flair.

So, the next time you are buying a gift, make sure yours is one that gets remembered. Give green! (Of course, $5000 cash could be considered "green" too!!)