| Then you get that next round of invitations and start | | | | personalized gifts, have a much longer "shelf life" than |
| racking your brain for baby shower gift ideas... and | | | | the 3-6 months, they still couldn't be worn nearly |
| then it's off to Babies R Us (unless you can find | | | | enough in hot climates to make it worthwhile. |
| another great source for unique baby gifts)! I decided I | | | | So I had to come up with another signature, |
| didn't just want to check off items on a registry, | | | | personalized baby gift. By this time I had children of my |
| however, and began knitting cute sweaters for my | | | | own, and I was able to see what really worked with |
| friends' kids. | | | | them. They had two favorite books that they'd love |
| I had two main varieties; one, for anyone with any sort | | | | from when they were itty-bitty and still read, to this |
| of Celtic origin, was an adorable Irish sweater with a | | | | day, at age 6 and 5; those books are the backbone of |
| wide neck to get over those little baby heads. It was a | | | | the baby gift basket I put together. I also have a set of |
| perfect baby boy gift OR baby girl gift! And could be | | | | CD's from a great kid singer, "Ralph's World", that I |
| knit in colors that would work as either! The second | | | | throw into this new baby gift. My car trips near and far |
| was a variation on the J-Crew rollneck sweater, with | | | | are much enhanced by the addition of Ralph's singing, |
| the initial of the child's last name knitted in-or | | | | and I've gotten great reports from everyone I've given |
| sometimes a first name; one of my dear friends, | | | | this gift to. |
| whose son was the recipient of an "M" shirt for his | | | | Best of all the items are all available online for easy |
| "Matthew", spoke of how he considered it his | | | | ordering and easy shipping. They are proven winners, |
| "Superman" sweater and wore it well past its prime. | | | | road-tested with my own crew, so I still feel that they |
| I was so pleased that I had established a unique and | | | | are personalized and special. And though a parent |
| personalized baby gift until suddenly my friends began | | | | here or there will sometimes call to complain that they |
| moving Southwest. And I simply couldn't justify knitting | | | | can't get a particularly catchy song from Ralph out of |
| away on adorable sweaters that couldn't be worn in | | | | their head-it's better, they admit, than a crying child! And |
| the 100 degree PLUS weather of Texas, or Arizona, | | | | that's really the point of any new baby gift, I think! |
| or what have you. While certainly baby sweaters, as a | | | | |