rom friends to parents to grandparents in waiting, everyone wants to give the “perfect” present to the parents-to-be. You casually glance at their baby registry, but you’ve already given your gift lots of thought. You’ve scoured the internet, shopped the boutiques, and finally, you’ve found it! That gorgeous cashmere sweater set is just right for baby and will no doubt have everyone at the baby shower “oohing” and “ahhing.” Of course it’s dry clean only, and the baby is due during summer, but it’s just so adorable, and it’s exactly what you want your gift to be.
The bad news is “thoughtful” gifts like these have new parents heading to the returns counter in a sleep deprived haze more often than you’d care to know. So what’s a well-meaning and generous friend to do? Brace yourself. We’re going to - gasp! - take you back to Registry Road.
Believe it or not, that “boring” diaper pail is on the registry for a reason. So are the seven uninspiring packs of diaper disposal refills, the oh-so-boring baby monitor, and the yawn! bottle rack holder. These things may not scream “fabulous!” but they all share the same purpose – to make life with baby easier and more comfortable for the new mom and dad. Maybe you got turned off to registries when your friends got married and you bought the only thing left on their wedding registry - the tiresome set of table linens. But keep in mind that it’s you they think of every time they set the table.
Still not feeling it? Well, let’s add some friends, colleagues, and family to our ride and merge into the carpool lane. There are many hot ticket items that make for a great “share” gift. The $1,000 stroller, the $500 bassinet, even the $100 book basket – all wonderful gifts made more accessible when splitting the tab.
All of this is great, but maybe you’re still looking for that extra oomph! Why not look to personalization? There are a lot of great companies that will monogram everything from baby blankets to baby carriers. Speaking of baby carriers, Moms and Dads love “hands-free” baby wearing, so why not buy them the traditional carrier off their registry? You can always pimp their ride with a cool carrier cover that’s easily available at baby boutiques and online. Same goes for stroller liners. Presto-chango and the bland navy pattern can go from drab to fab in a matter of seconds!
When it comes to expressing your creativity, look to baby baths, diaper caddies and Moses baskets as a great way to package and present the small stuff. On every registry you’ll find shampoos, lotions, bibs and onesies. When all wrapped together and tied with a pretty bow, you not only have a tub of treasures, but baby gets the things she really needs! If gift-wrapping isn’t your specialty, turn to the experts. Try a “baby cake” designer. You’ll be amazed at how a good designer can turn the registry essentials into a treat that looks good enough to eat.
All this registry talk and you’re still feeling “blech?” Look for the service exit. Here you will find gifts from in-home massages for the exhausted parents, to personal chefs cooking up gourmet meals for the new family. There are even online services that will create one-of-a-kind scrapbooks to record all of baby’s firsts. These kinds of gift certificates are showing up on registries more and more often - so be sure to keep an eye out for them.
Finally, if the registry is running on empty or you’d still rather not purchase a gift this way, then make a u-turn and head back to the place where it all began... your expecting friend’s webpage on The Cradle! To see if your recipient has made one, go to the Friends & Family section and type their name in the ‘Find a Member’s Web Page’ search box. Here you can get an idea of the new parents’ plans for the nursery, and perhaps even their theme or color palette. These “hints” will put you back in the right direction in no time and you’ll be well on your way to finding that perfect gift!
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