karlos blog

Personalized baby gifts - what is so great about them? Well, they are only the latest trend in Hollywood. A lot of celebrity mothers are trying to outdo each other in receiving the most lavish and extravagant gifts for their little bundle of joy. Giving gifts is actually a ritual that has existed since the dawn of mankind. But with media hyping all the glamour of celebrity baby showers, giving personalized baby gifts has taken on new dimensions.

Why Personalize, Anyway?

Would not any parent wish to give his or her child personalized baby gifts? These little babies are the centers of their parents’ worlds. There is nothing their parents would not do for them, so baby gifts are but a mere trifle. To parents, their children are worth more than all the material possessions in the world. So if their little ones are gifted with a material possession, it better be good!

Because of the importance of these gifts, people would usually like to present something that shows a lot of care and thought. Nothing does that better than a personalized gift. These things do not really have to have any actual utility. As long as it is beautiful, the item will be more than acceptable as a baby gift. A little superficial, maybe, but that’s the reality of our consumption driven world.

But We Can Be Sensible

You can go the sensible and practical route, though. That means actually buying things that the baby can use. The gift can be still valuable and beautiful, but at least it is not only for appearances. Give the gift a special touch by personalizing it. It may cost a little more money, but it will be worth the appreciation of the child and its parents. It will show that you have given a lot of forethought to choosing personalized baby gifts.

An example is buying a set of fancy letter blocks, as opposed to ordinary ones. The fancier blocks will obviously be more expensive than the ordinary blocks. However, taking the extra time and effort to personalize those blocks will go over very well with both the parents and the child. Other great examples are books and audio CDs. You can have these items personalized with the child’s name inscribed on the packaging. These are small but very thoughtful touches that mean a lot.

So take a little time and plan your personalized baby gifts. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration. Make sure you also give your gift a personal touch. In the end, that is what is going to make a gift memorable; not how pretty it is or how much it costs, but how relevant it is to the intended recipient. No one will be unhappy with a special gift that is meant for him alone. Shop around and compare. There will be lots of items that you can choose from. When you do give the gift, you can be assured that the recipient will be happy.

Looking for personalized baby gifts? Find personalized baby shower gifts at BabyLandGifts.com like baby girl gift sets.

1. If bottle-feeding, always write the time and date that you opened the container of the liquid formula (ready-to-feed or concentrate) on the can. Most formula should be used only up to 48 hours after opening (except for power form). This is especially important when baby first comes home and is on a demand feeding schedule.
2. Stand wobbly baby bottles in a soft drink carton. That way they don’t topple over in the refrigerator.
3. Highlight the ounce markers on baby’s bottle with nail polish or a waterproof marker. You should be able to read them in a dimly lit room and know if baby’s at “burping time” and has consumed the usual amount for a feeding.
4. Regulate flow through the nipple by tightening the bottle collar for a slower flow and loosening the collar for a faster flow. Remember that too fast a flow might make some babies gulp their liquids and result in too many uncomfortable air bubbles in their small tummies.
5. Enlarge the holes in baby bottles if you boil them for about five minutes, and then allow to cool for about three minutes with toothpicks lodge in the holes. Or use a sterilized needle to enlarge the holes. If the opening is too large, just reboil the nipple and it will close up.
6. If you store bottle nipples in a cool, dry place, they will last longer.
7. An occasional brushing with salt solution prevents baby bottle nipples from deteriorating.
8. Whether or not you should heat baby’s bottle in the microwave open is controversial. Some say that you should never warm the bottle in a microwave; the formula may be too hot, even though the bottle itself is cool to the touch. Also excessive heat destroys vitamins.
9. An old-fashioned yet safe way to heat a bottle is to put it in a pan or bowl and run hot tap water over it until the temperature is just right.
10. Whatever way you heat a bottle, always shake the bottle after heating to mix well, and make it a habit to always test a few drops on the inside of your wrist to feel the temperature just before feeding baby.
11. Some parents like to keep an extra formula in the refrigerator to add to a too-warm bottle. You can also cool a too-hot bottle by placing it in a pan and running cold water over it for about 45 second; then retest.
12. A baby fed in as upright a position as possible is less likely to suffer from trapped air bubbles. This position enables that stubborn bubble at the bottom of the stomach to rise more easily when the baby is burped.
13. Some babies will burp as soon as they are placed on your shoulder or on their stomachs on your lap. Since many babies spit up when they burp, place clean cloth diaper, towel or other designated burp cloth on your shoulder or lap when feeding baby.
14. One of the more effective ways of burping a baby is to have the baby seated on your lap an leaning forward supported by your hand, while you stroke or pat baby’s back with your other hand. If your baby tends to spit up, hold a diaper under his chin with your supporting hand. This method works better with babies that are a month old or so, when their heads aren’t totally wobbly.
15. To rid the bottles of sour milk smell, fill them with warm water and add a teaspoon of baking soda. Shake well and let stand overnight. The next morning wash and sterilize as usual.
16. You can boil the bottle nipples in a glass jar of water in your microwave oven. A teaspoonful of vinegar in the water will prevent any hard water deposits in the jar.
17. Using bottle straws will help formula flow evenly no matter what position the bottle is in.
18. When the time comes, baby can be weaned gradually from the bottle by letting him or her drink directly from the familiar container, but with the nipple removed or replaced by a soda straw.

Kiya Sama is an author on http://www.Writing.Com, which is a site for Writers.