Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Frugal Gifts for Mom's with Newborns


4 Generation Photo

I wanted to say new moms, but new I am not! We have been blessed to receive so many wonderful gifts these past few months. Some gifts have been amazingly generous in their cost, but not everyone has the financial resources to give that way. Money should never stop you from attending a baby shower or assisting the new mom. Here are some fabulous gifts that will cost you very little to nothing:

  • Knitted or Crocheted baby caps, blankets, or booties. These can all be made for the price of yarn. Even then, if you let people know you knit or crochet, you will receive plenty of FREE yarn. Everyone seems to have yarn, and not need it. Maybe you are laughing because you don't know how to knit or crochet. Learn! I purchased several baby caps from my friend Ann and discovered that I wanted to learn to knit. She directed me to KnittingHelp.com. This site not only has written directions, but video directions. So no matter what your learning style, you can learn from this site!

  • Meals. These have been such a great help to us! We have received frozen meals that I could defrost and cook at any time. We have received meals that were made and delivered hot. We also received cans of soup, crackers and corn bread mix which are perfect for lunches or last minute meals (and can be made easily by husbands or older children).
  • Night Sitting. I never knew how much a good night's sleep meant to me, until I went over 2 weeks without. That's when a friend responded to my Facebook post about sleep and my desire for a night nurse. She volunteered to spend the night caring for the boys so I could sleep. It was AMAZING. I felt so good the next day. After thanking her on Facebook another friend volunteered to do the same. So I have had 2 full nights of sleep now, and they have been fantastic. The cost is absolutely nothing but time.
  • Housework, Gardening, Errands. Maybe you cannot do the overnight shift (don't use kids as an excuse though, both of these ladies have children of their own), but like the idea of helping. With a newborn (or 2) at home there is plenty to do. My house is a disaster, my garden is filled with weeds, and for the first few weeks, there were always errands that needed done. Helping clean, garden, watching the baby while mom runs an errand, or completing the errand for her are all wonderful gifts.
I hope these ideas help you out with your next baby shower. I have one next weekend, and I plan to make a baby cap as she lives out of town.

4 comments:

Dianna said...

Those are great ideas, especially the gifts of time and service.

j said...

I still have ALL of the handmade quilts that my grandmother made for me or my babies as gifts. They are priceless!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I believe that we hold on to handmade knitted gifts because so much love went into making them.

Great picture!

Anonymous said...

Great tips on how to give the gift of yourself!

Love the photo!!!

PS. I just sent you a facebook friend request!