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new mommies take LOTS of photos. Buy her a cute new photo album and throw in a gift card of photo credits from an on-line source such as Snapfish.com or Shutterfly.com. Both sites offer discounts on digital photos, as well as film processing that your friend will find very handy as her film rolls or digital shots begin to pile up! She won't even have to leave the comfort of her own home - though she can opt to save shipping fees by having them printed at her local Wal-Greens via the Snapfish.com option. (I found this option very handy for baby photo birth announcements and for Christmas photo cards!)

ONESIES, SLEEPERS & BAGS - OH MY!

The most useful clothing item you can give to a new mommy are either onesies or sleepers. Onesies are probably the more popular item for summer births, and sleepers are thicker and warmer for winter babies. Either way, the new little one will be dressed in these regularly while at home for at least the first six months of life (possibly the first 12 months). The dressier outfits are nice, but often are worn very little before they are outgrown. Onesies and sleepers are worn over and over again until the baby outgrows them. An additionally useful item for winter babies is the baby in a bag, this is known by other names, but essentially it allows a baby to wear a blanket thickness item while they are still so small that SIDS is a risk and an actual blanket can't be put into the crib with them to sleep with. A very useful item!

FILL THE TUB

Rub a dub dub, toy duckies in a tub. Used quite frequently, an infant bathtub makes a great gift. HOWEVER, I've seen at least one mommy get about three bathtubs at one shower ... Make sure the new mommy doesn't already have a tiny tub coming to her on her registry. Then visit the dollar store and fill the tub with shampoos, washcloths, tub toys (such as rubber ducks or toy boats work great!) and also add in a water temperature thermometer if one isn't already a part of the tub that you purchased. A tiny robe in a size they'll have room to grow into also makes a nice addition to this idea.

These five categories of useful baby items are just a sampling of the many items you can buy for your friend or family member's baby shower without breaking your budget. Choose a theme and have fun shopping for all of those wee items to fulfill it!

Learn more about this author, Suzanne Wesley.
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