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You're standing in the middle of (enter your favorite big-box department store name here) with a canary yellow onesie in your left hand and a pale green onesie in the other.

When your good friend told you she was going to let the sex of her first born child remain a surprise, you thought it was sweet - romantic, even. You totally agree that there are so few really good, totally true surprises in life. But as you stand there holding the yellow and green outfits, looking longingly at the precious pink dresses and handsome blue collared shirts, you wish you knew. You wish you knew because you want to give your friend a truly wonderful baby shower gift. A truly adorable little outfit she'll cherish and maybe even save for years to come.

Don't fret. You don't have to bombard your friend with an endless supply of yellow and green, the generally accepted baby-neutral colors, outfits. Try these tips for buying her a memorable uni-sex baby shower present.

1. Go with the green and yellow, but purchase a larger size. Chances are the grandparents will be on hand to run to the store as soon as they know the sex of the baby and will buy tons of newborn-sized outfits in blue and pink. If you show up with a 6-month or 12-month outfit, by the time the baby is big enough to fit inside it, your friend will have run out of yellow and green ensembles.

2. Grab a sweet little blanket in white. Most department stores carry these in the baby section. Then head over to your neighborhood bookstore and peruse the children's literature. I know what you're thinking. You really wanted to go with clothes. But picture this: your friend in a rocking chair. The new little one snuggled in a white blanket and the kiddo's momma reading a bedtime story perhaps something about an emperor with no clothes.

3. Never underestimate the power of animals. Animal prints never go out of style and can be worn by little girls and boys. Look for something with monkeys or zebras. It'll be different than your typical teddy bear print and very baby chic! If you're feeling especially generous, grab a stuffed toy that matched the animal print and package both together in a basket.

4. Hit the Internet. Pull up your favorite search engine and type in "funny baby T-shirts." If the mother-to-be has a sense of humor, she'll love the new and trendy clothes with screen-printed adult humor stretched across the front. Think black and white stripes that say "Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison" or tuxedo T-shirts or concert remakes featuring The Clash. Great choices can be found at www.theretrobaby.com, www.sandboxcouture.com and www.babywit.com.

5. For adults, bath time is often followed by something snuggle to wrap up in. It's no different for babies. Grab some baby wash clothes and a couple of fun baby robes in whatever color you like.

6. Remember the basics. New moms will often recall that they couldn't get enough basic white onesies. Grab several packages in a variety of sizes so the newest addition to your friend's family has something to grow into. Not enough? Package this gift with something for the expecting mother like a new bathrobe and slippers for her to use once she gets the time to enjoy a long bath in between diaper changing.

Learn more about this author, Stephanie Heinatz.
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