Cradle 'n Crib

Looking for a way to occupy yourself before the new baby arrives?  Assuming of course you aren’t working now, and don’t have any other children. In those cases, you likely don’t have a lot of time left over for craft projects, but if you do, here’s a great idea that a friend of mine really enjoyed.  She made her own baby birth announcements.

Mind you, she came up with the idea ages before the baby was due, but that was the right time to have it. There was lots of time left to tinker with the design, and not only print out all the cards, but address and stamp envelopes, too.

There are tons of computer graphic programs that have layouts for greeting cards that make it so simple to do, you won’t believe it.  All you have to do is add images and text, then send the file to your printer.  Of course, if you want to go the old fashioned route, and make them out of folded paper on your own, it’s really easy to fold the sheet into a card, note where the cover and inside panel are, and then put your design and text on these areas.  Once the card is completed, you can have it photocopied in color, on the quality of paper you would like.

Geri’s husband is a pilot.  So she took an image of one of the airline’s planes, and pasted it in the cover position for a card.  Then she set up the inside page for all the important information like date, weight, etc. and it was ready for the great event.  Her husband took their little boy’s photo, re-sized it and put it on the card in the sling she had placed under the plane.  The information was filled in and the cards printed off in no time.

Posted by cradlencrib at 10:02 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Baby showers are usually a time of great fun.  You get to share all the horror stories, the jokes, the silly games, and abandoning the diet – some tasty treats that are whipped up by someone other than you!

The un-fun part can be shopping for gifts.  It is frustrating to try and find something that will get more than a few uses, and that the parents don’t already have, especially if this is #2 or more.  Although when it is a second or subsequent child, an inventive option is to give the baby a little something, and the older sibling a gift as well.  Older brother/sister gifts  make them feel special, too and a part of the general celebrations.

Me, I favor gift baskets because it’s like an empty canvas for painters. You can put in just about anything you can think of, after choosing a basket of the size and shape that could double as a soap or facecloth holder, or fruit dish after it’s empty.  I like to toss in little things that a lot of parents don’t think of, like corner protectors for furniture, electrical outlet cover/plugs for when the baby starts toddling, laundry bags for washing tiny socks and not losing them, and other items that come in handy at different ages.

Don’t forget the grandparents, either! If you work with someone who has just welcomed a new little one into the family, the gift of a picture frame is one that will be treasured for many years.

Posted by cradlencrib at 10:12 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, so we’re all agreed that we’re modern women these days.  We have more open minds, we’re more likely to give “the other side” some consideration when it comes to issues that affect both sexes.  But we still haven’t quite gotten past the stranglehold that woman have on giving birth.

It would be lovely if men could share in that experience.  In fact, I favor men having to carry the baby for 4 ½ months to make it truly equal.  But since that isn’t likely in the near future, we have to settle for coaxing them along to Lamaze classes and then assuring them (with fingers crossed), that no, the baby is not going to woof up the formula all over them like the last time.

So if that is all in store for them, maybe we should soften the blow a little, by giving some thought to their joy in the coming event, as much as the mother’s.  After all, we have showers for our female friends.  Why not give some consideration to Dad, too?

You don’t have to invite him to the party, but wouldn’t it be nice if a little something was sent home for him, too?  While they may not show it, men have questions and concerns too.  More and more of them are opening up and sharing both their thoughts and experiences on parenthood. 

Making them part of the celebration brings them closer to their partners and the baby to come.  Not to mention that you can have more than little fun!   How about a gift basket with a mug and coffee for those long, sleepless nights?  A humorous book on parenting is always good, and the ones about raising a teenager are particularly scary.  Don’t forget the announcement gifts, either.  A Tie proclaiming the arrival of a son or daughter or perfect for the office.

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