A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. In the UK, the average household spends around £500 on gifts during the traditional holiday season.
Giving gifts can make you happy, it communicates your feelings toward the receiver and even strengthens relationships. A relationship that we have with infants that is most pure and unique truly deserves to be celebrated.
When we had our baby Iyanna we started receiving and buying so many gifts for her that Soon our house was full of gifts, including the ones that she never played with.
As time went on, we saw a certain type of gifts that became the 'talk of the town' and were loved by our daughter the most.
Those specific gifts, whether toys or usual everyday essentials were with slight added uniqueness to them. That uniqueness is the element of personalisation, things with her name on.
As soon as I was pregnant, I wanted to name my baby the cutest most unique name, and why not! She is the most precious, most loved little person in my life.
Even before I could think of an actual name for her, I was naming her temporary names inspired by each week that she was growing. When she was the size of a pea, I referred to her as 'lil SweetPea' when she was the size of an avocado I called her 'Ovi' This naming craze went on for the whole duration of 9 months, the list requires a whole new blog post!
Then came the day when my baby girl finally arrived and we named her Iyanna. I loved her name so much I wanted it everywhere, on each and every little thing that belonged to her.
Apart from how much I love my daughter and her name, between you and me, there was another reason I wanted to have her name on everything, I wanted her to recognise her name from an early age.
Yes I am one of those parents' and I hold my hands up to admit, I wanted my baby to be that genius baby worthy of a mention in the book of world records!
I wanted her to be surrounded by alphabets and numbers and according to me what better way to start letter recognition from an early age than simply seeing and recognising your own name!
Now that was just me, the mummy of this gorgeous newborn! Can you imagine when the aunties, the grandma and the godmother are all on the same wavelength, It means this sweet little princess has her name officially engraved everywhere and on every belonging. All the loved ones gave her a huge personalised welcome.
Based on my true love for personalisation (as difficult as it was to narrow it down) I have chosen a list of five Favourite Personalised gifts.
1. Personalised Cellular Blanket
A Cellular Blanket is a must-have! It's quite a versatile baby blanket that can be used in cots, Moses baskets, prams, pushchairs and car seats etc.
The cellular design of this blanket helps provide greater insulation and can be layered so you can achieve the right level of warmth for your little one.
Its cellular design makes it hard to personalised however an experienced embroider can turn this versatile blanket into a keepsake memory forever.
End a fun bath or a swim session with a cuddle of a soft hooded towel that will keep your little one warm and cosy. A hint of personalisation will make it more hers.
Getting my little one in a towel was a relentless battle until she found her favourite one with a personalised princess crown and her name on it.
3. Personalised Comforter Blanket
Every baby needs something cuddly and soft to feel safe during a nap. My baby needed her comforters at every feed to hold on to, squeeze and feel whilst sipping on a 60ml bottle like its a Sunday roast she's trying to finish to downing half a litre as she grew. The security blankets did wonders for me and her.
With time they have become a perfect baby shower and/or a new-born gift.
According to recent research, these cuddle buddies are thought to aid child development by offering children emotional support, particularly in transitional phases. My little one has a countless amount of sleep buddies that she has been collecting from the past five years, each of them has its own name and character. Needn't say that her name has been beautifully personalised on all of them.
In my opinion, long-eared bunnies are the new age of teddy bears.
When we were small, we had teddy bears in all sizes and colours.
I feel like Trends have evolved over the past few years, kids these days have bunny rabbits of all sizes, colours and styles and why not kids, they truly are adorable. Especially the ones with long ears. Every time my daughter lifts that fluffy ear and finds her engraved name, the excitement that I saw on my daughter's face is absolutely priceless.
5. Bibs and Neckerchiefs
As soon as we start shopping for the new arrival, we have to make a whole drawer space just for the bibs. No baby can ever have enough bibs. They are very important to not only keep your baby clean and dry, and this has evolved the need of a bib into being a fashion accessory. In my opinion, a bib completes a baby’s daily outfits. Especially the bandana bibs in different colours and patterns are a genius invention. Not only do they catch all the drools and dribbles, they add a well-proportioned hint of style to every outfit.
To make shopping more fun you can find these beautiful Personalised Bundles at SnugDemBoogums.