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Baby Shower Gift Package & Printable

Baby Shower Gift Package: For Mama & Child! FREE "First Memories Mini-Book" Printable via thinkingcloset.com

Gianna & Lauren
The Dynamic Duo, Gianna & Lauren, June 2009

There’s something about scrubbing bathroom floors together while belting out angst-filled Alanis Morissette songs that bonds you.  Amidst giggles and soap suds and “you oughta knows,” a friendship can be born.  A friendship strong enough to span 14 years and counting.  This truth is one Gianna and I know firsthand.

And to think, it’s all thanks to bathroom-cleaning duty for having the messiest campsite at mission trip training camp.

Since then, we’ve journeyed together through life’s valleys and high places…through bad break-ups to being bridesmaids in each other’s weddings.  She’s the friend I can just pick right up with where we left off.  My soul-sister.

So, when Gianna told me that she and her husband Raj were expecting their first child this June, after piercing her eardrums over the phone with my squeals, I immediately set to work on a box o’ goodies to send her way.

And that very package, my friends, is what I’m excited to share with you on this fine Friday morn.  And there just may be a FREE printable for you to download, too!  So, hang tight.

Baby Shower Gift Package

Here’s a handy-little numbered photo with matching key, so you can see exactly what I packaged up for Gianna’s baby shower gift package:

Baby Shower Gift Package: For Mama & Child! FREE "First Memories Mini-Book" Printable via thinkingcloset.com

As you can see, it’s a mix of items for both the Mama and lil one, which happened in part because Gianna’s birthday was this past February…and I may have snuck some birthday goodies in this mix.  But I alway think it’s fun to pamper the Mama-to-be when it comes to baby shower gifts!

1.  Kitchen Tea Towels

The bee-themed items I had picked up at a shop in Boulder, CO when visiting friends this winter.  Gianna is quite the cook, so I knew she’d have no trouble putting some tea towels to good use in the kitchen!  And the little mini-book…well, I’ll get back to that lil guy in a moment.

Baby Shower Gift Package: Kitchen Tea Towels & FREE "First Memories Mini-Book" Printable via thinkingcloset.com

2.  “Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing” Devotional

Although *Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing is a devotional geared towards kids, it’s so well-written, Mark and I actually read from it ourselves on a regular basis.  And the artwork–well–it’s breathtakingly beautiful.  This book was created by the same dream team who wrote The Jesus Storybook Bible: Sally Lloyd-Jones & Jago.  Knowing how meaningful family devotions can be, this is becoming a favorite gift of ours to give to expecting parents.

Baby Shower Gift Package: Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing via thinkingcloset.com

Here’s a glimpse at some pages of the open book:

Baby Shower Gift Package: Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing via thinkingcloset.com

3.  Ombre Paint Chip Earrings

As evidenced in the photo of us above, Gianna and I both have a penchant for big n’ bold earrings.  So, I knew I had to send her a pair of of my Ombre Paint Chip Earrings (the gray edition).  I have a contrasting set…so I like to think of them as friendship earrings (awww!).

Baby Shower Gift Package: Ombre Paint Chip Earrings via thinkingcloset.com

4.  D.I.Y. Burp Cloths

I finally ran out of my supply of D.I.Y. Burp Cloths from last year’s collection, so I made a Jo-Ann’s run to pick up some more fat quarters.  And although it took some digging, I was so glad I was able to find my cereal box template to help speed up the sewing process.  Now, if you’re a beginner sewist like I am, don’t fret: this tutorial is right up your alley!  It’s just ironing and sewing straight-ish lines.

Baby Shower Gift Package: DIY Burp Cloths that any beginner can sew! via thinkingcloset.com

And let me tell you, everyone to whom I have gifted these burp cloths raves about them.  (Including Gianna who has used my tutorial for her friends’ baby shower gifts!)  They’ll quickly become a baby shower gift staple for you, too, I imagine.

Baby Shower Gift Package: DIY Burp Cloths that any beginner can sew! via thinkingcloset.com

5.  New Baby Congrats Card

And you can bet Gianna was one of the many expecting friends I was thinking of this February when I made an assortment of New Baby Congrats Cards using some of the new Silhouette materials like the Washi Paper & Adhesive Corrugated Paper.  Gosh, I love those muted colors!

Baby Shower Gift Package: New Baby Congrats Card via thinkingcloset.com

6.  First Memories Mini-Book

So, having created a mini-book for Mark of 12 Months of Date Nights, I immediately gravitated to this blank lil mini-book when I first saw it at that fun little shop in Boulder, CO.

Mini-Book...a great place to record a new baby's first memories! via thinkingcloset.com

I asked my friend Regina if she thought new parents might use a mini-book like this to jot down memories of their newborn…things they don’t want to forget, like “firsts;” even hopes, dreams, and prayers.  Gina gave me a resounding “yes,” and so I snatched it up.

Back at the ranch, I decided to add some cardstock pages, introducing my vision for this mini-book…

Baby Shower Gift Idea: First Memories Mini-Book! FREE Printable at thinkingcloset.com

Followed by some of my favorite Bible passages scattered throughout that I hope will be an encouragement to Gianna and Raj when they need it most.

Baby Shower Gift Idea: First Memories Mini-Book! FREE Printable at thinkingcloset.com

And since I imagine this might be an encouragement to others, too, I’m offering up a FREE printable of all the pages I created for this First Memories Mini-Book to subscribers of my newsletter. Now you can create your own for yourself or for a friend!  If you’re creating the mini-book from scratch, it’s super easy; check out this post for a visual, but all you need is some scrapbook paper, a hole-punch, a binder ring, and this here printable!

You can sign up to download your free printable using the nifty form below or by clicking HERE. {Fine print: these designs are for personal use only and are not to be used for commercial purposes. Thanks!}

 

Baby Shower Gift Idea: First Memories Mini-Book! FREE Printable at thinkingcloset.com

Baby Shower Gift Idea: First Memories Mini-Book! FREE Printable at thinkingcloset.com

7 & 8. “Home Grown” & “Step 3. Salsa” Onesies

If these onesies are looking familiar, it’s because I shared them earlier in the week as 2 of the 3 Gender-Neutral Onesies I made using heat transfer vinyl.  To read more of the stories behind these onesies and to download the FREE cut files that go with them, click here.

Gender-Neutral Onesies using HTV. Such a fun and easy way to personalize a shower gift! FREE cut files via thinkingcloset.com

9. Blue Mason Jar Tumbler

You all know by now about my overwhelming obsession with blue mason jars.  So of course, when I came across these darling blue mason jar tumblers at World Market, I stocked up on a bunch of them to give as gifts and a few for Mark and I to use.  I love how they look like glass and have a metallic lid, but they’re actually double-insulated plastic (BPA free), which means they’re also sweat-proof.  Oh, and I found them for an even better deal on Amazon!  Go git it!

A pregnant Mama’s gotta stay hydrated, so why not do so in classic vintage style, right?

Blue Mason Jar Tumbler: Such a fun gift for a Baby Shower Gift Package! via thinkingcloset.com

All Packaged Up!

So then all of these goodies…

Baby Shower Gift Package: For Mama & Child! FREE "First Memories Mini-Book" Printable via thinkingcloset.com

…got wrapped in tissue paper and snuggled up in a box to be shipped off to Jersey in time for Gianna’s baby shower.

Baby Shower Gift Package: For Mama & Child! FREE "First Memories Mini-Book" Printable via thinkingcloset.com

From what I’ve heard, parenthood is not easy.  In fact, it can be downright rough sometimes.  I mean, I have a feeling that even all the bathroom cleaning we did together at training camp is a drop in the bucket compared to the diaper changings to come.  But hopefully, these gifties can bring a smile to Gianna and Raj amidst the frenzy of being new parents…a splash of sunlight on gray days…a glorious Alanis song cutting through the cacophony.

“You–you–you oughta know!”

More Shower Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for more baby shower gift ideas, look no further.  Here are some posts that are not only reader faves, but some of my own personal favorites, as well!  Happy creating.

New Mommy Survival Kit | The Thinking Closet
New Mommy Survival Kit | The Thinking Closet
16 DIY Baby Shower Gift Ideas | The Thinking Closet
16 DIY Baby Shower Gift Ideas
Burp Cloth Tutorial for the Beginner Sewist
Burp Cloth Tutorial for the Beginner Sewist

{Linking up here.}

*Full Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thanks for supporting this site!  Click here to read more of my site policies.

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26 Comments

  1. I love all these gifts – esp. the mini book and diapers with msgs.! I’m going to try to modify them some for a relative who has a soon-to-be-on-year-old baby and another with a 2 year old. And all the babies that will be born around me (now a grandmother of 4!) in the future! Thank you, Lauren!

  2. This is THE sweetest little package ever!! Mama, Dada and Baby will all be spoiled by the awesomeness you’ve packed up! I’ve got a few baby showers to attend in the coming months… and I’m taking notes!

  3. I love all of it but especially the mini book!!! What a great idea! It’s so hard to remember to write down all of those memories, but this is something you could keep with you in the diaper bag and quickly jot something down. Love!

  4. Love the mini-memory book! I have several baby showers to attend in the next couple of months. Want to guess what’s going to be included in the gifts?!?! 🙂

    One question–What did you use to make the thingie that wraps around the book and how is it attached? (Sorry that was actually 2 questions!)

  5. This is such a personal and varied gift. Well done! Gianna and Raj will have so much fun opening it and using everything. The mini book is a great idea!

    God bless the little one who is soon to arrive to these precious parents-to-be!

  6. Lauren ~ what a beautiful gift for Gianna! Each one is prepared with love and such thoughtfulness, I’m sure she’s gonna love everything! I too am now a ‘cereal box template’ fan – just made a new batch of burp cloths and used the cereal box, it works like a dream! Of course the poor Rice Krispies that I had to steal the box from, don’t look so good in the pantry now in their ugly little plastic bag.

  7. Gianna is blessed to have such a friend as you!
    I made up the burp cloths for my daughter this winter – she uses them all. the. time. working up a post to show them off, I’ll let you know when it’s ready!
    I’m going to use mini memory book idea for my daughters and daughter-in-law for mother’s day. Thank you once again for the inspiration – Blessings!

  8. That is a gorgeous gift, Lauren! And an inspiring one, too! I have a friend who is due in about a month… lots of ideas here!

  9. Great gift package!! I am going to print out the mini-book this weekend for myself and a few extras for some expecting moms I know. I also love how well you incorporate scripture into little things. Those small bits of encouragement in unexpected places are a really great inspiration.

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