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6 practical gift ideas for your pregnant friend
Is it just me, or is pregnancy contagious?! It seems that I’m always surrounded by preggy women, when I am pregnant. I love it! It’s as if you have your own little tribe who can share in your experiences. They know exactly what you’re going through! (I mean, who else will “get it” when you complain about the fact that your underwear doesn’t fit anymore?!) And so, with the influx of expectant moms, I’ve found that I need to think out of the box when it comes to gift ideas, when birthday season hits. But I’m prepared (and no, my preparedness does not involve me putting a shiny bow onto a pack of nappies). Check out these awesome gift ideas for your pregnant friend:
Pamper sessions
My girlfriends and I love pampers. We actually joke about it sometimes, because it’s our go to spoil when we want to make one of our own feel special. Most spa’s offer unique “mummies with tummies” packages, for expectant moms. They include things like back rubs, foot soaks, ‘facials’ for your tummy and head massages. (Doesn’t reading that make you want to go for a pamper session too?!) Brands, such as Oh So Heavenly, also stock really sweet maternity care packages that would make for excellent gifts. I’ve tried it out and it’s delicious!
Preggy journal
When I was pregnant with my Curly, I enjoyed documenting every inch of my pregnancy. I filled the pages of my ‘Journey Journal‘ with photos, stories and heart moments that I will later share with her. If your friend is the sentimental type, a beautiful preggy journal might be the type of gift that she would appreciate.
Fancy maternity wear
Looking to spoil your preggy friend? How about a pretty maternity top or dress, as a gift. I’ve been so blessed to be able to try out various maternity ranges. Some of it can be really costly though, but I love that most ranges (check out the Love My Body range here) are flexible and they can be worn AFTER baby is born too. If you have a close relationship, you could also consider splurging on expensive maternity underwear, for your bud. When you’re pregnant EVERYTHING expands. Bra straps become tighter and undies tend to be a bit more uncomfortable to wear. Maternity undies are comfortable and breathable, and most of it can be used post-baby too (like breastfeed friendly bra’s).
Body pillows
The one thing that most pregnant women crave is a good night’s sleep. I’ve managed to get mine in, with cleverly placed pillows, cushioning my bump and all my other body parts. (Yep, no cuddle-cuddle for Hubstopher at the moment, shame.) If you’re looking to splurge on your friend, you could consider getting her a body pillow. These are designed to give your preggy friend’s body all the support it needs, in order to get a good nights sleep.
Mani and pedi
I don’t know when last I saw my feet. Okay, that’s a tad bit dramatic. I’m looking at them right now. But I can imagine that there are moms who haven’t had the time or energy to do their toe nails. Perhaps a voucher to get their nails done would be the perfect gift for your pregnant friend, who is in her third trimester and unable to reach her tootsies.
Photo shoot
Taking preggy photos is one of my favorite preggy things to do! (It’s only been three times ya’ll. I’m making it sound like a hobby.) If it’s not something that she would normally spend money on, I’m sure your friend will appreciate a voucher for a maternity photo shoot OR a newborn shoot! Some photographers even have combo deals, that include maternity and baby shoots.
Pajamas, gowns and slippers
This is probably one of my favorites, simply because you can never have too many pjs or slippers. When purchasing those pj’s for your preggy friend, take into account the fact that button ups are probably more practical (for breastfeeding). Two piece sets are more useful and more modest, for her hospital stay. Oh and practical does not have to replace “pretty”. There are really stunning pajama and gown sets that will have your preggy friend swooning.What are your favorite go-to gifts, when shopping for a pregnant friend?
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Dressing the bump: Love My Body Creations
March is my birth month and this year I get to celebrate it with a huge baby bump en tow! Because of this, I am claiming this month as the month of #dressingthebump! Yep, I want to show you guys just how easy it is to be pregnant AND fabulous at the same time! I love that there are a whole bunch of really amazing, Proudly South African, maternity and shapely body wear brands that encourage you to love your body shape. Today we have a look at a stunning range over at Love My Body Creations. Stacey, the owner, is a darling and her clothes are stunning! But hey, enough talk, check out the pics: -
Baby shower gift ideas: what mamas really want
Planning a baby shower? Attending one soon? Of course you are. People are popping out kiddos like it’s nobody’s business (myself included). After sharing pics of a fab baby shower that I attended the other day (photos below) a few moms started chatting about baby shower gift ideas. Apparently, there are a bunch of gift ideas that made these moms swoon, while others make them cringe. (Don’t look at me, I like presents, period. Like, put a bow on it, and I’m ecstatic). Moms, are there certain baby shower gifts that you value more than others? Well, I started chatting to preggy moms about their baby shower experiences, and this is what they had to share:
Yes please: Wet wipes and nappies
One mom said that she loved finding wet wipes, nappy disposal packets and diapers wrapped in the pretty “Its a girl” gift paper, at her shower. “It’s just one more thing to save money on!” she shared.No thank you: Baby shoes
My friend said that the teeny tiny baby shoes she was gifted at her shower ended up on display. Shoes for little feet are adorable, but impractical, I guess. I don’t think my curly girl wore shoes for the first few months of her life. I mean, it’s not as if she had to walk anywhere, anyways.
Yes please: Breastfeeding gear
A few moms shared that a beautiful breastfeeding pillow, breast pads and high quality nipple ointment (Lansinoh made top of the list) came in super handy after baby was born. Someone also said that breast milk storage pods were among her favorite gifts and that “clothes can be outgrown but breastfeeding gear lives forever!” (Tad bit dramatic there, but I get it).No thank you: Baby oils and powders
As far as toiletries are concerned, I know that they are GOLD when you have a newborn baby. But some moms claim that they stayed away from baby oils and baby powders well into their babes first year. “Baby powder can get into their little nostrils,” one mom explained. Another shared that she never understood the need for baby oils.
Yes please: Vests
I feel like this is a no-brainer. A lot of moms said that they appreciated neutral colored, cotton, snap-crotch vests. For those who are not in the know, snap-crotch or body vests have those little snappers at the bottom of the vests, which prevents it from riding up into baby’s back. These vests are LIFE.No thank you: Bottles and dummies
Deciding on a bottle or dummy brand, for your kid, is a really big deal to most moms. It’s best to know the name of the bottle/baby feeding brand that mom would like to use for baby, before buying any. “I ended up giving some away to charity,” a mom shared.
Yes please: Big ticket items
Things like sleep-positioners, bath seats, play mats, crib bedding and good quality baby bags came up when I asked about ‘big ticket items’. “These are things we would eventually have to purchase ourselves, so it helps if we are gifted with it,” someone explained.No thank you: Crocheted items
A few moms giggled when the crocheted/knitted items topic came up. I, for one, love that someone took their time to knit a little jersey, with my baby in mind. But some moms claim that these wooly items can be too harsh for babys sensitive skin. “Sometimes the fit is horrible! No. Just no.” another shared.
Yes please: Gift cards
Again, how do you saw “awww” to a gift card or voucher? I do understand the practicality of it though – especially if you’ll be formula feeding your baby. That gift card can go a long way towards paying for that tin of expensive milk.With that said, all of the moms who participated in the survey shared that at the end of the day, the thought that they were loved and cared for, mattered more to them than the gifts did!
So there you have it. I’d love to know what your thoughts are.
What was your favorite baby shower gift? Do you have a default “go to” gift, when you’re purchasing one for a baby shower?
Clip Note: The stunning blue and gold baby shower decor featured in today’s post was the brain and heart child of the amazing Letitia Deyzel!
Header created by Valeria Aksakova
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Books that help you parent like a boss!
If you have kids, I’m sure you’ll agree that a large chunk of your life goes into being a parent. It’s a serious job (no one tells you about the fine print) and we are a bit hard on ourselves sometimes. I don’t know about you, but I never feel like I’m doing it right! But parents, we need to cut ourselves some slack! For starters, if you love your kids and want the best for them, you’re already doing a great job. *pats self on back* Secondly, there are so many amazing resources available to empower and guide you. I’ve been getting into some books that help you parent like a boss… you know, efficiently, effectively and with wisdom! And I want to give some of them to you! But first, more on these books: -
Tricks for curly chicks: DIY twist out curls
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love curls! And I love that my one and only daughter has a mop full of locks that puts my “sleek” hair to shame. In my previous ‘tricks for curly chicks‘ posts, I spoke about various ways to maintain that curl. But this time around, I want to show you guys how to do super easy twist out curls, using my current, favorite curly girl product: Aunt Jackie’s. Let’s just say Aunt Jackie’s is to curly chicks what GHD is to straight haired chicks: The bomb dot com!
(BTW this is not a sponsored post, I just really love the stuff!) Even with my limited knowledge of curly hair, I knew that I didn’t want my kid to end up looking like the electrocuted version of Tina Turner. Fortunately, my very own curly hair guru, JustEllaBella, saw my pain and introduced me to this wonder product. Auntie Jackie’s makes hair care for little girls so easy! It is sulfate-free, paraben-free and has no mineral oil or petrolatum additives. I mean, you could drink the stuff. Well, not really. Please don’t drink it. But it IS super loving towards your hair.
I started off by giving her mane a good wash using Aunt Jackie’s Girls ‘Heads Up’ moisturising and softening shampoo. It makes a good amount of foam and smells delish. Oh and most importantly: It doesn’t strip hair of its natural oils yet still gives it a thorough cleanse. Rinse and repeat, and we were good to go!
Next, I applied a few dollops of the amazing Aunt Jackie’s ‘Baby Girl Curls’ curling and twisting custard. The thick, creamy formula is enriched with coconut oil, shea butter and extra virgin olive oil. It’s designed to combat that frizz and help give your curls definition. Totally legit! I applied and combed it through her hair.
The next step takes a bit of patience (from her side and mine). I popped on some Mickey Mouse (on the TV, not on her hair) and started twisting out strands of her hair. Depending on how full you want the hair to be, you could make the twists thicker or thinner.Once that’s done (it really doesn’t take that long), I simply dry her hair on low heat. As you can see (above) my girl was not keen that I was messing with her Mickey Mouse time. But she soon got over it when she took a glimpse in the mirror! She loves her twist outs! They eventually “untwist”, but that’s okay, because the curl has been formed and the product helps to keep it defined.
So, friends, what do you think? Would you give my Aunt Jackie (she’s not really my aunt… or a real person) a try? What is your curly hair regime?Clip note: Moms, I get mine at Clicks! They usually have sweeet 3 for 2 deals, every now and then. So that’s a great time to stock up! The range has a variety of different products, like hair oil and conditioners. But I’ll chat more about those later on.
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10 budget-friendly, kid-friendly, life-friendly Valentine’s Day ideas
If you have a lot of kids and limited budgets (like we do) celebrating Valentine’s Day becomes something you watch other people do. Not that we’re sitting over here, moping around about not being able to spend copious amounts of money on gifts, suppers and flowers. But I do love that there’s a day to celebrate LOVE and all the mushy that comes with it. Surely there are ways to make your special one feel, well, special, without serenading them from a helicopter? Well, there are! Here are 10 budget-friendly, kid-friendly, life-friendly Valentine’s Day ideas to remind your partner that they are loved on Feb 14th (and any other day too!)
Lunchbox love
If your person takes a lunchbox to work, you could surprise them by getting up super early and making their favorite lunch. (I’m not saying go gourmet chef on them, but put a little thought into it.) Top it off with a love note and pop it into their bag without them knowing what you’ve just done, you super sleuthy love muffin you! You’re sure to get heart eyed emoticons sent to your Whatsapp later!
Love in a cup
Hubstopher’s favorite Valentine’s gift from me is a really cute mug I found (on special, at some grocery store somewhere). It says “Good morning handsome”. I think he quite likes being called handsome. That, and it’s a really LARGE mug, which does well for his coffee-holicism. Why not get your special someone a novelty mug (there are really inexpensive ones at your local grocers) and fill it with choccies (Smarties or Whispers would make me go aaack!), wrap it up with some cellophane and Bob’s your uncle.Romantic texts
Send them a mushy text/email every hour, on the hour, for the whole day! Run out of things to say? How about a ‘reasons why I love you’ theme. And wives, make those texts as steamy as you dare to. Yep, I know. Genius. You could take it one step further and send a photo slideshow or collage, complete with soppy music, to their inbox. Guaranteed to bring all the feels (and you didn’t have to spend a cent or get a babysitter).Make a mixed tape
Compile a list of your favorite songs on a CD. Don’t forget to complete the gift with a hand made CD sleeve! (Make it extra special by writing down a special message underneath each song, on the CD sleeve.)Mushy gift pack
Put together a sentimental gift pack complete with soppy little trinkets that sends the message: I love you! Clue: photo key-rings (remember those?). Or how about a nom-worthy gift pack filled with all their favorite snacks?
Message in a jar
Another cute idea is to write little love notes (as many as you’d like!) and pop them into a jar for your partner to enjoy whenever they need to be reminded of how loved they are.Hand made cards
Dig out your children’s art supplies and get creative on a special hand made Valentine’s Day card, for your loved one. Channel your inner primary school kid to cut out hearts, draw colorful borders and (this is a must) pen a romantic poem written just for your love! (Bonus points if you add their name to the poem. Double bonus points if it rhymes.)Coupon book
You could be extra cute and make a little coupon book filled with tasks and rewards that your loved one can claim whenever they want! Try to get a good mix of mushy AND practical. (i.e. I would love a ‘back rub coupon’ but I would also love a ‘night off coupon’ to just veg on the couch)
Next level ‘heart attack’
Remember the ‘relationship month’ heart attack idea I gave you, to spoil your family? You could take it to the next level by hiding love-note bedecked hearts all over the house and car, for your loved one to find.Just tell ’em!
Oh and this one’s for free: Simply TELL them that “hey, I think you’re cute and I really love and appreciate you, babe!” Nothing tops sincerity and an open heart. And you can do that any day of the year. Cool, right?And there you have it folks! Please, let me know what you ended up doing for your special one, on Valentine’s Day.
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Books that help you keep your marriage lit
Yes, I referenced the word “lit” in my heading.It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been married for, when February comes around you’re kinda hoping that something special will go down on the 14th. Fire! Explosions! Dynamite! Okay, calm down, maybe not fire. I mean, with all the logistics we need to deal with – and by logistics, I mean children – getting any sort of “marital burning” going on comes with its own challenges. So I’d settle for a small flame, even. But the beautiful thing about marriage is that you have your whole lives together to get (and keep) those sparks flying. It is with this in mind that I pulled out these 3 great reads for relationship month. And yes, I’m giving some away, in case you’d want to, you know, keep your marriage lit, and stuff. The 14th of February is just one day. And I’d like to have my marriage around a bit longer than that (try: forever). How about you?
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Books that help you get rid of that stinking thinking
Is it December yet? No? It’s still January?! Boy, this year is just draaaagging by! But hey, this means that there’s optimal opportunity for us to get our growth on. This year, I’ve decided that I am going to work towards WINNING in every area of my life (remember, I ranted about it last week). And that means thriving on a mental level as well. My goal for January is to get rid of that stinking thinking by dropping crappy habits and picking up some really legit ones. Christian Art Media sent me a bunch of books that will help me do just that! And I’ve got a few to give away to you. But first, more about the books. -
Preggy update: Falling down stairs and ripped jeans
We all know that I am a very calm, unemotional, undramatic person, right? (Humor me) So you can imagine my surprise when I got all emo, after falling down a few stairs at work last week. Yes, baby is okay, and I’m okay too (thanks for asking) albeit a few bumps and bruises on my legs. But if you had asked me how I was on the day of the incident, I might have replied in a wail and a sob. I felt exceptionally sorry for myself and my bruises. And also, my near-new preggy jeans were busted! The only jeans that actually fits me right now, forever scarred by an ugly hole at the knee (See? I fell REALLY hard!). But then I reminded myself: 2017 is for WINNING! So I took my ripped jeans and ripped them some more! -
Boy or girl? Fun baby gender prediction tests that got it right!
One of the most exciting parts of expecting a baby is trying to guess what the gender is. If you Google everything and it’s cat (like I do) you may have come across a few crazy gender prediction tests. But do they actually work? Well, I thought to try out a bunch of them, when I was pregnant with Jonah Mark, to see which ones would get it right. I mean, I want you guys to make informed decisions, and (truth be told) I was actually pretty curious to see if there was truth to any of it too. Here are the fun baby gender prediction tests that we tried out:
It’s in the baby bump
Check out your belly in the mirror. Carrying low? It’s probably a boy. Carrying high? It’s a girl! I always thought that I was carrying pretty high. But, Jonah is a boy (duh) so the baby bump theory didn’t quite work out.Chips vs Sweeties
They say that girls are made of sugar and spice and all things nice. So if you’re craving sweet things, you’re most likely carrying a little girly! Craving salty or sour foods means that it’s a boy. With that said I eat enough cheesy hot chips to guarantee that our little bebe was a budding boy!What does the heart say
I’ve read articles that explain that a girl’s heart beat is faster than that of a boy. So next time you’re due for an ultrasound, make sure to check if the babes heartbeat is 140+ per minute. My babes heartbeat was 147, which should have been a clear indication that it’s a girl. A guess a bunch of factors could come into play with this one, but nah, it did not work for us.Chinese Birth Chart
The Chinese Birth Chart is an ancient method of calculating your baby’s gender by using your conception dates and other factors. Parenting.com has a version that you can try out over here. I did it and according to the Chinese, I was having a girl… which was inaccurate.Baby Centre
Well known baby and parenting website, Baby Centre, also has a ‘gender predictor’ and when I tried theirs out it said that it’s a boy! Give it a go over here. I mean, I’m not saying its the be-all of all gender predictor tests, but it was pretty interesting.Put a ring on it
This is a bit ‘hocus pocus’, but legend says that if you tie your wedding ring to a string, and hang it over your belly, the ring would bare all the answers! If it swings back and forth then it’s a girl. If it swings in a circle, it’s a little boy. I tried this and the ring “told” me that I am expecting a girl.Lesson learnt: gender prediction tests are fun but not always accurate, it turns out! Which gender prediction tests and activities do you recommend?
