If you haven’t heard the news, Nick and I are expecting our first baby in January. We are so excited to become parents, and even more excited to see Franklin as a big brother! Since I’ve been spending countless hours over the past few months researching baby brands and products, I thought it would be a great idea to share my favorites in this gift guide. Whether you’re a new parent, soon-to-be parent, or you’re shopping for one, look no further!
[ 1 ] BRIAR THE BUNNY HAND-KNIT DOLL
CUDDLE + KIND
Cuddle + Kind makes gorgeous hand knit dolls that will surely become a family heirloom. I’m having a baby boy, so I picked out the Briar the Bunny doll for him – it’s the cutest bunny with overalls. You might have seen Cuddle + Kind dolls on Instagram used in pregnancy announcement photos – they’re perfect for that! There are dozens of animals to choose from and various sizes of dolls, so you can find the perfect gift for any baby. Parents really appreciate gifts like this that are high-quality and will last a lifetime! Something really cool about Cuddle + Kind is that for every doll purchased, 10 meals are donated to children in need. Shop Cuddle + Kind hand knit dolls here!
[ 2 ] TRIPLE ZIP SHOULDER BAG
VERA BRADLEY
Sometimes a new parent will find themselves needing to run a quick errand with baby where they don’t need to bring their huge diaper bag. Enter the Vera Bradley Triple Zip Shoulder Bag. This bag has the perfect amount of space for a few diapers and a small pack of wipes along with a pacifier and some little toys. Even if she doesn’t plan to use it as an on-the-go baby bag, it is a great gift to treat a new mom to something nice! Shop the Vera Bradley Triple Zip Shoulder Bag here!
[ 3 ] CUSTOM BABY BOARD BOOK
ARTIFACT UPRISING
Books are one of the best gifts to give new parents. What’s better than a book? A custom Baby Board Book from Artifact Uprising! There are so many great ways to make this your own – you can make a book full of family members and friends, animals, food – anything you can think of! I made my baby three books that have weekly photos of the first year of our puppy Franklin’s life. These books will be cherished by our family forever, and I can’t recommend them as a gift enough! Shop Artifact Uprising Custom Baby Board Books here!
[ 4 ] GLASS MEMORY BOX + BUNNY BABY LOVEY BLANKET
SUGARBOO & CO
Sugarboo & Co has a really great selection of gifts for anyone on your list, especially new and expecting parents. This beautiful glass and metal Memory Box measures 7×7 inches, and it’s the perfect place to store memories collected throughout pregnancy. Think ultrasounds, Polaroids, notes to baby, pregnancy tests – the options are endless! You can even customize the top with photos and other memorabilia. Another gender-neutral Sugarboo & Co gift I’m loving this holiday season is their Bunny Lovey. This tiny little blanket with a bunny head on one corner is super soft and comes with a quote. The one pictured above says “I made a wish and you came true.” Shop Sugarboo & Co here!
[ 5 ] BABY MONITOR
LOLLIPOP
A good, reliable baby monitor is a must-have for new parents. The Lollipop is a wifi baby camera that has a bendable base to attach right to a crib (or you can buy a floor stand). The video quality is amazing, and you can see and talk to your baby through the camera easily. The app sends notifications when baby cries or fusses, so you don’t have to be on your phone constantly. Any new parent would be so happy to receive this as a gift! Shop the Lollipop Baby Monitor here!
[ 6 ] THE NEWBORN GIFT SET
TUBBY TODD
New parents are bombarded with baby skincare products, and it can be really hard to know what’s best for baby! Tubby Todd is known for their gentle products made with good-for-you ingredients. The Newborn Gift Set is a curated box with 6 of Tubby Todd’s best selling products: Hair + Body Wash, Everyday Lotion, Baby Deo, Baby Massage Oil, All Over Ointment, and Sweet Cheeks Diaper Paste. This set is perfect for a baby shower or holiday gift for parents-to-be! Shop the Tubby Todd Newborn Gift Set here!
[ 7 ] CLEA BAMBOO PAJAMA SET + FRENCH TERRY NURSING BRA
KINDRED BRAVELY
One of the very first maternity/pregnancy-related things I purchased was Kindred Bravely’s French Terry Nursing Bra. From the second I put it on, I was hooked! If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know that your regular bras don’t exactly fit right and can be super uncomfortable. I’d highly recommend the French Terry Nursing Bra 3-Pack for any expecting mom! This bra is also great for nursing once baby arrives, and it’s super comfortable to sleep in. Another mom staple is a comfy pair of pajamas to lounge in during those long nights. The Clea Bamboo Pajama Set is beyond cozy – they’re the softest pajamas I’ve ever worn! Plus, the buttons on the top make it easy to breastfeed. Shop Kindred Bravely’s Bamboo Pajama Set here and French Terry Nursing Bra here!
[ 8 ] MOLAR TEETHER, SENSORY CRINKLE TOY, + SPIRAL CAR SEAT ACTIVITY TOY
ITZY RITZY
Itzy Ritzy has some of the cutest baby toys out there, and these ones are no exception. It is a brand loved by parents everywhere! I love their puppy Teether – it’s adorable and it’s great for front and back teething. Another Itzy Ritzy fave of mine is their Farm-themed Itzy Bitzy Spiral Car Seat Activity Toy. This attaches easily to the handle of your carseat so baby has something to look at and play with when you’re on the go! It also fits on some stroller bars and it’s the perfect toy to keep baby’s hands and mind busy. My third Itzy Ritzy favorite is their Bunny Sensory Crinkle Toy With Teether. This crinkly cotton toy is great for sensory play, and the bunny design is so cute! Shop the Itzy Ritzy Teether here, Spiral Car Seat Activity Toy here, and Bunny Sensory Crinkle Toy With Teether here!
[ 9 ] ENDURING LEGACY BANKS
SMALL LEGACIES
I am really excited about this brand because I went to college for finance, and I think it’s never too early to start teaching healthy financial habits. Small Legacies made it their mission to provide tools and products to promote financial literacy from a young age. These beautiful wooden banks have an acrylic front and are the perfect gift for any new parents. You can even get a bank personalized with baby’s name on the top! Their goal is to leave a legacy “by encouraging generosity, discipline, and financial literacy through play, we help today’s children grow into kind, capable, and financially wise adults.” Shop the Small Legacies Enduring Legacy Banks here!
[ 10 ] CASSIA BABY SWING
MAXI-COSI
A great baby swing is a must have for new parents. The Cassia Swing by Maxi-Cosi can be used from birth up until baby is 20 pounds. The swing has five different speeds and plays 12 different sounds to soothe baby! It also has automatic detection, so it starts moving when baby cries. You’ve probably seen this swing on social media, and it’s popular for good reason! Shop the Maxi-Cosi Cassia Baby Swing here!
[ 11 ] IN MY BOY MOM ERA CREWNECK
15TH & ABBOTT
Whether you’re shopping for a boy mom or a girl mom, 15th & Abbott has you covered! This Wisconsin based small business has adorable mom-themed apparel (and also plenty of non-mom-themed apparel). I am in love with their “In My Boy Mom Era” Crewneck. The front has a little smiley face in the upper corner, and the back says “In My Boy Mom Era” in big bubble letters. I get so many compliments every time I wear mine. The sweatshirt is available in 5 different colors, and yes, they also have a “In My Girl Mom Era” Crewneck! Shop 15th & Abbott’s “In My Boy Mom Era” Crewneck here!
[ 12 ] DIVING DUCKS SWADDLE
SALTWATER SWADDLES
A new parent can never have too many swaddles and blankets. Saltwater Swaddles is an adorable women-owned small business that specializes in unique watercolor-print baby bedding and clothing. This adorable hand-painted Diving Ducks swaddle is a soft blend of 30% cotton and 70% bamboo fabric. They even have a matching onesie and crib sheets! The Diving Ducks print is great for boys or girls, and they have 22 other fun patterns to choose from. Shop the Saltwater Swaddles Diving Ducks Swaddle here!
[ 13 ] PANDA CRATE
KIWICO
It can be hard to choose age appropriate toys for kids, especially when you’re not a parent yourself. KiwiCo makes crates with developmentally appropriate mentally stimulating toys and projects for kids. The age ranges they offer are 0-2, 2-4, 5-8, 9-11, and 12+. For soon-to-be parents or those with a new baby at home, the Panda Crate makes the perfect holiday gift. You can enter a child’s due date or birthday on their website and a box will be customized just for you. Inside the one pictured above is a Tummy Time Mirror, Rainbow Tummy Time Pillow, Black-and-White Cards, and a Star Lovey. They also have toys that can be purchased outside of a crate. The Grow-With-Me Sensory Play Mat is perfect for tummy time with baby! Shop the KiwiCo Panda Crate here!
[ 14 ] LINEN QUILTED PLAYMAT
WILDBIRD
Tummy time just got a lot more comfortable! This quilted playmat is made from a beautiful linen fabric, and it’s reversible! It’s the perfect size to play at home or take on the go. A playmat is a great gift for any new parents, and especially those that have pets in their home as it can help keep pet hair off of baby. Shop the Wildbird Linen Quilted Playmat here!
[ 15 ] DREAM CONVERTIBLE DIAPER BAG
ITZY RITZY
This diaper bag could not be any cuter! It has a puffer-style design with 14 pockets to stash things in. The bag has a long shoulder strap AND backpack straps to make it easy to carry no matter where you’re going. It’s great for new parents and for parents with multiple little ones since there is so much room to store things. The Dream Convertible Diaper Bag is also perfect for parents who love to travel with their kids because it’s so roomy and fits perfectly on top of luggage! Shop the Itzy Ritzy Dream Convertible Diaper Bag here!
[ 16 ] THE STORY OF YOU BABY BOOKS
ARTIFACT UPRISING
It can be hard to keep up with memory-keeping when you’re a new parent. Artifact Uprising makes it easy to capture your baby’s first year and beyond with their “Story of You” Baby Books! They have two volumes: The Story of You (which covers baby’s first year) and The Story of You Early Years (which covers ages 1-5). These photo journals are made with a beautiful linen fabric and have a foil-stamped cover. The inside has interactive pages to fill out, and the albums have binder rings so you can add or take away pages as needed. There are 7 different color combinations for these albums too! I have a baby on the way and I can’t wait to use these albums to capture his life. I also got them for my sister-in-law because they make such a perfect gift! Shop The Story of You Book here and The Story of You Early Years Book here!
Be sure to check out my “2023 Holiday Gift Guide: for Him or Her” post for more ideas! You can also scroll through gift guides from previous years here for even more inspiration.
*This post is sponsored by: Cuddle + Kind, Vera Bradley, Artifact Uprising, Sugarboo & Co, Lollipop, Tubby Todd, Kindred Bravely, Itzy Ritzy, Small Legacies, Maxi-Cosi, 15th & Abbott, Saltwater Swaddles, KiwiCo., and Wildbird. All opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links from which I earn a few pennies when you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you).
Awesome as usual!