What to buy for a baby gift?

So you have a baby shower coming up. What do you do? Buy a present that everyone else does or go for something that no one else would possibly think of?
First you have to know if the sex has been determined yet. Will the present be for a boy or a girl? As we all know buying a present for a girl is a lot more fun but it can be just as rewarding searching for that special gift for a boy as well.
Let's take a look at gifts for girls first. You could do the usual thing like a diaper bag or a crib mobile. But what about a dress set that was crocheted with matching booties and hat in the mothers favorite shade?  How about some handmade bibs and you could pair them with some homemade diaper rash cream?
What about a baby quilt that could be added to as the child gets older the quilt gets larger? See you just have to be a little creative in your thinking.
Now for a boy you could go for a crocheted hat and diaper cover. Maybe a stuffed animal? (I make several that can be handed down thru the generations.) What about felt booties in dads favorite sport team? Of course you could get t-shirts with dad's favorite team also.
For both girls and boys don't forget the grandparents! Logos with them on it go a long way as well.
If the sex is known and a name has been chosen this is even better as you can have things personalized.

Now if you are giving a baby shower here is a really cute idea, for either a girl or a boy.
Get one of my baby dolls in the correct ethnicity. Leaving just the "diaper" on it and use that as the centerpiece for the shower with a little note that says "Baby WHO?" Then present the baby to the mom-to-be. That can be your present! I make them in both boy and girl versions.

All of these ideas can be viewed over here: www.artfire.com.

Just enter a search item and happy looking!
Till next time.
Catherine

What makes your heart go pitter-patter?

Do you remember the first time you fell in love? I do. It was with my first dog. Yes it was. Are you ready for this? The post man delivered her to our door! Now I am talking a ways back now, all of 1960. She was an English Springer Spaniel with a silky coat. Her ears were like velvet.
I had a yellow stuffed dog that I use to sleep with. One day she got ahold of it and it slowly became hers.
She played with it endlessly. Time passed. I remember one summer she mated with a neighbors dog. We children looked forward to the birth of the puppies. Mom and Dad not so much. One Sunday we went on an outing, up to the lake, to go boating, water skiing and swimming.  These were always fun times. Sometimes the neighbors would join us and this particular day was no different. Only it was.
Auntie Em's son John was home from the Marines and would be coming too. It was a great day. Till the tow rope for the ski board broke and whipped back into the boat and smacked me across my eyes. I still remember this because that night she had her puppies.
The next morning my mom came in to see how I was feeling, all bandaged up, eyes swollen shut. They didn't know if I would see again. She placed a tiny warm little puppy in my hand. I squealed with delight. It wasn't until a week later that I actually got to see all 6 of them.
Shortly after they went to their new homes our mom met us at the door one night as we came home from school. She sat us down and said that she had some bad news to give us. "C" had turned on her that morning
when she came back from taking us to school and had to be put down. I think the whole neighborhood
heard us that day. When my dad got home all he said was-that's it no more dogs.
When my mom was gathering up the dogs things to donate them to the animal pound, I saw she had my yellow dog. I took one look and wailed. She handed him to me and I grabbed him, running to my room crying.
The things we love and cherish, no matter how tattered, are still precious. To this day I still LOVE the English Springer Spaniel and the memory of my yellow dog.

Are you really getting free shipping?

Now a days everyone is looking for a bargain. Be it a coupon for the grocery store, a $5.00 off when you purchase more than XX amount or even free shipping. But are you really getting it shipped for free? In my opinion I would have to say probably not. More than likely what has happened is they have marked the price of the item up to defray the cost of those shipping charges. Unless they are a huge chain like Joann Fabrics that can offer free shipping every now and then, more than likely you will have to pay to have an item shipped. More often these days you will find that you have to spend a certain amount to get that free shipping. That's fine if you need to order a lot from that retailer, but what about from a smaller one. Take me for instance. I have a very small business. I sell maybe an item or two at the most at any one time. I usually ship via USPS. I do however have the option to print my label at home. I also have several choices on how I want to ship the package. Do I want it to go by Priority Mail? Regular post? Or can I save even more with a feature they now call Regional Mail? Here again it depends on how soon the customer wants the product. If they can wait the extra mailing time I would recommend the Regional Mail, it drastically cuts down on the cost. In the end we are all looking at the bottom line and keeping the money in our own pockets and if I can help my customers out then that is what I do.

Till next time,
Catherine