Christmas Keepsakes for Baby and You

Celebrating Christmas with baby is such a special time. The keepsakes you create this year will become part of your holiday traditions in Christmas future. Whether it is your baby’s first Christmas or you are expecting a bundle of joy,  or you just need a gift for your favorite new parents, Babysakes.com is here with original Christmas Baby Keepsakes ready to help capture those cherished Christmas memories.

BABYPRINTS HAND PRINT OR FOOTPRINT ORNAMENT

Precious little hand or footprints can forever be cherished with the Babyprints Hand Print or Footprint Ornament.

One of our most popular holiday items is one you make yourself. The Babyprints Hand Print or Footprint Ornament enables you to make a permanent impression of your baby’s foot or hand print and hangs from your choice of red or green ribbon. Just kneed the no-mix, no-bake, no-fuss impression material like dough, roll it out with the included rolling pin and voila – you’re ready to take your baby’s footprint or hand print impression. Don’t worry about making a mistake – you can redo it in a snap. Once you get baby’s digits in the perfect position – just let your masterpiece air dry for 24-36 hours. Makes a great gift for grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, godparents, friends – anyone special in baby’s life.

CUSTOMIZABLE AND PERSONALIZED CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS:  ANGEL ORNAMENT

Customize these hand-made ornaments for a special touch for your Christmas Tree.

Start a tradition with these fun customizable tree ornaments. These wonderful ornaments are lovingly hand painted by artist Kathleen Virtue. The angel ornament can be customized to match your baby’s hair color and style and skin tone as well as adding their name. Other ornaments celebrate Baby’s First Christmas, Big Brother and Big Sister and even Family ornaments. 

These make wonderful gifts that will add that special touch to grandma’s tree as well!

Your child will love to hang their own ornament on the tree year after year! Check out all of the customizable ornaments with seasonal designs that are sure to add that special touch to your Christmas Tree.  Order yours by December 3rd to guarantee Christmas delivery!

PERSONALIZED HOLIDAY PLATES: COOKIES FOR SANTA CHRISTMAS PLATE

Santa's cookies taste even better off this personalized plate.

Leave those special cookies for Santa on an even more special plate! This special Cookies for Santa Plate is hand painted by artist Kathleen Virtue and can be personalized with your child’s (or children’s) names and even a special message on the backside.  This makes a great family gift for friends or relatives who have little ones, or even a special treat for your own family to make your Christmas tradition of leaving Cookies for Santa Claus even more special (and don’t forget the apple for Rudolph!) Make sure to place your order no later than Wednesday December 3rd for Christmas Delivery. Check out the other designs like the Baby’s First Christmas plates featuring Rudolph by Kathleen Virtue.

Commemorate Baby’s First Christmas with other Personalized Holiday Plates by children’s artist Jamie Risdon Lentzner that include storks, snowmen and even Santa himself. The simple designs from What a Dish! Studio are classic and perfect for Christmas treats and the Personalized Christmas plates by My Little Dish studio feature a choice of different sayings and smiling Snowmen or Santa faces. Perfect for Christmas Dinner. Plan ahead with these original gifts. Some need to be ordered by  December 3rd to ensure your Christmas surprise.

HOLIDAY PHOTO FRAMES AND ALBUMS: SANTA AND ME PHOTO FRAME

This is the perfect frame for your Santa Photo.

 You need that perfect frame for your photo of your little one on Santa’s lap (even if they weren’t all that thrilled to be there.) This wonderful keepsake frame by Mud Pie is made from red and green twill fabric and embroidered with “Santa and Me.” Also featured in this collection are “Baby’s First Christmas” photo frames and lovely “My First Christmas” and “Christmas ’08” photo album that each hold 80 4″ x 6″ photos.

Also available are wonderful photo frame and a photo album designed to look like Santa’s Red Suit – made from red patent-leather with a black belt with a gold buckle. There is even a cute Rudolph photo album that is perfect for your holiday photos.

Check out our entire selection of Holiday Frames and Photo Albums.

ADORABLE HOLIDAY OUTFITS : CHRISTMAS TREE TUNIC AND LEGGINGS

Festive holiday clothes are a perfect fit this Christmas.

Dress your baby in the holiday spirit with a fun and festive Christmas-themed outfit.

Perfect for your holiday photo with Santa, this adorable Christmas Tree Tunic and Leggings features candy-cane striped leggings (super-comfy for babies who are crawling) and a white tunic with a Christmas Tree applique. Ruffles on the sleeves make this a cute and comfy outfit for a little girl.

Other outfits like a red jersey dress or a Santa tunic – both with candy-cane striped leggings are perfect for your little girl – up to six months old.

Also available are onesies with appliqued reindeer, Christmas trees or holiday wrapping. Or what about reindeer and Santa booties, festive holiday socks to keep baby’s feet warm.

Don’t forget your special Christmas bib for baby’s first Christmas Dinner! Make sure you check out all the adorable outfits!

HOLIDAY PLUSH TOYS: GUND STORYTIME BEAR AND NICHOLAS NIGHTCAP

Storytime Bear reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas."

A special holiday deserves a special teddy! Even better –  How about a special teddy that reads a story? Storytime Bear by Gund is not only soft and adorable but when you press his hand he becomes animated and reads the famous Holiday Poem by Clement Clarke Moore, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This is sure to delight the little ones – and even Grandpa and Grandma! Such a fun and unique Christmas bear. This makes a great gift for children of any age!

 

 

Nicholas Nightcap has had his Christmas Cocoa and is all ready for bed.

Or maybe the classic Nicholas Nightcap Teddy Bear by Bearington Baby is the perfect bear for you. Nicholas is all ready for slumber on Christmas Eve with his cozy nightcap and red jammies. He’s even got his own copy of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (but he’s quietly reading his copy to himself). A sweet and adorable bear that is a great gift for your favorite little one (and Grandma too!)

Be sure to check out the entire selection of holiday plush toys – including more pajama-clad bears, penguin pull-down musicals and cuddly polar bears!

At BabySakes.com, we would love to help you make and preserve your holiday memories this season.

Posh Halloween Costumes for Baby

Ribbet Ribbet - your child could be a froggie for Halloween!

It’s that time of year again. Time for ghosts and goblins – or rather, fluffy bunnies, bears, frogs and horsies. (We here at Babysakes.com get scared too easily and prefer our trick-or-treaters to be of the adorably cute variety.) 

There is nothing better than having a baby product serve double duty, so when we considered the amazing booties and coats at BabySakes.com – well, we got to thinking. What better way to dress up baby for Halloween but in a costume that is not only plush and luxurious – but is really a winter coat that will keep them warm in the upcoming colder months!

Bearington Baby offers a wonderful selection of coats and booties for babies 6 – 12 months and 12-24 months. Can’t you see your little one dressed up as an elephant in the Lil Peanut Elephant coat and matching booties. Or how about as a frog in the Froggie coat and booties. Better yet – how about as a pink bunny with the Pink Bunny coat and matching booties or as a sweet little lamb in the Lamby Coat and booties (with any luck the bunny and lamby coats and booties can pull TRIPLE duty as an outfit for the spring holidays.)

These coats are plush and fuzzy and make you want to snuggle your little one even more. Think of all the candy they can procure looking so cute (and if they don’t have any teeth – think of all the candy you get to eat on their behalf!)

Dress your baby in luxury with this faux mink!

Of course there is also the added bonus of looking like a million bucks. These Bearington Baby animal-themed coats and matching booties have the look of mink and leopard – faux of course. Your little one could be a cat or a grizzly or polar bear  – or just look fabulous for Halloween.

For those of you who want to stay a little closer to home – or the farm – these Mud Pie coats and booties are perfect. With a quack quack here or a neigh neigh there, imagine your baby roaming the neighboorhood in one of these amazing coats and matching booties.

For little ones who are spending the holiday indoors, or for our friends in warmer climates, can we suggest these fun Mud Pie sleepers? With the same EIEIO themes as the coats and booties (bunny, duckie, horsie and moo-cow), the sleepers have tails and feet and are just so cute we can’t stand it. Or if you see your baby as more of a superhero, then these Wry Baby snapsuits will help them be “Super Cute!”

So check out the fun animal-themed wear at Babysakes.com today and get your order in just in time for Trick-or-Treat. These are more than just baby Halloween costumes… they are posh baby outfits for all seasons! View the complete selection here.

Gotta Getta Gund, Baby!

Who can resist Pink-a-Boo Pony's sweet face?

We would like to announce our newest addition to our collection of baby keepsakes – Baby Gund. Gund, the quintessential purveyor of fine plush toys is now available on Babysakes.com.

But it isn’t just plush toys, Baby Gund now offers  wonderful collections with many adorable baby keepsakes and useful items to choose from.

The Happy Moments Collection from Baby Gund includes themed keepsakes for boys and girls. The boy’s collection has everything a boy could want – trains, planes and automobiles in fun primary colors. The girl’s collection includes flowers, gingham and embroidery in lovely pastels. The Happy Moments collection features frames, photo albums, pillows, hooded towels, banks and growth charts.

The delicate Li’l Boutique Collection also features a boy and a girl collection. Lovely stripes, flowers and rocking horse accents in pink and aqua adorn these lovely keepsake boxes, frames, blankets, photo albums and layettes.

Some of the fun Baby Gund collections are centered around a Baby Gund character. You can meet “Spunky” the dog who comes in pink for girls, blue for boys and a gender-neutral tan.  “Winky” the lamb comes in either white or pink. Both collections include plush toys, blankets, outfits and nursery decor.

There is also a collection of corduroy and patchwork snugglers that your child will love. Baby Gund’s “Snoodle” is an adorable blue puppy, “Pink-a-Boo” is a cute pink horse, and “Hopscotch” is a fun yellow giraffe. Each collection includes plush toys in a variety of sizes, blankets, and toys. They are cute and durable enough to be your child’s favorite friend for years to come.

Wonderful gifts for baby and moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas come from the Hugs and Kisses Collection. Frames, plush toys and photo albums show the world who baby’s favorite is. Is it Grandpa? Then the adorable plush giraffe says so right on his tummy. If it is Mommy, then a wonderful purple frame will showcase a touching photo of mom and baby and the words “I love my Mommy.” If it is Daddy or Grandma, there are photo albums for treasured photos. Each collection is centered around a special Baby Gund plush animal.

Spunky Huggybuddy - sure to be your baby's new best friend.

Can’t think of a fun shower gift? Why not check out Yummie Tummies or Bitsy Baby Bibs? These wonderful, high-quality bibs have clever saying and fun characters and are sure to be cherished as keepsakes.

There are also great gifts for the new big sister or big brother. The My Family collection includes plush, baby-safe  photo albums that can be shared. Also included are mom and dad and grandpa and grandma albums.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Baby Gund if there weren’t a whole bunch of things to snuggle. The Tender Beginnings collection has an adorable giraffe with pink or blue accents, in a variety of snugglers and plush toys. The Secure Snugs collection has a variety of blankets with plush characters included. Probably the most versatile snuggler of all are the Snugapuffs. Part pillow, part plush friend, these character pillows are soft and perfect for nap time.

But don’t take our word for it. Check out these new baby keepsakes from Baby Gund and other items yourself at Babysakes.com.

BabySakes.com Giveaway

To celebrate the BabySakes launch of the Baby Gund gift line, we are giving away a Spunky baby keepsake gift set. This giveaway will include the Spunky Huggybuddy, the Spunky Buddyluvs, and the Spunky Plush Puppy. The retail value of these items are $70 and make a great collection to give as a baby shower gift, or to pamper your little one. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this blog post letting us know what your favorite item is from the Baby Gund collection.  We will select a winner on October 30th, 2008. Contest is open to U.S. residents over 18, void where prohibited… (complete rules here.)

Contest Closed – Winner Announced
The winner of the Gund giveaway from BabySakes.com is Tara LaMagna with comment number 7. Congratulations Tara!

Where did the Silver Baby Gifts tradition come from?

A classic gift - the silver baby rattle

At BabySakes.com, we’ve recently expanded our offering of silver baby keepsakes and that got us wondering… where did this tradition of giving silver to babies come from anyway? Can an infant truly appreciate such a fine gift and isn’t a silver teether a bit tough to chew on?

So, our crack research team has been on the trail of identifying these mysterious origins. As it turns out, silver gifts for babies are a tradition that dates back to before colonial times.

Silversmiths, such as the famous patriot Paul Revere, created silver baby rattles, cups and spoons as part of their craft. Which leads us to the question… did Paul Revere shake a silver baby rattle to attract attention during his famous midnight ride? Hmmm… a tale lost to history!

Giving a silver gift now is generally considered to be a keepsake for parents and not a functional gift for baby. That wasn’t always so. Babies have played with rattles for a long time. The first known rattles were made from clay, which was easily broken. When silver came into vogue rattles were soon fashioned out of the versatile metal, which didn’t break so babies could safely chew on them.

Silver spoons were a traditional gift given by godparents at baby’s christening among the upper classes in Europe. But the saying “born with a silver spoon in his mouth,” says as much about health as about wealth. Silver has been used as a bactericide since the 1800s and its purification uses were widely known throughout history. It was commonly known that babies who used silver pacifiers and were fed with silver spoons were in better health than their less fortunate counterparts. So, don’t feel guilty… it’s healthy!

As silversmith technology advanced, silver-plated baby rattles, cups and spoons became a less expensive alternative to the Sterling silver products used by more wealthy families. Families with more modest incomes could finally enjoy the benefit silver for their children.

Nowadays, with the advent of antibacterial soaps, modern medicines and washable plastic toys, silver is more of a luxury, but certainly a cherished keepsake. Our heirloom-quality silver baby gifts at Babysakes.com will last generations, and certainly won’t be forgotten at the bottom of a toy box.

Silver Plated Feeding Set

BabySakes.com Giveaway
We at Babysakes.com are curious about your family traditions of silver baby gifts. Do you have any silver baby rattles that have been in your family for a long time? What were you told about them? Who did you get them from? Leave your answers in the comments and help us to fill out our little history lesson. We will select one of these comments to receive a silver plated feeding set (retail value: $50). We will select a winner on September 26, 2008. Contest is open to U.S. residents over 18, void where prohibited… (complete rules here.)

Contest Closed: And the Winner Is…
We are happy to announce that Rochelle is the winner of this contest, with comment #4. Congratulations Rochelle! If you didn’t win this one, look for additional BabySakes.com baby keepsake giveaways on the BabySakes blog.

The Beatrix is Back!

Beatrix Potter Baby Memory Book

The Return of the Beatrix Potter Keepsake Collection
Perhaps we said goodbye too soon! A few months ago we lamented the loss of the Beatrix Potter keepsake collection which was retired by C.R. Gibson.

We are happy to report that the departure was only temporary and if you are a fan of the Beatrix Potter collection, it has beein re-introduced with a “new and improved” design. The new albums feature a flocked cream-colored design with a green velvet ribbon that contibutes to the storybook appearance. It is a timeless classic for your baby and we like the new collection even more than the previous!

A matching photo album, grandma’s brag book and 5×7 deluxe brag book are also available.

BabySakes.com Giveaway
To celebrate, we will give away a full collection that includes the Beatrix Potter baby memory book, photo album, grandma brag book and 5×7 deluxe brag book (a $75 retail value!). All you have to do is leave a comment below on what you like about Beatrix Potter and we will randomly select a winner on August 18th (complete rules here.)

August 18th update. Contest is now closed and winner will be announced on August 19th. Thanks to all for entering!

August 19th update. And the winner is… by random selection… Hope, who wrote comment #5! Hope will receive the entire new Beatrix Potter keepsake collection from BabySakes.com. Thank you to everyone else for entering, please keep your eye out for more baby keepsake giveaways from BabySakes.com.

Getting Out the “Youth” Vote (BabySakes.com Blog Giveaway Post)

Tiny Democrat Outfit by Wry Baby

Election Year Fever for the Not-Quite-of-Age Crowd
(Please see the end of this article for giveaway details). There are many issues to be thinking about during this campaign season and we here at BabySakes.com understand the balance of power will be decided by this year’s youth vote. The question is… which direction is the youth in your family leaning?

What, they can’t talk yet? Have no fear! In preparation for the November 4th election, we are proud to introduce this collection of perfectly partisan onesies and outfits for the newest members to the party.

Was baby born to be a Democrat? We recommend the dashing Tiny Democrat Snapsuit or Tiny Democrat Outfit (shown above). They certainly rival any Hillary Clinton pantsuit in terms of sheer style and a bold statement.

Teeny Republican Onesie by Wry Baby

Or, maybe baby is a fan of the Grand Ole Party? Then she’ll definitely want to show her colors in the “Teeny Republican” onesie to be worn proudly about town or the matching Teeny Republican baby outfit.

Or perhaps yours has an independent streak and prefers to look at the issues rather than vote party lines. BabySakes offers the Totally Non-Partisan snapsuit as well for this year’s “baby swing” voters.

 

Me for President Baby Tee

Then again, when you are six month’s old, isn’t it really all about you? If baby thinks that she is ready to be “commander” in chief then the “Me for President” long sleeve tee may fit the bill.

Personalized Plates for the Kiddie Crowd
BabySakes.com is also delighted to introduce these partisan plates – handpainted ceramic plates that will become a lasting keepsake and reminder of his life-long party loyalty.

For the conservative eater, the “Born to be a Republican” plate features the trademark GOP elephant.  And the liberal diner can keep company with the democratic donkey whilst eating her mac and cheese with the “Born to be a Democrat” plate.

Born to be a Republican Personalized Plate

BabySakes Blog Giveaway
Which will be the preferred party for babies this season? We will find out… be sure to order your baby’s favorite and we will keep you posted on which way the baby vote is swinging!

Want to win your choice of a “Me for President” t-shirt for your little one (sized at either 0-6 months or 6-12 months) or a $25 BabySakes.com gift certificate? Just make a comment on this blog article (how about a “baby vote” prediction?) and we will randomly select a winner on September 2nd (complete rules here.)

Contest Results
We have a winner! Tracy, who wrote comment #6 is the winner of the Me for President T-Shirt or the $25 BabySakes.com gift certificate. And, for inquiring minds… here is the latest trend from our baby wear (errr… perhaps not quite scientific) prediction model:

Baby Wear Political Trends

Our results show that this year, more babies are more likely to be wearing the Republican brand, although we have not yet established if this is a correlation due to McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as the V.P. running mate. Today’s babies also seem to have quite an independent streak, as a significant number are wearing “Me for President” rather than affiliating with any political potty party.

So, there you have it. Will this prove to be a model that predicts the election results? Only time will tell!

BabySakes.com Introduces Stephen Joseph Gifts

Stephen Joseph Gifts - Foto Friends Frames

BabySakes.com is proud to feature the Stephen Joseph Gifts Collection for baby. Fun, bright colors and cute characters embellish these products which include: photo frames, book ends, growth charts, keepsake boxes, wall art, bibs, burp cloths, fleece blanket sets, onesies, and water bottle holders. From silly monkeys to hot pink flowers this is a collection that can definitely grow with your child.

The photo frames come in various styles and make superb gifts. The Funky Frame collection is functional as well as fun. The wide 1.5″ frames are sturdy enough to use as book ends. Or get the actual book ends, which have room for smaller photos. The Foto Friends collection features Stephen Joseph characters along the top edge of each frame.  

The room decor part of the collection which includes growth charts, keepsake boxes, and wall art with hooks, come in coordinating styles. The growth charts will track your child’s growth from birth to over 60″ in height.  Write the date of each growth milestone in fun glitter pen (not included)  and add special photos in the spaces provided to create a personalized keepsake for years to come. Your kids will love looking back to see how much they have grown. The matching wall art has hooks to help your little ones learn how to hang up their coats and your older children have a place to put accessories such as hats and scarves. The keepsake boxes are big enough to put special drawings and report cards, as well as birthday cards from Grandma.

The fleece blanket sets are great for naptime or long car rides. Made from soft fleece with fun characters, the 11″ x 15″ pillow is big enough for even bigger girls and boys to rest their heads on, and the 30″ x 40″ blankets are soft enough for baby.

Adorable Stephen Joseph Rompers

The onesies, bibs and burp cloths come in girl or boy-specific, as well as gender-neutral styles. They have the fun Stephen Joseph characters as well as silly sayings. Whether it is the silly shark saying “Open Wide, ” the mischievous monkey warning “I Throw Food,” or the funny moose saying “Just Moosing Around,” all the characters will make you smile.

The water bottle holders are a great idea. Made from mesh and decorated with 3-D animal legs and faces and with an adjustable strap that can comfortably hang from a shoulder or a stroller, they are a great solution to the “where’s the sippy cup” dilemma, as the mesh holds either a standard-size water bottle or a sippy cup. Great for toddlers on the go,  to nine-year-old soccer stars, to even, dare we say – grown-ups?

Be sure to check out the entire Stephen Joseph Collection now available at BabySakes!