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.

My Baby Book Stinks!

Victim of Stinky Baby Book

Ok, well… that’s not quite true. My baby book definitely does not stink, because I had a rather nice selection to choose from. But, it just may be that your baby book wasn’t exactly what you were hoping for. Perhaps you bought it only to find out that the memory book pages didn’t collect the information you wanted. Maybe it’s too hard to fill out… or doesn’t have enough space for the things you really want to add. Maybe you received it as a gift and felt obligated to use it, even though you secretly despise the album and want to re-do it. Or, maybe it was poorly constructed causing the binding to come unglued and the pages are falling out. Or, it could be that your two-year-old spilled juice all over it and the pages are now water-warped.

Whatever the disaster may be, it could just be that your baby book simply stinks, and you want a new one, but you have a hard time justifying buying another because you have a perfectly…err… well, not so perfectly good one right now.

We want to hear your story. At BabySakes.com, we understand the importance of a good baby book – it’s the one baby item that your little one is still sure to treasure when they are all grown up. A family heirloom that will be passed down from generation to generation. Just think… one day, your words could be read by your great-great-great grandchildren as part of your family history. After all, it’s a keepsake that’s not to be taken lightly!

That’s why BabySakes.com provides a huge selection of the best baby books we can find with dozens of boutique brands and carefully crafted albums.

Now, back to your lousy book. In the comments below, please let us know why your baby book stinks and deserves to be replaced with a new one. You don’t have to say the brand of the book, or where you bought it…. just why you don’t like it. We will select an entry on September 12th to receive a $75.00 gift certificate towards the baby book of your choice – hooray! (complete rules here) The only catch is that you must report back to let us know which baby book you choose and how you like it when you receive it.

And, with your comments, we might all learn a thing or two about what makes a better baby book.

Which is the best baby book?
To make it even easier to select the perfect baby book, BabySakes.com is now collecting and posting customer reviews of the baby albums they have purchased. These now appear on the product page for each baby album for which reviews have been received. We do not filter these… if the review is negative, we want to know and we want you to know so that you can make the best decision when choosing an album. We even pass this info back to manufacturers to help them with their future products. Thanks to other Moms and Dads, you might just pick up a few tips on which baby memory book will be best for your family!

September 15, 2008 Update – And the Winners Are…
We have completed our drawing and the official winner from a random drawing is Bev, with comment #1. Bev wins the $75 gift certificate of a baby book of her choice! Hooray!

We appreciate all of the stories of your baby book disasters and can’t stand the thought of you all having to be stuck with them.  It’s just too heartbreaking! So, everybody else who submitted to this contest will receive a $30 gift certificate “bonus prize” for taking the time to share (as long as you meet eligibility requirements). We would love to have everybody report back on the baby album that you choose to see if you are able find the perfect baby book for you!

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!