One of the best gifts I ever gave was a ceramic plate. Given to a dear friend on the occasion of her daughter’s baptism, the plate was hand-painted in pink and pale green and featured a cross, just as I had specified.  The baby’s name and baptism date were spelled out in hand-drawn, whimsical letters. I can still recall that feeling of giddy anticipation as I waited for my friend to unwrap that plate.  Here was a gift I would have made myself, just for my friend, if only I possessed the talent. Because I don’t, I did the next best thing: I asked a talented artist to personalize her work to my specifications and together we created a one-of-a-kind gift that I know my friend—and in time, her daughter—will cherish forever. After all, this gift was handmade just for them.

I’ve been giving personalized gifts ever since: a monogrammed dress for a first birthday, a ceramic cross with the name of a niece making her first communion, even a key chain featuring the hand-painted portrait of a friend’s beloved dog. For the next friend who has a baby, I’ll turn a practical gift into a stylish one by ordering monogrammed pacifier clips (those handy gadgets that keep pacifiers connected to baby’s clothing). I’m officially regretting the run-of-the-mill gift card I gave my son’s teacher at the end of the school year; a ceramic plate featuring hand-painted portraits of the children in the class would have meant so much more. And if I could do my wedding over again, I’d give myself and everyone in attendance a gift by ordering a custom-made wedding program that features hand-drawn pictures of each person in the wedding party! 

I’ve discovered there is no end to the type of occasion that can benefit from a personalized gift.  Think beyond baby showers, birthdays, and baptisms.  Have a friend who recently adopted a child?  Help the new family start a tradition of celebrating the day their child arrived, which is sometimes called Gotcha Day or Adoption Day.  This is a perfect way to establish an annual family tradition of honoring your child and emphasizing just how special and unique he or she is. Your gift can be as elaborate as a custom painting of the new family (you provide details like hair color and clothing color) or as simple and inexpensive as a box of sugar cookies featuring the continent of the child’s birth. Whatever you choose, your personalized, handmade gift is proof that you cared enough to give something extra special.

Know someone who recently suffered a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or another type of untimely loss?  When words feel insufficient or escape you altogether, a personalized gift can provide the comfort you long to give.  Jewelry etched with a message you chose, a quilt made of fabric you selected, or a portrait drawn from a picture you provided are gifts that will be cherished forever.

When it comes to giving gifts, nothing says you care better than a personalized gift.  For a complete selection of unique, handmade personalized gifts to mark any occasion, from births to weddings to memorials, visit http://www.cccgifts.com today. 

This is truly a wonderful product. It is amazingly simple and works so well. Palm-Palms are basically stretch terry cloth gloves that are worn by moms and dads when bathing their babies. The product gives the care-giver a no-slip grip on a wet, slippery baby's skin. I, for one, was terrified to give my newborn a bath because of my fear of losing control over her. I tried Palm-Palms early on and they totally solved the problem. They provide the exact same secure feeling of holding the baby in a towel but they're worn on your hands throughout the entire bath. My husband uses them when he showers with our now 17 month old baby. The other great thing about this product is that the design leaves the user's fingers and thumbs mostly exposed so that the baby's skin can be contacted directly and so that water temperature can be tested accurately. This design also makes the gloves very easy to put on and take off and allows me to grab shampoo bottles and baby wash easily. Finally, Palm-Palms can be used instead of washcloths to apply baby wash and shampoo. They come in three colors: blue, pink and white and one size fits all. Palm-Palms are an awesome example of how an incredibly simple product can be incredibly effective. They have become an essential part of baby bath time.

Product Name:  Secrets of Extraordinary New Moms Audios
Rating: 7
Where to Buy: http://www.thrivingafterchildbirth.com
 
Description: This audio program is meant to help new moms find a way to be not only physically fit but also emotionally stable after the birth of their new baby. 

Product Name:  How to Housebreak Your Puppy in as Little as 7 Days
Rating: 7
 
Description: Step by step guide to house-training your dog starting today and in as little as one week no matter the age or the demeanor of your dog. Plus added bonuses that will help in every aspect of training a new puppy.

Product Name:  Better Behavior Wheel 
Rating: 10
 
Description: A device that will help you have children who are better behaved in a week!

Review: This little device takes all the shouting, arguing and frustration out of disciplining your children.  Invented by parents who have been there (and what parent hasn't been to the point all they know to do is yell) this technique has worked wonders for their family and many other alike. 

Product Name:  101 Ways How To Enterain Your Toddler
Rating: 7 out of 10
Where to Buy: http://www.howtoentertainyourtoddler.com
 
Description: The complete guide on how to keep your toddler happy and entertained for days and days.

Review: I have a grandson who is a little over 2 years old.  Trying to keep him busy is a daunting chore.  He loves to play and watch videos but as most toddlers do he becomes bored and wants to move on to something else and fairly quickly.  This guide helped me give him things to do to keep him occupied and happy day in and day out.  

Product Name: The Baby Sleep Solution Audio Program  
Rating: 9
Where to buy: babysleepsolution.com

Description:  A 35-minute audio that will show you how you can get your baby to go to sleep easily and stay asleep through the night.  

Review: There are many reasons why a baby won’t go to sleep easily and stay that way all night.  Those of us who have been awake for hours on end don’t believe that until we have the proof it’s possible.  This audio can give you that proof.

Many people in Canada have been interested in purchasing Dreamer Design strollers, but it is not easy to do. People in Canada can find the strollers at on line retailers the problem is that many of the on line retailers do not ship to Canada or if they the extra costs of getting the stroller to Canada is prohibitively expensive.

All of us spend money in different ways. I have one sister that will only shop at two very exclusive clothing stores. She likes the quality of the clothing and the way it fits her. The clothing is very expensive so she only buys a few basic pieces each season. This works for her because she is a nurse and works in a clinic. She wears uniforms to work everyday, so her expensive clothing is for weekends. I need to dress in business casual clothing for my job. This means that my wardrobe is larger than hers and that I need to purchase clothing that is more reasonably priced. My other sister buys all of her clothing at discount stores. She does not care about clothing and likes to spend her money on furnishing her home. We all seem to put our money in where are interests are.

 

Many moms tell me that when they decided to have children they thought about having babies to cuddle, but the reality of older children didn’t hit them until they got there. They love their children all the same, but they miss the days when the baby would just lie there and cuddle with them, and then go back to sleep. I guess I was a little different, as I always thought about the days when the child would be older and we could communicate better, do more things together, and have a special bond. I couldn’t wait for my little girl to get out of her high chair, but I guess I was one of the few among the other moms I know.