The newest news in baby essentials is a desire for stuff that is handcrafted and artisanal. Our world keeps moving faster and fashion has become more disposable. No one cares anymore if you have the latest name brand. It’s not so luxurious to have something everybody else has .  No one wants to see  their favorite baby blanket on every stroller and have the same shopping cart cover as everyone else at the store.

This post-recession wariness of conspicuos consumption  and an interest in saving the earth has changed the definition of luxury. Fashion forward Moms are more interested in what is real and lasting. People have begun to cherish the handmade blankets and baby quilts that grandma use to make.

If you don’t have a crafty aunt or grandma, you can still find amazing one of kind handcrafted blankets and quilts. At Namely Newborns you can adopt a creative Grandma by the name of Kay. She makes fabulous stuffed toys like the Humpty Dumpty pictured above. Baby’s name is needlepointed on a wrist band attached to the doll’s wrist.  These dolls can be made in any color combination to match your nursery.

 She also sews many of our luxury quilts. Using old- fashioned skills combined with modern fabrics and technology , her quilts are 100% cotton ,machine washable and stuffed with hypoallergenic batting so the most sensitive baby will sleep comfortably under these works of art. She uses old fashion patterns like the rocking horse pattern or modern ABC patterns.  Each quilt is made individually and she often needlepoints names and birthdates to personalize each quilt.

Handcrafted blankets by Michelle are another way to enjoy a bit of tradition. Michelle is a young artist who has designed a line of whimsical cotton and minky blankets and quilts with beautiful animals like elephants and giraffes as well as  butterflies. The hand of the artist is evident in the intricate stitiching.We add baby’s name and birthdate with our custom embroidery. No other baby will have exactly the same blanket.

The birth of a new baby especially the first born is a celebration. The newbie parents are bombarded with calls of congratulations and gifts. If you want to send a gift that will stand out,a gift that will be a keepsake, here are our suggestions. These are gifts that will stand the test of time, never be returned because you have personalized them.

The easiest way to personalize a gift is to embroider a name and
birthdate on the blanket, stuffed animal, quilt, carseat cover ,or paint  the name on picture frames and bookends.This will turn the most ordinary gift into an instant keepsake.

Not satisfied with just adding personalizaton.If you are looking for a unique baby gift, one that puts your personal stamp on it; we have the answer. At Namelynewborns we have had unusual requests for personalization that have produced extraordinary gifts. We learn from our customers and would like to share some of the top personalized gifts that we have created.

Here are ten great ideas to create a keepsake baby gift.
l. A first time Mother requested that the Lord’s Prayer be sewn in the pocket of a pink Sleepyhead Bunny. It would be a special message from her to her daughter that would not be obvious to any casual observer, but she and her daughter would know where to look for it.

2. A Church welcomed all new babies in their congregation with blue and  pink lamb blankees embroidered with the psalm ” You are wonderfully made” .

3. Twins of a racing enthusiast received custom blankets with images of a nascar embroidered in the corner along with their names,

Custom Blankets with Nascar Logo for twins

4. An aunt sent her new nephew a custom quilt with images of hand
appliqued airplanes because his dad was a pilot.

5. The family of an American baby born in Cologne , Germany, wanted him to remember the place of his birth, so we customed their quilt with appliqued images of the Cologne Cathedral.

6.  Many sports enthusiast have sent our football, baseball , and
basketball handcrafted blankets with their favorite teams embroidered on the blanket as well as their baby’s name.

A custom baseball gift for the little slugger

5. One of the most touching gifts was from a Father who was on leave from Irag. He wanted two of the same pink blanket for his newborn baby girl ; each would be embroidered with the message, “I Love You …..( the name), From Daddy. He would not be there for her birth , but wanted her to always be covered in one of his blankets.

6. Hand painted growth charts can be customed to match the nursery and include baby’s name and birthdate.

7. Baby wipe cases can be covered in sports fabric of the NBA or NFL teams.

8. Shopping cart covers and infant carseat covers can be personalized with the child’s name preceded by Prince or Princess for a royal seat for the car of shopping cart.

9. Baby Books make great gifts and it is easy to hand write a personal message inside the cover.

10. Custom baby quilts offer the most ways of creating an heirloom.
Fabric from Mom’s wedding gown, a special keepsake handkerchief from
the family, fabric from the nursery bedding or a favorite stuffed toy can be incorporated to make the quilt uniquely ones own.
A gift message from the sender can be embroidered on the quilt or on a
quilt tag on the back of the quilt.

Many families reuse baby quilts and embroider each baby’s name on the
quilt and pass it on to the next new baby in the family.

No matter what you choose, by adding baby’s name to the gift, your gift is sure to please.

Before you had a baby, you never really thought about how dirty shopping carts are, did you?  The first time you saw your baby teething on the handlebar, you cringed.

Yes, shopping carts are very dirty and they carry a lot of germs.  According to a University of Arizona study, shopping carts carry more germs than public toilets.  Yuck!

So what can you do to protect your little one (and you for that matter) from germs?  We offer 3 tips to help you protect your child from germs.

1.Sanitizing Wipes

Look out for sanitizing wipes when you enter the store.  Give the handlebar and seat a quick wipe down to kill germs.

2.Cart Wash

Some stores have these super cool shopping cart sanitizer machines (as seen in the video below).  Take the time to push your cart through before you use it to pick up your groceries.

3. Shopping Cart Covers

Not every store offers the above options to clean a cart.  You can take matters into your own hand by making sure you have a shopping cart cover in your car.  That way you can always use it in any store to protect your baby from germs.  A shopping cart cover protects your baby from contact with the cart and gives her a cushy seat.

Shopping cart covers are washable, so you can throw it in the washer to get rid of germs and dirt.  As an added bonus, most of them serve double duty as a cover for a restaurant high chair – another germy object.

If you put a little effort into it, you’ll make sure you come home from the store with your groceries – and without the germs.

Video: ABC News
Photo: edenphotos