I have a question - does anyone know where to get attractive, modern-ish outdoor toys/furniture for kids? Everything is so plastic and somehow threatens to transform our sweet, mellow backyard into Disneyland. Any help greatly appreciated!!!

This question deserves its own thread - watch for it on Friday!

i have no baby experience (i've held, like, 2 in my entire life) but a friend is having one (and soon! yay!) and i want to get something truly smart for her shower... i'm thinking of 'smart' toys (educational, developmental, etc) or something so damn clever a new mom (in a small space) would absolutely love me for gifting it to her... i saw a recent post here about the best/worst shower gifts, but it didn't inspire me much.

anyone want to throw a few ideas my way? i can't spend much, but i want it to be extra special.

i loved those kipiis clips, http://kipiis.com/, and will order them, but those seem more like a stocking stuffer than a full blown gift. but something along those lines...very cool!

i've been googling for days...and my google-fu is fading!

Hi kdkaboom,

You might want to check out oompa.com or rompbklyn for some cool toy ideas and fun browsing.

The boon frog has been really popular
http://tinyurl.com/399ld5
and you can get some great bath stuff to go with (like the california baby line, or weleda, rather than the typical johnson and johnson). That's been a standard for me. I'm also a big fan of flensted mobiles
http://hanneby.com/
which are so lovely they'll last through toddler years and beyond.

Congrats to your friend!

kdkaboom, the best gift I received was small baskets with supplies. My friend gave me three small, non-baby colored baskets. Each was filled with diapers, desitin, wipes, and a small toy. The baskets weren't pink or blue, but something that went with my decor. One basket for the living room, one in my bedroom, and one that could move around. So no matter what room I was in I had supplies. Because honestly, most the time you change the baby wherever you are. Hope it helps.

thank you both so much! ideas aplenty! :)

i've decided to get two gifts - one for mom, one for baby. mom's getting a gift certificate to a spa in her neighborhood. baby might be getting this:

http://babystyle.com/common/dProductDetail.asp?PMID=17805

but i'm iffy...because i'm wondering if that turtle is something *I* want, or something the mama might want... ok, so i want it :)

i do appreciate the assistance, very much!

katy

Try www.tonichome.com for some great outdoor kid's furniture. It's a little pricey, but I love the set I got for my three little ones. I especially love that no one else in our neighborhood has the same thing!

kdkaboom,

Not to be a spoilsport, but I'd just ask her where she's registered. Unless she lives in some huge house/apartment, she probably doesn't want a lot of extraneous stuff. I know I am fearing getting tons of toys and clothes that I will just have to return.

My wife and I were most appreciative of the practical baby supply gifts we got from experienced parents. Some things we had not even thought of, like nice cloth diapers to use as burp cloths. When our baby turned out to have acid reflux and spit up all the time they came in quite good use. Squid's supply baskets idea is a good one. I would appreciate those much more than a glowing turtle, cute as it is.

On the less practical side, a coworker bought our daughter two boxes of Trumpette socks. One box look like ballet slippers and the other like maryjane shoes. We love those.
http://www.babybella.biz/trumpette_baby_socks?gclid=CLOxsb7uhowCFRVQUAod1kAKxw

i'm just starting to put together ideas for a nursery for my first. as a lover of modern furniture, i can't seem to get behind the traditional gliders. i've been thinking about what i would want and found on AT the Luca Glider which is wonderful, but it's also $900. I have seen this rocker at Room and Board which seem nice as well:
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=4107166&cat=42

what's the difference between rockers and gliders, and which do all of you expert moms prefer?

thanks....