Getting Organized for the New Baby – Pt. 1

“Nesting” is a soon-to-be parent’s instinct to prepare their “empty nest” to become full and busy; and with this generally comes organization, cleanliness and preparation. After all, you’ll need to make plenty of room for that new bundle of joy and all his/her necessities! If you’ve been hit with the nesting instinct, its best to make the most of it now before life becomes more hectic after the baby arrives.

Stock Up on Essentials: Although they’re tiny, babies go through endless diapers and other essentials. Load up on baby soap, bottles, bibs, baby powder, etc. Basically, pick up everything you won’t want to run out of during a busy day.

Load Up the Pantry: You likely won’t have much time for grocery shopping when the baby comes, so it’s best to stock up now on non-perishables. Load up on healthy, convenient foods such as trail mix, crackers, brown rice, healthy sauces and broths, etc. Make a space for baby food, cereal, formula, spoons, and bowls.

Prepare the Nursery: Keep the necessities you know you’ll need close at hand. This way, you can avoid having a naked, messy baby on the changing table when the clean diapers and wipes are across the room. We suggest investing in a handy hanging diaper stacker. Now’s also a great time to organize the closet and drawers.

The Rise of Personalized Gifts

Whether it’s Christmas, a baby shower or a birthday, a personalized gift is a great way to show a new or expecting mom just how truly special she is. Personalized gifts from Purple Pumpkin are a perfect way to stand out in a crowd, and they can make an average present into something meaningful that is cherished forever. There is much truth to the saying ‘It’s the thought that counts”!

When a gift for a new mom or baby has been custom-made or personalized, there’s no doubt it will become a keepsake. Once the baby shower or baby’s first birthday party has ended, Mom will go home and sort through her large pile of new gifts. She will likely find items she already has plenty of, duplicate gifts, or gifts that don’t match her or her baby’s needs. It’s likely they will be returned to the store, be donated or even collect dust. However, a precious gift such as a personalized baby blanket or a personalized toy chest possesses more meaning, as it was tailored specifically for her.

The most important aspect about the art of gift-giving is showing that you know the recipient really well, and that you care about them. Practicality of the gift is important to consider as well, but it’s amazing what a little bit of customization can do to make a special day or event even more memorable.

Preparing for a Flight with Your Baby

Many of us travel to see friends and family for the holidays – babies included! It’s crucial to prepare adequately for your little one’s first flight, but as a first-time parent (or even for the seasoned parent with their newest bundle of joy in tow), it required a lot of preparing and planning just to take a stroll at the nearby park. Trips in general, whether they are day trips or an extended stay, can be a stressful time – especially when you consider everything you need for your baby.

The first step to reducing your travel stress is by packing the right diaper bag essentials for your baby or toddler. Starting your trip stressed and disorganized is not a good sign for the upcoming adventure! Give yourself a head start in preparing and start with the number one essential: the diaper bag.

Your everyday diaper bag may be smaller in size in order to accommodate wipes, diapers, a spare change of clothes, a bottle and an extra pacifier. However, your travel bag should be larger to allow for extra essentials to get you through a day of flights, layovers or car trips. You don’t want to lose precious travel time by running to a store en-route because you forgot a necessity.

As for the contents of your diaper bag, here’s a list of the must-have’s that will help make your trip a success for both of you!

• Diapers (one per hour, or training pants for potty-training toddlers)

• Wipes

• Diaper rash ointment

• Wash cloth, burp cloth and a hand towel

• Two to three personalized baby bibs

• Bottle(s) or sippy cup (one sippy cup is generally sufficient, but you’ll need more than one bottle depending on the length of your trip and your child’s needs

• Formula, milk or breast milk — prepared and chilled

• Baby food with baby-safe utensils

• Bottled water

• Snacks (you can keep snacks for you or older children in your baby’s diaper bag)

• Extra clothes for baby (two or three bodysuits, shirts and bottoms)

• Baby/toddler-safe toys (don’t overstuff, but choose at least one or two you know will keep your child entertained and happy)

• Hand sanitizer

• Two pacifiers

• Travel-size first-aid kit

Purple Pumpkin featured on Fox 29 News

Fun Facts About Piggy Banks

Piggy banks have been around for a long, long time. The material often used for them is called Pygg. It dates back to the Middle Ages, and it was originally used because it was cheap. It is an orange color and was used to make pygg jars and pots. During the 18^th century, pygg banks were introduced. From personalized piggy banks to generic versions, these keepsakes would come in handy whenever folks could save an extra coin or two.

Even though we no longer make coin holders out of the orange pygg clay, the banks are shaped like pigs to pay homage to this historical fact.

Great for Gifts!

While most people associate personalized piggy banks with childhood, you can enjoy them at any time in your life. Companies often make them to be used for promotional purposes. These personalized piggy banks make popular gifts for people of all ages. They make fun keepsake gifts that can be used by children to adults.

We offer different shapes and designs of piggy banks that you can personalize to make the perfect gift. Choose from painted pigs, elephants, tigers, airplanes, or trains to get the right look for your little money saver. 

Making Bath Time Fun

Though that first bath with your newborn may seem a bit tricky at first, bath time can become a great way to bond. For guaranteed fun, try these games and activities on your little one and see which ones make him or her smile.

Jump In: Is your baby still wary of the water? Slide into the tub with her, and she’ll feel secure as she adjusts to the sensation of the water.

Break Out the Toys and Bubbles: There’s endless bathtime toys out there to guarantee fun in the tub. Rubber ducks and other water animals encourage imaginary play, and plastic sups will teach him about filling and pouring. Or, use bubble wands or a powered bubble blower and he’ll be sure to love watching them float through the air.

Tickle Her Senses: When its time to dry off,your baby will get a kick out of touching the soft washcloths and towels. Our fluffy monogrammed hooded towels will add even more fun as they’ll feature her favorite animal or pattern.

Sing While You Soap: For a baby, the simple act of bathing is a big sensory experience. Add a song or any soothing sounds, and you’ve got yourself a bathtime hit. With a mashup for for-the-tub tunes like “Rubber Ducky”, your baby will love it – even if you’re way off-key!

Adorable new baby clothes