With Prince George turning 1 today, it’s all about celebrations and presents this month. But it’s not always easy finding something truly special for babies, so here are our top tips for where to buy unique baby presents fit for little princes and princesses:
Go personal
Personalised presents are not only for hard working mums in need of a good changing bag or stylish necklace. It’s also worth looking into personalisation when searching for the ideal baby present, as personalised items can make for really special presents that last.
I’ve long been a fan of Sue Hill children’s clothes, a brand I now also blog for, and I think these handmade baby accessories and clothes make for excellent, quality baby presents. We bought two Sue Hill blankets and more before having our baby daughter, and I later realised we could have had these personalised with initials or name, or we could have had a matching comforter with initials or name. Truly unique!
For a smaller personalised item, we also got a hand-painted hair brush for our baby girl from Babylist in Fulham, and these could be painted with a name too. A very sweet present!
Practical thinking
When we had our daughter, Vicki recommended us to get the double-sided first book from Tiny Love, and we loved this so much that I’ve bought it for several friends with babies as presents too.
It’s important to have some toys in the early days, and this book was the one we felt lasted the longest out of the baby toys we had in the beginning. I think practical toys like this and other black and white toys aimed at newborns can make brilliant baby presents, as it’s more common to give soft toys, and it’s useful to have a mix of both.
Little luxuries
In the first week after having a baby, we were sent a stunning new arrival hamper as a present. A hamper like this one, which was from Fortnum & Mason, is something we would never have bought for ourselves, and it’s so exciting to receive a beautifully-wrapped hamper filled with little luxuries. A great surprise!
For a less expensive option, I think Nonabox is a brilliant alternative for a unique baby present since new parents can receive a box with a selection of products with a combined value which is always higher than the price of the box. Fun for new mums!
And if you prefer to shop from local businesses, I think Chelsea-based Mini-La-Mode is excellent for baby presents, and I love the feel of the pima cotton clothes from here. A baby set from Mini-La-Mode has a luxurious feel and makes a lovely present!
Upcoming classes:
On Thursday August 7th we have our baby routine classes taught by Vicki at the Mermaid Retreat in Chelsea. Contact Vicki here or call 07960 611987 for a chat about which class is most suitable for you and your baby. Class fee is £40, baby can sit with you or make use of the ‘baby zone’ if you’d like your hands free!
We also have our very popular Paediatric First Aid class taking place on Wednesday July 30th at the Mermaid Retreat in Chelsea. Class fee is £75 per person. Please contact Vicki if you are interested.