Oh, Baby, What a Great Gift! by Mary Hunt on Creators.com

Recently

Make Your Own Sanitizing Wipes Dear Mary: I would like to find a recipe to make hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Do you know of one? — Delores, e-mail Dear Delores: I have been thinking about the same thing, now that we're learning that products like Purell are …Read more. 7 Simple Ways To Stretch Food Further Buying groceries on sale and cooking meals at home are excellent ways to keep the cost of food under control, but there are other things we can do. Here, for your enjoyment, are simple ways other "Everyday Cheapskate" readers make food and …Read more. Why You Can't Afford Credit Card Debt Last year, the Federal Reserve Board announced new rules for banks that issue credit cards. The rules will remove unfair credit card practices. Months later, Congress passed into law the new Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure …Read more. For You: A Few of My Favorite Things Last year, a friend of mine had the best idea. She made gift baskets for her friends filled with her favorite things. Taking a nod from her, I'd like to give you a virtual basket filled with some of my personal favorite things. —Real Salt. I'm …Read more.

Oh, Baby, What a Great Gift!

If there are expectant parents in your circle of friends, you may be racking your brain to come up with a gift for the baby that will be useful, unique and affordable. I've got an idea. Create a "Baby's Medicine Cabinet" gift basket.

This may not be the flashiest gift at the baby shower, but you'll be the hero later on, when frightened parents realize you have armed them with the over-the-counter medicines and treatments most often recommended by pediatric health professionals. You'll save them from the stress of a middle-of-the-night search for a 24-hour pharmacy.

Here's a list of items to include in your gift basket:

—Infant rectal thermometer. While there are several models, Vicks baby rectal thermometer gets rave reviews for its accuracy and ease of use. Retail: $15.

—Tylenol concentrated infant drops. Doctors often recommend this for babies who have just been given their immunizations, have teething pain or are running fevers. Retail: $7.99.

—Motrin infant drops, which contain ibuprofen. This is another pain reliever and fever reducer that should be included in your gift basket to make sure you've covered all the bases. Retail: $9.99.

—Little Noses decongestant nose drops. When babies are congested and have difficulty breathing, pediatricians often recommend saline nose drops to loosen and thin the mucus secretions and to aid respiration.

Retail: $5.99.

—Pedialyte. Doctors prescribe this product to prevent dehydration when children are vomiting or have diarrhea. Retail: $8.99 for four 8-ounce bottles.

—A+D zinc oxide diaper rash cream with aloe. This is the diaper rash cream of choice for most pediatric health professionals. Retail: $5.99.

—Hydrogen peroxide. A fresh bottle is great to have on hand to treat minor scrapes and cuts. Retail: $1.99.

—Neosporin antibiotic cream plus pain relief. This ointment soothes a child's painful cuts, scrapes and burns while preventing infection. Retail: $5.99.

Fill out the gift basket with a bib, baby rattle, pacifier or kid-friendly Band-Aids. Wrap it in cellophane. Add a cute gift tag and your gift is complete.

Here's another idea: Create a second basket for the new grandparents. I can tell you from personal experience that they will have loaded up with all kinds of equipment and supplies but will have forgotten to stock any kind of infant medicines and health treatments. How quickly we forget.

By the way, my first grandson was born strong and healthy July 7, 2009. His name is Elijah. I can assure you that his grandparents are totally smitten.

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

Comments

Email updates

RSS Feed