What is the one thing we as moms always dread wasting our money on (or is it just me?)?  DIAPERS!  i like giving diapers at baby showers and watching the sigh of relief as the mommy opens it.  She knows that is one less trip to the store just for diapers…again.  The only problem with giving diapers is that while practical, it is not very personable or unique (you can admit it, we always want our gift to stand out).  In comes Lil Baby Cakes and their adorable baby shower gifts to the rescue.  The diaper cakes would also be great if you are the one hosting.  How amazing would one of these look as the center piece?  It can double as your gift so you are actually multitasking.  What woman doesn’t like a little multitasking?

Each diaper cake is made with Pamper Swaddlers diapers.  If the mommy-to-be is choosing cloth diapers, all designs are available with cloth diapers upon special request.  They range from a mini 2 tiered cake, all the way up to a magnificent, show stopping 6 tiered cake.  Every diaper cake also comes with baby supplies and/or a snugly, stuffed Gund animal.  The best part, ALL diapers are usable!  If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for, let Candy and her team create the perfect diaper cake for you to get all the ooh and aahs.

So you heard someone else is bringing the diaper cake, and now you have no idea what to do (after a few tears and unsuccessful convincing she bring perhaps some adorable clothes).  Go back to Lil Baby Cakes and take a look at the other baby gifts they offer.  Does the daddy-to-be have hopes of a golf prodigy?  They have the sweetest My First Golf Bag.  Maybe daddy has dreams of fishing trips (all the fun stuff isn’t just for mommy.  daddy needs to feel a part of it all too, right?), how about My First Tackle Box.  These are too cute!  How can you resist saying no?  We all know how important a good relationship with daddy is.  It starts from the beginning and what a better way help daddy along in his sometimes awkward journey of parenthood.  These would be perfect especially if the gender is unknown.  Every little girl likes to be involved in whatever daddy is.  i’m a girl and i like fishing:)

Lil Baby Cakes has been in business since 1998 and has a “Word of Honor” guarantee.  Here is what they say “Our top priority is for you to be thrilled with your purchase. But if for any reason you aren’t (though we can’t imagine why you wouldn’t be!) we’ll cheerfully refund your money or replace your diaper cake.You have our word on it.”  Now you have no excuse not showing up with a sumptuous gift.

Do you want to be the friend with a stand out present at the baby shower?  i have found the cutest newborn outfit that is sure to get a laugh and be used….newborn baby scrubs.  They are just as comfy as the grown up version.  The shirt pocket has the perfect place to write down the “specs”.  It would be really cute to have your hospital visitors write a word they want to speak into the new little one, and sign their name with the included permanent pen.  It is large enough to fit a newborn up to 10 pounds (if the baby is that big, my hat goes off to the mama!!!)  The scrubs come in surgical blue or baby pink and arrive in a gift envelope with a display window.

Sometimes i feel our American traditions are too commercial and not all that special. i confess, i do get envious of other culture’s traditions that seem special and close knit. i have to admit though, when i first heard about a Mother Blessing, i was a little wiggly in my chair. As with anything new, especially traditions, it can make one uncomfortable. Coming from the beautiful state of Oregon, my mind first went to the hippie place and though i am a nature lover, by no means a hippie. Upon further research i found this amazing experience.

~~The Blessingway Origin~~

The story of the creation of the Navajo people and their emergence onto their sacred homeland is recounted in a ceremony known as the Blessingway, which is the foundation of the Navajo way of life. Blessingway focuses on the story of Changing Woman, who is the inner form of the Earth through its seasonal transformations. She is the major deity for the Navajo.
The Navajo are instructed that in the beginning, First Man and First Woman emerged onto this world near Huerfano Mountain in New Mexico. One day, First Man found a baby on a nearby mountain. The baby matured in four days and became Changing Woman. Changing Woman created the four original Navajo clans from her body. Her sons rid the land between the four sacred mountains of dangerous monsters and made it safe for the clans to inhabit. The Blessingway recounts in detail the instructions Changing Woman gave to the Navajo people she created. These teachings concern history and major religious practices, such as girl’s puberty rite and the consecration of a family’s home. When performed in its entirety, the Blessingway is a two-day ceremony whose purpose is to obtain peace, harmony, protection, and to help realize the goal of a long happy life.

<p align=”center”>~~The Modern Mother Blessing~~

In the American culture, baby showers attempt to honor the mama-to-be. For the most part it becomes a showering of gifts for the baby doing little for the rite of passage for the mama. While baby showers can be a little commercial, the Mother Blessing is the exact opposite. The Mother Blessing is

~~The Basics~~

Who’s coming? Keep it intimate and small. Only invite those the mama is close to and can positively contribute. Don’t invite anyone just because you feel obligated. A group of more than 15 can become cumbersome. If there are more than 15 you really want to attend, keep the Mother Blessing intimate and have a reception after or have a celebration after the baby is born.

Where do we go? The best place is the mama-to-be’s home (offer to clean her home as a gift). This way, you can bless her home as an activity. If this isn’t an option, a nearby home of a participant or an outdoor setting that is calm.

What atmosphere? Think intimate. First and foremost, turn off all phones and pagers! Consider playing relaxing music, burning scented candles or incense. If it’s cold and you have a fireplace, this is a wonderful time to put it to good use.

Did someone say food? All of the food should have meaning. Think homemade and from the heart. Maybe have everyone bring a dish that is the mama-to-be’s comfort food, or a favorite food (a great excuse for a chocolate feast).

~~Rituals~~

You can adapt any of these or even make up your own and adjust them to the mama-to-be’s belief system. Whatever you do, make sure it encourages the mama-to-be. Begin with an invocation or prayer. End by thanking everyone for their positive contributions, and if you are giving little “favors” such as a candle or scented soap, have each guest take one as a reminder of their wishes they are to keep making until after the baby is born.

~Create a birthing necklace. It is intended for the woman to wear during birth to bring strength and positive energy. Ask each woman attending to bring a bead that best represents their wish for the mother and baby during labor and delivery. Pass around the string or wire cut for the necklace. Have each woman explain the significance of the bead they chose. You can even pass around a journal at the same time so the woman can write the meaning (we know preggo brain).

~The foot bath and hair brushing maybe the most intimate activity. Wash the mama’s feet in a small bath filled with flower petals or essential oils. Drying the feet with cornmeal will impart a nice glow that symbolizes luck and protection as she walks on her path. You can simultaneously brush/braid her hair or do them as separate activities. You can finish off the hair brushing time by decorating her hair with flowers. This would be a great time for storytelling.

~Storytelling is meant to encourage the mother (keep the horror stories to yourself please). You can have the other woman tell their own birthing stories, maybe say how they know the mama-to-be, or maybe even tell inspirational stories of motherhood. You can even invite the guests to read encouraging poetry.

~Smudging is taken from the Navajo tradition of the Blessingway. It is meant to cleanse and purify the home. A bundle of dried sage is lite, then the flame is blown out, and the sage is allowed to slowly burn down.

~Create a belly cast or paint the mama-to-be’s belly with henna or body paints.

~Lighting candles. You can have each woman bring a candle from home and light it at the beginning of the Mother Blessing. You can also incorporate candle making into one of your activities. These candles are to be taken home by each woman present and lit when she hears the mama is in labor.

~Making “help” lists isn’t part of the traditional ceremony, however a great idea. Have the guests commit to bringing a meal over after the baby is born. Also, create a list to help with housework. As any new mommy can tell you, this is the best gift of all

~Meditation stones. Have each woman paint or write a wish for the mama while she is in labor. Place all the dried stones in a basket and she has a great focal point for labor.

~Wrist Binding is probably the best way to end a Mother Blessing. Use a ball of wool, hemp, or cotton. Have all the woman stand in a tight circle and wrap the string around each woman’s wrist. After the string has been passed you can use this time to say a prayer for the mama-to-be, recite poetry, or just be reminded how we are all united. Then have each woman cut their string and tie it around their wrist. It is meant to be a reminder until the mama-to-be has given birth.