Reading Gift for a new baby

As my loyal readers know.  I am expecting my second baby boy!  ( I am sooo excited to meet him! only 7 1/2 weeks to go! )  But I also have several ( I mean SEVERAL) friends expecting kids as well!  AND on top of that my Sister in law is also expecting!  Seriously being pregnant at the same time as your friends is THE BEST!  We can all compare notes on anything from bedtime routines to stroller choices and more!

My friend Jeannie is expecting her first baby.  I attended her shower a few weeks ago.  Jeannie did not register for very many things, her sister has a set of twins who are one, so Jeannie will be getting LOTS of hand-me-downs from her sister.

I wasn’t sure what to get her, especially since Jeannie had not revealed the gender of the baby at the time of this shower.

It is so true, that one of my favorite things about being a parent is reading to my son.  I have discovered all the new classics all over again and now I rejoice that I have a 24 month old who can recite books and already knows his ABC’s. ( proud mama brag).

I thought that I would make a ” New Baby reading kit” for Jeannie’s baby and include all the favorite board books that Evan loved when he was a baby.

I went to Barnes and noble and purchased a nice variety of board books.  It was so hard to choose!  There are soooo many good ones!  Board books are the best for kids under 2.  They like to rip pages:)

When I got home, I made 4 pages of labels so Jeannie can put them in all the children’s books that they acquire.   I decided to list these labels as ” Children’s Library”, because obviously if this couple chooses to have more children, they will share books.  I included this in the gift bag as well.

Lastly, I will talk about the canvas bag that I used to hold this gift.

Hobby Lobby carries a variety of ” canvas bags” that are often 40% or 50% off.  If you get them on sale, they are usually cheaper than buying a cute gift bag from Target/ Wal-Mart.   I use a canvas bag to carry books in for library trips.  I thought that this bag would not only be adorable for my gift, but Jeannie and her husband Brad can use this bag to transport books to Grandma’s house or their local library.

I used Puffy Paint to decorate the bag with a quote from Dr. Seuss about reading.  I also Ironed on a cute tree I also found at Hobby Lobby.

I put this gift together the night before the shower, after my little guy had gone to bed.  Sometimes crafting at night alone is the most relaxing thing I can do:)

I took one picture in the car on the way to the shower ( actually, I was in the Starbucks drive thru). Pictures turn out so much better for me in daylight.

I am now working on another one of these for another good friend.  I might switch it up a bit so it is not the same though.

Hope this inspires:)