Not-Your-Typical Baby Gifts that Will Secure You Favourite Friend Status

You’ve seen those lists out there. They are all titled similarly, like “The Only Baby Registry List You’ll Ever Need” or whatever. Most of them list useful items for baby like soothers, blankets, hooded towels, snot suckers and a few things for Mom, like nursing pads, bras and maybe even that fancy nipple cream.

I admit that I built a registry just like that and we have received some wonderful gifts for both me and Froggy.

Things you should add to your registry that you otherwise won't even think about till you need them.

BUT, as I journey through this pregnancy as a busy modern woman with a full-time job, two blogs, a husband, a dog, two cats and the desire to still remain somewhat sane while being a ‘good mother’ - there are some off-the- beaten path items I feel could be useful when baby arrives and would be great to get as gifts.

Without further ado, my ‘off the beaten path’ baby registry list:

A couple of Digital Camera SD cards

Are you a picture-o-holic? I sure am. I rarely leave the room without my Nikon and that’s just because I’m a blogger. I can’t imagine how snap happy I’ll be once the baby comes. All my instincts (and experience with friends) says you are going to be taking a gazillion baby and family photos. What a great way to keep them organized and in one place than with a dedicated high-definition SD card. I plan to buy a few to devote just to baby to keep them separate from my work photos.

An online magazine subscription

It’s rare that I actually read a magazine article these days, unless it’s truly compelling. But I love to have lazy afternoons in bed surfing through digitized versions of my favorite eye candy publications. Last year, we bought a subscription to Texture, which lets you download dozens of Canada’s top magazines onto your phone or tablet and surf through them with a swipe of your index finger. It’s about $10 a month and I expect will be well worth it around breastfeeding and quiet time.

Lawn mowing (or snow removal)

Okay, so I never mow the lawn. This is strictly my husband’s domain. He inherited a green thumb and a cooking gene and I did not. From about May to October, mowing the lawn takes my husband a good couple of hours per week, if not more. A paid service to have that taken care of for the first summer that baby is around would be divine. And lest we forget those horrible winters where new Moms can feel completely housebound. Paying to have a local service clear the driveway and the walk-up to the front door is an extremely thoughtful (and safety conscious!) gift.

A stocked cleaning caddy

Not everyone is comfortable having a cleaning person come to their homes. (Although, if you’d like to buy a new Mom a gift card for a month or two of Molly-Maid, that’s definitely a great gift.) But for the Do-It-Herself Mom who likes her routine, a fully stocked cleaning caddy is an awesome off-the-beaten-path gift. I know I’d love to receive one! Handled caddies can be purchased at any big box store. The just deck it out like a gift basket with all-natural cleaning solutions, window cleaners, laundry soaps, rags, scouring pads and stain remover. Sure, it’s not glamorous - but it’s so nice to have something that’s portable, easy to corral and fully stocked.

A new vacuum cleaner

One up from the stocked cleaning caddy, is a brand new dust-sucking vacuum. I have heard from practically every single new Mom that ‘yumpies’ on the floor are enemy number one as soon as Baby starts to enjoy tummy time. Opt for a vacuum with a HEPA- filter and an easy release canister for fast emptying and clean-up. And, don’t forget the pet hair attachment if it’s a dog or cat household. I couldn’t live without my pet hair vacuum for even one solitary second.

Dog sitting

Speaking of dogs - dog sitting. Not dog walking or dog grooming. Dog sitting. Especially if the dog is a giant one. We all love our pets. They were our children before we had children. But for large family get togethers, some holidays, home renovations, weekend trips to see Gramma - it’s nice to know that Fido has a place to go stay where he’ll be safe, have fun, be well looked after and be out of the way. In fact, it’s a great idea to pre-buy the dog sitting and arrange for it to kick in as soon as your new Mom friend goes into labor. That way, if they end up in the hospital for a few days, they won’t have to worry about someone having to go into the house to walk and feed the dog.

Food Delivery or Frozen Meals

I asked a bunch of my new Mamma friends to tell me what they appreciated most in that first month after bringing home baby and every single one of them said a freezer stocked with nutritious, easy to heat, meals. A couple even mentioned how important it is to have foods on hand that you can eat with one hand. If you’re really on the ball with planning a gift for your pregnant friend, consider setting up a meal schedule so that a few friends rotate dinner deliveries to the house for the first few weeks.

Am I missing anything? What else would you add to an off-the-beaten path baby registry? I’m all ears :)