(this gift certificate was created online, for free, in 5 seconds at IvyJoy.com)

I haven’t posted any new gift ideas in awhile! That’s because (as Ms. Gift mentions) GiftGirl and I recently welcomed GiftBaby to our family!

I’m tired. Very tired. So is GiftGirl.

We have received many, many wonderful gifts from family, friends, co-workers, and even clients!

All of the gifts have been much appreciated, and we are very thankful.

But, the best gifts we have received have been from family and friends who have come to our home and given their time. My mother has come a number of times and helped out with dishes, laundry, making beds, etc. My sister-in-law came over and cleaned our bathrooms and vacuumed! My father, step-mother, and mother-in-law have all come over bearing food! OK, so they bought the food - but they took the time to think about it, pick it up, bring it over, and eat with us. (my sister-in-law, the same one who toiled in the bathrooms cooked a homemade brisket that took 4 hours to cook - yummy!)

If you are trying to figure out what to give to an expecting mother (and dad too), think about giving your time to help them around the house.

Here are some ideas:

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Vacuuming
• Bathrooms (this is truly a gift!)
• Running errands
• Cooking
• Yard work

Or, just a general offer to take care of whatever needs doing

This gift can be given before or after the baby is born. Consider giving someone a homemade gift certificate at the baby shower, bringing it to the hospital, mailing it, e-mailing it, whatever.

Above I mentioned that the gift certificate I created for the image was from IvyJoy.com. Here are some other sites that can also help you create customized gift certificates:

• LastMinute.com
• Regiftable.com
• GiftCardDesigner.com
• MicroSoft Office Gift Certificate Templates

The sites listed above are OK, but not great - so if anyone knows of another website where you can generate a personalized gift certificate, let us know!

Check out this page on our site for additional expectant/new mother gift ideas …

With GiftGuy away taking care of the new addition to the family I decided to stay with the baby theme.

The announcement and arrival of a newborn typically comes with…presents! Blankets, clothes, toys, diapers, cookies… Wait, cookies?

Ok, maybe everyone doesn’t receive cookies but they should with this great idea from Mrs. Beasley’s Bakery.

Mrs. Beasley’s, known for their delicious baked goods, features a baby book filled with some tasty treats for Mom. The box (which is perfect for storing baby photos, hospital bands, cards, etc) comes with 50 mini cookies and 6 brownies along with a personal page for recording baby milestones.

The best part is it only costs $29.95! A perfect gift upon arrival or even as part of a baby shower present. Order your Mrs. Beasley Baby Book today!

With GiftGuy and GiftGirl welcoming GiftBaby this week (Congrats GiftFamily!) it had me thinking about cool gifts for new moms.

I came across the Oopa Baby Cashmere Baby Sling at My Kidz Got Style and had to read more.

The sling is not only made of cashmere (love it) but it is designed to be stylish, can be worn in a variety of positions and each one is hand-made and one of a kind. (Red is the only color they have available) It is one size only, measures 78″ in length, has no pocket and is dry clean only.

Being cashmere it’s a little pricey ($405) but just think how comfortable and soft both mom and baby will feel in it. I’m sure any mom would be grateful for this gift.

Check out the My Kidz Got Style blog for some other cool ideas for new moms and kids.

And, be sure to browse our own page with additional gift ideas for expecting mothers …

I saw not too long ago that Jessica Alba received a diaper cake from her mother (I think) at her baby shower. I’m trying to find the article I read specifically, but all I’ve been able to come up with so far is this picture of an article in People magazine which references the cake in question.

In my research, I also found mention of a Sex and the City episode where Carrie and Samantha give Miranda a diaper cake.

If you want to get your diaper cake from the same, trendy store that Jessica received hers from, check out Intuition’s online shop (the store is located on 10581 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles).

I’m more of a believer of buying from “the little guy” and “good people”, and I was lucky enough to find Belinda Wasser’s Blueberry Babies online, and the diaper cakes she offers:

pink orchids	blue mums

mint green gladiolas	pink safari daisies

For those of you who want to do-it-yourself, check out this tutorial on how to make a diaper cake.

Check out this page on our site for additional gift ideas for expecting moms …

Know someone who can’t find anything in the mess they created for themselves?

Then, a great gift idea is to treat them to a gift certificate for a professional organization session!

There is even a trade association, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), that can help you locate a professional organizer in your area through their searchable online directory.

Not only can you search for organization consultants by location, you can also search by area of specialty. Some of the specialties that you can use in your search include:

• Closet Design and Installation
• Closet Organizing
• Estate Organizing
• Feng Shui
• Financial/Bookkeeping
• Garages/Attics/Basements
• Garage/Estate Sales
• Home Office
• Kitchens
• Moving/Relocation
• Other Rooms
• Photographs/Memorabilia/Collections
• Time Management

Of course, you can always offer to do it yourself. But, you run the risk of ruining a perfectly good relationship!