here's a few fun and exciting baby shower gifts

Newborn Baby Bath

1/4c. whole dry buttermilk

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 drop orange essential oil

mix all ingredients well and pour into a clean container or re~sealable plastic bag...decorate with curly ribbon and a nice tag with the following instructions...pour 1/4c. baby bath powder into a full bath tub or 1 tbsp into a small baby tub

MYO Baby Wipes

cut 1 (soft roll) of paper towels (bounty, viva, or any brand that won't fall apart) in half

choose one of these soapy solutions

1) 1 tbsp liquid baby wash and a 1/4c. cold water

2) 2c. cold water, 3 tbsp baby oil, 1 tbsp baby shampoo

3) 2c. cold water, 2 tbsp creamy baby oil, 1tbsp baby wash

soak the 1/2 roll of paper towels in the soapy solution you decided on to absorb the moisture (20 minutes in an air~tight container)

you'll need to choose any round container with plastic lid..such as an ice cream bucket...cut an "x" in the center of the lid to pull them out...have fun decorating your container for gift giving

slide the cardboard center out of the paper towels...place the wet wipes (paper towels) into your container...works best if you pull the first wipe out of the center of the roll

New Father's Hospital Survival Kit

fill a small insulated cooler with:

snacks & drinks for dad

a list of phone numbers

a disposable camera

a magazine

a gift certificate from a fast food restaurant nearby the hospital

a gift certificate to the local florist so dad can give the new mom some flowers

a bottle of non~alcoholic cider or sparkling grape juice for celebrating

How to Make a Diaper Cake 

1. What is a Diaper Cake anyway?A diaper cake is a wonderfully creative gift for an expectant mother. It is a collection of diapers (either disposable or cloth) rolled and stacked together to resemble a traditional tiered cake. There can be 1, 2, 3 or more tiers. The tiers of diaper cakes are also garnished with baby care items such as bibs, pacifiers, baby socks, bottles, toys, and more.

 2. Why are they becoming so popular?Diaper cakes are becoming quite popular for several reasons:

3. Are they easy to make yourself?They are surprisingly easy to make! See for yourself - just

follow these simple directions below:

  Step 1. Ingredients for a diaper cake:

You can get all of these at a local baby supplies store. (You may need to go to a craft store for the ribbon)

Unfold 17 of them and, one at a time, roll them up tight, starting from the front of the diaper and rolling it to the back. The tighter the better. Place a rubber band around the center after you roll each diaper up to hold it tight. These are the inner diapers for the cake.

Take the cake platter and place the 8-oz baby bottle or large bottle of baby lotion in the center. Then place about 5-6 diapers around the bottle and put a large rubberband around the entire ring of diapers.

 All right! you have made the 1st tier. Here is what it should look like:
 

Step 3. The second tier is made much the same way, only instead of 3 rings, you will only make 2 rings of diapers. Just like the 1st tier, the inside ring will need about 5-6 diapers. Part of the 8-oz bottle will be sticking out of the 1st tier, so place your 5-6 diapers around it to form the 1st ring of the 2nd tier. The 2nd ring will need 11-12 diapers. Place a ribbon around each one of those 2nd ring diapers and hold them all together in a circle with the 1/2 to 1 inch wide ribbon, just like before.

Here is what the finished 2nd tier will look like:
 

Step 4. Third tier is easy!

It is probably easiest to assemble this tier on a table and then place it on the rest of the cake after it is assembled. So, take a 4-oz bottle and place it on the table.

Then take 5-6 diapers and roll them up like before and tie them with the thin ribbon.

Then place them around the 4 -oz baby bottle and tie your wide ribbon around it to hold it together tightly in it's shape. Take the top tier and place it on the top.

Drum roll, please! And now for the finished product...
 

Your diaper cake will look similar to this one, with your own special twist! :]

  Step 5. Now for the fun part:

Add little baby items like Pacifiers, bottles, lotion, bibs, receiving blankets, miniature stuffed animals, baby towel, onesie, wash cloths, baby hygiene products, toys, etc. Place them between the folds of the diaper, tuck the larger items into the outer layer of ribbon.

Add stickers and decorations to match the baby shower theme.

Place a stuffed animal, such as Winnie the Pooh, teddy bear, Elmo, Demdaco angel, Precious Moments figurine, pair of baby shoes, or something else on top to match the baby shower theme.

  And Voila! You're done and it's a masterpiece! Your baby shower diaper cake is sure to receive plenty of oohs and aahs. 

The picture to the right is what your cake will look like at this point:

Next, form a 2nd ring with the remaining 11-12 diapers by placing them around the 1st ring of diapers. Complete it by placing a large rubberband around the 2nd ring.

Now for the final ring of diapers for the 1st tier: Take 18-20 diapers, unfold each one, roll them up tight like before, but instead of a rubber band around each one, tie a thin, 1/4 inch piece of ribbon around the middle around each one. Then place them around the second ring to form a 3rd ring. Now take a large, 1/2 to 1 inch wide ribbon and tie it around the entire tier to hold them all together in a circle shape.

(Note, you could use just rubberbands around each diaper for the 3rd ring if you have opaque ribbon to hold the 3rd ring together. The important part is that no rubberbands are showing when you are done.)