Before I had kids I vowed my future children would rarely watch TV. And those glazed-eyed kids I saw sitting in front of a portable DVD player? Must be the product of terrible parents. But once I had kids of my own and realized that a mom has to do what a mom has to do, the merits of the portable DVD became obvious. On flights, long drives, waits at the passport office and even for the occasional dinner out, I view the portable DVD as a necessary evil for the toddler set. I’d much rather hand a toddler a relatively inexpensive portable DVD player (prices seem to be coming down all the time) than trust her with my precious phone, tablet or laptop.  And with that explanation written in the card, this gadget can be a surprisingly thoughtful gift for a grandchild, niece or nephew, or the child of a best friend. Especially if the child already has a Blanket Full of Love book that made the mom cry.

I love the idea of asking first birthday party guests to help you make a memory journal or scrapbook. Buy a journal from your local stationery store and during the party ask each guest to write his or her favourite memory from the child’s first year, or to write a blessing for the baby. Leave the left pages blank, take a photo of each guest with the child and paste them in later.  Or if you think your guests might appreciate more time, ask them to write something at home, and bring it with them. This can also be done on online social media sites, where you can ask guests and other non-attending loved ones to write thoughts and upload photos, which can then be compiled into a beautiful custom- printed memory book.

For gift ideas, see my post on Great First Birthday Gifts, and of course take a look at our Blanket Full of Love personalized children’s book, which our customers say is a great personalized gift for baby, at www.Starrytime.com.

In our home, we’ve always had private, immediate-family only parties. Our first daughter’s first birthday was a party for three, and was one of the most memorable moments in our post-children life.  We wrapped a few small gifts – things that were easy for our baby girl to wrap and to open – along with some of her favourite things, like her stuffed elephant. I ordered a cake (I don’t bake) topped with her favourite character, bought some silly hats and made a simple dinner.  We sang Happy Birthday and plopped the huge cake onto her high chair and let her have at it! Without a bunch of guests around we were able to really focus on her, got some great photos, and my husband and I were able to have a private toast to each other for surviving our first year as parents.

How do you plan to spend your child’s first birthday? What are your thoughts?

Although you can start this any year, it’s best done on your first child’s first birthday. That way all children will have the same thing – a birthday a year, starting on their first birthday. Then they can really see how you (and they) have grown and changed over the years. And I imagine that comparing their letters when they’re older will be a great bonding experience for my two daughters, not to mention a potentially embarrassing time for me. But then again, what brings two siblings together better than making fun of their mom?

Of course we recommend our Blanket Full of Love personalized books and blankets (available at www.Starrytime.com), because they can be used now at bedtime and can be tucked away as a keepsake for later. You can’t say that about too many gifts. The nature of the story itself also works well for first birthdays, as the narrator is reflecting on the child’s past and thinking about his or her future. I guess that’s why the vast majority of our customers first buy our products as first birthday gifts.

But what else can you, or a loved one, give as a first birthday gift? Here are some ideas:

- A Keepsake Box – On my daughter’s first birthday I found a lovely large wooden keepsake box and had a plate engraved at the mall with her name and birthdate. I then went through all the keepsakes I’d thrown into a shoebox throughout the year – the baby book, a baby’s first year calendar I’d completed, hospital bracelets, a going-home-from the hospital outfit, a favorite (but completely ripped) baby blanket (now you know some of the inspiration for Blanket Full of Love!), and some other odds and ends I treasured. I organized and labelled them, and wrote down some of the memories I associated with each. These first-year keepsakes went into one section of the box, and now special notes, cards, teeth, report cards, medals and drawings go into the other sections.

- Personalized Toy Chest –as you know, I love personalized gifts! One of the cutest things I’ve seen is a toy chest with personalized tiles. Just get a plain-topped chest, then go to your local craft store for ceramic tiles, paint, and grout. At the First Birthday Party (or baby shower – this works well for showers too), ask each guest to paint a tile with a personal message to the baby. Once all the tiles are done, they can be grouted onto the toy chest and used for years to come.

- Personalized Name Stool – If your baby isn’t walking yet, he will be soon! In the next year or two there will be sinks and potties to reach. There are some adorable stools available online (try searching ‘personalized gifts’ or ‘personalized name stools’) that have the child’s name right on the top – some have letters attached right to the stool, and others are puzzle pieces.

What are your favorite first birthday gift ideas?

Today I let go of one of my babies – Blanket Full of Love – and hand it off to be produced, fulfilled and, for the most part, managed by our wonderful new partner, Sharedbook (read the press release here).  I have researched and talked to them at length. I know this is for the best.  it will mean lower prices, faster shipping, and a better ordering process for our customers, whose notes, pictures  and touching dedications have meant so much to me over the past three years.  

And now I pass you to someone new – someone I trust, who I know will get more smiles on more kids’ faces and allow for more beautiful dedications to be written and given.  I will still be here, and so will Starrytime, and we will be working so closely with Sharedbook that your experience should be a much better one than it’s been in the past.

Even though I know all of this, something inside me screams ‘don’t go!’.

But I’ll put on a smile, wave goodbye and shed a tear once I’ve turned away.

Kim Freeman
Blanket Full of Love author and Starrytime Keepsakes Ltd. founder

Have you ever felt this way? Tell us a story about a time you knew than ‘handing off’ your baby was the right thing to do but it still broke your heart. One story will be chosen at random and will win a gift certificate for a NEW Blanket Full of Love book! Winner will be chosen on Monday, November 7th.