All the rainy weather has inspired a new giveaway here on nwaMotherlode. It’s the “April Showers Bring May Flowers” giveaway, and we’ll begin this week with a shower-related giveaway. (Can you guess what might be coming next week?) The kind of showers we mamas know most about is the “baby shower” variety. We’ve been to tons of baby showers, and we still love ’em. It’s always fun to celebrate a new baby. Whether it’s the 
mother’s first baby or fifth, she always needs at least a few things for the newest member of the family.
Our April Showers giveaway includes gift cards at some of our favorite places in Northwest Arkansas to shop for baby gifts — The Baby’s Room & Kids Quarters in Rogers, B LaRue in Bentonville and Rogers, and Two Chic in Fayetteville. We asked each of the store owners to tell us about some of their newest or most popular baby items as well as some brand new items that haven’t even hit shelves yet but are coming soon.
So if you’re pregnant or you’ll be attending any baby showers this year, pay attention to the list of products featured here so you’ll have ideas when you go shopping for a gift to take to the baby shower. Each of the stores featured here will be giving away a $50 gift card, so there will be THREE WINNERS for the April Showers giveaway.
Stephanie Adler at The Baby’s Room & Kids Quarters in Rogers knows A LOT about baby stuff. In addition to running the area’s largest baby store, she is also pregnant with her third child and is due in a little more than a month! So she has definitely checked 
out the latest and greatest baby items on the market. Here are a few that she suggested as great gifts for baby showers:
- CoCaLo Couture Diaper Bags
- CoCaLo Couture Mommy Apron
- My Breast Friend nursing pillow
- Coming soon: Life Nest positioner
Beth Cook owns B LaRue and has recently expanded her store to two new locations. There’s a location in Village on the Creeks (Suite 1) and one in downtown Bentonville (120 S. Main). The store at Village on the Creeks has tons of cute baby gifts, including Sassy by Earth Brights toys, Piggy Paint and Boon products that make moms’ lives easier. They also monogram all kinds of stuff, including blankets, burp cloths, bibs and shoes. (And there’s plenty of fun stuff for mamas in 
there, too!) Here are a few of B LaRue’s best-selling baby gifts:
- Haba toys
- Oh Plah! teething bracelets
- Sleep Sheep
- Bummas cloths
Sharon Boone owns the unique boutique Two Chic in Fayetteville. Not only do they have everything for maternity and nursing needs, they also have a great selection of baby gifts and even jewelry (for the mama)! BeBe, the manager at Two Chic, said the store has items on hand for before and after baby, even down to the maternity clothes. Two Chic carries a line of clothing called Lilac that can be worn before and 
after pregnancy. Genius. BeBe said these are some of the hot sellers at Two Chic:
- Baby Bling pacifiers (by Abbey Hill Creations)
- Trumpette Socks
- Hooter Hiders
- Kalencom diaper bags
HOW TO ENTER: To throw your name in the hat to win one of these THREE gift cards, just click on the orange comment button below and tell us your favorite gift to bring to a baby shower. Do you go for practical or the ooh-ahh factor? A little bit of both? If you recently had a baby, tell us about something you absolutely adored receiving!
You can also email your comments to us at giveaways@nwaMotherlode.com.
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING: If you’d like to increase your odds of winning, simply send an email to your friends/family about this giveaway and help us spread the word about our April shower! We’ll give you an extra chance to win for every person you tell. Just be sure to put giveaways@nwaMotherlode.com on the CC line of your e-mail so we’ll know about it.
Good luck!
I am a practical gift giver. I try to think of the things that made bringing a baby home easier. Gas drops and butt paste are a must for every new mom.
My favorite thing to recieve at my baby shower were handmade burp clothes, baby booties and blankies! They are the kind of gift I will treasure for ever! But as far as commercial goes, I have used my nursing cover and car seat most of all 🙂
I like to give something practical ( like diapers and wipes), and also something handmade.
I usually give a pack of size 2 diapers and a cute travel wipe case
I like to give things most moms forget to buy untill they need them.
I am due in 6 weeks, my mother in law got the baby the sleep sheep – love it, I have even used it a few times myself to fight the insomia of pregnancy. 🙂 My favorite gifting option for a baby shower is to go in with friends on a bigger registry item.
Favorite gift for baby showers–hooded bath towel and soaps, lotions and diapers…necessities!
I love to bring a diaper cake to new moms. A great combination of practical and cute!
I like to give something others may not have thought about. I like putting several items in a bag of too. It depends on the situation; getting several showers, first baby, more than one child, etc. My favorite thing I have seen was recently at a shower–onsie stickers. Love it.
Instead of a card I like to bring a baby book or kid book and sign it like I would a card!! I feel it is money well spent!!!!
I love to give Aden & Anais muslin swaddling blankets. They are the best swaddling blankets ever!
I make customized burp cloths!
Since I am due in 7 weeks with my third girl, my favorite gifts right now are the practical gifts (lotions, soaps, wipes, diapers, etc.) As far as giving goes, I am a practical gift giver too. I try to get things off of a mom’s registry that I know she will use (i.e. things I can’t do without).
My favorite gift was a handmade (not by me:)) knit hat that looked like a cupcake. I also try to give a practical gift as well as a cute something esp. if the baby is going to be a girl since I have 2 boys.
I like to give new moms meals. Makes their lives a little easier at least for a night or two!
homemade baby quilts~
I like to go in with other friends to give the new mom to be a much needed bigger gift on her registry like a stroller or crib.
It depends. Lots of times I do personalized bibs, burp clothes or a boppy pillow cover. I love giving a personalized gift. I also like to give giftcards if I wasn’t able to attend the shower. The gift that I most appreciated when I was pregnant was older sized clothing and bigger sized diapers!!!! Having a large stock of diapers and wipes is the BEST!
It depends on who the shower is for. If it is for a dear friend I try to go for the oohhhh factor. Cute clothes, blankets, different toys. But if it is for an aquaintance I go for the practicial. Diapers, wipes, gift cards.
I generally go for the practical: diapers, wipes, toys and of course a cute outfit! You can never have enough of those 😉
I like to give a practical gift, something that I’ve found very useful. One of my favorites is the Inchbug name bands that go on bottles and silly cups. Paci clips or a good book are always nice, too.
I received a minky blue blanket that my son loves! He is one and he just curls up with it!
I try to do a little of both: I go for practical by getting something off of the registry. Then I hand make a couple of burp cloths to throw in for the “ooh-ahh” 🙂
I like to give sleep sacks. They are the best!
Some sort of apparel featuring the mom and/or Dad’s favorite sports team!
Love giving the boppy pillow, as this was such an essential baby item in the first months!
I WORK with 2 pregnant women right now, and it would be fun to be able to give them something luxurious, since they are both very practical and would never buy anything of the sort for themselves.
I like giving cute outfits or practical from their registry.
I’m due in August so this contest would be amazing to win!! My stand by gift is the Its-a-Been timer. It was truly a life saver with our first one who is now two. It keeps time between feedings, diaper changes, naps, and anything else you want to track. It also helps you remember which side you last breastfeed off of. It was my best friend!!
I usually get something off of the registry and then a cute outfit of my choice. If it’s a first born child I give the Baby Einstein DVD “Baby Motzart”. It’s such a lifesaver!
My favorite thing to give for a baby shower is an adorable outfit complete with shoes and a matching blanket! If its for a baby girl a matching bow is a must as well!
I love to get the baby their first Christmas ornament! It’s a precious keepsake that’s gets alot of use.
I embrioder and sew, so I like to make taggies and burp cloths. If I am in a hurry I always make sure to have a Scentsy buddy! I just hade a baby and love out bumbo! We have gotten so much use out of it.
I like to give a little of both….definately like to give diapers and wipes because I know how much they come in handy. But I also like to give a super cute outfit. I always enjoyed getting things with my kids names on it!!
I like to give something practical from a gift registry, such as formula, wipes, diapers, and onsies. I also like to include a board book or cloth book.
I go for practicality! Being a mom of 2, I like to put together a goodie bag of my favorite items to give to the mom-to-be.
I like to give a cute set of baby dishes. It’s something most people don’t think of right away but you will use a lot later. THe other thing I do would be get something off the registry that I know they want.
I like to purchase an item off of their registry and then buy something more personal that I have chosen – it could be an outfit or something that will go with the room decor. I don’t have one item that I stick with, it really depends on the person.
I love to give bath stuff: a bathtub, hooded towel, wash cloth, bath soap, lotion, and of course a rubber ducky. I also like to throw in a can of Bag Balm – it is the best thing I found for diaper rash when my son was a baby!
I am a bit of both–practical and ooh-aah…I like to give items that were both very useful and very cute such as the sleep sheep you have featured in your blog. Both my kids loved this sheep, and I gift it a lot!
Love baby stuff! Lots of friends having babies or getting ready too! Nothing better than snuggling with a sleeping baby!
clothes, I like to give cute clothes at baby showers
I am GIVING a baby shower for my friends daughter who is having twins (her first born). It has been years since I have even been to a shower so I am reading all of the responses and taking notes! Thanks for all of the great ideas!
I usually like to bring something fun, but something they registerd for and can use…I have brought a playmat that did all sorts of things, a spacesaver high chair, a tub that was jungle themed and had fun things to do, and I usually throw in something personal.
I usually give the tub full of bathtime products including towels and the rubber ducky that also tells the water temp.
Diaper bag filled with goodies, like a tub of Butt Paste, Aveeno baby products, book, diapers. And a cute onesie!
I like giving practical gifts, but I also like doing emboridered gifts and blankets!
I like to give something a little practical (usually from a registry) and also include a little something homemade- either a baby bath towel, leggings, cuddle blanket, etc.
I love giving a blanket embroidered with a verse and the baby’s name.
Favorite gift to bring to a baby shower is monogrammed burp cloths.
My favorite thing to take to a shower is something that I make (clothing, hats, etc) or paint myself for the baby! And then I usually throw in something practical like diapers, onesies, etc.
My daughter is going to have 2nd baby in Sept. Her first child is 8 and this is a blessing to have a new baby coming. Took 12 yrs for First baby and 8 yrs for 2nd baby. This is wonderful for all of us
I love giving practical gifts to the mother to be! When it comes back to it, I appreciate real needs such as food, clothing, and diapers!