Friends without Kids: Baby Shower Gifts Ideas for under $50

So you've been invited to a baby shower. This is such an exciting time in the life of the parent to be and you want to show them your love and well wishes by showing up and giving a great gift. The only problem is, what should that gift be? This can be hard for anyone, especially if you aren't close to the mom to be, but it can be especially hard for the friends without kids.

This is when I would first and foremost direct you to the gift registry. You absolutely cannot go wrong by picking up something that the mother-to-be herself hand picked out. Trust me, blood sweat and tears go into curating those baby registries! But, if you insist on not looking at the registry, or there are slim picking on said registry, here are some great gift ideas that the mom to be will love. All of these are items that I have and have bought for other moms.

Anything for 6 months and beyond
When people think baby shower, they think about squishy little newborns. Those teenie-tiny clothes look super adorable on the hanger, I know, but most moms want you to leave them right where they hang. It's not that we don't need baby clothes, trust me, we do! The problem is that for the first baby, 9 out of 10 times, we will get way more newborn and 0-3 month sized clothes than our kid will ever be able to wear! I didn't register for any baby clothes and still ended up with a ton. I returned a bunch and she wore a new outfit every day but we still had clothes she didn't get to wear. She grew that fast!


So put the pack of newborn onesies down and opt for 3-month sizes and up. A set of 6 or 9-month sleepers would be perfect. Or ditch the clothes completely and step outside of the box. Since most people will buy things the baby will need for the first 3-5 months of its life, you should aim to get things for the months afterward.

Teething toys are great. Baby P started teething around 4 months. It was nice to already have a few chew toys ready to go for her. Look for toys with multiple surfaces and textures to chew on.
Spoons and bowls for starting solids are also a necessity that many people tend to forget about when shopping for a shower gift. Baby's can start solids as early as 4 months, although most start at 6 months. Showing up with the cool easy squeeze spoon or other feeding gadgets will surely impress the parents to be.

The Novice Mom: Why Black Breastfeeding Week Matters

With the 4th Annual Black Breastfeeding Week (BBW) coming to a close I decided to really sit down and think about the purpose of the movement. Much like the Black Lives Matter movement, many would ask, “why is this even needed?” To be honest, I only found out about the existence of this week the day before it started but, I never questioned it. I’m down for anything that supports and uplifts my community. So, I immediately started doing breastfeeding geared videos and social media posts all week in order to spread the word about this event. I’m sure my followers are sick of hearing about BBW but at least they are all aware! Now that the week has come to a close, I want to look past the surface and really dig into the issue of breastfeeding within the black community.

Women of all colors face obstacles when it comes to breastfeeding. Juggling work, while trying to pump & maintain a supply is difficult. Especially when women in today’s society are expected to, and many times have no choice but to work at least one full time job. Many of those jobs that I speak of do not offer a paid maternity leave so these women are forced to cut bonding time down with their newborn and get right back to work. Outside of work, the societal taboo of breastfeeding, especially doing so in public, hinders a lot of mothers. Alyssa Milano famously told Wendy Williams off after Wendy suggested that feeding your baby in a restaurant is somehow inappropriate and that women should go to the car or bathroom. Frankly, only someone who has never had to do this would say something like that. Seriously, Wendy? You want me to sit in the car to feed Baby P while you talk loudly with food in your mouth at the dinner table? But we’re disgusting. Ok girl. Why don’t you go eat on the toilet?

I digress.