Baby Shower | My Mills Baby

I didn’t have a baby shower for Heidi. I was feeling so fat and blotted by the end of my pregnancy that I didn’t dare go out or see my friends until she finally arrived. I know (for many) it’s not healthy to squirrel yourself away, but I doubt I could have squeezed through the door if I’d wanted to, and the last thing I felt like doing was being surrounded by a cloud of baby pink when Heidi was being so stubborn.

I had a shower (of sorts) for Dex, but this was just family and friends. The gift that sticks out the most by far was a cute little wicker basket crammed full of essentials that I hadn’t even been aware I had needed. Of course, I’d done the whole ‘first-timer’ thing and stocked up the nursery with too many outfits and teddies, but I wasn’t quite up to speed with some of the less cute bits and pieces… gripe water, dummy clips, breast pads, nipple creams… It’s so nice when someone in-the-know steps in and pre-empts your naivety.

In fact, handpicked gift baskets are always likely to score you brownie points if you’re en route to a baby shower anytime soon. But of course it’s not easy to find the time to pop these together.

This is where family run business UK Baby Box come in.

UK Baby Box offer unique baby boxes and baskets at affordable prices and take all the faff out of picking something special that will make the mum-to-be smile . Each box contains handpicked items for babies aged birth to one year. What’s more, you can create-your-own or pick from set boxes, and there’s free UK shipping to boot.

As a celebration of their launch, they’ve given me a unique baby gift box to giveaway to one of my readers. If you’re expecting a baby boy, or know someone about to pop with one, this might be the perfect giveaway for you.

In this cute little box are the following:

Picture frame - ‘We wished upon a shining star and twinkle twinkle here you are’
Pair of white mittens with blue star design.
Three pairs of anti-slip socks 0-3 months
Three baby hats
Swinging rattle suitable from 6 months

It’s well worth popping over to their Facebook page too as they have plenty more giveaways for you to enter and details of brand new stock available to purchase.

Entry for this competition is (as always) via rafflecopter so best of luck guys!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

T&C’s – a.k.a – the boring bit!

Only 1 option is mandatory (leave me a comment) – the rest only improve your chances of winning so just complete as many as you feel like
UK entrants only – you must be over 18 too (sorry)
The winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 1 week of having been emailed (I’ll try all known avenues to contact them) or a new winner will be drawn
When the giveaway is closed, Rafflecopter will select the winner completely at random
The winners name will be published on this site

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

Something a little bit unique as a baby shower gift

I’m not sure why I haven’t had a baby shower for this baby, in fairness I didn’t for Dexter either. No one has stepped forward to help me organise it, and I’m not even sure if it’s traditional to throw your own anyway! Although there’s something lovely about being showered with gifts and well wishes, I don’t feel upset about it. I’m not really one for fuss and hate to be a financial imposition on my friends and family. That said, I’m sure Mini Madam will go home from hospital with a few carrier bags full of clothes and pressies. There’s something too cute about newborn booties and vest tops that visitors can’t seem to resist.

In preparation, this year I’ve even sent our close family a mini shortlist of small things we need. I haven’t specified brands or colours as I recently read a particularly cringeworthy story about this that made my toes curl. I just know we’re short of sleepsuits and bibs and these things would be more useful than costly outfits.

I do have the odd treat to look forward to though. I’ve been given a 12 month subscription to a mag of my choice from online magazine store, Unique Magazines, and it got me thinking about what a fabulous gift this could be for a new mum.

Capture1 Something a little bit unique as a baby shower gift

Motherhood is an exhausting, frustrating and often overwhelming experience and it starts from Day 1. Lack of sleep, anxiety and sheer adrenalin comes together in a nasty little cocktail that is enough to floor the strongest of women for a good 6 weeks after birth. I’ve learnt a fair bit from round 1 and have stocked up on ebooks, tv boxsets and bath oils to try to hold on to my sanity, but I remember all too well how tough the first few nights were. A magazine would have been, and will be now, a very welcome distraction - particularly a mother and baby one full of advice and stories a new mummy can empathise with.

Unique Magazines have some great titles for a new mum including Prima Baby & Pregnancy, Gurgle and Mother & Baby, as well as some more obscure ones. There’s also a great range of general interest and niche magazines for mums who want to escape from all-things-baby when they get a few precious moments of down-time. All the major gardening, interior and wedding titles are there, as well as all your well-known fashion and beauty magazines. In fact, there are over 3000 magazines available to buy.

A magazine subscription definitely makes for a great gift for any occasion as it’ll last a full year and there’s something quite exciting about having a magazine through your letterbox every month. It would certainly be something I’d be tempted to buy my friends for birthdays, engagements and other special occasions. Especially as Unique Magazines offers such great value for money and gift buying options.

Capture Something a little bit unique as a baby shower gift

There are bulk-buy subscription deals which make it so much more affordable than trekking to your local newsagent every month (up to 70% cheaper). My subscription for Prima Baby & Pregnancy cost just £24.99 for 12 issues saving 30% off the RRP. You can pay using all major credit & debit cards, or even PayPal which is a major plus for me as I love the convenience of PayPal. In terms of buying a subscription as a gift you can post a gift voucher to a friend or relative for any value you want, or just buy the entire subscription on their behalf. I love the idea behind this as you can give what you can afford if a 12 month subscription is too pricey for you. With 3 month deals across the majority of magazines there will still be plenty of things for the recipient to choose from. There’s also a handy gift finder based upon age, gender and hobbies which is very simple to use.

Thanks Unique Magazines - can’t wait for my first magazine to arrive! Hopefully this will make those first few ‘trying’ nights a little easier.

Disclaimer: I have been treated to 12 month subscription in exchange for my thoughts on the Unique Magazine experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own.