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Gently Used Items For A Baby Shower Gift

(Nebraska)

My nephew just had his third child, a boy. I kept some of the nicest items from my baby boys, the youngest now 6. I packed them in a basket. Items such as a nice sweater and dress slacks, a car seat bunting, college themed baby shoes, receiving blanket, a couple of toys, a musical bear, a snowsuit and a dishwasher basket for the bottle items. These items are used, but in very nice condition. Would this be an appropriate gift, or would it be too tacky?

As and additional note: We are on an extremely limited budget, and my nephew is a financial advisor that has been helping us with ways to live within this extreme budget.

Our Answer:

Hi,

Thank you for your etiquette question. The answer is...it depends. A lot of women feel differently about accepting gently used items. I am sure your nephew and his wife will understand, after all they know of your circumstances. Giving them a baby gift is a very considerate and loving gesture.

There are two questions I have for you. Is it going to be given at a baby shower? Is your nephew's wife gracious at receiving gently used items? Or in other words, are they the type to use it if it is not brand new?

Since this is a third child, they might not have a problem with your gift at all. But it might not be something you want to present to her at a baby shower. I personally would give this type of gift at a different time than at a baby shower. But it would be more that I would not want people to look down on me for giving something that was not "brand new". Although there is certainly nothing wrong with it.

If you are planning on going to an actual baby shower for her and are on an extremely limited budget, here are some ideas that might work for you...

Coupon Booklet- Get fancy with your computer graphics and put together an I owe U booklet for her. They can be service items that do not cost you any money but can be quite valuable to a new mom. Things like babysitting, dinner, cookies for a sweet tooth, house cleaning, or watching the new baby so she can have a nap.

Diaper Craft- all you would need is a $5 pack of diapers from Walmart and some rubber bands and you could make most of the diaper crafts on this website. Assess what you can use from your house to try to make it as cost effective as possible.

If you decide to use your gift at the baby shower, you can dress it up a little by rolling the clothing items to look like roses and decorate with silk roses. Here is an example of what a baby bouquet look like.

I hope that helped. Best of Luck!

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