The Ultimate Spring Gift Guide :: Bridal & Baby Showers {Sponsored Post + Giveaway}

The first day of Spring is next week.  Hallelujah!  We’ve had enough of Winter around here, though really I’m not complaining because finally those stinkin’ mosquitoes are gone, those ice storms made for some perfect baby-snuggling weather, and it’ll be over 100 degrees again before we know it.

And with Spring upon us, so is wedding season.   Many brides are getting all prepared for the big day.  I’m currently knee-deep in getting everything shoved into closets Spring Cleaning for a wedding shower at my house this Saturday for my beyond gorgeous sister-in-law.  And while I know there isn’t a true baby season, it seems like baby bumps are popping up everywhere!  Weekends are full of baby shower after baby shower.

Then comes Mother’s Day.  Then graduation.

With all these exciting times coming up, we’re excited to partner together again with our fabulous sponsor, The Vintage Pearl, to bring you an ultimate gift guide for all the deserving women in your life.  Whether it be an anxious bride, an expectant mommy, a young high school senior, or a very deserving and probably super tired mom, we’re going to cover it all for these ladies.

The Bride-To-Be

First up, let’s focus on the bride to be.  What an amazingly exciting time in a woman’s life!  After polling the Houston Moms Blog contributors on their favorite gifts or go to gifts that they like to purchase for others, I discovered that some of us are straight-off-the-registry shoppers, some of us are not, and some of us are good about mixing the two. And today we are sharing some of our favorite go-to items that make the PERFECT bridal shower gift…

1. Memory Books :: Andrea loves to give couples a copy of Our Wedding Anniversary Book, and I love the idea of giving brides a copy of The Christmas Memories Book.  Those are definitely something brides can keep and enjoy for years and years to come.
2. Twists on the Typical :: Meagan likes to incorporate something off the bride and groom’s registry with a little added creative twist.  For example, she will buy the crockpot they registered for, but she will also include some cute dish rags and a corresponding cookbook.
3. Christmas Stockings :: Sarah, like me, loves all things personalized and loves to give embroidered Christmas stockings to the bride.  See also – precious idea. See also – I’m convinced that Sarah and I are long, lost sisters!
4. Personalized Gifts :: After polling all of the HMB contributors, it’s clear that we all love one thing – personalized gifts! And of course, The Vintage Pearl is our go-to store for beautiful custom jewelry.  Want to hand stamp their wedding day on a jewelry box? No problem.  Want the bride to have a piece of personalized jewelry showcasing her new initials? They’ve got it.  The Vintage Pearl can seriously do it all. They have some of the sweetest personalized gifts for the bride-to-be…hands down.  {Our favorites, from clockwise – God Gave Me You | Golden Ampersand Necklace | Lovebirds | Heart Trinket Dish}

The Mommy-To-Be

Next up, let’s shower the expectant mother with some special presents!  Jenn, one of our other contributors and an expecting mom herself, shared a great post recently that included lots of gifts geared towards the kiddos or family, so I’m just going to focus on the mommy-to-be who, without a doubt, deserves some special pampering.  Here are some favorite ideas from our contributors…

1. Nursing Gear :: Cute robes, nursing tanks, and anything else that is easily pushed to the side is perfect for new moms!  Don’t know their size or not sure of what clothing style might fit them best?  Try a nursing necklace instead!
2. Ready Made Scrapbooks :: If you love to scrapbook, then why not create a custom book for the mom-to-be…sans pictures.  All the new mommy will have to do is snap pics, insert into book, and voila!  Beautiful, handmade scrapbook complete!
3. Snack Baskets :: Early into the pregnancy?  How about a basket full of goodies to curb those pregnancy cravings.  About to pop any day now?   Think healthy and quick snack options for once the baby is already here.
4. Spa Treatments :: I think most moms can agree that any type of spa treatment would be much appreciated.  We think prenatal massages and/or a mani & pedi is the perfect way to pamper an expectant mommy!
5. Personalized Jewelry :: While pregnant with my first and after announcing his name, a friend gave me a necklace with my son’s initial on it…and I wore it everyday during my pregnancy.  It is just such a special gift for that mommy to be!  And just like for those bridal shower gifts, we always turn to The Vintage Pearl for unique and special baby shower gifts too.  From moms growing their “nests” to a birthstone pendant for that new mommy-to-be, the options are limitless.  {Our favorites, from clockwise – Messy Nest with Aqua Eggs | Birthstones & Pearls | Eclectic Charm Bracelet}

So I know I said these ideas would all be about pampering the mom, but I couldn’t help but to notice how cute these hand stamped baby spoons are.  A perfect baby gift in my opinion!

Ready to start shopping?  We know you are!  And to kick start your shopping spree, we are giving away a little something special just for YOU….

This week we are giving one lucky reader ::

a $50 Gift Certificate

Winner :: Katy G.

Stay tuned for next month.  We’ll be continuing our Spring Gift Guide, and it’s all about Mother’s Day!  And in the meantime, be sure to head over to The Vintage Pearl’s new storefront to check out all of these fab gift ideas for yourself too!

Sugar Land Town Square

16049 City Walk

Sugar Land, TX 77479

281.325.0169

[hr] Please Note :: While this may be a sponsored series, we absolutely love The Vintage Pearl’s handstamped  jewelry and all thoughts and opinions are proudly my own.