Place to by gift card for expecting parents

[pjmorgan.livejournal.com]

I need suggestions of a store to buy a gift  card for parents who are expecting a child.  I would prefer something in the Cambridge/Somerville area, or in Boston if T accessbile.   If in Boston or especially if it requires a car, it would have to be a really fabulous idea.  Having not shopped for babies before I can't easily come up with ideas of where parents go to shop for baby things. 

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

There is a Target in Somerville, and there is a Baby-R-Us in Everett near to Wellington. It depends on the parents, surely, but SOME KIND of diapers are going to be required. You might also check to see if they are registered anywhere--Amazon has a large baby registry.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Yes. Diapers. OMG diapers.

I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 infant diapers which will last about 5 weeks.

But I second Babies-r-Us IF the parents aren't registered anywhere.

Target's selection of baby gear is dismal.

[ron_newman]

Stellabella Toys in Porter Square, or Henry Bear's Park in Huron Village (72 bus) or Arlington (77 bus) ?

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

Ditto on Stellabella. It's such a fun place to shop!

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Stellabella is great, but not exactly practical. Better to give gift cards for the more practical stuff (supermarket, Target, Babies-R-Us) and use Stellabella as your source for actual gifts. Just speaking from personal experience, you get plenty of toys as gifts when the baby first arrives -- you wouldn't really need anything from Stellabella for quite a while. Whereas diapers, wipes, clothing, etc....you're going to need SO much of that stuff.

[somer-villains.livejournal.com]

i agree with ron's suggestions. those places are both locally owned, independent stores. why support babies-"R"-us or target when you can support local flavor? plus, their offerings are so much more unique than those offered at the big chains.

there's also barefoot books on mass ave near porter square-- great selection of books for infants up to school age.

parents will buy what they need-- diapers, food, and other necessities. giving expectant parents a gift card for someplace unique will allow them to buy something that's not a necessity without feeling guilty.

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

If you want practical, get a Babies-R-Us card and they can use it for online shopping. We got a couple of these and they were really great!

If you want more fun, try a gift certificate to Stella Bella. It's an awesome toy store with locations in Inman and Porter Square.

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Stellabella's a great suggestion; I'd also add Barefoot Books (Mass Ave., near Porter).

Or, if you're feeling more practical, get them a Costco membership. I can't even begin to add up how useful that's been for us.

[ron_newman]

But are there any Costos on the T?

Curious George in Harvard Square also comes to mind, but maybe not for another year or two.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

There's also Calliope (http://www.yelp.com/biz/calliope-cambridge) in Harvard Square.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

Although come to think of it that might be a better place to shop for a gift than for a gift card. It's full of soft, adorable things, but is also not cheap. Great place to get a present for someone, not such a great place to shop for necessities.

[unsi-sempai.livejournal.com]

If you want to be really practical, give them a "gift certificate" for a dinner out, at your expense, while you watch junior :)

[eeyorecol.livejournal.com]

As the mother of a two month old, that sounds like a great idea in theory, but it is something that cannot be used for months, especially if the mother is breast feeding. It's really hard to work out your schedule to be able to go out for a couple of hours without the baby before she is on a regular schedule (and that does not happen for a while) However, it would be an awesome first birthday present...

[komos.livejournal.com]

There's a place in Inman Square that sells things like Misfits onesies.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Frieda Bee?

[ron_newman]

I assumed that the gift card is being given to someone who has no car (and therefore would not be able to get to Babies-R-Us), but maybe I'm wrong here.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Not that it's any closer to Davis, but my preferred Babies R Us is just off the Braintree stop. There is a certain level of accessibility there, plus the which that you can use those cards on the Internet, but I took it as the OP did not have a car.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I will make the radical suggestion of just giving them money so that you don't force them to shop at a store where they might not have otherwise been inclined to buy anything.

Cash was the standard gift where I grew up. Let them decide how to spend it, or if they'd prefer to put it in baby's college fund, or what.

IMHO, of course. :)

[redheadedmuse.livejournal.com]

OMG YES! Cash was the thing I wanted when I had my first baby, and the number one thing I tell everyone to give expecting parents. There's so much stuff you don't know you'll need, and so many unexpected expenses, that just having a little cushion money is huge.

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm pretty atypical, but I haven't spent much time or money at Babies R Us for my baby, who is now 1. I'd go for Isis Maternity, with one location in Arlington Center on the 77 bus and another in Brookline very close to one of the D line stations.

[starry83.livejournal.com]

Isis Maternity on Mass Ave in Arlington (on the 77 bus) has upscale baby gear.

A friend of mine also teaches infant signing and music classes through Isis, which could be a great experience for a mom and new baby.

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

I don't have kiddos but I recently bought a gift card for a friend from Isis Maternity (). They has all kinds of baby gadgets, baby slings, etc and it's just a little bit fancier than Babies R Us. So I thought I'd suggest this in case your friends are a bit on the fancier side.

There's one on Mass Ave in Arlington so you can take the bus there. And one in the Brookline Village area which you can get to by Green Line.

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

oops! Someone just beat me to this recommendation. Sorry for the repetition. :)

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

Isis is great for very upscale stuff. BRU is great for on-line, and for diapers. Target has a smaller selection but it's fine as well.

If you want to do something practical for them, what about a "gift certificate" for a shopping trip for them when the baby is about a month old (so even if they've got help right after the birth, it maybe gone?). They'll have an idea of the things they really need at that point: wipes, if they're using disposable, diapers (ditto), cream (we love Burt's Bees diaper cream), breast pads (if she's nursing), clothes larger than all the 0-3 month that babies outgrow so quickly. Or a grocery store trip for them!

Cloth diapers make great burp cloths and you can get them at BRU or Target. I use washcloths for wipes when we're at home, and I got the gazillion pack at Costco that works great. A homemade meal during those first few weeks is a blessing as well.

Sometimes I give a diaper bag kit: one of those changing pads that has some pockets in it, diaper cream, purell, diaper disposable bags (have these at Target or BRU), a little toy for the baby, sometimes an extra outfit, burp cloths, a travel pack of wipes, that sort of stuff (based on my experience of what I carry with a newborn, of which I'm about to have my third).

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

If they're relying on the T, I doubt they'll want to haul cases of diapers and the baby...get something they can use online...Target, Babies R'Us, Diapers.com (free deliver over $50, and every brand of baby care stuff imaginable, not just diapers)

[ron_newman]

Wild Child in Arlington Center (77 bus). I'm linking to Yelp because the store doesn't seem to have a functioning website.

[cfox.livejournal.com]

That's at least very closely related to, if not the same as, Isis Maternity (mentioned in the previous comment). You can walk all the way through the building that both share. I think they did have an ownership change recently, though.

It's nice, if pricey. They're the only well-stocked local place for breastfeeding accessories, and they do good sales and troubleshooting of baby-wearing gear.

Redbones!

[genevra-mcneil.livejournal.com]

The very best thing I got when I was pregnant was a $100 at Redbones. In the first six weeks of April's life, I barely had time to think, much less cook. And pizza only goes so far. Redbones delivers *and* it's protein. Something any nursing (or even non-nursing) mom needs tons of.

Alternately, my BFF showed up twice a week to pick up my laundry, and drop off the last load. If you can't do that, maybe a credit at a local drop and wash laundromat? Not doing laundry and not cooking were the only thing that kept me sane.

Re: Redbones!

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we ate two meals a day from Pemberton's prepared foods case for a while there (we live really close to it). A source of reasonably healthy food would be very helpful.

[joylewis.livejournal.com]

Also, because the parents are the ones needing the help right around end of pregnancy/beginning of parenting, gift cards for restaurants that deliver frees them up so that they don't have to line up childcare or put on clean clothes. This can also help support local businesses (Hello Red Bones!) and doesn't require a car. It doesn't sound babyriffic or cute, but is extremely useful.

Also, Amazon (shop from home in sweatpants!) and cash cards like those from Citizens Bank are good.

[avacon.livejournal.com]

For less practical stuff (but from a local business!), Davis Squared
on Holland has a cute section of baby stuff.

[ron_newman]

Davis Squared is on Highland.

[eeyorecol.livejournal.com]

A Stop and Shop gift card that can be used for Peapod delivery would also be very helpful; I think that Whole Foods might do home delivery now, too, so if they are more into the organics, that could be good, too...

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of Meals from the Heart: http://www.cookingfth.com/ Meal-delivery for those frantic first weeks when they're WAY more worried about food for the baby than food for themselves.

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

Doh! Cooking from the Heart (at least I got the link right, right?)