AA Gifts & Baskets Idea & Advice Blog

Next, review your insurance policies.  For many people, life insurance is a kind of instant estate; its guaranteed financial protection for your family.

Term life insurance [temporary; bought for a specified period of time, or term] is often purchased by younger people who like the low initial premiums.  Remember that premiums for term insurance rise slowly through your thirties and more quickly thereafter.  For people in their sixties and beyond, term insurance rates may be out of reach.

Whole-life insurance [permanent; for your “whole life”] rates are about five times higher than for term insurance, but the premiums remain level from the date of issue.  Additionally, the whole-life policy acquires a cash value that increases over time.

You may want to look into newer types of life insurance that combine term and whole-life.  Such a policy typically will combine at least $10,000 of whole-life upon the head of the household with at least $50,000 of term insurance, all for a single premium.  Another innovative policy is adjustable life insurance, which allows the policy-holder to raise or lower the amount of insurance and vary the type of insurance between whole-life and term, as life’s circumstances change.

If you or your spouse is staying home or working part time, that person should also consider buying a term policy that would cover the daycare expenses that would result in case the stay-at-home parent dies.

What about your health insurance?  Many companies now offer membership in a health maintenance organization [HMO] as an option to the usual health insurance.  HMO s are corporations that contract with physicians and hospitals to deliver health care under a prepaid plan.  With these plans, employers can offer their workers enhanced benefits at prices comparable to traditional insurance.  Joining a HMO can make sense, particularly to a family whose members seem to be running to the doctor’s office every other week.  The costs of office visits, prescriptions, vaccinations, diagnostic tests, and hospitalization are often covered by an HMO plan.  Keep in mind that you have to use the HMO’s doctors and hospitals, so if you have a doctor that you particularly like, an HMO may not be for you.

A new wrinkle in employer-or insurance-plan-pondered health care is the Preferred Provider Organization [PPO].  As with an HMO, a PPO plan provides discount health care to members, offering co-payment arrangements and other incentives.  Typically, members contribute through payroll deductions.  As a PPO member, you can choose your physician and hospital from those included in the PPO group. Fees for services are covered one hundred percent.  If you wish, you can choose an outside [nonmember] physician or hospital, in which case you will be liable for a percentage of any fees.  Obviously, what makes PPOs appealing is that a member can select his or her caregivers. 

Check to see if you have adequate protection through work or Social Security in the event you become disabled.  If not, find out if you qualify for auto insurance that provides benefits for disability from traffic accidents, or for special private insurance programs that pay monthly loan or mortgage payments during a disability.  There are different definitions of what disabled means; an insurance agent should explain exactly what “disability” means in the policy.  The agent should also explain the policy’s “renewability,” or the conditions of extending the policy beyond its expiration date.

The whole point of insurance is to cover the “just in case” situations; you want to be sure your policies are appropriate for a family with young children. 

A boon is something to be thankful for, a blessing, or benefit. It may be received in the form of a gift or as something that is asked for or a favor that is sought. In olden times, it refers to a favor given by the nobility to one of a lower status. The member of the nobility or a noble person would grant a boon or gift to another person of lower rank.

This gift giving or granting of a gift or boon lead to a curious saying; “the quality of mercy is unstrained.” It means that if you are giving a gift or doing someone a favor then it makes great sense to do so in a way that is not dramatic or strained. It was originally spoken by Portia, in “The Merchant of Venice”, written by William Shakespeare in 1596.

Shakespeare actually wrote:

“The quality of mercy is unstrained;It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven;Upon the place beneath: it is twice blessed;It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes;“Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes;The throned monarch better than his crown;”

What Shakespeare was writing about was the concept of mercy being a good thing. Over time this came to be taken for granted and the term of a ‘quality’ example of ‘mercy’ came into being. Giving a gift that requires a return gift or some future obligation makes the gift giving of a strained nature. When giving boons or granting boons became a popular obligation of the nobility, the granting of them in an unstrained manner makes the person granting the boon nobler than their position or title. The problem with this is that in a Monarchy, your Count votes, while in a Democracy, your vote counts.

This concept of mercy being unstrained was somewhat undermined by the idea of ‘Noblesse Oblige’. “Noblesse oblige” is generally used to imply that with wealth, power, and prestige come social responsibilities. The granting of mercy or boons was considered an obligation of the better off people in society. The term has also been applied to those who are capable of simple acts to help one who is less fortunate.

As an example in the US Marines officers are issued a book called, “The Marine Officer’s Guide”, where it states that, “As an officer, you demand a great deal of your men. But they in fact demand much more of you. If you let down one of your Marines, you are letting down the entire Corps. Noblesse oblige is the private motto of every officer of Marines.”

The granting of mercy or helping those of us who are less fortunate is becoming the territory of our elected officials. Many of whom would not know what you are talking about when you ask them about a favor or a boon. One of the advantages in a democracy is that if you were to ask one person how much a telephone book weighs, you may get anything from 2 ounces or 56.7 grams to 20 lbs. or 9.07 Kilograms. But if you ask 2000 people you will get an average answer very close to the exact weight.

However when electing public officials or politicians it is useful to note that the weight of a telephone book does not change until the next year, but the public official or politician will change sometimes daily. So predicting whether you will get and accurate judge of a politician when you vote may be more difficult than getting the accurate judge of the weight of a phone book.

The good news is that there is a solution and here is a gift for you. If you can convince the voting regulatory board in your jurisdiction to change the voting regulations, you should be able to get better candidates to run and better more merciful people to be elected. The change is really quite simple. Instead of every eligible voter getting one vote, they would, after the change, get 3 votes. In order for their vote to count, they would have to indicate who they want to finish in first place, who in second place and who in third place.

The person or candidate who gets the first place vote gets 2 points. The person who gets the second place vote gets 1 point and the person who gets the third place vote will get zero points. The person with the most points after the election wins. The interesting thing about this concept, first proposed by a French Mathematician in 1776, is that the candidate with the most second place votes will normally win the election. This means that he or she may not be some of the voter’s most popular person, but they will be all of the voter’s second place choice. It doesn’t take away peoples right to vote, but it does take a way their right to vote without thinking.

As soon as potential candidates realize this they will come out of the woodwork and start running as candidates and then you can see who will be the most merciful and best at granting boons and thus is most deserving of your vote.

Traveling with infants and young children may not be a formidable task, though any trip-even across town-requires common sense, planning, and organization.  You must always keep three important factors in mind, the child’s safety, physical comfort, and contentment.

Safety Restraints

Even before the baby’s birth, parents should buy a quality child safety restraint for use in the family car.  Several good models are on the market, but each of them must be installed properly to be effective.

Beginning with baby’s first trip home, develop the habit of using the safety restraint each time the child rides in the car regardless of the distance involved.  Under no circumstances should any child be allowed to ride” loose;” the lap of an adult passenger is an especially dangerous place for a baby or young child.

Planning Your Trip

When including your baby in major traveling, begin planning for your trip several weeks before departure.  Tell your pediatrician about it and ask his advice.  A few doctors do restrict infant travel.

If you will be traveling by commercial carrier-plane, train, or bus-ask the ticket agent about infant passengers and special services.  One domestic airline, for example, requires a doctor’s written consent before it will transport an infant under seven days old.  Most carriers need advance notice to supply children’s meals and provide bassinets for use on route.

Prepare separate lists-the things you will need for the baby during the trip, the things you will want at your destination, the things you might like to have easily accessible [in the trunk of your car, for example, if you’re planning to drive.  Then organize your packing according to your lists, using a lightweight carry-along bag for traveling, and a separate suitcase for the rest of the baby’s things.

Gather the necessary items in a single spot so that they will not be forgotten.  As you locate and pack each item, check it off the appropriate list and take the list with you-they perform admirably for the return trip too.

What to Pack

What you take with you is mostly a matter of common sense; it depends primarily on the age of your child and your mode of transportation.

Formula can be refrigerated in insulated coolers packed with ice, although commercial carriers frequently have refrigerator space for a bottle or two.  If necessary, you can warm bottles under a hot water faucet.

Traveling is infinitely easier since the advent of disposable diapers.  Even if you use washable ones at home, consider taking throwaways with you on the trip.  You need only take a few since the supply can be replenished readily while traveling and after you arrive at your destination.  Disposable diapers eliminate the problem of storing soiled ones.  Soiled washable diapers should be rinsed out in a restroom before being stowed in a plastic bag until laundry facilities are available.

Dress your youngster in loose, comfortable clothing suitable to the particular travel environment; if the vehicle is air-conditioned, take along a sweater or lightweight blanket for the child’s comfort.

Facial tissues are “musts” when traveling with young children.  Commercially packaged, moistened towels are handy, but you can also carry washcloths in a plastic bag.

A plastic trash bag functions well as a laundry bag, and a plastic sheet protects beds from accidents, but be sure to place the plastic under the bed-sheet to avoid the danger of suffocation.  Take a large bed-sheet with you-it provides a clean, instant play area on a motel floor or on a bed or even on a grassy area by the side of the road. 

It is never to early to introduce books and reading to babies.

Reading aloud to your baby is a remarkable way of fostering brain development and important in the development of language skills.

Reading to your child is the most valuable thing you can do and babies benefit immensely. Not only does it help develop baby’s eye muscles through focusing on pictures but it helps to encourage language skills. Each and every baby learns by sight, sound and feeling. When a baby sees, hears or feels anything, brain connections form and eventually create a piece of knowledge.

Babies first learn words by association with objects and pictures, which help them to understand the world around them. Eventually these associations are developed into language skills, where they begin sounding out the word. Language skills then develop into a way of which a baby can communicate with their parents and others around them.

As your baby grows into a toddler there are many other benefits that reading provides, such as:

• Reading aloud helps your child to learn new words, associations and language skills.
• Reading aloud to children helps them to learn and understand about the world around them and events and situations that do occur in everyday life.
• Reading aloud to children helps them to develop their creativity and imagination.
• Reading aloud to children helps them to learn about values and moral concepts, such as honesty, sharing and teaches them right from wrong.
• Reading aloud to children is calming and soothing and is a fantastic way to bond with your child.

The benefits of reading to your baby and child are endless!

Establish a daily routine and read to your child. Life can never be too busy to set aside some reading time to your child and the rewards your child will reap are infinite!

Introduce the new baby in your life with a world of words and pictures with a wonderful baby book basket. The new baby will be delighted and the joy derived from books will provide countless hours of learning and pleasure.

Start reading to your baby today!

Sometimes choosing a gift for a new baby is one of the most difficult tasks that one can face. This is especially true with so many people buying gifts, and you want to choose something that is different. After all, everyone brings sheets, comforters, blankets, and the usual types of clothing for newborns, so what can you do that is different? There surely has to be something different that you can do. Even if it includes the same items, you can find a different way to package it.  

One gift giving idea that has become popular over the past few years is the diaper cake. For those who are familiar with this gift concept, you make a cake, often for a baby shower, using disposal diapers as the basis for the cake. Some people use the diapers with characters, but it works better if you use just plain, white Pampers or Huggies diapers. The diapers are to hold the cake together, but you can also roll and fold some little shirts, kimonos, sleepers, bibs, and other items to add to the variety of the cake. Small toys such as rattles and small stuff animals made specifically for newborns can be taped to the diapers as well.  Another gift idea that has also been used is using the bassinette as a carrier of gifts.

This can be a real bassinette that you buy for the mother-to-be or that you rent as part of your baby shower theme, but rather than having just the bassinette, you line the entire inside with various baby items such as clothing, bedding, toys, lotions, diapers, baby formula, baby food, bibs, and any other small items that you would like to include. If you choose, you can cover it with a nice colorful blanket or quilt, and add a toy to the top for decorating.   Personalized gifts are always nice to have as well, but these will have to wait until after the birth of the baby. Even if the parents have chosen names and been told they are having a girl or boy, it is always best to wait. In some cases, the position of the baby may cause the doctor to see a difference in the baby’s gender, so to avoid giving girl’s gifts to a boy, and vice versa, wait until after the baby is born to give personalized gifts.

There are several gifts from which you can choose, but one of the most popular is the personalized picture frame that the new parents can use for baby’s hospital photograph.  You may certainly come up with some ideas of your own; these are just some samples of things that you can do if you are fresh out of ideas. Gift giving for the new baby should come from your heart and your creative inner soul. If you have a great idea for a baby gift, share it with someone so that they, too, can give a gift that is different from the others the baby receives.

Planning a baby shower for the expectant mother is the best way to congratulate her blessed event.

Who plans the baby shower? Any relative, close friend or coworker can host the baby shower.

Most baby showers are held before the baby is born. Some are held after the conception but, more often than not, most baby showers are held toward the end of pregnancy. It is a welcome diversion for the expecting mom to have her baby shower in the last trimester. It also brings more enjoyment and fun as the new mom is sporting a big belly towards the end.

However, before setting a date for the party, ensure to consult with the parents-to-be first and foremost. It would be a shame if a party is planned and invitations are sent and then find out that the most important people cannot make it.

Send out invitations early enough to give the guests a few weeks’ notice. This allows the guests to free up their schedules as well as to shop for the perfect gift.

In the traditional way, baby showers were held for the mother-to-be. However, there is increasing popularity for co-ed baby showers. In my opinion, a co-ed baby shower is probably more enjoyable and it is wonderful if the father-to-be is included. A father often feels left out throughout the pregnancy and after the birth of the newborn baby. A co-ed baby shower is a wonderful way to congratulate the father as well!

Themed baby showers are also very popular and makes the party more festive. Plan your theme and purchase matching invitations, napkins, plates and decorations. Although it takes more work to plan, a themed baby shower can make the party seem more organized.

The most favorite and enjoyable tradition of a baby shower are the activities and games. Here are some popular and fun games:

• Baby Food Taste Test - Buy eight jars of baby food - cereal, fruit, veggies, and meat. Cover the jars with foil and write a number on the side of each jar. Pass out plastic spoons, paper plates, and paper and pencil for each player. Ask players to write the numbers 1 through 8 around the outside of the plate. Pass around each jar of baby food and have players drop a spoonful next to each number. They must taste the globs and try to identify each flavor. Remove the foil to reveal the answers. Whoever has the most correct answers wins a prize.
• How Big is Baby? - Bring a roll of toilet paper pass it around and have everyone tear off the exact amount that they think will go around the expectant mother. The person with the length of toilet paper that is the closest wins of course.
• Diaper Doo Doo - Take 6 disposable diapers and put a different kind of candybar (½ a bar will usually do) in each one and let them sit in the sun or a warm place to melt. Label them 1 through 6. Pass the “dirty diapers” around and the winner is the one who can identify the most correctly.
• Don’t say “Baby” - When the guests arrive, give each a clothespin to wear. Tell each guest that they can’t say the word “baby”. If a guest catches someone saying “baby”, they may take the clothespin away from them. If, for example, a guest has 3 pins from previously taking them away from others and someone catches her saying “baby” then that guest now gets to take all 3 of her pins. The person with the most clothes pins at the end of the shower wins the game.
• Baby Pictionary - This game is based upon the original Pictionary board game. Before the shower, place words relating to baby activities and items on small cards. (ex: Changing a diaper, giving birth, feeding time) At the shower, create teams and give each one a pad of paper and pencil. Let one member of the team see a card, then tell them to draw the word or phrase for their partners to guess. Use a timer or just play until someone guesses. When the time is up, the teams total up the number of words they have guessed correctly and the one who has the most wins a prize.

There are many, many other baby shower games and activities that you can choose to make your baby shower fun and exciting.

Lastly, what makes for a great baby shower gift? Chances are the new mother requires many baby necessities including clothing, bottles, a car seat, bibs, blankets, and more.

We have has charming baby gift baskets that are guaranteed to make the new baby squeal in delight, functional gift baskets filled with baby necessities that every new parent wants and needs and personalized baby gifts that make exceptional keepsakes of the blessed event. Be sure to browse our adorable musical crib mobiles and soft, cuddly baby blankets.

Make the new mom’s baby shower one to remember. This is a wonderful event in her life and what better way to congratulate her!

You never met her or her friends. She made a confession over the phone. They thought you were the dreamy-est thing they’d ever seen. That was exactly how she said it. It was sweet - school-girl sweet, and sincere. They had a photograph - that was all.

What they didn’t know was just how much it meant. How could they?

Like a character in a Springsteen song you’d been down one too many brutal roads and had begun to wonder if there was ever going to be moment where the proverbial light of the next day shone through to illuminate a better time; a better place.

You knew a man who had been out of work for a year. He had a computer file with the places he’d sent his resume.

One thousand and seven, he said, half mystified by the number, half in awe of the reality of it.

You went on interview after interview. They gave you tests. Your favorite was the typing test that asked you to copy as fast as you could a report that said the job market was fraught with uncertainty. It was like the sign on the door to a building that said: please use other door… it made you wonder just what were people thinking, and if they were thinking anything at all.

You were sitting in a bar, with a friend. It was late and a slow evening on a brutally humid day in the middle of a long hot, weary summer. The bartender said he was bored. He pulled out a deck of cards. High card draw wins a free drink, he said. In the background, a television, with the sound turned off, was showing highlights of the day’s baseball games.

Your friend smiled. You said: I never win things like this.

You asked him what happens if you loose.

Nothing, he said, and he smiled.

You looked at the cards splayed out in front of you and you reached for one, stopped, thought better of it, and you chose another.

Your friend went to choose next and, looking at your card, you said: don’t bother, I won.

You were getting dressed to meet someone. You had told them you had a story to share. You put on a clean shirt and felt something in the shirt’s pocket. You smiled as you pulled out two dollars.

You sat together at the table in front of the restaurant. It was late and warm. The sound of cars coming and going in the parking lot just beyond the tables made an echoing hum on the cement.

It became later than it had been and you sat talking about this and that. A man stopped by to ask for money.

I’m trying to get to

Bowie Maryland, he said. You smiled, handed him the two dollars and while he walked away, your friend said you were being foolish. You laughed until you remembered he was the same man who had said the same thing a month before. Well, you said, it’s still funny, the way the luck changes and that’s his karma, not mine.Then there was the phone call. Dreamy, she said. And there was no way she could have known how much that moment of honesty - that gift of honesty - meant.

Moms tend to think about everyone but themselves, which is great for everyone around them but it can take a toll on even the most devoted mom. In order to keep your sanity it is important that moms take time out to relax and regroup.

I know it is easier said then done, there is always one more diaper to change, one more meal to cook or one more load of laundry to do. So what can you do to take time out for yourself and when are you supposed to do it? Here are a few ideas to help get your mommy time out started.

Ask your husband, a friend or a family member to watch the kids for a while. In just a few hours you could go see that movie you have been dying to see, minus screaming babies and frequent trips to the bathroom to avoid bothering other people. In just two hours you can get your hair done, a manicure and a pedicure. Imagine how relaxing just two hours of alone time would be.

Chances are you won’t be able to get someone to take the kids everyday for a few hours but it’s still important to take a mini time out everyday. By doing this you will spare the children from unwarranted outburst and yourself from slipping into depression.

• Leave the dishes, the laundry and the spill in the kitchen for just thirty minutes, maybe while the baby is napping or while the kids are watching a cartoon. Just taking thirty minutes to relax or work on a hobby will alleviate some of the days stress.
• Wake up and hour early or go to bed an hour late, the kids will be sleeping and you can spend sometime getting ready in the morning or watching TV.
• Exercise regularly can be a great way to get you going and keep you in shape for keeping up with your kids.
• Eat right, veggies and fruit will charge your immune system, the last thing you need is a sick mommy.
• Remind yourself that you can’t control everything. Don’t spend your mommy time out worrying about what is going on at the house, your husband is perfectly capable of handling the kids alone for two hours.
• Start a baby swap, a baby swap is when two or more moms agree to take each others children for a few hours to give the other some free time on a weekly or monthly basis.
• Share the load. Sit down with your family and divide the chores. By sharing the load you can make more time for everyone and by giving
• When hit overload just taking a few minutes to sit and think about the positive things in your life can make you feel better.

You don’t need to be busy every minute of the day. Stay home with your family. Don’t make a commitment unless it is important to you. Get in the habit of saying no to things you don’t want to, or don’t have time to do and don’t feel guilty about it.

While motherhood is a very rewarding experience and totally worth the sacrifice it can be stressful and with all that you do for your family it’s hard to think about yourself, but very important. By taking care of yourself, you also teach your children the importance of taking care of their own mental and physical health. Look at the time spent on yourself as an investment to make you a better, happier mom for your husband and your children.

Now that you’re parents, another human being will be dependent on you for all of his or her needs for at least the next eighteen years.

Hugs and kisses are free, but other things such as food, clothing, housing, medical care, and education cost money-lots of it.  To raise one child from birth to age eighteen will cost an average of nearly $100,000.  That figure covers just the basic necessities through high school, but many parents today want more for their children.

At age five, when most children begin school, the costs of child rearing begin to escalate.  About forty percent of the total expense of raising a child occurs between the ages of twelve and seventeen, which is good news for early planners who will benefit by beginning a savings program when their children are preschoolers.

Now is the time to arm yourself with information about how to prepare for your family’s future and to begin the steps to turn your plans into reality.

Begin by determining your financial condition.  Before you can plan intelligently for your child’s future, it’s necessary to have a firm grasp of your present financial situation.  It’s impossible to plan for the future if you don’t know what’s going on now.

Figuring out your net worth can be a very revealing exercise.  Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper.  Label assets on the left side and list them; include cash in checking and savings accounts, equity in owner-occupied real estate, bonds, stocks, cars and investment real estate.

Under liabilities on the right side, list mortgages outstanding, installment loans for cars, appliances or furniture, revolving credit card balances for department stores, and professional services such as medical and dental.  Include past due accounts and charity donations.

Then add up each column.  If you subtract your liabilities from your assets, you’ll have your net worth.  Don’t worry if your figures aren’t precise, just the fact that you’re sitting down with pen, paper, and calculator makes it all the more likely that you’ll take firm action when planning your child’s financial future.

Making a simple monthly budget to determine how you are spending your income can be another eye-opener.  By listing your income and your spending, you can highlight the areas where changes can be made.  For example, you may be surprised to find out how much you spend on long distance phone calls or how often you eat out.  Seeing those figures in black and white may spur you to reduce your expenditures, and channel the money to your savings account instead. 

 Miles and miles of land separate my mother and me. The long-distance phone calls and emails cannot compare to being able to see her whenever I please. So when it comes time to ship off a gift, I want her to feel as if I am standing in front of her, delivering it myself.

As the month of June neared, I prepared for one of my most intense gift-giving times of the year. Besides Father’s Day, the month brought both of my parent’s birthdays, as well as their anniversary. By the middle of the month, I would have satisfied 3 out of 4 big dates on the calendar, leaving my mother’s birthday to focus on. This year, I tried to think of gifts she would not only use, but also find comfort, delight and relaxation. She recently quit smoking and I wanted to keep her on track and make sure she was surrounded by welcomed distractions.

My mother always starts her day with a cup of coffee and by night, falls asleep beside another. I went to the gourmet food section of one of my favorite stores and began to browse the coffee aisle. There were many tempting flavors to choose from, including Raspberry to Chocolate Mint, as I relentlessly read all of the bags. In the back of the bunch, one particular selection rewarded me for my uncompromising focus.

If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again- sometimes the perfect gift finds me even when I least expect it. The day after Mother’s Day, my mother and I were having a conversation about her visit with my grandmother. She brought over her usual gift, accompanied by coffee and biscuits. By the end of her visit, she said she left with a delicious taste upon her lips, as they had sipped several shots of Kahlua. I know the doctor mentioned that alcohol may provide comfort for my grandmother’s arthritis, but for me, it was hard to swallow that my Nana and mother were sitting in her living room, consuming alcoholic beverages on Mother’s Day. I’ve never seen either one of them drink in my life.

So when I pulled the Kahlua-flavored coffee from behind all of the other interesting flavors, I felt I had struck gold. It was the last and only bag of its kind. I wasn’t looking for that particular flavor; didn’t even know it existed, but the warmth and happiness that overcame me at that moment was overwhelming. I couldn’t wait until she opened her gift.

On her birthday, I called early because she always waits for me before opening gifts. I could hear the tear of the box and crinkling of the wrapping paper. She was quite pleased with what she found inside. The gift brought her back to the Mother’s Day Kahlua, which then turned into a flood of teenage and college memories I had no idea existed. Although, I was miles and miles away, the coffee talk made me feel much closer, providing me with much-needed satisfaction and comfort.