Shopping

Gift ideas for a new mom

Before and after the baby's birth, presents are often given to... the baby! Mom can also get pampered. Here are some gift ideas mom is sure to like.

Flowers?

Yes, flowers are a crowd favourite, but they wither so fast! Why not switch the traditional bouquet for a house plant that will last a few years longer? A croton, Dwarf palmetto or lush fern are only examples. A few bamboo shoots for luck, health and wealth can also do the trick! A little exoticism is most welcomed! For spring and winter, choose a rose-bush or a shrub that she will be able to plant in the garden and that will remind her of her newborn each and every year.

Wardrobe consultant

For the "stylish" mom, hire a wardrobe consultant that will give her tips with her clothes. Some companies such as Shopping… à la carte! offer such services. A real mood booster! Pair your gift with a spa, massage, haircut, manicure and pedicure combo. Or offer her a gift certificate to her favourite store or a specific mall. The Cadillac Fairview malls offer the Carte Shopping! which can be used in more than 4,000 stores and 28 malls across Canada. Even if she can only buy one piece of clothing, she will feel beauiful and be radiant! Who could resist it?

Home care services

The "totale" is one of the many services proposed by La Pouponnière mobile, a company that offers various quality home care services. To really pamper a new mom, what better way than to give her the deeply relaxing VIP treatment. The name alone makes you feel better already. It includes 16 hours of "helping out" services, 6 hours of food preparation, 1 hour of massage therapy and 4 hours of baby massage classes.

Subscriptions

Get the new mom a subscription! Does she raid every magazine stand? Get her a subscription to her two favourite ones! She will think of you every month! Offer her a quality bubble bath and allow her to relax in warm and perfumed water while reading her favourite magazine. As an added touch of humor, make her a "do not disturb" sign to hang on the bathroom door.

Time!

Do you have time? Perfect! She needs it! Ready to spend a "basket" day with her? First, show up one morning after dad has left for work with a complete "breakfast" basket: muffin, croissant, freshly ground coffee, orange juice, fruits, jam, etc. Then give her a "beauty" basket with bubble bath, shower gel, atomizer, self-tanning lotion, day cream, night cream, hand cream, foot products, nail polish, etc. Ask her to go in the bathroom for 1 or 2 hours while you take over. Next up, a "grocery" basket! Grab her list and go buy what she needs, and while you're at it, bring her back a nice lunch! Keep giving her surprise baskets throughout the day.

You can also offer to babysit for a few hours when the baby gets home so she can spend some quality time outside with her special someone. You can also babysit her other kids so mommy can spend some time with her newborn…

Offering to help decorate the baby's room is also an excellent idea. A day with a group of friends to paint and decorate the room while mommy sits back and watches people hard at work.

Frozen meals

Bring her homemade frozen meals so she doesn't have to cook and prepare meals for a while. Single portions are very convenient.


This week
Ear infections, antibiotics, and prevention

Becoming a parent also means being acquainted with several small infections encountered during our own childhood. Ear infections are numerous and can leave you having lots of questions. We try to respond to the most frequent ones.

My child is often absentminded!

Do you find yourself often repeating phrases like "Hello? Is anyone there?" ? If so, it seems that your child is often absentminded. Here's how to help your distracted children stay concentrated.

A teenager’s bedroom

Your teenager's bedroom is a disaster. You even invented new words to describe this horrendous place where food and clothes seem to blend into a new kind of carpet but your child doesn't seem to mind. What can you do?

My child is smelly!

Your child is now 6 years old. The innocence of childhood still shines brightly in his or her eyes but… they're smelly! When your child gets hot, you scrunch your nose and smell a tinge of sweat. Are they too young for deodorant?