I know she's told you that what she really,really needs is a personalized Bugaboo Bee, (and I really,really need one of those, too, in case any of my people are reading) but on the off chance that this "budget" stroller still doesn't quite meet your budget, here's my offical list of must-haves:
1. A subscription to The New Yorker
I know what you're thinking. She doesn't live in New York, and even if she did, why would she want to read about plays she'll never see and restaurants she'll never eat in? Because, my friends, it's a whole lot more interesting than the warning tag on her nursing pillow. See, the brilliance of The New Yorker is that even if you don't have time to rip out every gift supscription card and Mini advertisment, the magazine will stay open to any page without you holding it. This means you can read while nursing, while rocking, while holding a sqeaky fleece bumble bee over your infant's head for hours at a time. And best of all, The New Yorker doesn't tell you how to do anything.
2. A Hat
And I don't mean for the baby. Postpartum is not a pretty time for hair, what with the hormone-induced shedding and generally abbreviated grooming regimen. But a stylish hat can solve that problem. Here's my favorite for summer and a darling choice for a winter mama.
3. A Basket of Food She Can Eat With One Hand
Here's your chance to get really creative: olives, taquitos, stuffed grape leaves, Mojo bars, chocolate chips, ice cream sandwiches, sushi, apples, cashews, you get the idea. If she's nursing, prepare enough for a week of snacking. That should hold her over until dinner.
4. Lipstick
Yet another creative solution to the grooming issue. Even if she's not a lipstickista, she'll love these.
5. A New Wallet
She might think she's all about the Skip Hop or that she's a Fleurville kind of girl, but the truth is that once that stylish bag starts to fill up with old burp cloths and linty binkies, it belongs to the baby no matter how mod it might be. But a wallet, a wallet is always hers, even if its empty. Here's my personal favorite.
So there's my five. What can you add to the list?
