You don’t need to have a baby of your own to know that creating the patter of tiny feet around the house (no, not the furry kind) has become a pretty expensive business these days.

Well yes, even little furry feet come with their own financial demands, but that still isn’t a scratch on the costs associated with having a baby. It’s no surprise, then, that expectant mums in the UK are now throwing baby shower parties in record numbers. And it isn’t just for the warm, fuzzy feelings they inspire, either.

The UK gift company Carte Blanche recently polled 3,000 women about all things baby-related, and came up with the surprisingly unsentimental finding that 40% of the respondents admitted the main reason they have a baby shower was for the booty, and we ain’t talking cute little knitted baby booties – nor Beyonce’s type of booty.

Yes, it’s the gifts from friends and family these expectant mums have their eyes on – all those essential baby items such as change tables, bassinets, nappy services, soft toys, etc. Combined, these things can cost a bomb, so the baby shower party is fast becoming a necessary part of the whole process, according to a whopping 67% of expectant mums in the UK.

But the invitees to these parties are also happy to go along with the expectation. After all, everyone loves shopping for babies. It gives us the perfect excuse to tap into our own inner baby. Picture it… you’re in the toy shop with a cuddly giraffe in one hand and a brown bear with a squeaker in its tummy in the other. Be honest. Just who are you really buying for?

In the second part of this two-part post on baby shower gifts, here’s 25 more gift ideas when you don’t know the baby’s gender ahead of time. Some of these items are so reasonably priced, you could pick up a few to make a little gift hamper of your own…

1. If you don’t know whether your friend will be using cloth or disposable nappies, err on the side of caution and give her a wet bag (great for travelling) or swim nappies from Superior Posteriors
2. What mum doesn’t want to be like a movie star, with her tummy snapping back into shape mere seconds(OK, weeks!) after the birth? Help her along with a Bellyco belly wrap
3. Perfect for the handmade brigade, babies will love shaking the organic cotton owl-like “monster” rattle from Made It
4. Let them create a mug, mousepad or more from the tiny hand- and foot-prints of their newborn with BellyArt’s inkless printing system
5. Nudey!Rudey! in New Zealand makes a range of modern cloth nappies in cloth or organic cotton and bamboo velour designed to save families money and reduce their carbon footprint
6. While they’ll need to be a little older to use it, toddlers will love playing with the colourful wooden xylophone from EcoToys
7. Make your mum-to-be feel attractive in hospital with a striking jungle-print hospital gown from Designer Mamas
8. Mummah makes a range of clever packs for mothers-to-be, from Pregnancy through to Delivery and Hospital packs that contain everything a brand-new mum could need
9. If you want to pamper her a little, why not give her a designer gift box packed with goodies for mother and child from Pamper Boxes
10. Give her a voucher for an Inky Feet experience where her child’s footprints can be turned into a framed work of art
11. Lavender is well-known as a restful and calming essential oil. Spray the lavender water from Pure Earth Noosa in your baby’s room to give him or her a restful sleep
12. A Milkooler holder keeps milk cold or warm for longer and it’s easy for babies to hold, too
13. Snuggle Pods from Lila and May make it easy to bundle your baby up in his or her bassinette, cot or pram – my favourite gender-neutral print is Owl Friends Flannel
14. The Chickadee Bathtime Baby Gift Set from DigiGifts features a white hand towel and facewasher with “Baby” embroidered in yellow and a fun yellow duck bath glove, two vegetable baby soaps and a toy rubber ducky
15. Give her an Elm baby sling from Beep Beep Slings (see picture) made for Daddy to easily carry his baby around to give Mum a break
16. Aromababy has a clever Nappy Change Time pack which includes a toiletry bag, padded nappy change mat, clear zip bag, bath gel, moisturising nappy cream, barrier balm and baby lotion
17. If she’s going to use eco-friendly disposable nappies, she’ll still need to throw them away which is where Eco Disposal Bags from Naty come in handy – great for cleaning up your doggie’s doo-doos on your daily walk, too
18. At some point your favourite yummy mummy will want a night out with her baby daddy. If she’s arranging a babysitter, this laminated Babysitter Planner from Corporate Mums can be updated with your child’s routines and anything else you tend to scribble down on a piece of paper
19. Produced excess breast milk or pureed endless pumpkin – and don’t want it to go to waste? Qubies makes a clever ice-cube contained designed to separate liquids into 30ml baby-size portions.
20. A child who wants to put his or her clothes away? Any mother would kiss you for making that job so easy! And perhaps you can with these extremely cute wooden animal coat hangers from Twiggi in your choice of five bright colours (pick ‘em all, I say)
21. The beautiful illustrated stationery from Note Couture includes invitations, notepads, address labels, to do lists and and correspondence cards – so adorable!
22. Eventually, her baby will transition from a bottle to drinking from a cup (and oh, back to drinking out a bottle when he or she is at uni, but that’s another story). With a Sophie the Giraffe Non-Spill Sippy Cup from Your Cheeky Monkey, her little one will be intrigued to see a tiny Sophie the Giraffe at the bottom of her cup…
23. You might consider booking a babysitter for her from Expect A Star so she can enjoy a rare night out with her partner
24. Pamper your pretty mama with a hair, face or beauty package at Yummy Mummys – one of Sydney’s few beauty salons with a creche!
25. Make her baby’s nursery magical with a gift voucher for children’s bedroom decor from Treehouse

Has one of your friends become pregnant but refuses to find out and/or tell you the baby’s gender? One of my good friends has so she’s getting red, lemon, lilac and green-coloured items – but I thought there had to be more to ambiguous gifts than colour…

Since you can’t rely on the old-standby of something blue or pink, you have to be more ingenious! Here’s the first in a two-part post on baby shower gifts when you don’t know if your friend is having a baby boy or girl.

1. Ergococoon – these neutral-coloured “cocoons” make it super-easy to wrap your baby up at night – no more having to learn origami!
2. Ninky Bear Honey Pots – an adorable neutral-coloured ”honey pot” made of a cloth nappy, washcloth, handtowel and bear
3. Babies don’t breast-feed forever, so when it’s time to start solids, your mum-to-be will need a Starting Solids Baby Feeding Kit
4. Start them on the path to literacy early with these handy Big Alphabet Wall Stickers
5. Add some fun to the never-ending chore of bottle-washing with the Boon Grass Drying Rack
6. Focus on mum with a boxed delivery of some sparkling pinot noir chardonnay, a teddy bear, Belgian chocolate and fruit
7.  Inspire the expecting couple with a delightful framed Family Rules print that can go in the nursery, hall, kitchen or loungeroom
8. Give a trio of the best-known nursery ryhmes – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Mary Had a Little Lamb and Baa Baa Black Sheep as framed prints to learn by heart on those long nights ahead!
9. A classic gift for AC/DC fans, these instrumental lullabies will have Dad happily head-banging away when baby can’t sleep (check out The Beatles, Bob Marley, U2, Nirvana, Pink Floyd and about 10 other famous bands)
10. A gorgeous owl-print cot quilt and twin bibs in neutral colours makes a pretty baby shower gift
11. Wondering how to get them to eat their veggies once they start solids? Toddlers love Fred Food Face!
12. 30 brain-training ideas and life-changing steps make it easier for her to go from pregnancy to the baby’s first three months
13.  Give your new mum a cute baby rattle in the shape of a guitar to encourage her baby to be musically inclined 
14. Buy a teddy bear from OCF to ensure every child with cancer has the chance to grow up and enjoy life
15. They won’t be in it for long, but this vibrantly-coloured designer Land and Sea Bassinet Blanket is a keeper!
16. Protect their new baby’s delicate skin with a Beautiful Baby Gift Pack containing organic skincare products
17. Look after mum too with a Baby Concepts New Mum Pack containing organic lotion, belly oil, facewasher, body wash, and nappy bag
18. Keep track of when baby (or mum!) last slept or ate with a green Itzbeen timer (and you could use it for time-outs for older kids, too)
19. A Baby Bliss DVD helps new mothers to stimulate their baby’s digestive, respiratory and muscular systems through baby yoga
20. The fun survival pack from Giftboxology contains a Forgetmenot shopping list stationery set to combat “baby brain”, rum balls, macadamia nuts, and soap and botty butter for the baby
21. Let your new mum know all about her baby’s personality and potential. Give her a BabyStars gift certificate that she can redeem once the baby’s born for a luxury hardcover 45-50 page astrology report
22. Relieve her backache with a gift certificate for a wonderful Ripples Pregnancy Massage in northern NSW, QLD and VIC
23. Keep baby as snug as a bug in a rug with a Lambykins superfine pure merino cot blanket in an on-trend rich raspberry with winter white stripe
24. She will love you for making it so easy to get out and about with her Shopping Caddy that holds everything for a baby’s outing
25. If you’d like to give her something for herself, this stunning black wrap-around organic cotton maternity dress is incredibly flattering pre- and post-pregnancy!

Next post – 25 more baby shower gift ideas, part 2

Swapping, selling and buying plastic gift cards is nothing new but here’s something I haven’t seen before…

Not only is CardsUWant.com is a fabulous online marketplace for buying gift cards at up to 40% off and for converting your unwanted cards into instant cash, but they’ve also got a great range of merchants who sell e-gift cards.

Instead of handing someone a plastic gift card for their birthday, Christmas or baby shower in person, e-gift cards are terrific for those who live on the other side of the world – and especially great for those who remember all-too-late on the day when it’s someone’s birthday.

The 16 merchants on there to date range from Bedandbreakfast.com to Zappos. The balances on the e-gift cards are low – $US25 and $US50 – but they should get you out of hot water celebration-wise when it absolutely, positively has to be there before you get an abusive phone call, text or email.

Mid-way through our southern hemisphere winter (one of the coldest for ages), there are a few online retailers having sales – and if you’d like to get a gift to cheer up a friend who’s expecting a baby, you have kids or you’re already thinking of tucking away a few Christmas gifts for your nieces and nephews, here’s what’s on:

My Baby Bump is having a sale on its fun maternity t-shirts – up to 60% off.

Everything Boys has repriced (read: reduced) its range of boys’ jeans and they will donate $5 from every pair of jeans sold between now and 1 August to Jeans for Genes Day.

Brand-new online retailer Avidiva sells handmade, eco-friendly and organic baby products. You can get 25% off store-wide until 21 July 2010 by entering ‘hip hooray’ at checkout.

Petit has a clearance sale on the winter baby range and the Bobinette boys winter range plus every order will receive a free gift.

By signing up to the Mother’s Toolkit newsletter, you receive a free Mother’s Shopping Toolkit packed with discounts and special offers from online retailers of products and services for mums.

Just in time for World Breast Feeding Week from 1-7 August, is the cutely striped Retro Awning breast feeding pillow from BabyBaby, reduced from $NZ89 to $NZ55. 

And New Zealand-based Chelsea Bee is having a 10% store-wide sale until 31 July and is offering free shipping worldwide.

Do you know of a children’s or baby gift online retailer having a mid-winter sale readers should know about? Tell us!

Is one of your friends pregnant? Are you? One of my friends is seven months along and another friend will be hosting a lunch – Kate couldn’t bear it being called a baby shower (and we’re hoping there won’t be any baby shower games like guessing her tummy’s circumference with a piece of string) - for her next month.

So what do you give a friend about to have a baby that she’ll really love – and more importantly, use?

Canadian baby gift online retailer Pipsqueak Boutique surveyed over 200 mothers to find out their top 10 favourite baby gifts:

1. 53% of mums chose baby clothes in larger sizes – kids always get bigger, and many babies these days are real whumpers!

2. 27% said baby clothes in newborn sizes. They’re pooing, weeing, vomiting and generally being making a mess so very young babies need to change their clothes more often than Lady Gaga.

3. In hot pursuit in third place are books at 26%. Kids who love reading do better at school and hey, anything for peace.

4. Bath and skincare products for baby came in at 24%. Preferably all-natural to protect their skin. These can be pricey when you have to buy them all the time.

5. Where’s my blankie? 22% of mothers voted a soft baby blanket as a favourite. Ones you can stick in the washing machine after they’ve been dragged through the mud are even better.

6. 20% of mothers want personalised/monogrammed keepsake items that they can cherish forever.

7. Only 19% said gifts for themselves were a favourite but that only reveals how few received them. In fact, most mothers wanted a gift to indulge themselves after nine months of hard labour. Can you blame them?!

8. 18% of mums voted for children’s toys. Probably not drums though.

9. Bibs and burp clothes get a big workout so 18% of mothers also voted for these.

10. Although they wanted to be the ones to select the decor, 17% of mothers voted for nursery furniture as a favourite gift to offset the expense.

Did you buy any of the top 24 gifts listed for 2009 for an anniversary, birthday, christening, Christmas, engagement, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, new baby, Valentine’s Day or wedding gift? I bet you did!

According to consumer insights company Unity Marketing, they were:

1 (46%). Books (I gave one each as a Christmas prezzie and a thank-you gift for Dad, to Mum for Mother’s Day, and to nephew Sol for his birthday but I’m sure I gave many more!)
2 (36%). Chocolate – boxed or pick-your-own (hmmm – does that count buying them for yourself?)
4 (28%). Men’s clothing (to brother David for his birthday)
5 (26%). Bath and body soaps and lotions
6 (24%). Toys including action figures, building sets, sports toys, vehicles
7 (22%). Games/puzzles
8 (22%). Children’s clothing (for niece Camille, and nephews Lachie and Sol for Christmas)
9 (20%). Candles and/or candle accessories
10 (19%). Flowers, plants and /or garden accessories including bouquets
11 (17%). Wine and/or wine tasting gifts
12. (16%) Gift baskets including cookies, snacks, fruit, candy, wine (I gave this to Audra for her housewarming)
13 (15%). Video/DVDs (I gave a boxed set of the Marx Bros to my grandfather for Christmas)
14 (15%). Fragrance/perfume
15 (15%). Electronic games such as Wii
16 (14%). Women’s accessories eg handbags, belts, wallets, scarves, shawls
17 (14%). Coffe and tea gifts
18 (14%). MP3 players, iPods and personal audio devices
19 (13%). Plush/stuffed animals
20 (13%) Teenage clothing (I wonder if so few were bought because we’re afraid of getting it wrong?!)
21 (13%). Dining/restaurant experience
22 (12%) Liquors and spirits (I gave someone champagne…)
23 (12%) Gift card – discount department stores and mass merchants eg WalMart, Target etc (I’m surprised this was so far down the list but Mum got one for Mother’s Day and stepmother Jo for her birthday although it was really a gift voucher)
24. (12%) Baby/infants’ clothing including booties and hats (I got a personalised one made for niece Camille for Christmas – she was running a bit late being born though so it really became her birth-day present).

I’d love to know where personalised gifts came in on the list… As well as homewares that all of us seem to be asked to buy on wedding gift registry lists!

Clothing is the most popular type of baby gift, because new mothers need so many of them.

Next time you’re attending a baby shower and plan on giving a oneside (those little all-in-one baby suits), buy one from Baby Teresa.

This Tasmanian company, launched only in September 2009, donates one onesie for every suit you buy, for a baby in need. Most recently a donated shipment of onesies went to a benevolent organisation that helps mothers in need in Uganda.

Choose from short-sleeved or long-sleeved 100% cotton onesies in cute stripes from just $AUD29.95.

Forbes ran a great story about a company which has tapped into people’s concern about people in Third World countries being paid fairly for their work. Ten Thousand Villages works with over 130 artisan groups in 38 countries who make fair trade jewellery, home decor, gifts, clothing and other items and is considered one of the largest companies in this field (it netted $US24 million in sales in 2009, up from $US10 million in 2000). In addittion to its website, it also has bricks-and-mortar stores in upscale neighbourhoods to reach the affluent gift-buyer.

There are a lot of fantastic fair trade websites out there! Here is a not-exhaustive list of 44 other fair trade websites (let me know about others!) that you might like to know about for truly unusual anniversary, birthday, christening, Christmas, engagement, housewarming, Valentines Day and wedding gifts that will help to support artisans in developing countries..

These ones feature artisans’ works from a number of countries
Pachacuti (I want their amethyst & blue topaz necklace), A Better Footprint (little boys will love the recycled cans made into toy cars), Global Goods Partners (how cute is their hot pink dog collar?!) Global Sister Goods (make Christmas an international affair with their Zulu nativity set), Serrv (I’m loving their Neela bright blue ceramic tile towel hooks), World Next Door (I love their Zulusports brightly coloured bracelets), World of Good (created by eBay), Trade As One (see their sweet children’s elephant puzzle), Manos de Madres (my niece would love their dresses), Gifts With Humanity (the Tree of Life wall art made from recycled oil drums is very now), Five Accessories, Fair Trade Marketplace, One World Projects (you’ve gotta see their gift baskets!), Global Exchange Store (check out their ingenious baby pumice stone feet), Pangea Collection (intricate artisan jewellery), World Shoppe (check out their pretty greeting cards from Bangladesh), Generation Wonder (your little girl might like their pink heart purse), and Brindabella Baby.

Central & South America
Ecobre of Mexico makes beautiful hand-hammered copper items, including unique copper kitchen sinks), Pueblito (it sells a range of South American jewellery including a striking seed necklace), Propueblo (their banana husk tissue box from Ecuador could make a great housewarming gift), Mayan Hands (check out the purple chenille shawl), Maya Works (the children’s backpacks are great value), Shop Mayu (see their beautiful alpaca throws), Partners for Just Trade (they’ve got some fun animal pillows in Spanish – great for kids), Inca Kids (check out their handknitted cupcakes), Kusikuy (Bolivia and Peru), Basura Bags (they make amazingly colourful bags and totes from 100% chip packets in Honduras – quite striking and a cool way to clean up the streets).

Africa
Shea Yeleen, Baskets of Africa (stunning grass baskets), Bridge for Africa (I’m loving their cool telephone wire baskets), Suubi(hope) (check out their particularly funky t-shirts), Indego Africa (be a geek with a conscience using their laptop sleeve made in Rwanda), Rwanda Baskets, Leakey Collection (eye-catching necklaces made by the Maasi in Kenya), and Tropical Items (out-of-the-ordinary raffia hats made in Madagascar).

Asia
Rupalee (fantastic Christmas decorations), Tilonia (lovely cotton tablecloths), Mata Traders (great accessories and clothing from India), Orijyn (Laos silver and silks), Wear Gianna (from India, Laos and Thailand), and Brag Bags (which makes beautiful bags in Vietnam – my favourite is the overnight bag).

There are also some others you might like to visit, including Make Piece (which sells pretty jewellery made by African-American women living below the poverty line in Washington DC), Shanti Boutique (see their Buddhist jewellery), and Taraluna (which has a variety of fair trade items, including a wooden earring stand made in India).

I’ve been to a few baby showers where it’s for the first child but it’s not so common to have a formal baby shower for the second, third or fourth child. Can you imagine going to Octomom’s?!

When your favourite mother is having her second/third/fourth etc child, what she really needs is a break! If her kids have been born close enough, she’ll still have the pram, cot, baby bath and a range of teeny tiny clothing (for the baby, not her, unless she’s Victoria Beckham). So to get inside her head for a moment, she just really needs another pair of hands to help her get things done, or ideally, less to do and more time to enjoy her new baby.

Why not consider giving her a gift certificate for home-delivered gourmet meals, or for a cleaning service to give her a break from doing the bathroom and vacuuming? Perhaps you can give her and her partner a couple of tickets to the movies along with a gift voucher for a babysitter so they can have time as a couple together. Or if she’s exhausted and needs some pampering, you might give her a gift voucher for hair, beauty or massage treatments.