Thursday Thirteen #229

THIRTEEN AFFORDABLE BABY GIFTS

Over the last six months or so I've purchased more baby shower gifts than I have in the last decade. I've noticed that what new moms want today has changed since around the turn of the millennium, when I last spent time wandering the aisles at Target and Toys R Us. Instead of the receiving blankets and washcloths I used to give parents-to-be, this is what I've found on modern moms' registries.

All of these can be purchased for under $25.

1) Swaddles make it easy to wrap Baby snugly, enhancing the little one's sense of warmth and security.

2) Pacifiers. Parents will appreciate it if you choose the ones made with BpA-, phthalate- and PVC-free materials.

3) Dishwasher baskets make it easy to toss bottles, nipples and pacifiers into the dishwasher.  

4) Grass drying rack. It's a square of tall plastic grass that looks good on the kitchen counter while giving those bottles, nipples and pacifiers a place to air dry.

5) Hooded towels are an oldie but goodie, still appreciated for keeping Baby comfortable after bath.

6) Matching bootie and mitten sets. Feel free to buy as many cute prints as you wish because you can bet one set will always be in the wash. 

7) Crib sheets are always needed because, well, see above.

8) Bibs another old standard that's always needed because, well, see above.

9) Plastic clacker toys. They're colorful, they make noise, and they're so much easier to keep clean than plush toys.

10) Natural wood rattles are lightweight and can double as a safe BpA-, phthalate- and PVC-free teether.

11) "Touch and feel" board books. It used to be that Pat the Bunny was the only one easy to find at major retailers, but there are may more titles available now. I like the idea of giving Baby an old-school book because you can't learn about textures on a tablet.

12) Lavender bath and lotion. Lavender is popular because the scent is comforting for both Baby and Bather.

13) Gift cards. Toys R Us, Target and Amazon seem especially appreciated because parents can use them online and take advantage of home delivery.

Please join us for The NEW THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

I am not MIss Melly

I found myself on the train home tonight with The Saddest Boy in the World. This sad sack neighbor simply sucks the life out of me.

His job at Macy's doesn't pay enough ... he was too sick to attend any of our recent condo association meetings but he doesn't like the changes the board is considering ... he doesn't like our  janitor ... the snow is hard on his feet ...

45 fucking minutes of this.

The only upbeat moment was when we discovered we both go to the same dentist. When dental work is the high point, you know you're in conversation hell.

I got home, watched NCIS, and fell asleep. Being around him literally sapped my energy.

I feel like a bitch because I only spend time with him every six to nine months and even this slight exposure puts my teeth on edge.

I know he's lonely. He's living alone in the apartment he once shared with his long-ill mother. He has so little in his life. And yet just spending a commute from the Loop with him makes me crazy.

Melanie Wilkes wouldn't feel this way. Miss Melly, that paragon of virtue from Gone with the Wind, saw the good in everyone. She believed we were each doing our best. She is who I want to be, and I always fall short.

The thing of it is, though, the Saddest Boy in the World doesn't know how I feel. Inwardly I may recoil every time I see him but outwardly I'm polite and friendly.

So while I may not be Melly on the inside, I appeared rather like her on the outside. That counts for something.