This post was not sponsored (all items were gifted by family or friends) but does include affiliate links to Etsy, a brand that I believe in, work for, and love. To read our full disclosure policy, please click here.
It’s hard to believe that just three short months ago, we were bringing our little Aveline home for the very first time. So much has happened over the past twelve weeks and looking back, it all feels a bit surreal.
Living in Brooklyn, pre-baby and pre-pandemic, Tim and I opted not to have a baby shower. We were one of the last of our friends to have a child and graciously received a number of beautiful hand-me-downs and loaners. When we glanced over the typical baby gift registry we felt we were pretty well prepared and that there wasn’t much more that we needed.
Friends and family were so sweet in wanting to celebrate our impending arrival, that they started sending us little gifts- many of which came from Etsy! Etsy is such a great place to find one-of-a-kind, personalized items and that’s exactly the kind of gifts we were receiving.
I’ve been so blown away by the thoughtfulness and creativeness of our loved ones, that I had to share a few of our favorites here. Hormones aside, getting a gift with a personal touch means so much and these will definitely be cherished for years to come.
Mama & Baby Sets
Our dear friends who lent us SO much of their baby gear (bassinet, mamaRoo, etc.) also sent me this adorable mama and baby tie dye set from Etsy seller doebello. I absolutely love how special and unique this is, plus tie dye is so on trend right now!
I never would have thought to purchase something like this for myself, which I find always makes the best gifts. This sweatshirt is also incredibly cozy and has quickly become one of my summer evening go-tos.
It’s so sweet to have little moments with Aveline, just her and I, and I’m already looking back on these photos fondly. Someday she might not want to match mama, so I need to soak it up while I can!
While I personally, love the embroidery on this set and couldn’t recommend it more, Etsy does offer a number of different mom and baby options. After perusing the site, a few that stood out are this mama and babe combo, this striped set and this simple rainbow design (you just need to order the matching adult size separate).
Custom Initial Bracelets
For my first Mother’s Day, Tim surprised me shopped my Etsy Favorites and picked out these initial bracelets from Etsy seller ShopGuyBlanco. I was initially attracted to this design as it’s an elevated version of a similar style I had made myself years ago with his initials, TWR. I love that Tim not only upgraded my existing bracelet, but had the seller create matching ones for our newest arrival, AGR and our first babe/pup, SHR. <insert ugly cry face here>
As someone who doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry, I appreciate how simplistic and light these are to wear. Beaded bracelets seem to be making a big comeback and Etsy is not lacking in options. A few of the other styles I favorited can be found here, here and here.
These pack such a meaningful punch and with a wide range of options under $15, won’t break the bank!
Handmade Crafts
At the start of quarantine and post the hustle of receiving her graduate-degree, my sister-in-law invested in a sewing machine to teach herself how to quilt. Since a lot of the stores were closed due to Covid, she turned to Etsy to order her fabric. She found these gorgeous floral prints from Etsy seller MountainFabrics and got to work.
Not only is this gift so incredibly special in a number of different ways, but it’s only the second, yes you read that correctly, the second quilt she’s ever made.
While you might not be in the business of making something so elaborate, Etsy does offer an array of simple DIY kits. A few of my favorites include, this personalized birth flower embroidery kit, this custom wall art, this rainbow embroidery pattern, and this crochet teether kit.
I’ve always been a huge fan of handmade gifts and so appreciate the thought, care and love that come with them. Aveline has received so many and it will be really fun to explain the story behind each of them to her someday.
While this only touches the surface of what Etsy has to offer, it’s such a great time to be supporting creative entrepreneurs. For more ideas, no matter who you’re gifting, be sure to check out Etsy’s Gift Guide or their Editor’s Picks Pages! You’ll be sure to find that perfect something that will mean so much.
