Sweet Orange Fox

Okay...so it isn't exactly a $5.99 gift, but hear me out...

Recently Matt took Trent out to browse IKEA so I could have a few minutes to myself and get some things accomplished. When they came home I naturally asked what they had brought me, and Matt said.."a bathtub." Umm, what?? Then I saw the baby bathtub he was talking about. I wasn't sure what to think...as you may remember we already had two bathtubs for Trent, and I wasn't convinced we needed a third. He talked me into it, though....reminding me of how the fancy tub we had registered for no longer worked correctly and leaked everywhere. Plus, this new one was only $5.99 (listed at $7.99 online, but on sale in stores right now). More on the tub itself later (it is awesome), but it got us thinking how PERFECT it would be as a baby shower gift. 

First...I still maintain that everyone needs more than one baby bathtub. It might sound crazy, but I'm not backing down. It is SO convenient to have a second tub of clean water to dunk rinse them in (especially after the inevitable 'accident' that somehow always happens in the tub). But even if you think that is overkill, a second tub is great to leave at Grandma's or even in just another room of the house so you are not wagging it back and forth all the time. And if you are like us, you may need that extra one the day your $75 fancy pants tub craps out on you. Plus..even if someone already has a 'newborn' tub, this one is great to have later when the baby starts outgrowing the original one. This one is nice and deep with tons of room. So even when the kid can sit up in the real bathtub, this would actually come in handy to set IN the real tub...saving water rather than filling the entire bathtub up. Anyway...this is not the GooGoo Review, here! Just trust me, it is a great tub and even if someone has already registered for/received a tub..this is still a super practical gift.

Okay...another reason this makes a great shower gift is that it is BIG and great for filling up with goodies/fixing up in cute ways! Spending $5.99 on the tub itself (which becomes part of the gift) is much more practical than spending $20+ on a basket that will probably just sit in a closet somewhere. And there are SO many clever and cute things to fill it with. Here is a list of what I would fill it with (or what I would hope someone would fill mine with), but the possibilities are endless. Probably the easiest thing to do would be to check the registry and get several bath items she chose along with adding some of your own picks.






Bathtub - I think I've gone on about this enough already.

Hooded Towel - I thought these were kind of silly pre-baby, but now I definitely get it. Those little munchkins get SO cold SO quickly, and wrapping their little noggins up/drying their hair immediately is essential! Of course I love the fox one, but these towels from Target are actually my favorite for Trent. They are so soft, and the prints are always really cute. They are also great to get embroidered (shout out, Frizzywizzy!).  




Washcloths - These are super soft as well, and because we use a new one each day (and definitely don't do laundry every day), you can never have enough of these either.

Rinse Pitcher - Okay, I know this one sounds totally stupid. I was definitely in the "why can't you just use a plastic cup for crying out loud?" club. But, I LOVE this little pitcher. We had a cup to begin with, but the first time it slipped out of my hand and nearly nailed three week old Trent in the face, I knew it was time to dig out the pitcher we had gotten at our shower. It is the perfect size for a good rinse, flexible which makes it way easier to scoop with and, most importantly, has a handle! Safety first. Okay..I just reread that, and it still sounds stupid and makes me sound totally insane, but whatever. I can't explain it. You'll want one. It rocks.

Storage Crate - This is totally just a personal pick. They put out all these bright colored little storage crates in Target earlier this year, and I went nuts. I don't know what it is about them, but they are so cute. I didn't know exactly what I was going to use it for, but I bought a few (of every color and size). The smaller yellow one fits perfectly on the corner edge of the tub and holds all of the shampoo, wash, lotion, infamous rinse pitcher and other bath products. One of the larger lime green ones is in in the bathroom cabinet and holds all of his towels. We also use them in the nursery and downstairs as diaper "caddies." The medium size is absolutely perfect for holding a half box of diapers, a family size hand sanitizer pump and a tub of wipes.


Aveeno Calming Products - So...everyone always registers for the Johnson's stuff which is totally fine, but since having Trent I have found out that a TON of babies (Trent included) don't tolerate those products very well. Babies have such sensitive skin, and the perfumes and dyes in the Johnson's products can really irritate them. We had started using the Johnson's bedtime lavender lotion because it actually did work sleeping miracles on him in those early days, but after a week or so his skin started really acting up. We tried a few different things and ultimately settled on Aveeno products and have never looked back. So again..even if a mommy-to-be has already registered for the Johnson's bath gift set (or something else), it never hurts to have a few other products on hand. Finding the right regimen for baby can be a lot of trial and error. And if nothing else, they will come in handy when the other stuff runs out!

Rubber Ducky Thermometer - Well, it is not actually a thermometer, but this rubber ducky has a little indicator on the bottom that lets you know when the water is optimal temperature (or too hot) for baby. We don't use it much now, but it is nice for new parents because you inevitably second guess yourself, and it is nice to have someone...even if it is a rubber duck...reassure you that the water is safe for baby. They come in a lot of different characters, too.

Mr. Turtle - Not his real name, but that is what we call him. Definitely my top personal pick for bath time! This turtle has to be Trent's favorite thing on Earth. He refuses to take a bath without him. When Trent was a month or two old and starting to hold on to things a little bit, we decided he needed something for the bath. We came across Mr. Turtle at Nordstrom Rack of all places, and even though Matt told me not to get him...I did. Boo-ya! Matt still won't admit it was the best purchase of all time. Whatever. He knows. Anyway, I don't know what Trent will think of it when he is older, but at least for the past 4-5 months it has never gotten old. It is the perfect size for him to hold on to (and really easy to grip when he was younger), and the legs are made of some material that Trent loves to chew and suck on. Maybe it feels good on his teeth? I really have no idea...but we are all big Mr. Turtle fans around here. 






I fixed this one up with all of my picks (most of them are things Trent has already used so they have been opened..but you get the idea). I added some blue tissue paper ($.99 at Hobby Lobby) for the "bath water." You can put it in a large clear gift bag and tie it up with cute ribbon or just carry it in like this.  



 You can also find cheap rubber duckies at the various dollar stores to tie on the ribbon or set in the bath. I put two of the small packages of diapers in the bottom which took up a lot of the room so all of the goodies would be sticking up at the top and not hidden way down. Another super simple idea is to just fill it entirely with diapers. You could still add the blue tissue and a few rubber duckies. And it doesn't even have to be bath-related items. You could fill it with anything.




Anyway...I wish I had known about this tub earlier. It is definitely going to be my go-to gift, and I can't wait to come up with new ways to fill it! What would you fill yours with??

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