With the arrival of Little Mister Number 1 so too were there flower arrangements ? when I say flower arrangements I could have opened a florist. Don't get me wrong they were beautiful and looked expensive but after a while the smell was so strong that it made me dizzy and I was worried that the pollen was affecting my precious bundle's breathing. I ended up throwing them away on the way home from the hospital.



With the arrival of Little Mister Number 2 I received some more flowers, however these didn't require watering and they weren't going to die in a few days. A gorgeous boxed arrangement of blooms made from an assortment of bibs, socks and bodysuits was delivered to the hospital. babygiftpacks.com.au has a huge selection of bouquets and boxed arrangements plus a range of other themed packs. A cute idea is a ?kebub? ? rolled to look like a kebab this pack is made up of various baby essentials including socks, a bodysuit, bib, singlet and face washer.

Other groovy gift ideas include:

Photo frames: There is a wide selection of photo frames that you can find at most department stores, gift shops and photo processing shops. I received a frame that contained a space for a pic for each month of baby's first year ? great for seeing how your little one changed in its first year. There are other similar frames on the market where you can feature a photo for each school year. What about a digital picture frame? All you do is stick a memory card into the frame and it displays a slideshow of your pictures. Some frames even allow you to add music and there are many different finishes to choose from. You can find these at most department stores, small electrical appliance retailers or online.

What if it's Baby Number 2 you're buying for? If Baby Number 2 is a different sex, clothes are always an option however if not, chances are baby will have a lot of hand-me-downs or items that Baby Number 1 didn't get a chance to wear. So what about a gift that the child can enjoy a little bit later on? Books are always a fantastic idea. With so many available you can buy something to suit the child when they are six months old, a toddler, preschooler or beyond.

Something personalised: If you are the crafty type why not personalise your gift. For both of my boys a dear friend of my mother's gave me a towel with a panel featuring bub's name in cross stitch. If you're not that handy with a needle you can get a towel, bunny rug or blanket embroidered with the baby's name. Most shopping centres have a retailer that offers this facility. What about a wooden puzzle featuring your baby's name? My toddler is starting to really enjoy puzzles and the one where each piece is a letter of his name is his favourite. You can order these online at babygiftpacks.com.au. Another great personalised gift available at babygiftpacks.com.au is a cushion featuring a picture of your little one. Images are printed onto fabric and then made up as a cushion. When they get a bit grubby you can toss them in the wash. This lovely keepsake can be given as a voucher to be redeemed when mum or dad is ready with that favourite picture.

Sporting stuff. The dads get a kick (excuse the pun) out of this one. You can buy that little sport star some gear in their dad's (well let's face it, it's usually the dads!) favourite team's colours. babygiftpacks.com.au have official AFL and NRL baby supporters merchandise. AFL packs include a romper, beanie and scarf and NRL packs feature rompers, bibs and booties.

And last but certainly not least ? MUM. One of the best presents I received was for me and only me! A little bit of well deserved pampering in the comfort of my home. babygiftpacks.com.au offers Pamper Mummy packages*. I highly recommend the Deluxe Pedicure but you can choose from five treatments ? 1.5 hours of pure bliss.

So these are just some ideas that are a little bit different and groovy?happy shopping!