Kaile Hunt 0:09
It's your little one's first Christmas, whether they are three months old six or even approaching one year, we are chatting about great gift ideas for them to make their first Christmas Special. Thanks for joining us. This is newbies.

Kaile Hunt 4:49
Today, we're discussing Christmas gift ideas for your child under one. And like I mentioned, whether they're three months, even maybe couple weeks you have a December baby, you know what I mean, six months or in my case.

Dr. Suma Metla 2:21
thank you for that introduction. I have a six month old baby boy at home, so this is really fun getting ready for our first holiday season at three little ducks. We really love to promote that families can have as many toys or as little toys as they want. We want families to feel like they're shopping within their means and buy things that are appropriate for their home and their home environment. I love that. I'm so excited to get your expertise or advice on gift giving, because I know for my daughter's first Christmas, I wanted to give her everything, but realistically, she didn't need everything. Not everything is beneficial. So we are so happy to have you on to help navigate through Christmas. We also have a mama joining us today. Elizabeth Kindle is a mom of two. Elizabeth, thank you for joining us. Please tell us more about your family and the ages of your kids. Hi. So like Kaylee said, I am Elizabeth Kindle. I am currently a stay at home mom. I have two kiddos, both April babies, so that puts me in a different situation, I think, than most parents, when looking at our ages and what their first Christmas will look like, because both of my kids and my three year old daughter and now my little boy will be eight months old for Christmas, or has been eight months old at Christmas time. So that's a fun time too, because they're like, they are totally can crawl for most cases, some are even, like, starting to wobble and walk, you know, and they're super interested you're feeding them food. I love that you both have April babies that, but that's really cool. I'm an April baby, so that's fun. Yeah, I feel like it's the perfect time to have children. I tell people all that all the time that, you know, April babies are the funnest for the holidays. At least. I agree. My daughter was born March 29 so right on the cusp. And like, it's great to be, like, super pregnant during the holidays, but then, like, springtime you have your baby. This is perfect. I'm excited, yay. Well, thank you for joining us. And then I will also be chiming in on celebrating Christmas with my daughter. And like I just mentioned, she was born at the end of March, so it was definitely a good time to celebrate Christmas with her. She wasn't a little newborn anymore. She was a full on infant, which was fun. So I'll chat about the toys that we loved and the ones that we barely played with, and then everything in between. But first we're going to take a quick break

Kaile Hunt 0:56
Welcome to newbies. My name is Kaile Hunt, and I'll be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website at New mommy media.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which keeps you updated on all the episodes we release each week. Another great way to stay updated is to hit that subscribe button in your podcast app. And if you're looking for a way to get even more involved with our show, then check out our online community. It's called Mighty moms. That's where we chat more about the topics discussed here on our show, and it's also an easy way to learn about our recording so you can join us live. Our expert today is Dr Summa Metla. She has been on our show before. We are excited to have her back. Summa is a physical therapist who specializes in pediatric care. She received her doctorate in physical therapy in 2015 at Florida International University and pediatric training at Arnold and Winnie Palmer hospitals for women and children. She has treated infants in keiki across all the Hawaiian Islands. And fun fact, keiki, for our non Hawaii listeners, is kids moving to Hawaii. She noticed that there is a significant lack of support for new parents, as new parenthood can be lonely and stressful at times, she wanted to give parents access to resources, guidance and community, they need to not only ease their worries, but set them up for a healthy development for their Kiki. With this three little ducks was born. Dr Suma, thank you again for joining us today, and please tell us more about three little ducks and your family. Hi. Thank you

Kaile Hunt 5:00
I had a march baby. So my baby was nine months old. We want to talk about gift ideas. Summa, this is kind of a big task, I guess, now that I'm saying it out loud, this is a wide range of different types of milestones you could be dealing with, but let's break it down. So let's chat about baby gift ideas for different ages. What are some gift toys, presence that work for a baby who is between three to five months old? Yeah,

Dr. Suma Metla 5:25
great question. You know, like I mentioned, I really believe that toys should be purposeful and that you should be purchasing toys that are within your budget and what's appropriate for your home environment. So not every toy is meant for every family, and I really like parents to think about that before they put to get their put together their Christmas wish lists. You know, in Hawaii, we don't have a ton of space, so having a huge jumble gym is not something that would be appropriate for a family who's living in an apartment. So I always like people to think about that first. But when we're thinking about three to five month olds, you want to think about toys that are promoting their development when it comes to tummy time, rolling and prep for sitting. So some of my favorite toys for that are those spinner toys with suction cups that your baby can hit and will spin around in circles and be really exciting for them. Stacking cups are another great one. I like to actually get two sets of stacking cups. They have one for playtime and one for bath time. Oh, smart. Yeah, a water mat is a great choice. You can use that during tummy time as a form of sensory play, even as your baby's starting to get onto all fours and and rocking and placing all fours, you could do that on the water mat to do to add in a little bit of a balance challenge, my all time favorite toy from newborn to like, five, six month olds, is the O ball. Super inexpensive, so it's a great stocking stuffer, or, like, a quick one off. If someone's coming to visit and they don't know what to bring baby, you could just be like, Oh, pick me up an O ball. We love it. You know, you could use that in the house. You could take it on the go with your baby. Teethers are also an excellent thing, because around this age range, babies are starting to tease and it's a great way to prep for solids and feeding by getting those really long teethers. The other thing I like families to think about for this age range is maybe some equipment pieces that might help family and baby. So high chairs sometimes a big ticket item for families. So this is a great time of year to start looking at high chairs. Maybe deciding what you want some things to look at when you're shopping for a high chair is something that has an adjustable foot plate whenever your baby is sitting in a high chair prepping for solids or actually eating solids, you want their foot to have a base of support. So, you know, there's always a high chair that's available at every price point, whether you're shopping at Walmart or Nordstrom. But the up is the one big thing I want families to look at for high chairs. The two other items I really like is the upseat. It's a great sitting device if you need to put your baby in a container for short periods of time, it's hip help. Hip health, safe for babies. And the other thing I love giving to friends at this time of year is the tush baby. So generally, around this age, some family is baby feeling like they've outgrown some of their brick baby carriers and want to do something different. The tush baby is great because it has a weight limit of up to, like, 3540 pounds. It'll last you, yep, all the way into toddlerhood.

Kaile Hunt 8:37
That is so nice. That is, that's nice. And I love that you added a, like, high chair. I didn't even think about that because I, of course, I had it on my baby registry, right? And then we get one. And I it was nice, see, we used it, but for like, the first six months. So we did it because, you know, it's just sitting there exactly like, you know, and even some parents don't even feed their baby solid at six months, you know what I mean. And so it could be sitting there for longer. I love that for a Christmas that's a really good idea. Cool. So what about for babies a little bit older, between six to nine months, you know, they're not walking quite yet they're learning to crawl. What would you recommend? Yeah, so you're right

Dr. Suma Metla 9:17
on target this age. We're thinking about babies crawling, pulling to stand, maybe starting to throw toys a little bit. And so you want toys that are targeting those skills. So some of the toys I really like is that Crazy Crab, the calling bee, the moving diode. You know, as soon as you turn that toy on, it moves around your home environment. So it gives your baby something to look at something to follow with their eyes, and as they start to get more mobile, they can go run after the toy. Also, sensory toys are really great. So they sell those amazing like foam or fabric containers that hold scars, and you can pull them out of that box. A rain stick is really. Fun. Does your baby strength? Yeah, learn to coordinate their arms. That's really fun for them. To learn how to turn the leaves over, pairing, movement, what sound, is really great. Also, I love

Kaile Hunt 10:11
that. What type of toy preferences change for when babies close to 12 months, right? So this even could be a baby who is already, you know, a year old. They might have a December birthday, but what are we looking at for gift ideas for 12 months old? And I'm gonna just preference by saying I kind of cheated and I saw one of your answers and experiences. You put experiences, and I'm like, ooh, why didn't I think of that? So please elaborate. What are some great gift ideas for babies who are almost one or just turned one. So when we're thinking about

Dr. Suma Metla 10:45
babies who are getting close to one, around that one year age mark, they're crawling, they're pulling to stand, they may be walking as well, though they're becoming so mobile, and you want to be able to promote that movement. So some of the things I like, of course, our experiences, because that's something that's fun for everyone in the family. So, and it's also something that doesn't bring a lot of clutter into your home, which is something I love talking about, is you don't need a lot of stuff. Yeah, and experiences are way more meaningful for families. So going to the zoo, the aquarium, you know, a BB class or a play space in your neighborhood, are all really fun things to do that are memorable. You can take lots of photos. You could share it with whoever gifted that to you of someone to gift you one of those experiences. And it's not just bringing more stuff into your home, but if you are looking to buy something for a baby in this age range, there are some great things you could buy. Some things that you can look at is a baby walker. I really like promoting push walkers. I really recommend families to stay away from walkers that your baby sits inside. So for my baby, when he turns one, we're going to be giving him the Radio Flyer wagon. So that's a great push toy, but it's also a way for him to store his toys and learn how to put things away. So it's kind of like a two in one type of deal. I love giving one year old tunnels, and I also love giving one year old baby dolls, so really large baby doll. So when you're thinking about the social development of a baby around one year, we want them to start learning their activities and their schedules and starting to imitate that. Using a baby doll is a great way to practice your schedule. And so I give baby dolls to boys and girls. It doesn't matter. So that's another fun toy. My other really fun toy to give friends who have one year olds is it's the rainbow spinning toy. It's kind of like a big gear toy. So there's a long rod, and you can just take each gear, put it on the rod, and it spins down to the bottom, and it's really tall, so it's a great way for babies to work on squatting, to stand, learning to pick up toys, put it on something. So we're working on multiple fine motor and gross motor skills with that.

Kaile Hunt 13:13
I love that so much, and I love going back to experiences. That's what my mom got me when my daughter was nine months old, was a the aquarium. She got us the season passed. So I couldn't get that out. She got us the Season Pass. And for some, you know, obviously for our listeners in California, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is very expensive, very nice. But for some of the smaller aquariums across the country, I think the Honolulu zoom, I mean, the Honolulu aquarium, it wasn't that much, honestly, for the season pass, it was kind of worth it. I think you go like four or five times, and it pays for itself anyway. But yes, experiences within that list was absolutely my favorite one that you just talked about switching gears. So let's talk about gifts that parents should avoid. For me, I'll just chime in and say the gifts that I really didn't like that my daughter got were, like the little and again, she was nine months old. At Christmas, some of friends and family got her, like, teether toys, you know. And at nine months, she's way more active. She's not sitting still and, like, chewing on her hands anymore. So those gifts were kind of, you know, not really useful for me. I guess my question pinning it to you is like, you know, it's really important, especially in the first year, to know what age your child is, or, you know, and tell that to family members. Because again, very nice to get teether toys, but just really wasn't used. So in your opinion, I know you talked a little bit about not choosing the seated walkers. What are some toys that maybe parents should avoid, I guess, in terms of, like, development too, you know, depending on the age range. Yeah,

Dr. Suma Metla 14:46
so, I mean, the first thing I tell families is, and like I've already mentioned, that your baby craves space to move around and your attention, so that's really what you want to think about when you're shopping, is you. If you live in a small space, you don't need a ton of stuff. And I say it over and over and over again, especially during this time of year, because it is so easy to get caught up in the shopping and the marketing of holiday season, and you feel like you want to give your baby a million things to unwrap under the Christmas tree. So make sure you tell yourself that and tell your loved ones that as well, because come the day after Christmas, you may be looking around your home and feeling like overwhelmed, like, do I do with all this stuff? Where do I keep it? And also, for your baby, it's really overwhelming. If they have 30 toys out, it's really hard for them to choose one toy to play with. So that's something to think about. Avoid getting a million toys under their Christmas trees. And you can always talk to your loved ones about getting you an experience, or, you know, something for the future. But also something to think about is avoiding something that's just for the esthetic, or something that you saw on Instagram. If it's not meaningful for your family, for your lifestyle, don't get it again. Marketing is incredible, especially marketing towards baby products and towards new parents. So really think twice about what you want and make sure it fits your lifestyle. But yeah, things to like just generally avoid are sit in walkers, Jolly jumpers, the bumbo seat, and thinking about those toys from the health perspective of your baby's hips, those devices are not great for your baby's hips, and we really want to make sure your baby's staying healthy again. Those things look super, super cute and are fun to watch on Instagram, those babies jumping around, but it's not doing your baby any favors. I say, stay away from those three items.

Kaile Hunt 16:47
I love that. So three little ducks. We haven't really talked about three little ducks at all yet, but can we hear that you mentioned three little ducks? Has a holiday gift guide? Where can our listeners find it? Give us a sneak peek. I don't want to give everything away, but what's kind of on the Holiday Gift Guide? Talk a little bit about that. Bit about

Dr. Suma Metla 17:03
that. Wow. So we have a gift guide that is just coming out in the next couple days. Actually, I think by the time this podcast out, it will be fully out. You can find it on our website. You can also subscribe to our email newsletter, or if you follow us on Instagram at three little ducks Hawaii, you can download the gift guide from there, and on the gift guide, we have divvied up toys based on age range, starting all the way from newborn all the way into toddlerhood. And we even have toy recommendations. Well, not toy recommendation, but recommendations for families and adults, things that will be helpful for a new parent. Has a great way just to look at, okay, these toys are going to help me with my baby's development, and it's not just a toy just to have in my house. And looking at that toy gift guide is great. But again, like I said, just choose a couple toys, whether it's for my gift guide or anyone else's gift guide. You don't need all 3040 toys that are on anyone's gift guide.

Kaile Hunt 18:02
I love that, yay. Well, we will be talking to Elizabeth coming up after the break, but first we're going to take a quick break, and then we'll be right back.

Welcome back to newbies. We are continuing our conversation on Christmas gifts for little ones under a year old. So first question, I'll toss it over to Elizabeth, what are your expectations going into the first Christmas? I know you have a daughter, but let's talk about your son. This is so exciting. So what are your expectations as a you know, second time around, you've already done the first Christmas with your daughter, but what are you anticipating for your son coming up this December. You know,

Elizabeth Kinlaw 18:42
Christmas time is so special, and I tend to go a little bit overboard in the holidays. So this year, with my new baby, after doing this before, my expectations are a little bit different. I want to take things slow. I want to focus more on, you know, just just the simplicity that Christmas time can offer those really special moments can happen just in the really simple tasks, and not necessarily cramming my calendar with every single event that my community has to offer. I mean, I'm so definitely going to be out of the house, but I also

Kaile Hunt 19:14
agree, yeah, no, I agree with that even last night I was looking, this is funny. Last night, I was watching The Polar Express, and I was looking, is there a Polar Express nearby? Now, a year ago, would have been like, we're doing it no matter what, right? And now I'm like, do we need to do it? Like, I don't think my not even two year old would even enjoy it. Yeah, you know, I love that. You said that taking things slow. So next question, I guess for you, is, let's talk about toys, right? It is so magical, and the marketing is amazing during November and December. But what are some toys that you actually loved, that you would recommend for a one year old?

Elizabeth Kinlaw 19:47
Okay, so this, I feel like, Is my wheelhouse, and I belong to many, many, a Facebook group for April babies. Because, like I said, both my kids are born in April. How special. So. Because of that. Mind you, we have eight months old going into a year. For me, I consider April right around the corner from December. I know it's not that far, but I feel like I try to set them up for Christmas, for their birthdays. So like we're talking toys that we can maybe use in the future, if that makes any sense. So even though at eight months old, we're not necessarily full on crawling, I love a good foam block setup, like we have a different brand of what you would like the nugget type of couch. So that one is a favorite. I love an activity cube, like a wooden, solid activity cube that they could start to grab and pull up on. Also a lot of walkers. That was what we got for our daughter for the first year and first Christmas. And that's what we're planning to do for my son as well. So I, like, you know, toys that have dual purpose, so we can help build some motor skills, but also really funny.

Kaile Hunt 21:04
I love that. I think those are great ideas. I know I'm trying to think for my daughter, we did a lot of books. Books are timeless, right? And so we did a lot of books. I bought her clothes. And then the next question is toys I did not like, and it's a gifts I did not like, and I'll talk about clothes later, but I bought her specific clothes that I knew she needed or were cute. And I like that you think ahead. So next question is toys that you did not like? And I'll go first for me, and I hope none of my family listens to this, but they sent me the very cutest Christmas outfits. But you know, it's like, kind of over the top. It's like with tutus and bows, and it's like, she can't wear this every single day. It's like a one time thing, you know? And so I got a lot of clothes that either didn't fit or were too small, or by the time it did fit her, you know, it's we're like, in April, and it's not even your Christmas time. So that would be toys and gifts that I wasn't really a fan of. Would be, like clothes for my daughter. But anyway, Elizabeth, what about you? What are some toys that you either got from friends, family, or even you bought for your kids, and you guys just did not use it? I

Elizabeth Kinlaw 22:09
would say, like, Christmas themed toys. That's a good really. They're really cute, and you really could use it all season, if you're not me, like we had a lot of Christmas themed Little People gifts, and my daughter still loves little people, and they're in there with the rest of them in the bin. But also a lot of Christmas themed shirts and robes and, like, bath stuff that the seasons pretty much, you know, wrapped up by them. So I think, like, winter is great. We love snowflakes. We love polar bears, penguins, but like Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer, we could have used that probably starting Thanksgiving. That's

Dr. Suma Metla 22:51
so true. And you know, it's even funny. I love seeing like, parents put their kids in Christmas pajamas, like year round, because, oh yes, I think it's so funny. It's like July, and then you see some kid, you know, on an Instagram story wearing their Santa pajamas. It's so true. I don't know why it's so you know, the marketing for all these Christmassy clothes comes out. How funny. So, for instance, next question toys you didn't even think about. And for me, I'll go with, I love your advice about getting a walker, or, like, some sort of, like, foam mats or something like that. I didn't even think about that. So for me, I didn't think about a walker, depending on age appropriate. So my daughter was nine months at the time, and I would have loved to think about that, definitely. But what are some toys your first time around? You didn't think about that maybe you are going to purchase for your son this time. Okay,

Elizabeth Kinlaw 23:39
so this is really it's gonna be hit or miss. So with my first I was definitely leaning into the sad, based mom esthetic I still am. I'm not gonna lie, my kids live in neutrals. But also I was like that with toys, things needed to have in my head. As a first time mom needed to have a lot of purpose. They needed to be wooden. I wasn't even really, truly looking to see if they were, like, sustainably sourced. I just like that. They were wooden and cute. I did no batteries, no flashing lights. And honestly, this year, the kid, he's gonna get some battery toys with flashing lights and fun stuff, because it could still be really stimulating and great for their development, and I really was in that era. And also, you know, social media influences you, and I still love a great esthetic, but I'm kind of letting that go this year, so we're gonna get some little Einstein flashing noise making, Lord help us, battery operated toys.

Kaile Hunt 24:41
I love that, yay. Well, perfect. We got more questions coming up, but first, let's take a quick break. Welcome back. This is our last portion for continuing the topic on babies first Christmas. Elizabeth, I'm going to toss this over to you, and I will. Say there is no wrong answer. I see on social media that some people choose to play with Santa in their home. Other people don't just curious, Santa, did you do a gift from Santa? Or were you more so just the magic of Christmas? Okay, I

Elizabeth Kinlaw 25:15
will say all of our Santa beliefs and Santa strategies do come from my husband, Santa was very important to him. Growing up, I was not part of a Santa family, but when you marry into a Santa family, there are now Santa rules, yes, and I can share those. If, yeah, I would love to. Okay, so the first thing is that Santa only brings one present, one present per kid. And I don't we never really discuss why the adults don't get presents from Santa, but it just doesn't happen that way. So also, Santa, according to the kenwell family, does not wrap presents. The present from Santa, which is how you know it's from him, just sits outside the tree, or we have a really nice brick, awesome fireplace, and it sits on the fireplace Because Santa just popped down, left it there and had to go so he does not have time to be wrapping presents. It's also very exciting because my oldest daughter is three, and she now knows this will be her fur. I want to say fourth Christmas. Yes, no. If that adds up, she knows that that one is from him. She She immediately recognizes it and sees that that one's not wrapped the rest of her mom and dad, I like to get the credit anyway, let's be honest. Goal, and then this one's really important to my husband and I is that Santa presence must be made in a workshop. And I know that the North Pole is magical, but we don't believe that Santa can make a Nintendo Switch. Now, yeah, if other people, Santa's, can make that, that's awesome that our Santa can't do that. So Santa brings to use like teddy bears, trucks, baby dolls, books, you know, like really simple toys, and there's a really lot deeper perspective for that. I don't know if they have time, but it's kind of the comparison thing. We don't ever want the kids to go to school and what it seemed to bring you, someone might get socks, and they might really need that and cherish that, while another kid got, I don't know, an Xbox exactly, Santa, so why can't you know there's, there's a lot deeper I love that.

Kaile Hunt 27:30
I will have to say, I grew up in a Santa household, and all three of these rules tick with my Santa that visited me growing up. So I love that, yes, for my daughter's first Christmas, we gave her, I think it's called a xylophone, right? I'm saying that, right? Yeah, super cute. And it was wooden, you know, painted, yes, she loved it. And that was unwrapped by the Christmas tree. We didn't have a fireplace in Hawaii, but maybe we will when I move and so anyway, that was our little gift from Santa. I love it. So next question, I'm going to toss it back over to Dr Summa. Is it worth it to set up a registry? Now I know when we were talking in the first portion of this podcast, you gave a lot of good gift tips. Is it worth it to set up a registry, especially for families? I don't come from a very big family, but I do know a lot of people come from big families and big gatherings and big parties. Is it worth it to set up a registry that way you kind of get the gifts, you know, you're gonna enjoy with your family, and that way your family's not wasting money, if that makes sense,

Dr. Suma Metla 28:31
yeah, I am still on board with a registry. You know, this is my baby's first Christmas, and we're, you know, already getting tons of questions, What does baby want? What should we get? What can we get? Or can we buy this? Can we buy that? And putting together a little registry or guide of what we want makes it meaningful for everybody. Everyone feels fulfilled. We don't feel overwhelmed. So like one of the things on our registry is a gift card for swim lessons, because that's something our baby really loves participating in. I think also what I do for work, I have access to a lot of toys. So people know we don't want toys. A lot of people want to give us clothes instead. And that can be hard, because everyone has their esthetic for their baby. Or maybe, you know, people don't realize living in a different environment, their baby may not need a winter coat. Oh, yeah. So having even a registry for clothing items you want can be helpful if you are a little bit picky about what you need and want for that. I

Kaile Hunt 29:30
love that idea. Yeah, I remember getting a lot of a lot of clothes for my daughter, um, but even just for, like, the um, when she was first born, too, like, I was getting all these crazy coats and sweaters. And, you know, typically, March is still cool for a lot of the country, not in Hawaii, you know. So there was a lot of zero to three months sweaters that we just did not use. Was in all honesty. Oh, funny. So Elizabeth, quick question, do you set up a registry for your kids for Christmas? I know. I. Didn't do that. I just kind of accepted gifts, and now second time around, I'm like, maybe I should set up a registry. Anyway, do you set up a registry for your kids?

Elizabeth Kinlaw 30:07
I do. There is nothing I love more than a gift registry for other people's children and my own. We live and die by our Amazon militia list, and I also have target registries set up for the kids. I just like being able to send that to my mother in law, my mom, the other grandparents, my my daughter is very lucky. She has lots of grandparents and great grandparents. No, um, so with that there, it kind of just cuts out the middle man. You know, I don't necessarily have to hurt any feelings and make exchanges and deal with after holiday traffic, and it seems like everyone has really enjoyed it. We have aunties and uncles that they just say that shopping for my kids has been really easy because every year I just send them the link, and that is so nice. Yeah, we also tend to shop when we when we have toys, we tend to collect the in the entire set, like we have bluey toys. And now, because of registries, we can have a complete Bluey, you know, collection without necessarily having repeats or anything like that. Also sometimes, if you add things to an Amazon Registry, or especially the target one, you can get discounts on leftover registry items, which for my kids in April, I could just buy whatever is left over, if I want to. That's a kind of a nice option to have

Kaile Hunt 31:30
that is so smart. I think you both are into registries. You're changing my mind. I think I'm going to do that honestly around because I did. I got duplicates of books. I got duplicates of, honestly, cute little because, you know, when you go to target, no matter where you go in this country, it's all the same stuff, right? So I got duplicates of one season. So honestly, I don't really mind, you know, especially that young, she was making a mess all the time, you know, with solids and food and all of that stuff. Um, wow, yes. Okay, I have a running registry for myself on the Amazon a running list. But even my husband shops, shops off my list. It's called, like, wife's wish list. It's really nice, because sometimes things just show up like, Oh, look at that. Oh, I love that. Oh, for yourself too. Yes, I will perfect. This has been such a great episode. I love it. I love Christmas. I love gift giving. Dr Summa, I'll have you wrap up the show with a little bow. Are there any other helpful tips that you want to mention to maybe a first time mom who this is their first Christmas with their baby? We talked all about different age groups and different gifts for age groups. But anything else you want to add to finish up this episode sure

Dr. Suma Metla 32:38
you know Christmas and the holiday season is magical regardless of your budget. And I really love emphasizing that. I think there's a lot of pressure on new parents this time of year to buy things, but it's totally okay to buy things secondhand. Yes, aqua, Facebook, marketplace. It's okay if you get double gifted or too many gifts for your home, you can save them, and, you know, return them, re gift them to other friends who may have coming up, and you can share them with other people. You could donate those gifts. It's also okay to ask for a gift card or ask for a box of diapers. If people want to give you gifts, ask for the things that you need first. So most people diapers and wipes is a need, and then you can go with those wants. But I really want people to not feel anxious or overwhelmed by this holiday season, and I want them to feel like it's a magical time for them and their family.

I so agree. I will say, I love that you said, second hand gifts and re gifting. I got an extra book, the same book, and I re gifted it to my friend who had, you know, a baby who was born in, like, April, you know. So it was perfect. So, like, Oh, we don't need this extra book. I saved it. It still looks really great. And I re, I re gifted it that way. Um, I so, so agree with all that, yay. Well, thank you both for joining me. This is a great episode. I hope, definitely, it gives some new moms, some great ideas. And then we will also be linking the three little ducks Holiday Gift Guide. I'm so excited that you are offering that so yay. Thank you both for joining you.

Kaile Hunt 34:20
Music. Thank you so much to all of our guests who joined us for this episode today. Be sure to check out New Mommy Media, where we have all of our podcast episodes, plus videos and more that wraps up our show for today. Thanks for listening. If you love newbies as much as we do, please consider checking out the amazing businesses that sponsor our show week after week, and we'd love for you to tell another new momma about this resource, which, of course, is absolutely free. And if you want to check out some of the other podcasts we promote, such as pregnant pals, parent savers, the boogroup and twin talks, then visit our website at New mommy media.com don't forget to follow us on Instagram for more information, giveaways and more our hand. The list at New Mommy Media. Thanks for listening to newbies.

Disclaimer 35:02
This has been a New Mommy Media production. The information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of New Mommy Media and should not be considered facts while such information and materials are believed to be accurate. It is not intended to replace or substitute for professional medical advice or care, and should not be used for diagnosing or treating healthcare problem or disease or prescribing any medication if you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified healthcare provider you.