aden + anais

As new parents, you’ll likely hear tips and tricks everywhere from friends and family to strangers at the store. One tip that you’ll often hear is “always have a receiving blanket on hand.” Why? Here are a few reasons and situations where they can be indispensable. A Soft Place for Baby to Play While you could carry around a play mat wherever you go, a receiving blanket is the jack-of-all-trades item that you can use for practically anything. One way that these baby blankets come in handy is when you're visiting friends or family. When you’re chatting it up, sometimes you don’t want to just hold your baby the whole time. Fortunately, with a receiving blanket laid out on the floor, they have soft, safe space on which to crawl, roll around, or just relax. The best receiving blankets are super soft yet durable, so you can put it on any surface and your baby will feel right at home. Using a receiving blanket for playtime also makes cleanup a breeze. If you're

Gender-reveal parties are becoming the norm when even just a few years ago it seemed like the only gift-giving event before a baby’s birth was the coveted baby shower. Now, with so many creative ways to reveal a baby’s gender, it’s fitting to throw a party to celebrate. The gifts that you can give at a gender-reveal party are typically in the same ballpark as baby showers except for one caveat: You don’t know what the baby’s gender will be.  Fear not, as now a days there are not only more gender-neutral options than ever before, but the traditional blue-pink dichotomy isn’t as forced as it used to be. So, if you have a gender-reveal party coming up, here are a few gift ideas sure to go over well with the expecting couple.  Burp Cloths Every baby, regardless of gender, spits up and can make surprising messes on mom’s or dad’s shoulders. To keep their clothes looking fresh and to wipe up any messes, they'll appreciate burp cloths—and plenty of them at that. Just