Baby Bananza Gifts and Bedding Blog

Nowadays, bonnets are for babies. Baby bonnets are cute, soft and comfortable. The baby bonnet has a storied history, however, linked to French intrigue and even wars. How did history move the baby bonnet from this to a classic infant accessory? Here’s the background:

Bonnets: Not Just for the Baby

“Bonnet” comes from an Old French word that originally stood for a type of material. It was a general name for any form of headgear that lacked a brim. Bonnets were worn by everyone: man, woman and baby. Of course, some of these “bonnets” look nothing like the baby bonnets we have today. The Scottish tam o-shanter was (and in Scotland, occasionally still is) called a “bonnet.” Eventually, the word “cap” came to replace the word “bonnet” for male, brimless headgear. Women still wore what everyone now calls bonnets, and by the 18th Century the kind of bonnets we’d recognize as baby bonnets started to evolve.

Bonnets for the Carriage

The trigger for the evolution of the modern baby bonnet was the open air carriage. By the early 19th Century, French women started wearing bonnets with peaks for protection from the sun, wind and most important, gossipers who might see them from the side and make snide remarks about a woman of means riding in an open carriage. During this period bonnets acquired big, stiff peaks - some so firm that the ladies couldn’t turn their heads from side to side.

Naturally, their children needed bonnets too if they were to ride in the carriage, though the extreme peaks weren’t necessary. By the 1850s, the fashion for women changed to parasols, but bonnets were still the rule for babies, who needed headgear that would strap on and protect them from the elements.

The Baby Bonnet: A Storied Classic

Those are the roots of the modern baby bonnet. We focused on France, but the truth is that the bonnet spread widely as a women’s fashion before they went out of style in France, finding a home in Puritan, Amish, Mennonite and other cultures. The modern baby bonnet is a fusion of these, distinctly its own, but borrowing from a wonderful tradition.

While we sell traditional christening gifts for a new baby and family, we’d like to remind you that they aren’t your only options. Think beyond the ceremony and you’ll see how other gifts can please the parents of a newly baptized infant. New parents are especially grateful for gifts that make their lives with the baby easier and more fun. Consider these alternatives:

Baby Caps: Babies need protection from sunlight and the cold. A bonnet is beautiful, but these caps are practical. Our helmet style is the most flexible part of the series since you can button the soft bill back or tie the ear flaps away.

Baby Bath Time Health Products: Bathing the baby is always a challenge for new parents. These accessories make the process much, much easier by putting an infant boy or girl in a comfortable, familiar position. Some models even include a handheld shower attachment.

Diaper and Accessory Bags: Parents on the go need easy, compact storage. Bags for diapers and other gear tend to be the thing that parents either don’t get as gifts, or tend to lose in transit. This gift works great in combination with smaller presents, since you can stock the bag with bottles, wipes and other necessary gear.

Jogging Baby Strollers: Remember that parents are people too. New parents in particular tend to let their fitness programs fall by the wayside, and new mothers and fathers end up getting a bit of cabin fever. The solution is to get them a stroller they’ll want to take out for a spin. Jogging strollers are the best option, since they’re sturdier and smoother to push.

Romper and Creeper Baby Clothing Accessories: For a less formal family, we offer a huge variety of printed romper and creeper sets. Find the one most likely to make the parents chuckle.

Naturally, these gifts work for baby showers, first birthdays and other infant-centered occasions. Visit our baby gifts, bedding and clothing catalog to see everything we have to offer.

Leave aside all the toys and mobiles, and many babies’ rooms are starkly functional at the expense of their decor. Nothing goes together. Diapers, wipes and clothing are stacked for quick access, because you never know when your baby’s going to get messy. This can really look out of place if you pride yourself on a graceful, well-decorated home, or can prove to be a sticking point if you want to redecorate. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. The focal point of a baby boy or girl’s room is the crib, so designer crib bedding can transform the entire room.

We offer several nursery bedding brands to fit virtually any vision for the baby’s room and your house as a whole. Banana Fish infant bedding sets fit bright, quirky interior designs. The line features rich, solid colors. Use a set like this to bring a comfortable look into a newer home. The style is modern, but the colors offset the antiseptic look of contemporary housing materials such as laminate flooring.

Picci baby bedding offers an updated traditional style for cribs, bassinets, cradles and more. Use this brand to transform virtually anything your baby will sleep in into a classic accessory. Picci is an excellent choice for older homes or interior designs that concentrate on antique pieces and wood furnishings. The Caterina baby girl nursery bedding set in our catalog represents the epitome of this style.

Glenna Jean fits more modern, space-conscious households, including condominiums and townhouses, but the line includes a diverse array of designs for people who really enjoy a mix of influences, but don’t want a chaotic mash of elements that just don’t fit. The Esquire baby bedding set represents the Glenna Jean philosophy. It’s an urban/rural fusion that combines country classic plaid and hounds tooth with sleek lamps that wouldn’t be out of place in an uptown condo.

These are three examples – we’ve got more. Visit our designer baby bedding page to see everything we have to offer, and get inspired to bring your baby’s room into style!

One of the joys of a new baby is looking forward to everything he or she will experience. That’s why baby keepsake gifts are so often appreciated by parents. It’s also why parents buy them for themselves, or give them to share each step in that new life with extended family. Let’s look at different life stages and the keepsakes that mark them:

Birth: This is an obvious, but profound thing to mark. We recommend a Birth Certificate Holder. If you’re a friend or relative of new parents, you can provide it to be filled with the baby’s birth certificate. If you are the parents you can give this along with a copy of the birth certificate to brothers, sisters and your own parents (the little one’s grandparents, now!). You can purchase it on its own or buy the Birth Certificate Holder in a Rosewood Box.

Christening: Baptism is the next big step for Christian families. Take a look at our Unique Christening Gifts for ideas on how to celebrate the ceremony with something of lasting value. Parents, remember that you can frame a Baby Christening Gown to keep it intact and memorable for the rest of your lives.

Growing Hair: Parents don’t talk about it much, but it really is amazing when a baby’s hair gets thick enough to brush and style - or for some babies, when you get any hair at all! The Lock of Hair Keepsake and Royal Brush and Comb Set can both be used as keepsakes for this life stage. They come in pink or blue. Similarly, we also have separate Girls and Boys Brush and Comb Sets. Both featured in rosewood boxes for storage.

Food and Drink: When a baby progresses past nursing it spells a major change for the household. He or she is taking gradual (and messy!) to being a part of family meals and other new routines. Some of the most popular keepsakes are utensils, such as the Royal Fork and Spoon Set (available in a pink or blue gift box) or the Fork/Spoon Memory Box. (This item can be engraved.) When it comes to actually feeding the baby you may want to save these for special occasions, or even just use them as symbols. When the baby’s manual dexterity improves it will be time to experiment with drinking from a cup. Our silver-plated Bear Cup can be used on special occasions thanks to its rubber, no-spill top, so even if you plan to keep in as a baby keepsake, it can still fill that role after multiple uses at the high chair.

We haven’t even begun to cover all the things worth remembering about a baby’s development, much less the things you can do to mark them. We’ll cover more in a future article.

Christening gifts are always tricky. With baby shower gifts you can rely on a mix of things for parents to be, present parents and for the baby too. A baptism is different: an occasion all its own, where the gifts are unequivocally for the baby and should commemorate the event itself. Naturally though, you want the family to enjoy your gift beyond the celebration of christening. Here are some guidelines to help you pick the perfect gift, and examples from our own Unique Christening Gifts that fit the bill.

Get Something to Display: One of the easiest picks is to get a christening present that the family can display: a picture frame or plaque, for example. We sell Christening Picture Frames with that in mind. If you want to display details about the occasion beyond a picture, oversized frames like our Inspirational Cross Frame leave room for you to insert records of the services, notes and if you like crafts, more artistic embellishments.

Get a Physical Memento: Another way to select a truly special gift is to incorporate something that was actually used at the christening ceremony. For example, the Rosary/Cross Keepsake Gift not only includes an accessory to go with the baby’s christening gown, but provides a place to keep in afterward. Our Baptism Pillow and Frame Set has the same advantage and leaves room for the baby’s picture.

Get Something They’ll Come Back To: To pick a memorable gift, choose something that the family will constantly refer back to, especially if they can add elements from beyond the christening. A photo album is ideal for this, especially since you can start it off with pictures of the christening itself. We offer the Baptism Photo Book if you’d like an elegant look or for a more practical choice that the baby can even play with, there’s My First Christmas Photo Book. (This is a fine gift for baptisms in all seasons, but it’s especially good for winter christenings.)

No matter what you pick, the best choice is one that comes from the heart. Pick a christening gift that you can present with sincerity and you won’t go wrong.