Giving birth means not only getting a new baby and gifts for the newborn, but also a little something for the new mommy. Kind of like how you got each other gifts on your wedding day, “push presents” are small tokens for a new mother’s hard work of “pushing through labor.” An article entitled, “‘Push presents’ catch on as a reward for having a baby” discusses this rapidly growing trend, revealing that 38% of new mothers have received one. Even sites such as Parents.com have their own top ten list of Push Presents–number 4 being this lovely Lullaby Swivel Glider from Pottery Barn Kids.

Also known as “baby bauble, ” push gifts traditionally tend to be jewelry, but a lot of people (especially the husbands) have mixed reactions to this new custom. While some husbands happily give in to this trend to express their appreciation and understanding for what their wives have gone through, others feel that these gifts are unnecessary and costly.

An alternative offered by a New York Times article called, “A Bundle of Joy Isn’t Enough?” is to hold back on expensive jewelry and instead offer more help as a father, or to hire someone to help.

What do YOU think?

Have a teenager in your life? If so, you might be having a hard time deciding what to get them for their birthday. I have a girl cousin who just turned 13 so I know how difficult it can be. One thing about teens is that they really want to embrace their individuality. A gift option that would be perfect for my cousin and any teenager is giving them something personalized and unique. Tiny Prints has a line of new note cards especially for the teen in mind. Match these with a personalized address labels and a gift certificate to really create an outstanding birthday gift!

Building on my last post about baby shower gifts, Tiny Prints also has another way to give the new mom in their life something unique and different. It’s a perfect time when she is at home with baby to chronicle every precious moment she gets to experience. This way she’ll remember and be able to share these moments with everyone she loves.

I’m talking about the Tiny Prints Lasting Memories Kits. They have one for boys and one for girls. The kit includes darling cards that prompt new parents to document all the new firsts in their baby’s life. These would work great as a stand alone gift or as a perfect add on to the stationery gift bag I mentioned in my last post.

Mother’s Day is creeping up upon us. For all you late shoppers out there, here’s another idea for a late mom gift, a graduation present or a thoughtful birthday gift to give anyone you know.

One year for Christmas my mentor and boss at the time gave me one of the most precious and useful gifts I’ve ever received. She gave me a box of beautiful stationery personalized with my name on it. To this day, I still enjoy using it. I loved sending friends, family and acquaintances brief notes of appreciation on those cool, personal cards.

Wouldn’t it be nice to do the same for the people in your life? If you know someone who’s graduating, has a birthday coming up or for your mom who always sends personal thank you notes, send them these. With a variety of designs to suit their personality and personalized with their name, it’s sure to make them feel special too.

How could we possibly forget all the mothers in our lives? From our own mothers to our mother in-laws to our friends who will be mothers really soon, what a wonderful opportunity to show them how much we care!

If you are a little late and fresh out of ideas for what to get the mothers in your life this year, here’s something that may help. How about getting her a gift certificate you know she’ll use? Tiny Prints has a whole bunch of products for her from thank you cards to birthday invitations to choose from. Ranging from $10-$100, this is a great gift to give the mom who loves to plan parties for her kids, and always sends you a thank you note. This will save her time and money and we think she’ll definitely send you a thank you for this gift, maybe even one from our Tiny Prints line.