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Food/gifts for new parents
For the mothers here - when you brought home your new babies, what food items or gifts did you most appreciate? I have a few friends who are expecting and want to know what's most useful for them.
Things that could be frozen and then heated up when they were needed, like homemade soups, chili, casseroles? This seems like the most obvious answer but I keep thinking what a PITA it is to jam something into an already-crowded freezer (especially if this is what everyone else is giving them).
Baked goods that are easy to eat one-handed, like muffins?
Pre-cut fresh fruits and vegetables? I know they're quick, healthy snacks, but was it a PITA to have to eat them right away before they rotted (as opposed to freezer meals which could be saved for later)?
A gift card to your favorite local takeout place? Or a supermarket gift card so that you could buy either food or diapers?
A gift card for something to help the parents relax, like a mani/pedi GC or a movie rental?
TIA for your input!
Re: Food/gifts for new parents
What I appreciated the most was the goodies my friends brought to the hospital, after not being able to eat carbs/sugar for my ENTIRE pregnancy. Even though I didn't have much of an appetite it was nice to be able to pick a little
We didn't get much as far as food items - my brother and SIL brought over some food that SIL's parents made (great Cuban food) but not enough to freeze for later. A few people brought bagels.
One of my friends brought cookies, and then some other things that she found useful as a mom (her daughter was 6 months old at the time)... like hand lotion (since you're always washing your hands they can get very dry), oh, and a bottle of wine.
For the most part, the people who brought gifts brought things for the baby.
I think baked goods (one handed) are great, and I also like the GC to a local place idea, too.
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I've had a lot of meals made for me when I had E and L, from my local Mom's club.
I can tell you what I don't like - casseroles or big pasta dishes (ziti or lasagna). It seems like that's everyone's "go to" meal for someone else. I also don't like meatloaf........
My friends made some really nice meals. One of my friends made us a Cuban feast, another did homemade pirogues, etc. I enjoyed all the time and effort that went into the meals.
My favorite gift was a spa GC from my knitting group for me to use when L was born. It was really a nice treat and while they had already knit me a blanket when I had B (that I used with E and L), I liked not having to share a gift! LOL!
My family spaced out meal deliveries and included mix of fresh and freezeable so not overwhelming.
I just brought my friend creamy baked chicken taquitos, cut up veggies, containers of clean strawberries and blueberries and cut melon, 100 cal packs of guac and a small container of sour cream, tortilla chips and salsa, mini muffins, homemade granola and three containers of yogurt. She had a meal plus snacks. She loved the random variety.
Most people brought us pasta entrees so I loved when someone brought a rotisserie chicken, a salad, and a side dish. I also got a fruit platter which was great bc it was washed/cut and ready to go.
A friend also got us a gift card for our favorite local pizza place- that definitely got put to use.
I like all your suggestions - there are good and bad points of all like you pointed out. For me, the last one of gifts card for the parents to relax is the least useful.
We are getting meals from my towns moms group again which is nice because they plan it and space it out.
If they might be getting a lot of other help/food then i like gc to local places especially if they deliver! since they can pick what they feel like having and when to use it.
If not, i like healthy easy snacks like the fruit/veggies/muffins you mentioned.
I would have loved meals we could reheat and any food I could snack on one-handed.
Gift cards to restaurants that either deliver or had call ahead take out would have been used to.
Peapod gift card would also have been loved here. Supermarket ones would have been used but Peapod has that extra "so you don't have to leave the house" benefit.
And if they happen to have an older kid, I loved gifts of activities to keep m entertained either by himself or with one hand of mine while holding a baby in the other.
Eta: apparently peapod takes stop n shop gift cards so that would have been great too.
Thanks everyone!