Recently, as our little family has been out in public, I’ve received many compliments and questions from moms about my iPhone case. It’s covered from edge to edge with Jia pictures from her first month and I love it!

Personalization is so fun and makes a gift or trinket special. Before I had Jia, I liked things that were monogramed, though I never had anything of my own personalized except my push present purse that Jeff bought for me. But, after Jia’s arrival, I have a better appreciation for personalized keepsakes. So many of my friends’ babies were born with such neat names, they may need a little personalization, too! (this is for you, Kannon, Madison, Kipton, Gage, Colbie, Tiana, Hayden, Lorelei, Liam, Liana, Lena, Kadence, Caden, and so many more cuties!)

We put a lot of thought into naming Jia, and with so many adorable pictures we’ve taken of her, we are so happy to have things with her name (and face) on them.

Here are a few personalized items that Jia has, that I adore: 

Names in Knit, LLC – Names in Knit is a company started by retired dietitian and stay-at-home mom, Paula Ceresnie. She makes personalized gifts like dolls, doll blankets, storybooks, coloring books, sweaters, hoodies, baby and stroller blankets, pillows, cuddle bears, and more! We were lucky enough to have been gifted Jia’s soft baby blanket (photographed above) by a family member and the quality is just incredible. Her blanket is double-sided, we got to choose yarn color, and Jia does a great job modeling it as you can see! I am positive it will be one of her favorite keepsakes for years and years to come. Even after washing, the blanket is super soft. (Thanks Ching and Janice!)

From Paula: “The world needs another baby gift company like Names In Knit to help make babies and parents feel special about the gifts they give and receive. Parents spend many hours and days thinking and picking out a name to fit their new baby.  Should the name honor a Grandparent or show tribute to someone?  Should the name be traditional or popular?  A baby’s name is special, it’s something to be proud of.  Every baby has its own name and identity and should have their own Names In Knit personalized knit baby blanket.  Gift givers and parents love giving and receiving blankets and personalized knits from Names In Knit because it is a gift that lasts.  A favorite comment we receive is “I am going to college and taking my blanket with me; it has always been on my bed.  It’s my favorite”   Everyone wants to give a gift that is special, but we still need help getting the word out to more and more people.  We want to share the joy and love a personalized knit blanket brings.”

Snapfish iPhone Case – I just love Snapfish.com. I’ve been a loyal member since 2003 and they always have great quality products, prints, gifts, etc. After Jia was born and I upgraded my phone from a 4S to a 5S, I was plagued with the question of what case to buy for it, but I also wanted my sweet girl on it. If you were like me, any excuse to talk about your baby to strangers filled you with pride, and you felt more important to the world knowing you were a mom. Anyway, for $34.99, you can plaster your loved one’s face all over your case! You can also customize photo mugs, desk photo panels, canvases, photo albums, posters, fleece blankets, keychains, Christmas ornaments, baby announcements, calendars, and more. Snapfish almost always has a coupon floating around, so make sure to search for one. I got $12.60 off my phone case order. Their customer service is fantastic, if you’re unsatisfied with any order they will make sure it gets done right. Photographed is my phone case along with a mug I got free (they send so many special e-mail offers) and the month-by-month books I make for her. I try to wait until there’s a “buy one book, get two free!” type offer in my e-mail. They come pretty frequently, so just sign up! 

Land’s End Personalized Hooded Bath Towel – We received a sweet plush personalized hooded towel for Jia, light pink with a darker pink bow on the hood with “Jia” embroidered beneath. It’s my favorite hooded towel, since it’s the softest and thickest – even moreso than our organic one from TL Care. Though our towel is no longer available, they still have others! Lots of other companies make personalized hooded bath towels, too. (Thanks Rebekah and Ellis!)

Pottery Barn Kids Personalized Stroller Blanket – Another gift we received that I love is our stroller blanket from Pottery Barn Kids. Jeff’s company sent us a gift after Jia was born, personalized with her birthday and name. It’s adorable and just about the softest plush velvety fabric you could imagine! You can choose font styles, thread color, appliqués, monograms, and style. Our Stroller Blanket is a great quality thick chamois blanket that will certainly keep her warm in the winter months, strolling around outdoors. We also feature it in all of her monthly birthday photos. (See our Stroller Blanket in previous post here.) PB Kids has a cute personalization section. (Thanks MicroStrategy!)

Homemade – Homemade is always an option for personalization, of course. Pinterest houses millions of arts and crafts ideas that can spark the interest of anyone with any skill level. Jia’s godmother, Megan, made Jia this beautiful burlap wreath. It hangs above her crib and really completes her nursery. When we lived in a 1 bedroom condo, we hung this above her crib in her section of the living room which helped make her space “hers.” The wreath really came in handy for her newborn photoshoot, since who doesn’t love putting a tiny baby in awkwardly adorable poses? (photo by leeliuphoto.com) 

Other websites, like PersonalizedPacifiers.com or Makaboo.com or places like Etsy are always available for specially customized handmade gifts.

Do you have any really neat personalized baby items? Where are yours from?

Next Week’s Topic: Infant CPR