New Project Venture: The Ultimate Survival Kit

Last weekend my sweet sister-in-law hosted an amazingly beautiful baby shower for me. It was, as some of my friends said, "a Pinterest dream come true!..." and she doesn't even have an account!  Full of blue tulle and baby blocks, and choc-full of a picturesque baby blue candy bar - even blue punch, she totally aced a pin-worthy, beautiful shower.

So what's a girl like me to do to thank her for all her hard work?  I am always stuck when it comes to thank you gifts for things like this. What can you possibly get that makes someone smile and feel appreciated for everything they have done?  I was texting back and forth with my mom about it (as I usually do when I need advice, or just a sounding board, or...whenever) and she came up with a "survival kit" idea. Not only am I going to be a new-mommy, but my sister-in-law is going to be a new auntie. Why not put together a bag full of fun, useful, quirky, things she might need?

And the light bulb turned on. It took a lot of back and forth about what would actually go into the kit, but in the end it turned out to be a big success. I started out with a blue and white beach tote from Forever 21 (color scheme inspired by my little man), and then thought about the things that a new auntie babysitting for the first time might need... and then some funny additives for kicks! After a trip to a few stores, my bag was almost complete...it just needed a little explanation.   I was so excited to figure out my new Cricut (I got it for my birthday in May and hadn't had a chance to figure it out yet). With some trouble shooting I learned how to make a gift tag in the shape of a onesie, how to cut it in different sizes, and suddenly my bag looked way legit.

Here's a few of the items I put inside:

 A bib: to avoid changing his clothes after every feeding...

 Burp cloths: to keep your shirts spit-up free

 Honest Company Diapers: for changing those stinky diapers - in style!

 Ear plugs: to drown out those high pitched cries (not really of course!).

 Pacifiers: for when you need a mute button (really...of course!).

 Hand Sanitizer: so you can stay baby-germ free!

Also included in the bag:
-A travel pack of wipes: for diaper changes on the go
-A tub of bath salts: for scrubbing off spit-up and drool
-A bottle of body oil: for hydrating your skin after playing in the mud
-An eye mask: for getting some shut eye (after he's gone home of course!)
-Two packs of face masks: to relax after a long day of baby sitting

Here's the full package deal after it was all complete!

I'm happy to say she thought it was super cute and that she loved it! I tried to incorporate things that she could have on hand for the baby (sort of like her own personal diaper bag), and then a few things she could use for herself, and some with just a bit of humor.  I did want to add something a little more special for her so I included a gift certificate for a massage at a day spa...just a little pampering for her to enjoy.

What do you all think? I loved making this and had a lot of positive feedback. Would you gift something like this to someone? I am thinking of creating a few more and putting them up for sale on Etsy. I'm thinking of having bag options for bachelorette parties, bridal showers, babies, maybe even for new dads. I also thought of adding in a bottle of wine and some wine glasses, that's definitely an option. And the bag can be customized after purchase with something special like jewelry or a gift card, like I added. I can also include a few extra tags for you to do your own personalizing, or leave them blank for you to add your words the way you want them. I'm definitely open to feedback and suggestions though! What do you think? Send me your feedback in the comments, I'd love to hear it!

XO