Want a quick baby gift, but want it to have a personal touch? Purchase a baby gift basket. Ship it to yourself. Then, add some personal touches by:

1. Include a "Moms Know Best" book featuring your own experiences with a baby. Purchase an inexpensive photo book that holds 4 x 6 photos. Use baby themed stickers to decorate each journaled page. Hot glue a pastel bow to the cover and add a baby charm or small scrapbooking element.

2. Crochet or knit a pair of baby booties.

3. Create scrapbooking elements to decorate baby's scrapbook by using a drawing program such as Paint Shop Pro. Place the elements inside a small manila envelope. Rubber stamp the envelope with baby-themed stamps.

4. Every baby needs a luvee. The looped ribbon squares are quite popular. Select a fabric, cotton, velvet, satin, corduroy, faux suede, or felt. Babies love texture! You could choose to use two different textures or the same texture, but you will need to have a front and a back square. (You determine the size you wish to create but, remember, it is to be held by a baby.) You will also need to select several different colors, textures, and widths of ribbon in 4 in strips. Using stitch witchery (found in the notions department of a fabric store), you can iron the pieces together. The stitch witchery will fuse the looped ribbon ends and the edges of the fabric together. No sewing!

5. Purchase one of the new no-sew fleece blanket kits. You just cut and knot the fringed ends.

6. Add the mom's favorite body lotions and chocolates into an organza pouch. I have seen the pouches at Michael's Crafts and online stores such as Pouch Depot, INC. Or, do an online search with the words "gift pouches".

7. If you know the baby's name, you could order a gift with the baby's name. Here is an online site example: The Personal Touch

Check the yellow pages for local stores that engrave or embroider. Or, embroider it yourself!

8. How about a "Baby's Sleeping" door hanger? Craft stores sell the wooden door hangers, paints, glues, specialty pens, and wooden cut-outs (moons, stars, sheep, babies). Just paint and glue and you will have a novel gift.

9. Enclose a gift certificate from a baby store, video store, toy store, favorite restaurant, spa, or hairdresser.

10. Purchase a savings bond. It is a wonderful way to invest in baby's future.