If you are planning a shower for a soon-to-be-mom, here's a great reusable and practical gift idea. The small-sized recycled plastic plates that Preserve makes are perfect for both the shower (for cake and munchies) and for the young eater that will be sitting in a high chair, demanding more crackers, in less than a year.

My friend did this for me and it was great. She bought the 7" plates for the shower, and afterwards I got all of them as a little after-gift, neatly cleaned and placed into a ziplock bag so I'd be able to store them easily. Once my little boy got old enough for finger foods - usually between 8 months old and a year, or so - I pulled those little plates back out and he loves them. They are the right size for him, top-rack dishwasherable, non-breakable, and brightly colored. Everyone wins. And at less than 50 cents a plate, if we take one to a friend's house or a restaurant and accidentally lose it, it isn't the end of the world. I think in the last 8 months we've lost four out of the original ten - not too bad.

These plates are #5 plastic (polypropylene), which is BPA-free and durable. My local natural food store carries the plates, but you can also order them online from Preserve directly. I'd be willing to bet the plates-cups-utensils set is a great deal, although I haven't tried it myself. - Leigh G.

Your baby already knows that the best toys are not always baby toys. Your hair is probably a constant source of entertainment, and the appeal of momma’s car keys seems universal. So what toys, that are not toys, are safe and handy?

Those in the kitchen are the most widely adopted. Wooden spoons, spatulas, plastic measuring cups, baskets, pots and pans, colanders and strainers, and funnels are a good start. Always double check for sharp edges, unsafe plastics, potentially-detachable parts and choking hazards (anything able to fit through a toilet-paper tube).

Investigate your toys. Hacky sacks are a popular baby toy in our house, as are juggling balls. Frisbees could be good, and bocci, soccer, tennis, croquet, or any other sturdy large ball would work.

Our kid is often excited to grab and manipulate clothing he is not accustomed to - winter hats (the pom-poms are great), cowboy hats, baseball hats and winter gloves all are intriguing. Avoid scarves - anything thin and over six inches in length is an entanglement (strangulation) hazard.

Use caution in the bathroom - some things are fun and safe, but like in the kitchen, there are many hazards. Hand towels with fringe are a good thing to try. Big plastic combs are really fun. And a bath toy that suddenly appears on a stroller ride might be very excitingly unexpected. Don’t let baby play with shampoo bottles or similar items - the caps are a choking hazard, and the product residues are probably not something you want the baby to ingest anyway.
- Leigh G.