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.