With a new baby in the house, or on the way, practical gifts are definitely just as appreciated as the cute gifts – if not more so! Ciao Gusto challenged me to choose some items from their Ocado shop to make up a hamper gift. They have a wide range that could be used to make a foodie gift hamper for a wine lover, a cheese lover, a pasta fanatic, or a gift to remind someone of a special Italian holiday you’ve enjoyed together, but I decided to put together a practical hamper selection for a new mum, since that’s really handy for us right now!
I’ve often sent grocery orders to friends with new babies, or who are going through a tough time, and it’s always really appreciated especially if you include a few treats alongside things that are really easy to prepare to save them time, and save the hassle of having to think too much about “What shall I cook today?”
Ciao Gusto had a great range to combine both the treat and the convenience elements, providing some great options for a hamper like this.
Every new mum deserves some cake, so I selected a couple of the big cakes in lemon and coffee flavours. These are also really handy to have in when you have unexpected visitors dropping by in the early days!
I also got plenty of drinks and snacks to keep up energy while feeding (I love the San Benedetto fizzy drinks, and the ice tea – so refreshing!). Dates are really good to eat at the end of pregnancy too, as they’re said to help labour and nuts like cashews will be good to give plenty of energy and protein when you’re rushing around and don’t have time.
These fresh prepared pastas (tortellini and ravioli) are so handy to have in too, especially if you have older kids who will need feeding too, as this cooks in literally a few minutes so lets you throw together a meal very quickly and easily which can be a bit of a lifesaver when you’ve got your hands full. My kids love them!
They also have stock cupboard dried pasta and sauce items which can be used for quick and easy meals too, so are always handy to stock up on. I’ll be sharing some recipes with this Barilla pasta range soon so look out for that as well!
I always find Ocado service really good when delivering, so if you are sending groceries straight to a new mum you can be sure with Ocado that they’re going to bring it directly into the kitchen and not expect the customer to carry any of it! Alternatively you could deliver to yourself and package it all up nicely into a big hamper before handing it over if you want to present it that way. Either way, I’m sure it would be really appreciated as a thoughtful and practical gift!
Visit the Ciao Gusto website to find out more about their products
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Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.