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Shipping gift ahead of time?

Ballet513Ballet513 member
in Baby Showers

Hi everyone, I'm going to a shower for my cousins wife in January. They live in the city so my mother and I will be taking the train in from our town about an hour away. The MTB was incredibly generous at my bridal shower last year and I genuinely care for her a lot so I'm planning to spend on the higher end of what I normally spend for friends/family shower gifts. My mom and I were looking at the registry and figured we would buy a joint gift so we could get one of her bigger ticket items. According to the invite the shower is being hosted by a friend of hers but is taking place at the home of the MTB. I would prefer to just purchase a gift online and have it shipped to my cousins home (which I'm assuming will be the address on file on BRU's website). I don't feel like trucking a huge gift on a train/subway/cab/through the city in the dead of winter when I myself will be 5 months pregnant when the time comes. I'm assuming others will do this and the gifts will be wrapped by BRU and the MTB won't open them until the shower, right? Or should I buy at my local BRU and carry it in so I don't look like I'm showing up empty handed?

Thanks! 

Mama to Sophie Virginia
born 5/4/13 at 35 weeks 4 days

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Re: Shipping gift ahead of time?

  • Ballet513Ballet513 member

    imagemilkergirl1:
    If you really don't want to have to haul it all the way there, I'd have BRU ship it, and will be shipped to the address she provided when she registered.  But don't expect it to be wrapped unless there is that option when you buy it.  And don't expect her to wait until the shower to open it.  Most people open gifts that get shipped to their home before the shower.  If it were me, I would just ship the gift and then give her a card at the shower.

    Should I mention the gift in the card? Like I really hope you enjoy such and such. I just don't want the gift to get lost in the shuffle as I'm sure many things will be getting delivered.  

    Mama to Sophie Virginia
    born 5/4/13 at 35 weeks 4 days

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  • 1026pumpkin1026pumpkin member

    I don't blame you for not wanting to shlep it, but if you want her to open it at the shower, I would let her know ahead of time what your plan is.  It's common for people to open packages as they arrive and make sure everything is in good shape and send out thank yous.

    I'd select the gift wrap option, and ship it to:

    Mom To Be

    Address 1: Shower Present

    123 4th St

    Big City, USA

    If she knows you're doing that, she can just set your package aside unopened when she gets it.  Otherwise, if you want it opened during the shower, I think you'll need to bring it with you.

     

    BabyFetus Ticker; Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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  • TheEditorTheEditor member

    Another option is to ship it to the shower's location, then call the MTB and tell her that you're sending her a little something in advance of the shower, and that you'd love for her to save it until then.  OR, since you're pregnant also, talk to another friend/relative who will be attending who could take it with them to the shower--ship it to the friend's house instead.

    At the end of day, though, it's not a huge deal.  My sister shipped a pack n' play to our place and we opened it in advance.  She brought a card to the shower and taped a picture inside of what she sent.  I just showed the shower attendees the card she brought.  Everyone ooh'd and aah'd over it just like anything else.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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  • tilsonctilsonc member
    I would ship it right before the shower and I would put a picture of the gift in the card so she knows and can share it with everyone else at the shower. She will understand if its large and if its too big she won't want to move it from her friends house to hers.
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  • wittyschaffywittyschaffy member
    You could also try getting in touch with one of the hosts and seeing if you can ship it to them if you want to be sure it gets to the shower without being opened.  My mom, sisters, and I hosted a shower for my cousin and our out of town family shipped their gift to us from the store's website and we wrapped it for them and brought it to the party.  Not all hosts would be willing to do that though so it would probably be a good idea to ask first if they'd be willing to do that.  If it is a big item, they might not want to get all that paper! 
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  • danatdanadanatdana
    I can't remember if this was for a wedding regsitry or baby, but you can print out a picture of the item you had shipped. :)
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  • Stina2012Stina2012 member

    No need to tape a picture in the card. Certainly the package would have had your information as the sender, in addition, most registries nowadays have Thank You Card Managers that track who bought you items from your registry.

    Ship it to her house and send an email/call letting her know to expect it but perhaps wait until the shower to unwrap it. 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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  • 526SadieSadie526SadieSadie member
    I think you'd be better off buying a small gift she can open (like a teddy bear or a couple books) and then let her big gift be a gift card in the amount you and your mom were going to spend on the joint gift.
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