5 lovable baby gifts—that make the world a little better, too

Who knew doing the

right thing could be so adorable? We know, mama. You’re busy. You want gifts

for your baby (and for your friends’ baby showers) to be beautiful, useful, and

ethically produced, but who has time to do that much research?

That’s what we’re

here for.

We’ve done a little digging into production practices, materials, and

missions, and we would love to share what we found with you. Here’s a roundup

of some of the best gifts for babies that you can feel good about buying and

gifting, or using yourself.

1.

A gorgeous nursing cover from a cottage

business with a mission to support nursing mothers.

These

luxurious, hand-painted, printed, and dyed nursing covers by Galileo Linens are

currently single-sourced from a factory in Lithuania where the fibers for the

linen are also grown and woven, and the finishing and original artwork are all

done by hand in the New York homes of the designer and her parents.

The

designer is dedicated to supporting women in bonding with their babies through

providing this important tool for nursing whenever and wherever. As the

designer herself says, we shouldn’t have to cover if we don’t want to, but if

we do want more privacy, there should be a joyful, convenient way to get it

that celebrates mother and child.

They are soft but crisp, super-airy and

breathable, and get more beautiful with every wash.

2.

A quirky and lovable doll that supports UNICEF.

Monsieur

Tse Tse is the funny, friendly doll from genius Montreal design studio

Raplapla. With his big lovable smile and soft, snuggly, organic, fair-trade

cotton body, he provides comfort at naptimes.

Plus, 10% of the proceeds from his

sales go to UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund) to defend the rights of

children.

3.

Brain-building wooden blocks that are good for

the forest.

Tegu

creates addictively entertaining magnetic wooden blocks that the whole family

will enjoy. Not only is the wood for the blocks sustainably harvested, but for

each tree Tegu uses, they plant (get this) 983 more. That’s a lot of trees!

Additionally, Tegu is

committed to ethical employment standards and community improvement. They pay a

living wage to their employees and also partner with a school to provide an

education for children whose families work at the Tegucigalpa city dump.

It’s a

beautiful thing when you can help your baby learn and grow with a fantastic

toy, while also helping other families by supporting a responsible producer

like Tegu.

4.

A hang-anywhere puppet theatre that inspires

imaginative play and keeps traditional handcrafts alive.

The

team behind Nhocchi travelled through the mountains of Vietnam by scooter to

find a small village where artisan seamstresses harvest, spin, weave, dye, and

sew the bright cotton and silk fabrics that make the hang-able, fold-able

theatres, puppets, and other toys from this easy-to-love brand.

The woven

designs and naturally-derived dyes reflect the specific culture and traditions

of the ethnic minority community to which Nhocchi’s handcrafters belong.

5.

A dreamy blanket that empowers marginalized

women.

Each

charming, heirloom-quality blanket and accessory from Elliefunday is made of

the softest organic cotton and hand-embroidered with love by marginalized women

in India who are at a high risk for human trafficking.

Elliefunday is committed

to supporting and empowering their handcrafters through gainful employment at

fair wages and to providing shelter, healthcare, education, and counseling

through a non-profit arm, Handcrafted for Life.