A Little Welcome Basket

With my dear Mama arriving next week to meet her granddaughter and help us out for a little while, I thought I'd prepare a little "Welcome to Leuven" basket to leave at her apartment rental when she arrives. We got unbelievably lucky and were able to rent the place right downstairs from us - so we're going to be neighbors! It really couldn't have worked out better. She'll be steps away when we need her (especially at meal times - nothing beats Mama's home cooking!), but we'll all have our own space so we won't be crowded and feel like we're on top of each other all the time.

Her welcome basket includes:

* some basic toiletries, soaps, and shampoo (so there'd be more room in her suitcase for baby gifts, obviously)

* a Belgian SIM card for her phone (so I could call her in a panic when the baby doesn't stop crying and I don't know what to do)

* a BAGGU shopping bag for all her trips to the market

* a bottle of wine (duh)

* a few different varieties of Belgian chocolate (that I'm hoping she'll share with me)

*a map of Leuven titled "Where's Mama?" on which I marked the location of the butcher, the cheese shop, the wine shop, grocery store and a couple of my favorite bakeries and cafes

*and a couple other little things to make her feel welcome

And since I've been doing anything I can to distract me from contractions and the fact that this baby is coming very soon, I decorated a fringe-fabulous box with crepe paper to tuck all her treats in (don't even ask how long that took).

Can't wait for her to get here... and share that chocolate and wine with me :)