Q Salt Lake / Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

Are you one of those people that hunts high and low for just the right holiday gift? Do you get frustrated trying to come up with the perfect present for the LGBT parents or their kids in your life? Well, Who’s Your Daddy has done the leg work for you! Here are some great ideas for the two dad or two mom families on your holiday shopping list.

Zazzle, an online marketplace for custom products has a large selection of T-shirts, onesies, bibs and other items for kids and LGBT parents alike. Among my favorites are a couple of really cute onesies: one declares, “All Because Two Girls Fell in Love,” while the other sports a couple of cartoon dinosaurs and reads, “My Dads are DINO-MITE!” If you’re looking for something for parents, Zazzle also has some clever T-shirts for all sorts of nontraditional families.

If books are more your style, the shelves are (thankfully) packed with titles for LGBT parents and their kids. One new book I wish had been published when we first adopted is “The Ultimate Guide for Gay Dads,” by Eric Rosswood. In it you’ll find great information like the difference between donor breast milk and formula, and how to discern which is best for your child. There’s also a section on creating a birth plan for open adoptions and surrogacy births.

Some of my favorite books for kids with same-gender parents include “The Family Book,” by Todd Parr, “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, and “Daddy, Papa and Me” and “Mommy, Mama and Me” by Leslea Newman.

Kenna Cook, a sex educator (whom you can contact at sexplusparenting.com), suggested we consider books that celebrate gay culture and history like “This Day in June” by Gayle E. Pitman or “The ABC’s of LGBT” by Ashley Mardell.

You can get all of these titles at The King’s English, and if they don’t have them on the shelf, they’re happy to order them for you!

There are also several fabulous books individually designed specifically for the LGBT family in your life. For example, Family-stories.com allows you to customize a unique story starring your own family. They proactively include diverse families, including those with two moms or two dads. Another choice is NamelyMeBooks.com, which offers a uniquely-written first baby book that is personalized and illustrated to celebrate your specific family. Among the choices of family types are same-gender parents and those that reflect the specifics for a wide range of families such as a birth mom and adoptive mom, interracial couples and a variety of races.

Maybe you want something a little bit more personal. A couple of local artists, Clair and Janae, create handmade LGBT-themed baby blankets and changing pads. You can find them on Etsy. (In full transparency, Janae and I know each other professionally.)

For the more irreverent people on your list (yes, I’m talking about Kelly and me), you can’t go wrong with the options found at cafepress.com. For the little ones, there are onesies with “My Parents are Homos-apiens,” a bib proclaiming, “You Think You’re Spoiled? I Have Two Dads.”  And my favorite, “Both of Them are My Real Moms.”

And they haven’t forgotten about the parents. I love the woman’s shirt that declares, “I’m Mommy. She’s Mama.” Oh, if you’re looking for a stocking stuffer for me, I’d love the “My Dad is a Fagosaurus Rex” cup or the “Dad2” T-shirt.

What I find really terrific about all these ideas is that they simply exist. It’s a testament to the acceptance and embracing of LGBT families. And that’s the best gift of all.

Happy Holidays, everyone!