Last week, your imaginary best friend Zoe Foster Blake added mother-of-two to her jam-packed CV, where previous roles include fashion designer, beauty editor, author and all-round inspiration.
Though she already shares adorable son Sonny, 3, with husband Hamish Blake, Zoe noticed something different in welcoming her first girl, Rudy Hazel.
When a baby pops out, the flowers, gifts and casseroles come rolling in, but it was the presents she received from her girlfriends that made her heart sing (though she admits she was thankful for the free food too).
“Maybe it’s cos I just finished The Handmaid’s Tale, or I’m feeling the privilege and responsibility entrusted to me to raise a self-assured, wholehearted woman, or maybe it’s just a spectacular lack of sleep, but the fact that my girlfriends have all given me adorably, pointedly feminist gifts for Rudy warms me to my milky, sloppy core,” she shared alongside a snap of wonderfully thoughtful gifts.
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As Zoe now has evenings of inspiring and empowering bedtime stories to look forward to, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite feminist presents to give to your gal pals who may be preparing to welcome a son or daughter into the world.
1. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
This best-selling storybook, illustrated by Michael Martchenko, turns the age-old ‘damsel in distress’ tale on its head.
Princess Elizabeth has plans to marry Prince Ronald, but when a dragon destroys her castle and kidnaps him, she fights tooth and nail to ensure his rescue – a feat she pulls off spectacularly.
Disgruntled with her paper bag frock, Ronald tells Elizabeth to return when she looks like a Princess. Obviously, she rips him a new one and prances off into the sunset like the self-sufficient boss she is.
First published in May 1980, the story has won critical acclaim from feminists around the world, with the National Organisation for Women even selling it on their website.
Get it here.
2. Plan Toys Terrace Dollhouse
Some of our favourite memories involve playing pretend in our dollhouses which invariably were hot pink, covered in glitter and festooned in sparkles.
While there’s nothing wrong with pink sparkles, maybe choice on the colour is key.
This wooden creation serves as the perfect solution. With its neutral tones and interchangeable format, your little one can build their toy’s dream home, and then paint it whichever colour they bloody well like.
Available here.
3. Malala Yousafzai plush toy
An advocate for girls’ education, Malala Yousafzai stood up to a terrorist organisation and survived after being shot at age 15 by a gunman on her way home from school.
On her 16th birthday, less than a year after the attack and stronger than ever before, Malala made a speech at the United Nations, and has continued to fight for girls’ education around the globe since.
Why wouldn’t you want your little one cuddling up to the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate?
Purchase your own here.
4. Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
“What if instead of dreaming to marry a prince, she could dream about creating a vaccine, winning an Olympic medal or walking on Mars?”
As the game-changing book’s site reads, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls features 100 true tales of badass females from the past and present, each of whom have changed the world in their own ways, from Serena Williams and Beyoncé to Amelia Earhart.
Many teachers, both male and female, have confessed to reading their students pages from this book.
5. Zoe Foster Blake x Skin and Threads Rocket Knit
Okay, so it’ll be a little while before your baby will be able to fit into this one, but mums are welcome to wear it to death in the meantime (who’re we kidding, mums need presents too).
New mother-of-two Zoe Foster Blake teamed up with Skin and Threads to create a capsule collection guaranteed to make you most unpopular with your credit card.
The award for our favourite item goes to this space-inspired jumper, and with the emphasis we’re putting on science and technology for the kids of the future, also proves that space can be cool AND ~fashionable~.
Get your hands on one here.
6. Women in Science
A recent US study found young women in high schools were taking the same number of maths and science classes as their male counterparts and even receiving higher grades, but only 15 per cent went on to major in science, technology, engineering and maths beyond school.
Women in Science aims to change this for the next generations by telling the stories of 50 pioneering women in science. Who knows; maybe one day she’ll dream of growing up to be a physicist.
We can’t all be princesses after all.
Grab a copy here.
7. Wonder Woman onesie
Just because she needs help burping doesn’t mean she can’t save the world.
Set your little one up for success with this freakin’ adorable superhero onesie, which when worn will say ‘I can do anything’, even if ‘anything’ is a big old poop in the pants.
Find it here.
