You’ve been invited to the baby shower for a friend of a friend, and when you go to choose a baby gift, you essentially have two options – pink or blue. No matter if the toy or item is a set of blocks, onesies, a blanket, or stuffed animal, these two colors practically predominate. Unisex or gender-neutral items are only a small percentage of the baby products on the shelf. So, what do you choose?

If the shower is for a girl, you’re in luck and have a plethora of options. For a boy, however, you’re stuck. Although blue, to a certain extent, is appropriate for girls (assuming you don’t give her an action figure), pink appears to exclusively be a girls’ color. When there are no blue baby gifts, should you settle on pink – it is only a toy, after all – or look for another option?

Writer Rachel Kramer Bussel seems trapped in the same type of dilemma, which she details in a piece for the Huffington Post. She decided to give a baby gift, a similar and favorite item she had for her child, but could only find it in pink. Rather than looking for another gift in blue, she sent the pink baby toy instead.

Bussel, although still waiting for a response about the toy, still questions her decision. While the child likely will not remember the toy, the parents, however, may be put off or taken aback. Pink, socially, is not considered an appropriate color for boys, and a pink baby toy, as a result, appears like a feminist agenda in a box. Will the parents use it, put it in a closet, or think that Bussel is making a political statement out of a baby toy?

There is no concrete answer to Bussel’s dilemma. Ideally, the use of the toy would trump its color. Blue, as a masculine shade, is considered empowering for girls, but pink does the reverse for boys – debasing or feminizing. In such an instance, going with the unisex option appears to cause the least commotion and confusion.

At some point, you’ll probably be invited to a baby shower. If you’re not a parent already, choosing a baby gift may be somewhat of a challenge. What new items will a new baby – and the parents – need? Generally, as a rule of thumb for baby gifts, practical items always trump anything fancy. Larger items, such as strollers and play pens, are always acceptable, but check with the parents first. Toys and baby clothing are the most common, and many options exist for these. Which ones would be good as a baby gift?

For toys, going for educational or stimulation items is always best instead of a random stuffed animal, and make sure the toy is one that can be used for several months. Clothing, on the other hand, is more difficult to choose from. Although many dresses and nice shoes may make a good novelty present, the new parents will need many basic baby clothes, such as onesies, t-shirts, and pants. Sizing often runs in zero to six months and six to 12 months and either one is acceptable, as parents as a growing baby will be using a combination of these pieces during the first year. Most clothing comes in pink or blue options for girls and boys, and green or yellow is appropriate if you’re not sure of the baby’s sex.

Some variations on these basics are personalized gifts and gift baskets. Both of these stay within the realm of practicality but add something unique and special to the present. Nearly any piece of clothing or toy can have a name or initials added through embroidery, silk screening, or imprinting. Gift baskets, on the other hand, contain a combination of practical baby items, such as clothing and basic toys. These, too, come in pink or blue color schemes and unisex options.