A close friend or family member is expecting a new bundle of joy, and you have the exciting task of throwing them a baby shower to remember. There are some things to consider when planning the get-together and some tips to help make the day run smoothly. You want to ensure that everybody leaves with a smile on their face.
Themes
If you know the baby’s gender already, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stick to a traditional palette of blue for a boy and pink for a girl. However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the classic route, and it will appeal to many. You’ll probably know the mama-to-be well enough to choose a color scheme or theme, so pick one and run with it.
Yellows mixed with neutral tones, like gray, are a cute, contemporary option and the colors work equally as well for an incoming girl or boy. If the gender won’t be revealed until the due date, why not create a neutral theme with pops of bright color, or your color scheme could be pastels and patterns such as stripes and polka-dots. Pinterest is crammed with baby shower ideas, check them out
here.
Food and Drinks
What’s a celebration without the food? Well, usually a room full of hungry people, so, you can’t let that happen and should start planning what everyone will be eating as early as possible. It’s always a very good idea to have a balance of sweet and savory items to nibble, too much of the sugary stuff can lead to a sickly feeling and a headache, so make sure there is a diverse mixture. The food doesn’t need to be over-complicated, so don’t panic, a buffet with a little effort put into the presentation will please all your guests.
Cupcakes and sandwiches are a tasty option and simple to make; you want to give your guests food that they can pick up and eat comfortably, so soup wouldn’t be the best idea. If the idea of creating a whole table of food worries you, you can always put a “bring a plate” instruction on the invite or email; people are usually happy to do this, and it means they’ll be something everybody’s excited to eat. You might, however, be a creative whizz and you can start matching your frosting color to your themes,
the possibilities are endless. Don’t forget, there are also loads of great options in stores, and you could even hire a caterer, nobody will ever know!
Obviously, they’ll be one guest who won’t be drinking alcohol, and baby showers are usually a day event, so hard liquor might be inappropriate. Keep alcohol light and fun, you could make a popular cocktail or punch and serve it from teapots for a tea party theme, or if you’re hosting in an outdoor space, why not use mason jars and decorate them to match the bunting and balloons.
A non-alcoholic drink doesn’t have to be boring either; there are an array of virgin cocktail recipes online. A large jug of water with fruit and mint leaves is another refreshing option that will look pretty on the table too. For a little more food and drink inspiration, take a look at this backyard baby shower: http://bellyitchblog.com/2016/04/inside-terricka-antonio-cromarties-backyard-baby-shower.html.
Party Favors And Gifts
A designated area, where guests can put their gifts is essential. It’s almost a certainty that everyone attending the shower will have bought something for the expecting mom. The opening of the gifts can be a memorable part of the party, so establish a space, with a comfortable chair, where the guest of honor can sit and be the center of attention. If you’re all within a group of friends, you can put your heads (and cash) together and get a larger, joint gift. A gift list is also a helpful way of ensuring the mom-to-be doesn’t get too much of the same, and maybe if you’re an inside source, you’ll know exactly want she needs and wants.
Picking something unique and memorable will always be appreciated, as it’s so obvious how much thought you put into choosing something special. Personalized gifts are sweet and often fun, you could pick something specifically for the expecting mom, her baby, or even the rest of her family. For example, matching personalized mugs for the parents, or customized T-shirts for the whole family would make her smile and what a great photo opportunity; for some more inspiration, have a look here:
http://www.zoeyspersonalizedgifts.com/big-sister-to-be-t-shirts/. The more thought everyone puts into their gifting, the better the memories and the more special the mother will feel.
You can be quite savvy when it comes to your party favors and gifts, and link them in with an enjoyable activity at the shower. Cupcake decorating or creating cake pops are relaxing activities and enable everyone involved to still chat, nibble and drink; they’ll also have something sweet to take home or enjoy at the party. Why not ask everyone to decorate their own paper party bags; have a craft table full of supplies, where guests can put their name on their bag and decorate it (before filling it full of cake and candy). Ensure the activity can be enjoyed sitting down and that there’s no pressure for people to take part if they don’t want to, although, the majority of folks won’t mind one bit.
Guest Book And Photos
The mother-to-be will want to remember her special day and be able to look back on it fondly. A guest book is a perfect option for those who like to have a keepsake, and it can’t get more thoughtful than all her nearest and dearest writing their well-wishes in a book she can take home. If there are family and friends that couldn’t make the gathering, perhaps you could organize for them write in it beforehand, so nobody has to miss out. The book itself can be a simple and inexpensive notebook on which you can write the mamas name and the date of her baby shower (and maybe go over to that craft table you set up and decorate it).
Lastly, don’t forget photos! For the social media savvy, you could create a hashtag for the day, so everybody can find pictures from the day online with ease. There’s alway the option of asking guests to email you any pictures they took, so you can create a folder to send to the mama after her baby arrives; perfect for her to browse through when she’s up for a night feed!
