While the traditional baby shower is more
conservative, today you will discover
that just about anything goes. These are
just a few suggestions to consider but
remember that the key to any baby shower,
regardless of the theme is to create an
environment of celebration and a lasting
memory for the parents-to-be.
Having a theme to your party ties
everything together and gives guidance to
how you decorate your party - plus it's
fun! Basically, you need something that
is repetative and creates a feeling of
continuity. Here are some ideas:
GIRL'S ONLY SHOWERS
Although coed and full family showers are
highly popular, no one says you cannot
have a "girl's only" shower.
This type of baby shower can be a
stand-alone occasion or hosted in
addition to a traditional shower. Ideal
circumstances for a girl's only shower
would be if the mother is single,
widowed, divorced, the husband is in the
military, and so on.
Again, you can use your imagination and
come up with a number of good options but
something such as brunch, afternoon tea,
a quaint sit down dinner, or even having
the shower at a sister or close friend's
house are perfect.
COED SHOWERS
Of all types of baby showers, this is the
most popular since it includes the baby's
father and even close male family members
and friends. Too often, the father feels
left out as it is. Therefore, this option
creates a wonderful way to bring him into
the pregnancy and birth. Great ideas
include an outdoor barbecue, pool party,
casual buffet, or some other casual
setting.
FAMILY ONLY SHOWERS
Just as with the girl's only shower, the
family only could be the only shower
hosted or an additional shower to a more
elaborate event. With this, you would
invite not just the immediate family but
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins,
nieces, nephews, everyone. Similar to a
family reunion, this is a wonderful way
to bring the entire family together.
Something like a large potluck supper,
outdoor barbecue, or picnic in the park
would be ideal.
BEFORE OR AFTER SHOWERS
Some couples prefer to have the baby
shower before the birth and some after.
Both have advantages so the decision is
generally based on what the expectant
parents prefer. With the before shower,
the expectant couple has something to see
them through the final weeks and days
before the baby's birth.
The downside is that as the birth becomes
closer, the mother is often tired.
Therefore, the decision for a shower
prior to birth will depend on the mother.
If she physically feels fine, then this
option is good but if she is becoming
tired and possibly dealing with excessive
swelling, trying to entertain guests may
not be something she wants to deal with.
The after birth shower is often more
enjoyable for both the expectant parents
and the guests. With this type of shower,
the new parents have had an opportunity
to rest and heal from the birth. However,
this type of shower also means the new
baby can be brought to the shower for
everyone to "ooh" and
"aah" over.
Just remember that newborn babies are
susceptible to colds and germs so the
shower should not be held until the baby
is at least two months old and then, you
will need to make sure people invited
come healthy.
OPEN SHOWERS
This type of shower is one often held
after the baby has been christened or
baptized. Typically, the open baby shower
would be announced in the Sunday bulletin
at church whereby a potluck lunch would
be organized. After church, the new
parents would gather in a designated area
and mingle with other members of the
congregation as they rejoice in the birth
of their child.
OFFICE SHOWERS
Many times when there is an expectant
mother at work, one of the close
co-workers will offer to host an
in-office baby shower. For this, close
friends and other members of the
expectant mother's department would be
invited. In many cases, the father would
also be invited. Foods such as pizza,
barbecue, or deli sandwiches are perfect!
Nursery Colors:
Use colors from the nursery for your
theme. This option gives the flexibility
to use any type of tableware, napkins,
decorations for the party. Because of
this, it is the least expensive route.
You don't need to buy decorations all in
the same patterns.
Nursery Theme:
Similar to the nursery colors, but this
one uses the actual theme of the nursery.
"The Cow Jumped Over the Moon",
"Noah's Ark", are examples. Ask
the mom-to-be what she plans for her
nursery decor and go from there. If her
decor is lace and cream, then keep to
that same look and feel for the party,
decorating with that color and pattern.
Around the Clock:
This theme focuses on the gifts that are
brought by the guests. In the invitation,
assign a guest to bring a gift that baby
or mom would use at a certain time of the
day (ex: assign 1:00 naptime - the guest
might bring a blanket or something to do
with naptime). This is a fun way for
guests to shop for the mom-to-be and
always fun at the opening of the gifts.
Hint: have the guest place the time
assigned to her on the gift card or on
the gift.
Build Baby's Library:
Ask that all gifts are books for the
baby. Let guests know this in the
invitation. Possibly ask them to bring
their favorite childhood book and sign it
inside as a keepsake. Great for second
baby showers! Also, a fun party to plan -
invitations in the shape of a book and
bookmarks for the party favors! Get
creative!
Noah's Ark:
Great for twins! Make a Noah's Ark cake!
Check your local bakeries to see if they
will make one for you, or if you can bake
cakes, try to do it yourself. If your
party is large, then place sets of
stuffed animals on each table next to or
weighting down some balloons. Buy two for
each table. So, one table would be the
giraffe table (with two giraffes), one
could be the elephant table, etc... If it
is a rather large party and you will be
having assigned seating, then this could
even be more fun. On the seating cards,
instead of numbers write the animal table
that they are assigned to. A great ice
breaker!
Pamper Mom:
Great for moms-to-be having their second,
third, fourth, etc..baby. After months of
pregnancy and taking care of the older
kids, she deserves some pampering and a
fun time with "the girls"!
Create a day-spa theme. Ask guests to
bring lotions, chocolates, gift
certificates to a spa, etc..as gifts for
mom. You could even hold a
"spa-session" in your home for
guests - bring in a masseuse to massage
guests shoulders, a manicurist to shape
their nails, or even a make-up consultant
for fun. Play nature music in the
background and some soothing fragrances
in the air. The mom-to-be will be able
relax with the gals and the guests will
have a great time. Definitely a mommy
shower to remember. Please keep in mind
your guests and their comfort level in
attending a "spa-party".
Baby Safety Shower:
You've prepared everything for the baby's
arrival. The nursery is ready, you've
taken your childbirth classes, diapers
are stocked, but are you informed enough
on how to keep your baby safe in your
home? Mommies and mommies-to-be: gather
together friends with children and other
expectant parents and throw a "baby
safety shower". It could be one of
the most important parties you attend.
For more information on this type of
party, please visit cpsc.gov
A "Sprinkle":
Sprinkles are perfect for second baby
showers. Instead of "showering"
you with the large baby items needed for
the first child, your guests can
"sprinkle" the little things
that need replenished. Such as: diapers,
baby wipes, bottles, baby shampoo and
lotions, diaper cream, pacifiers, baby
socks (they always seem to get lost in
the dryer) and countless other
necessities. A nice way to gather
together and celebrate the second
pregnancy. ****Also good for
grandmothers-to-be.
Time of Day Shower:
Each guest is to bring a gift
corresponding to a specific
"time" in baby's day, for
example, waking up time, bath time,
mealtime, play time, bedtime, etc.
Basket Shower:
Each guest has a theme for her gift
basket. It's fun to see what everybody
comes up with, and of course the basket
should be part of the gift! (Guests could
use baby bathtubs, toy bins, or even
little laundry hampers for baskets -- be
creative!) Some ideas for themes include
meal/nursing basket, a nursery basket,
bath basket, diaper basket, and toy
basket. We're sure you can come up with
even more!
Shower for Mom:
This is a great idea if mom already has a
lot of baby gear -- perhaps if this is
not her first child. Guests can offer
gift certificates for babysitting, meals,
housecleaning, manicures, or dinner out
to a restaurant! Other gift ideas include
some new pajamas, candles, bath products,
etc.
Memories Shower:
You can do many variations for this
shower. In addition to the more
traditional gifts, guests can create
something for baby that is dated from the
year he/she is born. Each guest can
create a scrapbook page (or two) or small
booklet for baby. These can include
photos, comments (where the guests live,
hobbies, current events, etc.), newspaper
clippings -- you name it! Guests can also
bring things to create a time capsule for
baby. Best to leave some space in the
capsule so a few things can be added
after the child is born (a newspaper from
the date of birth, for example). These
gifts are sure to be treasured in years
to come!
Another fun idea for a memories shower is
for each guest to bring a baby photo of
herself. Spread them out and see if
everybody can guess who's who!
Baby's Firsts:
Guests bring gifts to celebrate first
times in baby's life -- bath products for
baby's first bath at home, dinnerware for
baby's first attempt at solids, shoes for
baby's first steps, or a gift certificate
for baby's first studio photographs.
Nursery Shower:
This shower can really be fun if the
parents are planning a theme for baby's
nursery (Disney characters, bears, Noah's
Ark). Guests bring gifts corresponding to
the theme.
Couples Shower:
For the most part, guys likely will not
be as interested in playing traditional
"shower" games and eating
cutsie foods while ooohing and aaahing
over a mom-to-be's tummy! However, a
shower can be a special event for
expecting dads as well as moms if they're
done with women and men in mind; and why
shouldn't the dad-to-be get some of the
attention and share in the gift opening
and fun?
If the party is not a surprise, be sure
to check with the mom-to-be as to whether
the dad (and his friends) would enjoy a
baby celebration. If she agrees, go from
there. If you are including games at your
shower, be sure to make them "men
friendly." And have plenty of food
available for your male guests. It would
be a nice touch to include gifts that are
special for the new dad -- a book on
fathers and children, an "I love my
daddy" bib for the baby, or maybe a
frame Dad can take to the office to
display a new picture of his baby!
Diapy Wipey:
This is an especially good shower idea
for moms who already have a child or two.
They may not need a lot of things but
they will need diapers and wipes. Guests
bring diapers and wipes as gifts - you
may want to assign a size to the invitees
so the parents get a variety of sizes.
You can also pick a brand or let the
guest choose.
Diapers and Dinner:
You can ask guests to bring diapers and a
frozen casserole. Ask that instructions
be included with the casserole so mom or
dad know how to reheat it after the baby
is born.
Room-to-Room:
Assign guests with different rooms and
ask that their gifts reflect the room
they were given.
Lullaby (bedtime) or Rubber Ducky (bath
time) Shower
Guests can bring gifts to use at bath or
bed time.
Play time Shower:
Ask guests to bring toys as gifts. Your
gift could be a toy box or wagon and you
could use that to place the gifts in.
Grandma's Shower:
If the mother lives far away from friends
and family you can give grandma a shower.
Bring all the gifts in paper bags so
everyone can see the gifts. Then together
everyone can wrap them up for grandma to
take when she goes to see the new
arrival. Take lots of pictures to share
with mom.
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