Uncategorized – Page 4 – Marisa Meidle's Baby Showers

Food Ideas for Baby Shower on a Budget

Whatever type of party, when you gather people to celebrate something, one of the first thing to consider is the FOOD. Baby shower is no different. So, the question is how to save on the budget, but still serve food that the guests will enjoy?

First of all, it is not really just the food however needed, but the activities and moments that matters the most in a party, and that is the same for baby shower. Here are some food ideas for baby shower on a budget:

FINGER FOODS

Finger food are delectable but are surely inexpensive, plus these are food that allow guests to munch whilst socializing and having great conversation.

Foods like sandwiches cut in tiny or bite size and paired with veggies or fruits or cheeses or biscuits. Traditional food can also be served like pasta or salad, but presented in a new or interesting way. Infact this can even add as decoration. For instance, the pasta can be placed in interestingly designed or vintage cups or fruit salad are placed in cones or small cups. And then, you can mint lemonade or some fruit juices or if guests prefer to have hot drinks like tea or coffee.

You will be surprised at the number of servings you will be able to make.

SWEET GESTURE

This can be an opportunity for friends and family who loves baking to put their baking skills to use and at the same time, show their love and support to the mom-to-be by baking her a cake or some cookies for her baby shower. This will be huge cut on the budget. And it will be a very sweet gesture that the mom-to-be will appreciate and remember.

RIGHT TIME

Guess what, food takes up about 40 percent of your expense for the baby shower. And because it’s a major expense, it is crucial that you pick the right time when to have the shower.

If you plan to do it lunch time or dinner time for example, then you will have to prepare food for lunch or dinner because guests are expecting to have a meal. Having said that, lunch and dinner will be costly. So, having the shower around 2:00 pm for instance would mean that the guests have already taken their meal, and therefore it is alright to serve snacks or finger foods. These will help save a lot of expense.

POTLOCK

This is an old tradition and another great way to help save on the budget not only for baby shower, but all other type of parties. This gives family and friends chance to show their support by sharing with the food. Each one can bring a different kind of dish or food to be shared to everyone. It can even be part of the game for the shower where the mom-to-be can guess who cooked what or who brought which food.

Finally, to save on the budget – the idea is to “keep everything simple.” After all, it is the moment of laughters and sharing that matters most.

Throw Baby Shower On A Budget

So, you’re hosting a baby shower for your dearest bestie or cousin’s first baby. But, after calculating the expenses for the shower’s theme, venue, decorations and food, it seems like you’re out of the budget.

Well, no need to worry because there are plenty of budgetwise baby shower ideas that looks no different from a fancy one.

Have in mind that nobody actually cares how much you spent for the baby shower. No one is going to ask about how much the food or decors or venue cost you. What matters is to have a memorable moment that will make the mom-to-be feel special and celebrated.

First, you need to have in mind that when planning for a baby shower on a budget, you’ll need more hands than money. It’s more of like a DIY thing and also a moment for friends, family and collegues to show their love and support by helping put together all the stuff needed for the party.

Maybe you’re wondering how do I invite everyone on the guest list when it’s budgetwise baby shower? How do I cut down some of the expenses? Here are two ideas to begin with:

HYBRID BABY SHOWER

You can combine in-person and virtual baby shower. This way you can include everyone on the guest list without having to spend so much on the venue, food and other stuff. You get to cut down on the budget without cutting down on the guest list. It actually saves you and the guests who needed to travel in order to join in person. So, this way they get to save as well and not miss out on the party. And instead, they can use the money they saved for transportation to buy mom-to-be with more gifts.

BABY SHOWER AT HOME

Another way to cut-down budget is the venue. Instead of renting a place, why not host it at home or in one of the mom-to-be’s friends or family’s home. A venue costs a lot, so without having to rent a place saves you a lot. Not only will you save some of the budget, but also saves you time.

And because the party is going to be at home or in one of the friends or family’s home, then you already have most of the stuff needed for the food and decors like the cooking dishes, dining wares and decors and other stuff. This will save you another cost and time transporting all the dishes and decors if you were to rent a venue.

These two are the most important when it comes to baby shower: Venue and who to invite. Following these two is how do you see the party is going to be. All the rest will just follow. There are more ways to have a budgetwise baby shower. We’ll share some more ideas in my next posts.

Best Baby Shower Gift

Pregnancy is one thing, but childbirth is another thing, and post pregnancy is another level. First time mom-to-be doesn’t know what to expect, and therefore everything is going to be a surprise and a new road to thread. She’ll need a lot of emotional support on top of all the support she’ll need preparing the essentials for her and her baby.

If you are planning for a baby shower gift, I say go beyond the gift registry if you can afford to. Gift her something aside from what’s on her registry and aside from baby related or pregnancy or mommyhood related items.

First time moms need to feel loved and cared for, they need to know and feel the support of their family and friends. So yes, gift her baby crib or strollers if you can afford them or gift her something like diapers, baby wipes and other essentials that she’ll need plenty of. You can even gift her pregnancy and post pregnancy items like maternity dresses, nursing bras, comfy sleepwear and the likes.

But on top of all those material things that are indeed essential, she will need emotional support. First time mom, even those who are already moms go thru certain level of stress and psychological and emotional difficulty during and after pregnancy.

Baby shower on the other hand is just a couple of hours of party, just a moment of showing love and support to the mom-to-be. But, when the party is over, reality kicks in. What she need is consistency, atleast. Here are some ideas to help your mom-to-be friend get thru the challenges of her journey to mommyhood:

1. Organize a night out or dinner with the girls. You can either book a fancy restaurant or prepare dinner and get together at one of the girls’ place. Do this once a week or every other week if you can manage.

2. Sleepover or pajama party where she can have some quality conversation with her friends while having fun. You can either binge watch chick flicks or sing karaoke or anything you can think of.

3. Book her for some mom-to-be counseling where she can meet expecting moms too and make new friends. She’ll feel a lot more confortable knowing there many who share the same experience.

4. Cooking lessons where she can learn how to prepare baby foods and also food for expecting moms and after pregnancy – a diet that can keep her nourished and healthy.

5. Fitness session for expecting moms and/or especially post pregnancy to help her get back in shape

These are just some ideas you and the mom-to-be’s girlfriends can do for her. Now more than ever, she needs her friends around. Because although pregnancy affects the dad-to-be, it really takes more toll on the mom-to-be. Hence, she’ll need her friends and families’ support and understanding.

MAKE MOM-T0-BE FEEL EXTRA SPECIAL ON HER BABY SHOWER

Baby shower is not just some kind of party, it’s a party where friends and family of the mom-to-be gather to show their love and support to the mom-to-be on her journey to mommyhood and her little bundle of joy on the way.

Although it is important to plan for the guest list and gift registry, and to plan for the place and date when to throw the party, the bottomline is that the mom-to-be must feel loved and cared for. It does not matter who you invite or where the party is hosted, and what food you have or what you do during the party. What matters the most is that the mom-to-be feels extra especial on that day.

So how do you make her feel extra special on her baby shower?

SHOWER HER WITH LOTS OF LOVE

Yes, mom-to-be needs a lot of gifts for her baby on the way and herself. First time moms has a lot to prepare. From essential items like the nursery, baby crib, stroller, carrier, and the likes down to smaller items that she’ll need plenty of like diapers, baby wipes, bath soaps and all.

The mom-to-be also needs a lot for herself. With the changes her body goes especially during pregnancy and also after childbirth, she’ll stuff like maternity dresses, sleepwear, nursing bra among many others to help go thru the process with ease.

So, more than the gifts, first time moms need to cope up with the pressures, stress, anxiety and other emotional and psychological challenges she goes thru throughout her journey to mommyhood. The experience is going to take a lot of toll on her. That is why moms, especially first timers go thru severe depression after childbirth and even during pregnancy.

They need to feel loved and cared for. They need to see who cares for them, and feel their care and support. So, make sure that when you plan for her baby shower, your guest list includes the people most dear to her, and that you have an activity intended for her guest to express their genuine support to the mom-to-be. Create an atmosphere of showing love and joy. Make sure that she is showered with all the love and comfort she needs.

Day or Night Out With the Gals

Often because of pregnancy, mom-to-be never gets to hang out with girlfriends like she used to. She is often detached from the world she used to live, and also because her pregnancy limits her activity. This is one of the reason why pregnant women, specially first timers, get depressed. The situation magnifies after childbirth when she can barely have time for herself.

So, instead of items or maybe in addition to your gifts, how about her girlfriends organize a baby shower, the kind of shower that gives the vibe of a girls day or night out.

Gather all the girls, do a pajama party or sing karaoke or bingewatch chick flicks or do some baking. You cam also be a little bit adventurous to go for a night out or book a fancy restaurant for some fine dining.

Finally, to make mom-to-be feel extra special, your plan doesn’t have to be so grandious, but make sure that whatever activity you do or wherever you plan to go, it is safe for her and her baby on the way. Also, incase you don’t know, the gesture alone of you organizing the baby shower for her and putting things together, will make her feel loved and absolutely special.

Baby Shower Gift Registry Especially For The Mom-To-Be

Mommyhood, especially for first time expecting mom is going to take a lot of toll on her. During pregnancy, she’ll go thru hormonal changes that could cause her to feel all sorts of pregnancy related challenges – emotionally, mentally, and physically most of all. Apart from all the discomforts and pains, morning sickness, mood swings, nausea, and more.

Like I said, pregnancy during and after is going to take a lot of toll on the mom-to-be. Often all those she goes thru psychologically and emotionally is often the effect of the changes she’ll experience physically. Pregnancy is really going to affect a woman’s body – yes pregnancy and mommyhood is a wonderful experience, but it comes with a fair share of physical concerns.

If you are planning for the gift registry, it would be great to have one where the focus is the mom-to-be and the essentials she’ll need to take care of her body and her skin, and to help ease the emotional effects of the body and skin changes caused by mommyhood.

She’ll need essential skincare, and some self pampering to help keep her glow, and some exercise sessions to help bring back her body after childbirth.

Here are some skincare essentials you have to include in the gift registry – especially for the mom-to-be:

1. Stretch Marks Cream or Moisturizer – best to start using this during pregnancy, because it hydrates and moisturizes the skin to prevent or lessen the appearance of strech marks. It also nourishes the skin to sooth tightness and discomfort in the skin and making it feel comfortable, smooth and supple.

2. Stretch Marks Oil – applying it during and after pregancy help reduce the appearance of newly formed stretch marks. It helps restore, refresh and smoothen the skin.

3. Stretch Marks Serum – it can be used during and after pregnancy. It is hydrates and moisturizes the skin to help minimize the appearance of stretch marks, and gives your skin the plump look and feel.

4. Organic Nursing Comfort Balm – it helps sooth the nipples and makes nursing comfortable. It moisturizes the nipples to ease discomfort during breastfeeding, and it restores the skin during and after breastfeeding.

Mom-to-be needs some self-pampering, especially after pregnancy. Here are some self-pampering gifts she’ll definitely appreciate:

1. Gift Cards – gift her with spa certificate for a day of self pampering – get that body massage, facials, hair spa, manicure and pedicure and all that whole body pampering. Make sure that the gift certificate is open date, so she can go anytime. This could also be turned into a bonding time with the girls.

2. Recovery Care Kit – this may include the items listed above – skincare essentials, along with other essentials that will give her that much needed pampering like scented candles, calming teas, and a good book of her favorite author.

3. Gym/Fitness Class for New Moms – gift her with a subscription to a gym of fitness class especially designed for new moms. This is an exercise that helps new moms gradually return to their old body. This can be coupled with a subscription to daily healthy diet meal that will be delivered to her.

Whether you gift mom-to-be with the skincare essentials or for self pampering, make sure that you choose the one that is safe for both the mom and her baby. Any of these gifts will surely make the mom-to-be feel loved and cared for.