Practical Ideas for Baby Shower

We know that we want our baby shower to be fun and exciting and the best way to get the fun going is to play games and do some exciting activities.

You can actually put a twist on the typical baby shower and do something that may not only be fun but is practical as well. This is not saying don’t have games and fun activities, ofcourse you have to have those.

Here are some ideas you can include for your activities.

  1.   Arts and Crafts

Put a little twist on your baby shower activities and do some arts and crafts. This is another fun way where you, the guests, and the parents-to-be get to spend time together while having fun chats and snacks. And the end product can turn into a valuable gift for the mom-to-be or parents-to-be and the baby on the way.

To give you an idea, you can paint on fabric for instance. Prepare fabric paints (different colors) and some plain onesies. Ask your guests to get creative and design the onesies using the fabric paints. You can also prepare die of different colors, some tie/rope and ask them to play around and tie die the onesies. You can teach them how if none of your guests know how.

You can also paint baby hangers, create colorful headbands and cool bows. You can also draw or make cut-outs of cartoon characters or other baby related artsies or decorate numbers or letters that can be posted or hanged in the baby’s nursery/room.

  2.   Words of Wisdom

Your main goal for the baby shower is to shower the parents-to-be, especially the mom-to-be, the love and support they need. To receive encouraging words and advice, and hear wisdom from friends and family who have walked the same road is a priceless gift for the parents-to-be. Especially, first time moms and dads.

This activity can easily be
incorporated in you baby shower. You can put it first or last or in between games, it all works. Here are two ideas you can start with or use as inspiration:

– Write a Book of Wisdom.
Prepare a notebook or customized one with a nice pen. During the baby shower, pass it around the guests and ask them to write words of encouragements or some advice to the mom-to-be or the parents-to-be. Once everyone has written their piece, put a ribbon around the notebook and present it as a gift from everyone. Tell the mom-to-be to open it when she is in labor or the parents-to-be can open and read it after delivery. It will give the mom-to-be or parents-to-be something to look forward to.

– Fill the Basket of Wisdom
Although the baby shower is for both mom and dad, but really it would take a lot of toll on the mom-to-be: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Ask everyone to fill in the basket with items that will be significant for the mom-to-be, something that symbolizes motherhood or fill the basket with some baby essentials. Just make sure that you include a note when you send out invitation.

  3.   Books Instead of Cards

Although it is nice and sweet to receive cards, but more often than not, they get thrown away. Instead, ask the guests to gift the mom-to-be or parents-to-be books. Just like in cards, they can also write notes of encouragement or advice on the front page of the book.

Books can either be for the parents-to-be, like tips on parenting or motherhood and the likes. They can also gift children or storybooks or nursery rhymes. Such books will be very useful for the expecting parents and the baby. Another idea is cooking or recipe books for baby food or food for moms during pregnancy of after childbirth.

Make sure that when you send out invitation, you include a note that says “gift books instead of cards.”

Finally, you can never go wrong when the intention is good. These are just few practical ideas that is not to replace the fun and exciting activities and games, but something you can incorporate in your baby shower. It is really nice and helpful to be doing something that will end up with some priceless and valuable gifts for the parents-to-be. It adds to making the day special and memorable.

Photo Booth for Baby Shower

It is the activities you pick for the baby shower that will make the party either super fun or a bit boring.

Baby Showers are intended to make the parents-to-be, especially the mom-to-be feel special. In doing so, you would want to make the ocassion memorable by putting together fun-filled activities. And ofcourse, you want to document and preserve these memories for the parents-to-be, and what better way to preserve memories than taking photos.

Photo Booth is a favorite and a sure hit in any parties. Set-up a photo booth to allow opportunity for some fun and exciting photos. While you have the games to get the fun started, photo booth on the other hand will add to that and make the party even more fun.

How do you set-up?

First, pick a spot or lacation in the venue of your baby shower, pick the spot that is out-of-the-way, but strategic and is visible to your guests.
Then, decide on the decoration and props. You can either decorate that the booth on your own or you can include them in the package or photo service you hired. There are plenty of photographers/videographers that offer photo booths in their packages. You can opt to hire one. 

Personally, I prefer to go DIY on this. You can ask the parents-to-be to help or some of the guests (whom you know), they would be more than willing to help. Choose props, decorations and backdrops that matches with your shower theme. I have shared many baby shower theme ideas in my previoua posts. If you are looking for one, go check them out for inspiration.

You don’t have to buy new stuff or fancy art material or whatsoever for your decorations. You can be creative  and practical with it by making use of some old materials  and combine them with new stuff (if you really need to buy new).

To create the fun, gather some props like fake mustaches and wigs, trendy-oversized glasses, cool hats, signs, and or baby-related stuff like oversized pacifiers, baby bottles. You can also have some adult-sized onesies, diapers and other baby stuff that can be worn for the photo.

You can also create your own photo booth props using some cardboard or cut-out empty cantoon boxes and colored papers. You can use color pens or paint. Aside from props, you can also create your own huge frame using cartoon boxes or styrofoam, cut-out baby-related stuff or theme-related and paste them on the frame. There are a lot of video tutorial on DIY Photo Booth ideas on various video streaming and social media.

Then, don’t forget the camera – have a good one, if possible. Provide a camera, if you have. You can also ask your guests to bring cellphones with good camera or birng a camera if they have. Then, in between games or activities during the party, ask your guests to take each other’s photos on the photo booth. They can do solo, by pair or in groups.

Select a hashtag or you can ask your guests to come up with a cool hashtag of the day, and ask them to share their photos on social media using the hashtag. This will be a great way to collect and document fun and special memories.

Ladies Only Baby Shower Ideas

Traditionally, baby showers are all about the mom-to-be, with no intention of excluding the dad. But, it really used to be ladies only party – it’s all about the mom-to-be and her girlfriends.

Well, you can organize several baby showers, so it would be great to have one for the ladies only. A baby shower that focuses on the mom-to-be alone. Don’t worry, we’ll have the dad-to-be and his friends in another baby shower.

Here are some ideas on what activities to do for an all-girls baby shower.

  1.   Girls Night Out

Every girls night out is fun. So, gather all the mom-to-be’s closest girlfriends and head out for a fun, fun night. Wear your lovely dresses and do your hair and make-up, and head out for some night life. You have to remember though that your guest of honor is a prego, so choose a decent, safe but cozy bar where you can listen or sing along to live band.

You can also spend the night at one of the girlfriend’s place, wear your PJs, prepare snacks and popcorns, and binge-watch chick flicks or sing karaoke or do some fun dancing.

If you prefer to have it a little formal and quiet, you can book a space at a fancy or fine dining restaurant. Put on your lovely dress  and enjoy the conversation and laughter over exquite meal while listening to some jazz music.

  2.   Pamper Mom-To-Be

Pregnancy and child birth for second time, third time or so moms-to-be, takes a lot of toll on their body. Since the focus of the shower is the mom, how about pampering her with full body and beauty treatmemt: massage, facial, manicure and pedicure and the likes. Wow, isn’t that relaxing?!

Gather all the mom-to-be’s girlfriends and book a salon all for yourselves for a day or hire home service. But the salon is more ideal and fun. Everyone gets a full beauty treatment while having chats and laughters.

Then, reserve a room or space at a lovely cafe or pastry restaurant. While you are having your favorite deserts, ask the mom-to-be’s girlfriends to present their gifts to her and then ask them to say some good words, some advice, tips and some parenting wisdom. It sure is going to make the mom-to-be feel special.

  3.   Tea Party

Ladies love some tea and pastries. That sounds yum and relaxing. So, bring out your lovely teacups and teapots, and prepare some colorful pastries and tea sanwiches or biscuits, and bring out your china and your flavourful tea.

A tea party is not going to be one, if you are not wearing a tea dress. So, make sure that when you send the invitation to the mom-to-be’s girlfriends, you inform them of what to wear. You can have this type of party indoors or outdoors. Personally, outdoor and daytime is the best venue and time.

What is lovely about tea party is that it makes for great photo opportunities while you enjoy the party. And if you don’t have the teapots and all, and the time to prepare snacks, then you can opt to hire catering services.

Finally, whatever activity you plan to do and whichever venue you choose, you can never go wrong as long as your goal is for the mom-to-be feel special while enjoying and relaxing with her girlfriends. Don’t forget to take pictures or better yet, turn on the video recorder.

I will be sharing more baby shower ideas in my next posts. Until then, enjoy the baby shower.

Just-For-Mom Baby Shower

In my previous post I have shared some baby shower ideas: activities and location. Here is another awesome baby shower idea – this one is focused on the mom-to-be. Traditionally, baby showers are ladies only, wherein the party is all about the mom-to-be and her friends.

If you plan to have an all ladies for one of the baby showers you plan to organize, then here are some ideas to help you be creative and plan out a fun, exciting and memorable baby shower.

This is especially great for second, third time or so moms-to-be. Although it works well for first time moms-to-be, but more so for the latter. Why? The experience of pregancy, childbirth and parenthood really takes a lot of toll on a woman’s “body.” That is why they deserve EXTRA tender love and care (TLC).

So, if it’s mom’s second, third or so baby, maybe this time she’ll need something for herself than baby items. Instead of buying baby gifts, focus on gifts for mom.

When you send invitations to your guests, inform them of the plan for a just-for-mom baby shower. Ask them to bring gifts for the mom – something she can use now (like maternity dresses, soothing moisturizers) or after childbirth (like certificate for house-cleaning or pampering services).

They can either gift her with some practical mom stuff or some pampering or even both. Here are some gift ideas:

– Stretch Marks Set Skin Care
– Pre-Baby Date Night Restaurant Gift Card
– Maternity Sleep Wear or Maternity Dresses
– Compression Socks
– Home-cooked Freezer Meals (to help her with the hassle of cooking while pregnant)
– Recipe Book (for baby food)
– Aroma Scented Candle and a Book of her favorite author (for relaxing)
– Salon Gift Certificate for whole body pampering (maybe few months after childbirth)

There are many other gifts you can give the mom to be. As her friend, I think you know what she’ll love. And if you’re a mom yourself, then you know what she’ll need during and after pregnancy, and what would make her happy.

Ideas for Baby Shower – Location and Activities

Why do we organize baby shower? What’s it really for? The goal of baby shower is not only for the gifts, but to show the mom-to-be or the parents-to-be love and support, to help them prepare for the responsibility of parenthood. Above all to celebrate the joy of a new life that’s about to come, and to make the mom-to-be or parents-to-be feel special.

Traditionally, baby showers are ladies only – it’s about the mom-to-be and her friends. But, these days it has also become special for dads-to-be, and so baby showers have become more fun with both the mom and dad’s family and friends.

Here’s a couple of ideas to help you organize and get creative on your baby shower. Ideas on what activities to do and where to have them.

  1.   Co-ed

Like I said, it used to  be that baby showers are ladies only – it is about the expecting mom and her friends having fun. Today, you can mix it and also have the dad and his friends. You will be surprised at how cool dudes (dad or single) can be on baby showers. Their presence makes for the fun activities.

If you decide to go Co-ed, you need to consider the following things:

– go for gender-free or neutral decorations
– have variety of food, mix pastries with some burgers or barbecues for instance
– have drinks that works well with the ladies and the gents
– put together games that allows guests to mingle or work together, instead of working individually

Co-ed baby shower is really fun, you only need to plan it well and the best way to do it is to work with the parents-to-be, make sure to include the dad-to-be in the planning.

  2.   Take it Ourdoors

Indoor parties with awesome decors, food and exciting games is fun, but there is something about having party outdoors that makes it even more fun.

Perhaps its the sunlight, the fresh air, and the natural surrounding that sets-up the mood, lifts your spirit, and makes you feel comfortable even with people whom you are not acquainted with.

The only thing that could be a problem is the weather. But, if the weather is perfect, consider to have an outdoor baby shower. You can set-up some barbecue grill, organize outdoor games like frisbee golf course or tossing water balloons and other fun activities.

You can order catering too, and set-up some tents if needed. You can go DIY and set-up some hampers  for example or you can hire set decorators to work on the theme you decide on.

What’s great about outdoor parties is the space, guests can move around easily and mingle. And it allows you to do a lot of fun games.

  3.   Couple’s Buffet

If you are looking for a simpler and quicker way of putting together a baby shower, perhaps due to time constraint. Then, you can actually host one by inviting certain number of guests on a buffet or eat-all-you-can.

You can reserve for a lunch or dinner at restaurant. You can book a room or the outdoor area or certain area of the restaurant (ex. the whole rigth side of the resto). Most restaurants if not all, will also  allow you to set-up some decorations, as long as you remove them afterwards.

The great thing with buffet party is that it is hassle free – the place and the food are ready. The only downside is that you cannot do activities or games that needs moving around. And you can’t have too many guests at one time.

Still, there are fun activities you can do that doesn’t require guests to more around. Often, this kind of party is more intimate and special because you are closer to each other.  So your activities can really focus on the parents-to-be.

Finally, there is no right or wrong baby shower. It is about what you and the parents-to-be wants, and what will make them feel special.

I will be sharing more Baby Shower Ideas in my next posts. Hope these  ideas would help you in organizing your baby shower.