Baby Shower Details

The main aspects you are going to have to decide and plan on for a baby shower are

• Food

• Drinks

• Decor

• Games/ Activities

• Favors

food

Obviously a very important part in the party.

FOOD

With this you have to decide what time of the day the party will be at! Typically showers are on a Sunday or Saturday morning/ afternoon. My shower was a brunch which my mother and sister prepared and was super cute. My sisters was a lunch which my mom and I got catered. Lunch is a good option if you plan to order or cater food otherwise might be a bit of work. Brunch is a nice and easy option if you want to do it yourself. You can also have like a tea party (goes into theme as well) with just tea/coffee and some hors d-oeuvres or tea snacks. Good option for a shorter party between meal times.

Brunch: lots of options, but limited stuff to choose from which can make it easier to decide. Eggs, bacon, waffles, pancakes, scones, muffins, croissants, bagels etc. You are feeding women so don’t go too crazy on portion sizes and numerous options. But pick about 3 with some vegetarian options and go from there if you want to add a couple dessert type snacks. For my shower, my sister and mother made these egg cups which were awesome and easy to eat. You use muffin trays and line them with pita (on the bottom), egg, bacon (some no bacon if you have vegetarians), salt & cheese - and throw them in the oven. Good idea to make the food bite size and easy to eat. You can make smaller waffles and hand them on small plastic cups with maple syrup. Or make parfait granola in cups with granola, fruit and yogurt. Or make stations where people can combine themselves. Like a waffle station with different toppings or bagel station with different spreads and veggies to top with. Tea sandwiches are also a great crowd pleaser - like egg salad, tuna or cucumber ones. Fruit trays are always a must if you are doing brunch and you can just buy them or make them yourself with cute displays like inside a watermelon. Always good to go on Pinterest to get some inspiration!

Lunch: Always another great option. Gives some time for people to start their day and make their way over. Several more options for lunch. I think keeping it light is the best way to go with women, unless you are doing a combo shower - then BBQ it up! Or order some Italian food since that is always a crowd pleaser. If your opting on doing lunch getting it catered or ordering it may be an easier option since there will be alot on your plate to plan other aspects. Or of course you can do it at a restaurant or banquet hall-> use the whole venue or reserve a room. Definitely a good option if you don’t have the space. Although I do find a house better if it’s an option so you are not fixed to one area. You can have it in or outdoors, different rooms etc. Unless a venue has those options as well.
For a light lunch some good options are diverse kinds of salad, light pastas or flatbreads, grilled chicken or salmon, dips like hummus or guacamole! All good things. Nice to have variation for any vegetarians or diet restrictions (gluten free, nut free etc). If you want to do it by yourself that works too, but maybe enlist help of some family members or friends to make a dish each (like a salad or dip) so to make it easier on the host.

Tea Party: Scones are a must! You can make yourself or get from a bakery like Cobbs (have amazing ones!). Tea sandwiches are also scrumptious and very easy to make. Have some variety like tuna, egg, cucumber etc. Dips with veggies or pitas are a crowd pleaser. And that leads into….

Dessert: Of course you need to have dessert! Preferably in relation to the theme or colors of the party. A lot of people like to do a cake as a main focal point of a dessert table and make it very fancy. It does look nice, but I feel like mini desserts with some different options to be more of a scrumptious hit. Women like to have many options in bite size portions so we don’t feel as guilty in indulging. If you have the numbers and budget you can always do a pretty decorative cake accompanied by mini desserts. Mini desserts like brownies cut into bit size pieces, mini cupcakes, macaroons, cake pops, cookies, mini donuts etc. A lot of people like to do those sugar cookies with hard icing designs. They look adorable, but honestly I find most people don’t eat them. They are really not that tasty even though they look fancy. There are also many Pinterests ideas to prepare your own mini desserts like putting things on a stick while making on theme like dipped marshmallows or dipped Rice Krispies, dipped strawberries. You should always accompany the dessert with some fresh fruit as a healthy option and for people who don’t eat sweets. With dessert you can really incorporate it into the theme and make a really nice dessert table so keep that in mind with what desserts what go best with your overall theme or color scheme.

Drinks

Number 1 Rule: Always have alcoholic options. Just because the guest of honour can’t drink doesn’t mean everyone else can’t. And it makes for a funner party. Not saying people need to get drunk, but it’s nice to have a drink while socializing and most likely meeting new people. Not a rule, but good option is having a signature drink! But don’t do one if it’s not tasty and just looks good. You want people coming back for more. Mimosas are ALWAYS a crowd pleasure. Perfect brunch or lunch accompaniment and they taste good without being too sugary! You can even make a mimosa station with different orange juice mixes and fruits to add in. MOM-mosa.

MOMosa

And people can make non-alcoholic variants with some fizzy water. I feel like even if it’s not the signature drink they are still good to have as an option. My friend and I went to a baby shower once and they had some super sugary signature drink that we had no interest in trying. We asked the bar for a mimosa and it took them a few seconds to be like I can make it (at a banquet hall btw - why shouldn’t you be able to). Within 5 minutes of us getting the drink, no joke, most of the room had ladies with mimosas as well. Seriously such a crowd pleaser. There are other good brunch drinks like a caesar, Bellinis or grapefruit/lemonade mixes which could work. Mimosas just always look good and taste good too!

Have some options for the ladies. White or red wine (white better in hotter months), presecco, Champagne etc. But don’t assume everyone wants to be classy. Have a couple other options like beer, ciders or spirits (gin or vodka).

And of course have a couple non alcoholic options. Water is essential, but some sparkling flavoured ones are great. Juices or pink lemonade. You don’t need to have everything just couple additional options for mom to be or any other pregnant/not drinking ladies in the room. And please if you are going to have a non-alcoholic signature drink - have a alcoholic option with it (i.e. vodka on the side you can mix in).

DECOR

It is great to have a theme or at least color scheme (or both!) to go along with your party and it makes for everything in the room to flow better and coordinate. Make it visually appealing and memorable. With my baby shower it was more a color scheme. Ombre pink with a bit of white since we were having a girl. It was really pretty and made for nice photo backdrops. Lots of DIY stuff like an ombre pinwheel, ombre pink wooden table runner, pink wooden baskets and letters. Again lots of ideas on Pinterest.

Lots of other theme ideas and good to get some inspiration from other parties or browsing on Pinterest. Woodsy or floral themes are always nice and modern. You can probably find a lot of things are your house that you could utilize for these themes. Lumberjack (woodsy) theme or safari theme good for a boy. Starry, moon, cloud themes (twinkle little star) are good neutral ideas. A pelican basket theme is nice too with some soft neutral tones.

Good color combinations

• pink, white, gold

• lavender, white, gold, greenery

• wood, greenery, white

• peach, mint

• peach, pink & green

• yellow, baby blue, greenery/white

• baby blue, mint, sun (orange/yellow)

• teal, gold, white

Basically anything in the pastels, whites & light colours always compliment each other.

Obviously the decor will reflect the theme or color combinations you decided on. It’s good to always start with your focal point which is usually a dessert table or a stand with a nice backdrop. You can get some cute tiered stands or cake stand which complements your theme or colors. Easy to find wood cutting boards or cake stands if you are doing woodsy theme. Or even just crystal or white/gold dishes with some vinery or floral accents along the table always fair well. Backdrops are always visually appealing. For my baby shower we had a big DIY ombre pinwheel. For my sisters we used a large white dreamcatcher with birch piece that I use for my seconds nursery. You can easily buy or make your own streamer backdrop hanging on a rope/twine with the colors of the shower. You can also utilize some vines and flowers hanging from the wall as a backdrop. You can purchase or make DIY banner (‘Oh Boy’ ‘Oh Baby” “Name”). I also see that is really in is buying a Hulu hoop that is all white and twist some vines and flowers on it (or can spray paint it gold etc).

With my sister’s shower we did more of a woodsy floral (white & green) theme with some hints of light blue (for a boy). Floral strictly white and greenery since we were doing a floral crown activity (discuss in games/activity) and woodsy to make it more masculine. It turned out really beautiful. Had some green vines and fresh white flowers with greenery everywhere. Had a burlap painted with white sign ‘Oh Boy’. Had a white dreamcatcher with a birch tree piece hanging over dessert table , accompanied with some white frames with gold letters saying things like ‘you are my sunshine’ ‘love you to the moon and back’. Had a bunch of blue and white balloons (another activity in mind). Wood frames around with messages and/or instructions. But not everything was on theme like the food or our MOM-mosa section. But it was separate from the rest of the themed areas so it worked. And the MOM-osa sign was white wood frame. Over the table we had OH BOY balloons in silver.

Also use a sheer curtain with some twinkling lights. You can order a balloon arrangements that hangs on the wall with your theme colours - they are pricey but look amazing example from TO balloons. If you are doing it outdoors you can utilize a wood fence or privacy wood extension as backdrop if you have and maybe put some twinkling lights on it.

I also like to have something by the entrance when you come in so the guests know they are at the right place. Some balloons or a welcome chalkboard sign.

If you want to do a photo area that is aways an option. Again use a streamer backdrop or balloons or wood board background with a banner as a spot to take photos with mommy to be.

With decor it is all in the details. If you have a mimosa or drink bar incorporate some of those theme colors or details. Make signs with little instructions or just with what it is! Easy to make yourself using any frames that compliment your decor. Add some fresh flowers or fake greenery to any of these table or places where you are putting the food/apps. You can add things to the vases like ribbons or burlap that match your theme. It is easy to add these little touches and it makes a difference.

Good places to shop for decor are dollar stores which you should always go before you head to Michaels (sometimes you can find similar stuff for cheaper price at the dollar store). Target if you are in the states. Loblaws superstore now has decor area that is very cheap for banners, table setting etc. Party city for balloons or any other tidbits. Home sense baby area can have things that you can utilize as decor and they can use later for nursery. Online of course. Amazon if you know exactly what you are looking for. Etsy for more artsy, customized pieces. Don’t be afraid to use what you have or decor from a family members nursery.

Games/Activities

Baby showers can get a little slow especially many of the guests only know a few people so there is only so long you can socialize. Allow for some socializing time at the beginning, but don’t wait too long to start some games. And spread them out a little bit with the timing of them, you don’t want to bombard people with consecutive games. Games are different than activities and I would suggest to have at least one activity. Activities you can do independently whenever you want to or have some lull time and obviously no prizes involved but still enjoyable. At my sisters baby shower we had 2 activities: flower crown making (which was an absolute hit!) and advice balloons. The flower making idea I copied it from someone on instagram and everyone LOVED it! Surprisingly the older ladies had more fun with it than the younger ones (which you would think they would be jumping all over that for pictures/instagram). It was very easy to set up. I used Pinterest to find instructions and you needed was flower cutters, floral tape, floral wire and of course flowers (Picture 1)! Doesn’t matter if you are having a boy or girl - if you are doing traditional shower the party is for all the ladies and guest of honour. I would just suggest keeping neutral tones with the flowers themselves (like greens and whites), but you don’t have too. I would also suggest getting one made for the guest of honour that is a little bit nicer and has extra flowers- she is not going to have much time to make her own (unless she is super into DIY) since she will have to mingle and it’s nice to have her stand out!

HACK: when ordering one from flower shop just say its for a birthday party (no wedding or shower) since they won’t charge you as much. You will need her head circumference when ordering or measure someone with similar head size.

The advice activity is really nice idea I also had for my shower (Picture 3). You can keep those little advices for a scrap book and read it at the end of the shower or after you have a had your baby to make you smile. Even if some of your guests have never had a child, they will definitely think of something useful. We chose having balloons to hold the advice as also a decor picture area, but you can do it however you want like in a pretty box etc. With the balloon idea we had clothes pins and cut up pieces of cardstock coloured paper to write on. Added feature is the balloons add to the decor element! With activities ALWAYS have instructions for people to read and have enough supplies (i.e. pens etc) (Picture 2).

HACK: put instructions in a frame always makes it look nicer.

Some other activity ideas are giving name suggestions (for people who don’t have a name), bib/onsie decorating, diaper messages, photo station, write down favourite family tradition, messages or wishes to baby (time capsule) etc. With the whole onsie decorating or diaper messages -it is a cute idea, but not really sure you would actually want to use any of the onesies or diapers that have marker on it?!? You could also make the name one into a game if you make people guess names and reveal the name at the end of the party.

Games! Games are a must have at baby showers! As long as they are not lame, games add some fun to the party. You don’t have to have that many. I would recommend 2-3 to give some other people chances to win and to have a variety in the types. Such as a writing one, you have to get up & do something one and/or team one (work in teams). Don’t have exclusively writing ones - that is dull. We had a bottle chugging one with apple or beer (no one likes milk anymore) and that was pretty funny. Easy to do get juice supplies (only 1 or 2 people did beer) and bottles from the dollar store.

Measuring the moms belly is fun since everyone will have a chance to be up close to mommy to be and it’s funny how off people can be (Picture 4). Super easy to do just scissors and string. And then you get everyone to come up one by one to measure around her belly. Don’t just measure it yourself it ruins the fun of getting everyone together. But if you have a mommy who is super body conscious than don’t do that one. You should definitely have a writing one since it’s easy for everyone to sit down and relax to do it. Just pick one that seems not lame and mostly everyone will be interested in. We had one where its was mommy chooses this or that (i.e. homemade baby food or bought, prenatal yoga or swimming ec) -> and I made everyone do their answer first and have her answer in front of everyone. And mommy got to be involved in the games as well. Or you can have one where the guests at a table pass around the prize along with someone reciting a poem with instructions (pass to person who most recently had bday etc.). Only works with set seating arrangements. They have lots of cute ones in store or online you can print. Use your discretion on choosing one that not just you would like.

For prizes I would recommend to sticking to gift cards if it’s in your budget ($10-$20 each). Ones for Tim’s or Starbucks, Indigo etc. You know people will actually use it, people like getting GC and it appeals to everyone. Unless you are amazing at getting really cute gifts on a budget stick to gift cards. And always have one or two extra or even backup gifts. In case there are more than one winner.

FAVORS

Always really nice to show your appreciation to everyone coming out for the guest of honour and helping her get all the supplies they need for their baby! It is really easy to make your own tags which add a special personalized touch saying along the lines thanks for coming to ____ baby shower. You just get some nice coloured card stock paper. Print out writing on card stock (keeping it small sized and entered). And then you can easily buy at Michaels or amazon stamps that cut out a shape/unique tag design. Throw some ribbon through it (with a punch hole) and you are done! Make sure they are pretty visible by the exit at least by the end of the party in a nice basket with a sign in case the host forgets to give it to them as they leave. Or if you have assigned seating have it on their plate.

Good ideas for gifts are little plants or succulents are so sweet and are a symbol of something growing. A dessert or treat is always yummy like macaroons, cake pops, Chinese takeout containers to put some sweets and gummies that are on display. I know the whole sugar cookie with a fondant icing design looks really pretty, but I find they are usually not that tasty and not many people actually eat them. Am I the only one who hates getting sugar cookies ?!? For my sisters we had bags of caramel flavoured popcorn with ‘Thanks for popping by’ on it. It’s fun to be clever with something that people will actually use or eat. Mini champagne bottle - about to pop another clever idea. Bath related items can be nice but keep in mind cheap ones won’t probably be utilized. Ones that are homemade or have good ingredients/nicer brand can go over well like soaps, scrubs etc. Candles again IF not super cheap looking - women always like a nice smelling new candle. Mini cooking essentials can always be useful like olive oil, honey, baking supplies etc. Nicer chapsticks or lip balms like EOS look cute and people will use.

Just do something that people will actually use or consume! Once you throw a cute tag on it, it looks nice!

Thanks for popping by!

Custom tags are easy to do and always a nice touch!