Baby showers

Baby Showers

Hosting a baby shower? Have no clue where to begin? Think theme!

A theme can help give the event some structure, define the decorations and give guests some gift-giving direction. You don’t need to have a theme to have a good shower, but a clever theme will make the event all the more memorable. Here are some ideas to get you started:

A star is born

Plan a shower where baby is the star. Send out invitations that look like VIP passes. For this very special, exclusive event, add a red carpet to the entry. As each guest arrives and walks down the red carpet, videotape each guest as they give a special message to the mom-to-be. For an added touch, the cake could be shaped like a star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard and say “A Star is Born” or “Coming Soon: (Name of the baby, due date).” Serve star-shaped sandwiches and cookies, rent a popcorn machine, and decorate with movie posters (with baby’s sonogram picture), glittery accents and hanging stars.

Little cowboy

Go Western with a warm and inviting baby shower that hollers “Howdy, lil’ guy.” Cover tables with vintage cowboy print linens and a long row of small daisy arrangements displayed in mason jars. Instead of chairs, guests can sit on bales of hay topped with pillows. Spell out baby’s name (if you know it) in large wooden letters, line snack baskets with bandanas and offer guests a Southern-style barbecue lunch, complete with homemade mini pies for dessert.  Serve lemonade and iced tea in mason jars, and set out a variety of old-fashioned bottled sodas, like root beer, cola and orange cream soda.

Build a library

It’s never too early to begin building a child’s library, and a set of classics - from “Peter Pan” to “Mother Goose” - is sure to be appreciated in the reading years to come. Ask guests to bring a favorite book, along with a gift. Guests can write a message and sign their names inside the cover, so each book becomes a keepsake for the baby. Choose a favorite children’s book to inspire the decorations, menu, party games and more. For instance, the classic children’s book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” makes a great shower theme. Find invitations featuring the caterpillar, decorate in the bright colors that are throughout the book and serve a caterpillar cake.

Queen of the jungle

It’s a jungle out there for new moms, so make sure she’s prepared with all the essentials at this exotic send-off. Serve sweet animal faces on creamy frosted cupcakes and decorate with animal-print tablecloths and cute, cuddly animal accents. Fill a drink dispenser with lemonade and label it ‘Jungle Juice’ - decorate with raffia ties, and chill some stronger stuff to mix for guests who want to get a little wild.

Freezer meal shower

Here’s a great way to help out the expecting couple who already has everything they need for their new arrival. In this themed baby shower, guests bring a frozen homemade dish or meal that can be heated up and consumed during the early, hectic days after the new baby arrives. Prior to the event, ask each guest to bring along a freezer meal in a disposable casserole dish that the new parents can pop in the oven or microwave when needed.

Beach party

Celebrate the two beachcombers becoming three. Invite your guests to attend in beach-wear and flip flops. Greet them at the door with an “Aloha,” a floral lei and Hawaiian music playing. If your guests are feeling playful, hand them a name tag as they enter with a fitting “title” added to it for conversation during the party (Hula Teacher, Pearl Diver, Surfer Girl, Mai Tai Tester, Scuba Diver, Beach Bum, Coconut Artist). Serve tropical treats such as fruit kabobs, shredded barbecue pork sandwiches, surfboard-shaped cookies and tropical mocktails. Use beach towels for fun, creative tablecloths and decorate with inflatable beach balls, sand buckets, umbrellas and sea shells. Beach shovels and pails are a great gift and can be filled with baby products that can be used by the parents-to-be.

Time capsule

This is a fun idea for guests and a thoughtful gift for the expectant mom that she’ll enjoy many years from now. Let all the guests know that during the baby shower you will be creating a time capsule for the baby to open when they are a teenager or a young adult. On the invitation, ask everyone to bring a small item that they would like to include in the time capsule for the future. It could include photos, newspaper clippings, magazines, letters, gifts and more. At the end of the party, seal up everything in an airtight box and hide it away. Later when the child has grown, they will be delighted to discover this historical marker of their birth!

Pamper party

For this shower, all the gifts pamper the mom-to-be and help her relax and unwind before baby arrives. Gifts might include luxurious bath products, gift certificates for massages or yoga lessons, nourishing treatments, aromatherapy candles, comfy lounge clothes, fluffy towel sets, etc. Indulge in healthy spa food, play some relaxing music, light candles, hang tranquil pictures, and provide comfy pillows and blankets. If you want to make it really special, hire a masseuse to come over and give everyone a foot rub!