Showered
11 Jan 2010 1 Comment
in Oh Baby!
While I’m a single girl with no kids, I’ve been a regular on the wedding and baby shower circuit for a while now. I wouldn’t call myself a professional, per se, but I have family, friends, and coworkers who have gotten married and had kids, so I’ve had opportunities to help host and attend many showers. This weekend, I got to attend a baby shower for one of my closest college friends, Lauren. She and her husband, Dave, will soon be welcoming a baby boy! Being at the shower made me think of all the ones I’ve been to, and so I thought it was time to compile a list of my baby shower greatest hits:
Best Invite
For a baby boy shower she helped host, Amanda created a gate fold invitation, held together with a foamie. While the details are hers to share, I can tell you know that these invites were all boy and all-out adorable. I think she scored a home run on RSVPs just because people were calling her to tell her how awesome the invites were. In fact, they were so adorable, I’m surprised Martha didn’t call to arrange for a photo shoot.
Best Food
Speaking of Martha, the best food I’ve eaten at a baby shower came from one of Martha’s recipes–her egg salad sandwiches. I was a co-host for this party, and, based on this post, you know why I wasn’t asked to help participate in bringing any of the food items. But, I sampled one of the other hosts’ egg salad sandwiches before the party. Good thing I was wearing an elastic waist skirt; I put away at least two full sandwiches over the course of the setup, party, and clean up. Even with my elastic waist skirt, I’m sure some people wondered if I had somehow gotten myself knocked up during the shower!
Best Decorations
Nothing says baby to me like gingham and polka dots. I love these patterns for all things baby shower decor. Plus, when Amanda had her first baby, a boy, I sprinkled itty, bitty blue footprint confetti around the food and packages tables. Needless to say, I have a soft spot in my heart for tiny handprints and footprints.
Best Game
The award for best shower game is a three-way tie because I like a lot of them. My top three:
- Name that Baby Song – Have guests write down as many songs as they can with “baby” in the title.
- Clothespin game – Assign a secret word for the shower, such as “mommy,” that guests aren’t supposed to say. Have each guest wear a cute clothespin, and when one guest catches another using the forbidden word, she can snag the clothespin. The lady with the most clothespins wins.
- Baby memory game – Buy a few small items from the mom-to-be’s registry. Place them on a tray and set them out in front of guests. Give guests a couple of minutes to look at the items, then take the tray away. The guest who can remember the most wins, and you can give the items to the guest of honor.
Best Cake
I was really impressed with the cake served at Lauren’s baby shower. A mixture of marbled white cake and chocolate cake, with blue and white icing that was neither too light or too sweet, I thought it was the perfect treat to celebrate her upcoming addition.
The Ultimate Best
As I was sitting at Lauren’s shower, watching her unwrap gifts, I realized the one thing that is my most favorite part of any shower. In the end, it’s not about the invites, the food, the decorations, the games, or even the melt-in-your-mouth cakes. It’s not about what you wear, how many pictures you take, or how you sign your card. It’s about the look of joy on a new mom’s face as she unwraps baby supplies she knows she’ll need in the days ahead, as she reads well wishes from friends and family who have gathered around her to offer their support and encouragement. It’s about the community we take time to create in our lives–a shower is just a fun place to express that strong bond women can have with each other–no matter what stage of life you are in.
–Whitney
