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Family Matters:  Hosting a baby shower - Need HELP!!!!!  |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 27 2007 : 11:55:41 AM
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My litle sis is having a Baby in April!!! It will be her first (first grandchild on BOTH sides too!)! It's going to be a boy! My Sis live in Nashville - I live 6 hours west in Arkansas and my mom lives 7 hours NE in Virginia. Mom and I are both going in on March 3rd for a shower that I am hosting. My sis has only lived in Nashville about 5 months so it will be a SMALL shower since most of her friends live far away. We don't really expect more than 8 people. I have never hosted a baby shower and my hubby and I don't have kids so I'm not sure what we should do. I will arrive friday night and I was thinking that we would just do finger foods and cake at the shower but I don't know what else I should plan. ANY help or ideas would be REALLY appreciated.
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowtreecreek.com |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2007 : 12:20:45 PM
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I love hosting baby showers...have done lots of them! You should do a couple simple games..maybe have each guest give you a baby picture of herself and see how many they can guess right..just numbered and then numbered on a paper for them to write on..always a fun one...there are so many games..some that the younger guests like better than the older ones. I remember being at a church baby shower one time and they did the one with the disposable diapers where there is a peice of a different candy bar in each of 10 different diapers and then melted a little in the microwave and numbered..then they get passed around and people have to guess which candy is the "mess" in each diaper...the older ladies were horrified and the younger ones got a kick out of it. There is the "how many sheets of toilet paper to go around the pregnant gal one ...just have each person write down their guess as to how many squares will fit around the guest of honor (only works if the shower is before the baby is born) and then the winner is the closest one..you measure in front of everyone after all the guesses are in...
baby food jars with the labels and lids off..everyone has to write down their guess as to what the heck it is ( fun to throw in some look alikes like sweet potatoes, squash and carrots) seeing how many baby animal names they can guess write..for instance...
1. a baby turkey is.... (a poult)
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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faithymom
True Blue Farmgirl
360 Posts
Faith
Sandpoint
ID
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2007 : 1:21:09 PM
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I love the baby photo game.
I went to one where we had to make a bib out of a plain paper napkin...without scissors or anything else.
It's always fun to do the change the baby race and see who can change the baby doll (with real diaper and peanut butter 'poo').
We did the 'how big around' game with string instead of TP.
There's also the birth day and time guessing game, but nobody 'wins' until the baby's born. Can also be done with baby's weight...
We did this and I'd suggest having a separate prize for each part of the guess, because we had one person real close to the day and another real close to the time...
For snacks, I saw some cute treats that used Lifesavers and I think it was gum drops to make a pacifier.
Look here for cake ideas http://www.wilton.com/recipes/browse.cfm?theme_id=2
Another very handy gift for mom is to buy a large package of newborn diapers and you roll them up around eachother to make a 'cake' (one that's two layered looks cool) that you can decorate with ribbons, bows, and add baby needs onto it also. Like pacifiers and pacifier keepers, thermometer, clippers, hairbrush, etc...
I'm gonna keep an eye on this post as my SIL is expecting in May and I'll need to throw a shower for her, too.
They're having their first boy! I'm so excited!
Faith
"All television is educational television. The only question is, what is it teaching?"-Fmr. FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson |
Edited by - faithymom on Jan 27 2007 1:33:46 PM |
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shmeg
True Blue Farmgirl
222 Posts
Megan
Granville
Ohio
USA
222 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2007 : 07:14:34 AM
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Hi Julie,
I have a suggestion for a different kind of baby shower. So many today focus only on baby and material things. A shower that focuses on your sister and her transformation into a mother as well as baby might be nice. These also work really well when the party is smaller and more intimate. Check out the book Mother Rising for some really good ideas or if you're interested in this kind of shower (also called a blessingway)let me know and I can e-mail you or post some.
-Megan
www.birthingthemother.com |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2007 : 09:17:51 AM
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Here is a link to a page with some good ideas. http://www.indianchild.com/baby_shower_games.htm We've done a lot of these at some of the more recent baby showers I've attended.
I especially like the ones near the bottom - a book that everyone can write their "parenting" advice in, and the wishes for the baby wrapped around the birthday candles for the child's future birthdays.
I found this site because I was looking for a site that tells how to fold various things (cloth diapers, burping cloths, etc.) for cute gifts. I remember my aunt doing this for a shower but I really can't remember how she did it... sorry, so far I've come up empty, maybe some farmgirls have ideas.
Wait, wait! It was socks! She made a bouquet out of baby socks! Here are some directions http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/babyshowerdecor/a/aa052403a.htm
Oh, and here's a good one- a wreath made out of diapers, ribbons, and toys... www.kathydelhi.com/images/home1.jpg> " target="_blank">
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
Edited by - brightmeadow on Jan 28 2007 09:29:12 AM |
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kitchensqueen
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
521 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2007 : 4:06:33 PM
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Baby showers are so much fun! You'll definitely want to do games with prizes. At my sister's shower, she had three games-- one was a table of baby photos of her and her husband, and whomever identified the most correctly got a $10 gift card. Then they had a trivia quiz of five questions relating to things my sister did when she was a baby/child, and whomever got the most answers correct won another gift card (and as her only sibling, of course I won that one!). And then they had a diaper bag filled with diapers, and whomever guessed the right number of diapers won another gift card, and of course my sister got to keep the diaper bag. Food depends on what time of day you are having the shower. For lunch, you could do a a couple different types of sandwiches, crudites with a few different types of dips, a pasta or vegetable salad and a cake. In the afternoon, you could do a dessert buffet with cookies, cupcakes, brownies and other sweets, with tea and coffee. I've never heard of anyone doing a dinner-hour shower, but if you go that route, you might have it potluck style-- actually a good theme for that would be to have everyone bring freezer-friendly dishes (like scalloped potatoes with ham) in two portions, one to serve at the shower and the other for the mother-to-be to stick in her freezer, because home cooking during that first couple weeks at home will likely not happen otherwise! And maybe everyone could bring a recipe card that goes with the dish also so the new mom can recreate the dishes when she does get back to cooking.
http://apartmentfarm.wordpress.com |
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faithymom
True Blue Farmgirl
360 Posts
Faith
Sandpoint
ID
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2007 : 4:57:40 PM
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Oh, the frozen meal idea is great!
I would have loved to have had this done at my shower...of course Mom came down to help, so I wouldn't have needed it right after, but it would've come in handy after she left.
"All television is educational television. The only question is, what is it teaching?"-Fmr. FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2007 : 5:55:59 PM
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I think the frozen meal idea is WONDERFUL, too! What I wouldn't have given for that one with my first babe... A while ago, Catherine (cmandle) asked a similar question and the 'gals were able to come up with some great ideas, too - here's the link: [http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5199]. I hope this helps! What fun baby showers are!!!!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Meg
Moderator/Farmgirl True
974 Posts
Meg
Idaho
USA
974 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2007 : 09:38:38 AM
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The frozen food idea is wonderful, we set up a calendar of the first two months after our girlfriend brought her little one home and I think I had 6 different nights I signed up for. And I just made extra of whatever I was cooking that night and took it by their house. Of course, whatever I was cooking those nights happened to be the best dishes I know how.
At the last shower I did, everyone was to bring a 12 " quilt square to make a quilt for Rebekka's wee one. It was amazing to see what everyone brought. Beautifully sewn, embroidered and fun fabrics. And, they all went together so well, with no planning.
Since you aren't throwing a huge shower, I attended a shower where there were plenty of craft supplies and we were all assigned a year of the baby's life. So, say I got year 11, so I was to make a birthday card for the baby's birthday that year. It is fun for me to think that someday on his eleventh birthday he'll receive a handmade card that I made 11 years ago for him.
MaryJane's daughter,
Meg
megan@maryjanesfarm.org |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2007 : 10:02:04 AM
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Oh that card Idea is REALLY cool! I like the frozen food thing but 4 of the 8 people are flying in or driving in from over 6 hours away so it wouldn't be practical.
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowtreecreek.com |
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Carolinagirl
True Blue Farmgirl
486 Posts
Kim
Rutherfordton
NC
USA
486 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2007 : 10:07:07 AM
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Since most of her friends and family are far away, you could send each person (including those not attending) a sheet of baby-themed scrapbook paper and have them write their good wishes or their best baby advice. Send a SASE with the paper as well, and then the friends can send it back. Assemble that into a cool baby scrapbook for your sister.
Make a mix cd of "baby" inspired songs.
Also, I just came across a cool baby bootie paper candy box (you fold it into the bootie shape). If you'd like a copy, email me, and I can email it to you.
Have fun!
Kim in NC |
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kitchensqueen
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
521 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2007 : 5:43:28 PM
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Well, since you have guests coming in from all over, you could do what was done for me at my wedding shower-- when invites are sent, include a recipe card. When the guests RSVP (or arrive at the party) they bring the cards and they get assembled into a recipe book or file. And if you are having the shower far enough in advance, you could use the recipes you get to make some dishes to stick in the freezer yourself.
(By the way, glad the freezer meals were such a popular idea! I was just raised that food should go to the most important events in life! :-) )
http://apartmentfarm.wordpress.com |
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Family Matters: Hosting a baby shower - Need HELP!!!!! |
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Hosting a baby shower - Need HELP!!!!!
