Sunday night at 9PM, I sat in my living room in awe. I could not believe the amount of people who showed up this past weekend for our baby shower, and I could not think of one way the shower could have been better.
Okay maybe one way, I would have worn slippers or shoes with inserts but besides that, I don’t have one complaint or way I would want to improve my baby shower (but I think my feet would have been sore regardless of the footwear I chose).
We had over 85 people show up throughout the day in an “open house” style baby shower (think a grad party) and the day ran so smoothly so I thought I would share my tips for how to have the best baby shower.
1. Make it Co-Ed
When I first started making the list of who I wanted to invite, I did not see the need for excluding men. A lot of people were confused when I said that the baby shower was co-ed, but there were people who I wanted to include in this day, and their genitalia shouldn’t make the difference of them being involved or not. This way we were able to invite all of our friends.
2. Open House
Instead of having a strict start and stop time, we decided to have it open house from 1-5, so people could stay and little or as long as they wanted. There were some people who could only be there for 20 minutes, and some people who spent the entire time there, and then some. But having an open house made it so people didn’t feel guilty if they had to run out, or like they were interrupting something if they had to leave.
3. "Miranda’s Cravings”
I have had so many cravings this pregnancy, and one of my biggest cravings was a “middle school lunch”. All I wanted week 12-16 was a tray full of mashed potatoes, chicken nuggets, corn, gravy, and a dollar bun. So, it took some warming up to, but eventually I got what I wanted for the main meal and people loved my cravings! I also had a table full of all of the desserts I was craving, so from poptarts, to cake balls, to various flavored oreos, we had a huge variety of desserts, and between the desserts and the middle school lunch, we ended up making exactly the right amount of food and only having some left over oreos and buns.
4. Skip the Games
Because we did an open house, we knew that we would not be doing any games because that usually involves explaining directions, prizes, and a specific time frame. Instead, what we did was make two boards that said “Guess the Weight” and “Guess the Date”, and people wrote their names in the slot they thought, and that was it. We put random games and decks of cards out on the tables, but there was so much going on, that only a few people used the decks of cards, because otherwise it sounded like a bee hive, and everyone was entertained.
5. Opening Presents
Usually baby showers include opening presents, but I didn’t want to sit in the center of a room for 2 hours and open presents. So instead we had guests but the gifts on a table, and if they wanted us to open the present while they were there, we did it 1:1. It was so much more intimate, and also gave people the option to spend as much time as they wanted, and not feel obligated like they had to stay. We started opening presents at 5 when things slowed down, and at that point, the people who wanted to be there and help us were able to stay and watch.
6. Do It Yourself (DIY)
From wrapping the silverware, to creating the center pieces, we were able to wrap everything together so nicely with a little burlap, twine, and “greenery”.The biggest project was the backdrop we made (I wanted a nice place to take pictures with guests) and it turned out so perfect! It was a lot of work, and planning, but now we have a backdrop that will be used at every event from here on out (so if you have a wedding/party/shower that you would like a backdrop, let me know and you can “rent” the backdrop instead of going and making your own).
Before the baby shower, I was starting to panic because there were still so many things I needed to buy for the baby, all at once. But a couple weeks ago, I got 13 bins of clothes from my cousin, and a huge weight was lifted off my chest. And then I had 85 people show up to shower me in love, and after the night was over, I went and updated my registry, and there are 2 things I need. Other than that, I just need to stock up on diapers and wet wipes.
Becoming a parent is an exciting and scary time, but I cannot begin to thank everyone who came out and showered me in love and made this time before baby arrives a little less scary. We feel so loved, and blessed to have the people we have in our lives, and now all we have to focus on is getting the room and hospital bag ready, instead of buying snot suckers, and burp rags.
This was the perfect baby shower for me, and I am excited to celebrate this little girl with my other side of the family, but until then, I’ll be setting up cribs and strollers and picking out her hospital outfits.
Be yourself; everybody else is taken,
Mama Miranda
