Baby showers & sprinkles!
I was so, so, so, so lucky to enjoy celebrating my 1st pregnancy (Pip the Bump!) with a fabulous bunch of friends who showered me with so much love and laughter - oh and not forget amazing food.
Baby showers are a pretty new to this side of the pond but I was so glad I had a day of fun & silliness with my favourite ladies before my life changed forever! Now... with hindsight after going through the crazy and not so pleasant biz of childbirth it is absurd not to think about celebrating and pampering mums-to-be.
So if you have a lovely friend with a bump you should totally throw them a shower! If you are pregnant and no-one suggests having one, play that preggo card & flipping ask for one. Baby showers don't have to be mad o.t.t affairs - a simple meet up with the ladies with the added treat of tea & buns is all that is needed. And that goes for mummies who are maybe have their 2nd or 3rd or more babba's! They deserve a *sprinkle & maybe need it just that little bit more - after all they know what is all to come! Hey and there is no law saying dads-to-be & men can't join in these things too. (Though they might not like some of the gorey details that get shared at these things!)
* sprinkle? what's that? While a baby shower is often held for a first-time mums-to-be, a baby sprinkle is a little smaller & less fuss but held to celebrate a second or later child!
Most people think these do's are just about the gifts but they really don't have to be. Most mums-to-be will be happy just to spend an afternoon surrounded by friends sitting on a sofa being served tea & biscuits and catching up on gossip & some words of advice... like Breathe, Push, Pop! (If only it was that easy!)
We pretty much had everything we needed bought or handed down to us from friends & family, so we really didn't need for much nor were we expecting people to buy us fancy gifts. My friends still thought it would be nice to give a little token gesture so they set a limit £5 each. I got some cute things for baby, some practical things like calpol but also treats for me & a cabbage! (If like me you have no idea why I'd need a cabbage then google breastfeeding & cabbages!)
So how do you host a baby shower?
You keep it simple to begin with! No-one with puffy ankles and sore backs want that much fuss! (Well actually they might want a massage and that is not a bad idea of a gift suggestion if you all want to club in!)
- You need a list of guests to invite - probably best to consult the bumpee so no-one she loves gets left out!
- You could decorate - some balloons and a bit of bunting will do.
- You might want some yummy food - go potluck and ask each guest to bring a dish (OMG my fab friend Steph totally did an amazing job on my food, thanks missus!) & go mad on the treats, maybe even buy or bake a cake!
- Some cocktails would go down with the guests but if most will be driving - mocktails will probably do!
- But most importantly you need a bit of fun too! And you will need some enthusiasm & be up for some silly games!
At Tee and Toast we have some perfect bits & bobs for baby showers & for expectant mums!
- Mum-icorn mug (why not fill it with sweets!)
- Cute cards for the occasion: Breath, push, pop for before the birth & our Mum-icorn card for after.
- It's a boy / girl cards
- Baby rompers
- Baby leggings
- & our Baby milestone cards!
My favourite games to play at a baby shower!
Ok so the list of games is endless on pintrest and such. But here is a list of some games I've loved or think would be super fun to do.
Doodle A Onesie! Buy blank onesies to decorate with fabric markers, paints or crayons. I prefer the crayons as you can make nice bold designs. Top tips: stretch & tape the onesies down to a flat service. Or insert small, flat pieces of cardboard to slip inside them so that they are easier to decorate. Instead of everyone doodling at once, ask small groups to take turns at the craft table throughout the shower.
When they're finished, hanging the onesies on a clothes line makes a super cute decoration for the shower too!Dirty Nappy! Ooh baby, this game is so hilarious & so, so gross. Basically you melt different chocolate bars then insert them into nappies and ask the guests to guess them - either as a group or individually they can take a turn. Top tips: Number the nappies & choc bars so you can keep track of them. Microwaving the bars for 30 secs should do. Also for extra fits of laughter make sure the guests taste the nappies contents!
Name the Baby! Ok, I really should have had my guests play this! It took us 3 weeks to name Luka after he was born so we could have done with a bit of help. Basically you ask guests to write on a piece of paper either their predictions or suggestions of baby names.
Guess the Baby! Super simple and super cute. Ask all your guests to bring a baby photo of themselves & try to all guess who is who. Top Tip: Again if these where clipped as bunting to a piece of string they would make a cute decoration.
Make a Baby! You'll need a stack of old magazines for this one. Get the guests into teams and together they will cut images to create what they think the baby's face will look like.