Are you hosting a baby shower anytime soon? Baby shower games seem to fall into the love/hate category, so be sure to check with the guest of honor on her preference. Personally, I’m a fan of games, but for those who aren’t, I’ll point out that games help get all the guests involved. That’s especially important if they don’t know each other, having only the mom-to-be in common.

A recent post at Extra(Hour)dinary Parenting got me thinking about some alternate methods of bringing the guests together. Amanda’s friend hosted a children’s book baby shower, for which each guest brought a book as a gift, and read it out loud. (Read her entire post for details, including a fun idea to keep the reading from getting long or boring.)

Some of my former co-workers each gave me their favorite childhood book when Tate was born. I loved that gift, and it would be so fun to have that be the theme of the entire shower.

This “ABC” baby shower invitation would be a perfect fit for a book shower. It also comes in a flat card version. Click here to view other shower invites.

Have you hosted or attended any unique baby showers? Any fun activities beyond the traditional games? Please tell us about them!

Photo Courtesy:
clevercupcakes

Are you hosting a couples baby shower? I’ve never been to one, but if done right, it would be a fun way to include both parents in the preparations for baby’s arrival. Rather than just adding men to what is typically an event for ladies, though, take some extra consideration in your planning. 

Not to be stereotypical, but the cucumber sandwiches and mini quiches might not be so welcome with a co-ed crowd. Go for something a little more substantial (translation: meat!).

Likewise, I know at least my husband would groan and roll his eyes at the average baby shower game. You could either skip the games altogether, or check out these sites for ideas that might go over a little better with the guys:

My favorite at Creative Baby Shower Ideas is the Stroller Obstacle Course. How fun would that be?!

On a Yelp message board, I saw this fun idea from Kristin C: It’s a variation on the newlywed game, where the husband and wife have to guess each others answers to questions about their child. For instance, how many diaper changes will the baby need in a day? When is our child first allowed to date?

And no shower would be complete without an adorable invitation to draw in the guests. As with all of our products, you can customize the colors, font and text. Tip: mention all the MEAT you’re having at the shower. There’s also a folded-card version of this design and you can view all of the shower invitations online.

Have you already hosted or attended a couples baby shower? What worked? What didn’t?

Just a few weeks ago, a friend sent me photos from one of my baby showers last year. Wow – I forgot how big my belly was! It’s funny to think back to that time when I didn’t know Tate, didn’t even know whether he was a boy or a girl. I was so thankful for my showers, not only for the gifts that helped us prepare for baby’s arrival, but for words of encouragement and wisdom from others.

Each guest was invited to share a piece of mommy advice. When my mom offered the reminder that children don’t like it when mom is on the phone (and thus not paying attention to them), one of her friends agreed, sharing that her son had actually cut the phone cord in two!

Remembering what a special event that was for me, I’m really excited about the new shower invitations at MagnetStreet Baby. They’re pretty and modern, and best of all, customizable for your favorite mommy-to-be. Change the colors to her favorites or to match the theme of the shower, if you want.

This design incorporates a photo, which could be either a cute snapshot or an artistic professional shot.

Browse online through all the shower invitation designs, in a variety of sizes and styles. Shower in style!

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So yesterday I was getting Tate dressed for a Christmas party. The cute hooded snowflake sweater was all ready, and pants…ah, no good options for pants! Red sweatpants (TOO Christmasy with the green sweater), burgundy sweatpants (no), brown cords with a snap that never stays closed. Sorry, buddy, cords it is- I’ll try to keep the sweater pulled over the waistband for you. I’m sure your little friends won’t notice, and I promise to do laundry tomorrow morning.

And this brings me full-circle to a moment of panic during my pregnancy. I was unpacking gifts from a baby shower, so thankful to be more prepared for the upcoming arrival of our little one. As I folded up adorable onesies, sleepers and socks, it suddenly hit me…if I didn’t do laundry for this baby, he/she would have nothing to wear! It took 10 months, but finally this fear has been realized.

I had a similar experience while sitting in the dentist’s chair last winter. Most people panic for other reasons while in the dentist’s chair, but mine came when it was time to schedule my next appointment. Normally I just requested the first available morning appointment, so as to miss as little work as possible. Suddenly I realized that in six months time, I would be home with a baby. What do you do with a baby when you have to go to the dentist?! My eyes scanned the room- could the baby just rest there on the floor in the carseat? What if he/she cried while I was in the middle of the cleaning? Surely the x-ray exposure would be dangerous…

Deep, cleansing breath, Kara…I realized pretty quickly that these weren’t rational fears, and fears is probably too strong a word. Realizations is more appropriate – having a baby was going to be a LOT of responsibility. Of course I knew that before getting pregnant, but these practical examples made it more real, I guess. Even then I had an inkling that laundry and scheduling appointments would be the least of my worries…

Photo Courtesy:
Viewoftheworld
micronova

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