Baby Showers: Celebrating the Mom- (and Dad- ) To Be

Good morning on an unusually cold spring day here in the city. I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. 

This week's topic of discussion is baby showers. I confess that I didn't attend a baby shower until two years ago. In my religion, baby showers are not customary because it's forbidden to give a gift to an unborn child. We also do not prepare the nursery until the child is born. Gifts were once thought to draw the attention of dark spirits, which marked a recipe for disaster.  However, attitudes about this superstition have relaxed in more liberal circles and baby showers have become more common.

The baby shower is typically arranged by either a family member or a close friend of the mom-to-be. Baby showers can range from an intimate gathering at someone's home to a fancy affair at a restaurant. This all depends on ones budget and party style. It is recommended that showers should be held later in the pregnancy. By then, the mom-to-be should be sure that all is going well. Traditionally, baby showers were given only for the family's first child, and only women were invited. However, we have seen the rising popularity of co-ed showers over the last several years because men want to be included in the celebration, too. 

A baby shower theme can pull everything together and give the party a "wow" factor. Although some of these themes are boy- or girl-centric, many can be gender-neutral. Here are some popular ideas for baby shower themes:

Baby Feet (Pitter-Patter)
Owls
Ladybugs
Sports
Safari/Jungle theme (Monkeys, Zebras, Elephants, etc.)
Retro
Teddy Bears
Cars
Circus
Gender Reveal
Sea Life (Whales, Starfish, Crabs, Coral Reefs, etc.)
Nautical
Retro
Books ("Goodnight Moon," Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle books, "Pat the Bunny" etc. For this type of party, one would ask guests to bring books for the baby's library).
Farm Life (cows, pigs, rabbits, lambs, etc.)
Wild West
Music
Cute as a Button
Bees
Pea in the Pod (for twins)
Noah's Ark (for twins)
Two Scoops (for twins)

For invitations, it should be mentioned where the parents-to-be are registered so invitees can get ideas for gifts. Sometimes, several people will chip in to buy a big-ticket item.

Playing games has always been a big part of baby showers. I'd like to present some of the games we offer from the shop, and we will be adding more in the near future. As mentioned previously, our games are 100% customizable to fit your party theme, with your choice of event name, color/background, font, and wording. First up, we have three matching games. The first is called "What's In a Name?" In this game, party guests match celebrities with their unique-named offspring.  The sample shown below is for a nautical-themed baby shower.

The second game is called "TV Moms," where party guests match TV matriarchs with their children. This game can also be used for a Mother's Day get-together or invitation. In the sample shown below, I've used a retro flower theme.

Finally, we have a game called "Who's Baby Is That?" I took this title from a "Flintstones" episode. Party guests match the names of animal moms with the names of their babies. Some of these are easy while others are more tricky. In the sample below, I've used a farm theme.

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Women's History Fun Fact of the Day: Each May, Forbes magazine publishes its list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2014, holding the #1 position was German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At #2 was Janet Yellen, the first woman to hold the position of Federal Reserve chair. Also included was Mary Barra, the first female CEO of General Motors. 

Later in the week, I will present some food and decorating ideas for baby showers that I found online. This Friday, I will divert from the baby shower topic to talk about crossword puzzles and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. This is an event I had attended in Brooklyn over the last several years. However, with its move back to Stamford, it was logistically not possible for me to attend this year.

Have a PRINTASTIC Day!

Kathy