Time to Plan!
Before we had even cleaned up the pink confetti from the gender reveal, I was already starting to plan the perfect baby shower. My baby girl is having a baby girl which meant it was time to plan a special baby shower. I knew that it would need to be full of pink, ruffles, flowers, and all things beautiful, but I also wanted it to be full of meaningful moments and memories.
Decorations
Chelsea has some amazing friends, and they decided to take charge of decorations and games. To decorate they made beautiful flower hoops, a pink streamer for the table, and some sweet signs. The flower hoops were not only pretty behind the food table, but her friends also gave them to Chelsea to be used as decoration in the nursery. I love dual-purpose decorations! Fresh pink and white flowers were cut and put into mason jars. For the gift opening area, a simple balloon bouquet was placed behind the mother-to-be’s chair.
Food
As you can probably already tell, the food was plentiful at this shower! Even though it wasn’t a brunch or lunch, I still made sure and had a variety of food for our guests. The charcuterie board was made with cheese and meats from Aldi’s, which is my favorite place to shop for all things charcuterie. My sister Annette came over and we arranged the board together. She is super creative and is always willing to help me figure things out! To add to the meat and cheese, we placed some salty pickles and olives, because those are foods that Chelsea craves. I also added some pink to the board with pink M&M’s and pink Hershey Kisses (Yay for Valentine’s Day candy!) Some blackberries, grapes, and crackers helped fill in the rest of the board. The cake and cookies were made by Melissa from Baker’s Dozen Pie Shoppe and More in NW Arkansas. She is an at-home baker who makes the most beautiful desserts. The flowers on the cake were arranged by my sister Anita. She fingerpainted the inside of the flowers white and then worked her magic with arranging them. Didn’t it turn out dreamy? To top it off the cake was strawberry with a white chocolate filling. The cookies looked like a work of art! The best part? They tasted amazing as well! I also made some tutu marshmallows, pretzels dipped in white chocolate and pink sprinkles, cheese dip and chips, and raspberry sherbert punch. Chelsea’s friend brought some delicious little sandwiches and Tyler’s aunt made an amazing fruit salad. I feel that baby shower food should reflect what the mom-to-be likes and craves plus be beautiful and appetizing to the guests as well.
Games and Guest Book
Once again, Chelsea’s sweet friends took over the games and guest book planning. They had a fun children’s book in which everyone signed a page and wrote a prayer, a thought, or a wish for the baby girl. One day she will be reading her special book and hopefully, she will know how much she was loved even before she was born. After signing in, guests each wrote on a diaper using a marker. Some wrote really funny things, and others wrote words of encouragement. Chelsea didn’t read any of them yet. They are in the diaper stacker ready to give her and Tyler a laugh or encouragement when changing midnight diapers. Once the guests had written in the book and on the diapers, they began to hunt for baby socks that were hidden throughout the house. The guests had fun finding them behind couch pillows, near the tv, and even in the pretzels! These activities kept the guest talking, laughing, and sharing stories. It was a precious time. The grand finale was the opening of the presents. We all gathered around and watched Chelsea open every frilly outfit, the cutest baby tap shoes, diapers, and things she will need once the little one arrives. There were plenty of squeals, oohing, and awwing over every present that was opened.
How to Plan Your Own Special Baby Shower
So what makes a shower perfect? I hate to sound sappy, but it’s the love that is put into it. The shower needs to honor the mom-to-be, allow her time to enjoy friends and family, and reflect her style of mothering. Chelsea loves all things pink, ruffles, bows and florals. Her pregnancy cravings have been salty foods. She is a teacher so she loves children’s books. All of these things were incorporated into her shower. Think about what the mother loves and let that be your guide to planning a special baby shower. I would love to hear how you make a baby shower special. Please comment and share some of your favorite ideas!
