Baby shower help

[MsDammit]

OK guys, go ahead let me have it...throw me ideas for decorations, themes, games, u name it, lol.

[jldorrington]

boy, girl, not know yet, don't want to know? come on give up the details. lol

ducky's are a safe bet, but you may want to work with whatever theme they have picked out for the baby.

diaper cakes make awesome center peices. and for favors DO NOT get baby powder scented candles. 9 out of 10 people do not like them. i have a favor order i'm doing the woman insisted on baby powder i finally got her to agree to angel wings cause its got vanilla so its not as harsh.

the clothes pin game is fun, everyone gets a pin when they come in and their not allowed to say baby, if someone catches them saying baby they get to take their pin whoever has the most at the end of the shower wins a prize.

another great thing is a clothesline. put on the invitation for everyone to bring an unwrapped article of clothing. when they get there put a number on on the outfit using removable stickers and have the person write down their number or you can write everyones name and number down on a peice of paper. hang all the clothes on a clothing line strung around the room. towards the end of the shower have a drawing for the winner. (also doubles as decorations)

and i highly suggest renting an umbrella or buying a cheapo and decorating it. i can't count how many showers i've been to (bridal and baby) and there was no umbrella. what happened to tradition.

and make sure you make a plate hat out of a paper plate and the bows from the gifts its always fun seeing the mom to be wearing it.. and get pics.

and a link for good stuffs http://baby-shower-games-etc.com/baby_shower_ideas.htm

thought of another game, this is one my mom had at mine. buy a thing of yarn everyone has to cut a peice as long as they think will wrap around the momma's waist without overlapping closest one wins

[gmp]

One thing we did was a raffle. The prize can be anything you think people would like. We did a wine basket, but you can do gift cards in small amounts or anything else like a candle and bath basket. We put a notecard in the invite that explained that we were raffling off a wine basket at the shower and that the "cost" of each raffle ticket is a box of diapers (any size) or wipes. We wrote in the invite that participation is voluntary and that it would be a fun way to give the mom a "load" of diapers. The mom ended up getting lots of diapers and wipes and it was a lot of fun. Not everyone enjoys these types of "games" so you have to know your group pretty well to see if it would work. That's why we were sure to say it is a voluntary game in the invite.

[Carriegsxr6]

I just attended a friends baby shower a couple weeks ago. I made a large diaper cake and 4 small ones and placed them on tables through my friends home.

We played a game with diapers and melted chocolate bars. lolol It’s called guess what kind of chocolate bar is in each diaper. You place 10 different types of chocolate bar (recess butter cups, babyruth, snickers, mounds, butterfinger etc.) inside 10 different baby diapers and melt them for a bit in the microwave. Then pass the diapers around and let people smell them through the sides of the diaper and guess what kind it is.

Another game we did was to buy a pair of large woman’s bloomers and wrap them in 12-15 single layers of tissue paper. We play a game like musical chairs, where as the music plays, the bundle gets passes around and when the music stops, that person has to unwrap a layer of the tissue paper. The last person to unwrap the last layer has to wear the bloomers on the outside of their pants for the rest of the party.

Another game we played was to buy a bunch of large baby safety pins and give each person one to wear on their shirt. Throughout the party who ever catches a person crossing their legs (sitting or standing) gets to take that persons safety pin(s). At the end of the party, the person with the most pins wins a prize.

Another game we played was family feud, and just asked a bunch of questions like what do moms miss doing the most before they had children, what are the top Disney movies, etc.

[MsDammit]

Ok great ideas so far, thanks, keep em coming, dammit, lol. The showers for my daughter, the baby is "supposed" to be a boy (when I had my sonogram for her, they told me she was a he). Yes I was def, thinking of a diaper cake-those are soo cute, and there are just so many games, krafty ideas, the hard part I think is to narrow it all down, lol.

jldorrington, what's the tradition with the umbrella?:embarasse

[jldorrington]

for as long as i can remember any shower that i went to had an umbrella overtop of where ever the woman was sitting. i can't remember the exact tradition i'll see what i can find but so far i have

Decorations

This is a very personal decision and completely up to you. You can use streamers and balloons or try something a little different. The major decoration piece is the umbrella. This umbrella hangs upside-down above the chair that the guest of honor will sit in. Streamers often hang down from the sides. You should be able to find all of these materials at your local craft stores

[MsDammit]

I came accross these, maybe embed them in soap instead of rubber duckys?

[jldorrington]

thatd be cute

[nayarx8]

I havent been to many baby showers, but there was one game I'll never forget!

Put out small bowl of uncooked rice and small safety pins. Blind-fold the guests, and have them pick out the safety pins (closed, of course!) out of the bowl of rice. Whoever gets the most safety pins, wins!

You'd be surprised at how hard it is to feel the difference from uncooked rice and safety pins!

[blazerina]

Here are some things I've always enjoyed. Most are not specific to a baby shower and can be used for most any type of party where you need games.

Cotton ball game. This one is hilarious if you have a good crowd. All you do is put cotton balls in a bowl, give an empty wide mouthed jar and a large spoon or smaller laddle. They have to get as many cotton balls in the jar as possible in a certain amount of time while blindfolded. It's funny to see how they go through the motions of 'scooping' cotton balls into the jar over and over again, but often there are NO cottonballs on the spoon. And they are shocked to see that they only got 3 in the jar.

The present pass already mentioned is a good one. But instead of music we use the story 'The Country Mouse and the City Mouse'. And each time the word 'Mouse' is said the present gets passed again.

I've also done a similar take on the candy bar diaper game. We make name tags out of cloth diaper shapes and at the end of the party they get to look inside and who ever has a 'turd' in their diapy gets the 'poopy prize'. You can also bake a large diaper pin into a cake and who ever gets the peice with the pin wins a prize.

A nice mixer game to start the party off with is the 'Who am I' game. This one may depend on how competive of a group you have. You can think of all the famous babies or parents you know, write them down on paper or print them onto blank name tags. They can be cartoons or whatever. Stick one onto each persons back as they arrive. The idea is to have every one talk to each other asking 'yes or no' questions to help them figure out who they are. The first three to guess correctly win a prize. You can do the first one, but people will usually not even try because they are too shy and figure someone else will guess first anyhow. So letting 3 win makes it more worth it to participate.

And then, there is my favorite all time forever game.... the balloon sit. Some of you may have seen me mention it in other baby shower threads, lol. It just makes everyone laugh, but again depends on your crowd. And sometimes people will surprise you, and sometimes people will be sticks in the mud and cheat by refusing to actually 'sit' on the ballon and stepping on it. But all you do is have one or two balloons for each guest. These can be a mix of the 9 inch and smaller water balloon size (but not type, they pop too easy) You write the prize won or something funny on a tiny peice of paper, roll it up so the words don't show, put into the balloon before it's inflated, then inflate the balloon so that it has some give. Some will pop easy when sat on, others will refuse to give up the fight and this is what is so funny. Women in skirts can sit on them in a chair but it really should be done on the floor.

I'll think of some decor maybe next time, lol.

[blazerina]

Naya- I was going to mention this game too. It IS nearly impossible to find those darn pins amongst the rice......unless you have long nails, lol. Seems the most dolled up women with those long nails are the ones who do best at this game.

I also thought i'd mention, I've learned to not try to have too many games. Set a time line for game play and stick to it or you might find yourself with many unawarded prizes and a chaotic time. There has to be time for eating and gift opening right? Also appoint someone to be the secretary of the party... when gifts are opened, have her sit next to the guest of honor and she can write down who gave what and makes it sooooooo much easier for the mother to be to send thank you's.

I just had another thought... I can't think of what it's called now, but you get or print a large calendar page of a four week period on either side of her due date. Have envelopes and pens available. If people want to participate they put in a dollar or whatever amt you decide on previously. It's best to instruct the mommy to be to try to not answer any 'when are you due questions' if possible. But if everyone already knows that's ok too, because we all know it's almost never exactly right. They write which day they think the baby will be born on, on the envelope, put their money in it, seal it and put it in a jar or box. Once the baby is born, if anyone is right, they get the money or split it...how ever it works out. But if everyone is wrong... new mommy gets to keep it! This can be passed around in a folder or small box for a long time leading up to the party and there after until the birth, since not every one will be attending the shower. Men can participate this way too and more $ is generated.

[Laura]

for my baby shower they had little favors at each table seting that was a pacifier made from 2 lifesavers and a jelly bean. with white frosting, glue one lifesaver edge to one lifesaver in the middle, so it sits like a T, then glue a jelly bean on the other side of the . string a little ribbon through and you can wear as a necklace or just tie a bow.

they had a watermelon that was cut like a baby carriage and black construction paper wheels attached with pipe cleaners. it was filled with fruit salad.

we did the "find the safety pins in the rice, blindfolded" game, and the best one was who could cloth diaper a doll with mittens on, the fastest!

have every one self address a thank you card envelope( saves the mom to be from doing it later) and do a drawing for a door prize. my sister just did that at her bridal shower.

[Darwin]

d. and for favors DO NOT get baby powder scented candles. 9 out of 10 people do not like them. i have a favor order i'm doing the woman insisted on baby powder i finally got her to agree to angel wings cause its got vanilla so its not as harsh.

I do not have any ideas, butI just had to say that I agree with what JLdorrington, baby powder candles STINK!!!!!!!!!!!! pewwwwweeeeeeeee.

[soapmom25]

since you're not "sure" it's a boy ~ I would stick with something generic as a theme. It's really common to copy the nursery theme if mom has one.

Our most popular theme is our Jungle Critter Soap favors if that helps at all. Ducks are classic, but that's usually a "love it or hate it" kinda thing, so ask the MTB what she would prefer!

You can decorate the tables with stuffed animals or books. Ask for books instead of cards and start a library for the little one! Have each person write a little note or poem, or at least sign their name as to who it's from ~ great keepsake.

If you need game ideas still, let me know ~ I have a TON of them put together on one of our old webpages

Have fun ~ wishing mom & baby a healthy delivery!!

[Jami]

My daughter decorated the nursery in the noah's ark theme. She had little stuffed animals as the center piece and each one held a baby item.

There was a game about listing the animals on the ark, a game with the clothespins and catching others saying the word baby, another game had the baby's name on the top and everyone had 1 minute to come up with as many words as they could using the letters in his name. The one with the most real words, won.

The one game that stood out was a quick and easy one but lots of laughs. There was a skein of yarn and a pair of scissors. Everyone had to pull out a piece of yarn in the length they thought would measure the mom's belly. The person who came the closest without cutting it too short got a little prize.

They did a great job of quick and easy games so people didn't get bored too quick.

The "thank you favor" was a little organza bag filled with hershey's hugs and hershey's kisses. There was a note attached that said something like, Thanks for helping my mom prepare for my arrival. "Hugs and Kisses" from Riley.

[diamondgirl]

Ask for books instead of cards and start a library for the little one! Have each person write a little note or poem, or at least sign their name as to who it's from ~ great keepsake.

I love this idea.

[mindy5140]

I know I'm a little late but for my baby shower with my first son I bought the the kewpie dolls and glued those paper mint cups to the side of it with mints in it and wrapped it with tulle.

I knew I was having a boy, but my decorations were yellow, green, white and blue.

The games we played were:

1 the poopy diaper game, it was new then

2 scramble words

3 baby food game

This wasn't a game but my exes mother was writing down what i was saying when I was opening up my presents to some embarrasing questions.

Example:

What Mindy said while the baby was being conceived: Oh look how little it is.

I think I still have the paper, I know some were a little off the wall. I was so emabarrased.

For the baby shower I was supposed to have for Baby G these are the games I had picked out and the favors.

I was going to make baby food jar candle favors, I forget what scent though.

There was a game that was very confusing like:

What is your brothers, sisters, moms, mom: Which would be your grandmother.

I also had a scramble game picked out and a question game about me and my bf.

Like for example: How long have we been together, what name did we pick out for a boy or girl, How old are we, etc.................

Prizes, well duh candles, lol.

Mindy

[Candle Man]

Speaking of Baby Showers...Has anyone seen this idea, by Doneen of Bitter Creek?

http://boards.bittercreek.com/tool/post/bittercreek/vpost?id=1901744

[Candle Man]

BUMP...Has anyone seen this idea?

[marika]

Candleman

love it...my daughter-in-law's shower is June 17th...Looks like a great idea

Mari

[soapmom25]

BUMP...Has anyone seen this idea?

No, I have never seen this, and "favors" are the biggest part of my business!!

One thing to always keep in mind is the crowd ... if you know the guests well and they are the type that likes cutesy things, then this would be fine. Speaking just for myself ~ this would be something I would either not take (if left out on a table to "take one") or I would toss it away when I got home ~ too cutesy for my personal taste, ESPECIALLY if it's baby powder scented ~ yuck! :lipsrseal

The best favors are food (and I say that as someone that only sells soap & candles LOL) ... candy is universal, cookies go great too!

[Georgia]

We played a couple of games at my DD shower that were a blast. If it is family or friends that know each other, have name tags made for each guest. Make sure the invitation says, "PS bring lots of nickles". Don't tell them why! At the shower give them name tags with their new name - Bib, Onsie, Bassinet, etc. If you catch someone calling someone by their real name they have to put a nickle in the baby's bank!

The other was the box game. Fill a box with cumpled newspaper and wrapped gifts - half for the mom-to-be, half for guests (how many depends on how many guests and how long you want it to go on. Sit in a circle around the box and roll two dice in a shoe box lid. If they don't roll doubles, pass the dice on. If they roll doubles they get to don the cooking hot mitts and try and find something in that big box of paper before someone else rolls doubles. If they find something for the mom-to-be, give it up!

[Laura]

oh, i totally forgot, take the labels off baby food jars and everyone writes down what flavor they think it is. or blindfold peeps and have them guess by taking a lil taste of each one,lol!

if you don't like baby powder..you can mix a lil pina colada with it. i know it sounds weird, but do the q-tip thing and see what you think.

[nayarx8]

I had another idea, but Ive never tested it to see if its safe or not. Using a glass baby bottle, make a wickless candle. You can even put embeds in it for added oomph! That is, if a glass baby bottle is safe for use on a warmer. I thought of it awhile back, but never got any of the bottles to test it with.

[MsDammit]

Speaking of Baby Showers...Has anyone seen this idea, by Doneen of Bitter Creek?

http://boards.bittercreek.com/tool/post/bittercreek/vpost?id=1901744

Wow, that is sooooooo cute!!!!!!!!!! I have some body spray base from WSP, I think I may try this-oh but I don't have any of the glitter, where would I find that?