Tuesday Top 10 List

My best friend, Holly, is having her baby shower next month and even though I’m not involved with the planning, I’ve realized how many ideas I have and how badly I really want to plan one!! Apparently, many other women feel the same way since there are already 4 people planning hers (the reason I couldn’t help)!

Here are my top 10 ideas for a Green Scene Baby Shower:

10. Pick out some adorable invitations from Tiny Prints! They have some fun and creative invites for boys, girls, and neutral for those who don't know the sex of the baby! My personal favorites are the Safari Animals and the Modern Timeline with pictures of Mama and belly throughout the pregnancy!

9. Create Decorations from past baby showers! The more people planning the party, the better. If the others are anything like me, they have many gift bags, cards, and decorations from past baby showers. Use them as is OR create new decorations by cutting, pasting, and/or add sparkle.

8. Add a Little Nature. We can only take so much of the usual pastel colors that take over baby showers. Why not liven up the place a bit with some wildflowers? Do you have a garden? Pick some of your own or go to a local nursery and buy potted plants. That way they will look beautiful and can be taken home and planted afterward! 

7. Put Together a Journal or Scrapbook for Guests to Complete. Each guest has their own page (or two) to write their own helpful hints about parenting, things they didn't know before, and anything else they deem appropriate... plus pictures, of course! This makes a great keepsake and all the guests will enjoy this fun pre-shower activity.

6. Listen to The Pregnant Lady!! Each and every person helping plan the shower will have their own ideas, but please don't forget to ask the Mom-To-Be if she has any requests. In know for a fact, with hormones surging, you don't want to feel left out. Plus, there may be certain foods or scents that really upset her tummy, she may want it to be a couples shower, and what if she *gasp* doesn't like party games?!

5. Something Old and Something Borrowed "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"- We all know the old saying, but have we ever applied it to a baby shower? As shower gifts I always, always give practical items along with some of the things they registered for. You know, the items you don't really think about like diaper cream and gas medicine, that you will inevitably turn to. Encourage each shower guest to bring their must-have item and go around the room as each tells their own story and presents the item to the Mama-To-Be!

4. Something New  Of course we all register for something new, whether practical or not, so be sure to get them something they wanted, too! I know we should all be grateful for the things we receive, but it's always frustrating to receive 5 packs of size newborn diapers and a million white gerber onesies. :) Just saying!

3. Edible Party Favors  You can personalize just about anything these days so, why not the food? In addition to invitations and other stationary, Tiny Prints offers a wide variety of party favors, including these adorable personalized baby shower cookies!

2. An Affair to Remember! I always love surprising my guests with little presents so they can remember the occasion. Again, Tiny Prints has some cute and creative parting gifts, including personalized hand sanitizer and lip balm. Why not get your guests something they will actually put to use!?

1. Celebrating the Birth! To commemorate the birth of a newborn, the Bucket of Love from Botanical Paperworks is the perfect idea! At the end of the shower, set the bucket of favors, flower shaped paper with instructions, by the door for each guest to grab on their way out. The little pieces of paper are actually plantable! Ask guests to hold on to their paper and follow the planting instructions the day the new baby arrives to celebrate the beginning of life! I absolutely loves these (and all of their other plantable stationary as well).

Have you helped plan a baby shower before? What creative idea did you add to the mix? 

 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a Tiny Prints gift code worth $50, plus 25 FREE Tiny Prints greeting cards—a total gift value of $149.75! For more information on how you can participate, click here.