The baby shower or basket tea is an occasion to celebrate the arrival of the baby, but to be honest, it is also a great opportunity for you to be given the baby products and clothes you need without spending a lot of money - as long as you do not invest more of the account in the event-. If you are going to organize a baby shower, pay attention to the following tips.
What do you need at a baby shower?
A baby shower is usually a celebration as simple or elaborate as you want. It actually requires little more than a pregnant mother, loved ones, food, and a few optional supplies:
- Invitations
- Baby shower decorations
- Food
- Games for a baby shower (traditional) or games for the baby shower (creative)
- Toast drink (non-alcoholic)
- Camera
- Memories
- Thank you cards
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Who should organize the baby shower?
Usually, the organization of the baby shower is in charge of a person close to the pregnant mother, be it a relative, the future grandmother or a friend. However, there are also times when you must assume the organization of the event, with belly and everything.
The ideal time is close enough to birth, but not so close that you run the risk of missing your own baby shower between seven or eight months of pregnancy. Waiting until then has certain advantages:
- You already know the sex of the baby and you can make your gift list based on this information.
- Since your belly is not that big yet and the discomforts of the third trimester have not reached their peak, you can enjoy it and participate in the activities.
- You have time to complete what you lack for the baby after the baby shower gifts.
- You prevent, in the event of premature birth.
- You have the opportunity to prepare the baby's room with the gifts of the baby shower.
How many guests should you have?
The idea is that the baby shower is an intimate occasion, where you can share with your guests and enjoy the activity. Depending on where you are going to do it and your budget, the ideal number is between 15 and 20 people. However, if your list is longer, you can divide them and have several baby showers according to the group of friends: family, work colleagues, childhood friends, etc.
Of course, after all, the baby shower is an occasion to celebrate the new family. However, the presence of men at a baby shower may require modifications, a few of them will want to sit at a table for hours talking and eat snacks the size of their little finger.
To accommodate the tastes of your male guests, you can organize your baby shower as a less formal event, in an open space or with flexible spaces, and with a varied menu.
Another option is to organize an event only for men, in which the future father would be the main protagonist. In these cases, it is common to call them “diaper parties”, as men often give diapers (for lack of knowledge about baby purchases).
The menu
In general, in a baby shower, you have the type of food that goes with tea or coffee: snacks, cakes, small sandwiches and pastries. However, this does not mean that you cannot design a menu to your liking.
If your baby shower has a specific theme, you can use it as inspiration for the menu. Think first about what you would like to eat (or if you are organizing it for another mother, what the pregnant woman would like to eat). Based on this idea, I've seen menus as varied as Ice Cream and Pickles, and Spicy Food around the world. As the song says so well, "it's your party and you do what you want" ( you may be interested in what a pregnant woman can eat: cheeses, fish, dairy products and salads: which yes and which no).
Gift list
The baby shower is an excellent opportunity to acquire the items that your baby needs. To have more control over what you receive, you can make your baby shower gift list in baby stores and mention it on the invitation.
When making your list, you must first include the most necessary:
- Baby Clothes: What to buy for the newborn baby?
- Inventory of the newborn clothes you need
- The 15 essential baby products for your newborn
And be careful not to be tempted to buy baby products that your newborn doesn't need.
If you already have everything you need or you need one of the big items, such as the crib or the baby car, you can mention it in the invitation, include the item in your gift list and request certificates or gift cards in the store applicable to this article.
How to reduce the costs of a baby shower?
A baby shower can be as simple or extravagant as you want. One option is for you to finance it in its entirety, but this can involve a large expense when you could use those funds for the baby's arrival. And if your goal is to give them things for the newborn, the baby shower can be more expensive than the products they give you.
There are several ways to reduce the costs of a baby shower :
- Contributions. You can ask attendees to contribute an amount of money. Calculate that the fee covers most of the expenses, and you can even include in the number of funds for the gift (in which the guests are almost specified not to bring gifts).
- Ask each guest to bring a plate to share. One of the differences between a baby shower and other more formal occasions is that the guests are usually your closest family and friends. In these cases, you can feel confident asking them to contribute a dish.
- Make a virtual baby shower. The daily distance or hustle can be impediments for you to gather all your loved ones to celebrate the baby's soon arrival. But technology can bring them closer together without much hassle. Follow these tips on how to organize a virtual baby shower.
If you are organizing the baby shower for someone else, note that it is considered in bad taste to ask the pregnant woman to contribute, but you can go to other close people.