Shower not close to home

mchupie

I live halfway across the country (WI) from my friends and family (PA).  My MIL's neighbor, who we are very close to, has kindly offered to throw me a shower in PA.

I'll have to fly there.  How will I get gifts back?  Even if I check a few extra bags I have a feeling I won't be able to fit everything.  She asked if she should put something on the invitation about sending gifts to my home because of the difficulty I'll have getting everything back, but is that rude?

Could I just return everything to the store before I fly home, get a store credit, and re-buy everything when I get back?

Has anyone been in this situation before?  If so, what did you do?  If not, what do you think I/we should do?  TIA!

EastCoastBride

No, you dont' tell the guests to send the gifts to your home.  They are being generous enough to buy you something, they shouldn't be told to send it to you too.  You need to be prepared to either ship them back yourself, or do as you already mentioned - return anything big that you can and re-buy it at home. 

However, another facet to this- many of the guests may realize for themselves that you have to get all this stuff home.  Hopefully most of them will get you smaller stuff anyhow that you could more feasibly take on the plane or easily ship home. 

 

babyonthebrain2010

I wouldn't worry about it much. the showers I have been to that were for out of town guests of honor... most people used common sense and either got small gifts or gift cards with an outfit.  there really is no tactful or appreciative way to ask people for specific things.. just hope that they use common sense and like you mentioned return what you can and repurchase when you get home.

CourtneyR2N

I don't think that asking them to send the gifts to you house or returning everything are good options.

I would suggest doing the shower earlier in the pregnancy when traveling is easier and you and DH driving out there so you can pack everything in the car, and if there isn't enough room in the car you can rent one of those bumper pull trailors for the drive home.

mchupie

CourtneyR2N:

I don't think that asking them to send the gifts to you house or returning everything are good options.

I would suggest doing the shower earlier in the pregnancy when traveling is easier and you and DH driving out there so you can pack everything in the car, and if there isn't enough room in the car you can rent one of those bumper pull trailors for the drive home.

Unfortunately this isn't an option.  DH is a grad student and can't take any time off other than a couple weeks after baby is born

veggiegirl528

My husband & I live in Colorado & his parents are throwing an Open House for us when we go to visit them in October for a family wedding.  Since I will only be about 5.5 months pregnant it's going to be more of an informal gathering for people to come see me & offer congrats since we only get back to their place (in Seattle, WA) once a year usually.  The MIL is writing some sort of a kind reminder on the invites that we will be flying into town (it's a 20+hour drive through lots of mountains if we drove) and will have to take anything back with us on the plane.  I'm not sure how exactly she's wording it, but I'm positive it'll be tactful.

CourtneyR2N

I guess the other option would be to pack the least amount of stuff you possiblty need and take empty bags/suit cases to fill with the smaller items and anything that won't for it is too big you will just have to ship from the shower to your house.

Maybe the hostess could put something on the invitations like "muchupie and babyZ are flying out to see us on Month, Day...." and then go onto the rest of the invitation.  That would let people know that you are flying there so hopefully they would use their good judgement and get smaller gifts and/or gift cards.

mchupie

CourtneyR2N:

I guess the other option would be to pack the least amount of stuff you possiblty need and take empty bags/suit cases to fill with the smaller items and anything that won't for it is too big you will just have to ship from the shower to your house.

Maybe the hostess could put something on the invitations like "muchupie and babyZ are flying out to see us on Month, Day...." and then go onto the rest of the invitation.  That would let people know that you are flying there so hopefully they would use their good judgement and get smaller gifts and/or gift cards.

I like this, thanks!

CarolinaLady529

CourtneyR2N:

I guess the other option would be to pack the least amount of stuff you possiblty need and take empty bags/suit cases to fill with the smaller items and anything that won't for it is too big you will just have to ship from the shower to your house.

This. I'm flying up to MI for my first shower next week and I'm taking an empty large suitcase for anything I can fit in it. My mom is going to ship things back for me that I'll need right when the baby's born, and then she'll be driving down shortly after she's born and she can bring other large items then. But, people have been pretty smart and gotten things shipped to me already on their own.

jedrumwright

We're flying from Ca to Ar for my shower and everyone we are inviting knows this. I didn't register for many large items but most of those have been claimed and the people who have claimed them have told me they are shipping those to me. I am going to take an extra suitcase to put smaller things in to bring back. Anything else my dad is going to drive out when the baby comes. (yay for my dad being nuts, I never want to drive that trip again lol)

lhankins25

hello me and myhusband are both going thru the same thing. we currently live in louisiana and i am from seattle washington while he is fron north carolina and we both dont have any family here in louisiana..so my best friend and my step mom have decided to throw me a baby shower in seattle. i am very excited but the first thing i was worried about was the shipping of gifts. They decided that they were going to put on the invatation that i want gift cards only to babies r us me and my fmaily r really close and its a huge family and they were ok with that i have registered at babies r us and my family knows that so they are buying gifts online and havingthem shipped to my house and i never even asked them too and all my friends are just buying me gift cards with the rest of my family they put it in very nice words.. but then again even if they didnt thats all my family would have done was give me gift cards i guess it depends on the family

mdemille

I am throwing my sister a shower in Utah, and she lives in RI. On the invite, I wrote

 

"Laura is visiting by airplane, you see,

Her Belly is Big & her luggage is tight,

As occassion like this makes a gift card just right"

 

I have recieved a lot of feedback, stating that it was a nice, subtle way for people to think about her getting large presents back home.