Baby Showers
MarriedLady06
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Tell me about you shower experience
MarriedLady06
member
in Baby Showers
Hi Ladies,
I haven't been to a baby shower in umpteen years and just wanted some input from other moms/ moms to be. My BF is hosting but asking me for a lot of input. So with my lack of experience I'm just wondering what other moms are looking forward to most &/or least at there own shower (or liked/disliked if it has already happened)?
Also as a guest at other people's showers what did you like most or least? Was there anything different that would have allowed you enjoy the shower more as the guest of honor (mom to be) or when you were a guest? TIA!!!
God and I define my success. It is not what is commonly imagined. A.W.
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Re: Tell me about you shower experience
He's the single greatest thing I've done in my life and reminds me daily of how fun (and funny) life can be. He's turned out pretty swell for having such a heartless and evil mother.
what other moms are looking forward to most &/or least at there own shower (or liked/disliked if it has already happened)?
The food! I was so excited over food lol. And just being around friends and family. That was the most important to me. And the least...nothing I had a good time.
Also as a guest at other people's showers what did you like most or least?
I have only attended one shower...well 2 but I am complaining about the second shower. The first shower was fun...nothing to complain about. Great food the mom to be was very talkative with everyone. The second shower there was WAY too many people. I felt like I was invited for the gift instead of my company. She barely talked to me. Needless to say we don't talk at all now.
My favorite shower was one where there was lots of movement, and plenty to do - but not an overwhelming amount of "work". The MTB was walking around talking to people, and most people were talking and mingling. We made onesies, and had food, and then after everyone had eaten the MTB and FTB opened gifts (it was nice that they both did it because it went faster), and then we had cake. It wasn't fancy or expensive but it was lovely, relaxing, and fun. There were about 35 guests.
Really large showers where there are tons of gifts and the entire time is spent watching the MTB open gifts and because there are so many she does not have time to really look at or think about any of the gifts. Those showers are not fun. One I went to had 60 guests and quite frankly it was just too many. Everything was too spread out, the MTB was visibly exhausted and there were so many gifts that it took hours. There was actually a break in the middle of gift opening for cake. It was exhausting.
My shower was last weekend and I thought my two friends did a phenominal job! Here is why:
The homemade brunch they cooked was amazing. It made showing up to the party worth it just for a good meal.
We only played two games: one short, one personal. First game was a quiz where I wrote questions (and I obviously new the answers) and the guest who got the most correct won a prize. The Q&A led to funny stories around how I found out I was pregnant, how I told DH, and a coupld other things. The other game was the strong one where everyone cuts a piece of string that they think is the circumference of my belly. Then I went around so they could measure their string around me and the person who came the closest won a gift. We left the cheeiser games and the "make a hat out of the gift packing ribbon" out.
They had just enough theme decorations to make it a point that there was a theme but did not go overboard with decor.
They did the timing VERY well throughout the party. Eat and mingle for 1 hour. Announce games - everyone cut their string and got a quiz to fill out. Measured string and told stories around quiz answers. Announce 15 minutes to cake - bathroom break for guests. Served cake while I opened gifts. Party was not quite 3 hours.
Honestly, as a guest I know that it is really up to me to mingle so those that have the best times are those comfortable in groups where they may not know people very well. At my shower I spent more time talking to those who didn't know people when I saw my group of 5 friends who know each other well chatting it up. But then I realized after that I didn't really get to talk to those 5 at all! Which was rude on my part, more than anything.
Guests don't like being put in uncomfortable situations. At one shower the game was to EAT baby food and guess the flavor. it was positively revolting. I don't mean to sound melodramtic...it was seriously disgusting and made me sort of regret showing up at all...except that I wanted to be there for my friend, of course.
In the end, the generosity of gifts was positively overwhelming. I really don't know how I can ever repay our friends... My frends that hosted worked their tail off. Thankfully they are both experienced party throwers but the food alone was outstanding. They clearly knew what they were doing so even though they asked for my opinion on lots of things I gently put the decision making back on to them and told them that I trusted their judgement and was looking forward to being suprised by how things came together. One host comments that I was really easy going and easy to throw the shower for. I don't know if she was just being nice, but I really did try to give them direction (like offering up the theme that followed my nursery) when they asked but to avoided placing any demands or requests (expect that I wanted a signature frame which I provided) on them. And I gave them a guest list that I felt was long, ~40, knowing that only about half would show - they were fine with that and at a final count of 19 it was perfect.
I'm lazy so instead of typing out my response, here's my blog post about my shower. https://admeyeringlife.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/best-baby-shower-ever/
I loved my shower and honestly couldn't think of a single thing I disliked. Traditional showers, however, are generally pretty lame IMO.
My shower was at a winery, which everyone thought was totally awesome, until the hostess got completely ripped, said some very offensive and racist things, and then smashed the cake.
Good times.