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Baby Book Shower

SwanyGirly911SwanyGirly911
in Baby Showers

Thinking that this might be the perfect shower theme for my SIL. The baby is due in October. I am very excited for her! My MIL and I are putting on the shower. Any ideas? Anyone ever done this?

 

:) Thanks for the help in advance!

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Re: Baby Book Shower

  • rhubarb123rhubarb123 member

    I know years ago there used to be bridal showers with a "theme"...kitchen or pantry shower, linen shower, etc.  Is that what you are referring to?  Like...a book shower where everyone brings books for baby?  Just have mom register for different books that she likes from a couple of different stores (Borders, Dalton, etc). 

    Hopefully, you are not suggesting people bring a book as well as another shower gift.

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  • FemShepFemShep member
    imagerhubarb123:

    I know years ago there used to be bridal showers with a "theme"...kitchen or pantry shower, linen shower, etc.  Is that what you are referring to?  Like...a book shower where everyone brings books for baby?  Just have mom register for different books that she likes from a couple of different stores (Borders, Dalton, etc). 

    Hopefully, you are not suggesting people bring a book as well as another shower gift.

    This exactly.

    You really don't need a themed shower, and books are great, but having a book shower causes problems.  You'll likely get duplicates, and they may be written in, so you'd be unable to return them.  If you ask for books only, you may have too many.  I'd never thought I'd say such a thing, but spending $50-100 on a shower gift of just books, per person, adds up!  And asking for people to bring a book in lieu of a card is downright rude.  You should never dictate what your guests give you as a gift-if they choose to give you a gift from your registry or a book instead of a card, great, but you should never pressure a guest to do so. 

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  • danahorowitzdanahorowitz member

    Here are a bunch of cute poems you could have on the invitation asking people to give a book in lieu of a card

    https://www.babyshower101.com/baby_shower_invitations_3.html

     

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  • Gismo123Gismo123 member
    imagedanahorowitz:

    Here are a bunch of cute poems you could have on the invitation asking people to give a book in lieu of a card

    https://www.babyshower101.com/baby_shower_invitations_3.html

     

    This is bad etiquette please don't go this route.
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  • mamayo26mamayo26 member

    does the MTB have a nursery theme or like other things for the baby? If you are insisting on a theme I would go that route instead of the book route per the PP comments.

    Asking ppl to bring a book on top of a gift is not right. I have a friend who's shower asked to bring a book with a note in it instead of a card even though it was worded nicely they are still asking for a double gift essentially.

    I got her a gift, but not a book. If she wanted books she should register for them.

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  • aconway28aconway28 member
    I've heard lots of mixed feedback about this topic.  Some people really enjoyed it, but it can pose a few problems if more than one person purchases the same book and already writes in it.  Also, if the idea is to bring a book in addition to a gift, some people get turned off by that and consider it rude to be asking for a double gift.  There are certain books that I wanted when I had my shower, so I registered for them, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable asking for each guest to bring a book in addition to a gift or to replace a card.  It's one of those things that if the only thing that people are going to bring are books--I think that would be okay.  If it's going to be a traditional shower, then I think I would refrain from doing a theme in addition to a registry.
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  • mrsmommyamrsmommya member

    My shower was a couple weeks ago and they did books instead of cards and we put it very nice on the invitation that we wanted used books or re-gifted books - not people to buy new books.  Surprisingly people did very good job!  I still got about 5-6 cards but nothing like what it would have been.  I did not get any duplicates and many books have such sweet notes in them that I know Madelyn will cherish them.  I only got about 3 new books but all the others were re-gifted which really helped with the sentimental value.

     Good luck to you :)

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  • CheerChicaCheerChica

    My mom coordinated with family and friends to make sure I didn't get any duplicate books. People who bought new books made that their gift. People who gave me second-hand books made it their card. Everyone wrote kind messages in them and I love seeing them every time I read my LO a book all these years later!

     It is definitely rude to tell people in writing what gift to bring but if it is your hostess having personal conversations with people she knows well, then it is no biggie. 

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  • StephorseStephorse member
    Actually a friend of mine in her shower invitations requested that instead of buying a card to go along with their gifts to instead buy a book and write a message in it for the baby. I thought that was a great idea and so did my mother in law who was also at the shower, so I think I'll be asking for that as well. I think books are so much better than cards that you'll just throw away anyway!
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