Oh man, I have shower-phobia so I'm not sad at all that this is my second and no one has asked to do a shower. But, I love registries when it comes to buying for other people. My family all sets up wish lists (which is exactly the same as a registry) for Christmas and it makes it so much easier!
My family is huge on the Amazon wish lists! Every year we yell at each other to update their list. I set up a separate Amazon baby registry but didn't tell anybody just because I wanted the completion coupon, and put in a month earlier due date to get the coupon early.
In the two baby showers I've hosted, I've done cute decorated 'baby themed' cookies from a local bakery (there was a rattle and duck and bottle, I think). Individual cookies wrapped in cellophane with a little ribbon is simple, not too expensive, and way more logical than a silly or throwaway type thing.
I am due March 31 and hoping to have my shower no later than the middle of February. My friend hasn't decided that part yet (she's hosting). As for favors for the hosts, the last time, I gave the hosts (4 friends) bottles of wine with personalized labels.
Married 5/12/2007 DS 6/3/2016 MC 1/12/2017 BFP 7/19/2017 EDD 3/31/2018
Oh man, I have shower-phobia so I'm not sad at all that this is my second and no one has asked to do a shower. But, I love registries when it comes to buying for other people. My family all sets up wish lists (which is exactly the same as a registry) for Christmas and it makes it so much easier!
My family is huge on the Amazon wish lists! Every year we yell at each other to update their list. I set up a separate Amazon baby registry but didn't tell anybody just because I wanted the completion coupon, and put in a month earlier due date to get the coupon early.
Yes! I do exactly the same thing. I would suggest adding the same registry items to a wish list though. I noticed that the baby registry doesn't show you when something is cheaper than when you added it like a wish list does. (I hope that makes sense!)
As for favors for the hosts, a cautionary tale. My first's was a work shower. Four colleague-friends hosted so I bought them each a pajama set, candle, and gift card. Then only six people, including the hosts, made it to the shower. And I definitely gave more gifts than I got. I didn't mind that except it was hella awkward. (Apparently the issue was most people at my company only attend if it is on-site and this was at a restaurant off-site at lunchtime.)
I made gift baskets for my hosts. Fancy soaps and lotions and stuff, and I crocheted washcloths for them. I put a note with it that said, "From my shower to yours". Seemed to go over well.
I have a question about shower invites. So there are some people at work that I’d invite to my “regular” shower if I don’t have a work shower, but I cannot for the life of me think of a tactful way to find out if there will be a work shower. (No one has had babies since I started and I’m not sure if that’s part of the culture or not.) Should I just invite them and if a work shower comes up tell them they don’t have to do both/buy a gift? I don’t want to seem grabby.
@ksmwalters Is one of those people you would invite frank enough that you could ask one of them? "My friend is doing a baby shower and I'd like to invite you and a couple other people but I don't know what protocol is around here. I don't want to invite people to both and seem greedy. Cause I just want to hang with my friends."
Me: 34 DH: 38 Married: June 2011 TTC since Feb 2016 BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16 BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
@ksmwalters what @kiki75 said. I find just straight up asking people is always the way to go. If you aren’t comfortable with that, then I would invite those who you want to invite, and then if a work shower comes up, let them know you were unaware that it’s a thing and that they don’t have to feel obligated to do both, just like you said
@ksmwalters I would do the "fix it later if it needs to be fixed" method that @ShawnnaO suggested. I would personally feel weird just straight up asking (just because I'm overly self conscious in that way) and I think it could easily be remedied if they did throw you a work shower.
We have started to receive gifts, one from a friend of my mom whom I barely know. Should I send the thank you cards now, so they know the gift arrived? I was thinking to send after the actual shower so I could say something personal about seeing them, but now I'm not sure.
@fatstagnation if you already opened the gift send a thank you card as soon as you can after receiving a gift. Otherwise the gift giver may wonder if you got it or not and from their perspective it may seem ungrateful, even though that's certainly not your intention.
If you are waiting to open the gift at your shower then maybe tell your mom to let them know you received it and can't wait to open it at the shower.
@fatstagnation 100% send a thank you card now, at least if it’s not someone close enough to you to call them and say “hey I got the gift, thank you so much” and wait to send the card when you actually see them at the shower. You can always send them a second thank you card after the shower to thank them for coming and celebrating with you if you send them one now.
@antoto and @ShawnnaO thanks for your input! I'm used to throwing "no gifts please" parties for close friends. But, this whole thing is foreign to me. I appreciate your help.
Re: Baby shower
DS 6/3/2016
MC 1/12/2017
BFP 7/19/2017
EDD 3/31/2018
EDD March 12, 2018
(Apparently the issue was most people at my company only attend if it is on-site and this was at a restaurant off-site at lunchtime.)
DD #1: 2012; MMC: 2014; DD #2: 2015; It's a boy! 3/31/2018
Married: June 2011
TTC since Feb 2016
BFP#1: 7/7/16 MMC: 8/16/16
BFP#2: 5/8/17 - CP
BFP#3: 6/27/17 EDD: 3/10/18
We have started to receive gifts, one from a friend of my mom whom I barely know. Should I send the thank you cards now, so they know the gift arrived? I was thinking to send after the actual shower so I could say something personal about seeing them, but now I'm not sure.
If you are waiting to open the gift at your shower then maybe tell your mom to let them know you received it and can't wait to open it at the shower.