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The phenomenon of baby showers has firmly taken hold in the Irish psyche. Once upon a time, in the distant past, we only saw these indulgent parties on American sit-coms and romantic comedy movies, where the pregnant woman was usually ‘showered’ with more gifts than could be expected at the arrival of a Kardashian offspring. But, baby showers are not just about gifts (although these are nice!) but rather are about supporting and encouraging the soon-to-be mammy at the end of the nine months gestation. Just as she is feeling extra bloated and tired, her friends gather to put a spring in her step and reignite the optimism and expectation in the expectant one. Here are some top tips for having stress free, low budget, high energy baby showers.
Food:
Keep the food dainty and cute. Imagine you are constantly full. Full of baby but with not much capacity for large amounts of food. Choose your party delicacies for their delicate nature. Finger sandwiches, mini quiches and nibbles are the only option. Fruit trays can look so amazing and are more welcome than chips and dips. You can always buy chips on the way home!
Decorations:
Bunting, balloons and all kinds of cutesy things are expected. Gender specific if everyone knows the sex of the baby and yellow/cream if its has not been disclosed. There really is no end to the ideas for decorating. It is down to your imagination and skill sets. The internet has lots of things which you can try to emulate and most bargain shops sell things that will do when that becomes too tiresome. More Ideas here>>
Gifts:
These should be token gifts rather than the full on Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Remember that you will probably have to fork out for a decent present once the baby has arrived anyway. Gifts of lotion, potions and small luxury items for the expectant one are very welcome, so it does not have to be all about the baby. Bibs, toys and baby hats are perfect for the little one.
Games:
Groan, groan and groan again. Anyone who has spent an hour or two passing melted chocolate in nappies around a group of giggling women, trying to guess the brand of sweet, will know what I mean by groan and groan again. Forced hilarity is never good. However, baby shower games are a great idea for halting the constant gossiping about who is not in the room or filling the lull in conversations about labour pains and episiotomies. You can find lots of them on the internet. See here Fun baby games>>
Alcohol:
No. No to baby Guinness, no to miniature bottles, no to jelly shots. It’s a no. If Mommy is not drinking, no one is drinking. Sorry.
Remember to invite all the important people in mum-to-be’s life. Don’t forget mothers, sisters, school friends etc. Make a facebook event page so that others can share the occasion. Ask some of the invitees to bring food or games and lighten your own load. Finally have some fun and if it all goes as pear shaped as the pregnant party Queen herself, you can amuse yourself with these baby shower fails. Baby shower fails>>
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