Many times women miss out on baby showers because the size of a group seems too small to make an impact. However, if you have a mom-to-be in your life that you love, you can still make a lasting impression with a group of four or five people. With a good theme and a desire to bless Mom as she ventures into motherhood, your small guest list can still wow new parents.
1. Pick an Item to Stock
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Giving Mom something she always uses will easily help her remember your shower. Your group could decide to stock the family with an entire year’s worth of diapers. She is sure to remember this gift with the nearly 2,500 diapers she will go through before baby’s first birthday. (That breaks down to four boxes a person, roughly $100, if you have five people up to the task and the price tag.) Pick another essential to stock if you would rather not be remembered at the changing table. Feeding supplies (especially if Mom will bottle-feed or is going back to work and pumping) are used all day, every day and would not be very costly for a group of 10 people (or less) to split. Stocking baby’s library is my favorite baby shower trend. My son and I have enjoyed many precious hours of snuggling and exploring our favorite children’s books and we always stop and read notes our friends have written inside. I still have a book my grandparents gave to me in 1989 (when I was two) and I read the inscription from them every time my son and I open that book, so now we have a second generation also enjoying that gift. The hostess can provide a bookshelf of Mom’s choosing and baby’s library can be ready in just a day!
2. Focus on Pampering Mom
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Most moms feel an urgency to get everything ready for baby in the last month or two of their pregnancy. There are furniture pieces to assemble, walls to paint, clothes to wash and sort by size, which makes it easy to forget to enjoy the last few weeks of taking care of just herself. Taking an afternoon to focus on encouraging and pampering Mom can provide an immense energy boost for her to get through the last few weeks of pregnancy. Helping her paint those forever unreachable toes, or getting a fresh manicure for newborn pictures will help Mom with some tasks she may be overlooking. She will be happy she slowed down for them in the long run. Gift her with your favorite sleep or relaxation tools to help her enjoy naps when baby sleeps. Even something as simple as a comfy robe gives mom the chance to enjoy a little luxury—even if shower time and clean clothes elude her for a while.
3. New Dad Shower
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A new dad shower can set Dad up for great success—especially if his friends are already parents. Guests can focus on the gadgets on the baby registry—the video monitor, bottle warmer, wipe warmer—anything with a power cord qualifies. The host can put together a diaper changing challenge and provide Dad with a diaper changing toolbox to prepare him with anything needed to keep baby clean. My husband loves the Goodnight Darth Vader children’s book because it gave him the ability to share his favorite movie series with our son before he was old enough to enjoy the movies. He also loves reading Good Night Indiana because it is full of our favorite landmarks and sports teams from our home state. This series carries books from all over the world, sure to help Dad relay his love of a home state or a vacation destination to the next generation.
4. Shower on the Go
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Consider a non-traditional route for gifts if your new parents have a long trip home afterward. My sister-in-law lived a 17-hour’s-drive from the rest of us when she was pregnant with twins. She decided to fly in for the shower, which left minimal room to take things home (without paying outrageous fees). We decided that gift cards were a great option, but some wanted to still have a say in the gift. Those guests were encouraged to pick gifts from the registry and ship them to Mom’s house. In their card, they included a picture of the gift that would be arriving shortly after she returned home. Just five gift cards to the store where the couple is registered can complete the list of odds and ends still needed for baby or provide a few new pieces for the nursery.
5. Use a Venue That Does the Work for You
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You can make the most of a setting like a restaurant for a small shower. Most servers do not mind if you tie up a table for longer than normal as long as you go outside of the normal mealtime rush hours (and be sure to tip extra for the inconvenience). The food is on-site (you can go Dutch treat with a designated person covering Mom’s meal or the host can cover everyone’s), and decorations can be as simple as buying a balloon bouquet. Great conversation, time for opening presents, a good meal, and no clean up can make the shower great for the hostess, the mom-to-be, and all of your guests.
No matter the number of guests at a baby shower, you can still provide a new mom with a well-stocked nursery. A little extra planning and creativity on your part can lead to an enjoyable time for everyone in attendance.
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