In honor of Valentine's Day this week, I wanted to do a little throwback to a really special baby shower - a Valentine's Day themed shower!
I LOVE throwing parties and celebrations for those I love! And I've always wanted a place online to help me remember some of my favorite elements from different events, so consider this a first installment!
This party was from three years ago, a Valentine's Day themed shower for a baby due in February! I originally wrote this blogpost for my friends at Bannor Toys and am happy to share here.
INVITATIONS are always my first step in planning a party! We made ours through Canva - a site featuring totally customizable templates many of them for free!! I downloaded a digital copy of the invitation and texted it to our guests, but you can also order a physical copy straight from the site. I also used this template to make an event cover photo for the online Facebook event and to make a “Registry Links Here” image to include her direct registry links in our Facebook group to make shopping incredibly easy for guests!
DECORATIONS are one spot that you can go all out in - but a little goes a long way! Classic Baby Shower decor choices that make a big impact are:
Bannor Toys Name Blocks. These are PERFECT for decorating during the shower and then gifting to the Mama-To-Be! We placed our Baby blocks on the food table next to a picture of baby’s glowing mama.
Decorate the area behind where the Mama-To-Be will open gifts. This will be in nearly all of her photos from the evening, and it’s likely that her friends will want to pose there with her too! Having one highly concentrated decorated place in the party has always served me well.
Sign in guest book using a board book. For this Valentine’s Day shower, we used “Guess How Much I Love You” and as each guest arrived, they left a little note. “Welcome, baby! We love you so much already! Love, Aunt Susie.”
Themed table cloths. You can choose printed or a solid color that matches your theme, but if your tables are festive then they act like supporting characters for the rest of your decorations!
Streamers or Crepe Paper. These guys are SO versatile!! Perfect for decorating windows, doorways, walls, the list is nearly endless!
Music is a must - it covers up any lulls in conversation during the party and can be a great way to set the mood!
Balloons. If you’re feeling bougie and your budget allows, buy a helium tank and go wild! If your party budget needs to go to other areas of the party, simply blowing up balloons and hanging them with ribbon or just leaving them on the ground for little kids to play with is a nice festive touch.
Tissue Paper Pom Poms might be my favorite - but make sure to put these together the day before the party! They each take quite a while and you don’t want to be stress making a pom pom as guests arrive. Believe me, you don’t.
Specifically for a Valentine’s Day themed shower, candy boxes. What says Valentine’s Day more than candy? We filled these cute little candy boxes with chocolates and used them as centerpieces until the guests each took one home.
A Bannor Toy that matches your theme - we used a mini heart charm teether, but you could use a wide range of their toys that can match nearly any theme!
FOOD is vital to every party! I once heard it said that as a hostess, you should only make two items and everything else is bought or brought. We put “themed” juice, guava raspberry with frozen strawberries, in a drink dispenser that was easily filled up throughout the night. Guests grazed on veggies, apple & cream cheese fruit dip, tortilla turkey wraps, chicken salad & crackers, chips & cheese dip, meatballs and more. When you ask several ladies to bring a dish or two, suddenly you have a full table! My favorite was hiring a teen girl who has started her own cake decorating business this year! She made this fabulous cake for us which was a great decor piece, and it was well worth my money not to worry about a cake. PLUS, the cake tasted incredible.
GAMES are a must for any baby shower, but ask yourself these questions before you choose which games you’ll have at your party:
What matters to the Mama-To-Be? Does she want the attention fully on her? Does she want to play games that make her laugh? Does she want to play games that draws the attention completely away from her? Does she want thoughtful conversation or quick trivia? The answers to these questions will help you know if you should play the “Guess What Candy Bar is in the Diaper Game” vs the “Measure Around the Mama-To-Be’s Belly” game.
What games make sense for the space you’re in and the group of people? Some people hate playing party games, while others are disappointed if there aren’t any! I find that around two to three games is a good number for any party.
I designed a game for this shower that is yours to download for free! Motherhood Bingo is a great game for any player at your party - even if they aren’t a mom themselves! This game includes four different bingo boards for different chances of getting that all-desired “BINGO!” Each player needs a game sheet and a pencil. When the hostess says “GO!” visit with as many guests as possible and ask if they have experienced one of the squares on the board. If they say yes, they are to initial that square. As a player, you may not initial any squares on your own board and you must have at least five guests initial your board. The squares include things like “Has been pooped on by a child” or “Has delivered a baby more than 10 lbs” or “Became a mother through adoption.” You can stop play after someone first yells “BINGO” or after a certain amount of time. It’s fun to go through each square as a group and swap motherhood experiences!
GIFTS are easy at a baby shower, thanks to Bannor Toys! Add a classic rattle to an item off of Mama’s registry, gift a State Rattle or a set of milestone blocks. Look through their collection of teethers or find a grasping toy in a shape that is meaningful to the family. Whichever Bannor Toy you select, you and mama will both be thrilled!
Me and my sweet friend, Heidi!
Shower a new mama-to-be with lots of love!
Thanks for reading,
-Kami
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