Gorgeous cakes

Good food

No games, or games that aren't made into a huge production nor are embarrasing for MTB

I love themed showers if they are done right, but I haven't ever been to a baby shower where a theme is done well. I see them on here all the time, so it does happen!

PunkyBooster:

Gorgeous cakes

Good food

No games, or games that aren't made into a huge production nor are embarrasing for MTB

I love themed showers if they are done right, but I haven't ever been to a baby shower where a theme is done well. I see them on here all the time, so it does happen!

 

This. I also like coed showers because the DTB is part of the process. 

Definitely good food! Also, not too stuffy of an atmosphere, and not too huge of a crowd.

I would say good food and mimosas and wine!  Otherwise, all the baby showers just blend into one.  I don't exactly look forward to them. 

Oh, and no stupid games. 

Good food and wine, MAYBE one game but that's it.  Too much structure and planning is no fun.  I like more of an intimate atmosphere where we can sit around and chat and laugh.  I'm also one of those ppl who really likes to watch the mom or bride to be open the gifts.  I've never been to a coed shower, they are not a thing in my area, but I think it would more fun with just women.  I could care less about the decorations, sometimes they just get gaudy or it's overkill.  I've never been to a themed shower, but my cousin just had one (too far for me to attend) and I saw pics on FB; it was Alice in Wonderland themed and it looked really cute.  The way they had it was tasteful, not tacky.

Here's a run down of the worst baby shower I attended for a co-worker; it was very recent so it's fresh on my mind.

-It was in a VFW hall with long tables.  Not a set-up for intimacy or conversation.

-The decorations were cheap looking and there were WAY too many.  Just a dab will do ya.

-There was a game or contest at every corner.  The WHOLE THING was games.

-The mom to be was running around like a chicken with her head cut off.  I just wanted her to relax.  It made me wonder who and where was the host??

-Food came in intermittently by various guests, it was weird.

- Most of us left after two hours.  Gifts hadn't been touched b/c we were playing games at our tables the whole time.  Turns out, it lasted five hours!  I don't know if she ever opened gifts there; I hate that. 

-The host passed out the envelopes for the thank you cards and had us fill out our own addresses (which I might add it's been 4 weeks and they still have not arrived).  Sorry, that's tacky.  

I'm a firm believer that if you set up a few basic elements to a party, the rest will come and it will be way more memorable that something stuffy and structured.  GL!

I love baby showers that don't make you the center of attention like a camcorder in your face to give a speech of well wishes or advice for the new mom.  I also avoided a shower because the hostess mailed everyone a onesie to be decorated prior to the shower to show off at the shower.  I'm so not creative and felt pressured to have some artistic onesie to show off!  ugh.   

Good food, nice conversation and no more than 2 simple games is nice.  Avoid game stations or making people participate in things with a bunch of strangers.  

Beautiful outdoor location, great food, a few cocktails, no games, quick gift opening and good conversation. 

Two I thought were decent: a 'tea party' sprinkle for a friend's 2nd baby (debate all you want about the appropriateness, but only close friends were invited and I wasn't at her first shower since we hadn't met at that point) -- the hostess found a bunch of different vintage tea cups and that was really cute, and there was one game but it was a decent one (I can't remember the details, but I think it involved everyone writing down a random fact about themselves and then trying to guess whose was whose). 

Another one was a really cute baby boy shower for another friend - that one was just really well done with adorable signs for the food, a well-laid out onesie decorating table, and a cute make-your-own-perfume favor station (though that's really NMS).  The only games came later after the men showed up for the co-ed BBQ after the girls-only shower where the gifts were opened. 

Everyone's talking about how intimate showers where people can just relax and talk are best... that sounds great to me, but I've never been to a shower like that.  It seems like you get a few family members, a few in-laws, some friends, one of two co-workers, maybe some ladies from church... in other words, not everyone knows each other and it's all too easy for groups to break off and guests to be left in a corner by themselves without some sort of structure.  I think that's where the games come in.  Sometimes people forget that the point of games is to break the ice and get people talking and laughing.

 The games I hate are the ones where people sit in silence trying to descramble baby related words, or fill in the blanks of nursery rhymes.  The second worst kind of games are the guess the poo/ guess the baby food types.  Ew, who wants to do that?

 I recently went to one with the onesie decorating thing, but the hostess did a simple game, then presents, then the onesie craft so that people could leave at their leisure and if craftiness was not their cup of tea, they didn't have to at all.  Also, she provided iron-ons so that people didn't have to free-hand the onesies if they didn't want to. 

having been to many--here are my favs:

tea party--with about 20 pp at a tea house, centered around conv and food mostly --three games while everyone was eating the second course--gifts during dessert--very classy and cute-(classy butterfly theme)

 a sprinkle (second baby, diff gender, 5 years apart, and very small and intimate)--again at a tea house with NO games and just good food and conv. (fairy theme)

 a luncheon at a local italian restaurant--again main factor was amazing food and wine, desset table, smallish--20 people--and all done within 2 hours

super classy second shower (only 10 close friends, different gender)--at a very upscale restaruant in a private room--two games--mostly just enjoying food, conv and drink.

 I think the main factor in all of these was the intimacy and amazing food and drink. I hate hate hate "pot luck" style or huge tacky affairs.

Simple decor.

Lots of places to sit.

Food that is easy to eat (am I the only one who gets sauce splatters with mostacolli?) and easy to serve.

Booze for the guests who want it.

Varied and tasty desserts.

Edible/gift card favors and prizes (The one that gave out Barefoot wine - awesome!)

Simple game (mine was matching celebs to their crazy baby names as a nod to my love of pop culture)

A place for gift opening that is easy for the guests to observe while still being able to eat/drink/chat.

No requirements of guests other than attending (no bring a book/a letter/diapers or make a onesie/scrapbook page)

Good food

Great cake/other dessert

No games

Relaxed atmosphere

Nice decorations (the decorations at my shower were awesome-it was a monkey theme and they did not go overboard but the touches were so nice (monkey ribbon wrapping the utensils, barrel of monkey monkeys as drinking glass charms, the cake decor matched the theme etc.)

jfgreer:

I've never been to a themed shower, but my cousin just had one (too far for me to attend) and I saw pics on FB; it was Alice in Wonderland themed and it looked really cute.  The way they had it was tasteful, not tacky.

Do you mind sharing? My shower is going to be Alice In Wonderland / Lewis Carroll themed, and I think my host is looking for a little extra inspiration.

I can't imagine asking guests to write their own addresses on thank you cards. That is so tacky!

My very favorites have been unlike baby showers and more like parties. I've been to great afternoon teas and cocktail parties that happened to be showers. I've also been to nice, traditional showers with games. The most important thing as a guest is that there is somewhere to sit, something to eat, someone to talk with. The worst are when the timing is bad - arrive on time and the hostess has nothing out so you feel like a jerk, or the food is bad or not enough or whatever. 

I've never seen any game asking me to taste or smell any foods in real life and I am very thankful. 

I don't have a shower, baby or bridal, that stands out.  I didn't have a bridal shower because I think they are lame and I have more than enough towels, pots and pans, and other crap to fill another house.

I will be having a baby shower thrown my my mom and partially by my MIL.  These posts are helpful, my mom told me she is planning on having an open bar which at first seemed strange for a Sunday shower at noon, but she wanted people to be able to have wine, bloody marys, etc.  Looking at these posts, seems my mom has the right idea!!

I think the place where showers go wrong are the games, and how ridiculous some of them are.  I always think how we are grown adults playing these stupid games.

I've been to a lot of great baby showers. The best ones are where the hostesses really think about the mom-to-be and personalize it. I.e., they didn't just stop at Party City the day before and grab any baby item they sell.I'm generally not a fan of plastic table clothes, tissue paper centerpieces, etc. You may even end up saving money by not getting that junky stuff you have to throw away after one use, too.

 Check out this blog for some *amazing* shower ideas. I love planning parties so it's not only helpful for ideas, but the pictures are really beautiful, too.

http://blog.hwtm.com/

 And yes, serve alcohol!

- 2 hours or less, from start to finish, without having a "rushed" feeling.  People can stay and mingle after if they want!

- 1 quick game that will make people giggle (15 min total), something that is personable for the couple in order to include those who are close to the mom, and those who are close to the dad!  Two games are okay if you're efficient!

-  Mimosas or wine if it's up your alley

-  Good, simple, easy to eat food. Music while eating is nice.  A 5 minute game before eating is a nice icebreaker.

-  Serve the cake so it can be enjoyed while the MTB is opening presents

- And the biggest one....  NO ASSIGNMENTS for the guests.  Don't make them bring diapers, do this or that beforehand, bring food, ugh.  Ughhhh!

I can tell you the worst shower that I went to - the favor was a picture frame with the baby's u/s picture in it.  Really?  Not something most people want to have.  What was I going to do with it - put it in my living room?

I am not really picky about showers - as long as there is reasonably good food and hopefully someone else I know there to talk to.  I like to see the MTB open her gifts.  I don't mind a game or two, as long as you are not forced to participate and it doesn't involve sampling baby food or smelling candy bars in diapers. 

I am also not a fan of being told I must bring a certain item (diapers, book, etc...) and I HATE being given an envelope to fill out my address on.  If you gave my name to your host and you want me at your shower then you should have my address and be able to write me a thank you note.  If the host is trying to make life easier for the MTB then maybe she should pre-address the thank you notes or order the kind that can be pre-addressed or print out labels.  It's annoying to get a card in the mail with my own handwriting on it.     

One of the nicest showers I've ever attended was hosted at the home of a friend of the MTB. 

There was a lovely spread of food set out in the kitchen and breakfast area, some lawn games set up outside (the hostess was quite the gardener, so it was a beautiful back yard!)

The dining room table was set with notecards that you could fill out well wishes for the baby and MTB if you wanted to, a quilt for the baby was on a frame in the family room and everyone who wanted could knot a square on it,  and in the living room the MTB sat opening gifts. 

It was almost like an open house party, in that you could wander from room to room and weren't a captive audience.  I especially liked that I got to sit one on one with the MTB as I gave her my gift directly and we could spend a few minutes chatting.  She really liked the format b/c she didn't have to feel like the center of attention for two hours of gift opening. 

The best baby showers were just easygoing and convenient, and it really felt like the mother to be was pleased and it just made life easier for her.  As a guest, I really want to just be there for the mother to be and just be excited about her baby.  I think it is poor taste to critique a host or a mother to be about different aspects of a baby shower--it is two to three hours of your life--I just want to be an easygoing guest.

As well, a variety of gifts were brought by the guests.  I have been to some baby showers where it felt like some guests bought some gifts from the registry and other guests were original with the gifts that they bought.  There was actually more of a balance of knowing that some of the true needs and wants of the mother to be were being taken care of, but it was fun seeing some of the other gifts that some gifts bought for the mother to be.  And it was easy for the mother to be open up the gifts in a timely manner and acknowledge the gifts as she was opening the gifts. 

I have been to a baby shower where the gifts were not as much of a variety.  It was like 45 guests bought 3 month baby boy outfits, and only a couple of guests bought gifts from the registry.  It just felt like the mother to be was opening up the gifts at warp speed, and it was like "oh I feel so sorry for this mother to be--it is really obvious that she will not be able to use all of what her guests have given her." 

Because I have been to several tacky, cheap and "ghetto" baby showers, I decided to throw my own baby shower...and it's gonna be awesome. We booked an awesome and window filled banquet room for our guests.  We rented linens and chairs for the tables, we are going to have fresh flowers as centerpieces, we ordered a cake from a high-end bakery, our favors consist of various pieces of candy wrapped in a personalized label so the guests can actually EAT the favors versus tossing them in the trash as many guests do when you give them cheap favors...we are catering food from an Italian restaurant, so we will have yummy food and an assortment of beverages ( no alcohol, didn't want any buzzed guests), and we are also having coffee delivered so that our guests can enjoy their cake with coffee.  Cake will be served while I open presents, and we are playing only three games, with a stuctured itinerary for the activities.  I am having a couple of friends host the event for me while I relax, mingle with the guests, and sit in my "mom to be throne".  I do believe that you should only have ONE baby shower, and that you should make it classy and worth the time of your guests as they are spending time and money to come to your shower.  I took it into my own hands because I knew that none of my friends or family could afford or had the vision I had for my shower.

 I am looking forward to hosting a classy, sophisticated and fun shower for my guests, one that they will all remember.

Trina

I really wanted to do a display shower for my sister, but the few people I bounced the idea off of said it was "incredibly tacky since the reason for a shower was to 'shower' her with gifts and what's the point of going if you don't get to see the MTB open the gift you give her?" 

I'm not sure what I'll do now, but it's good to know some people like that set up! 

Probably the most fun one I went to was for a friend a few years back.  It was enjoyable because:

1) Good food (Mexican buffet)--and champagne punch;

2) Casual setting (backyard; it was a touch cold but otherwise nice);

3) Amusing games I hadn't done a million times (One was a "draw the baby on the paper plate...on top of your head.  We all felt silly doing it but seeing the results was hilarious.  Another I remember was the Multitasking Mom game--each participant (voluntary, not everyone played) was handed a baby doll and a cell phone and was then assigned the task of removing clothespins from a line while holding the baby doll and "talking" on the phone, and whoever got the most, won.  It wasn't gross, it wasn't embarrassing, and it was pretty funny to watch people try to keep the pins without dropping the phone or the doll.)

4) Shower bingo--I have ADD (not really) but can only feign interest in butt paste and pacis for so long.  The bingo was fun because we each did our own squares (guessing what she'd get) and prizes were awarded for multiple people, so there was an incentive to keep paying attention to what she got (and begging her to open that thing that is CLEARLY a wrapped baby bath!)

5) Decorate a onesie--again voluntary, but fabric markers, puffy paints, and blank white onesies were out for us to decorate as we waited for everyone to arrive/get things going.   

6) Delicious cake(s).  This is actually the one where Costco screwed up and gave away/sold the expertly decorated cake, so the hostess bought a "blank" cake and then scrawled "Costco Sucks" on the front.  Still darn tasty.  

Honestly nothing was done here that was that expensive and I don't even remember any decor (although there probably was some.)  There was no "theme".  It was just fun. 

The showers that were less enjoyable usually had less tasty/variety of food,  gross, boring, too many or overdone games, not-so-tasty cake, and too many guests.  Even shower bingo can only hold my attention so long, so I really don't want to go to a shower where the MTB will be opening more than 30 gifts.