Baby showers -- girly parties where guests give presents to a mum-to-be
-- have long been a tradition in the West and are growing in popularity
here, too. What better excuse for getting a group of friends together
than to celebrate a new life?
Who organises it?
The only person who shouldn't organise a baby shower is the mum-to-be.
The whole event should be great fun and completely stress-free for her,
while someone else does all the organising and hard work. Friends,
family and/or work colleagues are the usual organisers.
When should it happen?
The best time to hold a baby shower is some time in the last trimester.
You could either keep it as a surprise from the mum-to-be, or tell her
what you are planning so that she has something to look forward to in
those last few weeks.
Who to invite
If you are not keeping the baby shower a secret, ask the mum-to-be who
she would like to have on the guest list. Remember to ask for names and
addresses of close friends that you might not know, such as workmates,
or friends met through antenatal or exercise classes.
While a baby shower is often a 'girls only' affair, husbands can come
along, too, and it can be a nice way for dad to feel involved. One
couple asked the doctor to secretly write down the sex of their baby at
their 20-week scan and seal it in an envelope. This was then passed on
to the baby shower organiser who let all the guests know so they could
buy the appropriate presents. Amid much excitement, everyone managed to
keep 'mum' throughout the weeks leading up to the party. As the couple
opened their first present the answer was revealed!
Where should we have it?
You need to consider the location before deciding on how many people to
invite. Ideally, the party shouldn't be held at the mum-to-be's house,
so she doesn't have to worry about cleaning the house before everyone
arrives or clearing up after they've gone. Ask around to see if anyone
else is prepared to host the event at their home. If not, think of
playgroups, a favourite restaurant or a club which might rent a room for
a small fee for a couple of hours.
P/S : For me, I tak kisah pun buat kat rumah I. Lagi best! =)
How much to spend
If you don't want to pay for the whole thing yourself, the best way to
cover the cost is to ask each guest to chip in. When working out how
much it might add up to, remember to include:
• invitations and stamps
• food, paper plates, cups, plastic knives and forks etc
• cake
• decorations
• prizes for games
• going home 'goody bags'
• location rental
• presents -- you may all want to contribute to a bigger, combined present.
Costs can be lowered by, for instance, designing an invitation on a
computer and emailing them to as many people as possible; asking
everyone to bring a dish and borrowing the right number of plates, etc
if you don't have enough, to save buying them; holding the shower at
someone's house rather than hiring somewhere.
P/S : Potluck is my favorite. Every one bring their own dish. Cheaper and we can taste how horrible and excellent chef are our friends.
Choosing a theme
Baby showers usually have some sort of baby theme to get everyone in the
mood. You can either buy decorations with a baby theme or make your
own. Popular themes include:
• Teddy bear's tea party Get hold of as many teddies as you
can and make sure each guest brings one, too! As presents, they could
bring teddy bear-related books. The cake could be in the shape of a
teddy bear.
• Nursery rhymes Arrange toys linked to nursery rhymes around
the room -- shoes (There Was An Old Lady), spider (Little Miss Muffet),
bucket (Jack & Jill's pail), toy boats (Row Row Row Your Boat),
roses (Ring O' Ring of Roses). Ask guests if they can count how many
rhymes are represented.
• Books Ask each guest to bring a book that meant something
to them as a child. It's a great way for mum to start up her child's
library. For decoration, everyone could also bring books to arrange
around the room. The cake could be in the shape of a fairy tale book.
It's also really nice to ask guests to write a poem, ditty, limerick
or rhyme about the mum-to-be and her baby. Buy a book to stick them all
into and it will be a memento she can pass on to her child when the
baby grows up. Alternatively, ask everyone to sign a book with a few
words of 'wisdom' to pass on to the prospective mum. She might not take
your advice, but it could give her a few laughs!
Present ideas
If they're not mums themselves, it can be difficult for guests to know
what to buy. Have a list prepared by the mum-to-be, or try some of these
ideas:
For Mum
• Pedicure kit -- for when she can reach her toes again!
• Magazine subscription -- so she can have a quick read when feeding
• Frozen dish -- ask everyone to bring a meal for the freezer which can be defrosted when needed once the baby's born. (See our freezable recipes for new mums.)
For Baby
• Classic books, such as Beatrix Potter, Winnie the Pooh or fairy tales
• Nursery rhyme tapes
• Bathroom kit: first toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and shampoo
P/S: Mintak barang mahal sikitlah macam stroller ke, baby coat ke barulah kopak poket kawan kawan tu.
Party food
Ask everyone to bring a dish of nibbles. Home-made snacks are ideal, but
guests who are working and/or have young families themselves may prefer
to make a financial contribution or bring shop-bought snacks, such as
curry puffs, nasi lemak, ready-made sandwiches, crisps, quiche,
juice and so on. If you're worried about what's safe for your expectant
friend to eat and what's not, visit our Is it safe to...? page.
Party games and prizes
You could all sit around and chat about how painful labour is for a
couple of hours, but your pregnant friend may appreciate it more if you
play a few lighthearted games, instead! These could include:
• Guess the celeb Cut out some old magazine pictures of
pregnant celebrities (Catherine ZD, Kate Moss, Jade Goody, Jordan etc),
fold back the head and ask everyone to guess who's who.
• Letter puzzles With words such as baby, nappy, labour, birth and so on hidden among the letters. Prizes for guests who find all the words.
• Guess the name If mum's willing, have a list of 20 boys and
20 girls names, and promise a prize to whoever guesses the name
correctly once the baby's born.
Any small prize will be appreciated, but if the guests are mums,
too, try something like a pass for two to the cinema, a promise of one
evening's babysitting or relaxing bath oil.
P/S : Okay I love this part. Can I organise it by myself?
Goody bags
It's nice to give a small goody bag as guests leave as a way of saying
thank you for coming and for any presents given. A small token is all
that is needed, such as sugared almonds in a little tulle bag, a scented
candle or chocolates: something they (especially mums) might not
indulge in and buy for themselves.
Have fun!
P/S : Kek dia comel sangat. Hopefully ada rezeki tahun depan. Dan tak sabar nak masuk rumah baru juga tahun depan. =)
Credit to http://www.babycenter.com.my/a554814/throwing-a-baby-shower
