HELP! Need help planning a shower!

catherine

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,004
Purraise
2
Location
way down south, USA
My best friend is expecting her first child and I'm in charge of the shower. I am at a loss as to what I should serve or do.
Do I serve only finger foods? Do I have a sit down meal?
Do I serve finger foods and 1 or 2 main meal dishes?
Do we play games? What kind of games?

Here's the deal. I love my friend to death......she's like a 4th sister to me. Her father is a doctor here and mingles with the "well to do" in town. Since we are from a small town these "well to do" people are quite snooty. (Most of them don't have any more money than I do but live in "fantasy land" and act like they are of a higher social status.) I can't stand to be around these people but there's no way around it. These people are their friends so they will be invited. I think you've gotten the picture that I'm not very fond of about half of the people on the guest list.

Anyway, my question is, what should I serve to have a nice shower without looking like I'm pretending to be "one of them"?

I'm really not fond of showers and try to avoid them at all costs but I want to make sure that she has a wonderful time.

If any of you have an suggestions or recipes, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks!
 

valanhb

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
32,530
Purraise
100
Location
Lakewood (Denver suburb), Colorado
Plan it for an off-meal time so you aren't obligated to serve a real meal and go for finger foods. Do it in the afternoon and you could have a nice array of little desserts (and think about the pounds you are adding to those snooty girls!)

I've always seen little silly games played at showers. I'm sure if you did a search you could find more to do than you ever imagined.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

catherine

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,004
Purraise
2
Location
way down south, USA
I'd love to make some kind of "sweet", loaded with sugar that they just couldn't resist!
I'm very good at baking and I tend to go over board with sweets when I do host functions so I'm kinda at a loss for ideas for other foods.

I'm thinking of serving spinach dip with wheat thins, chicken salad sandwhiches, mini meatballs, crawfish fettucini and a veggi tray. I'll also have a fabulous cake for her as well.

Do you think that that is enough variety or am I missing something?

Also, should I have sodas and punch or just punch?
 

noni

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
667
Purraise
1
Location
Southern California
One of my favorite things to serve is a veggie tray with lots of different dips. And a cheese tray, different cheeses with different sort of crackers. And of course, lots of candy in dishes.

Like someone said, do it at like 2 pm, so you're away from "meal hours," and have lots of games to play.

Have fun, even though it might be trying. Celebrate your "sister" and the new life impending!

Best-
Michele
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

catherine

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,004
Purraise
2
Location
way down south, USA
I am going to do it at 2:00 on a Saturday, like you all have said so that I can stick with finger foods.

Hissy, Anne's site is great!!!!!!
I've been searching and this is the best site I've seen!

I still have a few more months but I'm starting school again next week so I'm trying to get the planning out of the way.

Thanks everyone!!
 

mamacat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
1,355
Purraise
3
Location
The beautiful borough of Queens, NYC, NY
Hey, I think your menu sounds wonderful. I think you're smart to avoid a main meal and do it at an off time.

I'm not a big fan of showers--maybe I've just been to too many of them. But one game that they play at all the showers in my family is baby shower (or bridal shower) bingo. You make up these bingo cards with the names of gifts in the squares, like "diaper bag" and "receiving blanket" and all stuff like that, mixing it up on the different cards obviously. It's easy if your friend is registered somewhere, because you just go through her registry list and write down the things she asked for. You hand those out at the shower with some pens, and then while mom-to-be is opening her gifts, people cross off the boxes for the things she receives and then, depending on how many guests there are, say like the first 5 people who get bingo win little inexpensive prizes, like a scented candle or a small picture frame or something. It makes the gift-opening part of the shower, which can slow things down a bit, a little more interesting.
 

mrsd

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
1,515
Purraise
1
Location
USA
Catherine,
Have shrimp!


Once, I gave a 'test' about my friend using a,b, or c answers. I asked questions such as what is her favorite restaurant, her favorite beverage, her shoe size, her nursery theme, her biggest fear of mothering.... Any question, as long as it relates to her or the baby. You could ask favorite band, favorite candle scent, former boyfriend names and so on. Whomever knows your friend the best, wins a small prize. It's fun. Most people like to take tests (think about all those on-line quiz questions) and with a, b, c answers, it's not so tough. It helps to warm up the crowd too. People start looking at other people's answers.


Another thing I did, was find outrageous baby facts (biggest baby ever delivered, first Cesarean delivery, famous quintuplets (name all names...), children born at the White House). Those are fun to talk about.

Have fun, that is the goal!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

catherine

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,004
Purraise
2
Location
way down south, USA
mrsd and mamacat, those are great ideas for games. I haven't heard of those, I'm putting those down on my list.


mrsd - I'm trying to figure a way to incorporate a "shrimp dish" into the menu......I'm just not too sure that I want to share my shrimp with those snooty girls!
 

eburgess

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Messages
2,472
Purraise
11
Location
\
The baby shower I was at had lots of veggie trays stuff like that, keep the mood light and HAPPY!!! We played baby bingo, and made our own picture frames. Hope this helps!!
 

kev

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jul 19, 2003
Messages
995
Purraise
2
After seeing the title of this thread, I was going to recommend a good plumber.....thanks for putting me right! I always thought a baby shower was what you got when you failed to put the nappy back on quick enough??????
K
 

kathryn41

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
756
Purraise
4
Location
Stockbridge, Georgia
A quick and easybuffet style 'shrimp' dish that we often serve is to take a block of cream cheese and put it on a nice serving dish, pour seafood sauce overtop so the sauce just begins to pool at the bottom, then empty a drained can of cocktail shrimp overtop of the creamcheese and seafood sauce. Serve it with small crackers around the creamcheese. It is really easy, very tasty, looks inviting, and there is almost never any left.

One of the best Baby Shower centerpieces I have ever seen - and ended up making as gifts afterwards - is a 'baby cake'. You take 4 or 5 cloth diapers, fold them lengthwise until they are about an 6" to 8" wide. The cake is made by wraping the diapers around and around to form the 'base' of a cake shape, and inserting other baby-appropriate items to make decorations for the cake or to give it bulk. you start by wrapping a pair of plastic pants around a rattle or something like that with the rattle part sticking up in the middle. Around the plastic pants you wrap very tightly the first diaper making sure the top edges all line up carefully. At appropriate places in between wraps you add little things, like a baby bib, or baby socks with the tops rolled over to look like little flowers, or baby facecloths folded at the corners to make little roses. Only the tops of the socks or the facecloths show and the rest is rolled into the diaper wraps. When you finish one diaper you secure it using a coloured diaper pin until all of the items are incorporated into the cake and the last diaper is secured with 2 pins - 1 on top an 1 on bottom. Iit finishes up looking the same size and shape of a cake, all decorated with pastel coloured 'flowers' made up of the various items. You tie a piece of gathered lace around the bottom and use a straight pin to make it stick, then you can wrap a coloured ribbon 1" down from the top and even add bows if you wish:-). Put it on a cake plate, and then write out the 'ingredients' ie, 5 cloth diapers, 4 baby face cloths; 6 baby socks, 1 rattle, 1 bib, 2 soothers, 1 pair plastic pants, etc., and finishing with "lots of love".

It has always been a big hit wherever it has been 'served' and while many new mothers don't want to take it apart, most of them usually do when they need one of the ingredients for their new family member:-).

Kathryn
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

catherine

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,004
Purraise
2
Location
way down south, USA


I got quite a few of "those kinds of baby showers" from my son!!


That's funny Kev!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

catherine

TCS Member
Thread starter
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,004
Purraise
2
Location
way down south, USA
Originally Posted by Kathryn41

A quick and easybuffet style 'shrimp' dish that we often serve is to take a block of cream cheese and put it on a nice serving dish, pour seafood sauce overtop so the sauce just begins to pool at the bottom, then empty a drained can of cocktail shrimp overtop of the creamcheese and seafood sauce. Serve it with small crackers around the creamcheese. It is really easy, very tasty, looks inviting, and there is almost never any left.

One of the best Baby Shower centerpieces I have ever seen - and ended up making as gifts afterwards - is a 'baby cake'. You take 4 or 5 cloth diapers, fold them lengthwise until they are about an 6" to 8" wide. The cake is made by wraping the diapers around and around to form the 'base' of a cake shape, and inserting other baby-appropriate items to make decorations for the cake or to give it bulk. you start by wrapping a pair of plastic pants around a rattle or something like that with the rattle part sticking up in the middle. Around the plastic pants you wrap very tightly the first diaper making sure the top edges all line up carefully. At appropriate places in between wraps you add little things, like a baby bib, or baby socks with the tops rolled over to look like little flowers, or baby facecloths folded at the corners to make little roses. Only the tops of the socks or the facecloths show and the rest is rolled into the diaper wraps. When you finish one diaper you secure it using a coloured diaper pin until all of the items are incorporated into the cake and the last diaper is secured with 2 pins - 1 on top an 1 on bottom. Iit finishes up looking the same size and shape of a cake, all decorated with pastel coloured 'flowers' made up of the various items. You tie a piece of gathered lace around the bottom and use a straight pin to make it stick, then you can wrap a coloured ribbon 1" down from the top and even add bows if you wish:-). Put it on a cake plate, and then write out the 'ingredients' ie, 5 cloth diapers, 4 baby face cloths; 6 baby socks, 1 rattle, 1 bib, 2 soothers, 1 pair plastic pants, etc., and finishing with "lots of love".

It has always been a big hit wherever it has been 'served' and while many new mothers don't want to take it apart, most of them usually do when they need one of the ingredients for their new family member:-).

Kathryn
That's a cute idea! I'm trying to find a picture of it......I'm not good at crafty things without being able to look at what the finished product should look like.

Thanks again!
 

sanctie

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 27, 2004
Messages
1,383
Purraise
1
Location
USA
You have all had really wonderful ideas. I saw on tlc's "a baby story" that they played guess the name of the baby. But if the mommy to be has already told people then it wont work. But if its still secret then you just give everyone a small piece of stationary and a pencil, give them 2 guesses and one hint. The person who gets it right wins a prize.(Something small like cooking utensils or bath and body stuff)
If there is a tie you ask a tie breaker question about the mommy to be to determine the winner. If no one gets it right, you give another hint and let them go at it again.
---Stevie
 
Top