A Thoughtful Second Baby Shower

With the arrival of a second child it isn't typical to have a second baby shower. This is a practical rule of etiquette but not necessarily a fun one. Why should you miss the opportunity to host a fun girls night and the chance to celebrate the impending arrival of a new baby just because you did it once before? 

The key to a second baby shower is to not make it all about acquiring more stuff. By the time you have your second, you likely have most of what you need. This was the case with a good friend of mine who has a toddler son and is expecting a baby girl in March. When my friend and I told her we wanted to host a shower for her she insisted she didn't need one because she already had everything. We eventually were able to convince her we wanted to celebrate this baby and agreed to not go as crazy as we did with her first shower (we seriously went a little bit nuts thanks to Pinterest!).

As we began to talk through the details my friend made a request. She said "please tell people not to bring me gifts, ask them to bring prepared, frozen meals". She knew that finding time to shop and cook meals was going to be almost impossible with a new baby, a toddler and a family business to run. I love this idea because it turned an event typically centered around things into something centered around love and thoughtfulness. It was also a reminder to all her friends that she would need the support of her village to raise this child.

In the air of keeping things simple we created an evite invitation and made the request for meals instead of gifts clear. When it came time for the shower, I cleared out the chest freezer in my basement and made room for the gifts. Everyone who came prepared at least one meal and I'm happy to say our mom to be left with a good supply of food. There were also a few pink bags with gifts for the baby girl because who can resist all those tiny sweet baby clothes!

If you're planning a baby shower, here are some ideas for planning a thoughtful, fun event.

Set up a Bar

Do not, I repeat do not host a dry shower unless the mom to be specifically requests it. Make sure to have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Italian soda and Pellegrino flavored with fruit syrup are both good options for those who do not wish to partake. If your house is small like mine, set up several stations throughout the space to keep people from clustering too much in one spot. I set up a drink station in front of a door that leads to a side porch since we weren't going to be using the porch in January. I also set up a second appetizer station close to the drinks but with enough space in between for gathering. 

Plan a Crafty Activity

By now we should all know that no one likes the silly shower games our mothers were subjected to. That doesn't mean you shouldn't plan any activities for your shower. I'm a big fan of having a craft project at a baby shower. It forces people to interact who may not know each other and results in the creation of something thoughtful and practical for the guest of honor.

For past showers we've decorated onesies, bibs and even socks with fabric, stencils, paint, and buttons. I have a large stash of supplies from all of my projects and sourced the materials second hand. You'd be amazed at how many great baby items you find at second hand shops.

For this shower we decided to decorate wooden blocks. I found several nice options on amazon.com, these were my favorite. To decorate we used fabric, ribbon, paper and nontoxic paints and glues. 

We clearly had a blast sipping wine, eating sweets and catching up while we decorated. 

The end result was adorable!

Delegate

This was a small shower and I had a friend splitting tasks with me which made it much easier for both of us. We also delegated some of the shower food items to our guests so in the end we had a great variety of food and no one felt overwhelmed. Instead of having anyone stress over making a cake or shelling out a lot of money to buy one, we opted for two smaller, simpler desserts - brownies and cheesecake cups. Both were amazing!

 

Decorate

You don't have to go crazy but a bit of decoration can add a lot. For this shower my friend and I both made bunting out of felt & ribbon, t-shirt strips and vintage handkerchiefs. We strung the bunting up throughout the house which made it feel girly. At the end of the shower, we sent the bunting home with our friend to use in the baby's room.

Flowers should also not be skipped. Pair inexpensive blooms and plants with vintage milk glass containers and send them home with guests as favors.

Enjoy!

In the end remember the goal is to get everyone together and enjoy each other's company so keep things fun but simple and allow yourself time to enjoy the moment and each other.