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Planning a baby shower!!!
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Hello!!!

I am happily in charge of planning a baby shower for a couple that's adopting an infant. The baby is due in early April, and we're looking at an early March shower. I am super super super excited for them, and over the moon that I get to plan the shower. They know that they are getting a baby girl.

So far I've decided it will be fun to have a pinata - this will be a family friendly get-together and pinatas are fun for all ages.

What other fun things are good for a shower? What have you liked, or what things should I avoid?

Thanks!
tc

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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Avoid all games. Especially the ones where you get pins and can't say "baby" or someone can steal your pin. And tasting baby food and guessing what it is.

I love celebrating babies - but I hate baby shower games. Okay, maybe I'm not the right person to ask...
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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Everything I know about baby showers comes from the two on Gilmore Girls, so with that disclaimer, I like the idea of the decorating onesies that they do at Lane's shower. And thank goodness you can avoid having the gender reveal cake!
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Scheherazade] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
And thank goodness you can avoid having the gender reveal cake!

I have a cool idea for the cake that involves a geeky academic joke that will go over well w/ the crowd. Actually, I have 3 possible ideas and need to choose one. Fortunately I have time... one is... insert your last name in to make this make more sense

(last name)'
because ' means "prime" and is the notation for a derivative

the others are
"Congratulations on Last Name (2018)!"
because we cite things as Author (year)

and, a variation,
"Congratulations on Last Name (in preparation)"
because if you're citing a manuscript you're working on, then you do Author (in preparation), and when we have the shower, the baby will still be "in preparation".

I like the third one the best.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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I like the third one too.
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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I like the third one best.

I recently went to a baby shower and we did a onesie design contest -- plain white onesies that could be decorated with markers, dyes, pom-poms, etc. It was enjoyable and useful for the parents-to-be.

Have fun planning.

(Formerly SoCalTricurious, now in the PNW).
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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I like the third cake idea, too. That's really cute!

I think the pinata idea is fun. I've made pinatas with paper mache over big balloons for weddings and birthdays. I used a hot glue gun to attach little fluffy pieces of tissue paper to decorate the paper mache. It takes a couple of hours over several days, but its not hard. I've made flowers, a bee, a strawberry, a bluebird, a goldfish. I think the goldfish was the coolest b/c it had long, trailing fins and moved in a kind of fishy way as it hung from the string. If you have toddlers at your party, avoid the chokeable traditional pinata candies and go for safer, small toys. Keep a few toys in reserve for the slow kids who don't score any pinata treasure.

I have never really liked most baby shower games. If you have enough kids running around, the pinata and maybe a onsie-decorating thing or similar gift-making craft will be enough entertainment.

It sounds fun! Yay for babies!
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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Yes the third one is the best!
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [CalamityJane88] [ In reply to ]
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Yesterday one grad student, one prof, and his two kids and I paper mached two balloons for pinatas. Importantly, we successfully convinced the kids that a pear and a strawberry would be more fun than a baby-shaped pinata.

QUESTION: shower will start at 3 pm ... we will have cake... would you plan any other snacky things, and if so, what?

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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Yes, you can never go wrong with food.

I'd do a fruit/veggie tray, maybe some chips or pretzels or Munchie mix. Maybe some pretty colored candies?

You don't need lots, but you should have something.

Good job on the pinatas, they are so fun!
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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The baby shaped pinata idea is so FUNNY! OMG! I seriously hooted when I read that. When we did a bluebird, we joked that we would have people beating the bluebird of happiness. It all sounds fun!!

Ditto on the fruit tray and cheese & cracker tray.
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [CalamityJane88] [ In reply to ]
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I had never heard of doing a baby-shaped pinata, and have decided this must be a southwest thing. The first thing this prof asked when I asked if his kids would want to help make a pinata was "the pinata won't be baby shaped, will it?" apparently he'd been at a wedding that had bride and groom shaped pinata. And then I had to steer his kids away from the idea yesterday - I believe they came up with it on their own.

The pinata absolutely cannot be baby shaped; if the adoption people got wind of such an idea they'd probably take the baby away on account of "you need to find better friends" or something LOL

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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Dr. Tigerchik wrote:
The pinata absolutely cannot be baby shaped

good call, those pictures would not read well on social media, no matter what the explanation.

for snacks, if anyone near you does them, ready-made spanakopita are great -- warm them up and they're good to go.
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Re: Planning a baby shower!!! [Dr. Tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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That's totally funny! It would definitely send the wrong message to take turns whacking at a poor baby pinata. I think the bride & groom pinata are pretty funny, too.
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