17039

Baby Shower - Bears, Frogs & Puppy Dogs

December 2007

LaChrisa in The Colony, TX

Special Mention

I threw my 2nd baby shower and this time it was for a boy.  I was ecstatic that a new baby boy was joining our family and that now I get to try my hand at a boy baby shower.  I am pretty close to the mom and dad to be, so it was pretty easy.  First our theme was BEARS, FROGS, and PUPPY DOGS (that is what little boys like).  This theme started as a color theme of green and brown since that was the original idea for the nursery and the mom to be was hinting she likes these colors together.  I wanted to add some animals to make it more of a baby shower, so what do boys like, teddy bears, dogs, and frogs of course.  I have added pops of blue too. 

The mom to be found some really cute stationary that was blue with little sayings on it, like It's a Boy.  We printed up all the basic party information, stuffed it in matching envelopes, and closed it with matching stickers.  I started purchasing items for the shower about 2 months in advance.  I found frog, teddy bear, bear face, and puppy face foam cut outs at Michael's for 25 cents each, I had to go to about 5 different locations to get plenty.  I ended up with 65 total.  I purchased brown alpha stickers at Big Lots and placed a letter on the belly of the frog and teddy bear that spelled out BABY SHOWER with the puppy faces flanking each word.  I purchased brown satin ribbons at Big Lots, 5 yrds/$1, and the mom to be supplied me with some clothespins (which you can get at the dollar tree, 48 pack/$1) and I clipped each foam cut out to the ribbon to make the banner that I hung between to candelabras I have hanging over my island. Inside each of these candelabras, I hung a blue umbrella upside down.  I hung the puppy face, bear face, and frog foam cut out from the points of the umbrellas.  I taped a teddy bear foam cut out to each candle, so the whole thing look like a crib mobile.  This was all over the large island that I placed the food, but before I get to food, let me finish the decorations. 

I purchased chocolate brown plastic table covers for the island.  I found green Styrofoam plates, blue Styrofoam bowls, and light green/light blue napkins  at the 99-cent only store.    I found clear/blue/green striped plastic placemats on clearance at Target that I used under the serving dishes, which were white platters and some glass bowls.  When the mats were placed on the brown table cover they appeared to be brown/green/blue striped which fit the color scheme perfectly.  I have 3-inch diameter glass votive candleholders that I wrapped with the brown satin ribbon and place green and blue sheer ribbon over the brown.  I placed some white hydrangea flowers in them.  I also used my clear green vases that I use in my normal house decor. I placed clear glass rocks and a stuffed teddy bear in one with a bouquet of white and green flowers.  I took the same glass rocks and placed them over the entire island except where the food was going to be served.  I also had another countertop that I use for a drink bar when I have parties.  I place a couple more mats on there with pitchers and a punch bowl.  I also put a white bucket to hold the ice, which I taped a full body teddy bear foam cut out. 

I also laid the other brown table cover under all this to make the green, blue, and white pop.  Last in this area I tied 1 dozen balloons, 4 blue, 4 white, and 4 blue with white print, to my light fixture over the breakfast table and let the ribbons hang down and puddle until the table. I also sorted out the blue and white baby themed mixed color confetti that I scattered all over the island, counter tops, and tables.  It was time consuming but well worth it in the end.  I took the foam cut outs and placed the same brown sticker letters in the belly of the frog and teddy bear to spell out GIFTS.  I taped these to my mantle, which is just a big box to resemble a railroad tie.  I also placed the party favor bags on top of the mantle.  I had all the guests place their gifts on the hearth because we had more seating in our family room than in the formal.  In the formal, I have a sitting are set up with a wooden daybed, coffee table/ottoman, and 6 wooden folding chairs.  I wanted to cover the chairs, but could not find anything to compliment the theme of the party for a reasonable price.  However, looking back I should have covered them with something.  I placed another blue and green striped placemat with green vase with the glass rocks and a stuffed frog I got from Babies R Us on the coffee table. I also sprinkled the glass rocks and confetti around the vase.  I have a 2-tiered round candelabra hanging in this room that I changed out the clear glass votives to alternating blue and green glass votives that I found in the dollar spot at Target on clearance, 2 for 50 cents. 

I also took 4 onesies that have cute sayings on them like, WHAT HAPPENS AT GRANDMA'S STAYS AT GRANDMA'S and PARTY IN MY CRIB AT 2 AM and hung them with clothes pins from the fixture.  I placed 3 more oneises, brown with a blue bear, blue with a puppy, and solid army green inside these empty wooden picture frames I have on the wall.  I put one in each frame with twine and clothespin to simulate the clothesline that you hear about at all showers.  I used an occasional table to make a sign in table, but it was not just a sign in table.  I had placed Thank you cards inside envelopes and had one member of a household write down their address information on the envelope and then place it in another green vase that I had placed SIGN IN HERE with the brown alpha stickers.  They would be used for a game later.  I also had one of the blue and green striped mats, a bear face foam cut out, and puppy face foam cut out on the table.  There was a shorter clear vase that held the blank envelopes that I wrapped the brown satin, green sheer, and blue sheer ribbon around it too.  I wrapped a ballpoint pin with the sheer ribbon too.  Now the party games and activities which are endless, but we narrowed it down to 4. 

Diaper Game:  melt candy inside a diaper and the guests have to determine what kind of candy it is.  I took 3 diapers and marked them with numbers.  I took miniature Snickers, Baby Ruth, and Almond Joy and placed a one kind in each diaper.  I put about 3 to 4 of each miniature bar.  I took the wrapper of one of the bars and placed in an envelop with a coordinating number and sealed it.  I placed the diapers into bowls for easy melting and handling.  You can place the whole thing, bowl, diaper, and candy, into the microwave for about 15 to 30 seconds each.  I had Popsicle sticks in the blue and green theme colors out in a cup for everyone to taste test they poo.  I also passed out pens and blue and green index cards for the guests to write their answers.  I had some crazy answers.  I gave the winners of this game a mini loofah sponge, 6/$1 at Dollar Tree, which I had in a pretty basket with blue and green tissue paper to let the winners pick the color they wanted.  How round is Mommy: You pass ribbon and scissors around and they attempt to cut enough string that will fit around the mommy's belly.  I used green curling ribbon.  I was anticipating giving a set of the votives I used in the candelabra, but no one won.  We also played Baby Shower Bingo which I printed up more than enough bingo cards with standard gifts given at a shower, such as sock, clothes, rattles, bottles, blankets, bibs, and so on.  I printed these using excel and blue cardstock I already had, so this game cost me nothing but a prize.  I was so sure there would have been multiple winners on this one too, but most of the gifts were clothes, money, and gift cards.  I had purchased lotions and shower gels for the prizes.  Anyways, the last game before everyone left was the Door Prize drawing.  I tool the envelops everyone had filled out and placed in the green vase and completed drawings to win, mini cutting board and knife set, oven and hot pad set, and since we did not have a winner for the lotions, I went ahead and drew a total of 6 names since I had 2 of each prize.  I placed each prize into a pretty green floral print gift bag.  The party favors I mentioned above were green and cream gift bags with a floral print or striped print, that contained a Coconut Lime lotion and shower gel inside a mini purse.  There was also a plastic magnetic picture frame that I inserted a little card thanking the guests.  I also placed some chocolate teddy grahams in side snack Ziplocs for the kids since it was co Ed.  I gave any single guy just the frame in a small green goody bag with a THANK YOU sticker holding it closed.  I also found these wooden teddy bear cut outs that I tied to the gift bags with a THANK YOU sticker on the belly.  These were handed out per household not guests.  Most of the items I purchased were given to the mom and dad to be, like the stuffed frog and all the onesies.  Okay so that was basically the party.  I found out that another sister in law is pregnant with her second, so I will be hosting a sprinkle for her, so stay tuned for more party ideas from me.

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