My sister is pregnant. Very pregnant. And although I have several adorable nieces and nephews on my husband's side of the family, I am very excited for one of my siblings to finally have a baby.
Baby Oliver Daniel Heitke is due January 2015.
This post was originally going to be about the custom burlap banner I made, but it turned into a longer post which shares all sorts of tid-bits from the shower.
I would describe my sister's style as farm-chiq, and I wanted to reflect her style in the theme of the shower, so I used browns, neutrals, and very subtle hints of blue here-and-there to give some consideration to the fact she's having a boy. But one thing is for sure, no pastels were used.
I actually helped host two baby showers for her (one with our dad's family & another with my mom's family). I did reuse some decorations, games, themes, etc., so I will be sharing details/photos from both showers in one blog post.
1st Shower
2nd Shower
I crafted a custom-made burlap bunting banner with baby's name on it, shown WAY above. The letters are individually hand-cut, stuffed, and machine stitched onto the burlap. Let me tell ya, burlap is one heck of a thing to try machine-sewing. Especially small swatches. The fabric is not firm and has a tendency to catch & bunch. If I had to do it again I would definitely consider hand-stitching.
I also gave her a gift of three hand-made bibs. They doubled as decorations. (FYI using baby clothing such as onesies, tiny sweaters, pants, bibs, etc. as decorations is an inexpensive way to decorate for a baby shower. It is simple, reusable, and can double as a gift).
As far as games go, we had the traditional "Clothes Pin Game" where each guest gets three clothes pins and whenever someone says "Baby" they lose a pin.
We also played a cute little game called "My Water Broke!" In order to play this game you will need tiny baby figurines. You will need to freeze them in ice cubes prior to the shower. I suggest using spring water as it freezes the clearest, and guests will actually be able to see the babies. There are two ways to play this game.
Version 1: Each guest gets an ice cube with a plastic baby figurine frozen inside. The first guest to thaw their baby wins. The only rule is that they must get the baby completely free of ice. The first guest to thaw their baby shouts, "My water broke!" and wins the game. Any method of unfreezing is allowed as long as it is does not involve other appliances (microwave, oven, etc.).
Version 2: Each guest gets an ice cube with a plastic baby figurine frozen inside IN THEIR BEVERAGE. The first baby to naturally thaw in the beverage shouts, "My water broke!" and wins the game.
Other games:
- Baby Shower Scattergories: Basic Scattergories gameplay with the baby's initials as the designated letters for each rounds. (First round = O for Oliver; Second round = D for Daniel; Third round = H for Heitke.)
- Baby's First Portrait: Guests hold a large index card to their foreheads and without moving the notecard proceed to draw a picture of the baby's first portrait. After drawings are finished, Mom-to-be votes for the "Best" and "Worst" portraits. This is a fun one to do first because it gets people laughing!
Grandma examining her masterpiece
This baby has grass for hair
1st Shower: Best & Worst Winners
2nd Shower: Best & Worst Winners
The last thing I'll mention is the food. The best possible advice I can give when planning food for a shower/party is to ask a few guests to bring a food dish with them. The second possible best advice I can give is to make the following oven ham sammies. The ingredients are simple, and they are so. dang. good.
All you need is deli ham, cheese, King's Hawaiian Rolls, ground mustard, poppy seeds, onion flakes, Worcestershire sauce, and butter. You may or may not have the ingredients for the seasoning on hand, but once you buy them you will have plenty leftover in the pantry for the next time you make them. Which will be often, I promise.
The best part about these sandwiches is that you can make them the night before and then bake them for 15 minutes at 350F just before serving. No prep the day of your event. Piece of cake. Every single time I make them someone asks me for the recipe. I got it from a co-worker and am thrilled to share it with anyone who wants it.
Okay, here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. (weight) Thin Sliced Deli Ham
- 12 slices Swiss Cheese (when I make them I use a slice of Swiss & a slice of Cheddar on each sandwich... it's up to you.)
- 1 package King Hawaiian Rolls, 12 Count
- 1/2 cups Butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons Onion Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoons Ground Mustard
Prep:
Put ham and cheese between sliced rolls. Mix all other ingredients and spoon over sandwiches. (I usually put a spoonful inside each sandwich, too.) Let set overnight or several hours (refrigerate).
Bake on 350F for 15 minutes before serving.
There are so many other little details I could go into, and so much help from other people, but I thought I would share the essentials and the parts I worked on. Both baby showers were successful, and it was so much fun to see everyone. I just can't wait to meet that baby! <3
There are so many other little details I could go into, and so much help from other people, but I thought I would share the essentials and the parts I worked on. Both baby showers were successful, and it was so much fun to see everyone. I just can't wait to meet that baby! <3
