Who should throw the baby shower?
Anyone except the expectant couple — however, Miss Manners might disagree. Formal etiquette anyone can host, as long it the hosts are a relative, to avoid having it look as though the family is being grabby with presents.

When should you have the Baby Shower?
Talk to the expectant mother and father about what day would be convenient for them. Holding the baby shower after the birth is becoming (Sip & See –an upcoming post topic) more frequent and is a fun time for the both parents. As everyone gets to see the baby and celebrate the new (yet, exhausted parents). Consider potential holidays, religious events etc.

Can an expectant mother host a baby shower for her 2nd  (3rd, 4th…) baby?
It is perfectly fine to throw a baby shower for a mother’s second or third baby, as long as the guest list is limited to close relatives and very close friends and/or guests who did not attend a shower for the first child. It is a nice gesture for the mother-to-be if several years have passed since the last baby was born, since the parents will have fewer hand-me-downs for the new arrival. Also, location can also play a part. When the growing family has moved to another town, it makes sense for their new friends to throw a shower, regardless of how many children the parents have.

When to send out thank you notes?
If possible, the mom should try to send all your thank-you notes before the baby is born. If the notes are sent afterward, it would be reasonable to expect thank-you notes to be sent up to two months after the baby’s arrival.  However, this is only a guideline and each situation is unique. The concept of time is kinda lost once the baby comes. So don’t worry. The mother is truly thankful, your thank you is coming.

Should you have a baby shower for a mother who is adopting?
Definitely! Adoption is a miracle for the expectant parents and they need to be honored, loved, and supported just as much as others. A baby shower is the perfect way to celebrate an adoption. Take care to be sensitive about the baby shower though, no references to pregnancy, 9 months, or other related issues, unless the expectant mother doesn’t mind or brings it up herself. Also, be sure to host the baby shower only after the adoption is complete. Sometimes adoptions don’t work out and it would be even more disappointing to have already held the baby shower. Be sure to ask the new parents when is a good time for them, as they are making special bonds with the baby in the first few weeks.

Should you invite only women, or should you invite the men too?
It depends on the expectant mother. The baby shower is traditionally for her. But couples baby showers are fun too. So ask the mother-to-be what she prefers. Some may not feel as comfortable with other men there. OR she may like having her own husband there (who might enjoy the shower) and would enjoy having other couples there also. The expectant parents might be close friends with a several other couples, so a couples shower would be a lot of fun. Have a neutral theme (ie. BBQ) with no games.

Who should pay for the Baby Shower
Usually, the hostess pays for the baby shower. This is a great reason to co-host the baby shower with another friend or family member of the expectant mother.

Who should you invite to the Baby Shower?
It really depends on the group of people that you invite. If it is a close group of friends, you may only have 4-8 guests. Other groups of friends or family might have 15-20 guests. So it all depends. Just ask the expectant mother who she wants to invite. Some cultures, invite everyone. I’ve heard of showers with 60 guests.

How long should a Baby Shower last?
Plan on the baby shower lasting about 2 hours. It’s long enough to feel like you’ve gotten to know people and that you’ve bonded with the expectant mother. But don’t make it too long, so that guests are all “partied” out. And usually the expectant mother is pretty tired after 2 hours of fun! Some guests might want to stay a little longer to talk, so plan on ending the baby shower at 2 hours and then let everyone leave as they want to.

Note: Baby shower etiquette is slightly dependent upon the culture and region where you live. Most of the baby shower concerns addressed below are appropriate for and apply to most cultures. However, if you are in doubt about a certain issue in your culture, ask friends or family for their recommendation. I had a friend who had 60 women at her shower. Don’t worry, it was only 7 hours long.

Hopefully, this was a not a painful process. However, going to Baby’s R Us will give you an immediate headache upon entering the store. Beware.

(Silver Teether; Tiffany & Co)

See you Monday!

Share on Facebook

1) I gathered the napkins and checked the tag to make sure it is a fabric that can take up the dye. A list of fabrics are on the inside of the Rit box. I washed my stark white napkins in the washing machine and did not dry them. Filled up a large stock pot with warm water and watched it until it boiled (ha).

2) Then, I rinse napkins with warm water in the sink and dumped a cup of salt in the stock pot.

3) Filled up a glass measuring cup with 2 cups of hot tap water and poured the powder in the cup to dissolve it. I used all stainless steel, glass or disposable items to avoid staining my kitchen utensils.

4) I then poured the dark pink liquid into the pot and added a tablespoon of laundry detergent. Soap makes water wetter, allowing the dye to adhere to the fabric easier. Thanks to Bill Nye Science Guy for this science tip. See.. Mom and Dad. I did learn something from watching TV.

5) The warm napkins were gently placed in the boiling pot to avoid the dye from splashing onto the counter tops. I stirred the napkins around every few minutes with my Sherwin Williams paint stick. I turned down the heat so the water was simmering.

6) Once the napkins achieved the shade I wanted, I removed them with my BBQ tongs and placed them back in my sink. I rinsed them with warm water until the water was clear and the pink dye was no longer present. Tossed them in the wash and dried them as I would colored cotton clothing.

Upon inspection, I found the color faded more than I would have liked. So I repeated the steps again with my extra box of Rit Dye. Luckily, I thought to buy two.

Total Cost
Two boxes of Rit dye: $5.96
Package of 12 white cotton napkins: $9.99
Total per napkin: $1.32

You can sell your napkins to the next bride. Using Bravo Bride or The Knot (message board: Trash to Treasure) you can sell your weddings goods and recoop some of your expense.

Now the finished product! Just a little pressing before the party and they are all ready to go! Do you have any questions you are “dyeing” to ask? Or any coloring mishaps from the past? For me, I slightly dyed my hands as I was rinsing them in the warm water bath.

Share on Facebook

1. Clean and Water: Remove any leaves that are going to be submerged in water. This will make your water last longer (ie. cleaner) and your flowers look look clean. Cut stems at angle and put in water immediately.
2. Cut, Refresh, Repeat: It can be tedious, but it will help prolong the life of your flowers. If you don’t have time to change the water, use an opaque vase, to disguise the murky water. Use warm water for everything. Except hydrangeas, they require hot tap water. Tulips don’t need fresh water, so no special treatment for them.
3. Special Stems: Hydrangeas or lilacs are woody and need lots of exposure to the water. Split the stems several inches up from the bottom to expose the white inner part of the stem to the water. For bulbs, tubers and iris, score the bottom of the stem. Also for tulips, use a needle and prick the throat of the tulip to prevent it from growing.
4. Same Colors: Buy flowers that are the from the same color palette for an easy and chic arrangement.
5. No Crowding Please: When using a larger vase or wide mouth bowl, it may require using a large quantity of flowers, but all you need is scotch tape. Create a grid on the top so your flowers will sit in its own section. No crowding!
6. In Your Hands: Hold the flowers in your hand. It is easier to rearrange then placing them in the vase. Once you are satisfied, tie with some string and place in your chosen vessel.
7. Wilt-free: Try not to place your flowers in front of a warm sunny window. The heat will stress your flowers and cause them to wilt.

Do you have any more tips or tricks? Please share!

(Tulips: Podesta Baldocchi; Calla Lilies: Gifford’s Flowers)

Share on Facebook