Is one of your close friends going to have a baby in the near future? Are you planning to have a baby shower? If so, from sending invitations with a baby rattle as the main design to planning the meal, here are some ideas that might help you to plan a fun event that the guest of honor and your guests will enjoy and remember for a long time.
The Invitations - It would be super easy for you to send an evite or to phone each person on the guest list. However, think of making invitations yourself that will go through the regular postal system. After all, isn't it extra fun to get things like invitations in the mail?
Consider buying a baby rattle cookie cutter from a company like Truly Mad Plastics LLC that you can use for the pattern of your invitation. If the honored guest already knows the sex of the baby, cut out blue or pink baby rattles using heavy paper. If you don't know what the sex of the baby will be, use blue for the paper cutout and then tie a slender pink ribbon through a punched out hole. Don't forget to ask for RSVPs so you'll have an idea of how many will attend.
The Meal - Put that baby rattle cookie cutter to work! For example, make sandwiches with different fillings, and then use the cookie cutter to give them a cute shape. Fruit kabobs will be a great side for your little sandwiches. Dessert can be both simple and delicious. Serve ice cream in fancy goblets and stick a baby rattle shaped cookie on top or on the side of the ice cream.
Another idea is to serve different summer salads. If you choose to do that, think of cutting bread out with your baby rattle cookie cutter. Spread each baby rattle shaped piece of bread with a small amount of butter and put it in the oven until it is a light brown. That will be a cute and delicious side to go with the salads.
The Games - First, ask the mother-to-be if she even wants games. She might say that she'd rather just let everybody visit. If that's the case, you might need a conversation starter. Consider asking each person to give baby advice that has helped them in raising kids.
If your friend does want games, consider playing games that are baby-related. For example, ask everybody to bring a baby picture of themselves and have everybody guess which baby picture goes with each grown up.