Special Events: Baby Shower

It seems like more and more of my wife's ideas are inspired by something she has seen on Pinterest. However, this sweet little set up originates from a variety of unknown sources dating as far back as 2009, or 1 B.P. (One year before Pinterest was launched in 2010).

The following pictures were taken just before the baby shower my wife threw for a friend. Most of her materials are re-purposed items that she didn't even pay for, including these baby jars that she just cleaned out and spray-painted the lids:

 
Then she filled some of her own jars with ingredients to make facial scrubs for the women coming to the shower to make their own and take with them.

If you want to know what recipe she used for the scrub, you're on your own. I'm sure you can Google it and find lots of them. On the other table across the room, she placed some of her own nail polish and manicure tools (forgive me if they're not called manicure tools, but let's be honest, that's what they are), along with a sign that said, "Give yourself (or a friend) a manicure."

I'd like to stop right here for a moment and make something clear. As I'm writing this, I'm feeling less and less masculine. In case my brothers ever stumble upon this blog, I think it's important to note that I have very little no interest in facial scrubs and manicures; I was just genuinely impressed when I walked into the room and saw all of these interesting ways to spruce up a baby shower.

Moving on...


Before the shower, she purchased a bunch of small bottles of (probably cheap) nail polish and some Dove chocolates. She wrapped them by putting them into fold-top sandwich baggies and tying them with thin rope. I've watched her as she's done this before, and before she puts things into the baggies, she will take a pair of scissors and cut both sides of the part of the bag that is folded over. That way, the previously folded side straightens up to the height of the other side and it simply becomes a uniform little baggie.

Finally, the most important table -- the treats! I'm fuzzy on the details, but I do remember that she used two different recipes to make the cupcakes and then placed them on her homemade cake stands. (The low-down on the cake stands...she went to a thrift store, picked three unique drinking glasses that she liked that were different heights, as well as three uniform plates. Then she glued the plates to the tops of the glasses and spray-painted them a creamy white).

The other treats are rice crispy treats in two different forms. She cut half of them into small squares and the other half she made into balls to put on lollipop sticks. Then she drizzled pink chocolate over all of them. On their way out, the women could pick up one of the brown paper sacks to take some goodies home, including the facial scrub and nail polish.

I believe the theme of the shower was what she stamped on the sacks, "Pamper Yourself" (I think she already had the stamp and ink pad). My wife's friend for whom she was throwing the shower had mentioned that she had already received a lot of clothes and toys from family, and she also didn't really need any of the typical large baby-related purchases. So, my wife encouraged all of the guests to bring gifts for the Mom-to-be that would allow her to pamper herself before or after the baby was born.

I've never really considered asking my wife to host a Super Bowl party, but after this I'm curious to see what she would come up with for men. :)