Seeking advice again on baby showers.
Here's the deal: We're planning a large Big Sister Party for our daughter who is 5, in recognition of her new role. We have asked people not to bring presents, just a potluck dish. It's mostly going to be DD's school friends and their parents, but a few of our own friends with babies too.
I thought I'd do this instead of a shower, but now I'm feeling sort of sad about the possibility of not having one. I know a lot of people don't have showers for their 2nd, but we live in a different town so none of these people were at our first. A downside is that my very close friends are hippies, lol, and they wouldn't throw me the type of shower I really like (traditional), they would throw me a Blessingway, and only if I asked. So I'd really be having to throw it myself. And then, because I don't know a lot of people, there would only be 5-10 guests. Our apartment is much too small, too, so we'd have to throw it at a park pavillion.
I wonder if it would even be appropriate with the traditional shower in mind...I could see throwing my own "no present" blessingway, but aside from really needing baby stuff since our first child is 5 and we didn't keep much, I also am just craving a traditional shower. Also, is it wrong to invite people to both, or should we just have them at one or the other?
What would you do?
Here's the deal: We're planning a large Big Sister Party for our daughter who is 5, in recognition of her new role. We have asked people not to bring presents, just a potluck dish. It's mostly going to be DD's school friends and their parents, but a few of our own friends with babies too.
I thought I'd do this instead of a shower, but now I'm feeling sort of sad about the possibility of not having one. I know a lot of people don't have showers for their 2nd, but we live in a different town so none of these people were at our first. A downside is that my very close friends are hippies, lol, and they wouldn't throw me the type of shower I really like (traditional), they would throw me a Blessingway, and only if I asked. So I'd really be having to throw it myself. And then, because I don't know a lot of people, there would only be 5-10 guests. Our apartment is much too small, too, so we'd have to throw it at a park pavillion.
I wonder if it would even be appropriate with the traditional shower in mind...I could see throwing my own "no present" blessingway, but aside from really needing baby stuff since our first child is 5 and we didn't keep much, I also am just craving a traditional shower. Also, is it wrong to invite people to both, or should we just have them at one or the other?
What would you do?
And personally I think every babe to be and pregnant mama deserves a party! Getting a traditional shower may be harder though... you're right that you'd probably need to either throw it yourself or find someone who will agree to basically follow your list or a traditional shower book plan. And in a park it may be harder to do some of the games... you'd have to make sure the person throwing the shower had really planned ahead (so a laundry basket of "filled diapers" for the sniff test game as well as bags to clean up after, a basket filled with "mystery baby food" for taste test guessing, a bag of baby bottles and a non-carbonated beverage for bottle races, crepe paper for measuring the belly, etc) and that the games could be done in public without too much embarassment! In terms of online registries... there are some local shops that offer registry options that may provide a middle ground for the more "hippie" element to still meet your needs.
) and that's the bit that confuses me about baby showers... I guess I just don't see the difference between a baby shower and other celebrations where gifts are involved.
