Baby Shower Questions

Cali has nice weather, right? LOTS of great parks y'all have there (in Anaheim at least - I went to two parks there with big open spaces and picnic areas.) So a park might be a good idea.

I agree to keep things neutral between you and her friend, have the location be near the prego-M.. Or near her grandparents/family so that the elderly don't have to travel far.

Big sis -- a t-shirt or some sort of 'big girl' toy would be great. Is the new baby a boy or a girl? If a girl, maybe the 4 year old gets the "HEAD PRINCESS" shirt or a crown to wear. Maybe a doll with diapers and clothes so that when mommy's changing the baby, she can change her dolly too.

I think the shower location should consider the mom-to-be above anything else. How far along is she and if it is far, will she be comfortable driving or riding so far away? For the big sister, you could give her something special like a big sis t-shirt or something she would use to help with the baby. For expense, is there any park you could check into? A neighbor's sil had a shower for a friend at a local park. They had about 50 people, the park provided a few picnic tables and they rented a couple tables and chairs to fit the rest of the people. It turned out to be a nice day and everyone enjoyed it. I think they ordered catered food-chicken and salads.

Hi S.,

I have 3 girls and had baby showers for each of them. My last shower was a big sister theme. I wanted to be sure my older girls were involved as much as possible. They helped with passing out game supplies, awarding prizes and giving away the favors. They also had personalized sashes that said "Big sister" these matched my sash which read "mommy". We did special decorated chairs for them as well. My girls also helped with opening the presents and received some big sister gifts from friends and family.
However if you have a different theme in mind, just making sure your friends’ 4 year old is involved is key. This will help her appreciate the new baby and make her feel appreciated as well.
With regard to your location there are several great locations in Orange County I can refer you to based on your theme and preference. You can email me at ____@____.com and I’d be happy to answer any questions and give suggestions and helpful tips. (for free of course). I just started my own company The Baby Shower People checkout my website at www.babyshowerpeople.com. I just started the company and would love to help just to get my feet wet. Not to worry, I love what I do and am not going to try and sell you anything. Just want to help :-)

Okay, I know that California has way better weather in August than the hotbox midwest, but I can't honestly imagine being outside at MY shower 6-9 months pregnant. No thanks. I agree that a house or complex "clubhouse" would be the best bet, unless it's a small shower. If there's only going to be 8-12 people, renting a room and doing a small menu with salads and dessert wouldn't be bad and it'd be easy for you. It just depends how many people you have.

I agree that the location should keep in mind how far the mom-to-be has to drive, but you do have to consider the guests. She would want as many people to attend as possible I'm sure and if you think people wouldn't attend soley on the driving distance, you need to meet more in the middle. If that's not the case then I think you should try to be more central, but focus on the mom.

As far as the 4 year old, I think just having her be the helper is pretty exciting. Have her help open presents, etc. That is an exciting age and I'm sure she's thrilled to have the baby on the way, so just do things to keep her involved. Carter's sells some really cute Big Sister t-shirts and if you know the sex of the baby you get a little ____ t-shirt too!

have fun!

I would have it at someone's house that is the closest to the majority of the attendees (a centralized location). You will pay a lot of unnecessary money in renting out space at a restaurant or hotel.

As for her daughter, I would take her along and let her pick out some special items for her baby brother/sister. We did this with my daughter (she was 3 1/2) and she really loved it. She got to pick out blankets, stuffed animals, and some toys "for the baby" that she thought it would really love. Now that he is here (he is 8 months old and she is now 4) she gets such a tickle out of helping him play with the things she picked out for him. She also makes sure he knows it was from her.

Another idea I just had is to let her make/decorate something for the baby room or for the baby. You can fabric paint onsies now and decorate blankets etc. or paint a gazillion baby related things and a cute momento.

you can do it at some ones house, or back yard. that is free.
parks have gazebo thingsthat you can researve throughthe cities parks and rec dept. prices vary.

for the older sister. she could have a crown, and she could be the gift opener.

Not familiar with your area but if someone is a member of a church they may be able to use the fellowship hall for a small donation to the church.

To make the big sister feel special maybe a "big sister" shirt, maybe a small special gift for her mom to give her or a matching night gown to either mom or baby. You could also wrap a gift for her to open that she could give to the baby when the time comes.

I agree with some of the others, a park is about the only cheap place you will find around here and even then, like Irvine Park, will charge you $200 for the space with tables. If you could find a local park without any charge, depending on the weather that would be good. You didn't state when it was, but I am assuming soon so the weather will be hot, so inside at someones house might be best or even at a restaurant where you can get appetizers and drinks and maybe only pay a small charge for a big room? We got my oldest son a "Big Brother" t-shirt which he loved and he got to pick out one toy that he thought his little brother would like. Good luck, I have done a number of showers and at someone's house has always been best.

to keep costs to a minimum, definitely consider doing it in someone's home. or, does anyone live in an apartment complex or built community that has access to a common room or suitable outdoor space?