Blooming baskets for brand new baby boys!

It seems my friends have been cranking out babies like it's going out of style! (Yay!) In addition to the oh-so-fun baby shower gifts which I admit that I love to shop for, I like to bring a little something for the new little squishes when we meet them for the first time. While a bouquet of flowers is nice and brightens up the new mother's room, flowers turn brown and wilt over time...but not the flowers in the blooming basket! These flowers are made from baby socks (if you couldn't tell), so they stay bright and lively until they're taken apart and put to use keeping those tiny toes warm. I get so many comments when carrying these into hospitals! 

This blooming basket includes 5 pair of socks, sunglasses, the carseat bird toy, a shovel, and pail. This one was for baby Tobey, born 6/12/12!

Tobey's basket was accompanied by a bottle of "Junebug" brand wine to celebrate his arrival - his parents love wine, and once I saw the brand name and read the description on the back, I knew this was the right choice! I copied the sweet quote from the back of the wine bottle and put it on a little card with a note to the new parents.

This basket was for baby Jonathan, born 6/4/12! It includes 5 pair of socks, sunglasses, shovel, pail and the most adorable little plaid hat and matching polo shirt that I somehow forgot to take a picture of before I visited. Aw well. That's why I'm the "Real" Suzy Homemaker. The fake one would have remembered to take one, and would never get sidetracked with a request for a snack or a need for a diaper change. Good thing that's not me, or I'd have nothing real to write about.

And here's my shameless plug: I will make these and sell them for the cost of supplies plus a small fee if anyone's looking for a unique baby gift for a newborn or other occasion!

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Baby Shower!

Ole!

I wanted to throw a baby shower for a friend of mine at the beginning of May. This dear friend is fluent in both English and Spanish, loves Mexican food, and of course margaritas (even virgin ones while she's expecting!) Of course, I had to throw her a Cinco de Mayo themed baby shower!

I called a favorite local Mexican restaurant that had a private party room-in talking with the owner, we decided that it would be too crazy to have the shower on May 5 (which was a Saturday this year), but that Sunday would be perfect. Once I had the place, date, and time, the rest just fell into my brain and I was off and running with my theme!

 

I made the invitations with scrapbook paper, cardstock, and stickers - I hand delivered the larger ones at a get together prior to the shower, and mailed the others.

I arrived at the restaurant a couple of hours before the start of the shower, and set up the tables and decorations, and piped the frosting onto the cupcakes at the last minute. (I wasn't sure if they'd survive the ride in the car otherwise, since it was a warm day.) Just before guests started to arrive, I ordered pitchers of margaritas (traditional and non-alcoholic), a couple orders of nachos, a few quesadillas, and several bowls of bean, cheese, and guacamole dips for the tables.



Centerpieces - flowers in Mexican tomato sauce cans

 

 Margarita cupcakes with margarita buttercream frosting

Everyone signed this bilingual board book as a guestbook.

For my gift to the mommy-to-be, I stuffed this pinata with bath squirters, baby socks, babylegs legwarmers, and other toiletries/baby essentials. We had fun breaking it at the end of gift opening! I also gave her a sampler pack of different flavored margarita mixes for after baby's arrival.

Sombrero cookies (thank you Pinterest!) with custom 'Muchas Gracias' stickers that included the baby bump's nickname and due date. Some guests ate these during the party, and others took them home as a favor.
 

The table/place settings-chips, salsa, flowers, and cookies.

The first game we played was called "My Water Broke" - where there are plastic babies frozen inside ice cubes, and the first person to get their baby out yells "My Water Broke!" and wins a prize.

I also made tiny pinned diapers out of felt for each person. If anyone said the word "baby", the person that caught them took their diaper. After we opened gifts, everyone opened their pile of diapers, and the one with the "dirty diaper" (Ok, it was really an Elmo sticker!) won a prize.

As people were chatting amongst themselves, I asked the mother-to-be to tell me which gift she had received that day was her favorite, and gave that gift-giver a prize as well!

The prizes were all in line with the theme, and wrapped to match: a citrus reamer + rimming salt,  margarita mix + taco seasoning, and gourmet salsas.  

The final game was a "pass the present" game with a sweet poem that made the door prize travel around the room before it finally landed with the lucky lady who got to open it and take it home. What was inside? A brightly colored set of a pitcher and 4 margarita glasses to enjoy on the patio this summer. The following is the poem:

1. The news is out, quick send a cable, the gift goes to the lady across the table.
2. If someone wears a dress of blue, she must take this gift from you. If blue cannot be seen, it goes to the one wearing green.
3. I will now read another verse…please pass it to the gal with the largest purse.
4. We are getting tricky, here is a real humdinger! Pass it to the one with the most rings on her fingers.
5. Wow! What a success! Pass it to the guest with the most buttons on her dress.
6. Alas, this gift is not for you. It now goes to the one with the largest shoe.
7. Let’s get this party started girls..pass it to the one with the cutest curls.
8. Mommy is anxious. Daddy is nervous. Now pass this to the lady who drove the furthest.
9. There won’t be time to practice, there won’t be time to rehearse. Pass this centerpiece to the gal with the most money in her purse!
10. We hope you all are having fun. We have tried to include most everyone. From the largest purse to the largest shoe, pass this gift to the right of you.
11. We’re ending this rhyme, this is the last poem, the gift you are holding is yours to take home!

I had so much fun planning and hosting this baby shower for my friend! I can't wait to host the next baby shower - it's this weekend! Stay tuned!



A pan after my own heart...

Squeee! They make Nordic Ware Bundt cake pans in my favorite shade of my favorite color. Woo! Naturally, I couldn't resist this opportunity to test out my new toy-so here's a Granny Cake cooling-from the red & white checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.