On my Facebook page, I mentioned that the ladies in our church small group threw me a baby shower, and I posted a few photos. I also had two family showers. Both were in the same weekend and required travel, so it was a busy three days for Mr. Handsome and me. And just as we were leaving to return to Nashville, Mr. Handsome’s sister Anne delivered her third child, so we were able to visit them in the hospital before driving home. The perfect ending to the perfect weekend!
The first shower was hosted by my mom and sister-in-law (my brother’s wife). It was a ladies’ tea, and they had a bunch of delicious finger foods and desserts. Everything was served in plastic cups to make it easier for guests to eat while chatting.
There were cups with fruit kebobs, cups with vegetable kebobs…
…Cups with egg rolls that had a tablespoon of soy sauce at the bottom, and cups with meatball kebobs that had a tablespoon of marinara sauce at the bottom…
For dessert, there were cups of chocolate and vanilla pudding with mini spoons, as well as an assortment of chocolates and cupcakes.
To drink, there was both hot tea (in real teacups) and sparkling grape juice.
The food was delicious, and I was blessed with many gifts, but the best part was chatting with all the ladies who attended. We had a great crowd (about 25) of women who have all played an important role in my life. Some were neighbors who watched me grow up, others were the mothers of my closest friends from preschool through high school, and others were the moms of the children I babysat for. While the majority of my childhood friends have moved away and could not attend the shower, five (one from high school, one from college, and three with whom I grew up from elementary school through high school) were able to make it. Catching up with everyone was a blast! I felt loved and appreciated that so many people came to the shower.
For games, my sister-in-law put together some “how well do you know the baby’s parents” trivia, which included questions about how Mr. Handsome and I met and what we were like as children. Guests also filled out baby shower gift bingo cards as I opened my gifts. The prizes were food and beauty items that my mom picked up at T.J. Maxx.
Here are a few fun facts from the trivia game:
Mr. Handsome weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces at birth, while I weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Mr. Handsomes first word was “uh-oh!” and mine was “Daddy.”
Both of us took our first steps at 10 months old. When Mr. Handsome was little, he wanted to be an entomologist (someone who studies insects, as he had a major fascination). I went through several stages of future career goals–including actress, author, and architect–before settling on journalism.
As party favors, each lady received a small bag of assorted teas. The diaper cake at the top of the post was a decoration made by my mom and one of her friends who helped set up for the shower.
I love baby showers. I always enjoy blessing expectant moms with presents. It looks like you had a really special time with your family and friends.
The food looks good. I love the diaper cake that was cute!
I love all things “tea” so that was a really neat shower! Cute diaper cake as well. Are you planning to actually brave the washable diapers thing? :/ 🙂 Twould be fun to see your other showers as well!
Thanks, Candi! I’ll tell my mom you said that. I only have a few photos of the shower my friends threw, but I plan to post photos from the other family shower. I’m planning to do disposable diapers. Between all my showers, we received about 800, so we will be set for a few months.
Ellie
Oh I’m sorry Ellie, I looked at the diaper cake picture a little closer and it finally dawned on me that it’s disposable diapers on there🤣 not the washable kind! Bad me! It looks so close like the other and I hadn’t brought the picture in to see the all the pictures and stuff printed on it! But good for you! I did the disposables also. My sisinlaw does the washables when they’re at home. She has some kind of fancy set-up so it’s not so time consuming and changes to disposables when tripping and away from the house buuttt, I never was that brave!
That’s okay! That’s awesome that your sis-in-law does washables. People like that inspire me. 🙂
Ellie
i did washables with my older son until i stabbed him with the safety pin. honestly, i cried more than he did but i felt so terrible i switched to disposable
Looks like a nice baby shower. put together with a lot of love. I made a diaper cake, it does take a couple set of hands to make it, but it was fun… Jane
What an elegant wonderful baby shower your mother threw for you. It must have been so much fun to connect with old friends. Your parents must be excited with the near arrival of their first grandchild. What I am confused about is how you have blogged about growing up in Canada and living there. But your friends and where your parents live goes back to preschool years of yours. It doesn’t make sense to me. Your blogs about Canada and living in our country don’t seem to add up. Can you explain?
My parents are thrilled. 🙂 I was born in Canada, but we moved when I was a few years old, so I grew up in the US. All my extended family is still back there, so growing up we went every couple years, and Mr. Handsome and I have gone twice and might go back next year.
Ellie
Thank you. Now I understand. Have a wonderful family Christmas. I will continue to pray for a safe and speedy arrival of your little one.
That looks as fancy as some people’s wedding receptions! I guess the ladies have got it down pat!
The diaper cake and all lol!
An idea for an event like this is a really good guest book. Get your guests to provide you with as much address information as they will give to you. (I just had a thought for a discrete type of guest book with individual flaps or even pockets into which people could put their personal business cards or all of their information.) (But also a person could have a pinup board so guests could post and advertise, if they market a skill or product). (Or just a basket with everyone filling out slips of their address/contact information for a door prize.) Anyway, then you can thank and contact these people to pick their brains on baby care. There must be volumes of experience in those women! Did you have something like this at your shower?
P.S. What is the baby b/g Ann and her husband have?
That’s a great idea! At other showers, I have seen guests write their return addresses on envelopes, but they didn’t do that at my showers. Anne had a boy. Her first was a girl, and her second was a boy.
Ellie
I wonder how they’d answer a call at 2:30 am asking advice for a colicky baby?
Your sure had a lot of showers. The food looks delicious.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Thanks! It was very tasty.
Ellie
Looks like a wonderful shower! How did you transport all the gifts from the two showers, since you had to travel? And do you even have space to store 800 diapers?!
We drove, so we filled our car. We also had an old table saw shoved in there that my dad didn’t want anymore, so he passed it on to Mr. Handsome, so we were very full! The diapers are stacked in boxes in the baby room. Thankfully they don’t take up as much room as you would think. A box about 1 foot x 1 foot contains around 200 diapers, and then we have a few smaller pouches, too.
E;;oe
It’s tacky to have more than one shower. You should donate some of the gifts to a women’s and children’s shelter for Christmas.
Everyone I know has more than one shower as so many of us have circles of family, friends, co workers, church friends, in laws, etc. I am sorry you have not been able to participate in all those festivities. We also are allowed to have our personal lives and yet still donate to causes as we see fit. I am sure all your donations to shelters are appreciated. I donate year round as this is a cause close to my heart. Toiletries, toys, interview clothes, regular clothes for all ages and sizes, furniture, and much more plus money donations are usually all welcome and I know because I have given them all. Have a wonderful joyous Christmas season.
Ellie I just want to thank you very much for generously sharing your personal story. I think it is very positive, constructive, uplifting and helpful. The Bible says that God sets before us life and death therefore choose life! And your story is all about you making very good choices! I think it is great that you were blessed by many friends, family, fans, etc. And there were more than one event. Once people release blessings to you they are yours, not everybody else’s, Because weren’t they just given to you, Mr Handsome and the baby? Some people then come along and take the position of managing what you just got. They can offer their opinion only because there is a comments section in what you are overall managing! I think it is all together just your business! May God bless richly bless you and yours!
Tacky? Really now? I say Ellie is much loved to have that many people thinking of her! It’s her first baby so I’m thankful she can acquire as much stuff as she can to hold out through the rest of her children and I think you could be thankful for her as well! Wishing you have a happier day today! 😄
I don’t think it’s tacky @ all. I am wondering how I can send her a gift as a follower of her blog.
I’m surprised that family gave the showers. I thought that was not the right etiquette. I was shocked recently when I was invited to a baby shower given by the grandmother-to-be. Is that the new norm? I guess the only thing left now is for expectant mothers to throw their own showers. (This is an etiquette question, nothing more.)
I was wondering about that, too. It sounds like it is widely accepted these days for grandmothers to throw baby showers.
Ellie
I know a grandmother who threw a huge baby shower luncheon at a hotel for her own daughter. I remember thinking that the money spent for that could have furnished the nursery. Yes, they had a party, but they could have skipped asking others for gifts that way. That doesn’t feel quite right.
The only tacky thing is your comment, how rude! Most people have multiple showers now, I sure would not demand strangers give there gifts away, I think you should take a step back and examine how offensive your comment comes across to most people
Are you always the same person « hating on her » or is there a group of you? Every time i read the comment section there is some sort of mean comment from anonymous… please stop it, she doesn’t deserve it and you should go and get a happy hobby ☺️
What happened to the commandment to not covet others goods? It’s not a free for all on all of Ellie’s gifts!
It seems a different issue to supply other people and places, who have a need, everything that they need.
Does THIS baby have to take on that already?
If other people want to take on supporting others….
Outside every community are dumps where unwanted property inevitably will go. No insult intended. BECAUSE, before it gets there, there are all kinds of ways of acquiring truck loads of pre used items. And there is little or no charge for it. Go after that stuff.
Why when we see someone has nicely assembled their stuff do we have to descend on them and demand it? Give Mr Handsome, Ellie and the yet to arrive baby, some peace already!
If other people want free stuff there is a lot out there sitting in attics, basements, closets, garages, rooms, thriftsores. Think of all the places stuff winds up because it is still good enough to make use of.
And it is not coveting to set ones heart upon and desire to have all of that unclaimed stuff gifted.
I think one of the reasons for the do not covet goods rule is to give everybody PEACE!
….SO we are not all going mad trying to take the stuff others have already acquired, pieced together, for THEIR OWN lives.
🙂
“There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things that we could use.”
– Mother Teresa
Psalm 115:14-16 Living Bible (TLB)
14 May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. 15 Yes, Jehovah who made heaven and earth will personally bless you! 16 The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all mankind.
Thank you! Merry Christmas.
Ellie
I HOPE U ARE WELL, AND TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF, AND YOUR BIRTH GOES SMOOTH!!! U guys always scare, when all your woman, give birth, I love all the girls, so when I think…. But I prayed lots, for U/THEM, wanting the best for U 100%, and hoping to let u know, if U feel like something for the pain, that is cool, don’t let other make U feel bad, for doing it, OK, just come through it Ok👪🍁LOVE U!!!!!!!! ********THIS I YOUR BIRTH, AND NO ONE’S OTHER THEN YOURS!!!!!!! I LOVE U 2!!!!!!!!!! TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF!!!
Thank you, Justine! Merry Christmas.
Ellie
Hi Ellie, What an awesome shower! I love the cup ideas. How fun! You could use them at so many different types of parties. They look like they would be really time consuming to make, but fun. I always get such good ideas from you and your family and friends for entertaining. Thanks for sharing.
I’m happy to share, Barb. And I agree–the cups were a great idea that my mom and sister-in-law came up with. They were a little time consuming to make, but not too bad.
Ellie
“My cup is full and running over…” 😂😅
Congratulations!! It’s a blessing to see you and your new baby being celebrated.😊
Cynthia
Thank you, Cynthia! Happy New Year!
Ellie