Baby showers can be cute throw backs to a quieter time, with baby food tasting games and safety pin diaper favors, but let’s be real – they’re pretty boring for everyone who isn’t the mama-to-be. Here are 4 baby shower party ideas that don’t suck!

MOCKTAIL BAR

Nine months or more without a good cocktail can be a challenge for many of us, and a very pregnant vina is no exception. Since drinking while pregnant is pretty frowned upon, you can celebrate the occasion with a unique and refreshing mocktail bar. Check out this site for a few ideas, but don’t be afraid to get creative. Pair some yummy snacks with your fizzy fruit concoctions and enjoy the early afternoon in some outdoor space. Instead of viewing the day as a baby centric party, help your bestie ring in this new phase of her life with good company and some sweet gifts.

DESTINATION PARTY

Who says that a shower has to be at someone’s house? Tradition dictates that a friend hosts the get together, but aren’t we beyond that? No one really wants to subject their house to the mess and bustle of guests (no matter what they say), so getting out in the wild world is not only fun but it spares the hostess the stress. You can hit up the cafe of a local museum for almost nothing, enjoy a meal together, and then take in the exhibits. Present the momma to be with gifts over lunch and then share an afternoon of unique experiences!

I had my baby shower when I was pregnant with my daughter at a restaurant in the Grand California Hotel near Disneyland and then spent some time in the theme parks afterward, it was a blast! Be creative and get out of the house and you’re sure to have an amazing time.

BRING ON THE FOOD

If you’re throwing your bestie a baby shower than you probably have some ideas about her cravings and food must-haves. With my daughter, I had to eat blueberry muffins, day and night. This time around I am a sucker for any potato product (boil ’em, mash ’em, put ’em in a stew. I love taters).

Maybe the mom to be has a hankering for Mexican, or Pho, or she has constant dreams of ice cream. Your favorite pregnant lady will be absolutely giddy over a food spread that meets her food craving dreams and friends and family will love the novelty of a party that doesn’t boast a boring platter of deli sandwiches and grocery store cupcakes. An olive bar with paired snacks, crackers, cheeses, and the like – or a build your own ice cream cone station! These are fun and memorable ways to show your vina that you’ve been listening to her extol the virtues of her must have snacks.

GO OLD SCHOOL

…With a twist! You can always do the fun and games at home – either hosted by a friend or at the expectant vina’s house. Start with a theme that fits the momma. Some mommas want to go full Beyoncé and celebrate their inner maternal goddess, while others are just happy with a diaper cake and a few friends gathered ’round. Some of the games from this Buzzfeed list are worth a shot, just avoid anything that feels cliché (I see you Don’t Say Baby Game). I mean Pin the Sperm on the Egg, baby bottle bowling, and Playdough Babies just sound like plan old fun.

Big picture, when throwing a shower you want the your vina to feel comfortable. Not all pregnant ladies want their bellies touched, so pass on the measurements. Some of us aren’t real cool with the weight gain, so find games that don’t involve guessing our gained poundage (yikes!). Other women want to revel in the sheer amazingness of growing a human. A great baby shower celebrates this freaking unbelievable change with people who are loving and supportive. You hit that note with sincerity, and any baby shower you throw will be the best!

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(Feature image via Pinterest)