A Multi-Generational Baby Shower

Last month, I was lucky enough to be able to throw a baby shower for my sweet friend, Alison. She's expecting a little boy within the next couple of weeks, and we had a great time celebrating his eagerly anticipated arrival. What made this shower especially fun for me was that I got to play hostess alongside my mom and grandmother. You see, our moms have been best friends since childhood (Alison's mom actually hosted a shower for my mom when I was born -- check out that vintage photo below), and our grandmothers are friends as well! So we turned this into a shower that spanned three generations of family and friends, and it was just so much fun.

Our goal was to tie in elements of baby shower trends from over the years. For our current generation, we opted for mason jars, paper straws, and cutesy favors. Our punch was popular during Mom's generation, and we were sure to include butter mints and nuts in a nod to my Grandmother's era.

For our invitation, I turned to Freshly Squeezed Cards on Etsy. How cute is that little yellow bird? And it went perfectly with the colors we wanted to use: light blue, yellow, and grey,

We kept decorations pretty simple. I made a table centerpiece using antique blue mason jars filled with white hydrangeas and a wooden "S" monogram spray painted grey for the family's last name. We draped the serving areas with white tablecloths and hung a customizable banner. I like to use clear plastic plates and metallic plastic cutlery (that looks deceptively like real silverware) for food and mason jars with patterned paper straws for drinks. This time around we also used Susty Party's punch cups and cute patterned napkins.

Food we kept fairly simple as well. Since it was an afternoon shower, we wanted easy to eat finger foods. The final menu consisted of fruit skewers, Mini Zucchini Basil Quiche, Rosemary and Lemon White Bean Dip with pita chips, marinated mushrooms and mozzarella, spiced pecans, butter mints, frosted sugar cookies. A local girl made the cookies for us, and we were thrilled at how well they turned out. They were a big hit! For drinks, we served Cucumber Citrus Water (just fill a large beverage jar or pitcher with ice and lemon, lime, and cucumber slices, and top it off with water) and a Pineapple Punch (Ginger Ale and pineapple sherbet). I placed frozen blueberry skewers in each punch cup for a little extra color and fun.

Once everyone arrived, we had a wonderful time catching up. After snacks and sips, we moved into the living room for Alison to open presents. Thankfully, she had some expert help from a couple little girls in attendance! Along with gifts, we gave books in lieu of cards. I picked this darling book, How to Catch a Star, that tells the story of a boy who longs to befriend a star. It's so sweet, and the illustrations are beautiful.

Once the afternoon drew to a close and hugs were given all around, we sent folks home with lavendar bath salts tied up with colorful ribbon and twine in little paper sacks. Because who doesn't deserve to put their feet up in a hot bath, especially a mom-to-be? It was a lovely afternoon with lovely people. Now for the countdown to meet that little baby!