Sunday 10 April 2016

Baby Sprinkle Shower - How to give





Just because you already have a child (or two… or three…) doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be showered with love for your upcoming baby. Baby “sprinkles” are becoming very popular for second, third and subsequent babies — a much lower key gathering. My niece Allie (Mother of 5) asked me, "What? A Sprinkle? What is that?" I explained and her response was, "Oh! Ryder, (her fifth born) must of been a DRIP!" Oh my gosh, how funny!
With minimal pressure and an informal feel to them, a baby sprinkle party is a lovely way to welcome a new addition.



If you haven't heard of a baby sprinkle? Instead of "showering" the mother with gifts, as in a baby shower, you "sprinkle" her with just a few necessities. As the name suggests, a sprinkle is a light shower. If the child is a second or third child, mothers typically already have most of the supplies needed to care for a baby.

My daughter-in-law, Eva wanted to give my daughter Holly a Baby Sprinkle. She has a baby girl, Madison and was expecting a second little girl. I offered my home, and Eva did all the rest! 


First she Communicated with Mom
 
Eva asked Mom, Holly, what she needs and who she wants to invite. When you're throwing a sprinkle, you can let Mom set the tone. Since a baby sprinkle doesn't have the formality of a baby shower, it isn't necessary to go all out when compiling the guest list, decorating, catering, providing entertainment and offering baby shower favors, but, you can. A coed celebration with children is perfectly acceptable in the case of a sprinkle, so that the expecting mom's husband and child/children can be there, too. It is very loose, and is really up to Mom, what she would like.




There are lot's of fun idea's for invites for a baby sprinkle, this invite can be found on Etsy- Notable Affairs

 Decorations can be as eleborate as the Mom and the "Sprinkle Shower" hostess wants. These are just a few ideas! Simply click on the link!

Chevron table cloth 

Pink plastic table cloth 

Tissue paper flowers

Diaper Cake on Etsy  Eva made this one by hand, but, you can find on Etsy, click the link.

 

Grey Wooden flatwear

Pink Wooden Flatwear 

Chevron napkins 

Polkadot cocktail napkins 

Eva made a pink lemonade punch and served in these cute milk bottles with adorable paper straws.

You can find these by clicking the link

Milk Bottles  

Light pink and grey paper straw mix-stripes and polka dots 

 

Aren't these just too cute!!

 Pink Polka Dot Popcorn boxes

 Eva had these delicious macaroons locally, and the baker has since gone out of this business. However, you can find home made macaroons on Etsy, here is a link to Several macaroon bakers on Etsy!

 The cute little "Penguin Cake Pops" were made by Amy, my daughter-in-law, but you can click on this link to buy them on Etsy.

 

 The beautiful and delicious cupcakes were made at Trophy Cupcake made in the Seattle area.There are several locations. The cup cake wrappers can be found on this link Cup Cake wrappers  and come in several colors. The plates can be found at this link Chevron paper plates in gray and white.

 

  The luncheon was a delightful mix of yummy sandwiches, fruit, stuffed mushrooms and Caprese salad. All made by Eva and her Mom, Eva ...known to the family as "Mama"!

 

  What's a shower without games?

Games can liven up a party and break the ice and most guests will expect to play a game or two, but leave this the mother's discretion. One fun game to consider and a great way to include big brother- or sister-to-be is to ask guests to write their best advice for the sibling on a 3x5 card, which can make a nice keepsake book. Another game for repeat parents is “Remember When" — where guests share stories of their personal experiences raising their children and/or of pregnancy. These can be categorized into “funny,” “embarrassing,” or “sweet,” among others and the mommy-to-be plays judge as to who gave the best stories in each category. This game is great for gleaning a few tidbits of advice about parenthood.

Holly the expecting Mom and Eva the hostess.

Gifts-

A sprinkle stocks repeat parents with basic items they'll need right away and go through quickly. For example: Diapers, diaper cream, baby bathroom essentials, wipes and the much needed double stroller. New outfits, toys, bedding and books are lovely gifts too and guests of a sprinkle should not feel restricted from buying big ticket items, but a sprinkle is mostly about family and friends celebrating a new addition. If there is a big gap between children or a different gender is expected, a full baby shower might be in order, but always consult with the mother to see what she is comfortable with, what items are needed and create your invitation accordingly. Holly has a swimming pool, she takes the babies into swim lessons right away, so, this cute gift was a great idea!



Below is the quilt I made for Mackenzie's nursery. A butterfly theme, I made a rainbow border with "Prairie Points" and a rainbow fabric binding. I freehand machine quilted the quilt on my Bernina 750 long arm, sunshine and rays of sunshine filtering around the butterflies.



Don't forget older siblings!

A new baby is very exciting, but it can also be very worrisome for a child. Some simple ways you can help ease their insecurities are by including the name(s) of older siblings on the invitations, give the big brother or sister a special role at the sprinkle or a project they can be in charge of, encourage guests to greet the older sibling and if you are hosting a Meet and Greet sprinkle, allow the older sibling to introduce the new baby. A small gift will also go a long way. Becoming a new mom for a second (or third) time is always exciting and a sprinkle is a perfect way to celebrate.





I am one proud Grandma! She is a delight!



Madison and Mackenzie

I may not be posting on a regular basis this month, I have two golf tournaments and a week long hiking and yoga retreat!

7 comments:

  1. Wow! That is really good information . Jill

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  2. Beautiful! Love the quilt! Is that applique? And if it is did you adhere, then stitch? What machine did you use? It is stunning! Sue M (your friend who was in Chicago with you a few years ago.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sue! I remember our class together and our lovely dinner in downtown Chicago. Yes, this is applique, it has adhesive and I stitched on my Bernina 830, however, any zigzag machine will work. I did a very small zigzag at a slow speed on all the curves. Thank you! It was really fun to make! Cheers! JJ

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  3. Beautiful quilt! Mackenzie is adorable! Congratulations! Great ideas for a 2nd child shower.

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  4. Beautiful Sprinkle with great ideas. The quilt is stunning, so talented! George

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