This pandemic has caused many of us to alter and make adjustments to our lives. Due to COVID-19, social distancing and being quarantined has been extremely important to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. It is especially crucial for those women who are expecting to stay safe. Because of this lifestyle adjustment, I decided against having a baby shower. However, a few of my relatives and friends suggested a virtual baby shower and decided to host one for me.
Before they went into planning a baby shower, they did a poll on Instagram and Facebook to see how many of my friends and family would attend. The feedback they received was excellent. 98% voted yes they would attend a virtual baby shower. Let the planning begin!
- Choosing a Platform – Many platforms make a virtual baby shower possible. Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, the list goes on. We elected to use Skype. Skype is free, and unlike Zoom, it did not require the use of a password; neither did it have a time restriction.
- Picking a Date – Luckily, choosing a date was not as hard as it would have been in planning a traditional baby shower. Due to being quarantined, most cities and states still following stay at home orders; the availability for my guests was extremely flexible. Because the shower was virtual, it allowed for all of my family and friends out of state and the country to attend. It eliminated the need of having to take time off work, travel, and make accommodations for a trip.
- Theme – I did not have a baby shower theme, but a friend did find a backdrop at Party City that I used. I did not think it was necessary since only a small portion of the room I was in would be shown on camera. However, all my guests collaborated on a safari theme. Each of them had safari backdrops and props.
- Invites – They sent electronic invitations to my family and friends using Evites. Invitations can also be sent through postal mail or by creating an invite on Facebook.
- Games – They found a list of games online that were easy to incorporate and had all of my guests entertained. Those games included:
- The Price Is Right – One of the hostesses found this game idea on babylist.com. To play this game, hold up a series of four to five baby items (bottle, bodysuit, a box of diapers, can of formula, etc.) to the camera. Have everyone write down their guess of the total price for all items added together. Then, have all the guests show their opinions on the camera. The closest guess to the actual total cost of the items wins.
- How Many? – In an article on parade.com written by Maryn Liles, a friend came across this game. She took two empty baby bottles and filled one with Skittles and the other with M&Ms. Each guest had to guess how many of each candy was held in each bottle. The person with the closest guess wins.
- Baby Bingo – This game was also found on parade.com in the same article by Maryn Liles. Before the party, Bingo templates were emailed to each guest. As I opened my gifts, guests marked off those items I received. The first person to complete a row or column won.
- Gift Reveal – Opening gifts was just as easy. Many of my friends and family sent eGift Cards, had items delivered to my home, and sent monetary gifts through CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo.
- Thank You Cards – I sent thank you cards via email. It was the quickest and easiest way. Other options include sending thank you cards through postal mail.
The pandemic has unexpectedly become a way of life. However, there are still ways to live your life to its fullest, celebrate new life, and gather with those you love all while social distancing.
Intuitive Intuition 