Planning My Baby Shower: Themes, Details, and What Made the Cut

To throw a baby shower or not to throw a baby shower?

That would normally be the question for anyone on the verge of baby number 2, but with a five-year age gap, it was a no-brainer for me.

A baby shower was a must.

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For practical reasons, I need this shower because I don’t have many baby items left. But beyond that, this shower means a lot to me, just as much as my first baby’s shower did.

I am having my first, and only, boy.

This will officially be my “last hoorah” as far as baby showers are concerned. My second baby, my first boy, my last baby shower, and my last pregnancy.

The emotions? Everywhere. All at once.

The excitement has felt the same, but the pressure has been far less since this isn’t my first rodeo. Luckily, I have a little experience under my belt with planning these things.

I knew going into this that I wanted to keep things simple. I wanted to let go of all the things I once thought were “must-haves“…because honestly, they’re not.

Something that doesn’t change for any soon-to-be mom (new or experienced), is starting that first Pinterest search for theme ideas…

The Theme I Chose and Why

Originally, I had completely different ideas in mind

I was thinking:

• checkered Warped Tour Vans vibes
• a “Blue Jean Baby” denim aesthetic
• a “New to the Club” golf theme
• maybe something neutral like “A Baby is Brewing”
• something blue or green because, you know…boys

But as my pregnancy became more real and I started looking at actual dates, my mindset shifted.

“I’ll save these ideas for birthday parties and go with something energetic, fun, and summer!”

I wanted this shower to scream

“it’s a summer baby!!”

Once I landed there, the answer felt obvious…

What’s more summer than a pool party?!

It’s rhetorical. LITERALLY NOTHING!

Once a pool party was locked in, it took me maybe 2 seconds to choose a theme:

“She’s Ready to Pop.”

Bubbly, bright, nostalgic, and playful!

You can’t go wrong with vibrant reds, crispy cherry coke, Shirley temples, and vintage soda shop vibes in the middle of summer.

And as a bonus, my mother definitely appreciated the slight nod to Ohio, where us (my family is from Ohio) Northerners refer to soda as “pop” on occasion. It’s the little things.

Everything was set and I was ahead of my own schedule (this never happens by the way).

The Details That Made It Feel Like Me

Decorating has always come naturally to me, especially with my sister and I being so used to hosting at my parents’ house.

But I have never done a decorated pool party in their fenced-in pool area before. This time I made the decision to put in a little more strategy than usual.

It is going to be such a vibe.

The goal is to create something that feels:

• Vibrant
• Playful
• Nostalgic
• Refreshing

Think:

• bold reds
• plaid details
• soda bottles
• Cherry coke & Shirley Temples (virgin for us pregnant folk, Dirty for anyone who wants it)
• ice-cold drinks everywhere
• laughter and happy chit-chat echoing through the backyard
• just…effortlessly fun.

Drinks and Food Aesthetic

To be transparent…

Food? Not my priority this time.

As long as no one is starving, I’m happy.

I’m thinking some full size Pigs in a Blanket (No laughing. Literally one of my go-to foods for birthdays and parties. Who doesn’t love a croissant-wrapped dog??), themed sugar cookies, & lots of poolside snacks.

But drinks??

I love a beverage.

So for this shower, I’m leaning fully into:

• cherry soda
• Coca-Cola
• Shirley Temples & Dirty Shirley’s
• anything cold, fizzy, and summer-coded

And of course, it has to match the color scheme.

I love a theme.

These details tie in perfectly and make everything feel cohesive.

Invitations and Theme Execution

I chose my invitations based on the retro soda pop theme…duh!

And God bless Etsy and graphic designers because it was as easy as choosing which colors and typography I wanted for the vibe.

There were so many options: red and pink, red and light blue, red and white, and black and white checkers with red.

But I kept it simple:

Red and white.

Clean. Bold. Classic.

It instantly communicates that this won’t be a normal baby shower, this will be a COOL baby shower.

Baby Shower Glam Details

This part is extra exciting to me.

My first baby shower, 5 years ago, was FOR my beautiful girl, Fallon, but this time she gets to be there for my last one.

I found the perfect theme-aligned outfit for her (at Once Upon A Child, of all places), just days after choosing the theme.

It felt meant to be.

For me:

• red, front-tie smocked bikini
• “suns out, bumps out” energy
• cherry-accent French tip nails

For Fallon:

• a coordinating red swimsuit so we can match (because obviously. We love to match.) I found this one on Amazon when I found mine. Perfection!

I absolutely love that my girl gets to be a part of this. I think it will make everything feel real for her, like her baby brother is actually coming.

📸 IMAGE PLACEMENT:

• Outfit flat lays
• Mom + daughter matching look (placeholder for event photos)

What I Added (That I’m So Glad I Did)

This might be my favorite detail of all. If I would’ve known about it, I would have also done for my first baby’s shower.

Like I said before, God bless Etsy creatives…

I ordered a custom ultrasound painting that guests will sign for the nursery.

It’s:

• personal
• meaningful
• and something we’ll keep forever

Instead of a traditional keepsake, it is a handpainted, watercolor, beautiful piece of art. You can choose your color palette (I went with shades of green to match the nursery).

It’s an “heirloom” piece that will be kept for generations.

And that just feels perfect.

What I Skipped (And Why)

This might be controversial.

But I skipped the traditional baby shower games.

You know the ones:

• guessing prices
• measuring the belly
• “who’s more likely to…”

Don’t get me wrong, they are trendy for a reason and they’re fun, I did them all at my first shower.

But I wanted to go for simple, low-stress games this time around.

I don’t want my guests sitting around bored or feeling like they’re following a schedule.

I want them:

• swimming
• laughing
• actually enjoying themselves
• winning fun prizes

So instead of the typical options, I chose these:

• Scratch-off pregnancy test game (guests grab one when they arrive and whomever gets a positive test gets a prize). This will be the 1st game, right off the bat.
• Baby Bottle Chug. Mid-party and more interactive.
• Baby sock hunt (an ongoing game until the end of the party)
• Easy, low-pressure fun, perfectly balanced for the event

Nothing complicated, but I didn’t want to ditch the games entirely because I love to give gifts and prizes when I host parties. It’s important to me that my guests know that I love and appreciate them.

One prize winner at the beginning of the party, a winner mid-party, and one last winner at the very end. It couldn’t be more well-balanced (if I do say so myself).

Speaking of the prizes, this was one of my favorite parts of planning my shower.

I found this inspiration on Pinterest and I. Ran. With. It.

I’m obsessed. I want one myself.

I will post my real-life results in my Baby Shower Recap Article and hopefully everyone there will share the obsession. I’ll let you know in my Weekly Reflection on Sunday!

The Reality of Planning It

Even though this feels more relaxed than my first shower…real life still throws its wrenches.

The biggest stress-factor this time?

Budget.

My husband just started a new job, and the timing falls right at the end of his training pay, before his full income kicks in.

So for the first time, I’ve had to be intentional with my party-planning-spending.

(Which…is not my strong suit. Lol!)

The other thing that stressed me the most?

Making sure my registry was ready before sending invites.

For me, a registry is non-negotiable. A lot of my friends and family don’t have kids (or haven’t had a baby in quite some time). Without a registry, they wouldn’t know what’s actually helpful and I would be making it unnecessarily difficult for them.

What I’d Do Again (And What I’d Change)

One thing that made this process so much smoother?

Putting everything in my planner.

10/10 highly recommend.

I scheduled:

• finishing the registry
• ordering decor
• ordering desserts
• sending invites

You name it, it was in there.

And it kept everything from feeling overwhelming.

Things I’d absolutely do again:

• choosing a theme based on season rather than gender
• simplifying everything
• planning ahead
• focusing on the moment, not the schedule

What I’m Still Figuring Out

• weather…hopefully it cooperates
• small details that come up closer to the date

If You’re Planning a Baby Shower, Here’s What I’d Tell You:

• Choose a theme that fits the energy you want, not just what’s trending
• Don’t feel pressured to include traditional games
• A registry makes everything easier for everyone
• Plan things out ahead of time, it makes the biggest difference
• Focus on how you want it to feel, not just how it looks

At the end of the day…

It’s not about the theme,
Not the decor,
Not even the planning.

It’s about celebrating the new life being brought into this world.

It’s about giving Finley’s big sister space to feel excited about her baby brother.

It’s about creating something that represents the love waiting for him, before he even gets here.

And that’s exactly what this shower is going to be.

Short on time? Pin it for later! 🌅📌