The whole party was originally meant to be outside. We were going to have corn hole and bocce, and all of the food and beverage was going to be scattered around the yard. Of course the morning of the party it poured, and we were concerned about the ground being too wet. So we ended up going with “Plan B” and having most of the party elements inside the house, with just a small portion of the fun outside on the patio.
As guests entered the house, they had the option of leaving some “Words of Wisdom” for the parents-to-be. There were some great tips, and the plan is to create a photo album for the parents with some party photos and the advice cards.
We went really simple with favors, using brown bags that we stamped with a Fall-themed tree. Each was filled with a small payday candy bar and a mixture of candy corns and mallow pumpkins.
We provided two signature drinks: one for mom (Pomegranate Cooler) and one for dad (Pumpkin Cider Beer-tail). In addition to that we had ice water and mulled apple cider. Each of the guys was asked to bring a 6-pack of their favorite Fall beer to share with the group. We filled a vintage wagon with ice and put the beers in it.
As far as food goes … we had way too much! But, isn’t that the best way to party? The mom-to-be is gluten-free, so we did our best to provide a lot of options for her in addition to some glutenous goodies!
Party Foods: Peanut Butter & Apple Crescents, Whiskey BBQ Sliders, and Sky High Peanut Butter Pie.
Gluten-Free Foods: Whiskey Apple Sauce, Chicken Salad Crackers, Raw Cashew Hummus, Macaroni and Cheese, Autumn Fruit Salad, Baked Potato Soup, Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Soup, Caramelized Pear Pie, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse, and Caramel Apples.
My first foray into gluten-free cooking and baking was pretty exciting, and I think it turned out really well! Plus, it was nice to provide the guest-of-honor with some delicious food that wouldn’t make her sick and that she didn’t have to cook herself!
Since we didn’t have many of the standard baby shower activities, I think the piece de resistance of the party was the S’Mores Bar! There were a ton of options (even some gluten-free ones), and we provided a few delicious flavor suggestions for our guests.
In the center of our patio, we placed the fire pit for marshmallow roasting. We jerry-rigged some light stands and used them to hang outdoor bulb lights around the patio. Bales of hay surrounded the outdoor space for seating, and we covered them in quilts to make everyone a little more comfortable.
It was the perfect Fall evening (and I’m glad we had a chance to celebrate before the snow starts later in the week)!
I created all of the printables for the party, and the invitation set can be found in my Etsy shop.
Linking to these parties.
Beautiful party! Thanks for linking up to The DIY’ers!
Thanks! :-)
I found you via the link up and am following! Oh my word, that looks like the cutest party. I think I’m going to have to try a s’mores bar at my next get together!
Thanks so much! It was a HUGE hit (especially with the guys)!
Such great ideas….love it!
The party was packed with inspiration! How wonderful!!! Thanks for linking up with Twirl and Take a Bow! ox
Oh my gosh best baby shower idea ever. It seemed like it was so cozy and really who doesn’t like a fall themed party plus that fabulous smore bar and all the fun details that you worked so hard on, I am sure this will be something the parents to be will remember. ~ Lisa
Thanks so much!
oh my word – this looks like the PERFECT shower! awesome ideas – thanks so much for sharing!
Exciting news on my end this week….just took the plunge and opened up my etsy shop with cozy cuddly rag quilts and other goodies – if you wanna check it out: ♥ http://www.etsy.com/shop/NorthernCottage
how cute! love the smores bar.
What a great idea!!! I love the co-ed theme. I’m trying to decide which idea I love the most and it’s really hard. You did a great job, and I will most definitely be stealing some ideas as I have a baby shower to plan for the spring…
I do however have one question, would you recommend having the baby shower before or after the baby is born? I know there are pros and cons to both, but I really want to make it the best possible as she never had a wedding shower (she eloped…) any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Oh I’m also sharing this post on FB, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Have a great day, Ricki
I’m so glad you got some ideas! :-)
I have never personally experienced a shower after the baby is born. But, I know for myself I would personally prefer to have the celebration before-hand because I am really weird about having a bunch of people around the baby after-the-fact. Some people prefer that, though. So I think it’s really personal preference!
Thank you so much, I was originally thinking before as it would help her in preparing for the baby and maybe save some money in not doubling up on things, but then I was told that it was bad luck… Personally I’m leaning towards before as I don’t know how much I would want to visit with a group of people when I just had a new baby… thanks for the help.
I also wanted to let you know that I will be featuring you on The Sunday Favorites. Please feel free to grab my button off of my Buttons page.
Thanks so much!
Such a cute idea! Where did you find the roasting sticks?
Amazon!! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BSBXNC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007BSBXNC&linkCode=as2&tag=atkidriv-20