Whether or not to include children in weddings is an age-old debate. Will they make it down the aisle? Will they steal the bride's show? Will they behave during dinner? (The answer to all: who knows?!) But if you have your heart set on adding mini members to your wedding party, then there are a few things you should first consider to ensure both you and your tiny attendants have a happy wedding day! Keep clicking for the six things you must consider before asking children to be in your wedding!
Sometimes all you need is one showstopping detail to take your baby shower from blah to wow. In the case of this orange-and-blue shower, it's all about the letterpress paper details, created by Sabrena of Dear Lola for a shower she cohosted for a friend. "Our color palette was orange and light blue, and we infused various patterns (stripes and plaid) along with orange animals," Sabrena says. "It was so much fun to design all the paper pretties and even more special because it was for such a good friend." Sabrena went all out with the paper suite, designing invitations and registry cards, thank-you cards, "it's a boy" straw tags and address labels, and even coasters. Add in some famed cupcakes, a DIY tassel and name garland, and a cute advice station, and you have one simply sweet shower. Keep clicking for all the details.
If you've been following our April Showers series, you might think you've seen it all when it comes to baby shower trends. Unfortunately, you'd be wrong. We try to stick to the good when it comes to baby showers, but the bad and the ugly also exist. So in which of the previous categories would you put the following seven questionable shower trends — from on-site ultrasound technicians to cash-only requests? Click through and weigh in by leaving us a comment below.
Gender reveal parties have moved beyond a flash-in-the-pan trend to a fully recognized baby shower category, and we couldn't be more on board with the clever concept. Whether you decide to create your party around the gender-reveal theme or just add it in as a fun extra, it's a great way to add even more excitement to your event for both you and your guests. Not sure which style of gender reveal party works for you? Check out seven spectacular events, full of pink- and blue-filled cakes, little man and lady details, and even some fireworks(!), all of which are sure to provide some inspiration for your big reveal.
"When you have a gorgeous and glamorous friend named Tiffany who just so happens to be expecting a baby boy, hosting a 'Breakfast With Tiffany' baby shower is a no-brainer," says Jen Carver, the party guru behind Banner Events. "My friend Vivian and I wanted to create a pretty breakfast setting with pops of glitz and glamour."
To make her vision come to life, Jenn recruited some of the best party minds in the business, including one of our favorite printable designers, Anders Ruff, and 4 Kids Cakes, which provided a beautiful, totally impressive flower-box-esque creation. An incredible breakfast-food buffet (mini pancakes and parfaits and a powdered-doughnut tower were just some of the highlights), a cute diaper cake, and so much more made this one of the most detail-filled showers we've ever seen (and we think Audrey would approve!).
Want to encourage your child to grow a green thumb and eat healthy, fresh foods this Summer? Follow the lead of Burlington, VT-based mom Ariela of Sweet Happy Life, who recently built a toddler snacking garden for her 2-year-old son. Though Ariela lives in an apartment with a small balcony, she still found the space to create a green, growing play area and garden. "The idea for a snacking garden came from one of my favorite books on gardening," she says. "It's called Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots, and in it author Sharon Lovejoy shared the concept of an edible garden filled with tasty treats that kids could pluck off the plant and pop right into their mouths." Keep reading to find out how to build your own snacking garden.
Source: Sweet Happy Life
Jenni Kayne is not only a successful fashion designer and one of the founders of chic kid street-style site Ladys & Gents. She's also a mom to two little ones, including Tanner, who recently celebrated a birthday!
"For Tanner's fourth birthday, all he wanted was a pirate party," Jenni says. "We all channeled our inner pirate, which made the party that much more festive! I loved seeing all the kids in their adorable costumes. Most importantly, Tanner had so much fun and has been sleeping with a pirate's chest ever since." Check out all the highlights (tons of pirate-inspired decor, a face painter, and even the "real" Jack Sparrow), all of which, of course, have a hip spin thanks to Tanner's superstylish mama!
Once you've made the decision to bring pint-size guests to a wedding, it's in your best interest (and theirs!) to keep them occupied with kid-friendly activities beyond cake, dancing, and bride watching. We've rounded up some amazing wedding activities just for kids, including scavenger hunts and I Spy, outdoor games, and favor kits that might just keep kiddos at the table during dinner. Keep clicking to check them all out!
Forget light pink and baby blue! We're loving the combination of bold red and aqua used in this baby-carriage-inspired shower, thrown by Maja Ristevska of Sugar Coated Candy & Dessert Buffets. "The baby shower was inspired by the fact that Kat, the mother-to-be, left the gender of her child a surprise and wanted her favorite color, red, to be incorporated into the baby shower," Maja says. "Her baby shower was hosted by Donna, her lovely mother-in-law, who came up with the baby carriage idea." Maja took those marching orders and created a stylish, gender-neutral shower with sweet treats and a bold color scheme. "I think it works perfectly for a different take on a gender-neutral baby shower," she says. We agree, and you will, too, after you check out the awesome details!
Want to show your appreciation for your baby shower largesse? Check out these adorable thank-you notes, all unique enough to show your gratefulness. From adorable floral postcards (believe us, when you have dozens of notes to write, less space is a good thing) to baby stationery that will take your lil one through his first birthday, these thank-yous will inspire some serious appreciation. Keep clicking to find your favorite.
The humble cookie might have been displaced by the cake pop as every party's favorite individually sized treat, but we found 16 reasons why you should take a second look at the classic dessert when planning a modern, stylish baby shower. From cute cookies shaped like baby animals and shower gift staple Sophie the Giraffe to classic cookies displayed and decorated in wholly new ways, these cookies are sure to provide some baby shower inspiration!
Maternity wear and bridesmaids dresses are probably the two most notoriously not-so-cute fashion categories out there, so adding them together might seem like a recipe for disaster. Luckily, as the following nine finds from Amsale, Jenny Yoo, twobirds, and more prove, there are some shockingly stylish maternity bridesmaids dresses out there. Some are made just for moms-to-be, while others are cut wide enough to accommodate your growing belly. Now if you can only convince the bride to pick one . . .
If there's one thing that most of our favorite baby showers and parties have in common, it's that they have amazing dessert tables. A place to really pull together a theme, present a beautiful backdrop, and just delight your guests with inventive treats, the dessert table has become a chic party standard. Need some inspiration for your baby shower's dessert display? We found 16 amazing sweet tables that feature creative ideas as tempting as the yummy treats that lie on top. Keep clicking to find the sweet table that speaks to you.
Disney Junior introduced hit new series Sofia the First earlier this year, and it quickly became the channel's highest-rated show (sorry, Mickey). But Sofia might be getting some competition starting Monday, April 15, when Henry Hugglemonster makes its debut at 5 p.m. At least one toddler (my daughter) thinks Henry is the coolest monster to ever hit the small screen, and just to prove her allegiance, she watched my 22-minute preview episode a record 15 times over the course of three days (mostly during a road trip; I'm not that crazy of a mother!).
So what makes fun-loving, 5-year-old Henry so addictive? I'm guessing the combination of bold-colored, silly-looking monster characters, fun sayings (everything in Henry's world is "Hugglerific" and "Roarsome"), and sweet story lines that focus on the close bond between the Hugglemonster family, which consists of Henry, Momma, Daddo, big sister Summer, older brother Cobby, and baby Ivor. Grandparents Nan-oh and Grando also make guest appearances. Family dynamics and support are a huge focus of the show, but we also see the Hugglemonsters interacting with their neighbors and friends in the town of Roarsville, a friendly community that's home to a variety of species of monsters.
Look for Isabella Roarson (voiced by Spice Girls' Geri Halliwell), a spirited and popular monster pop star; the Enormomonsters, a family of very large monsters including Ernest, Ernestine (voiced by Atonement's Brenda Blethyn), and their daughter Estelle; and Denzel Dugglemonster, Henry's best friend who has scoop-shaped hands that are perfect for digging.
Whether Henry is trying to help his baby brother, Ivor, get to sleep or asking his sister, Summer, for help, the show is all about optimism, persistence, and teamwork, great lessons for toddlers — and their parents, now that I think about it. Add in the upbeat songs found in each episode (Momma Hugglemonster often plays the piano and Summer is a budding singer and dancer), and you have a recipe for kid success. Check out Henry Hugglemonster on Monday, and let us know if your kids are as obsessed as ours are!
Source: Disney Junior
We've been obsessed with Wiley Valentine's gorgeous paper products from first sight (one of our editors even hired the company make her wedding invitations!), so it's no surprise that we're over the moon about the adorable baby shower thrown for Wiley Valentine cofounder Emily Owen by her business partner and friend, Rachelle Schwartz.
"When I found out Emily was pregnant and then found out it was a girl, I was so over-the-moon excited. And then began the shower planning, almost immediately!" Rachelle says. "Emily's style is understated vintage with tiny hints of whimsy. She absolutely adores animals, so I knew we had to incorporate animals into the shower. Also she really is not a 'shower game' person, so rather than doing games, we had interactive stations such as the tea bar and the DIY mobile station." There are so many inspirational elements of this shower, including a gorgeous backdrop, laser-cut animals, and, of course, the awesome Wiley Valentine invitations (all beautifully captured by photographer Andrea Patricia). Keep clicking to see them all!
Whether you're attempting to conceal your hint of a belly or flaunting a third-trimester baby bump, being a pregnant bride is no excuse not to look and feel fabulous. Luckily, there are plenty of great maternity wedding options for the bride-to-be who's also a mom-to-be. Check out these 12 gorgeous wedding dresses; there's something for every style, from the laid-back beach ceremony to the black-tie affair.
Whether you're planning a Spring getaway or getting prepped for a fun Summer in the sun, your little ones probably need a swimsuit update, and Stella Cove is the place to get it. Stella Cove's swimwear collection for children (you'll find suits in sizes for kids from 12 months to 14 years old) is full of bright, whimsical graphics — ballet flats, rubber duckies, skulls, headphones, and grapefruits are just some of our favorites — that will ensure your little one is the beach's best dressed kid. Bikinis, swimsuits for boys and girls, rash guards, and cool cover-ups make up the chic selection, which is as stylish as it is eco-friendly. All the suits are oekotex certified; meaning Stella Cove uses no harmful chemicals in the fabric. Check out some of our favorites from the line now — and moms, take note: Stella Cove also offers some super stylish grown-up designs that might inspire you to add to your own swimwear wardrobe, as well!
When it comes to baby shower invites, there is no shortage of adorableness. Simply take a peek at Minted and Tiny Prints, and you'll already be overwhelmed by the many sweet options. But if your run-of-the-mill, available-to-anyone baby shower invitation just won't do, the following 17 invitations are sure to provide some original inspiration. From invites introducing some superspecial shower themes to those printed on balloons, wooden baby blocks, and even cloth diapers, these shower invitations are designed to wow.
Classic children's books seem to have a knack for inspiring adorable baby showers, and this event, thrown for Katie Vowels, the creative talent behind Katrina Louise Photography and now mom to baby girl Rowan, proves it!
"I love to read, and my sisters-in-law used that to build a classic storybook theme," Katie says. "My husband's twin sister drew illustrations of favorite story characters for the invitations and then framed those to hang in our daughter's nursery. The first illustration was the Velveteen Rabbit, which my sister-in-law read from at our wedding ceremony! They picked fun, bright colors, and my mom even created a book garland to hang in the tent."
We love how this shower put a modern spin on classic kids' books by incorporating glitter, girlie colors, and even a DIY onesie decorating station. Keep clicking to check out all the storybook-perfect details.
We're suckers for beautiful calligraphy . . . and for sweet sayings . . . and for metallic paper goods. So it's no surprise that we're totally going gaga for the new baby and kids' line from Lindsay Letters. The artist is known for her work on weddings, but her foray into the children's arena is equally enchanting.
Her collection, with pieces that start at just $5 (!), includes art prints and canvases, digital downloads, baby shower invitations, stamps, and stationery, all of which feature her signature whimsical hand lettering. Sweet prints declaring "Olive You" and "I'll Eat You Up, I Love You So" would fit in perfectly in a nursery (they'd also work as baby shower decor), throwback fill-in-the-blank baby shower invitations take a retro idea into modern day, and "Sweet Baby" stationery would work as a baby shower thank-you or as a baby announcement. Keep clicking to check out some of our favorite designs among Lindsay Letters' new collection.
