LilSugar

Couples Cocktail Party: Food and Beverages

LilSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:00:22 -0700

Like any other fete, there should be ample food at a couples cocktail party and of course, a signature drink to wash the nibbles down.

Ask the bartender to concoct a beverage that reflects both the baby and the parents-to-be. If the nursery is in shades of pink and the father-to-be is a fan of Stoli, perhaps a renamed vodka cran fits the bill. Or if the soon-to-be mama used to sip on champagne and orange juice, go for a "mom"osa. And, of course make sure there's a delicious mocktail version for the expectant guest of honor.

For more edible ideas, read more.

Set up a table of prepared eats so guests can serve themselves and you can enjoy the soirée, too. Italian food is always a nice option since Caprese salad on skewers, spicy meatballs, focaccia squares, stuffed mushrooms, and cozzi are all crowd pleasers.

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Couples Cocktail Party: Decor

babysugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:00:00 -0700

I love couples showers because they give men, especially the papa–to–be, a chance to bask in the pregnancy spotlight.

And generally, the showers are like any other festive affair - just with an additional purpose - celebrating an impending arrival.

To see how to make a couples shower cute to boot, read more.

If you're hosting a couples shower at your residence, it is easy to dress up your home for the occasion.

Enlist parents of the mom and pop–to–be and ask them to send you baby pictures of the expectant pair. Make copies of the adorable photos and place them around the entertaining rooms for friends to enjoy during cocktails.

And speaking of drinks, instead of using bowls, fill up some baby bottles with candy or peanuts and place them next to the festive napkins at the bar.

As with most parties, you'll probably have food to balance out the alcohol. Instead of bringing in flowers for a centerpiece, buy a pregnant wire form and tie a pretty ribbon around her empire waist.

An odd way to celebrate new life, the tradition is to smoke a cigar upon the birth of a baby. Keep things clean and healthy by offering up pink and blue bubble gum cigars to your guests. I'd be willing to bet they'd be more popular than the authentic ones anyway.

Baby Bubble Gum Cigars ($11)

Pregnant Dress Form ($17)

Pink Zebra Placesettings and Cocktail Napkins

Couples Cocktail Party: Invitations

babysugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Move over carriages and baby bottles, we're throwing a baby shower for guys and gals to attend this week. Many friends of first-time parents are often still single and sometimes weirded out by the fact that their buddy is about to have a babe. Starting with the invitation, set the tone for this celebration with a twist.

To see what party invitations I recommend, read more.

Choose something that appeals to both sexes, but that still screams baby. These concert tickets make great invites combining the perfect amount of playfulness and all the necessary details.

On the invitation be sure to include where baby is registered – especially for those, ahem, clueless bachelors. And if you're hosting the event at a restaurant or bar, include an ending time so the mama-to-be won't be obligated to party all night!

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Shared Postpartum Rooms

LilSugar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:00:52 -0700

Most women are no holds barred when giving birth - some scream, others go silent and 75 percent poop during delivery. Regardless of the antics, no one focuses on anything other than the baby making its debut. Hospitals normally offer spacious birthing rooms for expectant ladies to labor in that fit the father and anyone else the couple wants to invite to witness the arrival. But once the newborn has been welcomed into the world, the family is usually moved to smaller postpartum accommodations. In my experience, the basic quarters included a bed, a futon type piece of furniture for the dad, space to roll up the babe's bassinet, a couple of chairs and an in-suite bathroom. Though it was a tight squeeze with nurses shuffling in and out, the peace of a private room gave my husband and me time to bond with our infant and visit with relatives and friends.

Our hospital only offers single rooms so I was surprised to learn that many mommies spend their children's first days of life with roommates! I'm a big believer in the more, the merrier - except in this situation. I recall asking my husband to toss my catheter bag behind the table before guests arrived, sprinkling blood across the floor as I made my way towards the shower and having my diaper ice packs changed after enduring a pretty intense tear. While these things are part of motherhood, they made me a bit woozy and I can't imagine having to worry about my bunk mate and her baby's feelings. Would sharing a postpartum room bother you?

Got a few other secrets that you learned the hard way? Come dish with us on all the things your mama forgot to tell you in our Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me group over in our LilSugar community!

Source: Flickr User Emery Co Photo

Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun With Twin Diaper Cakes!

babysugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:00:36 -0700

It's multiple mania here at Sugar! After sending queen Sugar on her way to deliver a healthy baby girl, we showered our own LilSugar in bright floral style. The only thing that could outdo those diaper cakes would be TWO of them. More babies mean more festivities and that includes the decorations. Instead of making one grand centerpiece, I opted to make a couple of smaller ones to send our ShopStyle girl off in, well, style!

To see more photos and a detailed explanation on how to make the pair of "pastries," read more.

The party hostess chose the theme and ribbons of pink and black as the mother-to-be is expecting twin daughters and works for our fab group, ShopStyle. Instead of stuffing the base full of diapers, I chose to build around two sparkling bottles of pink champagne that will give the mom some extra incentive to push through labor. Folding each diaper in half, I packed them in a circle and tied them with a thick black grosgrain ribbon. Next, I began to make the second layer and wrapped it with the fleur de lis ribbon. For the top of the cake, I took one diaper and wrapped it tightly around the neck of the bottle and cinched it with the last piece of pink grosgrain ribbon. Instead of a regular cake platter, we placed the cakes on basket weaved platters. To finish the look, take two yards of tulle and tie it up top with a bow. Mommy will be delighted that the twins are already keeping their own identities separate and she'll have twice as many diapers!

* If you do not have a cake plate, you can use a cardboard box as the base. To make it more attractive, wrap it in tissue or adorned paper for an adorable and eco-friendly platter.

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Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley to Adopt Baby Girl!

LilSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:52:53 -0700

Add one more mama to the Grey's Anatomy cast! Katherine Heigl and her husband Josh Kelley are adopting a baby girl! The couple will welcome a 10-month-old daughter named Nayleigh from Korea. The actress, 30, recently hosted Ellen Pompeo's shower, so it looks like everything will be coming up babies on the medical drama's set.

Jennifer Hudson Reportedly Expecting First Child!

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:05:59 -0700

One of Hollywood's sweetest voices may be moving to lullabies from the soul tunes that made her a star. Jennifer Hudson and fiancé David Otunga are said to have feted their upcoming bundle of joy with family and friends at a Chicago baby shower this weekend. Congratulations to the quietly expecting couple!

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Camps For Every Type of Camper

LilSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:00:00 -0700

When Joaquin Phoenix became an unintentional astronaut in Space Camp what child didn't pack their bags and ask their parents to sign them up? For nature lovers there are log cabin camps with mess halls and communal showers. For the youngster destined to take the stage as a triple threat there are getaways that offer vocal, dance and acting lessons. Talk to your child about what type of overnight camp best fits their interest and then get planning. We've rounded up a couple of fun options to get the conversation going.

Space Camp: Every child of the '80s watched Space Camp and dreamed of hopping aboard the next space shuttle. The real Space Camp isn't quite as adventuresome, but does offer future astronauts the opportunity to try out a simulator and see what life is like on the International Space Station. The weeklong camp also allows kids to pick a specialty area and build their own robots or learn to fly an F-15 fighter jet.
Equestrian Camp: There are a number of horseback riding camps that teach everything from basic horsemanship to specialty riding classes. Many are set up like dude ranches with a western feel about them, while others are more general camps – offering arts and crafts, swimming and athletics – in addition to their focus on horses.
Sailing Camp: Sailing camps tend to include a number of water sports like water skiing, canoeing and tubing in addition to the boating experience. Though the focus of these camps is on the sailing experience – from basic seamanship to manning a one-person boat – they usually include a variety of outdoor activities to round out the experience.
Computer Camp: All those hours your youngster spends in front of the computer may actually prepare them for a future career. Computer camps put that interest to work and develop life-long skills as programming, languages and applications, as well as video games and web page design.
Dance Camp: Tots that like to tap their toes can choose from ballroom to tap, and ballet to hip hop camps that focus on technique, self-confidence and promotion.
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Baby's Wardrobe Items Defined

LilSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Babe arrives with a whole new set of lingo. At a couple's shower I attended recently, a few men in the room laughed and pondered the difference between terms like layette, onesie, and sleeper. In case you, too, are curious or confused, we've taken the time to define the infant basics.

Layette: A layette is simply a newborn’s first collection of clothing. While many stores will tell you how many layette items you need, the quantity should be determined by the frequency with which you will do the laundry.
Bunting: A bunting is a one-piece snowsuit for infants designed to keep them warm throughout the Winter months. Buntings usually have a hood and hand and foot covers to ensure that the baby is bundled up tight.
Burp Cloths: Usually placed over the shoulder or the thigh, burp cloths are used to protect an adult’s clothing from the spit-up that can accompany a postfeeding burp. Many people use traditional cloth diapers as burp cloths due to their highly absorbent nature.
Footies: Also known as stretchies, footies are extended onesies with distinct places for the feet. Footies tend to have snaps all the way up one of the legs in order to facilitate diaper changes.
Onesie: A onesie is a short-sleeved t-shirt that attaches at the crotch with either snaps or Velcro. The closure provides easy access for diaper changes.
Receiving Blankets: Sometimes called a swaddling blanket, receiving blankets are the thin cotton blankets babies are wrapped in to help them sleep.
Side-snap tees: Also known as kimono tops, these shirts are typically worn during a newborn’s first two weeks in order to prevent friction between the shirt and the umbilical cord. Once the umbilical cord falls off, most parents switch to onesies.
Sleepers: Sleepers are often apron-like garments made from blanket or fleece material that are used to keep babies warm at night. Given that blankets are not supposed to be placed in cribs, sleepers ensure that a baby is warm enough.

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Sibling Shower: Favors

LilSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:00:50 -0700

Once the sibling-to-be has been celebrated, the babes in blankets have been enjoyed and baby bingo has been played, it's time to bid the wee guests goodbye with a parting gift. In lieu of loot bags of plastic goodies, opt to tempt tots' taste buds with a crunchy chocolaty treat - hand dipped chocolate pretzel sticks.

This favor can be made up a couple of days in advance. Purchase pretzel rods, chocolate chips or disks and sprinkles. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, then dip the rods in the sweet partially covering them and then shake with colored sugar or sprinkles for a decorative touch. Place them on a greased baking sheet and allow them to firm up. After, portion a handful of the finished treats into cellophane bags and tie them off with a ribbon.

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Planning a baby shower? Check out the collection of adorable baby shower invitations we've created exclusively for pingg! pingg allows you to email invites to a guest list or print and mail, and send reminders via SMS, online, Facebook, Twitter and more!

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids!