Our DIY baby shower #MnemeOnTheWay

I don’t usually write about my birthdays or other celebrations because they weren’t so much except from simple snacks and dinner with family and friends. Yep. this is our first time organizing an event for around 40 people (42 expected, 38 actual).

I honestly didn’t expect many would come, so sorry if the venue was too small for you, guys. I thought many would say “ay pass muna!” but no, most of you were there and you even brought wonderful gifts. Thanks for being a part of my life, and joining me on this new chapter.

People who know me think I am artsy and that this DIY party was an easy task. Well let me share you the pros and cons I encountered on organizing this event:

• Cheaper than reserving a function hall and catering services BUT more expensive than you will ever expect (lalo na OC ako minsan, and of course you can’t avoid all unnecessary things so lagi akong stressed deep inside. lol)
• The only limit in designing  and styling was my imagination (and budget, tbh)
• Stress! Lack of time made me overthink things like “hala magustuhan kaya nila to?” “hala, ang pangit nakakahiya”. That was MY party why do I even overthink things like those?!

Venue + theme + decors

I really didn’t have any idea how to organize a party for a large group. they say I’m artsy and that I would nail this DIY party but tbh, I didn’t feel it was perfect until I saw my guests having fun. At first, I just thought “ah gusto ko magpa-baby shower”, not thinking of the gifts and all, just the presence of all the people closest to me and seeing them in one room. Last ko na kasi to so pagbigyan nyo na ko!

I decided to have a Greek-themed party (OMG I don’t have a good shot of the pillars) as we were also revealing Toyo’s real name. Plus we added a majority of pink to highlight the gender (BABY GIRL! Though Mneme’s color was actually green lol). And decided to have a three to four-hour cozy party on the floor to maximize the place (which made the room more colorful than we planned). We had blankets bought from Surplus and Divisoria for around 100php each. I recommend the ones from Divi cos they’re softer than how you think it would be (for a cheaper price) + it’s not mainit sa katawan so cozy sya to use sa bedroom maybe even during summer. (Lol let me try.)

This party didn’t go as planned. I promise I have a better idea in mind! So yes, lesson learned, plan everything ahead of time – even more than a month! Good thing, mukha naming nag enjoy ang mga besh sa party. So yes, abangan nyo yung susunod na pa-party ni Toyang. (Hala sya nawili ang nanay.) But it was really fun DIY-ing a party. You can actually do everything you want, and everyone will adjust + your guests will  truly appreciate the effort.

Thanks soooo much to my kapamilyas for the support and effort on the decors, food, and all. My brother for the pillars, my sister, for Mneme’s cute art made by Papemelroti, my other sis for the sweet treats, my mom for the best snacks ever, my dad for the venue, and of course, one of my bestest friends, Robert, for leading the program.

Food + drinks

This part made me the most excited – the food booth. We decided to have some of my favorites from my mom’s recipes for a usual handaan – baked macaroni, chicken lollipop, and barbeque plus my sister’s recipe of lumpiang shanghai. I also ordered some customized cupcakes from Glazed by Mariella (We had their cake when for Atty. Monette’s despedida and I looooved it. Thanks, Atty. Kat for the recommendation!) and we added some treats from  Brownies Unlimited (my forever fave!) and Shakey’s. Also, special thanks to my sister, Noreen, for the fruits, and drinks, and the #effort for the sweet treats.

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Party favors + activities + games + prizes

We gave bath puffs to everyone, and we had bath milk and salt, washcloths, toothpaste tubes, and hand sanitizers as game prizes.

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So what were the games we made them play?

• Left right game – to have interactions among the groups, I started the program with this game with a twist. With a set of instructions, we had a balloon we passed along each other. Instead of getting a prize, the last one holding the balloon had to put it inside his shirt and look like a preggy mom for the entire event. Damay damay na to!
• Who Knows Mommy – my sister prepared few questions about me. I’m honestly “shookt” most of them were answered correctly.
• Baby Chug – beer in a feeding bottle!
• Design-A-Onesie

Hoomans

I invited my closest friends from different circles, and it’s really nice to see them all in one place. Plus, who knew a new incoming baby would be the reason for a this grand get-together?

Tips on organizing a DIY party

Not yet perfect, but I’m proud we handled our first party for myself and Toyo well. I have a different project for now, but secretly planning for Toyo’s next events. Here are some tips I’d like to share for those who are interested on organizing a party themselves:

• Plan your party ahead of time (maybe around 6-8 weeks ahead, depending of what kind of party you will be hosting, i.e. large or small group, DIY or catered, etc.)
• Pinterest is a good friend! If you’re running out of ideas, brainstorm with Pinterest in your hand.
• Send invitations at least 4 weeks before the event. Give your guests enough time to prepare.
• Prep for the entertainment! I didn’t hire a performer, but I have friends who can sing and play music. Plus, I prepared mini games as well.