Baby Showers on a Budget? Simple Menu Ideas

I have a confession: I’m addicted to Pinterest.

The mother to be unwrapping gifts at her baby shower.

I’ve actually put a personal ban on using the site because what starts as a five minute check-in turns into a five hour vortex of lost productivity. So when I was recently planning a baby shower and trying to stick to a strict budget, it was tough not to immediately fire up my Web browser and head for the land of lost time. I’m not alone, either. Several of my friends – when I asked them for tips – just referred me back to the forbidden site. So I had to get creative.

The good news? Time was on my side. I had more than a month to plan and prepare. I did a lot of (occasionally productive) Googling and found tons of extravagant ideas, but many of the resources I thought would be useful ended up being fluffy and useless. I eventually decided to do it on my own.

I happen to have a pantry full of fine china that I rarely if ever use, so I decided to skip paper products altogether. I dusted off the dessert plates, serving ware, tea cups and crystal and decided to keep it a classy, afternoon affair. Best of all, I found these super cute miniature porcelain tea cups and these adorable stainless-steel tea infusers to give away as baby shower favors.

These mini china tea cups are the perfect baby shower favor for an Afternoon Tea Themed Party.

This cute tea infuser is another great option for a baby shower favor for an English Afternoon Tea Party.

By hosting a Sunday afternoon tea party I knew I would save money and be kinder to the mom-to-be and here’s why:

• No need to serve an entire meal. Big savings here.
• The party would take place between lunch and dinner, so fewer supplies were needed.
• Since the lady of honor wouldn’t be drinking alcohol, the party would be dry. Again, big savings here.
• For decorations, I posted baby pictures of the mom- and dad-to-be around the house so everyone could get a good laugh.
• I only needed to provide enough food to keep people busy between the baby shower games. By keeping the focal point of the party the social interaction, I could keep the menu limited.
• I followed up on RSVPs so I had an accurate headcount and didn’t prepare too much food.

So, did I stick to my budget? You bet! I didn’t have to buy any paper products, and the novelty ones get expensive quite quickly. For drinks I served an assortment of hot teas, infused water and a sparkling fruit punch (in a pitcher, not a bowl). I figured that by offering a variety of teas I could cover anyone who didn’t like the cold beverages and there wouldn’t be any waste since I’d use the tea eventually, anyway.

For food, I skipped the kitschy, baby-themed foods, in favor of playing silly themed games. It was easy: I just selected the games I liked, downloaded, and printed them.  I made my own vegetable platter and served it with Ranch dip and hummus. I made my own hummus, (I do this all the time) but store bought is quite reasonable and tastes great, too. A block of sharp cheddar cheese, jack cheese and two types of crackers made for a nice display of easy-to-eat foods. Lastly, I did a platter of sweets. I can bake simple items, so I made bite-sized peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies. In the center of the dessert platter was my piece-de-resistance: chocolate peanut-butter no bake cookies from FoodNetwork.com.

In the end, we had a great party without too many leftovers and while I had some dishes to do, it was worth it to celebrate a great friend and stick to my budget!