Theme Idea 3: Tea for Two Shower
All babies aren’t the same, and neither are all showers. Sometimes the very simplest of plans is the best and only way to proceed. The Tea for Two Shower embraces the idea of showering a mom-to-be with affection and a present or two, without the hoopla and chaos of the bigger, bolder parties.
This shower theme is perfect for an officemate, an out-of-town girlfriend, or a mommy-in-waiting who has been confined to bed rest. With very little notice, and even less formal planning, this shower can spring up anywhere, at any time, for any budget, and still be something to remember.
Menu Ideas and Venue Options
For starters, select a venue — easy since the guest list is you. Choose a favorite restaurant, a local coffee house or tea room, your living room, her bedside, either kitchen — wherever it is most convenient. Décor should be at a minimum if at all — a bud vase and matching napkins, and perhaps a nice view are all that is needed.
Since the goal of the shower is to be portable, consider Chinese takeout, a Japanese bento box, or Thai pizza to go. If you are bringing the shower to mom, a bento box is a great solution to serving take-out food with style; it contains samples of several types of food, such as teriyaki chicken, steamed rice, pickled ginger, and edamame in neat compartments. You can order bento boxes and fill them yourself or have them prepared to go from your favorite local restaurant.
Although Japanese in origin, you can even serve up an Italian pasta or antipasto medley in these stylish containers. Complete the meal presentation with bottled green ice tea or the Green Mint Mar-tea-ni, and serve moshi ice cream for dessert. These frozen confections are made from bite-sized servings of green tea ice cream wrapped in a sticky rice paste. They come in pale green and pink.
The Perfect Activity and the Perfect Gift
Essential
The Green Mint Mar-tea-ni is a teetotaler’s drink, but can be made with alcohol. For two drinks, use 10 mint leaves, 4 teaspoons of simple sugar syrup, 4 lime slices, 1 teaspoon of rum flavoring, 2 cups of hot green tea, and honey to taste. In a bowl, muddle (pound gently together) mint in simple syrup with lime slices. Add the rum flavoring, then pour steaming green tea on top. Sweeten with honey to taste, then chill and serve.
The “bump” has become fashionable, and pregnant women everywhere are reveling in their blossoming beauty. Immortalize the bump with a belly casting. It doesn’t require great skill, but there is a certain amount of disrobing that makes it less convenient in the presence of a crowd, thus making it the perfect activity for you and a girlfriend to share at home. It can also be a little messy, but most kits come with a drop cloth for easy cleanup.
Belly casting is done by placing overlapping strips of wet plaster and gauze across a mom’s Vaseline-coated belly and torso. When the plaster has set, the result is an impression of the pregnant belly that will be a lasting memento of this special time. The cast can be displayed as is or painted or decorated.
Belly-casting kits are available online and in stores. They are nontoxic, safe to use on the new mom, and take only thirty minutes to make. Grab some magazines or a favorite movie to entertain yourselves while you wait for the plaster to dry. The best part is that the belly cast is also the perfect gift. What a wonderful way to celebrate motherhood, and welcome baby!
