As the world expands and business changes, people move farther and more often. This can lead to expectant parents living far away from their family and friends. Therefore, what is a baby shower hostess to do? Actually, several options exist to help the family celebrate the new addition over the long distance.
1. Go online. The easiest and most modern possibility is the online baby shower. Even within this choice there are options. You could open a chat room for the baby shower where friends and family can leave messages of well wishes for the parents-to-be. The parents can post ultrasound pictures and thank you notes for gifts and sentiments.
2. Online, part B. For the technologically savvy, an online live-feed baby shower is an option. With this, the gifts would be sent to the parents ahead of time, and the guests and parents would log onto the website at a prearranged time. Then, the parents and the guests would be able to chat and laugh in real time as the new parents opened their gifts.
3. Baby Shower in a Box. For this, the hostess would package all of the elements of a baby shower together - sweets, gifts, balloons, decorations, and a signed guest book. The parents-to-be may not be able to throw a traditional baby shower, but at least they would know that their friends were thinking of them.
4. Surprise! The hostess could take the money and effort that would normally go into throwing a baby shower and instead give the parents-to-be a get-away weekend. A gift certificate to a fancy restaurant and hotel reservations can provide the couple with a much needed mini-vacation before the baby arrives.
5. Video. Often at baby showers, the designated camera person roams the party soliciting on screen well-wishes from the guests. Just because they parents-to-be live far away does not mean they have to miss out on this! The hostess can shoot video of everyone who would have been invited to a traditional baby shower, then send it to the parents. The expectant couple will no doubt adore this sentimental and loving gesture from home.
6. Reverse Video. With this, the hostess makes sure that all of the gifts have been sent to the parents-to-be by a certain time. The expectant family then opens the gifts on camera and the video is either sent back home or posted online for all of the "guests" to view.
However the friends and family of the parents-to-be choose to celebrate the new baby, the family far from loved ones will greatly appreciate the sentiment and effort. As long as the wishes are from the heart, then the child will feel welcomed and loved.