The darling decorations, the platter of pretty sweets, the perfectly polished nappy cake, the assortment of baby-themed games – there is so much to love about a baby shower!
But with the current social gathering restrictions, thousands of expecting mums are feeling the disappointment of having their baby showers cancelled, or at least scaled back immensely.
Virtual baby showers to the rescue!Â
The good news for mums-to-be is that there are plenty of fun ways to celebrate your baby bundles, even if you can’t have a big gathering at your home or a venue.
Here’s how to host a virtual baby shower that sprinkles your guests with goodies and showers the mum-to-be with lots of love and well wishes for the exciting new chapter she’s about to embark on.
Win a platter of pressies
But wait, there’s more. SOOOOO much more. A whole baby store full of more, in fact.
Thanks to the amazing generosity of a number of baby brands, we’ve got an entire baby shower worth of gifts to bestow on one lucky mum-to-be. And these baby shower gifts are AH-MAZING.
A high chair, a baby monitor, a carrier, sleepwear, baby shoes and plenty more goodies too. This is one of our biggest giveaways of 2020 and we cannot wait to spoil one lucky mummy with it ALL!
Check out our top tips for hosting a virtual baby shower and our hot picks for all your baby needs.
How to Host a Virtual Baby ShowerÂ
Step 1: Choose the date and online platform
First, you want to plan for a time that works for family and friends for a video chat. There are loads of video conference platforms, but Zoom is our favourite. You will need a subscription if you plan on hosting a long chat or can use it for free if you keep the call under 40 minutes (which is plenty of time for a virtual baby shower).
Step 2: Make an event (or send out invites)
Consider starting a Facebook event to let friends know of the party details. Or, go with the traditional route and design your own baby shower invites to mail to the guests.
Step 3: Make Baby Shower Bags
This is where it gets fun. Once you’ve got the number of people who will be attending, it’s time to make Baby Shower Bags for each guest.
What do you put in each bag? Some sweet treats, baby shower party favours, perhaps some confetti, baby-themed games to play over Zoom such as Baby Bingo, a mini bottle of champers, and a thank you note. You can customise these as you see fit.
Step 4: Theme and decorate
Just because no one is physically at your house doesn’t mean you can’t doll up your living space – balloon garlands, rows of bunting, crepe paper and whatever else you fancy. There are loads of online stores happy to ship party supplies to your door so you don’t need to leave the house.
Step 5: Add a fancy dress elementÂ
Take your baby shower up a notch by asking your guests to dress the part, even if its something simple. Some ideas? Pink and Blue (guests dress in either pink or blue depending on what gender they think baby will be), Dress as Something Starting With the Letter B (for baby) or Nautical (Ahoy it’s a Boy!).
Step 6: Create a Gift List
Register at your favourite online baby store. Â It’s up to you if you want to open the gifts onscreen or not. If so, then you’ll need your guests to drop the gift off (or mail them) to you.
Be sure to also check below for our top picks for beautiful baby shower gifts from our favourite baby brands including Owlet, Stokke, ergoPouch and Tommee Tippee.
Step 7: Order (or bake) your sweet treats
Individual cupcakes, slices, mini quiche and tarts work a treat as they can be placed to a small box and added to your guest’s Baby Shower Bags.
Step 8: Deliver Baby Shower Bags or, better still, do a drive-by pick-up
You can deliver your Baby Shower Bags to your guests a day or two before the party, or, you can ask them to pick up the party favours in the morning of the party. This is a great way to still get that face-to-face interaction from your guests.
Allow guests to drive over for a social distance chat, put their names down a baby due date pool, drop a gift off and pick up the Baby Shower Bag to use later in the day when the party begins.
Just be sure to stagger the guest visits!
Step 9: Pretty up Zoom
One of the things we love about using Zoom is that you can add virtual backgrounds for each guest. Simply choose an image you like and follow the instructions below:
To choose a virtual background,  Click the “^” symbol, which appears next to the “Join Video” button. Then click “Choose Virtual Background”. and select theYou can also download your own backgrounds and upload them. Simply select the “+” symbol and go to your downloads folder to upload it to Zoom.
Top Picks for Baby Shower Gifts
Give mum everything she needs (and more) with these ten amazing baby shower gifts. And remember to scroll down and enter for your chance to WIN them all.
1. Tripp Trapp® Chair plus Baby SetÂ
Bring baby to the dining table and closer to the family with Stokke’s adjustable and iconic Tripp Trapp® Chair. The Tripp Trapp® Chair is highly sought after by parents all over the world due to its intelligent design. While it grows with your child from birth to adulthood with the many accessories available, it is also extremely comfortable, durable, ergonomic and pretty enough to use in any room. In addition to a wide variety of chair colours, styles and accessories, Stokke Australia also offers complimentary Tripp Trapp® chair engraving online. Why not gift an engraved Tripp Trapp® for a long-lasting impression? What a beautiful gift for mum and bub!
BUY NOW: You can find out more about the amazing Tripp Trapp® collection through the Stokke Australia website. The Tripp Trapp® Chair retails at $349 and the Baby Set at $99. Did you know that Stokke Australia pledge to plant one tree for every Tripp Trapp sold, to help reforest Australia after the devastating bushfires?
2. Owlet Smart Sock + Cam
One of our top picks for baby monitors, the Owlet Smart Sock + Cam involves two devices – a Smart Sock that uses pulse oximetry to track the baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels, plus a Camera that lets you see, hear and speak to your baby. Additional features include constant video monitoring, a two-way chat function, and live streaming from anywhere.
BUY NOW: The Owlet Cam retails for $279.99 while the Owlet Smart Sock is worth $479.99. You can buy them together or separately. Get free standard delivery on Smart Sock orders with AfterPay available. Also includes a 45-day peace of mind guarantee.
3. Baby Dink Organic Baby Carrier
Made with the knowledge of a team of experts, BabyDink is ideal for the current pandemic as many doctors are recommending mums wear baby close rather than use a pram for safety purposes.
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BUY NOW: Choose from Rose, Black, Grey Marle or Lunar, all $159 and a perfect gift for any mum-to-be. BabyDink also has a Kickstarter running where you can make a pledge and receive discounts on Baby Dink products, exclusive prints and extras not available on their website.
4. Go Envi Nappy BackpackÂ
A sporty go-to for mum and dad, the Skip Hop Go Envi Eco-Friendly Nappy Backpack is packed with sustainable style (and lots of extras). Made from recycled plastic bottles, this baby bag is durable, lightweight and holds a tonne. Even better? They tucked a reusable food tower inside to add to the earth-conscious design.
BUY NOW: You can pick up the Go Envi at The Stork Nest for $199.
5. Tommee Tippee Essentials Starter SetÂ
Bottle feed with ease with this essentials kit, which comes with eight award-winning Closer to Nature bottles (as close to the breast as you can get!), an electric bottle and food warmer and the Steri-steam Electric Steriliser. All of these items are musts for mums who plan to bottle feed or express breast milk. The Steri-Steam Electric steriliser, which can sterilise up to six bottles in just 5 minutes, kills 99.9% of germs which is definitely ideal, especially in the current pandemic and with cold and flu season coming up.
BUY NOW: Head to the Gro Store and pick up the Essentials Starter Set for $224.95 – that’s $25 off RRP.
6. Softly Summer Playmat
More than just a baby play mat, these playmats are absolutely gorgeous and great for all kinds of play, from tummy time to tumbling, from messy play to meditation and everything in between. Great for exercise, yoga or snuggles on the floor, they are also easy to clean, waterproof, reversible, non-toxic, hypoallergenic and super squishy.
BUY NOW: Get your own padded play mat for your active family. They come in three versatile sizes – large for your living space, small for a nursery and also round to fit those other spaces – prices start at $109 for small and $179.95 for large.
7. Ergopouch Newborn Pack
The ergoPouch Newborn range is the perfect gift for any new mum. We adore the Newborn Hospital Pack which features a 1.0 TOG Cocoon Swaddle Bag and 0.2 TOG Layer, both made with a deliciously soft, skin-friendly Organic Cotton, and safe-sleep approved.
The Butterfly Cardi is another great tool for swaddling and is used to ease the transition from arms-in-to-arms-out sleeping. Included with every purchase is a FREE room thermometer and dressing guide to help new parents dress their child safely and comfortably for sleep.
BUY NOW: Shop the whole range exclusively online at ergopouch.com.au First time customers will save 10% by signing up to ergoPouch’s newsletter.
8. Braun ThermoScan®7 Ear ThermometerÂ
The Braun ThermoScan® 7 comes with rave reviews plus a number of features you want in a thermometer. One of our favourites is the AgeSmart™ technology which allows you to select the age of your child to help ensure the fever definition is as accurate as possible. It’s easy-to-use and the go-to for countless mums when fever strikes. As fever is one of the first signs of a virus, including COVID-19, having a thermometer at hand is absolutely essential.
BUY NOW: You can pick up your own Braun ThermoScan® 7 at Chemist Warehouse for $120.99, more than $30 off the RRP. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
9. Cetaphil Hamper for Mum and Bub
We adore Cetaphil Baby products. They have been specially formulated for healthy baby skin development and include key ingredients and botanicals to support and protect infants’ skin. Plus the products are mineral oil-free, soap-free, hypoallergenic and paraben-free. Look for Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash ($8.65), Shampoo ($7.65), Massage Oil ($7.65), Daily Lotion ($10.70) and Gentle Wash & Shampoo (from $8.65).
BUY NOW: You can find selected Cetaphil Baby products at Woolworths supermarket or pick up the entire range at Chemist Warehouse.
10. Ggomoosin Baby Shoes
Get ready to OOH and NAWWW over these adorable baby shoes from Ggomoosin Australia. They are great for everywhere (indoors, outdoors, beach, pool) and come in so many cute styles that it’s impossible not to want to buy ALL of them. Flexible, natural, lightweight, machine washable, slip-resistant, breathable and easy to get on and off, they are the perfect shoe for pre-walkers. The patented unique ‘Air Pocket’ between the sock layer and sole provides extra cushion and prevents sweaty baby feet for superior comfort and breathability.
BUY NOW: Browse the adorable range at Ggomoosin and discover one of the best shoes in the market for Pre-Walkers. They start at $34.99 a pair and are a great investment for bub.
SPECIAL OFFER:Â SAVE 20% STOREWIDE using code MUMCEN20. Offer ends on 15 May 2020.
So there you go – 9 easy steps for hosting a virtual baby shower, plus 10 amazing baby shower gifts from 10 amazing brands. Which one would you love the most?
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Thank you