I'm going to be an Aunt again!!!
It's been almost 6 years since there's been a new baby in the family so we're all a little excited over here. Excited because babies are obviously exciting and awesome. And excited because as an Aunt I get to enjoy all the baby cuddles and cuteness BUT without the sleepless nights and diapers. My sister and brother-in-law get to enjoy that part (LOL). Don't worry sis you'll do great and the brain fog from sleep deprivation combined with the emotional rollercoaster from postnatal hormones eventually dissipates. Many have gone before you and survived (some barely).
Did I mention you won't get much sleep in the beginning?
While my sister and brother-in-law still have their wits about them a baby shower was definitely in order. My sister looooves Halloween so it was only suitable that we throw a sweet Autumn/Halloween/Pumpkin themed baby shower. I don't recommend spooky baby showers. Spooking the mama-to-be could bring on early labor and change the whole dynamic of the party. Keep it sweet.
Naturally we turned to Pinterest for the Pinterest party perfect inspo and themes. Duh. Who else gets sucked into the black hole of Pinterest perfect backyards, Pinterest perfect vacation destinations, the Pinterest perfect wardrobe, Pinterest perfect hairstyles (which I will never have), and food? Don't forget the food. That's where I hang out a lot. You can find me here (waves and smiles).
So with a little help from many fellow bloggers and online creatives who are not only creative geniuses but have some serious skillz when it comes to decorating, creating themed food, and crafting baby shower games that can appease a co-ed guest list, the shower was fun and honored my sister and bro-in-law and their little pumpkin on the way.
7 Tasty Snack Ideas for a Fall-Themed Baby Shower
Whether you are hosting a baby shower, a friendly (not spooky) Halloween party or just a fun fall-time gathering where you don't necessarily want to feed the party-goers a full 5-course meal but want to satisfy your guests' snack cravings with some crazy tasty food here are my recommendations and what I served during the party. Check it out!
Cheese & Pretzel Broomsticks
Ummm...so HOW cute are these little broomsticks?! A pretzel stick, some string cheese, and a chive to tie it off. So basic but so genious and fun to eat. You can find the directions over at the blog One Little Project At A Time here.
Pumpkin-themed deviled eggs
Deviled eggs made to look like little pumpkins are obviously perfect for a fall-themed party. Find the deets from The Food Blog here. Note: I subbed Cholula for the Sriracha just to turn down the heat a little.
Jack O'Lantern Veggie Plate
Parties usually have some kind of veggie tray so why not turn it into a jack o'lantern?! Thanks to Raising Jack with Celiac for the simple and genius idea! I also served the veggies with a side of this creamy Herb and Buttermilk Ranch Dip.
The BEST Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes
Tis the season for pumpkin and these pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from Erin over at Texanerin Baking are AMAZING! Erin calls them THE BEST Pumpkin Cupcakes and I can't argue with her on that! They were definitely the hit of the baby shower and people were shocked when they found out they were gluten free because they are just so SO delicious. Erin tops her cupcakes off with chopped pecans but I sprinkled a dash of cinnamon on top of mine just in case we had anyone with nut allergies attending. I also tripled the recipe for our large group.
Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Dip
Here's an easy riff on the classic caramel covered apple. Slice up your apples and serve with cream cheese topped with salted caramel. It's ridiculously easy, a super tasty combo, and a lot more manageable to eat than a whole caramel covered apple. You can find the recipe for the salted caramel in this recipe by yours truly. : )
Smoked Salmon Dip
You can't have a party without chips and dip! Serve an assortment of chips and crackers with this Smoked Salmon Dip with Dill & Capers. The dip is a huge crowd pleaser so be sure to double the recipe if you have a big guest list.
Apple Cider Punch
Lastly, let's talk party punch. I'm not usually a big fan of punch but this Apple Cider Punch from Better Homes & Gardens was a winner. It's a simple combo of 6 cups apple cider, 2 cups orange juice, ½ cup lemon juice, and 1 (750 milliliters) bottle of sparkling white grape juice. We had several children attending our party but if you are hosting an all adult party switching out the sparkling grape juice with some chilled champagne would be amazing too!
Fall-Themed Baby Shower Games
Alright, let's talk baby shower games and activities. This is definitely not an area I specialize in so we handed this off to one of my sister's close friends who knocked it out of the park with some awesome resources she found on Etsy and Amazon.
SweetBabyShower shop on Etsy creates printable custom party kits and shower games which not only provide some fun entertainment but are also creatively themed to match the style of your party.
Here are the games we played:
Baby Headband Station
A table was also set up for a baby headband making station. Each guest picked from a variety of ribbons, bows, and flowers along with elastic bands to create a sweet little custom headband for my niece. It was SO easy to set-up since all of the components for the headbands were included. The only thing you need to have on hand is a hot glue gun and a table to lay everything out.
Link for Baby Headband Kit
Little Pumpkin Baby Shower Decor
Then finish off your party decor with an assortment of painted pumpkins. My sister painted mini pumpkins in an assortment of pinks, gold, and silver while also scattering some naturally orange and white mini pumpkins throughout. Here are the instructions for the painted pumpkins from Oh Happy Day (which btw is an incredibly cute website for party planning and DIY inspo). Be sure to also add some pumpkins at your front door as a sweet way to welcome guests as they arrive along with this super cute "Hey There Pumpkin" doormat.
A pennant bunting with the words "Welcome Little Pumpkin" (see picture near the top of this post) was hung across our fireplace mantle. I wasn't able to track down the exact bunting that we used for this but these burlap flags would be just as cute with white lettering painted on them. And this fall-themed felt ball garland would also be super cute to decorate with!
Lastly, if you are on the hunt for a "Sweet Baby" rustic wood sign like the one pictured below, your local Craft Warehouse has all of the supplies to create this quick DIY project. If DIY is not your thing, Morgan over at PaintMePeachy on Etsy, could create a custom rustic wood sign for you as well!
And that's it! I hope you found some valuable fall-themed baby shower and party ideas from this post! As for myself, I'm counting down the days until I meet my sweet little baby niece. Eek!
Did you use one of these ideas for your party?!
If you used one of the ideas from this post for your party, I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below and tell me about it! And don’t forget to snap a photo and tag @passmesometasty on Instagram so I can see!
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Where do I get the Welcome Little Pumkin sign. Hung by fireplace with burlap?
Hi Stephanie! The “Welcome Little Pumpkin” pennant bunting was paper bunting that was purchased from Michael's Craft Store. The letters on the bunting were also purchased from Michael's and affixed to the paper. Then the bunting was clipped to jute twine with mini clothespins. I wasn’t able to track down the exact paper bunting online that we used but here is a link to some burlap bunting that I think would be just as cute with white lettering painted on them. You would need to purchase two of them for the 20 letters needed. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
This has got to be the cutest shower ever...Making those pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes for sure!
Thanks Jen! And oh my goodness, those cupcakes are just so dang good!