Need help re: baby shower planning

[AmberWaves]

Okay, this a weird "request". I have a friend who lives in Chicago. I live in Los Angeles. Although we met online (doing wedding things, she helped me with my invitations), we''ve never met in person, but have become very good friends, sending letters, trading emails daily, sharing gifts and cards and talking on the phone a lot. When she found out she was pregnant, I was the first person she told. Since she moved to Chicago not too long ago, she really doesn''t have many friends there, and I know she counts me as a close friend despite never meeting me in person.

Still, imagine my surprise to receive a call from her husband (who I''ve never spoken with before) today! He''s being a fabulous husband and is trying to plan a baby shower for her, with the help of his sister, and hopefully me. So I think he''s asking if I could make it out there in October, and help get information on what she wants, and coordinate with his sister.

My question is: how do you plan a baby shower for a person you know very well through forms of communication long distance, while also keeping it a surprise that you''ll be there? We''re trying to keep this a surprise for her, too.

I''ve never planned any kinds of shower, much less one long distance! Any ideas, and ways to fish for information?

 

[aprilcait]

That''s a tough one! Could you ask her things like what types of things she wants for her little one, etc.... just present it as if you''re asking out of interest and excitement for her. If you keep her on the baby topic, I would think she''d blurt out some helpful ideas. Maybe you could encourage her to register, saying that your preggers or formerly preggers friend/sister/some female you know did so and found it helpful?

 

[AmberWaves]

April, thanks for the help! I''m already nagging her about registering! It kind of broke my heart, she said she didn''t think her friends would get her anything anyway. She has some not-so-nice friends in her new town.

 

[happy in love]

I am so bad at being sneaky, but maybe you could talk a little about your "local friend/coworker/relative" baby shower and share some thoughts you have that way. At least you could find out if she thinks x,y, or z is something she''d like or not.
Wish I had some better ideas for you!

 

[AmberWaves]

Happy, you and me, both! I''m totally stumped. I''m slowly trying to squeeze info out of her. I know she''s VERY eco friendly, so there''s that!

 

[saltymuffin]

A green baby shower! That is a theme in itself!

As an environmentally sensitive person, she likely won't want all sorts of "junk". Concentrate on useful gifts.

Think about reusable diapers - there are all sorts of different types, maybe get her a selection, so that she can decide what she likes by trial and error!
She might want to make her own baby food - maybe a food processor.
There must be books on raising children in an eco friendly way . . .

Natural cotton baby clothes, etc, etc.

eta:search for "eco baby" on amazon, there are loads of books and things.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Does she know that YOU are TTC? If so, then you could pretend you are just looking at stuff for yourself. Maybe if you say, "I like this ________, what do you think?" she might come back with, "I personally like this one." Especially if she doesn''t have many people around her to share her excitement with, she might really start showing you stuff she likes.

 

[AmberWaves]

Great idea, salty! She was mentioning 7th generation diapers, so I sent her a copy of a diaper cake made of 7th generation diapers, and all other organic things, with a giraffe motif, and she loved it.

I mentioned it''s for a cousin (and totally described her as the recipient), and my sweet friend was saying, "I can totally help you! I''m just like her!" She''s so naive! I love it! I can''t wait until I get to show up and surprise the hell out of her!

Tiffany, that''s a great idea, as she DOES know we''re TTC!

 

[qtiekiki]

Amber, that''s so sweet of you to help with the shower. I think since you are far away from her, you can get away from just asking her about stuffs because she probably isn''t expecting you to be helping plan a shower for her in her town. Also since she knows you are TTCing, you can totally make it sound like you are just researching for yourself and comparing notes.

 

[fatafelice]

Amber, I just looked up this thread after your email, and I was wondering, has she mentioned what she wants to do for the baby''s room? For previous showers I have planned, I have taken a cue from that! And does she know if it is going to be a boy or a girl?

 

[AmberWaves]

FF: so far they don''t know what the baby is, but we''ll find out August 5th. Hehehe. We. Anywho, I know she loves giraffes and monkeys, and I told her I''d help her with her decorating.

She just told me today that if given a chance, she''d choose a mocktails shower! Liquory themed gifts, which is just as complicated!

 

[fatafelice]

Hmmm...I don't see a problem with having mocktails AT the shower, but I don't think it would make a great theme. What baby gifts are liquor-related?! Maybe I am missing something?

I did find these cute invites at Tiny Prints - which also means they are very afordable!

http://www.tinyprints.com/products/ProductView_3374.htm

ETA: Maybe the 'tails' in the mocktails can be used to tie in to animals somehow? Like name them after animals...?

 

[AmberWaves]

Ooooooh, FF, that''s a GREAT idea!! And that invite is the cutest thing ever. Thanks for the great idea!