Baby Shower on a Dime

There seems to be this span of years in your life when every time you turn around, one of your friends is either getting engaged or having a baby. Speaking from someone who is deep in the trenches of this, it can get expensive FAST. Just in the month of February, I’ve helped host two baby showers and one wedding shower. So, here are some of the best tips on how to cut corners without showing it that I've earned.

The Location

Sometimes, it seems like we don’t have a house big enough for a shower. When determining location, you just have to go with what you have. There’s usually no need for renting a big space, especially if you’re having a drop in shower. People expect to not be all in one place at the same time, so use what you have and try to have extra seating available. Just make sure your guest of honor has a place to sit and you’re good to go!

Bridal Shower Food Ideas

For our shower, we did a simple brunch. We were expecting around 30 people so we planned food accordingly. Each person brought enough food to feed 15 people. We had homemade cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, fruit and powdered, chocolate and glazed mini donuts. The donuts were a favorite of the mommy to be and were one of her big cravings, so we added those for a personal touch. We had punch and water to drink and we were done! I would suggest looking in your pantry and refrigerator to see what you have. I made homemade cinnamon rolls and ended up having everything I needed on hand, except cream cheese. You would be surprised what you can make at home to save money! Plus, they were delicious.

What's a Hostess Gift?

Shockingly, the Millennial generation has rarely heard of a hostess gift. Each time I host a shower with friends my age, I suggest a hostess gift and no one has any idea what it is. A hostess gift is a gift where all the hosts go in together and combine money to get the guest of honor a bigger, better or more expensive gift than what they could do alone. For example, for this recent shower, the hostesses went in together and got the mommy a mattress for her baby’s crib. The hostess gift also takes some of the burden off those throwing the showers, who are already investing money into the shower.

Here are a few other tips that will help you throw a more budget friendly shower:

• Decorations – Blend tissue paper flowers with real flowers. Choose flowers that are full such as hydrangeas and baby’s breath. One small arrangement in a bowl or a vase on the food table can be beautifully simple! See our tutorial on How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers.
• Utensils – Depending on the size of the shower, it may save you at least $10-$12 to use your own silverware and plates. If you are afraid you will run out, ask your other hostesses to help by bringing their own too, that will match or compliment your dishes. I love the use of real dishes and silverware. It really adds a classic and elegant touch to your party. Plus, I don’t care to wash my dishes. A spoonful of dish soap goes a long way and only costs pennies!
• Invitations – Long gone are the days of sending out formal invitations. Invitations through Facebook make having a shower much more budget friendly. Electronic invites literally cut out a large portion of the cost to host a shower.

With this conclusive list of items, I ended up spending $25 total. The hostess gift was $11, flowers were $10, and cinnamon rolls were $4. Now THAT is a baby shower on a dime!

Check out our recipes below:

Grandma Barb’s Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (yields 24-30 rolls)

Ingredient List
Dough:
2 sticks butter
¾ cup sugar
2 cups lukewarm water (80-90deg F)
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 pkgs active dry yeast (not rapid)
6 cups bread flour (King Arthur is our favorite, but you can even use all purpose flour)
Icing:
4 oz cream cheese softened
6 cups powdered sugar
½ stick butter
3-5 tablespoons of milk
Sprinkle Mixture:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cinnamon
¼ cup sugar
Directions
Dough: Combine sugar, butter, salt, and 1 cup of water in saucepan over low heat to melt butter. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in one cup lukewarm water and let rest for 5 minutes; add to first mixture. Beat 2 eggs and add to mixture. Stir in 6 cups flour. Cover with towel and refrigerate overnight or several hours.
Form Rolls & Bake: Cut dough in half in bowl, and roll out on lightly floured board or wax paper (about 15” square and 1/3” thick). Smear 2 tablespoons of butter over rolled out dough, then spring 1 to 2 tablespoons (or whatever to your tasting) of cinnamon all over dough. Sprinkle 1/8 cup of sugar over that. Roll dough from one end to the other forming a log or tube shape. Cut into 1 ½ inch thick rolls. Place on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise 1-2 hours in a warm place. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown, about 15-18 minutes, depending on your oven.

Icing: Combine softened cream cheese, butter and sugar in mixing bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of milk. Beat on high in mixer, and add more milk until a spreadable consistently. Spread icing onto rolls within 5 minutes of removing from oven.
Notes: The dough will keep several days in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape and bake rolls. Be sure water and butter mixture for dough are lukewarm, as too hot will kill the yeast and too cool will not activate it. For best results, let eggs come to room temperature before adding to mixture.

Kara’s Breakfast Casserole

Ingredient List
1 lb sausage
1 red pepper
1 green bell pepper
8 oz spinach
8 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Canned Crescent rolls
Directions: In medium pan, brown sausage over medium heat. Dice green and red peppers and add to sausage to soften. Once peppers are softened, add spinach and let wilt. Beat eggs in separate bowl, and add salt and pepper. Add pepper and sausage mixture to eggs and mix well. Line 9×9 glass pan with crescent rolls and add egg/sausage mixture. Bake at 350deg for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. Top should be firm all the way through.