Your Guide to Throwing a Virtual Blessingway, Baby Shower & Gender Reveal
I don’t usually throw parties for myself (my wedding day was literally just me and my husband), but when I was pregnant with Mia, I really felt like throwing a party to celebrate the life that was growing inside of me. Now more than ever, people are wanting to let loose and feel the positive vibes from their loved ones as they welcome their new baby. As of right now… baby showers are going to have to be done a little differently. Here’s some ideas for those of you who want to throw a memorable (virtual) event:
What’s a Blessingway: Also known as a Mother’s Blessing, this is a celebration of a woman’s transition into motherhood that’s rooted in Navajo culture. It is a spiritual gathering of the woman’s closest friends and family who come to nurture the mama-to-be with wise words, positivity, art and pampering. How can this be done virtually?
STEP 1:
Send an e-vite!
· Mint & Paperless Post are popular ones with free options!
· Choose a virtual platform like Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, Houseparty etc. and include the link or log in info with the time, date and some instructions and info about the virtual Blessingway/Baby Shower
STEP 2:
Prep the blessings.
· Before the event, have your friends & family prepare their blessings that they will share during the e-celebration. They can opt to read a short meaningful poem, an original song or share wise and wonderful words to share with the mother-to-be.
STEP 3:
Give thanks to USPS!
· Have virtual attendees mail a single bead or trinket to the mama-to-be. As they take turns sharing their blessings, the expecting mom will take each bead and build a Birthing Necklace. This necklace is meant to be worn during birth (should that be deemed safe by their medical practitioner), to remind the mother that no matter who is in physically in the room, she always has a strong community with her.
· Make sure the mama has some beading string or clear fishing line (just make sure your line is thin enough to fit everyone’s beads – 1mm and under should be perfect:
o Waxed
· Here’s a few Etsy sellers that sell single beads – ask that everyone check that the hole of the bead is over at least 1.5mm:
o Bead21
STEP 4:
Pampering
On the day of the event, before it begins or afterwards, the expecting mom should focus on self-pampering (especially her belly!)
Photo credit: Tiger Lotus
If you feel like you’ve got the hang of this, amazing! If you feel like you’d love some guidance or a zen master to lead the event, you can also invite a practitioner or holistic women’s health specialist like Elleni Woods who is a breathwork, Chinese medicine, acupuncture practitioner and women’s health expert. She can lead a short breathwork workshop, meditation or tapping routine for everyone’s well-being.
Here are some additional ideas you can opt into to make the virtual event super special:
· Mail your attendees a party box with sweets, décor and party plates and trinkets. Solly Baby also put together a super cute Virtual Baby Shower guide. Check out the party box they sent out to their e-party friends:
Credit: Solly Baby
· You can also make the event a gender reveal by sending out cake pops or gems where the insides are dyed or sprinkled with pink or blue, if that’s your jam! 12Oaks Desserts is amazing – you can contact Missy or Katherine with custom ideas and they can ship them out nationally to your friends & family.
· You can also pop a gender reveal balloon as everyone takes a bite into their custom baked sweets!
For a great baby shower gift idea that can be customized with a handwritten note and sent from us directly to parents-to-be, check out our shop. If you would like some help or fresh ideas to throw a sweet virtual shower, feel free to reach out to me at cruz@milowekids.com
Stay safe & healthy <3
xoxo Christianne
insta: @milowemom
