Mint Baby Shower, So Fresh and So Clean

Pink is the new black.  Or is it red that's the new black?  Something is always the new black.  Well, green is the new yellow when it comes to color choice for a gender neutral baby shower.  There are so many beautiful shades of green - sage, kelly and lime name a few.  Below I've collected some mint green invitations, foods and decor to host a fabulous baby shower for a boy or a girl or a surprise.

Pretty in Print Shop makes this first invitation.  The raised onesie embellishment shown below can be replaced with a button, elephant or butterfly.  Check out the Etsy shop for details. 

This baby shower invitation from Minted.com has a really modern color palette (that of course includes mint) with a whimsical, retro feel.  I love it.

These next two invitations are made by TinyPrints.com and I couldn't choose between them, so I just included both.  I'm not sure how they'll look on your computer screen, but I'm willing to concede that the first is not quite mint colored...but close enough.  The first has the feel of credits from old fashioned, silent movie.  The second is simple and modern.  

The Food

There are so many delicious mint foods.

• Mint tea (cold or hot) - a mug or glass of tea garnished with sprigs of mint would be easy and tasty.
• Mojitos - Mint is also a key ingredient in mojitos, yum.  I found a great recipe (here) for a virgin mojito that tastes like the real thing (I cannot personally vouch for it, let me know how it goes).
• Mint flavored frosting - Brownies, whoopie pies and cupcakes are all made even more delicious with some mint flavored frosting.  You could also bake in some mint chips (think chocolate chips, but mint flavored) into basic sugar cookies or fudgy brownies.
• Standard Candy - A bowl of peppermint patties or sweet mint flavored gum could be snacks or parting gifts.
• Artisan Candy - Check out the mint chocolate chip ice cream lollipops below.  Vintage Confections makes many delicious treats, like these lollipops (visit the Etsy shop).

by Vintage Confections

The Decorations

Yes, this adorable umbrella confetti would work with for any color scheme.  Maker GFetti offers all the color choices below on this lovely 6 foot string.

Tons of beautiful colors to choose from
including the color of the day...MINT.

These cupcake liners by Little Monster Hugs are inexpensive, mint colored and so cute with their polka dots.

The Gilded Bee makes this beautiful paper lace.  Use your imagination to decorate and decorate some more - wrap it around mason jars for flower filled centerpieces, make straw flags or a frame cream index card for baby advice cards.

A mint pom (or three) would spruce up any living room into a party palace.  The Pom Tree makes the mint colored pom below.

Finally, mini circus bunting from Jaime Mancilla.  This package of three 3' strands features the colors mint and pink.  When the party is over these would make a lovely edition to the nursery.

Top 10 Signs Someone is NOT Baby Crazy

This post is the answer to last week's Top 10 Signs That You Are Baby Crazed.  For as many of my friends who are baby crazed there are an equal number who are baby averse (for now).  Okay, maybe not an equal number...but a good handful.  Here are ten easy ways to determine if your friend is less than crazy about babies:


1.  She thought Dora the Explorer was the name of a porn star.

2.  Every time she sees a toddler with food remnants smeared on his/her face, she turns to you and does the finger point into her wide open mouth.  And, as if that universal symbol for making yourself throw up isn't enough, she says, "Gross.  Why can't people clean their children?  Gross."

3.  When you arrive at the designated wine bar to share a Thursday night happy hour, she's aggravated and wants to leave because the waiter informed her that they don't have any liquor for shots.

4.  She's never changed a diaper.

5.  Knocked Up is the scariest movie of all time.  The Ring?  That was just silly.

6.  She programmed her cellphone to sound like a crying baby when her boss calls.  Every time her boss calls she instinctively screams.

7.  She refuses to eat at restaurants that have a designated kid's menu.

8.  It's annoying that her older brother made her the Godmother of his first child because this probably means she'll have to babysit.

9.  She has "accidentally" worn black to every baby shower she's ever attended.

10.  In addition to being on the pill, she has a supply of condoms from Costco.  And, for good measure, she's read up on the "rhythm method" in order to practice the opposite. 

Happy Labor Day

In celebration of Labor Day, let's talk about labor - the baby producing kind.

The fact that "labor" and "giving birth" mean the same thing is quite telling.  The phrase "giving birth" isn't synonymous with "volunteer work" or "low impact cardio".  Nope.  The word labor, in the non-childbirth context, conjures images of lugging cement bricks via wheelbarrow and digging 10' x 10' holes in 95 degrees.

Labor

Not Labor

A few months back, I visited some good friends and their 13-day-old son.  Holy newborn.  He was so tiny and so perfect.  I watched his mini body snuggling and yawning and being all sorts of adorable.  I felt more baby crazy than ever.

At some point I asked about how labor had gone.  The new mom told me the story but seemed to intentionally gloss over the nitty gritty.  I'm comfortable keeping my head in the sand when it comes to the details of childbirth, so I was relieved by her brevity.  But then the new dad interjected with another chapter of the story - an especially scary, painful and gross chapter.  Unlike her, he spared no detail.  I looked at him blankly, trying desperately to not appear nauseous.  She looked at him blankly, trying desperately to remember what the hell he was talking about.  After a moment of deep thought it came back to her and she thankfully added more juicy details.

Turns out, she hadn't intentionally glossed over anything.  She had genuinely forgotten.  Parts of her labor were so traumatic that she had suppressed some of the 13-day-old memories.  That's (also) quite telling.  And, quite effective in suppressing my baby craze.  But, then again, I think the new found LOVE for her tiny, snugly son made it easy for the new mom to forget the scary, painful grossness.  So, maybe not so effective in suppressing my baby craze after all.

Kathryn Heigl looking all sorts of sweaty 

and (VERY) angry while giving birth (aka in labor) in Knocked Up

Stuff People Google 16

Today's Stuff People Google edition is slightly sad.  I think calling a friend might be a better source of support, but perhaps this searcher ultimately found the perfect online forum to discuss her dilemna...I hope.

husband gave me an ultimatum for pregnancy

The Other Stick That You Pee On

Raise your hand if you've heard of an ovulation test?

Last week, my hand would have remained in my bag of pretzels.  This week, my hand is half raised to about earlobe height.  Over the weekend I was involved in two completely separate conversations that discussed ovulation tests.  Well, others discussed and I listened.  For those of you who (like myself last week) have never heard of an ovulation test, I'll start by relaying some information from my most valued resource. 

Though Urban Dictionary does not have a definition for "ovulation test" it does have a definition for "you wastin' my minutes" that includes the term "ovulation test":

Definition - when your mom or a needy ex calls and don't want to talk to them. it's simple and get's the point across without feeling like an ass after.

Example Usage - "i would love to sit and talk about why i'm not home/why $50 is missing out of your purse/why there was an ovulation test in the trash/how much you want me back/why you should not kill yourself, but you wastin my minutes."

I doubt that assisted your understanding.  At all.  Fortunately, the name is pretty self explanatory.  It's a test used by a woman to determine when she ovulates.  Much like the better known pregnancy test, it also involves peeing on a stick.  Ovulation tests are apparently 99% accurate in identifying the surge of a hormone (LH), which indicates ovulation.  I'm not sure that translates to being 99% accurate in identifying ovulation, but there seems to be some sound scientific methodology at work. 

Take note:
"The MOST EFFECTIVE Test"
and "Over 99% Accurate"
Clearblue isn't messing around.
via Amazon.com

If you're thinking to yourself, what ever happened to the old fashion way (read: having a lot of unprotected sex)?  I'm with you.  But, here is where I think this new fashion way comes in handy.  First, if a couple tries the old fashion way for a while and it doesn't work, an ovulation test is a nice over-the-counter option before making an appointment with the gyno.  Next, some couples are ready when they are ready and wanna hit it out of the park in a single swing.  There's no shame in playing to win.  Last, some couples want (or need) to time their pregnancy.  For example, a teacher might want to aim for a July pregnancy when school is out.  Or a graduate student might need to squeeze her due date between final examinations and the start of her post-graduation job.  I don't see any words of "guarantee" on the Clearblue box, but in some cases it's better than poking around in the dark...or is it?  Sorry, couldn't resist.

For those who have used ovulation tests - Do they work?  Are they complicated?  Do you find yourself chugging Sunny D like Juno because you're constantly peeing on sticks?

It ain't no Etch A Sketch,
it's an ovulation test.