Baby Shower

It's not all about the 20-week ultrasound anymore! More and more parents are planning gender reveal parties to find out their baby's sex and share the excitement with family and friends. While some mamas-to-be wait until the child debuts to find out if they should buy pink or blue, others embrace the excuse to party before delivery!

Some moms and dads have the ultrasound technician write the child's sex on a slip of paper that is placed in an envelope. It's then dropped off at a bakery where a cake is baked in the appropriate color and iced to hide the news. When the parents-to-be cut into the sweet treat, they learn about their future offspring. The idea gained national attention when Josh and Anna Duggar cut into a pink cake on the Today Show to learn that they were having a girl. The concept is gaining momentum as more couples opt to hold soirees to celebrate their impending offspring.

Source: Grey Grey Designs

• Alinea has been named the seventh best restaurant in the world. Huffington Post Food
• Tips for dealing with dinner party dramas. — The Atlantic
• Must make: asparagus salsa with ricotta ravioli. — Hands on Gourmet
• Learn the proper way to frost a cake. — Chow
• Curry leaves provide fresh Indian flavor. — The Epi-Log
• Everything you need to know about Carménère. — Eat Me Daily
• How to toast spices. — Serious Eats
• Great ideas for hosting a contemporary urban baby shower that's not overly babyish. — Hostess With the Mostess
• Ruth Reichl follows @RuthBourdain on Twitter.— Eater
• BBQ master Adam Perry Long discusses his new cookbook and restaurant. — Grub Street NY

Source: Flickr User xmatt

This story was written by member Pretty Little Things and comes from the Super Special Occasion group in the YumSugar Community.This summer my best friend had her first baby and we made quite a baby shower to celebrate his arrival! Her favorite book is Alice in Wonderland which inspired this Alice themed party.

We started with Mad Tea Party invites, and combined it with killer details: Great centerpieces. Yummy food. And, of course great activities. I would say it turned out to be a super special occasion! I wanted to post some pictures to give others ideas as I know when I was planning I scoured the internet for many days in search of pretty things.

To see more photos, keep reading.

Every mother needs a helping hand every now and then. As a woman with two healthy children, a doting husband, a nanny and a gaggle of girlfriends to support me, it's tough to complain about the overwhelming demands of motherhood, but still, I do. Try being an expectant military wife whose husband is deployed. While some ladies sit at home fretting about the nursery decor, she sits up at night praying for his safe return. For many, the dilemma of the day is, "Which stroller should I buy?" Somewhere on a military base, the soldier's wife debates on who will help her through labor as her beloved flies a fighter jet continents away.

Thankfully, there are groups of generous people who take the time to honor the wives of soldiers (or the enlisted ladies themselves) and their impending arrival into motherhood. A project of nonprofit Soldiers' Angels, Operation Top Knot threw a baby shower for 32 pregnant military ladies in Las Vegas. They received handmade baby gifts of blankets, hats, and booties and celebrated the special occasion with cake, chocolate, games and of course, each other. If you want to volunteer for the cause, click here.

On certain occasions, say when someone is getting married or having a baby, it's fun to throw them a small sendoff celebration in the office. With a few simple decorations, you can easily transform any conference room. Recently, a baby shower was hosted for Lisa Sugar, here at Sugar headquarters. In less than 15 minutes, the room was ready for a party. Here's how you can achieve a similar effect:

1. Spread a large pink paper tablecloth across the table.
2. Arrange plastic champagne glasses in neat rows and fill with three kinds of sparkling Martinelli's.
3. Add streamers, confetti, and a baby girl sign. Don't forget themed napkins.
4. Purchase cupcakes from a local bakery (ours were from Kara's Cupcakes) and take them out of the box. Place on plastic or glass cake stands.
5. A homemade diaper "cake" is a focal point and centerpiece for the tablescape.

Voila! Instant office baby shower. Have you hosted a party in your office? Share your tips and ideas below.

To check out a bunch more photos of the decor, read more

• Lobster: Get it while it's cheap! — The Atlantic
• Meet TasteStopping, the website that takes Tastespotting's rejects. — Eat Me Daily
• Spice things up with Padma's chili honey butter. — Serious Eats
• What’s the right answer to “Can I bring anything?” — Chow
• Deep dish blueberry maple French toast. Enough said. — Endless Simmer
• The next time you host a baby shower be inspired by the letter B . — Hostess With the Mostess
• In September, David Chang and Wylie Dufresne will let a group of French chefs take over their kitchens. — Eater
• 21 top-rated burger recipes, including beef, turkey, cheese, and veggie varieties. — Epicurious