It seems like most baby showers look alike; there’s a pile of gifts to be opened, baby-themed games, appetizers and no husbands to be found. But maybe you want something a little more unique. If you want to ditch the melted candy bars in diapers, consider these new ideas and trends that will give your shower a fresh take on things.

Going Green

Moms to be are increasingly going green — and not with envy. Nope, they are just living by the motto to “reduce, reuse, recycle!” Baby shower can be as green as they like. If the mom-to-be requests a green shower, the shower hostess should try to find secondhand or borrowed decorations.

Expecting mothers can request that guests gift them “gently used” items as gifts. Chances are, guests have hand-me-downs from their own kids that are still it great condition. They can also find some at Goodwill or other thrift or secondhand stores. Alternatively, they can also choose to give a gift card to one of these stores—and that $20 will go a lot further at a thrift store than a popular commercial chain. Be careful, though; some things are safer to buy new, such as car seats and pacifiers. The folks at www.looklovesend.com recommend putting all of your expectations out to your guests first, and also being open to feedback.

Boy/Girl Surprise

If a mom-to-be is an adventurous type who’s into surprises, this could be the shower for her! Instead of finding out her baby’s gender at an ultrasound appointment, the discovery can be made at a big party where she’ll be surrounded by loving family and friends. Plus, this is pretty easy to pull off. The expecting mother should have her technician, instead of telling her the baby’s gender, write it down on a card and seal it in an envelope. This can be passed to the shower hostess, who can arrange for the big reveal.

A great way to announce the surprise is to have a cake that is neutral on the outside, but for the middle layer of frosting has either pink or blue frosting. Have the mother cut into the cake and reveal if it will be a girl or a boy. Or the hostess can let the other guests know the baby’s gender and ask them to bring gifts specific to the gender but wrapped in neutral paper. Then there’s an added element of excitement to unwrapping gifts!

Father’s Fiesta

Why not give the dad-to-be a chance to party, too? While he may not be into sitting around with his friends adoring tiny outfits, eating cupcakes and gossiping, you can plan a party that’s more his speed. It can really make him feel like a baby is something that he gets to celebrate, too. See if he’d like a “Father’s Fiesta,” which could be an opportunity for his friends to come and congratulate him and squeeze in some guy time before the baby arrives. A Mexican theme with chips and salsa, cigars and cerveza would be perfect. The father to be can sit around, drink some beer and play some poker or video games. If guys want to bring gifts, make it a no-brainer — ask them to bring diapers and simply drop them at the door.

Most of the fun baby shower ideas can also work as baby announcement parties too. Send out your birth announcement cards, and have fun!

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