Shakira is the latest celeb to show off a photo of her bare baby belly. She posed in a portrait with her soccer-star boyfriend, Gerard Pique. Oh my, that's going to be one gorgeous baby. But here's what's way more interesting: Shakira also announced that she'll be hosting a virtual baby shower. And it will benefit UNICEF!
Mosey on over to Shakira and Gerard's interactive online shower and you can purchase "inspired gifts" like a mosquito net, a polio vaccine, and therapeutic food for children all over the world. This is such a sweet idea! And it made me wonder if online showers are a "thing" now. You would think it would be, since so many of us live away from family and loved ones, and since technology makes so much possible. Here are some tips for throwing your own virtual baby shower.
Divine Caroline has some great suggestions:
1. Post it as a Facebook event with a cute photo of your pregnant self. Invite people.
2. Post fun games in the comments section.
3. Do your gift registry online (I think we're all doing this now anyway!).
4. Post a photo of a shower cake.
But not everyone you know may be on Facebook. What else could you do?
5. I love this virtual baby shower using Skype. Skype is free, and it's pretty easy to use. This way, you get to see your guests.
6. Another video option for a virtual shower is iChat. Whichever you use, it sounds like special planning -- and testing beforehand -- is key.
7. Web Baby Shower has a few other suggestions for interactive websites the help you plan and host an online shower.
8. Blog it -- if video is just not going to work for you, you could always host your party via your blog by posting photos and other details.
9. Make a charity registry. If you love how Shakira's shower is benefiting UNICEF, you can include a link to your favorite charity with your gift registry links.
Have you ever hosted or attended a virtual baby shower?
Image via UNICEF/YouTube
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Comments 20
It really saddens me that we are getting so crass as a society that throwing gift grabs for oneself is considered OK. Just one step away from "Hey everyone, I'm pregnant...(or getting married, having a birthday, bought a house)... pay me."
It depends. I LOVe the idea of the charity online shower they're throwing!! If family members who can't be there want to be "present" through other means then that's great too. But inviting people far away purposely jsut to get gifts? Tacky.
How is it crass? Baby showers have been a tradition forever & no one usually opposes to going. I try to go to every one that I am invited to & do not mind bringing a gift.
However, I would not participate in an online shower. I think that would only be suitable for family members who live far away & want to see what's going on...and they could Skype the shower or something.
I think it's crass because we shouldn't throw gift parties for ourselves. Baby showers (and bridal showers) are traditional, sure... but used to be friends hosted a party for someone special to provide needed things for a special event. Nowadays, people go register for gifts, then throw a party for themselves and point their suppliers..er, "guests" to the registry.... "I'm (having a baby, getting married, having a birthday) go and buy one of these, wrap it up and give it to me."
Sorry, that's just tacky.
Handy, I agree.
A baby shower should be always thrown by another person, not you, and should be intimate, just the people you are close to and talk to/see on a regular basis and NOT online. Am I the only person out there who fought my MIL trying to get her NOT to have a shower? I HATE opening gifts, it makes me uncomforatable, just as being forced to socialize and entertain a bunch of people I do not know well. I'm always the one enjoying giving to others, I prefer not to recieve. I can buy everything I need for my children myself also, despite being low-income. (priorities people) I am also strongly against a baby shower for any child other than the first. By the time you have a 2nd, 3rd, etc regardless of if you are remarried, etc, you should be able to buy your own baby items by then. If people want to bring you or send you gifts, so be it, but you do not need a shower for every kid or because it is a different sex, age difference, whatever. A baby shower is more for the FTM, not the 20th time mom.