Games

• Games are a fun way to help everyone relax and enjoy themselves at a baby shower.
  
  Digging For Treasure: Fill a bowl with dry rice, beans and lentils. Mix in 10 to 15 jewel-shaped beads which are about the same size as the beans. Blindfold each guest and give them one minute to sift through the mixture with their hands and see how many jewels each guest can mine from the bowl.
  
  Biblical Treasure Hunt: When you invite your guests, ask them to bring a Bible if they have one. Be sure to have a few extras on hand the day of the shower. Create a list of eight to 10 Bible verses that contain the word treasure, such as Proverbs 7:1, which says, "My son, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments and treasure them." Give each guest a list of the verses with only the book, chapter and verse. Also give each guest a pad of paper and a pen. When everyone is ready, at the word go, each guest starts looking up the verses and copies the part with the word "treasure". Whoever finds them all first wins. Then go around and have guests read the verses aloud. Give the list of verses to the mother-to-be for future reference.
  
  A Treasury of Words: Purchase a small treasure chest of some kind, or decorate a shoebox or new Chinese takeout box to look like a treasure chest. When inviting guests, ask them to bring a small piece of paper with a special quote or advice about motherhood. Put all the pieces of paper in the treasure chest, then have the mother-to-be take each one out and read it to the group. When she is finished, have her choose her favorite quote, and give the person who wrote that quote a prize.Then the guest of honor can keep the box as a special remembrance full of good advice and encouragement.
  
  

Party Favors and Prizes

• Attach jewel adhesive crosses to small treasure chests to make a great container for party favors. Include votive candles, small scented soaps, a tin of mints or a few chocolate coins. Bundles of seed packets, scented sachets, packets of bath confetti or tea bags tied with sparkly ribbons make nice gifts or prizes.
  
  

Food Ideas

• Finger foods and appetizers are the most common type of food served at showers. Deviled eggs, meat and cheese platters and veggie trays are always good choices. Use as many brightly colored glass serving dishes as possible. Use edible glitter to make the food sparkle.
  
  Have a glass bowl filled with candy, such as jewel-colored hard candy from The Sweet Lollipop Shop. Their treats are made from natural ingredients and come in almost any shape or flavor, including barley, which is great for morning sickness. Another option is to purchase ring pops, jewel-shaped candies on a plastic ring that kids wear; pop the jewel off the ring and pile into shallow glass dishes. Fill small glass bowls with chocolate gold coins with Bible verses on them and scatter throughout the room.
  
  

Decorations

• Run strings of clear or white twinkle lights around the ceiling of the room. Fill glass vases with plastic or glass jewels from a craft store, then fill with water and add fresh flowers for sparkling fresh centerpieces or table decorations. Self-adhesive cross jewels from Oriental Trading Company can be used for decoration on party favors, napkins, around the edges or serving plates or on name tags. Purchase Mardi Gras beads and plastic jewels from a craft store and pile between plates on the buffet table.