With Cait’s due date on the horizon, the Dolls are twirling getting ready for the grand entrance of their latest Bestie addition. Caitlin and Danielle are ready to spill the tea on the Bridgerton Baby Shower, everything on the Baby Registry, and pregnancy glam.
Caitlin here! Amidst a whirlwind pregnancy, my nearest and dearest found the time and care to plan a royal baby shower fit for the little prince to come.
The in-person fête was flawless, my dear (as Queen Charlotte would say). So much went into this planning process, and the Dolls who pulled it off are royalty in my book.
Although we couldn’t have everyone in attendance, my best Dolls made sure that the shower was a day of celebration. With a small group in person and a larger group on ZOOM – everyone was included. The virtual crowd even had tea and cookies delivered to participate in the afternoon’s festivities.
The tablescape and florals were designed and provided by Picnic Parlay. As soon as we explained the Bridgerton theme, they were bursting with inspiration. The items they sourced were perfection — including Chanel tea cups, gold chargers, gorgeous goblets, vintage serving pieces. Seriously to DOLL for… and the florals! The florals were some of the most swoon-worthy we have encountered. The best part? Their team came with allll the supplies to set up create this magical experience. This local, female-owned business is the real deal.
Special touches abounded all senses. The visuals of such a gorgeous setup were complemented by tasteful sensations like Maya Luxurious Tea. We could literally watch tea bloom before our eyes in individual Chanel tea cups! What more could a Queen, Princess or Duchess ask for?! The cheese boards came from none-other than Chicago’s very own Caputo’s. These boards were unreal. Gorgeous, delicious, all the things. And no royal affair would be complete without precious little sandwiches, quiche and scones! These came from a cute local shop called Pinecone Cottage Tea House. The sweetest cookies were created and hand painted by Patricia O’Brien Cookie Co.
Aside from the beautiful tablescape – we knew that a glam ZOOM backdrop was a must for the virtual portion of this soiree. We worked with Confetti Wish on a Bridgerton-Blue inspired balloon backdrop that would cascade down the fireplace. We love how whimsical it turned out with fresh florals added in.
Onto the Baby Registry! To all the Mamas to be – the baby registry can be a bit overwhelming. There’s tons of research involved, and the best part is that there’s most likely no “right” answer for your baby. You just have to try a bunch of things and see what works! ***at least that’s what I’m told
Our Big Essentials: Zach and I are so thankful to bring our little boy into a loving home surrounded by family and best friends!
- Dani Doll wanted to grant us the “gift of sleep” more than anything – so she graciously bestowed the SNOO on us…. and we were blown away! Have you heard of the SNOO by Happiest Baby? This magical basinet imitates the sounds and movements of the womb to calm crying and increase sleep (for baby and parents). There’s also a fully integrated mobile app and a weaning system when it’s time to move from bassinet to crib.
- Another must-have for us was the UPPAbaby Vista V2 and all the accessories that go along with it (of course). Because Baby is due at the end of April, we figured that it’s prime time for plenty of warm weather walks!
- Let’s talk 4moms mamaRoo next… This swing has five different speed settings plus it’s Bluetooth enabled, so you can control the motion and sound from an app.
- Baby Monitor – Don’t forget this! Infant Optics was recommended to us by my sister-in-law so it was a no brainer.
- The DockaTot was a gift from Rosie and is definitely one of the hot trends we hear Mamas raving about. It’s essential a portable docking station that mimics the womb. You can use it for resting, playing and lounging. OH – and there are so many a-doll-able cover prints to choose from. We went with marble!
- His & Hers Baby Carriers! I picked out the Baby K’tan in Denim for Zach – I’ve heard so many great things about this one. Meanwhile, I’ll be rocking the leopard Baby Bjorn. How cute.
- The Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair actually grows with your baby. We were lucky enough to receive the newborn inset as well – so our little one will enjoy this until it’s time for a big boy chair!
Nursery & Play Time: The design of our nursery is inspired by one of my favorite photographers’ work. We’ll be sharing a blog post on the reveal soon! I gravitated towards baby blues and colorful animals – you can swipe through below for the vibe. I’m also going to call out some must-haves for everyone below.
- House of Noa Playmat – We love how sophisticated these playmats are. Soft and easy to clean? Sign us up.
- Fridababy Humidifer, Diffuser & Nightlight – Keeping baby happy is our top priority and this humidifier and diffuser are on call to help when our little one gets congested.
- Hatch Sound Machine, Nightlight & Time to Rise – Another device controlled from your phone – we love that feature! You can set soft light for late diaper changes, or soothing sounds for nursing sessions.
- LoveEvery Play Gym – Every Mom in the room Ooohed and Ahhhed when I opened this box! It is by far the cutest play gym that I have seen.
- Skip*Hop Activity Center – This was actually a recommendation from one of my cousins who is a new mom!
- Skip*Hop Pack and Play – This is great for traveling. It converts from a smaller area with a fitted sheet for nap or a full play area with a wipe down mat.
Bathtime & Feeding: We scowered the internet and reviews to find the best things for us! We did also get a the Spectra 1 Breast Pump via insurance (click here for more info on that)
- Newborn to Toddler Tub for a fresh and clean babe!
- We couldn’t resist this elephant towel! How darn cute.
- We are turning to Fridababy for scary things clipping teeny fingernails and the medicine dispenser.
- As far as bottles, you want to try a few out and see what baby likes most. We are going with the comotomo set and the nanobebe set. We’ve heard great things about both!
- Philips Fast Bottle Warmer (enough said)
- Dr. Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer – you can also use this to clean your breast pump
- Dani also found a super sweet company called Saro. She gifted Caitlin this wave bowl feeding set with an innovative wave design tp promote the use of utensils by assisting in filling spoons with food. The base suction cup firmly holds bowl to prevent spills and the natural beech wood is strong, resists splitting and is free from harmful chemicals. With that had to come this adorable natural beech wood and food grade silicone blue key teether, and the cutest little monkey toy! The crinkle paper makes a crackle sound, while the soft 100% polyester exterior is safe to snuggle with.
All the Cute things: I found the sweetest baby clothes online – it’s so fun shopping for everything miniature. I’m here for all the soft blues and baby golf ensembles!
If you’ve made it this far, I’m sharing a few go-to’s for feeling your most glam while pregnant! When your body changes so much, it’s important to treat yourself.
- Facials: I like to do Microneedling about two weeks before a big event and then a custom hydrafacial a day or two before. I trust ElevareMD to customize everything to be pregnancy-friendly for me!
- Hair: Natural Beaded Row Extensions by Yvette. This was a special treat for me and I have been LOVING these extensions so much! I highly recommend this style and working with Yvette – she’s a total Doll.
- Lashes: Dani and I have both been getting our waxes from Bare All Beauty in Glen Ellyn. It’s the cutest spot! I stopped using Latisse when I found out I was pregnant and wanted a little zhuzh. Lash extensions instantly make me feel glam from the minute I wake up… Mamas, this is so worth it! Use discount code DOLLHOUSE15 for 15% off.
- Spray Tan: Nicole from GloUpChicago ALWAYS gives the best spray tan. A little glow goes a long way when it comes to a confidence boost. She has a location in Oak Brook or will travel to you! Click here to book your appointment.
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