If you're planning a baby shower and are researching fun, unique, and meaningful activities, look no further!
I, like you, wanted to do something unique and meaningful as I was planning a shower for a dear friend. Let me tell you, boy did I succeed! When I did this activity at my friend's shower, many of us were in tears, one guest said they would never be able to go to another shower without thinking of this activity, and another asked me to share the information for the activity with her because she wanted to incorporate it in a baby shower she was planning for her daughter. What (you might be wondering) caused such a strong reaction among party attendees?
Beads.
Yup. That's pretty much it. A bunch of beads. Several hundred beads, in fact, because I could only find the particular beads I was looking for in bulk. You might have heard that semi-precious stones are said to contain properties. Properties to heal, strengthen, calm... properties that someone welcoming a new life to the world needs in their journey to motherhood. I researched each bead's potential properties, and created a chart listing those properties along with a photo of the beads. It took a while to create, and it definitely wasn't perfect... but it did the trick! Each guest then chose a bead with the properties that they hoped the mother would have with her during pregnancy, delivery, and motherhood. As we stood around the mother, blessing her with peace, healing, love, friendship, positivity, courage... the environment in the room changed. The potentially anxiety-provoking birth stories that were so recently being exchanged were morphed into hope. Women who hardly knew each other were joining together in a collective cause of supporting a young mother, and the feeling of unity was tangible. This is where the tissues came out.
I love baby showers. I love the ones that were thrown for me, and the ones I've attended. I love the tiny clothes and the soft blankets...the games and the cupcakes! I love the energy of excitement and anticipation. The laughter and jokes. I love that this shower had all of that... and something more. Not only was this mother showered with darling baby things and excited energy, she was showered with protection, strength, and support. She carried that support with her throughout her pregnancy, throughout delivery (in the hospital photo she sent us of her so-chunky-you-want-to-pinch-those-cute-cheeks boy, she was wearing the bead bracelet we gave her right next to her hospital band), and into motherhood.
Look at that cute baby! Also, take a peek at the bracelet in the bottom right, hand corner.
Now, I know you are DYING to know... what did I do with those hundreds of beads? Well, I divided them up (turns out you don't need 300 beads to make one bracelet), included some elastic, an upgraded bead chart (much less blurry this time!), and a card that included a poem and a place to write a personalized note, and I gave them to my friends who were having babies. I visited their showers. It didn't matter if it was their first or tenth baby. It didn't matter what they wrote on their birth plan, or if the baby joined their family through adoption or other means. The magic was universal... and I watched it happen again and again.
So, have I convinced you to try it yet? Perfect. I'll include a link to the hundreds of beads and yards of elastic I purchased so that you can constantly step on them after your three-year-old discovers your bead stash...
KIDDING!
You can get your own kit here. No need to purchase an unnecessary amount of materials. No need to piece together a chart and do a ridiculous amount of research on semi-precious stones. No need to write your own poetry. With Beaded and Blessed's Mama Blessed Bead Kit (say that ten times fast!), you have everything you need to bless the ones you love.
Stay Blessed!
Bre