Make Your Baby Shower Unique

Make Your Baby Shower Unique

by | Blog

Make Your Baby Shower Unique

1. Choose the Type of Party

Baby showers have been a special way to celebrate expecting parents and the new addition to the family for a long time, but here are a few ways to freshen up your baby shower and make it unique!

Couple’s Shower

A couple’s shower means that the dad-to-be gets to be involved too! Invite kids for a more casual event. Including everyone opens up options for group games and gift options!

A Baby Brunch

What’s better than mom-osas and breakfast foods with friends or family!?

A Sprinkle

A sprinkle is held for parents who already have one or more children. It’s a way to celebrate the mom-to-be with a get together, but not necessarily the expectations and gifts of a typical shower. Since parents often have much of what they need for the baby already, this is a way to sprinkle them with love before baby number two (or more) arrives!

A Sip & See

A sip and see is held after the baby arrives! It’s a way for friends and family to stop by to enjoy a drink and meet the baby! Everyone comes during a set time period to make it easy on the new parents. Create a sign up to have friends and family provide the family with meals or extra help!

Long Distance Shower

A long distance shower can be held in many ways, but here’s my favorite! Pick a specific day or week to have everyone send a note of encouragement or gift to the parents-to-be. What’s better than getting mail that’s personalized and special?! The new parents will be surprised when they open the mailbox and see that they have been “showered” with so many little notes and gifts.

Gender Reveal 

Gender reveals are a reason to celebrate with friends and family while finding out the gender of your baby. There are an endless number of ways to announce the gender, from gender reveal cakes and cupcakes to popping balloons filled with pink or blue confetti.

2. Pick a Personalized Theme

Baby shower themes have become much less traditional and more focused on the parents-to-be! Pastel “baby colors” are much less common than they were years ago. Fun, personalized themes are in! These days, it seems that any party theme can be used for a baby shower, which opens up the options for food, desserts, games and favors. Here are a few popular themes that we’ve seen for baby showers recently:

Baby-Q

A great way to create a casual atmosphere and very fitting for a couple’s shower theme as well. You can serve BBQ or make it a cookout with festive drinks and games!

 

“Taco ‘bout a Baby” Fiesta

Fiestas are a great time for tacos and margaritas as well as bright, colorful decorations.

 

Woodland 

Simple rustic styles with woodland animals, plaid and tree stumps have been popular themes for the past year or so. It’s a theme that can work for a baby boy, girl or a surprise which makes it very versatile.

How Can 3 Sweet Girls Help?!

For my own baby showers, we chose to have a “Taco ‘bout a Baby” Fiesta ladies lunch and a couples Baby-Q! I’ve included photos of some dessert ideas that we came up with! No matter your theme, we would love to help you with ideas for your baby shower cake, cupcakes, cake pops or dessert table!

Make Your Baby Shower Unique

4 Reasons You Can’t Miss the Cincinnati Baby and Beyond Expo

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4 Reasons You Can’t Miss the Cincinnati Baby and Beyond Expo

We are the official bakery sponsor of the Cincinnati Baby and Beyond Expo! Why is this event so special to us this year?! Because it’s perfectly timed at just two weeks before one of the 3 Sweet Girls’ due date! We’ll be checking out all of the exhibitors and do a little (or a lot..) of shopping ourselves! Here are a few reasons you won’t want to miss out on this event!

1. It’s a One Stop Shop

We love the Baby and Beyond Expo because it gathers a unique collection of vendors with products that you can’t find just anywhere! This makes it a breeze for parents, grandparents, friends and family to see everything in one easy stop.

From cribs and toys to adorable specialty boutique children’s clothing, it’s the perfect place to find gifts for mom-to-be, birthday presents for little ones, and sweet treats for all of the above!

 

2. Unique Vendors 

The expo is a great opportunity to see vendors that may be new to you and offer specialty, handmade products that you won’t see elsewhere!

A few vendors to be sure to checkout are:

Two Pink Balloons

Christa, of Two Pink Ballons, makes fun and colorful toys that help you engage with your kids and will keep them entertained for hours! Did I mention, she also offers monthly subscription boxes that will come right to your door?! They make great gifts and are so much fun, your kids might not even realize they’re learning while they play.

Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter

Crazy Richard’s offers natural peanut butter without added salt, sugar and oils. They are committed to building healthier families and communities. Bonus: Their website offers tons of drool-worthy recipes and ideas that definitely caught my attention!

The Red Balloon Play + Cafe

The Red Balloon Play + Café is a great place to visit to relax and eat fresh, healthy food from their café while your kids play. They offer classes and education on all kinds of helpful topics from cloth diapering to babywearing. Not to mention, they have an awesome playroom, offer parties and sell lots of awesome products as well!

Stitches & Sass

Stitches and Sass caught my attention because they make handmade modern accessories for babies AND pets! Their teethers and bibs are adorable and come in so many fun prints. They have gift sets that are perfect for shower presents and as a mom-to-be I was tempted to buy (way too) many of their items.

If you’re not shopping for a baby, take a look at their adorable bowties and pet bandanas for your fur-baby!

3. Great Resources

This expo is packed with resources for both first time parents and those with kids already! You’ll find tips on tons of helpful topics, from nutrition and healthcare to children’s activities in the area and local photographers! There are local doctor’s offices there to answer questions, diaper and formula companies, and even breastfeeding educators. No matter what topic you have questions about, there are vendors there to help!

4. 3 Sweet Girls Cakery is the Bakery Sponsor

What do we bring to the table?! Sweet treats, of course! We’ll have a wide variety of decorated cookies, brownies, cake pops, chocolate dipped pretzels and Oreos, and cake push ups made just for the expo.

We’ll also bring ideas and information about special ordering desserts for any gathering including birthday parties, pregnancy announcements, baby showers, gender reveal parties, and baptisms as well as any other event you could imagine planning!

Check out our website to get a head start on ideas as you look through creations we have made in the past or fill out our order form to let us know what you’re looking for!

This year’s event is on September 15th and 16th at the Sharonville Convention Center. We will be there Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm as well as Friday morning for a special VIP hour from 9am-10am! Tickets are $8 for adults. Children 12 and under are FREE! We can’t wait to see you there!

5 (or more!) Reasons Why You Need Cookies in Your Life

5 (or more!) Reasons Why You Need Cookies in Your Life

by | Blog

5 (or more!) Reasons You Need Cookies in Your Life

Who can resist the smell of freshly baked cookies coming from the kitchen?! I know I can’t. Whether you prefer a chewy salted chocolate chip cookie, intricately decorated and iced butter cookies, or that special recipe that only your grandma can make just right, cookies are undeniably delicious.

Above all, one of my personal favorite things about cookies is that you never need an excuse to enjoy a fresh baked cookie with a glass of milk. Cookies aren’t a new trend but they sure are a lasting one, and I’m here to tell you 5 (or more) reasons why you need cookies in your life.

1. Memories

Holidays

There’s something about that nostalgic feeling that shows up with the first bite of your favorite cookie. Growing up in our family, we would get together before Christmas, make cookie dough from scratch, gather all the icing and sprinkles we could find, and spend hours decorating (and sampling!) cookies together. Then, as we headed off to bed, we’d leave a plate out for Santa to enjoy. Of course, I counted out one for each and every reindeer too.

It’s the memories that I have of baking with all generations of my family that stand out to me the most and I wouldn’t those memories for anything. Some families bake at home while others order cookies each year from that local bakery or grocery store that they have been ordering from for years. Either way, memories are created and shared around that plate of cookies and passed on year to year.

Cookie Swaps

As we got older, the tradition changed and we started hosting cookie exchange parties. Each of our friends or family will bake and bring over their favorite flavor or recipe. Some are decorated, some studded with chocolate chips and others dusted with powdered sugar. We then swap, so that everyone ends up with a variety to take home and enjoy!

Traditional Cookie Tables

In other families, wedding cookie tables are a must-have tradition at wedding receptions. Some cities, like Pittsburgh, have their own well-known regional traditions, while other times the cookie table is a cultural must-have. It’s an awesome way to give guests from all over a special taste of where you’re from! For example, I love going to Greek or Italian weddings and sampling the traditional cookies that I’d never experienced before!

 

2. Killing Two Birds with One.. Cookie?!

Believe it or not, at weddings, cookies are a great way to multitask! I’ve seen cookies used as a seating place card, favor and centerpiece all in one. Not only are the cookies a statement piece on the table and they’re also a perfect snack for before or after dinner. Bonus: Using cookies in more than one way helps you save money and stick to the budget!

Seating Place Cards

Instead of just using paper place cards, you can create custom cookies to match wedding décor and add a personalized tag for a sweet and unique touch. Guests can take home their cookie as a favor or enjoy it as a treat at the reception.

I’ve seen cookies with the couple’s monogram, favorite sports team, or even a printed out edible photo of the couple as the focal point. The options are endless and make seating cards so much more than just a piece of paper! You can check out some of the wedding cookies we’ve made or find ideas on Pinterest and then customize to your wedding colors and theme.

Party Favors

Weddings aren’t the only place to use cookies as a favor. Birthday parties, wedding and bridal showers, anniversary parties and corporate events are all great opportunities to incorporate cookies into your theme. Individually wrapped cookies can be displayed on a dessert table and taken home as a favor, again doubling as dessert and a take home gift.

Dessert Tables

Dessert tables have been one of the biggest trends for weddings, showers and birthday parties in the past few years. They are the perfect way to give guests a variety of bite size treats to choose from and create a beautiful tablescape!

Bite size thumbprint style cookies, mini iced cookies, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate dipped Oreos are all a hit with guests and add that special touch to the display. They can be decorated with colored accents, drizzled with chocolate or detailed with royal icing to be the showstopper of your party!

3. Gifts

Have you ever needed the perfect gift to thank someone who you couldn’t live without, an idea to surprise a friend or relative for their birthday, or a way to show your appreciation for a teacher, doctor, bus driver?! Cookies are a great way to do just that.

Customized butter cookies can come in nearly any design and fit any theme. From doctors and nurses, school busses and apples, to birthday cakes with custom sayings, cookies can bring a smile to anyone’s face and show how much you truly appreciate them!

One of the most rewarding parts of owning a bakery is the opportunity to make special, one of a kind gifts that truly touch lives. We create cookies to thank doctor’s who have brought new born babies into the world and helped conquer cancer, teacher’s who have made sure every student leaves the classroom with a smile, and bus driver’s who get children to and from school safely each and every day.

With so many options, decorated butter cookies, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, or even chocolate dipped Oreo cookies can all be the perfect way to show your love and appreciation!

4. Corporate Promotion & Celebrations

Have you ever gone to a corporate event and left with a pen, notebook, or magnet as your take home gift and soon after wondered where it disappeared too? Yes, these gifts are practical and marked with a logo, but how much more memorable would it be to leave the meeting or event with a customized butter cookie that comes branded with your company’s logo and colors?!

Just like with seating place cards, corporate cookies can double as a favor, snack, center piece and even business card! Cookies catch a potential client’s attention at a pitch meeting, can be sent home in a goody bag, or be handed out at a networking event. Talk about the perfect post-meeting pick-me-up!

 

5. Endless Flavor Options!

Last but not least, you need cookies in your life because they come in endless flavor options, and endless isn’t much of an exaggeration! It would be hard to find someone who didn’t like a least one kind of cookie. From butter cookies, a firmer cookie similar to a shortbread that comes decorated with royal icing, to chocolate chip cookies that can be soft, chewy, crunchy or somewhere in between, there’s a cookie out there for everyone!

My favorite cookie tip: Find your favorite cookie recipe and then experiment with it! Change the flavoring, type of chocolate chips or other add-in ingredients to make it your own! I use my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and adjust it for other events or seasons. It has changed from a plain old chocolate chip to salted chocolate chip, s’mores, peanut butter chip, salted caramel toffee and birthday cake.

It was even used for sea salt caramel chip cookies at a beer and cookie pairing with Rhinegeist Brewery. Talk about versatile! Maybe just by adding a hint of lemon or almond to a classic butter cookie you can bring back that same taste of the cookies your grandma used to make!

If you’re not already inspired to bake some cookies, think about the other bonus that comes with trying out new recipes… eating them! And if you’re not much of a baker yourself, check out our cookie page for lots of ideas that we’d love to customize just for you!

Contact us for more cookie inspiration and ideas!

Cookie Platters for All Occasions

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Who knew cookies were so popular? Most of our customers are adding cookies to their orders and we are very excited to announce that we are making cookie platters for just about any occasion! Cookie platters are sure to make anyone happy.  To see more of our cookie designs you can go to our  cookie page!

Are you looking for something fun for your next Bengals party? Who Dey! We often have these in the store but they do sell out quickly so it is best to call ahead and order a platter of these.

We create custom design cookies for baby showers, weddings, birthday parties and sporting events! Feel free to stop in with invitations or email them to us directly. We have galleries of cookie designs on our website and in store we have an album with hundreds of designs that we have created!

We will carry cookie platters in the store as the holidays approach so be sure and keep us in mind for your holiday gift and entertaining needs! Cookie platters are great hostess gifts, they are perfect for office parties, thank you gifts and housewarming parties. We are able to add logos to any of our cookies. We would love to hear from you if you have questions about our cookies. Is there a design or shape you would like but don’t see on our site? We love to try new things so don’t hesitate to ask. There is a good chance we can create just what you are looking for. Please call us at 513-984-1100 or email us at 3sweetgirlscakery@gmail.com!