Martie Knows Parties: Lunch Hour Baby Shower

Since you only have an hour, plan party decorations you can put up quickly. Use a clothesline and clothespins to hang photos, baby bibs, socks, and other necessities the new mom will need; she can take them home after the party is over. Scan and print cherished family pictures to prevent damage to the originals. Get Martie's Tips!

Mixing different sizes and shapes of like-colored plates gives your table and buffet a coordinated look without the added expense of buying paper products. Ask your fellow hostesses to bring their dish on a white serving piece, too. Food looks great on white dishes and it creates a cohesive look.

Ask moms around the office to bring in old glass baby bottles to use as vases for your centerpiece. A variety of different sizes and heights work well. If you’re lucky enough to have blooms in your yard, clip some to make a casual flower arrangement or get a bunch from the florist and use a single stem in each bottle.

Party hostesses or the guest of honor's family can bring a special treasure from childhood–favorite books, baby booties, rattles to dress up a conference room table and serve as conversation starters. Pretty blue trays, ribbons, or a tablecloth make a plain office table party pretty.

Select a "can't miss" menu that will work well for a "bring a dish" party. Choose items that will travel well, hold well and require very little assembly before the party. Make sure to wrap all items carefully and store properly until serving time. Remember to ask hostesses to bring food in a white serving dish for a completely coordinated look.

If you have the typical ugly office table to use for your buffet, dress it up with a large napkin or a scarf. In addition to the menu, take a little help from the store and build out your buffet with signature antipasto items like tapenade, smoked mozzarella, salami, peppers, marinated artichokes, olives, and breadsticks.

Make drinks ahead and transport in a pitcher you can use for serving. Any drink served in a glass with a stem seems special, even something as simple as Prosecco–Italian sparkling wine. Use it to make Apricot Bellinis, a fresh twist on a Mimosa. Substitute ginger ale or lemon-lime soda for an office party or as a non-alcoholic beverage choice for the mom-to-be. Get Martie's Drink Tips Here!

An easy way to transport food is to use zip-top bags. That's especially true for messy items like soup or dessert. Spoon the mixture into a freezer Ziploc bag and seal. When it's time to serve, hold the bag like a pastry bag and snip the end. Pipe the chilled mixture into your serving glasses–so much easier and cleaner, too! No drips! Get Martie's Tips

Everything for a lunch hour shower, from the decorations to the menu, needs to be simple and portable. To make it super easy, take some help from the store where you can. This menu includes convenience items such as frozen tortellini, rotisserie chicken, packaged breadsticks and biscotti, salami, cheeses and olives. Another plus is that all of the items can be made ahead, stored in the refrigerator at work, and brought out when you're ready to serve. Start the festivities by serving drinks in a pretty stemmed glass. It really sets the mood and guests will feel like it is a party–even if it is your lunch hour!

Menu: Lunch Hour Shower