Dudes & Diapers & Drinks...Oh My!

This past Saturday, July 18, we had Greg's 'Drinks & Diapers' party at our house. After attending one of these parties himself, Greg always said he wanted to have one when we were expecting our first child. So, I decided to throw one for him. We invited all the important guys in his life (my dad, our uncles and cousins, and all of his closest friends.) Basically, a diaper party is like the man version of a baby shower. The host provides the food & drinks, and the guests shower the daddy-to-be with diapers. Here's a little look at Greg's fun little last hurrah before becoming a dad.

   Once again, I turned to Etsy to find the perfect invitation for the party. I wanted to somewhat stem off the theme from my shower and stick with the rustic, burlap mason jar look. I was really excited when I found these and they had the diaper raffle insert to match! (Plus we all know I love a chalkboard!) Because these also had the mustaches, I thought they were great for a guy's party and added another little accent for decorations!

I'm not sure how many guys care about or notice party decor, but I had to have a little fun. I LOVE party planning! So I set up two small folding tables. The first one had two beer & diaper cakes I made, complete with buckets of peanuts in the shell on top. (Because what guy doesn't love peanuts in the shell?) In the middle of the table, I put a basket full of diapers as a little 'activity' for the guys to do called 'Late Night Diapers'. The sign on the side said, 'Please write a funny, encouraging message to the daddy-to-be.' So the guys used the markers to write funny notes to Greg on the front of the diapers. (This basket will be reserved for Greg's use only so he can at least have a little laugh during those nighttime diaper changes!) 

 

                     

Since our area had a heat index of 111 degrees on Saturday, (WHAT?!) we had to move the party inside for the most part. So I utilized our dining room area for the diaper cakes tables and 'sweets' area. Here's a shot of the Blue Moon Cupcakes I made. These ended up being a big hit! And all I did was make a boxed cake and replaced the water with beer. Stir a little orange zest & juice into some store bought vanilla frosting and you've got yourself a cupcake that tastes just like your favorite bottle of beer...with garnish! I also made 'Pub Cookies' with Sam Adams Boston Lager and some good, old fashioned Rice Krispie Treats (I've found these are always a favorite with guys. They ate the whole tray!)

 

Speaking of food, I spent a long time debating on the menu for this party. I wanted it to be 'man food', stuff I knew guys would like and would eat plenty of (to soak up all the booze that would inevitably be consumed). It also needed to be food that I could basically set out and leave out, since I obviously wouldn't be staying at this party (it was guy's only!) So what Greg and I decided on was that he would grill burgers & brats and the rest would be 'set it and forget it'. Appetizers were chili cheese dip with tortilla chips, bacon wrapped smokies, and a meat, cheese & crackers tray. 

The main meal was burgers & brats, with ALL the fixings; ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, tomatoes, onions & pickles very purposefully displayed in none other than mason jars. 

Side dishes included crockpot corn on the cob, crockpot baked beans, potato chips, and a delicious pasta salad that my mom made (she also sent a tray of watermelon). And of course, desserts were the Blue Moon cupcakes, pub cookies, and rice krispies. I found all the recipes I used off of Pinterest, and they were thankfully all a success! Almost all of the food went by the time I returned back home at the end of the night.

The main 'party area' was our breezeway (since that's where the bar is!) In there, I set up a gift table. Once again, I was shocked as guests started arriving and were so generous with the amount of diapers they brought. (It started filling up before I could even get a good picture of the table all set up!)  On the right side was my gift to Greg, his 'daddy diaper bag', filled with diapers, wipes, a toy for Mason, a book called 'Kisses for Daddy', and 'The Baby Owner's Manuel.' In the middle was the mason jar we used for the diaper raffle. The sign here said, 'If you brought a pack of diapers (any size) place your ticket in here for your chance to win a prize!'

 

                   

 There was a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize. 3rd place received a half pint of Fireball Whiskey with a $3 lottery ticket. 2nd received a pint of Fireball Whiskey and a $5 lottery ticket. And finally, the grand prize winner took home a basket full of "Greg's favorite things" including a six pack of Sam Adam Summer Ale (with lemons), a fifth of Captain Morgan, a pint of Rumpleminz, and a handful of lottery tickets.  

 

My final touch was at the bar where I set out mason jars with mustache party straws for drinks! 

I snuck in just a couple of pictures before I headed out with my mom for dinner & a Redbox movie at my parent's house. By the time I got back home that night, it seemed like everyone really had a great time! I'm glad Greg got a night to enjoy some time with his favorite guys before our lives change forever (and of course for the better!)

 (Last but not least, the aftermath of Greg's Drinks & Diapers Party. WOW that's a lot of diapers!!)