Seems like there always a new baby or wedding to celebrate! Everything for a lunch hour shower, from the decorations to the menu, needs to be simple and portable. Delicious make ahead items and a few simple craft projects make this lunch hour shower a breeze from set up to clean up. Change the decorations and this party works for baby, bridal, or birthday!

QUICK & EASY DECORATIONS

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.

For our tiny office baby shower for Caroline, we went to our favorite restaurant and met friends there. A quick centerpiece from baby bottles, rubber ducks, booties, and navy ribbon was the perfect welcome for our newest team member, baby Navy.

COORDINATE COLORS

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.

CENTERPIECE MADE SIMPLE WITH CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

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.

MAKE AHEAD MENU

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. Shown are some of my make-ahead favorites: Citrus Pickled Shrimp, Cheese Puffs, and a cheese board.

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 beverage or cocktail recipes...

BUILD YOUR BUFFET

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.

FINISHING TOUCHES

Get a cake from the bakery... yes, I said it. It is perfectly okay to take some help from the store or bakery. Decorate with items the new mom can use like these rubber duckies. Get a little more than you need so there plenty for an afternoon coffee break...:)

WATCH MY LUNCH HOUR BABY SHOWER VIDEO ON MYRECIPES.COM

I am not sure I can say anything about sweet tea that has not already been said... but on the chance you have no idea what it is... it is our life's blood in the South.

Well, just about. If you go to a restaurant here and order "tea" the waitress will respond: "sweet or unsweet" .... that meaning sweet tea or unsweetened tea. The "iced" part goes without saying. Everyone in the South has their favorite sweet tea. It might be your mama's, your aunt's, your Nana's, or a restaurant down the street. No matter who makes your favorite sweet tea, you will never forget it and on a hot summer day, you will just about do anything for it. I grew up making the tea at our house. Mom would tell me to put the water and sugar on to boil and then add the tea bags.

These days, I make my sweet tea a little differently, opting to make a simple syrup so guests can add a little or a lot to their own taste. In the Spring and Summer, when I have wild mint growing on the side of the yard, I always add mint to the simple syrup to make mint tea. Anyone who has tried it says it is their favorite and it is just so refreshing. Here's how I do it....

MINT SWEET TEA

For a quart of tea you need a 1-quart tea bag and 4 cups cold water. Put the water in a pot or large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Drop in the tea bag. Let steep for 7 minutes. Discard the tea bag and let the tea cool completely.

For a "Double Mint" version- my niece Sarah likes this one- we add a few sprigs of mint to the hot tea so we flavor the tea and have mint in the syrup, too.

MINT SIMPLE SYRUP
(simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water)
1 cup sugar
1 cup cold water
25-30 mint leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Put the sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat. Stir it once and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir again, making sure the sugar is totally dissolved. Add the mint leaves. Allow to cool completely. Strain the simple syrup into a mason jar. Discard the leaves.

To make the tea, pour 1 quart of tea into a pitcher with 1/2 cup mint simple syrup. Stir. Serve over ice with a sprig of fresh mint.
FYI: I don't dilute the tea with water because it will be too weak when you serve it over ice.

The ratio is 8 parts tea :1 part simple syrup or to your own taste.
For 1 gallon of tea, add 2 cups simple syrup.