There's a growing trend within the United States right now that's bringing both Mom & Dad together to formally celebrate the birth of a child; the Jack & Jill baby shower. The Jack and Jill baby shower is basically a co-ed baby shower bringing couples and single friends together to talk, exchange gifts, and generally enjoy some time together. Now, I know what you're thinking; "there's no way any guy would want to sit around and discuss cuteness while pretending to admire an explosion of pink bonnets and microscopic footsies." Maybe that's not word for word what you're thinking (pardon the quotes, didn't mean to put words in your mouth / thoughts in your head), but I'm sure it's something along those lines. Fortunately, there's a ton of ways to make the Jack and Jill baby shower enjoyable for both men and women.

One of the easiest ways to ensure a successful Jack and Jill party is to pick a theme. Your theme can be as elaborate or as simple as you'd like. An example of a real simple theme would be a "Baby Barbecue." I mean, who doesn't like a barbecue? This is a great way to get everyone together and keep everyone happy throughout the party. You can even bring the kids and include the whole family. There's plenty of ways to theme out a barbecue "baby style," it just takes a little imagination. To help you get you started, here's a few ideas. They may be a bit odd, but let's be honest, that's why theme parties are so fun. Instead of your standard meat slab burgers, shape the ground beef in the shape of little babies. This is admittedly a bit creepy and may raise suspicion about the possibility of closet cannibalism, but who cares, I don't know anyone who wouldn't get a laugh out of a human shaped piece of meat. If you can't take a joke, nobody wants you at the party anyway. Find new friends. Another idea would be to have a beer drinking contest through a sippy cup or baby bottle. Remember Moms, if there's a baby on board, drinking is a NO NO, pick another fluid instead. Bottom line is that any theme party will do (beach, football, movie themed, etc..), It's all about the effort you put into it.

Whether you choose to pick a theme or not, you're going to want to have some games to play to maximize the fun. In addition to the bottle drinking contests, another great game is Feed the Baby. For Feed the Baby you'll need to have your guest's pair up and designate a "Mom" and a "Baby". The Mom is then given a spoon and a jar of baby food; whoever can feed their baby the entire jar the fastest wins. "That's too easy" you say? Throw a little monkey wrench into the equation by only allowing the Mom to hold the spoon with her mouth. If it's still too easy, give the Mom a blindfold. Trust me, this gets fun.

Finally, make sure to provide your Jack and Jill Baby shower guests with party favors and prizes for winning the various games you play. Don't break the bank here, you've got diapers to buy real soon. Simple prizes that both men and women always appreciate are gift cards and candy. If you want to put a little more effort into it, buy some bubble gum cigars for the guys and some candles for the girls. Bottom line is, give your guests something to show your appreciation of their attendance and friendship. As Bill Murray in Caddyshack said; "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort."