Taya’s Take: Apple of my Eye

Apple of my eye

Q: My husband and I are having a baby, and we want the sex to be a surprise. I want my baby shower to be special and different, but I don’t know where to start or what I can do. I’m a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and our colors are salmon pink and apple green, so I would like to use those colors in some way, even if it’s a boy. We usually collect frogs and ivy leaves, but I don’t know how to make that into a shower theme! Can you come up with something for us to do?

A: Oh great! I’ve been patiently waiting for one of my AKA friends to get married and/or have a baby. And since they refuse to jump the broom or summon the stork to stop by on my account, I’ll tell you about the cute idea I was hoping to try out…

For your next shower, have an “Apple of My Eye” themed event. The apple of your eye can be your fiancé, your bundle of joy or your spouse. Decorate the venue in various shades of green (lime, kelly, and of course apple green). You could serve apple cider, dried apples for snacks (or spread on the tables for decoration), and apple pie or fritters for dessert. For games, have teams bob for apples or play Charades and have teams act out stories that feature apples such as Adam and Eve, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and William Tell. Another game you can play is to pass around unmarked containers of various flavored apple sauces (mango, cinnamon, strawberry, green apple, blueberry) and have guests identify the flavors. This will be quite challenging and fun.

For favors, have a candy apple bar and serve apples on a stick with various toppings such as green sprinkles, icing, candy and nuts to allow guest to make their own candied apples. You can get Granny Smith Apples from a host of places including Chesterfield Berry Farm and Market on Pear Orchard Road in Moseley or the 17th Street Farmers’ Market in Shockoe Bottom. Ukrop’s, Kroger and other grocers also sell caramel and other materials for a candied apple bar. Now this should make your friends green with envy!

TAYA’S TIP: GO GREEN WITH GIFT WRAPPING When I was young, my eclectic and eco-friendly aunt and uncle would wrap my birthday presents in the comics section of the newspaper. The bright colors and cartoons really made the packages pop. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what was inside the packages, but the wrapping was so different it really impressed me. So before you toss Sunday’s paper, be sure to keep the comics section to use as a cheap and GREEN way to give back when gift giving. You could also shred the comics to use as confetti or packaging filler. Go green!

If you are planning an event and have no idea where to start, send an email to , subject: Taya’s Take