From Catalog Cribs to QR Codes: The PESO Model© in Action

TL;DR

Becoming a Nonna in 2025 is less “flip through a catalog” and more “scan the QR code and hope the AI can explain what a swaddle sack is.”
Baby showers have evolved from pastel balloons and radioactive punch to full-blown brand activations with themes, hashtags, and catering apps.
Planning the shower was secretly a masterclass in adult learning: microlearning, the 5 Moments of Need, and a cameo from the Forgetting Curve (RIP grout wisdom).
The registry lived in the cloud, the menu was algorithm-approved, and the decor was Pinterest-perfect.
Shelly vs. Cobblestone Street: a cautionary tale in panic-driven productivity and the illusion of guest scrutiny, with zero ROI.
Surprise! The whole event mirrored a PESO Model campaign: Paid (catering), Earned (guest raves), Shared (Instagram bouquet spam), and Owned (beautifully repainted walls no one noticed).
Final takeaway: Connection is key! Progress beats perfection, humor saves sanity, and learning sneaks into even the most magical life milestones.

From Catalog Cribs to QR Codes

Some measure life milestones by birthdays, job promotions, great bottles of wine consumed, or the number of passport stamps collected. Me? Lately, I measure them in luxury diaper comparisons, nursery paint swatches, and the number of times I’ve asked AI for the “best stroller 2025.”

That’s right. I’m becoming a grandmother. Or, as I prefer, a Nonna.

And let me tell you, becoming a Nonna in 2025 feels worlds apart from when I became a mom back in the mid-1990s.

Back then, the most advanced thing about preparing for a baby was flipping through the JCPenney catalog and circling a crib, or in my case, three cribs I hoped our parents might splurge on.

A baby registry was basically a whispered wish list you passed along over the phone.

Decorations? If you were feeling ambitious, a few pastel balloons, a diaper-pin-shaped cake, and that infamous sherbet punch that looked radioactive but everyone drank anyway.

Fast-forward to now, and suddenly, baby showers are social media-worthy productions complete with themes, QR-coded registries, catering apps, and guests who fully expect vegan, gluten-free, and maybe even dairy-free menu options.

So, when it came time for my daughter’s shower, her sisters and I dove in headfirst. For me, with a lot of excitement and a side of terror.

Somewhere between spending two weekends repainting my walls, pulling weeds from my cobblestone, and power washing the patio. Scanning social media and using AI to find “baby shower inspo,” I realized something: planning this shower wasn’t just about flowers and finger food. It was a crash course in modern learning.

Here is my story.

Theme Me Up

Back in the ’90s, a baby shower theme was simple: pink or blue. Maybe yellow if you were keeping it a surprise. Easy!

Now? Choosing a theme is basically a brand strategy.

Woodland creatures. Boho chic. Spa vibes. “Cottagecore” (yes, that’s a thing). I half-expected to stumble on “AI-powered futurism” as an option.

We landed on Farmers Market: fresh flowers, fruit baskets, and local veggies. Guests built their own bouquets, and the decor looked straight out of a lifestyle blog. It was charming. It was wholesome. It was also slightly ironic, considering that at my shower the centerpiece was a huge cake with three icing strollers on it. (Remember, I have triplets)

I’ll admit I had help. My girls scrolled TikTok and Instagram, and within minutes, they had mock-up menus, sample invitations, and even suggested hashtags.

Twenty years ago, I would’ve consulted Good Housekeeping or Parents. Now? I consult a bot.

Bottles, Barcodes & Baby Love

Today’s baby registry doesn’t live behind a store counter or a shiny printed catalog. It lives in the cloud. Guests scan a QR code and click “add to cart.” Two days later, it’s on the doorstep thanks to a delivery driver who probably knows your household better than you do.

It’s efficient, yes, but also a little surreal.

Gone are the days of carefully unwrapping each tiny onesie and diaper package in front of a crowd. Instead, half the gifts had already arrived before the shower even began.

At first, I missed the ritual. But then I realized: this is simply the new ritual. Guests still want to show love; they just do it by shopping online, free delivery, and automated gift receipts.

Scrub, Sigh, Survive

Here’s the thing no one tells you: hosting a shower isn’t just about food and decorations.

It’s about suddenly noticing every smudge on your walls, every weed in your yard, and every cobblestone in front of your house that dares grow a blade of grass.

I confess, I may have gone slightly overboard, or a lot overboard.

I painted the entire first floor. (“The walls needed touching up anyway…”)
I woke to thunder. Ran outside at 1:30 a.m. to rescue patio cushions from the rain – four days before the shower. They had to be dry; guests couldn’t sit on a wet cushion!!!
Swept the cobblestone street because… what if a guest noticed?

Was any of this necessary? Of course not.

Did it feel urgent at the time? Absolutely. 100%

The truth is that guests don’t care about your walls or cobblestones. They care about the people. But in the heat of hosting, logic often takes a backseat to panic-driven productivity.

A Celebration of Cravings and Connection

Back in the ’90s, baby shower menus were straightforward: Deli platters, veggie trays, nasty punch, and cake.

Dietary considerations? Not even a thought.

Today? Dietary preferences and restrictions are front and center.

Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, pregnancy-safe. Planning felt like solving a culinary Rubik’s Cube.

Thankfully, catering apps and AI came to the rescue. We literally typed: “Baby shower menu ideas inclusive of vegetarian, gluten-free, and pregnancy-safe diets,” and magically, we had sample menus that actually sounded delicious.

A few YouTube microlearning reels even gave me the confidence to plate them like I knew what I was doing.

And you know what? People ate everything. No one left hungry. That alone felt like a victory.

The Learning Curve of Becoming Nonna

Here’s where things got interesting. While planning the shower, I also realized I was learning in a way I hadn’t in years. Every step, every panic, every microlearning tutorial was part of a bigger journey.

Luckily, I successfully navigated the Stages of Learning:

At first, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know (WiFi bassinets are a thing?).

I quickly realized how clueless I was. AI and microlearning to the rescue!

I became competent. By the end, I could casually discuss “swaddle sacks vs. blankets” like I was running a parenting podcast.

I journeyed through The 5 Moments of Need.

At first, I was brand new (what even is a QR registry?).

Then I wanted more (how do you keep cupcakes moist without gluten?).

I applied (thank you, YouTube).

We solved problems (when the catering app glitched).

Finally, I adapted (letting go of my 1994 ideas and embracing 2025 norms).

I wish I could have skipped the Forgetting Curve, but I didn’t.

I’d read multiple times that “guests care more about warmth than spotless grout.” Did I remember it when I was outside sweeping the street at dawn?

Nope.

Apparently, my brain tossed that wisdom straight into the recycle bin.

So yes, I was hosting a shower. But I was also retraining my brain. Becoming Nonna was its own learning curve.

The Baby Shower Glow-Up

When the day finally arrived, I braced myself for chaos. Instead, what I got was pure joy.

The decorations looked beautiful.

The food was plentiful.

The bouquet station was a huge hit.

Guests laughed, mingled, and took enough photos to immortalize the shower.

My daughter felt loved and celebrated.

Suddenly, all those sleepless nights of cushion-saving, weed pulling, and painting felt worth it.

Because here’s the truth: the shower wasn’t perfect. But it was exactly what it needed to be.

It wasn’t until after the shower, when I was reflecting on the whole experience, that I realized how much it resembled something from my professional life: a PESO Model© campaign.

Design = Strategy. Just like campaigns need a clear story, the shower needed a theme. For us, the Farmers Market anchored every choice.
Execution = Tactics. Paid (catering), Earned (guest compliments), Shared (Instagram posts of those bouquets), and Owned (my house, our planning). The channels were different, but the mix felt familiar.
Measurement = Impact. Attendance? High. Engagement? Off the charts. Sentiment? Tears of joy. Conversion? Registry fulfilled.

Even my over-the-top cleaning reminded me of campaign fluff, efforts that feel important in the moment but don’t actually move the needle. A spotless cobblestone street? Zero ROI.

Like a campaign, the shower proved that what matters most isn’t perfection, it’s personal connection.

Lessons I’ll Carry (as Host and Nonna)

Progress beats perfection. Campaigns and showers don’t need to be flawless. They need to feel authentic.
Traditions evolve. From whispered wish lists to QR codes, rituals adapt with the times.
Your stress is invisible. Audiences (and guests) aren’t scrutinizing your grout. They’re looking for meaning.
Humor saves you. If you can laugh at yourself, everything feels lighter.
Measure what matters. Hours of stress cleaning? Irrelevant. Joy, connection, love? That’s the real metric.
Learning never stops. Whether it’s planning a shower, running a PESO campaign, or preparing to be Nonna, you’ll always cycle through needs, forget things, relearn, and grow.

Final Thoughts from a Soon-to-Be Nonna

In the end, hosting my daughter’s baby shower reminded me of something bigger: every generation puts its own spin on traditions.

What mattered in 1994 mattered again in 2025, just dressed up with hashtags, AI shopping assistants, mason jars, and balloon garlands.

Yes, it was stressful.

Yes, I repainted walls that no one noticed.

But it was also one of the most joyful days of my life.

Because when you strip away the QR codes, the catered menu, and the social media-worthy decorations, it’s honestly about one thing: showing up for the people you love and building lasting connections.

And that, whether you’re planning a baby shower or a PESO Model campaign, never goes out of style.

From Catalog Cribs to QR Codes: The PESO Model© in Action

TL;DR