Archive for the ‘Baby Showers’ Category

Baby Shower Planning Basics by Timothy Millar

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Planning a baby shower is the loveliest gift that you can give to a mother-to-be. When planning the baby shower remember that its meant to be fun, so don’t get all stressed out about everything being perfect.

Planning

When you are planning to throw a baby shower, there are a lot of preparations that must go into the celebration. There are two main keys to planning the baby shower, making lists and delegating some of the work. Here are several mistakes common mistakes to avoid when planning your baby shower –

Not considering if you have too many guests – can the location, food or activites cater to so many people?
Keep a watchful eye on the budget its no fun looking the bill at the end of the day that will break the bank.
Avoid the temptation of trying to mix too many different themes together in many cases it doesn’t work.
Make sure that the food sufficent – nothing can be more embarrassing than running out of food mid-way.

Do remember that baby shower involves planning, invitations, decorations, themes, color schemes, and so much more.

Theme

Just make sure that when choosing a baby shower theme, once you pick something – stick with it. As mentioned, you should try to avoid the temptation of trying to mix too many different baby shower themes together. Unless you are confident in pulling it off, avoid at all cost – in many cases it doesn’t work.

Decorations

From the gifts, to the decorations to the food and drink, it is important that all the elements of the baby shower reflect the joy that the expectant mother is feeling. After all, it is the baby shower decorations that will set the right theme for the entire baby shower.

Baby shower decorations range from simple to extravagant depending on what you are looking for. When it comes to planning a successful baby shower, the importance of baby shower decorations simply cannot be overstated. Lots of balloons, streamers, banners and colorful decorations make the baby shower party area livelier. Whether the baby shower is held in someone’s home or rented hall, try to make sure that all the decorations are all baby related.

Location

Typically the person throwing the baby shower hosts the party at their house or at an alternate location such as a park or reception hall. Anything you plan to use to spruce up the location of the baby shower falls into this category. Use them outside the party location to direct people to the event.

What one should also take into consideration when inviting people, is whether or not the location of the baby shower can accommodate only a few or a large group of people.

Invitations

The baby shower invitations can be mailed 4-6 weeks before the actual date for out of town guests and they can be mailed 2-3 weeks before for local guests. There are many baby shower invitations available, you can go to specialized stores, order them online or use free baby shower templates that are available on the Internet.

Favors

The baby shower theme you choose will dictate the type of cake you purchase, the decorations, the games, the party favors and so on. And there are so many baby shower favors that choosing the most suitable one can be pretty confusing. But offering your guests baby shower prizes and favors that they can take home with them to thank them for their gifts and commemorate the special day is a gesture that is well worth the time spent in preparation.

Games

Baby shower games are generally inexpensive and just require a little planning. It’s important that you organize games that everyone can play. So it’s vital that the games also have to be designed so that the male guests do not remain spectators and observers during the entire celebration.

Foods

Finger foods are simple to prepare and can fit around any theme. For an early afternoon or early evening party, appetizers, salads and finger foods will suffice. The baby shower menu can be anything from a selection of finger foods and scrumptious desserts to a full course sit down meal. Of course, choosing foods and drinks that are free of alcohol, caffeine and other substances that could harm the baby is an important consideration. If you want to keep the food a bit simpler you can plan to serve a variety of appetizers, baby shower finger foods and desserts.

 
The Author is the owner of the Baby Shower Informative Guide.
Please visit the website for more information on Tips and Resources on Baby Shower Planning, Themes, Favors, Hosting, Gifts, Games etc. at the Baby Shower Informative Guide.
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Baby Shower Ideas, Throw The New Mom A Surprise!

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Many moms go through many changes during pregnancy. Once the baby has arrived, they are going to go through even more changes. However, there are a variety of ways that you can celebrate a new baby coming, and that is having a surprise baby shower. This is an exciting party that you can throw for the new mom where you eat tasty food, play games, enjoy good company, and bring mom gifts to help out with her nursery decoration.

Having a surprise baby shower is a great option for a brand new mom who hasn’t had her baby yet. It can be tough to buy everything needed for the nursery décor, and the shower allows others to help her out a bit and it definitely is a great surprise. Not sure where to begin when hosting this type of a party? Here are a few great tips and ideas to help you host the most amazing baby shower for the new mother.

Pick a Date. The first thing you need to do for the baby shower is to plan a good date. Since it is a surprise, you’ll have to find out from her husband or a family member whether or not the date you are thinking about is a good one for her. You’ll also need to arrange it so she’ll be prepared to go out but she’ll have no idea about the party. Check with all the people you want to invite too to make sure that you pick a date that works well for everyone. Choose a good time for everyone as well.

The Invitations. The invitations are going to be important. They should be given out about 2-3 weeks before you plan on having the shower. Just make sure that those you give the invitations to keep them well hidden from the new mom. When you are picking out the perfect invitations, consider something that goes with the baby theme, such as invitations that include pictures of nursery décor, or other baby items on them.

A Baby Gift Registry. Many mothers will have a gift registry at various stores or even online. This is a great way that they can pick out the nursery decoration that they want and others will be able to figure out what kind of gifts she wants. If the ideas are expensive, several people can go together to purchase one gift. Check with those that know the new mom well to find out where she is registered. This way you can pass on this information to the reset of the people that are coming to the surprise baby shower.

Great Decorations and Favors. Of course you are going to want to have some beautiful decorations and favors for the big party. Go with decorations with a theme. If you know the mom is having a girl, go with decorations that reflect this. The same applies if she is having a boy. Another way to choose a theme for your decorations is to find out what kind of nursery décor she is using. If she is going with Disney Characters in the baby’s nursery, consider using this for a theme for your decorations. You’ll also want to purchase favors for all the guests. This is to thank them for taking the time to attend the surprise baby shower. While you probably can’t afford a lot on the favors, make sure that they are beautiful and useful.

Keep the Guests Hidden. When you are throwing the surprise baby shower, make sure that you keep the guests hidden away. Have them all park somewhere else so that the mom isn’t suspicious about what is going on. When she walks in the door gently surprise her, just don’t go too crazy. You don’t want to be the ones that end up inducing labor.

Having a surprise baby shower is a wonderful way to help out a new mom and surprise her. No doubt she’ll be thrilled with the party, the friends, and the nursery decoration gifts that she receives.

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