Monday, July 7, 2008

Planning Baby Shower Decorations

Decorations make a baby shower event more festive. There are a lot of decorations to choose from. Ranging from baby bottles to baby books, handmade to ready made, you will surely have a fun experience planning for your baby shower decorations. Here are a few ideas that you can use for decorating for your baby shower.

Baby Bottles: Good Centerpieces

Using baby bottles is a fantastic way to start decorating the room. You can ask a few friends who have these empty bottles set aside or perhaps find some inexpensive ones at the store. You can decorate these bottles with paint or colorful magazine pictures related to baby stuff and use them as centerpieces with candies, flowers or even candles. They can also serve as condiments for your ketchup or mustard when eating.

Baby Potty Chairs: Floral Centerpiece

Find a good baby potty chair then take it to a local florist for a floral arrangement. You can use this as a nice table centerpiece and can also make a useful gift later.

Teddy Bears

Who doesn't love teddy bears? You can decorate the room with cute teddy bears for table centerpieces. For an added effect to your teddy bear theme, you can find pretty patterns of teddy bear tablecloths in many party stores and as a finishing touch, fill the tables with Gummy Bear candies and teddy bear cookies as goodies.

Baby Shower Cards

Once your guests start arriving, you can ask them to create personalized cards out of a few coloring materials and pre-cut paper. Ask them to fill the card with a picture on the front of the card and an advice for the mother to be. Then immediately put the cards around the room to serve as decorations which you can collect at the conclusion of the event and have them kept so that they can be read by the mommy to be.

Baby Shower Items

Another neat table centerpiece is a basket full of supplies for baby care such as baby soaps, baby lotions, non-tear shampoo, rattles and baby creams. If you want the theme to be gender-specific, you can tie pink or blue ribbons depending on the baby's gender to finish off the look to your baskets.

Baby Clothesline

Here is a great and fun decorative idea. Find a string and tie it across a room then hang on little baby clothes in it with clothespins or safety pins for an added effect. You can also hang other things on the string such as diapers, bibs or wash cloths. This is a practical decorative idea since the mother to be can use these baby things that are hung on the clothesline when the baby is born. If you are on a tight budget, you can have these hanging on colorful paper cutouts too.

Balloons And Streamers

If the mommy to be expects a boy, you can decorate with blue balloons and pink ones for a girl. You can let this balloons float on the ceiling, get them tied to the chairs or a better idea would be to use them as a part of your table centerpieces.

Streamers are also a good way to lighten up the place. Mix beautiful colors that are part of the theme then twist and hang the streamer on the ceilings, walls, stairs or the doorway.

Baby Bath Tub: A Good Cooler

If you are serving bottled drinks for your guests, a baby bath tub can serve as a great cooler! Just fill the tub with crushed ice then place your bottled drinks in it.

Candle Decorations And Gifts

You can find baby scented candles at many craft store shops. Around these candles, use assorted colored ribbons then tie them with a bow. You can place a small card with a thank you note in it and have your guests take these as souvenirs when they leave.

Baby Shower Baskets With Baby Books

Make use of baskets and fill them with the mommy to be's favorite baby books. Place them on the tables as good centerpieces. With this idea, the mommy and her baby can also have a mini library of books. For finishing touches, you can add little baby toys in the basket such as rattles or pacifiers.

Creating a Baby Shower Gift Basket

Creating a baby shower gift basket can be done in a lot of creative and original ways. You can go for the typical Diaper gift basket where you just stack some diapers up and finish off with a few twisted ribbons of blues and pinks depending on the gender of the baby. You can also go for themed baby shower gift baskets that contain baby items according to the theme you choose to work with.

Look Into Baby Shower Gift Registries

Nowadays, mothers are setting up gift registries for their baby showers. It is more practical and the mother will be able to get the present that she truly likes and that she can use for taking care of her baby.

Before making your baby shower gift basket, it would really help to look into the registry so that you will have a good idea of the things that the mother to be wants. From there, you will be able to choose a theme if you want to work with one and a way to narrow down your choices.

Additional Items

Some baby shower gift baskets contain only particular items of the same kind. For instance, a diaper baby shower gift basket may only contain a bunch of diapers in it but to make the basket more unique, you might want to put additional baby items such as pacifiers, baby bottles, rattles and other little baby items that add to the desired effect on your gift basket.

Themed Baby Shower Gift Baskets

You can work with themes too for your baby shower gift baskets. For example, if you want to work with a bath time theme, you could put items that the baby can use for bathing and grooming such as baby shampoo, baby soaps, a rubber ducky, robe and many more. You might also want to include a disposable camera for a shot of that first bath of mommy's little angel.

Another theme that you can work with is a scrap book theme. For many parents nowadays, making a scrap book seems to be the latest thing that they love doing for their babies as a piece of remembrance. For a scrap book baby shower gift basket, fill it with different kinds of scrap booking supplies and picture frame cutouts. This gift will surely last a lifetime.

The bedtime theme is a favorite. You can put some fairy tale books, soft blankets, musical CDs, puffy cushions, cuddly stuffed animals and other bedtime baby items to fill the bedtime themed gift basket.

You can also make a gift basket for the mother to be. A spa basket perhaps would definitely be something the mommy would appreciate. You can put in a scent that the mom really likes with a few candles to set that relaxing mood and a new robe and slippers to really achieve that spa-like effect.

Designing Your Baby Shower Gift Basket

When finding a basket, take into account its size. Remember that the bigger basket you have means the more you have to fill which entails more costs for you. That is why, most of the time guests prefer a medium-sized gift basket. As filler, you may want to use colorful scrunched raffia or shredded tissue layered at the bottom and the sides of the basket along with the baby items.

It would help a lot if you know the gender of the baby. It will be easier for you to choose the colors to work with in terms of the baby items as well as the ribbons that you will decorate your gift basket with.

Baby shower gift baskets are perhaps the most personalized presents to give the mommies to be in this special and memorable occasion. The moms can use these baskets too for other purposes after they take all of the baby items out and use them for raising the little ones. Choosing the theme to work with as well as the colors and decorative elements that you will put in it as finishing touches is a fun and exciting experience as baby shower guests and if you want your gift to be as unique, you can just mix and match items that are quite outlandish.

More Baby Shower Games to Play

What fun will there be at a baby shower party if there are no games for the guests to play? When it comes to choosing the baby shower games that you can play at your party, there are a lot of options and ideas to choose from. You can even create a baby shower game of your own. All you need is a creative mind and your guests will surely have a blast at your baby shower party. Some good, fun and original baby shower games are provided here for a more fun and thrilling party.

Baby Alphabet Game

You will need a pen and paper that has all the letters in the alphabet written down in a vertical manner on the left portion of the paper. The object of this game is for the participants to write a word that has to do with a baby next to each letter. A timer will be set for two to three minutes for the entire game. Whoever writes the most words in the allotted time will win the baby shower gift.

The Baby Animal Game

Have your guests write down animals that have a specific name for its young, for instance, Cub for Lion, Kitten for Cat, Puppy for Dog, etc. Give them at least ten minutes to finish the game and whoever has the most animals written down wins.

Baby Shower Chocolate Game

The materials needed for this game would be a couple of chocolate bars in different types, paper and a pen for each team that will participate. Give every team one chocolate of each type and have them associate the same with something related to baby showers. For example, Twix may be associated with Twins or Hershey's Chocolate Kisses may be associated with baby kisses, etc. Make everyone read out loud their answers for a creative, fun and memorable activity!

Guessing Baby Items

This is a baby shower game intended for the mommy to be. Place a large bag of baby items in front of the mother and blindfold her. Have her take an item out of the bag and have her tell the baby shower guests the name of the baby item she is holding. This should be a fun and exciting game if you prepare really crazy baby toys or products that are unfamiliar to the mother to be.

Baby Song List

The things needed are a piece of paper and pen for every participant or team. Let the players write down all the songs that have the word "Baby" in their titles for a limited time of five minutes. For example, Baby Love, One For My Baby, Santa Baby, etc. If you want it to be more difficult for the players, you can also ask them to write the name of the one who wrote the songs. This baby shower game is a favorite of many!

Making A Baby

You will need play-dough for this game. Each person will be given a small container of play dough with which to work on in making a baby. He or she will only be given five minutes to finish the game. Once the game is finished, the babies will now be presented to the mother to be who will decide which one she likes best for the prize.

Do You Know What It Is

This game requires ten to fifteen baby items of different kinds, ten to fifteen small plastic bags, some writing utensils and paper for each guest. As the host, you will have to sort the baby items in each of the small bags, one item per bag then number the bags from 1-10/15.

Give each player a piece of paper numbered according to how many bags prepared and a pen to write their answers. Hand out the small plastic bags in random order to the guests for them to touch or feel it and have each of them figure out the baby item inside the bag based on how they felt it or heard it, take note, the bags cannot be opened.

Once everybody's had the chance to touch all of the items and write down their guesses, the mother to be opens each bag and reveals what is inside it to the guests. Whoever gets the most correct answers gets the baby shower gift.

How To Throw A "Couples" Baby Shower (Husband And Wife)

Nowadays, baby showers are slowly becoming coed which means they can now be enjoyed by husbands. This occasion is a way for the father to be celebrating the upcoming birth of his child together with his wife, friends and family.

Before Planning A Couples Baby Shower

Before you can plan for a coed baby shower, as a host, you must ask the mom to be if she wants the event to be one that is prepared for her husband and his friends then ask the husband if he would be willing to participate in the party.

Sometimes, guys tend to refuse attending these kinds of parties because they may feel a little uncomfortable which of course is something that we understand. However, as a soon to be father, he might also be honored by the invite and in fact may even get excited to attend so do not hesitate asking them.

Planning The Couples Baby Shower

When making the guest list, see to it that you are conversing with both the husband and the wife so that father to be would be a lot more comfortable with the idea that some of his friends will be there to join him celebrate this joyous event.

Decide on which baby shower theme the parents will surely enjoy. There are a lot of general themes appropriate for these coed baby shower parties such as a sports theme, or some other hobby of the father to be and many more.

As you create the invitations, have them match the theme you chose to work with. You can make them in the colors of the dad to be's favorite sport or any other theme that you find suitable for the couples preferences. From the invitations, the guys will somehow get the idea that this party is going to be a fun and exciting one not just for the ladies but also for them.

This is perhaps the most important part of planning a Couples baby shower. Having men participate in this activity, you should include in the menu certain dishes that they would surely love to eat such as meat, barbeques, casserole and other dishes that are heartier than salads and cakes.

Baby shower games for a Couples baby shower can also be a good entertainment for the guests. Guys might actually learn from this experience more about baby matters such as certain baby items and what they are for. However, if you do not find these baby shower games appealing for the guys, talking and telling stories as well as parenting advice would really be a good alternative.

When preparing for baby shower favors in coed baby showers, it would be best to have anything edible such as candy bars, treats, cinnamon rolls, etc. Guys are just so predictable thus making it easier for you to prepare the baby shower favors!

Other Ideas To Make A Couples Baby Shower More Fun

If the dad to be is into a lot of sports, why not have the baby shower party during a game where all of his co-sports enthusiast can participate. There will be eating, chatting while watching the game and right after that, the opening of the baby shower gifts.

You might also want to surprise the daddy to be in his workplace. Hatch up with a few officemates and ask them to plan the party with you. Having friends at work in your party is a guaranteed fun way to celebrate the occasion. He will have friends congratulate him of the upcoming child and best of all, baby shower gifts that would surely melt his heart.

Another way is to have a simple barbeque cookout with a few friends. These get-togethers involving open flames are the kind that most guys love to go to so it is a great way to have the guys celebrate a baby shower party with the ladies.

Throwing a Couples baby shower is not that difficult. Just as the traditional ones where women only get to attend these parties, coed baby showers help the fathers learn more about baby things and how to assist their wives in taking care of their little angel.

How To Make Baby Shower Favors

When hosting a baby shower event, it has been a common gesture to have little baby shower party favors for the guests as a means of thanking them for their presence. These party favors are little gifts that are apart from the game prizes guests will receive when they leave. Here are a few creative and simple ideas for baby shower favors that you can make all by yourself. By making personalized baby shower favors, you can easily coordinate them with the theme of the party as well as the preferences of the mother to be.

Baby Bottle Treats

Find inexpensive plastic baby bottles in your local baby store and have them filled with candies, jelly beans, chocolates or bath beads. Tie it with a colored ribbon that will match your theme and put a little tag with a note saying "Thank You" along with the names of mom, dad and the baby.

Tea Cups

You can purchase a few tea cups, does not necessarily have to be expensive, and a couple of flowers. You can paint the tea cups with flower patterns then put a flower in each cup. You can also fill these cups with a candle gel for another favor idea.

Flower Pots

This is another fun and unique favor idea to match the event. You can give your guests little flower pots with seed packets for tulips or roses that your guests can plant and grow some pretty flowers. Then place a little tag in these pots with a message to nurture the plant as the mommy to be will nurture her newborn little one. If you want to be more creative, you can paint the flower pot or perhaps have rub-on sayings in it.

Homemade Cookies, Brownies, Tasty Treats

If you are fond of baking, then homemade cookies are a great baby shower favor idea. When working with a baby shower theme, have the cookies shaped according to the theme. If you want it to be simple and elegant, you can just cut them into circles and have them decorated with icing according to the color of your theme.

Little Fruit Baskets

You can also make fruit baskets as pretty baby shower favors. Find reasonably priced little baskets and decorative ribbons in your local store. Make your basket more elegant by placing twisted ribbons on it and then put some fruits in it such as strawberries, grapes or any other fruit that you would love to give as a gesture of appreciation.

Personalized Candy Bars

Making a personalized candy bar is a fun and exciting baby shower favor idea. You can make your own candy bar wrappers and stuff them with candies. The perfect favor for a shower that takes place a little after the baby is born. Create your candy wrapper by adding details such as the baby's name, the birthday, weight, length and the parent's names as the manufacturer! To have that desired effect, try words such as "sugar and spice and everything nice", "snips, snails and puppy dog tails" or "love" for the ingredients section.

Soaps

A lot of small soaps come in different sweet shapes. Just find some that will match your theme or that will best suit the taste of the mommy to be and then place it in a cellophane bag tied with raffia or ribbon.

Baby Picture Frames

You can also opt for baby picture frames as baby shower favors. Look for simple and inexpensive picture frames at a local store and have them decorated with scrap booking materials such as rub-on pictures or stamps that will make the item coordinate with the baby shower theme you have. Then place a picture of a baby or if the shower took place days after the baby was born, you can place the picture of the newborn baby in it.

Baby shower favors are just small gifts for guests that serve as a sign of appreciation for their company as well as a good remembrance of how fun and exciting the baby shower was. So when making your baby shower favor, make something that will truly be special for the guests without compromising a lot of time and money spent on making them.

Affordable Tips on Creating Baby Shower Gift Baskets

You've maxed out your credit card spending for the food and decorations for your baby shower, leaving you with a very tight budget for shopping for baby shower gift baskets. Have no fear, though, because there are still ways for you to create affordable gifts your guests will be happy to take home.

Handmade Crafts
They can range from knitted mobile phone cases to cross stitch works and hand-painted ceramics. Most of these will require materials you can readily find at home. The greatest cost it will require from you is a portion of your time and effort, but surely that's better than having to further dent your pockets?

Homemade Delicacies
If you're not good at crafts then maybe your talents lie in the kitchen? Baking artfully cut and designed cookies and other delicacies are another excellent idea to make up your baby shower gift basket.

If you choose to please your guests through their stomachs, make sure of course, that you stick in line with your baby shower theme. Cookies can be shaped like rattles while brownies can be placed in colorful handcrafted carriages. Make sure they're packaged properly so that they won't end up spoiling before your guests even reach their homes.

Trinkets
Visit thrift shops and other small stores that specialize in selling accessories and trinkets. You'll usually enjoy discounts by buying them in bulks. Choose items that you think would make a great addition to your baby shower gift basket. Consider buying at least four or five types of items. When you get home, take one of each then bundle them all together in your baby shower gift basket.

The important idea to remember here is that more is better. Rather than give away one expensive item, settle instead for several less expensive items. One item, no matter how expensive, won't fill up a baby shower gift basket.

Confetti and Decor
Use crushed flowers, confetti, and colorful strips of paper as filling in your baby shower gift basket. These not only add to the visual appeal of your guests take-home gifts but they also make the gift basket seem fuller than it really is.

Handwritten Messages
Rather than spend more money on printing out cards for your baby shower gift baskets, summon your skills in art and writing to design your own cards and personalize your message for each guest. All this will add up to a thoughtful gesture that your guests are sure to appreciate.

How to Design Baby Shower Invitations

When you have got it all planned out, the food, the decorations, the theme for your upcoming baby shower, it is time to make the invitation cards and distribute them to your loved ones and other guests who will add the fun in this memorable event.

When making an invitation card for a baby shower party, you have to consider a few important things in order to come up with the perfect invitation for your guests.

General Contents

The important things that a baby shower invitation card should contain are guest of honor's name, the date, time and place where the event will be held and if the venue that you chose is a little unfamiliar to your guests, add a thorough sketch that will guide them on their way to the place. These are the important information that you should not miss out when making your invitation cards and see to it that they are readable enough for the guests.

Wording

One thing to start with when doing your baby shower invitation cards is to choose the perfect words that will go into these cards. The wording is responsible for setting the tone of your invitation cards. If you have chosen a particular theme for your baby shower, the invitation card will relay it to the recipient.

When you have a theme to work with, it is much easier to deal with the right words in your invitation cards. For instance, fun themes such as fairy tale baby showers or diaper baby showers require informal and humorous wordings while elegant and adult themes require otherwise.

Of course, poems and quotes from famous people are also good options to consider. You can search the Internet or perhaps, if you have a couple of books to search for quotes. A few good lines of your own would also serve for invitation cards that would make it more exceptional.

When finding quotes, find the one which has a catchy feature that might be general or if you already know the gender of the baby, something that is gender-specific for a more elaborate one.

Another good idea is to use baby rhymes. These nursery rhymes such as "Humpty Dumpty", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", and many more add spice to your invitation cards.

Registry Of Gifts

Nowadays, registries of gifts are becoming popular because of the practicality and ease that they give to the hosts of the party as well as for the guests respectively. Of course, the mother to be would want to have things that she can use for taking care of her newborn baby and the guests would want that their presents be well appreciated and put to good use. These registries of gifts contain the list of the things that the mommy to be would definitely love to have as a present for the upcoming baby shower party.

Presentation Of The Invitation Card

Another important thing to consider is how the baby shower invitation card is designed and tailored to the theme (if there is one).

Presentation must be made in accordance to what theme has been chosen so that the guests would have a better idea on the gifts that they will give for the mom to be should there be no registry available.

For instance, if the theme would be that of a diaper baby shower party, then the best design is a diaper-like invitation card which implies that the gifts expected are things related to a baby's bare essentials such as diaper, baby lotion, baby powder, diaper rash cream and the like.

However, if you did not choose any theme, you can add pictures and other baby items that will look really pretty in your invitations cards. If you want to be gender-specific, the usual colors of blue or pink are used for a boy or girl correspondingly.

Making a baby shower invitation card is just a simple and easy task to carry out. Just let your imagination work, be creative and original so that you will have the best invitation card to entice your guests not to miss this memorable and fun event for you and your soon to be born little angel.

How to Write a Baby Shower Poem

A baby shower poem adds a personalized touch to your gift and makes a great opening page for baby shower scrapbooks. Even if you've never composed a poem in your entire life, writing a baby shower poem shouldn't be a problem as long as you let your emotions guide you.

Name Poems
One of the easiest ways to create a baby shower poem is to revolve everything around the name of either the mommy or baby-to-be. Of course, this would require you to know the name of either recipient.

If the mothers name is LOUISA, for instance, your poem would be composed of six paragraphs, with each paragraph starting with the letters making up your recipients name. You could start with an adjective describing the recipient and expound on it or simply proceed with the usual just as long as you start with the requisite letter.

Still with LOUISA as example, the first paragraph could look either of this two:

L is for loving.
A lovely person in and out,
She'd make a great mother without a doubt.

OR

Long, long ago
A woman named Louisa
Married the man she loved.

The next paragraph would begin with O and you'd proceed with the same format until you reach the last letter of your recipients name.

Rhyming and Metering are Unnecessary
Although having the last syllables of your lines rhyme would be nice, it's not necessary and it's certainly not as important as saying the words that come from your heart. Focus more on the content and meaning of your baby shower poem rather than making every word rhyme in the end.

Likewise, don't worry too much about metering. Establishing a metrical pattern is ideal but like rhyming, it takes second place to writing your innermost feelings.

Keep It Short
Poems look and sound better with shorter lines. One line doesn't have to form a complete sentence, but it must at least convey a specific idea. Stanzas would also be better off short. Try limiting each stanza to containing three to four lines.

Visual Presentation of Baby Shower Poems
Finally, presentation matters just as much as the content of your baby shower poem. If you are attaching it to your gift, make sure that the materials and color scheme you use match the package of your gift. If possible, consider laminating or covering your baby shower poem in plastic. This could make your poem convertible to a bookmark later on and be of further use to your recipient.

Goodies to Serve

When planning a baby shower, one important matter to really take into account is the food that you will serve for the baby shower guests. Normally, baby shower foods include desserts, finger foods and appetizers. It does not necessarily have to be an entire meal for everyone since it is not actually expected in occasions like this.

Baby Finger Foods

The effort you put into planning the baby shower is best depicted with the decorations and above all, the assortment and presentation of the food that you will be serving your guests. If you are planning to hold the event in a restaurant or have catering for the food, the caterer will help you pick out the appetizers and entrees that will be appropriate for the baby shower theme as well as the time of the occasion. However, if you are hosting the event in the house of the parents to be, then here are a few good choices that you might want to consider.

Fresh Fruits And Vegetables

If you want to prepare a food that is easy to serve, fresh fruits is the best choice. It can be an appetizer or can be eaten with a meal or simply desert. Buy some fresh fruits and cut them up into squares served in a large bowl. You can also buy fruit salad from the grocery store to spare you some of the work and just serve them on a platter.

Another easy to serve food is vegetables. They can serve as appetizers or with the meal. Just like fruits, you can choose from a wide variety of vegetables such as broccoli, celery, cauliflower, and other favorite vegetables you can find in the market. Serve them chilled with dressing or perhaps your own personal dip to impress the guests along with a colorful presentation that will please the eyes and taste buds of your guests.

Finger Sandwiches

A favorite sandwich served at a lot of baby showers with an Afternoon Tea theme is the Cucumber sandwich. But you can be as flexible as you want to. You can serve sandwiches from peanut butter to ham to jelly. As much as possible, cover the tastes of your guests.

Other Finger Foods

Chips being served with a variety of dips can also be a good idea as well as cheese and crackers. Baby shrimp can be served with cocktail sauce while chicken wings can be served with ranch dressing, mostly popular at Couples baby showers and finally, mini pizzas that can easily be popped in the mouth.

Baby Shower Drinks

Some great beverages for the event include tea, coffee, punch and soda. See to it that you serve cream, sugar and other sweeteners for coffee drinkers. For tea, hot water and different varieties of it will do for a nice touch. If you are planning to serve soda for your guests, serve them in regular and diet varieties.

Baby Shower Punch

The baby shower food experience would not be complete without a baby shower punch. There are a lot of ways to make these baby shower punches. A simple technique is to take a two liter fruit punch with two liter Seven Up coupled with a pint of rainbow sherbet. Just mix all these ingredients together and you've already got a baby shower punch for everybody.

You can also choose certain colors for your punch to match the baby shower theme that you have been working on. The easiest way to do it is to find drinks that already have the colors you need and just mix other colorless drinks with it.

Baby Shower Desserts

Everybody just love desserts! Since baby showers are mostly all-female occasions, do not skimp on serving the sweets. If you know how to bake, make some homemade cookies with baby-friendly shapes. Another dessert that's popular is cupcakes. You can easily decorate them with colors that will match your baby shower theme. If you want to get more creative, you may want to add on more pretty elements such as decorative rubber ducks, pacifiers or teddy bears. Finally, saving the best for last is the cake. Baby shower cakes come in a really huge variety of colorful designs and flavors to match your baby shower theme.

Creating a Baby Shower Themed Cake

Baby shower themes are greatly preferred nowadays because they add more ease in the preparations and decorations. With baby shower themes, the party would have more life and will be more fun for the guests. It's always a nice scene to look at decorations that are coordinated with each other and much more if the food, the party goodies and especially the cake are also match up with these decorations.

It's always a fun experience designing a baby shower cake. But see to it that you still keep in mind the preferences of the mother to be. Here are a few steps in creating a baby shower themed cake for this memorable event.

Picking Out Baby Shower Themes

Baby shower cakes should be tailored to the theme that you are working with. There are lots of good ideas and options for baby shower themes and finding the one which best suit the preferences of the parents to be is the excellent choice.

These baby shower themes include fairy tale garden baby showers, diaper baby shower parties, those with animal, sports or toys themes and many more.

Homemade Or Ready Made?

After picking out the theme you want, decide whether you want it homemade or one that is ready made. Of course, a homemade one is definitely one of a kind and you will have a say on whatever design you would want for the cake to have.

Another option is to have the cake ready made for you. These ready made and beautifully designed cakes that you can find from your favorite local bakeries spare you the hassle of making the cake most especially for busy moms to be. The trick to get the perfect design that you want is to have a good conversation with the baker so that he will be able to prepare the cake according to your preferences.

Making A Themed Cake

Once you've decided to have you hands produce your baby shower cake and want to do it all by yourself, here are a few tips about baby shower themes along with their baby shower cakes that will guide you through making the best baby shower themed cake for your upcoming event.

1. Ducky Theme- When making a cake for a ducky theme, use blue butter cream as an outline of the pond and then fill it with blue gel to serve as the water. After that, find little ducky pieces and place them on top of the blue gel and give these mini duckies butter cream raindrops to have the desired ducky theme effect.

2. Butterfly Theme- Pipe a wonderful butterfly garden for the little angel with all the colorful flowers as well as the different sizes and shades of butterflies. To complete the effect, add a wandering little one on the top.

3. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Theme- Have the cake covered with sky blue fondant. Then use a white or yellow marshmallow fondant, roll it and cut it in a star-like shape with facial features and a dimpled smile.

4. Baby Blocks Theme- If you chose a theme such as a tea party or any other elegant theme for your baby shower, this cake is a good choice. When making this cake, fill it with jam then cut out the petit fours which will then be covered with fondant all over. Once they dry, decorate them with lettering. Have it arranged in a way that it spells out your message then decorate the rest of the petit fours perhaps, with pictures and other nice stuff.

If you opt to go without a theme for your baby shower cake, you can always put on cute baby pictures at the top of the frosting and you already have one unique baby shower cake designed according to your preference!

Decorating cakes is fun and easy. And having these cakes tailored to the baby shower theme that you chose makes the cake more meaningful and special for the event. The cake is not only a simple dessert, it conveys the true meaning of the celebration and that is to welcome the soon to be born little angel to the family.

Designing A Thank You Note

Writing a baby shower thank you note can be a simple task with the help of a few friends and family members. As an expectant mother, it is hard to do all the work by yourself so when making these thank you notes, it is best to delegate some tasks to people who are willing to lend a hand in doing all the work.

Way To Making Thank You Notes Simple

As an expectant mother, it is not advisable to stress yourself with so many things therefore, when making thank you notes, the best way to have it done without so much difficulty is to ask a few friends to help you out. You wont have to worry about no one volunteering for you because if there is one most important person that your family and friends would love to help, it is you!

Tasks In Making Baby Shower Thank You Notes

When buying the baby shower thank you notes, it would help if you let some friends take care of the going to local stores and purchasing the thank you cards for you. Just instruct them on what particular stationery sets to buy.

You will also need some stamps for mailing the notes. If you can ask someone to go and get them for you, it will be a good idea but you can also ask the post office to deliver them for you instead.

Then assemble the list of the current addresses of the recipients of your thank you cards. It may be through group E-mail or perhaps calling your guests over the phone.

It is now time to address your baby shower thank you note envelopes. Once again, if you can ask someone else for coffee and spare the work for you, it would really be a nice gesture.

Dads make good assistants in making these thank you notes too! As much as you are appreciative of the gifts that you receive, the dads should also be grateful for them as the gifts save them costs especially if they are baby care products and other baby items. You can ask the Dad to be in charge of the writing and then just have both of you sign the note.

A Few Tips On Making A Thank You Note

1. Take time to make handwritten thank you notes for your guests. With the time and effort they had to put up with to find that perfect baby shower gift for you, they truly deserve an appreciation that is more special and personalized.

2. Mention that specific gift you received in the thank you note. By simply saying thank you for your gift makes the note too impersonal. A better thing to say would be, We truly appreciate the baby bath time gift basket our little angel would definitely love his first bath.

3. When making the note, be sincere. Find something really nice to say about the gift but see to it that you are not getting phony by any means. Even if you did receive some horrible stuff, you can still thank them for taking the time to make or find such for you and your baby. The time and effort still deserve some appreciation.

4. Thanking you guests doesn't necessarily mean thanking them for the presents they gave you, thank you notes also mean thanking them for their presence on this memorable occasion. Let them know how pleased you are for their company.

5. Also, see to it that you thank those who helped you out on this baby shower event especially the host. Planning this party entails a lot of work and therefore deserves a really good amount of appreciation from the mother to be. Be sure that they are aware how much it truly meant for you!

6. For an added touch to your thank you notes and if the baby has already been born by the time you send your thank you notes, you might want to add a photo of your baby in each card.

Creating thank you notes for your baby shower guests is the best way of showing your gratitude for the time and the presents that they had for you. So when making these thank you cards, make it as personal and as special as it can be!

What to Put in Your Baby Shower Invitation

What do you think will be the first thing that will help set the mood for your baby shower party? It's the baby shower invitation.

The date, time, venue and theme for your baby shower will all be known through the invitations. So if you're wondering what exactly to put in your shower invitation and how to format it, here are some tips.

After careful consideration as to what theme to use in holding a baby shower, here are some of the invitation content that you should never forget including:

Name of the Guest of Honor: This is the name of the person you're holding a baby shower party for.

Date: Make sure that you double check the date you put on the invite or you'll risk ruining it all through annoying the guests and giving the guest of honor a bad surprise.

Time: The same with the date, better do a double-look so that everything goes according to plans.

Place: Make sure that the venues name and even place a map if it's somewhere that you're not sure everyone knows about.

Theme: This will help in making your baby shower more enjoyable if it's spelled out on the invite whatever the theme is. You can also specify if there's an attire requirement.

If it's a surprise baby shower: Please make sure if the guest of honor likes surprises if you're planning to do a surprise baby shower.


Phone number, return card or RSVP date

Now what about the wording? Do you want to know a sample of baby shower wordings that can guide you in creating your nice invites? Here are some wordings:

- One Simple Baby Shower Wording Sample

One lovely Baby Shower to celebrate Elysiana's new baby girl Paradis Cheska her sweet li'l angel!

Sunday, February 15, 2009 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Barn's Coffee Shop

Regrets only to Karen Mae 09209522015.

Paradis Cheska is registered at Thoughts for Tots.


- One Poetic Baby Shower Wording Sample

Do you wanna see one lovely sight?
You have to make it to Trish's baby shower tonight.
Where will it be you might ask.
It's at a small rest called the Dusk
What time, what time?
Come at 8pm right on the dime.


These wording samples should help you conceptualize how you'd like your baby shower invitation to convey the message about your baby shower party.

Designing a Baby Shower Centerpiece

Part of preparing for a baby shower party is planning for the theme and other decorations that will spice up the venue of the event. Baby shower themes are a good way to start with when preparing for a memorable event such as a baby shower.

When it comes to decorations especially for the ones that you make as a centerpiece, it is more fun and less bothersome working with themes to find decorative pieces that will make the place look good because all you need is to coordinate these decorative elements with the theme.

Baby Stuff As Centerpieces

There are a lot of good ideas when finding the right centerpiece for your tables and shelves when hosting a baby shower party. Usually, baby things are being utilized as they add up the babyish atmosphere in the place and not only that, they are less expensive than other kinds of centerpieces.

Mostly, for mothers to be who already have older children, these baby things include old baby bottles, empty jars of baby food and other baby utensils that have been set aside for possible future use.

With just a little touch of creativity, these baby things can turn into wonderful centerpieces especially if you are going through tight budget because it does not necessarily mean that the preparations and decorations should be expensive anyway. As long as the baby things are still in good condition, they are good to go. Here are a few good ideas for baby shower centerpieces that might help you in making your own.

Candles In Empty Jars

Empty jars of baby food mostly come in little pieces. To add a touch of creativity, put a little candle in it and wrap up the jars with pretty ribbons or crepe paper to match the color or theme of the party. Apart from the added effect to the lighting of the place, it also sets a relaxing and elegant mood for the guests.

This is a good idea for an elegantly themed baby shower. Put the candles in the center of the table or perhaps, on shelves around the house or even along the pathway leading your guests inside the venue.

However, this centerpiece trick entails added caution so that you will not end up burning the place. See to it that the candles are placed secured and most especially out of reach of children.

Jellybeans In Empty Jars And Bottles

For a more bright and colorful theme, you can place jellybeans, gummy candies and other food delights inside empty jars and old baby bottles. Place a good amount of these empty jars and bottles on every table or shelf to add a vibrant and lively look.

Apart from being wonderful centerpieces, they can also become party souvenirs. As the guests leave, they can always have a grab of that little empty jar in the tables so that they will have something to remind them of this great party.

Simple Glassware With Baby Toys

You do not really have to buy new ones to make simple glassware baby shower centerpieces. Perhaps, a bowl you already have that is large enough to hold a few baby toys will look pretty in the center of your tables and on your shelves.

It saves you both time and money in doing this centerpiece. All you need is a couple of baby toys, little ones are preferable, and stack them up in this bowl and there you go a nice centerpiece perfect for your baby shower party!

You might also want to try putting water in these bowls and have little floating toy ducks in it. A really excellent centerpiece if you are working with a ducky theme.

Conventional Ideas Still Work

If you want to stick with the traditional centerpiece, a lot of options are available and yes, they still work well in your tables and shelves. If you feel like you want a garden theme, you can always find a pretty basket or a plastic dish and look for a bunch of flowers to complete the centerpiece look. Balloons as well can serve as good centerpieces. Choose colors that best match the theme. Usually, pink for girls and blue for boys.

It's always fun to experiment on your centerpieces, the possibilities are endless!

Determine the Baby Shower Date

The baby shower parties are meant to make the soon to be mom comfortable as she awaits the big day when all her woes can be finally over. You must understand that her pregnancy could have been tough as hell so why not give her a break? This is her day so she must not be stressed out with all of the prevailing hustles and bustles of its preparation. Or, this could be a surprise event for her so you should keep your secret very well.

The first thing that you must do is to consult the people who are pretty close to her. There is the dad to be, her parents, her friends, and other relatives. You have to know all of the things that will make her feel really convenient and at ease. After all, the baby shower is all about letting the expecting mom have fun and more fun!

After the series of consultation, it is time to plan everything out. What should you think about? Of course there is the question about when the baby shower date is going to be. The date of the baby shower must not be too early nor too late in time for the delivery. As much as possible it must be at least two to three weeks ahead of the delivery date. If it is going to be done on the month of the expected birth of the baby, the mom will not be too at ease because of some symptoms that may occur. More so, a very early baby shower date will not be too appropriate as well. After setting the date, it is high time to draft the guest list, think of the recipe, the souvenir items, and don't forget the party's theme! When everything has been settled, start sending out the invitations to the respective guests.

Here is a clear-cut plan of what you should do when the baby shower date approaches.

Prepare and send out the invitations with the directions for the guests.

Order the baby shower party cake, food and beverages.

Buy the necessary ornaments and party favors. Also purchase the platters, film, and batteries for the video and camera.

Buy the prizes to be given out for the games.

Wrap the souvenir items.

Make follow up calls.

Baby showers are all about having fun. Just make sure that everyone especially the soon to be mom will have a great time!

When is the Best Time to Throw a Baby Shower

A baby shower is a celebration held to announce someone's pregnancy. It can be hosted by family members, relatives, friends, co-workers or just anyone who knows the soon-to-be parents.

When is the Right Time to Hold a Baby Shower

There are a lot of considerations to take note of in throwing a baby shower. One of the most important is the time when to hold it. So when exactly is the best time to hold a baby shower for a mom-to-be?

Adoptive Parents Gets to Celebrate it During

Usually, adoptive parents hold baby showers during the exact arrival or just a few days or weeks after the arrival of their adopted child.

Biological Parents and the Usual Time of Baby Showering

Biological parents can be given a baby shower party depending on different factors. If they're traditional ones, only the first-born child gets to be celebrated with a baby shower, since that's the norm during the olden times. And it's usually held at the last stage of pregnancy, also known as the third trimester. This is estimated to be within a month or two before the predicted delivery date.

Other moms wish that the baby shower gets to be held about two to three months before the due date. This is for the practicality of it. It will allow them to shop only for baby supplies that they did not receive during the baby shower. Not a bad idea, really.

Why? When the Child is Already Here

Others who wish to throw a shower wait until the childbirth. Some times about one or two months after delivery are left to pass before holding the shower. There are different reasons for this. One is if the mother is having a difficult pregnancy. Logically, there are some moms who have hard time during pregnancy that they can be bedridden. This will prevent them from enjoying the baby shower fully since she may not be able to participate in the games and other activities. Another reason is if the mothers religion does not consent of having a shower before the childbirth. Some would like to make sure of the child's gender, this is for making sure that the gifts suit the child. Some would simply like to be able to see the child while holding the shower.

Whenever the Host Find it Suitable

There are friends who can't be there during one formal baby shower. During this situation, there can always be second or even third baby showers. It depends on the availability of these close people.

Variations of Baby Showers

If your only idea of a baby shower is one help for biological parents and adoptive parents, think again. There are more ways to celebrate a baby shower. They differ in scale, who guest honors are, and the focus.

Here are the other four variations of baby showers:

Blessing Way: Showering Blessings instead of Material Gifts

This one variation is a part of the Navajo song ceremonial complexes. Its other half is known as Enemy Way. In the American tradition of baby shower, it indicates one type of shower wherein a pre-birth gathering is held as a form of support to the mom-to-be. It's more known in northern California as a non-commercial version of the standard baby shower.

Diaper Shower: A Party for Not So New Parents

A baby sprinkle or a diaper shower is a smaller version of a baby shower. It is thrown for parents who do not really need as many items as new parents. These are parents who already had one or more children. However, this type of shower should not be considered as a less important because it's not. Remember all children, no matter if they're first, second, or third-born are all special and equally important. So treat the diaper shower just as important as the first baby shower.


Grandma's Shower: Not Only Parents Can Have Fun with a Baby Shower

Not only biological parents can enjoy baby showers. The excited grandparents, particularly the grandmother can also be thrown a baby shower of her own. The excitement of becoming a first time grandmother can be overwhelming that it becomes so easy to spoil a child with all the gifts that a grandparent can buy. To prepare for this, a grandma's shower is held in which guests bring gifts for the grandparents to keep at their house such as a changing pad and a crib. If you want to host a baby shower for the parents and would not want to overlook the grandparents, you can include them in the traditional baby shower, too.

Pampers Party: Gender-Focused Party

If traditional baby showers are mostly for mom-to-be's, this time, a Pampers party is for men. It's usually thrown the same day as the mom's baby shower. This is when father-to-be are given only diapers since the mom-to-be gets the other stuff.

So if you're tired of the old baby showers, the abovementioned variations might give you an idea of how else you can celebrate the arrival of a couple's bundle of joy.

Welcome Baby Showers

Welcome baby showers can set a happy mood for everyone who has been dying to see the baby. These parties provide a break from the then monotonous life of the soon-to-be mom and dad. A welcome baby shower can then allow them to relax a bit before the coming of the big day. For it to become a memorable event, careful planning is required. From the list of guests to be invited down to the baby shower give aways, all of the necessary details must be carefully laid out before the event.

Here are some of the noteworthy pointers that you must take into mind as you prepare for the welcome baby shower parties.

A welcome baby shower planner. In fact, the planning can be done by yourself but if you would like to be relieved of the burden of all the fuss for the party, you might as well ponder on hiring the services of a planner. This professional perfectly knows all of the things which are supposed to be completed to get the party in full swing.

The welcome baby shower guest list and invitations. Who will you invite for the big bash? Stop dwelling on the prospect of customizing the invitations. You can always opt for the economical ones like the ready made invitation cards sold in many shops. Now when it comes to the drafting of the guest list, no one will be more all-knowing than the mom and dad. Let them do this thing.

Think of the party theme. The welcome baby shower party will be thoroughly incomplete without a theme and to make the turn of events more exhilarating, you can come up with a cute baby theme and even let the guests wear colorful baby dresses to grace the event.

The games. There are a number of baby shower games to choose from. Don't forget the prizes too!

The shower gifts. Simple yet memorable give aways will make the welcome baby shower truly remarkable. Complete them with sweet gift wrappers too.

All of the preparations, hustles and bustles will be all worth it especially if you realize how vital the party has been to all the more inspire the expectant mom. After all, these commotions are all for the sake of diverting the attention of the soon-to-be mother into some joyful and light atmosphere before she starts to feel the pains of childbirth labor.

What food should be served at the shower?

Typically there are no full meals served during baby showers, only finger foods. Chips, pretzels, ice cream, pie, cake...just typical snack or dessert foods. A fruit or vegetable tray would be a good alternative for the health conscious. There should be coffee & punch available for the guests. You may also choose to have soft drinks or other beverages available. Out of respect to the mother-to-be do not serve alcoholic drinks. If the mother-to-be is not drinking caffeine either, you might choose to forego caffeinated coffee and soft drinks. The type of food also varies with theme. It is not uncommon to have formal teas or barbecues for example.

Fresh Fruit

Fruit is an easy food to serve that everyone likes as an appetizer, with the meal or even with desert. Buy and cut your favorite fruits up into squares or you can buy fruit salad from your local grocery store to save you some work. Served cubed in a large bowl or mix fruits on skewers and serve on a platter.

Vegetables

Vegetables are another easy food to serve as appetizers or with the baby shower meal. As with fruit, you can cut up celery, broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, and other favorites or you can find vegetable trays at the market. Serve chilled with ranch dressing or make your own dips to impress your guests.

Finger Sandwiches

Cucumber sandwiches are the baby shower #1 favorite sandwich because they're frequently served at showers with an Afternoon Tea theme. You have some flexibility with the type of sandwich you serve; just make sure to cut the sandwiches into dainty portions.

Baby Shower Drinks

Coffee, tea, punch and soda are all great baby shower beverages. If the mommy-to-be doesn't mind, you may also serve wine or other alcoholic drinks. Make sure to have cream, sugar and both the pink and blue sweeteners for the coffee drinkers. You can brew a pot of tea, but hot water and an assortment of tea bags is a nice touch. If you're serving soda, make sure to have regular and diet choices. As far as the punch, there are so many recipes. You can go with a more traditional fruit punch or serve pink lemonade, raspberry-lemonade, or mint julep.


Although most of the time, only finger foods are served during baby showers, you can always have the last say if you prefer serving full meals. The main thing is to have fun.

What are some good shower games?

While all baby showers don't necessarily have to play games, they are great ice-breakers and can be lots of fun. It is especially fun to play games if the guests do not know each other well. Typically, you play two to four games at a baby shower, depending on how much time it takes. The winner of the game is usually given a small gift from the hostess as a prize. If there is a tie, the prize goes to the guest that has not won a game yet or if neither guest has won a game, simply ask the mother-to-be to choose a number between 1 and 50. Whoever is closer wins the prize.

Remember to have enough pens and paper for all the guests. It is also helpful if you have hard surfaces available for the guests to write on. A magazine would work well. Pens that don't work are common and tend to slow down the party, so test out pens before they are needed. If you buy new pens, roll them around a bit until the ink begins to flow.

Prizes for games are not usually elaborate, but are instead fun things that the guests can use. Some suggestions include:

* Potpourri
* Candles
* Picture Frames
* Bath Soaps
* Food Goodies
* Flowers or other items that decorated for the shower.

Game Descriptions:
# Name Game (forming words with letters in baby names)
# Feeding Time! (while blindfolded try to scoop cotton balls)
# Rice Bowl (while blinded fold try to find safety pins in rice)
# Baby Guests (match each guest to their baby photo)
# Baby Bingo (bingo with baby words instead of numbers)
# Shower Gift Bingo (bingo played during gift opening)
# Round the Tummy (guests estimate size of mommy's tummy)
# It's in the Bag (guess what items are only by touch)
# Off Limits! (certain action or word off limits during shower)
# Baby Food Game (identifying baby foods based on their appearance)
# Scrambled (unscrambling baby-related words)

One important note to remember is to not play games that can be too messy as this can be stressful for the pregnant one if she will be left to do all the cleaning. Also, avoid playing baby shower games that require too much movement, especially if the party venue is a small one or particularly if the party is in the house of the pregnant person. Again, you don't want to put so much strain to the pregnant person.

Tips on Hosting a Baby Shower

Baby showers can be one fun way to celebrate the motherhood of one and help her prepare for her new baby. Aside from having a great time and enjoying the food, a baby shower also has a practical aspect. The gifts can help the mother strike out lots of baby supplies that she won't need to buy thanks to the party.

So if you think you're in for helping this event come true for a mom-to-be and you want to be no less than the host, how do you make hosting a baby shower one successful endeavour for you?

Use this checklist to help you prepare for one lovely baby shower party.

Baby Shower Early Preparation Tips

Two months before the party, prepare the following:

- Make the guest list for the baby shower Are you going to invite just really close family and friends or neighbors and distant relatives included? If you have decided on what theme to use in holding the baby shower, you can easily choose an invite design. Make sure all the important information is mentioned on your invites such as the date, time, venue, name of the baby, directions, RSVP details, registry, etc.

- Make a budget plan. A budget baby shower is possible, be resourceful and visit dollar shops. You should make sure to consider the mother-to-be's preferences and interests in deciding for a budget. The number of guests should also be one major factor here.

- Set the baby shower date. Think of the guests schedule and the guest of honors of course.

As the baby shower date gets nearer and nearer, make sure you've bought the venue decorations, have checked with the caterer or have prepared where to source the ingredients if you're going to be the one to cook, and have bought the gifts.

On the Very Day of the Baby Shower

- Create a to-do list and follow your timeline with a calm disposition. Don't let all hell break loose if you don't get to follow it to the dot. You can always modify your list of activities to meet unprecedented circumstances. Create backup plans so you don't get overstressed when untowardly events happen. The main to-does that you should never forget is making check that the food and drinks would be enough and that everyone gets to have some great fun, you included!

Creating the Baby Shower Guest List

Pregnancy is both an exciting and tiring period in a woman's life. As the expectant mom, you will be occupied thinking about a hundred things such as the sex of the baby, the decoration of the nursery room, and the name that is to be given to the baby. However, your friends may be also preoccupied with something like that of the baby shower. Baby showers are in fact the perfect time to bring your friends together and let them share with you the special event in your life.

Baby showers may be thrown either by your immediate family, friends, and even your husband. Now it is going to be the best time to gather together, chat all day long, and keep yourselves updated with each others lives. Wouldn't it be exciting? Well before you think about this prospect of having a great time, the first thing that you should spend time with is creating the baby shower guest list. Who would you love to hang around with? Who would you like to see? Indeed, this can be the chance to invite your long lost friends over and share with them one of the exciting moments in your life and that is the coming of a new responsibility that of having a baby!

Sometimes, you want the baby shower party to simply become just a fun time. Therefore, you must avoid inviting guests who can bring forth the most unwanted pressure. If what you talk about when you are with your co-workers is none other than your pending tasks and all, then as much as possible keep them away from your baby shower. This party is about having a good time and you can't do so if you have these sorts of people around.

If you are getting the services of a party planner, then you might want to ask about the number of guests that may be accommodated in the rented venue. From this figure you can draft the list of the people whom you want to share the occasion with. After finalizing the invitation list, start looking for the addresses and contact numbers of your chosen guests. Always double check your guest list for fear of offending someone. At times, you might have overlooked a special friend or relative and this could further cause a misunderstanding in the future.

Remember this and have fun with your guests!

Great Ideas When Buying Baby Shower Party Favors

A baby shower will not be complete if you do not give away those cute little party favors. It is your way of thanking the guests for being part of the special occasion. These party favors will also serve as a wonderful keepsake of the coming of a baby. Here are some helpful hints that would help you when you are buying these items for the baby shower.

The important thing to remember is that there is no need to make these tokens expensive. There are many cheap items that will be special reminders of this wonderful event. Of course, the cheapest way to go is to do the favors yourself. Simply buy the small parts and assemble them in creative ways so you can give away unique tokens that guests would not want to throw away for years.

Whether you will buy the favors as they are or buy the parts and assemble them yourself, it is a lot cheaper to buy everything in bulk. You get the wholesale price if you buy in volume. Therefore, it is imperative that you know the exact number of guests who are coming before you do the purchase. That way, you would not have to go back to the store every now and then.

Some great and cheap favor ideas are the following. Decorative candles in different sizes and colors can be put in nice paper bags and tied with a bow. They not only are lovely and classy, they are also cheap especially when bought in bulk.

You can do the same with cute specially-shaped soaps. Get a few small soaps in nice pastel colors and in varying shapes, put them in a pretty bag, tie the bag with a nice bow and now, you have a perfect elegant favor. The same can be done for pretty picture frames that can be given out without wrapping them. Simply tie a bow in the theme color and hand it over to the guest.

When doing the favors yourself, a great idea would be to bake small pretty cakes that are shaped or designed like a bib. Of course, this would take time. But it is cheaper especially when you buy your ingredients in big bags. Do the cakes in batches and bake all the cakes first before designing them. There is the tendency that designs become more professional-looking when you continuously do the same action over and over.

Choose a Baby Shower Theme

Decide what type of theme you want for the baby shower. It will set the tone of the party and may impact where you host the baby shower, as well as its menu and decorations. Baby shower themes can be as simple as blue or pink if you know the sex of the baby. It's important to consider what mommy-to-be's style is and what theme she will like. You might also want to take the guest list into account.

Here are the most important considerations to make when deciding on the Perfect Baby Shower Theme:

1. Talk with the expectant mother about what theme she would enjoy the most.
The main reason for having the shower is to help her prepare for and be excited about the arrival of her baby. So her feelings are the most important consideration.

2. Whatever theme the expectant mother has chosen for the nursery is an excellent suggestion for the baby shower theme.
It will help the mommy-to-be fill her nursery with toys, decor, and matching colors.

3. Is the baby a boy or a girl?
This definitely will influence the theme, colors, and ideas. Pink vs. Blue, dolls vs. trucks?

4. Is the soon-to-be mother expecting twins?
If so, "twins" is a great theme to play with. Peas in a Pod, Noah's Ark (two by two), and more...

5. Does the expectant mother already have children?
Many people throw a shower for each child because each child is special and unique. Using the same theme as the expectant mother had with a previous baby is any option.

6. Is the Mommy-to-be adopting her baby?
The baby shower theme shouldn't be handled any differently. The only difference is obviously that the theme of pregnancy shouldn't be used.

7. Choose a baby shower theme that is fun! After all, this is a party!

Having a specific theme can make the baby shower so much fun. It also helps create a feeling of constancy and gives everyone a focal point. Anything and everything that relates to a baby can be used in the decorations, invitations, gifts, favors, food and more.
The theme that you choose for the baby shower will affect every other aspect of the shower. It decides the decorations, the invitations, the games, the favors, the gifts, and food that you will have. So choose well!

Surprise Baby Showers

Expecting a new baby in the family or within your circle of friends is such an exciting event. There is no other greater way of expressing your support and concern to your family member or close friends than by giving out a surprise baby shower. It doesn't need to be that grand and regal. Simplicity in the theme can be really appreciated. However, planning the surprise baby shower can be much of a burden to you most especially if you are conceptualizing it all by yourself and at the same time keeping it as a wild secret. So, here are some perfect tips that will guide you in crafting surprise baby showers.

Connive with another family member or special friend. It can also be that most of your close friends or relatives may know it except for the person who is expecting the baby herself. You can seek the help of the expectant dad, grandparents, or some of the people who are closest to the soon-to-be mother. Their ideas will count a lot especially when it comes to drafting the plan for the event, the food, give aways, and the guests to be invited.

Plan the event with your girlfriends. Since women commonly share the same interests, all of you can come up with brilliant ideas that can be terrific. Surely, the expectant mom will be thrilled more than ever if she finds out that everything has been carefully thought of.

Divide the labor among yourselves. Someone must take charge of calling the food caterer, the chairs and tables as well as the venue rentals, handing out the invitations, shopping for the cake and ornaments, preparing the games, and a lot other necessary items for the surprise baby shower. More importantly, assign someone who will act as the host.

Games, games, and games! Since it is a surprise baby shower, it matters that games should be played. You can do the Dirty Diaper, Bring Me, or the Guessing Games. Prizes should also await the winners.

Say your wishes for the mom. Let some of the guests share their messages and wishes to the soon-to-be mother. These encouraging words will surely play an important motivation for her to do her best in the upcoming laborious birth of the baby.

Put some thrill into the surprise baby showers that you're planning out. Make the expectant mom happy and let her look forward to the most awaited day of her life.

Cowboy Baby Shower: A Perfect Country Theme

Many fuss over themes, from movies to parties, themes are very important in setting the mood for any event or occasion. So what if you are planning to host one event; a special event that will celebrate the initiation to motherhood; a baby shower?

Now if you're hosting a baby shower and you know that the pregnant woman and her family will definitely enjoy a Cowboy baby shower theme, what are you supposed to do? Here are some tips in planning a Cowboy baby shower:

Setting the Mood

A Cowboy theme definitely translates into everything country and laid back. So what do you do to conjure such feel? How about making the place be accented with pieces that will accentuate the rustic wild? Something like a blanket or a throw that's made of hide (if you have it) can make the place look shabby chic. Oh don't forget to play your Dolly Parton's if you'd like the music to complement the theme, nothing beats old country music. If you will the shower party in a barn, that's much better as long as you make sure that no bad elements (re: animal poo) will ruin the party.

Setting the Table

You don't need to serve full meals during baby showers. But if you prefer that your guests come home all full and satisfied, Cowboy food like steaks and potato meals can help you a lot here. Stew, burgers, and roasts are some of the type of food that can be enjoyed during a Cowboy baby shower. Cookies and hotdog finger foods can work wonders as well. Don't forget to consider your budget, number of guests, time and venue, your guests preferences and expectations, and whether you'd like to cook for yourself or hire a catering service.

Setting the Presents

If you are to give a gift, you don't have to strictly follow the Cowboy theme. However, it might a bit more special if you exert some effort and look for a nice gift that whispers Yeehaa! if that's even possible. Cute baby boots, felt caps and cowboy-inspired gift sets are excellent present ideas.

Setting the Party Favors

Custom baby boots with Cowboy-ish designs can be great baby shower party favors to give out. You can also give away animal stuffed toys and key chains.

Now don't forget that the baby shower is not just all about the theme, having fun and truly celebrating the cause is what's important.

How Long should the Shower Last?

Baby showers have evolved from the traditional to the modern ones. For now, baby shower parties are more fun-filled. The enjoyment earned from these events is basically dependent on the plans drafted by the mom to be and the hostess as well. The guests, the food, the decorations, the venue, and the date and time for the baby shower are some of the major concerns that need to be pondered on. So, how long should the shower last?

Adults are more used to longer party durations so there is no problem with them. However, you can never exactly determine the length of time to be spent for the baby shower. Nor can you tell your guests to go home at once! So what needs to be done is to carefully think about the exact duration of the party. But before that, what time of the day would you like to hold the shower? Will it be in time for lunch, tea time, or dinner? Settle on this concern first. Now, when you rent a venue, there surely is a time limit. So this is going to guide you as to how long the shower should last. At any rate, some guests will come and go. There will be early leavers. And there will be those who can stay late. The normal baby shower party is from five to six hours.

To make the baby shower livelier than ever, it will be best to assign a host for the event. There can be games and prizes. Challenge the men and the women as they go against each other during the games. Some of the common games that will be fit for the baby shower include the guessing game, dirty diaper, going to market, and the likes. To add more excitement to the party, you can employ prizes to be given away to the winner. It will be happier if the competing teams will have a cheer of their own.

It's totally up to you as to how you would go about the sequence of the events. Whether or not you opt to have the eating portion first before the games and giving out of the presents will be generally your discretion. A baby shower planner will be best to hire in order for you to get enough rest and be able to have a great time. Surprisingly, most baby shower parties are thrown either by friends or family so you can be relieved of all the fuss.

Where to Have Your Baby Shower?

Your baby shower should be special. Not just a plain party with guests and food. It should be fun and have this feel good feeling. The place where you celebrate the baby shower matters a lot. If you have a small guest list, you can have the party at home. While if you're expecting a huge guest list, you can have the baby shower outdoors.

The venue is always an important factor in the whole celebration. You don't have to spend too much for the whole venue. You only need the appropriate location and it's all down hill from there.

If the budget is an issue, you can have your baby shower at home or in your backyard. This will definitely cut down on your costs. Big crowds, however, may not fit well in your household, unless you own a big house or have relatives that could lend you a big enough space for the celebration.

You can also have your baby shower in a restaurant. This may hold you back just a little. Since it's not your place, you will have to abide by the owners rules. If you could rent out the whole place, it would be great since you have the whole place for you and your guests. You won't have to worry about the food and drinks since the restaurant will take care of it for you.

If you want to spend nothing at all for the location, you can have it in a park. You won't have the whole place to yourself, but you will have lots of things to do. There are so many themes to choose from if you plan to have your baby shower in a park.

Of course if you plan to have your baby shower outdoors you may have a problem with the weather. It could be too hot or it could even rain. Be sure that you bring the appropriate gear for weather changes.

Community halls are another option. Of course when having a venue at these places, you have to call for reservations and there are specific days and times you could use them. Check on the schedule weeks before the venue to be extra sure.

Beaches and resorts are also good outdoor options. Everyone will have fun at pools and beaches. Just be sure that the weather's great so nothing will go wrong.

All these locations are great for baby showers. All you have to do is make them memorable and fun.

Have the Perfect Baby Shower with These Great Recipes

Baby showers need not be so expensive and extravagant. As long as you have great set of foods on your table, your guests will be satisfied and happy. They will remember your baby shower for the rest of their lives.

To have a perfect baby shower, you must prepare a good menu and easy recipes will be a great help. Always remember that the recipes must be easy to prepare, inexpensive yet fun, elegant and full of flavor. It must be simple and streamlined. Your meal courses must be from the appetizers and finger food, salads and sandwiches, and punch. To help you with your menu, consider the six things below:

1. How many guests are you expecting? If there will be a lot of guests, say 15 or more, planning for an entire meal would mean a lot of work. Appetizers, beverages and finger foods would be perfect. Soups and sandwiches can also be a good idea. If you have less than 10 guests, a full meal would be too much. Your baby shower menu will all depend on how much effort you are willing to exert on the event.

2. What type of people are coming? Know your guests and select the menu according to what they want. Maybe more guests are salad or chicken lovers. Choose food recipes that your guests will like.

3. What time will the baby shower be held? Your menu must be fitted for a particular time of the day. If the baby shower will be held at night, dinner types of recipes would be better than breakfast recipes.

4. What is the theme of your baby shower? The cutest themes will be complete with the food on the table. Matching the theme and food would be fun.

5. Who will help you with the recipes and preparation of foods? Delegate some of the menus to your mother or other family members. This will save you a lot of time and you can focus on some foods that you can expertly cook.

6. How much more time do you have? Surely, time will be of great essence if you will prepare nice foods for your guests. Shorter time will also mean shorter food preparation; thus you should choose simple menus that are easy to cook and serve. Simple yet delicious snacks, beverages and appetizers can also satiate your guests.

Here are some of easy-to-prepare baby shower recipes that can make the event successful:

Baby Potato Salad - You will need 2 kilos of small new potatoes (boiled), a handful of basil leaves, thickened stock, and a few cloves of garlic, freshly ground pepper, salt and lemon juice. Mayonnaise, yogurt or cream will also be needed as dressing. Mix the garlic, basil leaves, pepper, salt and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the peeled potatoes. Serve with the salad dressing. Don't use lemon juice if you use yogurt.

Traditional Cucumber Sandwich - You will need 2 medium sized cucumbers (finely chopped), margarine, bread (sides are cut off) and cream cheese. Mix the cream cheese and margarine together then spread it on bread slices. Set the cucumber and serve your mouth watering sandwiches.

Non Alcoholic Punch - You'll need 7 up, pure orange juice and orange slices. Combine the three ingredients and you can have your refreshing drink ready.

Baby shower recipes must be a complete set of salad, appetizers and punch. Deserts can also be a part of the menu. Noticeably recipes reflect the likes or dislikes of the mother. The most important thing to consider is for the foods to be healthy and delicious that the guests will be coming back for more. With these simple recipes at hand, you won't need to fret anymore.

Helpful Tips When Buying Baby Shower Decorations and Supplies

There is no reason to fret when buying the baby shower decorations and supplies. There are many options to choose from that would perfectly fit your schedule and your budget. Simply be creative and patient with your research.

The supplies and decorations that you will surely be needing would be the streamers, balloons, table centerpieces, party give-aways, ribbons, invitations and game prizes. Other supplies would include ingredients for your different recipes and of course, decorating supplies for your baby shower cake.

Most of the time, these special decorations and supplies can be bought all at the same time at specialty stores. Dollar stores offer not only cheap items but they usually have a complete line-up of the party decorations and supplies that you will need for the party. These are one-stop shops that remove all the hassles of going from one store to the other.

The important thing to have in mind would be to stick to a theme. If you are doing this, you could either purchase everything from the internet or you could buy them in those special discount stores. Since you are buying most of the items in volume anyway, they come very cheap because they are sold at wholesale price.

Themed baby showers are less of a hassle when you go shopping for all the party needs. For example, choosing Winnie the Pooh to represent the cuteness of the baby to be born has all items in kits. Examples of items that are available are invitations with envelopes, plates, napkins, cups, cutlery, table cover, streamers, balloons and curly ribbons. You can buy an entire kit good for 8 persons for only $24.99.

Party specialists would even offer unique designs for your themed party items. There are many available in your area and you could find them in your phonebook or on the internet. They are just a phone call away and you can make your order right there. You can have all the items delivered right at your doorstep if you want. But if you want to have the array of choices, it won't hurt to go to the store yourself and see what items would fit the personality of the mom-to-be and the sex of the child.

But before you go and buy all the supplies, make sure that you have made that list so you don't have to go back to the store and buy those items you forgot to list down. Make sure also that you have the numbers right. That means that you should have the correct estimate of the number of guests who would be arriving.

Baby Shower 101: Basic Tips

What exactly is a baby shower, you might ask. Traditionally, back then, only the first baby was celebrated with a baby shower. Now all babies can be announced with baby showers since each baby is special.

A baby shower is held during the last stage of pregnancy. However, it can be celebrated as soon as the confirmation of pregnancy if the host wishes to. Adoptive parents usually wait until the baby arrives before throwing a baby shower.

Family members usually throw the baby shower. However, friends and co-workers can host it as well.

So if you're planning a baby shower for someone, what special considerations should you take note of? Read on and learn.

Budget, budget, budget.

A good budget plan is required to make a baby shower memorable and yet not bank-breaking. Think of the preferences and interests of the mom-to-be to get a good view of how much your budget should be in holding the party. You can easily scour thrift shops or dollar stores if you're on a tight budget.

Baby Shower Invites

Don't forget to include all the important information in your baby shower invite, i.e., date, time, name of the baby (if the parents have one already), venue, RSVP details, whether it's a surprise party and theme if you have a special theme for the party.

Yummy Considerations

One of the most important factors in deciding for the budget plan is the food. If you'll be holding the baby shower during noon or dinner, people will usually expect to have full meals. If it's in-between those periods of the day, you can just serve finger food. Also, you can coordinate the food with your theme, so if you're going to have a cowboy theme, you can serve cowboy food. Just make sure that the mom-to-be and of course, the guest will appreciate whatever food you serve.

Now What to Do

Also, don't forget to be prepared with stuff to do during baby showers. You can have games such as bingo and other appropriate games. You can schedule all the activities, from the announcement to the games, eating, gift-giving and other activities.

Venue Decoration Tips

Depending on whether you'd like a more formal baby shower or what theme was chosen for the party and the budget, of course, you can start from deciding about the color scheme (boy or girl?), whether banners will be good, will you be having centerpieces and other accessories.

Planning Tips for Your Baby Shower Menu

There are a lot of factors to consider when you're planning for your baby shower menu so take out your thinking caps, grab a pen and paper, and get ready to list your way to a perfect baby shower feast!

Budget
Baby shower menus will be ultimately dictated by your budget so it's best to figure out early on how much you can afford to spend on food.

Number of Guests
How many have you invited or plan to invite? How many are certain to come? Knowing the number of guests that you expect to attend your baby shower will help you determine the type of menu you can afford. Having a buffet is generally expensive but not if you're only going to serve a small circle of friends.

Time and Venue
When and where will your baby shower be held? This will let you know whether it's appropriate to prepare a light or heavy meal. Baby showers held in the morning are uncommon but they do occur from time to time and the menu for such is easier to prepare than what you'd normally have to do for lunches and dinners. Baby showers in the afternoons are the best and allow you to serve a moderate affair, which would include snacks or finger foods and something slightly heavier like salad or pasta.

The venue will also clue you in what's appropriate to serve or not. A baby shower held in a hotel ballroom will of course demand something equally grand while a baby shower held in an outdoor setting allows for something more casual.

Preferences and Exceptions
If you want to please all of your guests, you should take the time to ask each and every one of them if they have any special dietary requirements. Take note, for instance, of who maintains a vegetarian diet, are lactose intolerant or diabetic.

Cook or Cater?
It's all up to you. Catering generally costs more, but it also takes a load of worry off your shoulders. Cooking will require a lot of your time and effort, but it can also be a fun endeavor if you ask loved ones to help you out.

Theme
Last but not the least, don't forget to match your baby shower menu with your theme. If you've decided to go Hawaiian for your baby shower then your baby shower menu should definitely include tropical fruits rather than Chinese delicacies.

Once you've prepared your baby shower menu, don't forget to have it printed out and display it on the tables.

The Perfect Budget Plan for Your Baby Shower

If you are planning to hold a baby shower, it would be practical to lay down a good budget plan for the event. This way, you will be less hassled when doing the preparations which could get exhausting. Here are helpful hints that would help you create a wonderful party that is within your budget.

1.Set a limit. How much could you really spare for this shower? Whatever amount that is, it is important to stay very close to that target. Going way beyond in the end would not work.

2.When working on the budget, it would be important to consider the personality and the interests of the would-be mom. Work around those ideas when making your budget.

3.You should consider if the mom-to-be has other children. If the mom is giving birth for the first time, most likely she would need everything needed by a new mother. The wish list for gift ideas to be given to guests would have to be based on that. Party ideas would also depend on what the mom already has in her home.

4.If you are on a tight budget, you do not have to compromise the creation of a lovely setting. Work around your budget by having everything but with prices that are on the lower-end. Simple home-made decors and streamers would look lovely and even more endearing because of the love that came with creating them.

5.You would be surprised that most of the things you will need are in discount shops and dollar stores. From party decors to party favors, you can find them all in these special discount stores.

6.Be creative when thinking of invitations. There are many designs that cost less and are quite original. One example would be buying several dozen of inexpensive bibs and writing the party details on them. You can simply roll them up and tied with a lovely ribbon. Or you could even use regular colorful table napkins that you can write on, folded into diapers and pinned with the diaper pins. These are really cute!

7.Design and bake the baby shower cake yourself. There are many great ideas in cookbooks and the internet.

There are 101 ways to save up and make that shower party possible. Being creative simply solves a lot of problems by cutting down costs with every party aspect. Whatever budget you have, it will work as long as you are ready to make the sacrifice of doing most of the party items yourself.

Things you Need for a Baby Shower

How many times have you gone to or hosted a baby shower and found out something was missing? Many people take baby showers for granted. Baby showers are just as important as birthdays, anniversaries and all the other parties we celebrate. We celebrate the coming of a new family member. Here is a guide to what you need for a baby shower.

1.Invitations. How do you expect guests to come if you don't invite them? Don't buy invitations that are plain and boring, give your guests a sneak peek on what your baby shower will be like. Make it attractive and fun. Your guests will surely look forward to your party.

2.Have a few games and of course prizes. You can purchase these games and prizes at supermarkets or even online through eBay. Games and prizes will bring life and joy to the party rather than keeping your guests bored.

3.Since you're having a party, you'll need a venue. Once you have a venue, you will need table, chairs, and of course decorations. Tables and chairs could be rented. While the decorations could be purchased at supermarkets and party supply shops. You can even do them yourself. You can buy the materials at your local arts and crafts store and you can ask a few friends to help you out in making the decorations.

4.You can't have a party without..... Food and Drinks! What kind of host will forget food and drinks. A buffet table would be great. Finger food and non-alcoholic drinks would be great. Preparing heavy meals isn't advisable. It takes too much time to prepare. Finger foods like chicken fingers, fish and chips, French fries, and onion rings are just a few of your options. As for the drinks, punch without the alcohol would be great.

5.Lastly, the souvenirs. You can buy baby shower souvenirs cheaper if you buy them in bulk. They don't have to be expensive. A little token of thanks would be most appropriate. This will make your guests feel more appreciated.

Remember, before going shopping for your baby shower supplies, write a list of what you need. You can save more time by doing this. A baby shower celebrates the coming of your new family member. You should make it special. There are no redo's when hosting a baby shower. You will only do it once so you better do it right.

7 Key Elements in Baby Shower Planning

Throwing a baby shower isn't something you can do at the drop of a hat. It takes careful planning and organizing. If you're in the process of making your to-do list for holding a baby shower, here are five key elements you must include in your plans.

Funds
Who's going to pay for the baby shower? These events can cost a lot of money, and if you're working on a tight budget, you could ask other friends to pitch in and ensure that your guest of honor will be treated with a fabulous baby shower.

Time, Date, and Venue
Somewhere private would be ideal because it allows guests to relax and enjoy the party more. As for the time and date, you'd have to consider the availability of the guest of honor. Pregnant women can sometimes have hectic schedules as well as your other guests. The simplest way to resolve this without ruining the element of surprise is by asking suggestions from the people closest to the guest of honor, like her husband.

Guest List
People closest to the guest of honor should of course be invited. Whether or not the affair would be co-ed depends on the preferences of your guest of honor. If you don't want to ask but you think its safe to invite a few males to the baby shower, try restricting your invitations to close relations like husband, brothers, and your guests spouses.

Menu
First, consider the type of baby shower you're holding as well as the time and venue. If you're holding a baby shower in a hotel and in the afternoon, appetizers that aren't too messy to eat would be best. Of course, any favorite dish of the guest of honor that's suitable to the menu should be included.

Another thing you should consider is whether you wish to have the food catered, ordered, or home cooked.

Activities and Hosting
You can either ask a friend to act as host or hire a professional. Having a host will ensure that the baby shower proceeds smoothly. Make a list of activities, together with back up plans, for the baby shower. Remember to leave time for your guests to enjoy their food and converse with each other.

Decorations
You can create or purchase them. Just make sure they're within your budget and match your overall design and color scheme.

Favors and Souvenirs
While not everyone may receive prizes from your baby shower, every guest must, however, go home with a souvenir. Have extras prepared in case of unexpected guests!

Know the Baby Shower Traditions and Trends

Baby showers are simply cute! But to be honest, the event started out as a rite of passage and comes complete with its own trends and traditions. A baby shower is a ceremony meant to celebrate the birth of an infant where both mother and child are showered with presents.

Many have gotten so used to the traditions of baby showers and yet many have applied new trends to this special event. Just like anything in history, the traditions have changed over the years as the affair evolved with many incoming trends. Mentioned below would be some of those wonderful traditions and trends that come with every baby shower.

It is important to note that some races do not celebrate the affair at all because they believe that it is bad luck to buy things for a baby before it is born. Traditionally, the affair was meant for females only where those who hosted the party were the closest of friends and relatives. Soon, parties included men and children. Before long, Daddy Showers were also celebrated.

Tradition also dictates some of the activities done during baby showers. Games like guessing the sex and the date of birth of the baby and the mothers girth size upon delivery are always fun to do. Other fun games to play are guessing the baby food flavor or diaper throwing games.

Of course, a baby shower wouldn't be complete without the mother opening the gifts in front of the guests. At present, gifts given are usually practical items that the mother or the baby can use. But long time ago, gifts were always hand-made. Having a ceremonial champagne toast is permissible to wet the head of the baby.

Over the years, trends took the place of more traditional activities during baby showers. Celebrators thought of more creative ideas in cake decorating, games, recipes and theme ideas. Yes, even baby showers have taken on different themes to add excitement to the affair. Retro baby showers come with retro colors and patterns in all of the baby shower aspects from the invitation down to the party give-aways.

Baby showers are such happy events. Every celebrator or baby shower sponsor should do whatever it takes to make this event as exciting as possible for the soon-to-be mom. This event is extra special for a first-time mom so it would be well worth it if you give extra effort in making it really special.