Baby Shower Planning

Anyone can host the baby shower, friends, family members or colleagues. In fact it is not uncommon for expectant parents to have more than one shower. The first step in throwing the perfect shower is to plan ahead. How much money do you have to spend? How much time do you have to plan the shower? Knowing your boundaries in advance will help you to realistically plan a shower that you have the time and resources to pull off.

The next step is to decide on the type of shower. You should begin planning 6-8 weeks in advance of the shower. Remember that the shower should reflect the style and taste of the parents to be and not your own. If the expectant mom is low key and conservative don't plan an over the top extravaganza.

Will the shower be ladies only or co-ed? Both options are perfectly acceptable. Where will you host the shower? Will the shower be at the mom's home, your own home or a different location? You will want to ensure that you have enough space and seating for the planned number of guests. Also if the shower will be hosted outside of the home, you will want to book the location well in advance of the shower date. The next few posts will give you more information on planning the shower.

Eating During Pregnancy
http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/pregnancybroch.cfm
There are so many rules for pregnancy that it is hard to know where to start. Diet is very important to the health fo your baby as well as yourself. Getting a certain amount of follic acid is a must and controlling your intake of certain foods can also be a great thing for your body. This site gives you a lot of information on pregnancy and some steps to take to make your pregnancy less hassle.

Now that you have the basics taken care of it's time to begin the planning.

Will your party have a theme? If so you will want to coordinate invitations, party favors decorations and even the food. The theme can even extend to the gifts. For example, throw a "pamper" party in which guests bring Pampers diapers. Have fun with it and create a mood!

Baby Showers can range from casual to elegant. Consider the type of guests, the time of day and location in your planning. Is the shower for women only? Plan an afternoon tea or a spa pampering party with massages, manicures and make-overs. Co-ed parties can be an afternoon cook-out or even an elegant evening party.

Plan a theme around something the mother to be likes or likes to do. Does she have a favorite color? What are her hobbies? What are her favorite activities? Be creative and plan a shower that will be unique and memorable for the mom and fun for the guests.

Shower Tips:
1.Plan activities that the mom and her guests will enjoy. You are not limited to "traditional" shower games so consider what the mom likes and have fun with it.
2.Check your tableware and supplies in advance (linen, silverware, serving dishes)
3.Hire help! Hire a professional cleaning service to clean the house. It will be spotless and you can use the time to take care of other details. Hire students from the local college or high school for serving and clean-up.
4.Keep the menu simple or have it catered.
5.Choose party favors that are unique and memorable.
6.Plan for extra guests. It's best to overestimate for food and beverages so that you don't run out.
7.Hire or delegate someone to film the event. Make sure that you have batteries, memory cards, etc.
8.Prepare the guest bathroom. Be sure to have extra amenities on hand like scented soap, hand lotion, aspirin, tissue and feminine items. You can also extend your theme to the bathroom for an extra special touch.
9.Remember to have a notepad or journal handy to record gifts and who gave them. This will make it easy for the mom to write thank you notes later
10.If you are having a large shower, get name tags for guests. The tags can tie in with the theme of the party. Have them note who they are in relation to the new baby (e.g., Grandma, Aunt, Friend).
11.Arrange seating to inspire conversation.
12.Keep the party moving! If guests seem to tire of one activity, move on to the next.

One to two months before the party:
_____Set the date
_____Choose the location
_____Recruit help if needed and assign tasks
_____Get the guest list from the mom-to -be
_____Choose the theme (if applicable)
_____Decide on the type of shower (women only or co-ed)
_____Plan your activities
_____Plan your menu
_____Select the invitations

Two to three weeks before the party:
_____Send your invitations, include RSVPs and directions
_____Order the cake
_____If your decorations include flowers or balloon bouquets, order them
_____Buy decorations, prizes for games and party favors
_____Buy a guest book for guests to sign
_____Finalize your menu

One week before the party:
_____Order or gather chairs, tables, dishes, utensils, etc.
_____Obtain a final count for the guest list. Call those that have not responded
_____Place orders for food if needed (veggie trays, sandwiches, etc.)
_____Confirm cake and any orders for decorations
_____Confirm reservations (if applicable)
_____If the party is at home, clean and prepare the house (consider a professional cleaning service
_____Wrap gifts, prepare party favors

The day before the party:

_____Decorate
_____Review the games/activities
_____Pick up the cake
_____Check to make sure you have enough ice and beverages
_____Make sure the you have supplies for your camera or camcorder
_____If necessary, make street signs directing guests to your home
_____Set up seating, side table for party favors, buffet table, etc.

The Big Day!

_____ Set out party favors
_____ Finish any last minute decorations
_____ Set out beverages, ice, glasses
_____ Set up the food
_____ Pick up or have balloons delivered
_____ Have a guestbook ready for guests to sign
_____ Prepare a side table for gifts
_____ Greet guests at the door with a smile
_____ Take a deep breath and enjoy!

Theme Party Ideas:

1. Red Carpet Party. Buy red fabric for the entrance so guests can walk the red carpet. Purchase the Elegant 3 Tier Diaper Cake as the centerpiece. Give away "Oscars" as party favors.
2. Spa Party. Indulge mom and her guests with a day of pampering. Enjoy massages, mani/pedis and makeovers in the comfort of your home. Serve spa themed cuisine for a light touch and fun day.
3. Winnie the Pooh Party. Turn your backyard into Christopher Robin's playhouse. Use honey jars for party favors or decorations.
4. Tea party. You can mimic the famous Ritz Carlton tea parties in the comfort of your own home. Serve tea, finger sandwiches and a bevy of desserts. For a madcap tea party, throw in a little Disney Mad Hatter fun. Purchase floppy hats for guests to wear.
5. Book party. Have guests bring a favorite children's book to start baby's library. Use mom's favorite for the theme and décor.
6. The Year You Were Born Shower. Bring mementos for a time capsule for the baby celebrating the year they were born. This will make a nice keepsake and future history lesson for the baby!
7. Time of Day Shower. Guests bring gifts for a specific time in the baby's day, such as bed time, bath time, and feeding time. Assign time of day on invitation.
8. Sprinkle Shower. A "sprinkle" shower is perfect for second babies. Guests sprinkle rather than shower parents with items that need replenishing such as diapers, baby shampoos and lotions, diaper ointments and more.
9. Movie Theme Party. Use a favorite movie for a theme. Set up a concession stand with popcorn and movie theater snacks. Set up life size cardboard displays at the door to greet guests (theaters and video stores may let you borrow or buy old ones).

Let's get the baby shower started right! Having an arsenal of baby shower games can make the baby shower the event of the year or decade even! Hostesses struggle every day with finding fantastic baby shower games that are hip, fun, and engaging enough to be included in the planned festivities. These next few articles focus on one specific game, i hope you enjoy!

1. Personalized Baby Bingo - Just as the name implies, you can use photos, names, dream gifts, or just about anything to make the bingo board unique. You can set the game to 4 or 5 in a row, based on the board that you get. You can find this game at badabadababy.com or you can make your own. Either way, it will be loved and will be very nostalgic in years to come.

2. What size is Mommy's baby bump? - Using string or toilet paper as "measuring tools", have each guest take as much of the measuring tool that they think will equal the size of mommy's baby bump. It could be 10 toilet paper squares or a gigantic length of string. The one that was the closest to the real size wins!

3. Baby Bottle Race - Fill bottles with a liquid, a thin smoothie could be tasty and more chic, and have each participant race to see who can drink from the bottle the fastest in a certain amount of time. The one finished first, or with the least amount left in the bottle, wins.

4. "Baby" Songs - Using pencil and paper, everyone has to write down every song, whether R&B, Jazz, Christmas, or any popular music style, that has "baby" in the title. You will get everything from "My Baby Takes The Morning Train" to "Merry, Merry Christmas, Baby". The one with the most songs listed wins. Take it further by mixing up the entries and passing them around randomly, then, each person has to sing a song from the list. Be ready for a great time with this one!

5. Baby Food Cafe - This is a classic, but a fun game none the less. Take the label off of baby food jars, put your own label on them or mark with a number (so that you can identify them later). Have each guess taste the food to guess what it is. Try this blindfolded for even more laughs.

These are just a few of the fantastic baby shower games that can make the next baby shower phenomenal for everyone that attends. So, bottles up...spoons ready...and dig in for loads of fun!

So it is the last minute, and you still have to throw a shower before the Holiday season. How can you throw together a shower that will be worth your while? Here's a few tips to consider:
1)Don't panic. Once you start to panic the whole idea will seem impossible.
2) Find a place. You want a big open area, a large living room or den. You can move furniture if necessary.
3) Pick a date and time. Call the people in order of how close they are to the MTB(mother-to-be). Find a date within the week that works for most of the people that will be really important to the MTB. It is ok to pass off some other people for the MTB's other close friends to call while you get things in order.
4) You always want to have snacks, and ordering pizza is a great idea too. Safeway party plates are a big hit as well as chips and dip.
5) Decorations. You can pick up streamers from the dollar store and make them look just as nice. It would be a good idea to decorate the night before just because of the last minute things that may pop up on you.
6)Party Games: because it is the holiday season, stick to the inexpensive games.
Buy some clothes-pins and play the "don't say baby" game.
Pick up a baby bottle and fill it with some kind of candy, have everyone guess how much candy is in there.
Play Baby Scategories- set a timer and have everyone write down all of the words that they can think of that have to do with babies in 30 seconds. Then compare lists and see who got the most. Etc.
7) For prizes, stop by the Starbucks or Jamba Juice for some quick 5 or 10 dollar gift cards. If you want to play more games, play a few as "icebreakers" then introduce prize games later on in the evening.
I hope that these tips will help you with your last minute baby shower.
Good Luck!