Baby Showers ... Gift, Invitation, Food, Drink and Games Ideas

A truly memorable gift, Name a Star after a new baby as a baby shower gift. This is a gift that will be remembered by the whole family forever. I've done this myself and every time I see the family they mention this incredible gift.

One of the most appreciated gifts in honor of a new baby is a keepsake with your own personalized message included.

Personalized Baby Gifts from PersonalizationMall.com

Here you will find many charming gifts that each can be personalized to produce a truly memorable gift.

A beautiful flower basket gift is always appreciated and cherished. This online site has very quick delivery and high quality product.

Click on "new baby" on the website menu for a wide variety of gift baskets in that theme.



Here's another fun gift for your new arrival:

Oh Baby!

Celebrate the planet's newest citizen with a mug full of fun and goodness. A great gift that congratulates new parents and siblings with decorated honey cookies, coffee, snacks, and more!

Baby Shower Invitations come in a wide variety of formats and can be purchased either online or at your local card shop. Many budget conscious consumers are making their own invitations though and there are many online resources available to assist if you decide to try your hand at invitation design.

If you have a specific theme for the party your invites should likely reflect that and make sure all the pertinent information is included to prevent confusion amongst your guest list.

Read more about:

Baby Shower Invitation Ideas

There is no shortage of food ideas for a baby shower gathering. You can keep it simple with snacks and finger foods or you may decide to go a little further with a more complete menu.

Try to maintain the theme in your food choices if the shower does indeed have a thematic approach. Many shower participants are eager to help by bringing dishes along so don't rule this out if you are pressed for time or under budget restraints.

Read more about:

Baby Shower Food

Baby Shower Cakes can be a fantastic centerpeice for your baby shower and a creative cake idea will be a great conversation starter and set the tone for your get together.

Of course, baby shower cakes can be ordered from cake designers but many elect to bake their own from scratch with a clever design of their own choice.

Read more about:

Baby Shower Cake Ideas

A fun element that can be introduced to your baby shower are games, as part of the celebration they can be great ice breakers and get people mingling and having more fun.

Today, you can find free baby shower games on the web and select the games that you think would be appropriate for your guests.

Read more about Free Baby Shower Games

Give this classic Baby Shower Game a try ... give each shower guest a clothespin when they arrive and explain the game. If you say BABY and someone hears you, that person gets your clothespin. At the end of the night, the person with the most clothespins wins a prize.

Game variation: You can also play another way. Everyone watches to see if anyone crosses their arms or legs during the shower. The person that catches anyone doing that gets their clothespin. Use your own imagination to create other variations and have fun!

Ask each guest to bring a picture of themselves as a baby. Every guest then attempts to guess whose baby picture it is. The guest with the most correct guesses wins a prize.

Approximately One Month Prior to Your Shower

Determine date and location for you baby shower.
Identitfy your guest list.
Select party theme and type of shower.
Plan your games/activities.
Plan your menu including food & drink (baby shower cake).
Make or order shower invitations.

Approximately Two Weeks Prior to Your Shower

Mail or deliver invites.
Order cake if you are having it provided.
Place order for flowers, balloon bouquets etc.
Buy your decorations, party favors, game prizes etc.
Finalize your menu selections.

The Day Before Your Shower

Start decorating the party area.
Wrap game prizes, put favors in gift bags if applicable.
Plan order of games/activities.
Buy ice, liquor & other beverages.
Set up tables, chairs etc.
Prepare any outdoor signs.
Pick up your cake if not making.

Party Time!

Complete decorating.
Pick up balloons.
Arrange party favors on a table.
Set up glasses, ice and beverages.
Set up your food (buffet)
Have a notepad available to list gifts received.
Supply trashbag for wrapping paper.
Greet your guest and relax ... have a great time!

It's often a challenge to decide just who to invite to your baby shower. What is the proper etiquette and how do you avoid hurting someone's feelings?

When determining your guest list, it's important to define your target group. Is it your idea to host the traditional women only gathering or will you include children? Today it's becoming increasingly popular to invite couples and/or complete families.

When you decide on the type of shower you are going to be hosting make sure your invitations are precisely worded, such as "women only", "children welcome" and so on based on your decision. If you are planning a specific theme make sure this is included on your invitations as well as any special instructions such as what to bring, how to dress, and directions to the party location. This will save you countless telephone inquiries regarding the specifics of your shower plans.

Always ask your invited guests to RSVP and keep in mind that typically about 20-25% of those confirming will ultimately fail to attend for a variety of reasons.

Baby Showers held at an office, social club or church have a pre-determined guest list of co-workers, club members or fellow church members but make sure that you find out if your shower is the only one being held for the mom to be. If it is, then you may want to extend invitations to her personal friends and family. It may take a bit of discreet probing to find out if there are additional showers planned.

Alternatively, if you are a friend or family member planning the only shower, it's a thoughtful idea to make a call to the prospective mother to be's employer to find out who should be invited from her workplace.

In most cases her husband should be able to supply contact information for her friends and work associates.

Don't forget that if your shower is the sole party planned, you should extend invites to the mom's family as well as her husband's family.

Jim Hutton writes articles about planning and hosting baby showers, you can see the full article library at:

Baby Shower Plans

http://EzineArticles.com/? expert=Jim_Hutton

There are several sites that will provide good quality baby shower invitations at affordable prices.

Here are some of my favorite sites:

Card Shoppe

Tiny Prints

The right baby shower decorations can turn an ordinary shower into something really extraordinary. When it comes to decorating for this very special event, the ideas are limited only by the imagination and the budget of those involved in the planning. There are countless adorable themed baby shower decorations to choose from but even decorating with the simple colors associated with babies like pastel pink, blue, green and yellow will create a look that's sure to please.

What to do with baby shower decorations

The extent of decorating you'll be able to do will depend on the location of the party itself. If it's being held at the office for coworkers or at a restaurant, you might be more limited in what you can do. Always confirm with those in charge what types of decorations are allowed and do so before shopping. You might find that some will be considered a fire hazard and won't be allowed. But keep in mind that, cute as they might be, the baby shower decorations aren't really what matters. What's going to matter most is that the new mom will be able to share her excitement with close friends and family.

Regardless of the location, you'll at least want to have a few baby shower decorations along the entryway to the party, around the gift table and incorporated into the areas where food and drinks will be served. A balloon bouquet strung from a mailbox or placed at the entrance of the party location is a simple and inexpensive way to lead guests to the festivities. A baby-themed flag is another option. Then get some table coverings, a few centerpieces and paper goods that complement the color scheme or theme.

From there, splurge on as many additional baby shower decorations as the budget allows. Here are a few decorating ideas to get your creative juices flowing. You can hang streamers around the ceilings and put balloon bouquets, bows and ribbons in the areas where guests will congregate. You can decorate the guest of honor's chair, which should be set up as a focal point. You can set out party favors for each of the guests. Since it's a shower, you won't go wrong hanging an umbrella or two around the room. And don't forget about the cake. Position it in a location where all can admire it and if you can, decorate the table upon which it will sit.

When to purchase baby shower decorations

Since most of the baby shower decorations will consist of paper goods, they can be purchased well in advance of the shower date. Start shopping at least 2 weeks prior to the date or earlier if the shower will have a particular theme. It may take more time to find decorations to support the theme. Then set aside several hours on the day of the party to rearrange furniture as necessary and to put up all the baby shower decorations. You'll be wise to enlist the help of others!

The place to find all your baby needs. Get the information you need without the sales pitch. We are your baby shower resource center, willing to help you choose the best for your baby shower party at your budget. baby showers

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Freez

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