Planning The Baby Shower

There's an ongoing debate - that can actually become quite emotional and vocal - that tried to determine whether or not a relative should throw the baby shower. Traditionally, the view has been that a relative should not throw a baby shower, because it can appear that the relative is requesting gifts. Yet traditions change, and there are times when a sibling, or a cousin, or an aunt might be the ideal and somewhat convenient choice.

So what should you do? To answer this, we can respond with the best, and sometimes most unsatisfying answer of them all: it depends.

Sorry, but it really does depend. If you hail from a rather traditional or conventional background, it may be wise to see that a non-relative is in charge of the baby shower. In addition, even if you, personally, are comfortable with a relative throwing the baby shower, some of your guests - who may be less comfortable with it than you - may object (or just whisper about it behind your back).

Use your judgment here. Perhaps the most practical advice is this: if you can conveniently and pleasantly not have a relative run things, then that will likely be the best route to go. However, if that's just not possible, plausible, or preferred, then don't feel like you're someone from outer space because you're related to the mother-to-be. More and more people are breaking with tradition; especially since they feel that the perception of a relative %uBC36sking for gifts?arguably doesn't exist anymore.

Gifts (which we talk about further on in this book) are rather integral to baby showers; it's quite hard to imagine one without gifts. Since that is the case, whether a relative requests them from those attending the baby shower, or a non-relative requests them, arguably isn't important to those attending. They're likely focused on what the baby shower should focus on: the mother-to-be, and a wonderful opportunity to share in her joy.

Next time we'll be discussing a little about "When The Shower Should Happen".

Hold A Baby Shower

7 Themes for Baby Shower

Plan the most fun and unique baby shower you'll ever have. Preparing for a baby shower should be fun and exciting. You can be as creative as you want. Go simple or go real extravagant. To make your party special and unforgettable, use a theme.

You can go traditional or get a little creative and make your baby shower a lot more unique. You can spice up the party with different themes that can either be serious, adorable or humorous.

Below are some popular themes ideas that would definitely be a hit in any baby showers.

Fairytale Themes
There are thousand of fairytale characters that have been a tradition throughout baby shower parties. Cinderella and Snow White are the most common ones for girl. Peter Pan is the most suitable character for boys. This kind of theme can be made interesting with colorful decorations and creates a fantasy- like atmosphere.

Baby bottles theme
You can have a baby bottle as your centerpiece in this particular theme. Use them as cute containers for game prizes. You can make fun of them too by using baby bottles as cups or mugs.

Teddy bear theme
Everyone loves these cuddly teddies. They are perfect for decorations. You don't have to buy teddy bears though to fill up the room. Old but presentable ones will do. It would be memorable to have the guest of honor's favorite teddy as a centerpiece.

Diaper theme
Begin with sending cute diaper cut- out invitation. Guests should bring their own diaper gifts with a particular size. This way, you can save on diapers even up to three months!

Nursery rhyme theme
It's a good idea to make nursery rhymes as theme for your party. You can make use of famous character like Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep, or the famous Mother Goose. Pictures could be nice as decorations but it would really look nice if you have some kind of a replica. You can also add on some of the line to your invitations.

Themes for twins
Remember the famous Noah's ark story? All animals are paired in twos when lodging the ark. It's the perfect theme for expectant mothers of twins. Don't forget to note in your invitation that you will be having twins, this way; guests will have to bring two gifts of either the same kind or two different ones.

Hold A Baby Shower

What better way to celebrate the coming of a new baby than to host a baby shower party. Better yet, make it a surprise for the expectant mother. The following tips should help you host a baby shower party just like a real pro.

Choose a Good Date

It is important that you choose a good date for the baby shower party. What good is the party if the mom is not around? So do make sure that the important participant makes it to the party. Be creative with this. You can schedule a dinner with the expecting mother. Stress the importance of her showing up. And you should indeed ask somebody to show up at the dinner so somebody can redirect her attention while you are at the venue welcoming the guests.

Send Out the Invitations

You should be ready with your invitations early on so that you can have them sent at least two weeks before the actual event. This is to give the people time to prepare. They do have to have enough time to go shopping for baby shower gifts.

And oh, be cautious with those written invitations. Your guests might carelessly leave them lying around. You don't want them falling into the wrong hands - the mother's that is. It will totally ruin the surprise. Personal invitations and phone calls are still the best way to go.

Baby Registry

Ask mothers who just recently borne a baby about the usual stuff new mothers need. You will need the information to fill up a baby shower gifts registry. Yes, you got that right. You can make the baby shower gifts registry yourself. No need to ask the mother to make her own. She might speculate that you are planning to throw a baby shower party. This is another great way to ruin the surprise.

You can also ask the mother's close relatives and friends to give their own ideas for baby shower gifts. Make sure that you come up with a worthwhile baby registry and that it is properly distributed so that the guests have a clear idea on which baby shower gifts to give the mother.

Baby Shower Decorations

Come up with a baby shower theme. It's always fun to stick to a specific theme when planning a party. The added bonus is that it makes the rest of the details easier to handle. With a theme at hand, choosing baby shower favors, baby shower gifts and other party items will not be too hard anymore. Be creative when choosing a theme. Think of something that has yet to be done before. And do make it match the personality of the mother. Remember that the party is thrown in her honor (and the baby's too!).

Baby Shower Favors

Do give your baby shower favors the attention they deserve. They are your way of showing the guests how grateful you are for their participation.

Catch the Mother Off Guard

To make the 'surprise' party a really effective one, make sure that you catch the Mom off guard. How about throwing the party in the morning or after lunch? And do watch over your guests. Make sure that nobody goes blabbering about the party in the wrong places and at the earshot of the wrong person (the mother of course). And on the day of the party itself, assign somebody to play the role of a valet so that there are not too many cars nearby to arouse the mom's suspicion.

You are well on your way to hosting a blasting baby shower party. Have fun!

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Sometimes baby showers are hosted before the baby is born and sometimes after. Either way most baby showers have at least one thing in common, baby shower games.

When you host a baby shower it is fun to have games to play as entertainment as well as to break the ice. You may have guests that don't know each other as well as several different age generations in attendance.

I like to have different types of games when I host a baby shower so the same guest isn't always the winner. I also like to find games that require little preparation or expense. Here are a few free baby shower games you are free to use when you plan or host a baby shower.

1. One game you might want to play is to see who can name the most nursery rhymes. Give your guests a few minutes to write them down and see who thought of the most. Beforehand you can prepare a list to compare to if you want. Plus if your baby shower guests appear stumped you can name a few to get them started on the right track.

2. A word scramble is also a good type of game to have. You can scramble up some baby words and print them out on a piece of paper and let the guest unscramble them. You could also give your baby shower guests a blank sheet of paper and have them write a phrase such as Jill's new baby, or the new baby's full name and have them see how many words they can find in the letters.

3. If you want to liven things up a bit give every guest a piece of paper with a baby related word on it and tell them not to show it to anyone. When everyone has arrived explain to them that every time they hear their word they should cough and say excuse me within 5 seconds. The other guests then can each make one guess as to the word. You can give prizes to whoever guesses the most right as well as to whoever stumps the other shower guests the longest.

Basically just try to find a variety of baby shower games that everyone will enjoy playing and have a great time celebrating the blessing of a new baby.

About the Author:

Robin Reckard, co-founder of Jorbins.com Lifestyle Magazine - http://www.jorbins.com , keeps busy producing, writing, and editing for the magazine as well as raising and enjoying her six year old daughter. Be sure and visit Jorbins Baby and Parenting Section, it contains not only great parenting advice but lots of great Baby Shower Ideas and Free Baby Shower Games too.

Copyright 2006, Jorbins Inc. - Reprints of this article can be made as long as the article is in it's entirety, unchanged, and the resource box with links and urls remain unchanged.

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