As with any special event there is a special type of etiquette for baby showers that is polite to follow not only for the one hosting the baby shower but also for the mom to be. If you are not sure what to do or say in regards to a baby shower here are some tips for proper baby shower etiquette to follow.

First of all if you are the one hosting the baby shower you should send out invitations to all the guests that you think the mom to be would like to invite to her shower. If the shower is a surprise see if you can get with her spouse or a close family member or friend to get the phone numbers and addresses you will need to send out the invitation. You will want to send out invitations at least two weeks before the shower. If you are the one receiving a baby shower invitation you should always RSVP to the phone number mentioned in the invitation so that the host knows exactly what they will need to buy for the shower. Even if an emergency pops up that prevents you from going be sure to call and let them know you cannot make it.

Next be prepared to spend at least a couple of hours at the shower. Baby showers generally last between 2-3 hours if not more. If you do not think you can stay that long but still want to make an appearance be sure to tell the host and mom to be you would love to stay longer but unfortunately you have pressing matters at hand that you have to get to. If you are the hostess be sure to expect the unexpected. While it is a good idea to just go with the flow it is okay to have a general schedule of the shower as well so that way you are still in a good time frame.

Always go up and recognize the mom to be. It is a very special day for her and one she will remember for always. It is polite to ask her how she is feeling and let her know how excited you are for her. If you are the host or hostess be sure to take plenty of pictures for her as she will want them for the baby book and for mementos.

As a host or hostess you should at least serve snacks and a baby shower cake. Some choose to go all out and have a lunch or dinner planned but you should at least have some appetizers for people to snack on during the festivities. This does not have to be fancy but just some general items as well as some punch, water, iced tea or soda to offer the guests and the mom to be.

Next and this is for everyone, have a good time! It is a party so you should talk, laugh, exchange stories and even play some baby shower games! If there are gifts brought to the expectant mom be sure to watch her unwrap them and ooh and ahhh over them with her. If you are a guest you can go the extra mile and offer to stay behind and help clean up afterwards. Doing these things help make the baby shower a special day for the expectant mom that she will look on with fond memories later on down the road!

So, you’ve been asked to run a baby shower? Are in you in charge of making invitations, decorations, or shower games? If you’ve been enlisted to fulfill any or all of these tasks, you’re likely going to need baby shower clipart unless you intend to purchase pre-made invitations and such. However, if you’re feeling creative or want something out of the ordinary, you’re going to want to use your own clipart. Thankfully, clipart for baby showers is not difficult to find.

If you’re already lucky enough to have a computer clipart program, you can start your search there. The available clipart will likely include things such as baby blocks, bottles, diapers. Depending on the software you have, the selection may or may not be very extensive or helpful.

If you don’t have clipart software, you always purchase some, but you may find this unnecessary if you’re only going to use it for this baby shower. Your best bet is to search the internet where you can find just about anything you need. Although there are many internet sites that require an account or a fee to use clipart, there are also many websites that offer free clipart.

Visit your favorite search engine, type in “baby shower clipart”, and enjoy the half a million results. Baby shower clipart may be in a downloadable PDF form or in a simple JPG form which you can simply save to your desktop. Thankfully, the internet holds a vast selection of clipart so you can find exactly what you are looking for. You should find just about everything from storks, pacifiers, bottles, carriages, strollers, daddy and baby, mommy and baby, twins, and triplets to baby bottles, teddy bears, blocks, bassinets, balloons, rubber duckies, and Noah’s Ark.

Some great free websites to visit are amazing-baby-shower-ideas.com, babyshower.net, or Webweaver’s free clipart. Other sites, which may require a small fee, are clipsahoy.com or babytidings.com.

What do you do once you’ve found some baby shower clipart? Save the clipart to your desktop and cut and paste it as necessary to various projects. Using photo manipulation programs, you can also play with the colors or the sizes of the clipart if you wish.

Once you find some clipart you like, it’s time to get to work preparing invitations, decorations, or signs. Keep in mind that you want everything to look nice, so don’t jumble a whole bunch of clipart pieces together just because they’re all for baby showers. Try to determine a theme and choose clipart accordingly. i.e. the theme is rubber duckies, so mainly use clipart that fits this and go easy on teddy bears, building blocks, and diapers.

When making personal baby shower invitations and such, don’t go overboard with the clipart either. You want whatever you are making to be readable and memorable, not a big mess of pictures and colors. Be creative but simple with your clipart finds, and have discretion as to where you put the clipart.

You’ll soon have a finished product that looks great and is unique for the mom-to-be!

Baby showers today are no longer like they used to be. Years ago, you would arrange a nice lunch for the mother to be and her family and friends. After the main meal and before desert the mother to be would open her presents. Then there would be cake. These parties were very nice, mothers-to-be got useful, and some luxury items for their baby.

Today all that has changed. There are now theme baby showers. Daddies-to-be-showers are gaining popularity along with mommy and daddy to be combined showers. Today music is played, buffets are served and games are played. One of the most fun games to play at a baby shower is baby shower bingo. There are even a few ways to play it so you can customize it to fit your needs and desires.

There are some general things you are going to need before you start. There are many bingo cards available on the internet for free download, print out one for each guest. Make sure you have enough pens or pencils for each guest to get one also. This is a good place to start. The next step is up to you. For one version of the game, you can simply put a name or picture of something related to a baby in each box. For example, car seat, bottle, diapers, mobile, crib bumper, crib sheets, onesies etc. Make each card different and have enough cards for all of the guests to have one. Then when mom starts to open her presents the game starts. If the mother to be opens a bib for example everyone who had a “bib” space on their card could cross it off. Play continues like this until someone calls bingo and they get a prize of some sort. You could play for a regular bingo five numbers in a line in any direction, a full card, or any other “style” bingo name you know of.

Another option is to print out the same bingo cards only instead of playing while opening presents you can do it on a tour of the nursery. This is a fun way to play if the party is at the mothers-to-be’s house. Everyone goes into the nursery and as mom shows off all of her new stuff she has gotten so far, the guests mark off what they see on their bingo cards. For example, the crib, mobile, swing, dresser etc. Like the above game, play any “style” bingo game you can think of. The winner would still get a prize.

Another option is to simply put words in each box as described above on each bingo card. Someone usually the hostess is a designated caller, she simply calls out a list of words, and people mark them off their cards. Again, the first with a bingo wins and a small prize is awarded.

The days of boring baby showers are gone. This is just one suggestion for games you can play. There are others also. Try it at the next baby shower you host or suggest it to someone you know who is hosting one.

Perhaps one of the most fun parties to throw is a baby shower. It is such a happy occasion and there are so many options as to what you can do. One of the nicest options that has gotten really popular in the last few years is making a diaper cake center piece. These are fairly easy to make and you can find instructions on the internet and in books about planning a baby shower.

You cannot serve this cake to the guests for dessert but it will do double duty even without being eaten. It makes a wonderful centerpiece for the table and a wonderful gift for a mother-to-be. Putting out a few cute stuffed animals as a centerpiece is nice but how many stuffed animals can one baby use? A gift of extra diapers and other goodies will be put to a lot more use in the nursery.

These cakes can be customized to fit a boy or a girl. They can also be kept “generic baby” if the mother-to-be does not know what baby will be. You can customize it to fit a theme also. For example if the mother to be is into sailing and is having a boy you can put a bathtub toy sailboats and sail boat motif bibs on the cake. If mom likes a certain flower, you can put several flower motif bibs and onesies on the cake for a girl. There are lots of things you can think of.

You can also make the cake as small or as large as you like and your budget will allow. The first thing you will need is a cardboard cake base. These can be found in most stores that sell cake decorating supplies. Try one of the chain craft stores for starters. The first decision you have to make is will the baby shower diaper cake be round or square.

The next thing you will have to do is buy diapers. Today there are boy and girl diapers along with unisex ones. Take a look at all the brands as some have really cute designs on them that will enhance the cake or get plain white ones if that’s your preference. You can use either disposable diapers or cloth ones. Ask the new mother which she plans to use on the baby.

You will need anywhere from about 20 to 80 diapers depending on the size of the “cake” you want to make and the way you build it. You will also want to collect an assortment of items related to your theme. Things like bibs, onesies, pacifiers, baby thermometers, teething rings, bath products and toys.

Your next step is to make the diapers into cylindrical shapes and then you can put them next to each other on the cardboard. It you are going for a large cake you can put a few things in the middle of the first and second layer. For example put a bottle of baby bath, baby lotion, and baby shampoo together and then build around them. You will use less diapers and mom will get an assortment of goodies. After you have the diapers arranged around the bottles in the shape you want your can use strategically hidden tape to hold them together or tie a ribbon around them to hold them in place. Continue doing the same thing for the next layers. When you have your cake as high as you want it (put layer on layer) then you can start to decorate it with things like toys, pacifiers, small stuffed animals, teething rings and baby washcloths. For the “topper” a stuffed animal is cute and a grouping of different colored bottles is nice too.

All that is left for you to do after that is to bring the cake to the shower, sit back, and listen to the compliments.

Baby poems are nice little things that can be included in things such as gifts and the baby shower invitations or thank you cards. If you are someone that is very creative or sentimental, then you could consider including a cute poem in the baby shower invitations or the thank you cards that are going to be given to the guests of the shower. There are many different types of styles and that can include various layouts and fonts as well as the length of the poem itself.

Baby shower poems have some of the cutest sayings that can add an amazingly unforgettable touch to a gift, invitation or thank you card. One of the newest ways to give nice memorabilia is to add a nice poem to the party favors that can be handwritten or printed onto things such as scrolls or just a nice piece of decorative paper.

There are many different places that one can find a nice baby shower poem that will suit the needs of the parents to be or the person hosting the baby shower. The Internet is one of the best places to look for just about any kind of item. You can find just about all the materials to make your own cards or other items that you are interested in. Looking on the Internet for things such as magazines, children’s books, lyrics and other types of things, is going to guarantee you finding some kind of poem or article that you are going to want to use.

If you are someone that does not have the best writing skills or just simply in major hurry to find something that you can use, then you may consider writing a nice baby shower greeting or poem yourself. There are things that can be done by using the guests and their talents. If you are needing something for the guests to be able to take home with them after the shower, then you may consider asking your guests to light a candle when they arrive. You can have a nice poem printed on the candle. It will also hive a ice soft glow to the room, where the baby shower is being held. After the shower let guests know they can take a candle home. If you don’t want them to light the candle while at the shower, tell them to take the candle home and light it when the new baby is born.

There are things that a person is going to want to and not do when it comes to writing baby shower poems. You should make sure that you stay away from any big words and keep the poem some what short and very simple. You may want to include things such as the mom or dad’s name and things that the baby is going to learn and experience as it grows. You may want to look on the Internet for a poem and rewrite what is says in order to give it a more personal touch. Baby shower poems are something that be created as a one of a kind of printed from other sources. They are great little gifts that can be given to guests or to include in cards.

Someone you know is about to have a baby. You have been invited to the baby shower and you want to say something that expresses the joy you feel for them. You go in search for a baby shower card that expresses your sentiments. Well you don’t have to worry there are so many baby shower cards to choose from.

Baby shower cards can be funny, sentimental or serious depending on your relationship to the mother-to-be and the type of baby shower you will be attending. Most baby shower cards contain a simple congratulatory message, while others offer bits of home-spun wisdom or humor.

When choosing a baby shower card you must keep in mind the the kind of relationship you have with the parent or parents, whether the shower is an elegant affair or a homey one. One must also be aware of the situation of the mother to be, is she going to be a single parent or is the parent/parents to be in an alternative relationship.

Baby shower cards can be religious in nature or secular it all depends on who the card is intended for. When choosing a card a little forethought can prevent hurt feelings and miss understands. For example you wouldn’t want to give a Jewish friend a baby shower card intended for a Muslim. All baby shower cards are not created equal! If you are friends with the mother-to-be then keep her personality in mind, however if you are just an acquaintance choose a card that is dignified and caring. In other words choose your baby shower card wisely.

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing a baby shower card is the theme and color scheme of the baby shower if that information is available. Also if the sex of the child is known choose a card based on that information; however, if the sex is unknown choose a card with neutral colors and unisex prose.

There are many local stores such as Wal-mart, Target and K-Mart that have a wide selection of baby shower cards to choose from. Specialty stores such as Hallmark carry an even larger selection of cards for all occasions. There are online stores that have a wide range of baby shower ecards and cards for printing. If you are the creative type you may want to create your own unique baby shower card(s). There are many software programs available to help you create a masterpiece.

Baby shower cards come in all shapes and sizes. Use your imagination when picking out that special card and ask yourself, “Is this a card I would like to receive?” Please don’t be hasty when choosing a baby shower card. Remember baby showers are given to celebrate new life and the right baby shower card can add to warmth to that joyous occasion. The mother-to-be will appreciate the time you took to find the right card.

As you search for the appropriate baby shower card or if you choose to create your own put yourself in the mother-to-be’s shoes. When you see and read the card does it move your heart to laughter or tears. If the card doesn’t speak to you then chances are it will not speak to the mother-to-be.

If someone is throwing a baby shower for you or you are the one throwing the baby shower one of the most essential items you will need is a baby shower cake. Most people generally pick a cake that goes along with whatever sort of theme the baby shower has. To find the best cake for her shower you need to brainstorm some baby shower cake ideas with her family and friends to help you pick out the right one before this special day.

If the mom to be knows if she is having a boy or girl you can go with some gender based decorations and cake. If she is having a boy there are many popular choices to pick from. One popular choice is a classic and includes a white frosted cake with blue piping or fondant and features a stork carrying a baby in a blue blanket. The stork can either be decorated onto the cake or it can be represented with a special topper you lay onto the cake and take off later before serving. Another popular for baby boys are a blue and white polka dot theme. This cake has a more formal look to it. You can opt for a sheet cake or layered. Generally the cake is covered with your choice in color of blue fondant with white polka dots put on the cake. There are many decorations that will accent this cake perfectly as this is a very popular choice for showers these days.

For those who are having a baby girl generally you will want to pick a cake with the colors pink or purple on it. One such popular cake features pink icing with a picture of a baby girl drawn on it or in the form of a topper that you can remove later. The baby girl usually has a pink or purple ribbon on her hair to represent she is a girl. For a more modern, retro looking baby showers opt for a cake featuring a pink and brown color scheme. You could ask your cake decorator to incorporate polka dots or some other vintage looking design onto the cake. Brown and pink is a huge color combination for baby showers for girls these days and there are many party accessories you can buy to match this sort of cake.

If the mom to be is not sure what gender she is having or you want to choose a gender neutral theme for the baby shower there are plenty of choices out there to choose from. One of the most trendy baby shower cake ideas for a gender neutral baby shower is a cake that features rubber ducks on it or features a cake that is actually shaped like a duck itself. These are very cute and great for either a baby boy or a baby girl. Another option is the sweet pea theme. This is a classic green and white cake with either a topper of a cartoon looking baby or a cartoon baby decorated on the top.

It is always a nice gesture to ask the mom to be her opinion or someone very close to her such as her spouse or mom to see which sort of cake they think she would like so that you get the best cake for her shower!

Today everyone is into the “do it yourself” theme of doing things. The world of crafts keeps growing and growing. People are making cards and invitations as a hobby more and more. Therefore, what better way to get your baby shower invitations done for a party you are hosting? Sit down and do it yourself. There are ideas from simple to very complex. Take a look at the many sites on the internet today and you can even order specialty paper to makethem out of.

Once you have the date set the next thing to do when it comes to hosting a baby shower is to pick a theme and make the invitations. You will want something unique, especially the wording. Make sure you include the specifics though. The date, time, place of the party etc. There are many themes to pick from that you can use for the invitation only or carry through all the way to the party itself. Some cute unisex ideas are pandas, monkeys, bumble bees, baby footprints, any of the classic baby Disney or Looney Toon characters (or groups of them).

Popular and cute ideas for girls include ladybugs, flowers and polka dots. For boys you can try elephants, boats, football or baseball, and camouflage (especially cute if one parent is in the military). If you’re planning a couples shower you can go with any pair theme…such as Mickey and Minnie mouse or, Donald and Daisy duck. You could also personalize a couple’s shower even more by using pictures of the parents-to-be.

After the decision on the outside of the invitations, you have to consider the baby shower invitation wording. There are several things you have to make sure you include in your wording for the invitation. These are a cute verse or poem, the expectant mothers (or both parents) name, the date of the shower, the time of the shower and the location of the shower. Make sure to include the street address of the place you are hosting int. Include a name and phone number for guests to R.S.V.P to, and list all the baby registries that the expectant mother has joined. Also, make sure to include any special instructions you want the guests to know. This can include things such as a picture of themselves for a scrapbook or one of the expectant mother and themselves for use in a scrapbook. Also, make sure to include any specific instructions that may apply. such as certain items to bring for a wishing well or to put on a diaper cake.

There are many websites to get wording for your invitations from also. For example you could write your own (or use one you find on the website) along with the above information. You could also use something as simple as “Please join us for a baby shower honoring….” Just be sure to include the baby’s sex if you know it. This can be done in a number of cute ways and incorporated into the many poems available.

Spend a little time, do a little research and your guaranteed to come up a unique invitation. One as unique as you are and as unique as the mother-to-be-is.

Baby Shower Centerpieces are a good way of telling the new mom and her little bundle of joy “Welcome Home”. Baby shower centerpieces are decorative items placed in the center of a serving table (or tables) at a baby shower event. Expectant mothers are gifted with baby shower centerpieces as a custom. The only thing you need to make sure of, is that the centerpiece does not obstruct the view of people on either side and hence should be low enough, especially if it is a formal dining table style.

Centerpieces can be created from any item such as balloons, flowers, baby toys, stuffed animals and the list goes on. Eye-catching centerpieces don’t need to be expensive. The baby shower centerpieces can be in appropriate colors like pink for girls and blue for boys, though neither is this mandatory nor should it be a limiting factor. There are various ideas of making a centerpiece. The most traditional ones are floral arrangements. Different types and colors of flowers arranged in vases or even unique containers like baby bottles can be attractive. The table size and the size of the flower arrangement should be appropriate, not overwhelming to the guests. Readymade arrangements ordered from the florist may be expensive but are easy going on the new mother as it will save a lot of time. Another simple idea would be to have different shaped balloons tied together and weighed down with a heavy item in the center of the table. However the thread should be long enough so that it does not block conversations. A clear fish bowl filled with colorful marbles, bits of colorful paper and decorated with satin ribbon can do the trick.

Planning baby shower centerpieces can be a creative time too. Edible centerpieces like cakes or artistically cut fruits and vegetables can lend one’s personal touch to the gift. Cakes shaped and colored differently to pull in the whole décor or fruit carvings like a watermelon shaped like a bassinet and filled with fresh fruits or nuts can be placed alongside the food. An extravagant idea would be a chocolate fountain which guests can use to dip fruits or other sweets.

There are contemporary ideas of baby shower centerpieces too such as a bowl of water with floating rubber ducks, empty baby food jars decorated with ribbons and sequins with a votive candle placed inside or even a wreath style decoration using baby toys or teething rings and pacifiers. One centerpiece that will keep guests talking about for a long time is the diaper cake made from disposable diapers or cloth, embellished with ribbons and the like.

Although the name does suggest, baby shower centerpieces need not necessarily be placed in the table center especially if the mother receives many of these as gifts. Arrange the gifts in a stroller or a cradle beautifully and keep it nearby. Clothesline hanging in the room can also serve as pinups for the gifts. Such baby shower centerpieces are not only aesthetically beautiful but also practical.

Organizing a baby shower for a friend is both a lot of fun and a lot of responsibility. It’s helpful to have a collection of simple baby shower ideas to get the planning process off to a successful start.

One of the most important ingredients in creating a fun baby shower is finding the right cake. When choosing a cake it’s best to consider the tastes of the mother-to-be. For instance, if she’s a chocolate lover a layer cake with a rich chocolate frosting would work nicely. A fun option for a baby due in October is a cake decorated with a light-hearted Halloween theme. If your guest of honor prefers homemade pie, find a traditional pie recipe and put your culinary skills to work.

A delicious gathering of refreshments is also a significant part of a successful baby shower. Once again, think about the types of foods that the mother-to-be enjoys. A selection of finger foods is one idea. Finger foods range from potato chips to miniature homemade cucumber sandwiches. If the expectant mother likes picnic fare, offer baked beans, potato salad, hot dogs, and coleslaw. A mixture of vegetables and fruits will also add color to your refreshment table.

Any party organizer knows it is helpful to establish a theme for a baby shower. For example, if the baby shower has a football theme, the cake, the decorations, the invitations, and even the games will all carry that motif. In fact, figuring out the theme of a baby shower is one of the most creative elements in the process. Depending on the personality of the mother-to-be, a baby shower theme might reflect her interest in a particular movie, band, sports team, book, hobby, or holiday. Once the baby shower’s theme is set, an organizer’s imagination can take over.

Music is an entertaining addition to the atmosphere of any baby shower. A CD of lullabies is a popular choice for background music. If the expectant mother has a beloved collection of songs she listens to, try playing that during the shower. If the baby shower has a Halloween theme, find a CD of silly or spooky haunted house sound effects to play. A gathering of sappy love songs would be perfect for a baby shower with a Valentine’s Day theme. Make it a point to choose music that somehow fits with the theme of the baby shower.

Finally, another baby shower idea is a round of games is a common feature of any baby shower. Bingo, word scrambles, and word find games are all traditional favorites. A collection of games that directly relates to the mother-to-be and her life are especially entertaining. For instance, a trivia game might involve questions about the expectant mother’s interests, pregnancy food cravings, or even how she met her husband. Another game might involve giving the guests one minute to list all of the names she considered for her baby. Baby shower games with a personal touch let the mother-to-be know she is loved and appreciated by her friends.