Baby showers are something that every expectant mother looks forward to enjoying. It is almost a rite of passage for the new mother, and many begin planning theirs before they are even pregnant. It is much like a wedding for a little girl. Once that little girl gets her dream wedding then it is time to start planning her dream wedding shower. There are many considerations when planning for a party where guests are expected to bring gifts. Since they are coming in support of you and your unborn child (or children), you are expected to provide them with food and entertainment. Of course, most mothers-to-be do not plan their own shower, but they certainly have a hand in it! From the decorations to choosing the baby shower corsage, there are plenty of things for the new mother to participate in.

One of the things to consider is if the new mother is a more traditional gal or loves to mix it up with a bit of spunk. For the traditional mother, a nice wrist corsage made from a white lily and adorned with baby’s breath and baby ivy might be just the ticket for a beautiful corsage. Another idea would be to incorporate the colors of her baby theme and choose a flower based on those colors. A sweet pink rose or a bold blue carnation might work just as well, depending on the sex of the baby, if it is known.

You can order a corsage to be made to taste, or you could make one yourself or for the new mother. Making a corsage is relatively easy and requires very little knowledge or tools. A perfectly simple corsage can be made from a flower, florist wire, ribbon and a pin. You are only limited by your imagination, so go ahead and have fun with it and see what sort of beautiful and tasteful creation you can come up with.

For the mother-to-be with a big personality and who loves to have a good laugh, there are baby shower corsages that are perfect for her. One such corsage is the Mommy-To-Be Baby Shower Corsage brand. These adorable corsages are adorned with a plush baby holding a pacifier and decorated with a ribbon. They measure approximately 5″ tall by 4″ wide. They are available in an array of designs, for both boy and girl babies as well as Caucasian and African American. There is even the “Two Peas in a Pod” corsage for the mother lucky enough to be having twins and the two babies are actual rattles!
The baby shower is a very exciting event for the mother-to-be and should be special in all ways for her. The perfect compliment to any shower is a baby shower corsage. Whether it is handmade or pre-ordered from a florist or company that provides whimsical corsages, be sure to consider the new mom and her personality before purchasing. Search for tips online on how to make a homemade corsage or for local florist that will be able to help.

Making arrangements for a baby shower is not as simple as it once was. You need to plan a memorable event that will have your guests talking about it for a long time. Today, planners of baby showers will develop a theme for the party. This may be based on whether it is for a new baby girl or boy. If the expecting parents do not know the sex of their baby, a general theme may be developed. The theme may also center on how the new parents will be decorating the nursery.

Numerous components go into planning for the shower. Decorations need to be considered and party favors have to be purchased or made. Many shower planners will also need to decide if they will have some sort of games, and if so, to make sure to have some really great for prizes to give out. However, one of the most important things is the location of the event.

This has a huge impact on the food that will be served. If you choose to select restaurant that has a party room, you may be limited to what is on their menu. Some people will choose to have their event at a banquet facility, which may be able to give a few more options with regard to food. There are those that will hold the shower in the comfort of their own home. This will allow you to select just about whatever menu you are interested in.

A baby shower food menu should be based on foods that will be enjoyed by as many people as possible. You should always consider what the expectant mother enjoys, since she is the guest of honor. You should also decide if you are interested in a buffet or a sit down lunch. Some showers are being held in the late morning in order to enjoy a brunch menu. You should also bear in mind that since this is normally for a group of women, they tend to enjoy lighter foods.

The menu that you select should be well rounded, including interesting salads fresh fruits. A great idea for a buffet would be to have a variety of salad selections, some fresh baked rolls, and of course, a fresh fruit display. If you are planning a shower in the spring or summer, you may want to serve a nice cold refreshing salad. Incorporating chicken is always a safe bet. Most people prefer eating chicken over beef and it is an extremely versatile item to work with.

The centerpiece to a baby shower food menu will be the dessert. Usually, a decorated cake is the desert choice. Many other desserts can be equally as memorable. Having a chocolate fountain is a great idea, and your guests will love it. Individual desserts are also great idea, especially if you are planning a sit down luncheon.

If you need help planning your baby shower food menu, you can look at some of the great ideas that are available on the Internet. You can visit baby shower party planning websites to get some great ideas for your menu. Remember, you will want to create a great party that will be long remembered by the mother-to-be and your guests.

If you are pregnant, there are so many things you have to prepare for and do before the arrival of the baby such as building a nursery and acquiring all the things you will need. One thing that is not necessary but is quite important is a baby shower party. A baby shower is a gathering where friends of family of the mother-to-be bring gifts for her and her baby. You don’t have to have one of these parties but there are many pluses to having one and here are some of them:

1) Having a baby shower party is a great way to acquire some of the items you will need when the baby arrives. Some gifts that are usually received at a shower include diapers, bassinets, toys and car seats.

2) A party is a great way to get you and your friends under the same roof again to have a good time. It also gets you out of the house!

3) Having a shower is a great way to others who you have not seen in a long time and to meet new people. You never know who will show up with one of your guests. Maybe they have young children or are expecting also.

4) You will pick up on great tips and advice from other mothers at the shower to prepare you for when your baby arrives.

Usually it is a family member or close friend who will organize and put the bay shower party on for you but of course, you can have some say in it too! Typically, friends and family of the mother-to-be are invited to the shower which is usually held in a hall but can also be held at a home depending on how many people are invited and are anticipated to show up. Guests are sometimes asked to bring a plate of food with them along with their gift. Sandwiches, pasta salads, vegetable salads and sweets are the most popular items to bring and they are foods that everyone likes! Sometimes, alcohol is served but it is best to keep everyone sober.

Remember, the guest of honor is not able have a drink, so it is a good idea if everyone stays in a decently sober mood for her sake! Once everyone arrives and takes a seat somewhere, the festivities begin. Games such as bingo and other popular favorites are played. It is a good idea to keep the games suitable for everyone as there are usually people of all ages present a baby showers. Throughout the duration of the party, music will be played, food will be served and gifts will be opened. Sometimes, some people who are close to the mother-to-be will make a speech. Nevertheless, this is a party for you and your baby so enjoy it, be thankful and have a great time. Mingle with those who are close to you, take the time to meet any new people who are there and spend some time with the ones whom you do not see often.

There are many baby shower party ideas that can make it fun. It is a celebration and it is meant to be fun. Playing games at the shower can not only be fun but memorable as well. To make sure the games are fun, they should be properly planned. Before playing any games, it is a good idea to have an ice breaker game if there are a lot of people that do not know each other. One way is to go around the room and have people introduce themselves on how they know the soon to be mommy.

One fun game is guess mom’s belly size. Have each guest take a piece of yarn and cut it at the length they think the belly is all the way around. When everyone cuts their yarn, compare the strings to the actual belly. Give a prize to the person who is the closest.

Another fun game is to never say baby the entire day. Make a necklace with yarn and baby safety pins attached to it. Give each person a necklace as they walk into the shower. Each of the guests should wear the necklace the entire baby shower, as this game will last the entire time. The rules for this game are explained as guests walk into the shower. When the word baby is said, anyone who calls it out gets a pin from the other person who said the word. Before guests leave, pin will be counted, and the person with the most pins wins.

An easy and fun game is to make a centerpiece full of baby safety pins and have each person guess how many pins are in the jar. That person wins the centerpiece.

Baby Bingo is also a classic and fun game for everyone. The bingo cards need to be made ahead of time. Make bingo cards with the numbers one through 15 on them. When the mommy to be opens a gift, she reads off the number that has been attached to it. Eventually someone will yell bingo and win a prize.

One last game that really involves everyone personally is to play a game in which people guess baby pictures. Ask everyone on the invitation to bring a picture to the baby shower. As guest walk in, put them on a collage. When there is time, have everyone fill out who they think is who. Whoever guesses the most right wins!

These are just some baby shower party ideas. It would be too much to do all of them, but a few are some great ice breakers and fun to get the rest of the people involved. Even though this day is about the mom to be, guests should still be involved and have fun with each other and win some prizes. Prizes can be simple things like a body of lotion from a nice store, a $10 gift card to a popular restaurant, or make the centerpiece of the table a prize for one of the games as well. This is a great way to say thank you to all guests for coming!

Baby shower games are an excellent way to break the ice and help people interact with one another. This is especially important if many of the people at the shower don’t already know one another. Using games as ice breakers can really liven up the baby shower. There are a number of simple, easy to set up games that work well to get people talking and laughing with each other. Listed below are some examples of baby shower games that don’t take a lot of time to organize or play, but work very well to get people talking together.

Singing To My Baby: To play the basic game just pass out pens and paper to all the guests. Give everyone five minutes to write down all of the songs that have the word “baby” in the title. The person with the most songs is the winner. You can also give the prize to whoever has the most unique song titles. Each person reads off their song titles and anyone else who has the same songs on their lists scratches them off. This version of the game is longer and gets people talking, so it works well as an ice breaker when you have a lot of guests who don’t know each other.

Pin the Baby on Mommy’s Tummy: This works like Pin the Tale on the Donkey. You will need a large, poster sized picture or drawing of a woman. Make small cutouts of baby shapes and give one to each of the guests. Have them write their names on the cutouts. Each person will attempt to place their baby on the mommy’s tummy while blindfolded. The person who gets closest to the tummy wins. This game can also be played as Pin the Diaper on Daddy. Use a picture of a man and cutouts of diapers. Whoever get the diaper closest to daddy’s hand wins the game.

Your Timing is Perfect: If you need a game of pure chance, this works well. All you need is a timer and some inexpensive prizes. As the mother-to-be is opening her gifts, set the timer for a random time – five to seven minutes works well. The winner is the person whose gift is being opened when the timer goes off.

Baby Charades: This is just like classic charades but all of the songs, books or movies being guessed have the word baby in the title.

Baby Word Scramble: Think of some words that have to do with baby. Use some shorter words and some longer words. Scramble the letters in each word. Give each guest a copy of the list and ask them to unscramble the letters. The first person to unscramble all the words correctly wins the prize.

Baby Alphabet: Write the alphabet vertically on a piece of paper. Give a copy to each of the participants. Set a time for two to five minutes and have everyone write down one baby related word for each letter of the alphabet. At the end of the game, whoever has the most words is the winner.

For those planning a baby shower for a friend, one of the more difficult aspects of planning is in choosing and sending the baby shower invitations. Some find that there are too many options in terms of styles and colors and become overwhelmed. Others wonder how to navigate the etiquette concerns that come with drafting and sending formal invitations. When planning your first shower, there are a few things that one should remember that will make the creating and sending the baby shower invitations far easier.

Choose the shower theme first, and find invitations that highlight this theme. There is no need to get too involved in complicated shower themes. Some showers are patterned after high tea services, while others are more informal get togethers. Make sure that the invitations reflect the mood of the party. If it will be an informal occasion, do not send out ornate engraved invitations. For more formal afternoon parties that will require a certain mode of dress, choose invitations in a more formal style to convey that to the guests. Planners should also include any notes on dress code at the bottom of the invitation. This will make it easier for attendees to plan for their appearance.

Showers are not thrown by the mother to be, nor are they generally thrown by a member of her family. Traditionally, baby showers are meant to be thrown by friends of the expectant mother and not someone to whom she is related. If upholding this tradition is important to you, find a friend who is willing to take on the responsibility of sending and addressing the invitations, as well as updating the guest list. Some people do find this tradition a bit antiquated, but sticking to it does not mean that the soon to be mother cannot be a part of the planning process.

Give guests plenty of time to respond. There is no need to send invitations out a few months early, but many guest appreciate being given at least a month to clear their calendars and make arrangements for their attendance. When addressing the invitations, make sure that you are including the name of everyone within the household who will be invited. This can avoid the confusion that comes with not knowing if it is an adults only occasion or one that will include children. It can also be the best way to get a true idea of the number of people who will be in attendance.

Do not email the invitations. While more and more people are using email as their primary means of communication, mailed baby shower invitations should still be sent if at all possible. There is no need to go to great expense to have invitations printed. There are now software programs that enable the printing of professional looking invitations from home, as well as many low cost template invitations that can be personalized by hand. Mailing invitations is a lovely touch that is always appreciated, and makes any occasion feel that much more special.

Baby showers are some of the most important life milestones. They are something an expectant couple or a mommy-to-be will always remember. The host of the shower has a big responsibility to make it not only festive and enjoyable for the guests, but also to make it memorable for the new parents. Though usually a theme is decided on between the host and the parents to be, the host is the one to decide on the baby shower favors. And that is certainly one of the fun parts!

Favors can be looked at in a couple of different ways. Some hosts decide to have every guest leave with a party favor, just like a child’s party goodie bag. Others save the favors for the winners of the baby shower games. It is up to the host how this will be done. Some will depend on budget, of course, two or three gifts will be much less expensive than twenty five or thirty. It will also depend on the amount of guests coming. If a favor will be given to each guest, a more expensive gift can be given to ten or twelve guests, but the favor price will have to much more limited if the party will consist of thirty or even fifty guests, as some showers do.

Once the amount of baby shower favors has been determined, the next step is deciding what they will be. Depending on the theme, baby shower favors can go in all different directions. Of course, there are traditional favors for traditional parties. For instance, if the theme is a simple but classic color theme of pink or blue, the baby shower favor can be something of these colors, usually something classic as well. A nice idea for a pink shower is a small bouquet of baby pink roses, perhaps in a baby shoe or baby buggy container. For blue, a nice baby shower favor could be a small blue candle or keepsake box, even a blue hand towel would be nice.

With more nontraditional themes, a host can be more imaginative with her favors. For instance, if the baby shower is a mother child shower where the big sibling-to-be is invited, and other children will be there, too, the favor can be a small teddy bear, book, blocks or other toy for the children. Some other fun shower themes are “around the clock” or “baby’s meals” and with these themes, the host can use favors like jars of baby food (which make cute centerpieces, too) or clock shaped personalized cookies. Some other ideas for baby shower favors to go with party games could be things like a pretty kitchen item for a baby food tasting game, or for the name suggestion game, a label maker would be a fun baby shower favor.

Some other pretty and affordable baby shower favors for everyone at the party could be a delicately wrapped custom cookie, small bags of pink and white or blue and white (or yellow, pink, blue for the unknown) M&M’s or other colored candies wrapped nicely or else the candies could be put in baby theme shaped containers, like bottles, pacifiers or shoes.

One of the most memorable parts of any shower is the cake. Baby shower cakes can be as elaborate as the planners wish, and can be anything from a minimal sheet cake to a large, uniquely shaped design. Before ordering a cake, it is important to get an idea of the number of guests who will be attending the shower. If you know the mother to be well, try to find a cake flavor that suits her taste. For those who are planning a theme shower, a cake that will match the decor makes a beautiful centerpiece for the gift table or dining area.

The number of guests that you are expecting will, to some degree, influence the type and style of cake that will be best for the shower. Smaller, intimate showers may not need a large intricately decorated cake. Instead, for showers that will be attended by 20 or fewer people, consider ordering or making a cupcake cake. These artfully arranged cupcakes will eliminate the need to slice the baby shower cake and can be arranged to resemble one large, multi-tiered confectionary. Great decorating ideas for cupcakes include storks, floral designs, or pacifiers. These embellishments can be small and plastic, or created with colored icing.

When planning a large shower, a sheet cake is still the best choice. The flat, rectangular shape of these cakes makes them the perfect foil for decorating. Flowered edging with scripted messages of congratulations are still a party favorite, as they can be personalized easily and ordered almost anywhere. However, more and more people are custom ordering cakes that are in the shape of baby related items, such as a basinet. Popular cake decorating shows have showcased the many possibilities in terms of cake decoration, and many local bakers are capable of making cakes in any shape that you can imagine. Be sure that you allow plenty of time for the baker to design and execute your wishes, and talk to them early on about your expectations and the number of people that the cake should feed.

The last thing that many planners consider is the flavor of the cake. Remember that no matter how beautiful the cake is, it must taste good. Do not be afraid to try something a little different. While white and yellow cakes are delicious and popular, red velvet or German chocolate cakes are a decadent treat. Most bakers will allow customers to choose both the flavor of the cake as well as a complementing icing flavor. Before you experiment too much, make sure that you taste your options before committing. Those who are ordering big cakes may even be able to order a few flavors that will be combined into one big cake.

Ordering baby shower cakes can be fun, and is a great way to showcase the creativity of the party planner. A great cake can make any shower stand out, and will make the soon to be parent feel special and well loved. Whether you will be ordering a cake, or making it yourself, a unique cake is a stylish choice.

The first thing that one should do when organizing a baby shower party is to visualize which baby shower decorations they ought to use. This would dictate the type of atmosphere or theme that your party would have. And with this, you could orchestrate everything else accordingly.

Here are some important baby shower decorations that you should add in your shopping list. While you do not have to buy all of them, you may select three to five key items that would suit your budget and preference.

1. Room decorations

While you probably would not have any time anymore to repaint the room, you could add a splash of color through the curtains, wallpaper, banners, streamers, balloons and a lot more to create the ambiance that you want.

2. Table cloth and napkins

This would show your theme’s colors and prints. It is one of the most important part of the decoration because this is where your guests would be at during the party.

3. Centerpiece

This is like the symbol of your party and sets its general theme. You can choose from a grand centerpiece or smaller cute ones at the center of each table.

4. Dinnerware

This includes plates, spoon and forks, serving trays, juice bowls etc. You have the option of matching the table cloth or you just keep it plain and simple contrasting the rest of your decors.

5. Gift Table

To encourage guests to keep the presents coming, you may place a table where they would have to leave their presents. You may prepare a huge basket for them to place their presents in.

6. Food

Who says the food cannot be a part of the decorations too? Your cake, and desserts could be made into the color matching the rest of your theme.

You may even have colored drinks just for fun.

7. Give Away

Normally, the host gives away some small item or toy to thank the guests for celebrating that special moment with her. It could be your souvenir for them and everyone would surely remember your baby party.

8. Invitations

Your theme should be presented first and foremost in your invitations in order to arise excitement from your friends or relatives.

9. Balloons

What is a baby shower without balloons? Children love them, and it is also a good way to remind the guests of the name of your baby as they may be too shy to ask the host.

10. Furniture and Accessories

These are merely items that you may already have in your house that would complete the theme. For example for a baby prom style theme, then perhaps you could have little hearts floating in the air, tied by strings.

Or you can have a nice pink crib at the center of the room where the guests can pour their presents in. You do not have to buy all these things new, sometimes you could match existing party decorations that you already have simply by adding finishing touches like same colored ribbons on them, or covering them up, with a colored paper plate. Baby equipment is also another source of cute and modern baby shower decorations.

There’s so much choice when picking a baby shower gift that the problem is trying to decide what to go for! Baby showers are great fun, a last chance for the expectant mum to get together with all her friends before the baby arrives. Some mothers-to-be will enclose a gift list in the baby shower invitation which makes shopping for a gift incredibly easy, but if that is not the case, here are some ideas to help you get that special present…

A gift card or voucher for a baby store is an option, perhaps if you don’t know the mum very well or just want to leave the choice of gift to her. If she doesn’t already know the sex of the baby, a gift card means that after the baby arrives mum can go shopping for clothes or bedding in pink or blue!

Toys are of course popular baby shower gifts and the choice is endless. From enormous cuddly teddy bears to traditional wooden building blocks or a set of baby books, it’s a fun gift idea, and lovely for the baby to come home from the hospital to a nursery filled with goodies.

For a more personal gift, a silver photograph frame, money box or spoon is a thoughtful gift which can also be engraved at a later stage with the baby’s name, date of birth and weight. Other personalized gift options are towels and blankets which can be embroidered after the birth.

If you want to buy a practical gift, there is no end to the bits and pieces needed for a newborn baby! A baby bath, changing mat, changing bag, baby monitor are just a few necessities – not to mention an endless supply of nappies, baby shampoo, baby powder, cotton wool, etc. A great idea for a gift is to buy a large wicker basket and then fill it with a selection of these supplies – they will most definitely be used! A novel gift is a “nappy cake” – a cake shaped parcel, filled with items such as baby booties, hats, bibs and a baby manicure set, wrapped in cellophane and decorated with ribbons.

It’s a good idea to speak to other baby shower guests before the party to make sure you don’t duplicate someone else’s gift – you don’t want your host to end up with four changing mats! Make sure you ask for a gift receipt just in case so that the item can easily be exchanged.

Perhaps a few of you want to put your money together to buy a more expensive gift. This could be anything from a nursing chair to a stroller to a digital camera for those all important baby snaps.

You might want to buy something for the mum-to-be to use herself. After going through pregnancy and childbirth some lovely pampering products will really be appreciated and there are lots of ranges which now specialize in body lotions, bath oils and creams with new mums in mind. The new baby will receive so many gifts, it will be nice for mum to get something just for her!