Aimed at further boosting the parents-to-be's excitement for the future member of their family, the baby shower is usually hosted by a close friend or relative, at any time during the last months of the pregnancy.
Just like any other party, a baby shower requires careful planning to ensure that it will go as smoothly as possible, and be memorable for everyone. Although there are no rules cast in stone in preparing for a baby shower, there are some helpful tips to follow to help the host organize every aspect of the event.
1) Decide on the location.
Most baby showers are held at the parent-to-be's house, since the expectant mother's health needs to be considered. It is recommended for small, intimate parties, with only the closest friends and family members. Guests also tend to be more comfortable if the party's setting is at home.
If the expectant parents love the outdoors, a barbecue party at their garden, or a local park may also be an option. Naturally, the weather must be considered – baby shower does not literally mean soaking the guests in the rain.
For less complications, the host may reserve a secluded area in a restaurant or bar. It may be more costly, but at least the decoration, food and drinks, as well as the post-party cleanup will already be taken care of.
Since the party will also be a celebration of the future baby, a childish atmosphere may also be considered. Choose cartoon characters, bright colors, and other designs depending on the baby's gender.
3) Finalize the menu.
The party's menu will depend upon the time of the event. In most baby showers, the host serves finger food, pastries and other baked goods for convenience. However, if the event will be held during lunch or dinner time, heavier meals will naturally be served. Alcoholic drinks may also be prepared, depending on the guests' preference.
4) Design a fun program.
Contrary to what most people believe, a baby shower is not only limited to mingling around, gift giving, eating and drinking. Fun games may also be included, such as charades, or those which will bring back the guests' childhood memories. Remember that the main point is to make sure everyone will have a good time, and various games will surely liven up the event.
5) Create the guest list and send out invitations.
Prepare a list of the expectant parents' closest friends and family members. Make sure to seek their approval before sending out invitations, to avoid any embarrassing mistakes later. Bear in mind that it's the parents' event, and not the host's, so their choice of people should matter the most.
Ready-made baby shower invitations are readily available in gift shops and craft stores. However, homemade invitations may also be used to provide the host's personal touch.
Send out invitations out two to four weeks before the party to give time for the guests to fix their schedule. Baby shower invitations follow the same format as any other invitation — it indicates the date, time, place, attire preferred, gift registry, if any, the host's contact numbers for RSVP. Just to be organized, prepare a final list of attendees a few days before the baby shower.
Baby Shower Ideas For A Boy
Easy, easy.
Everything on this planet can be done in a very simple way - So are your baby showers.
You don't have to be Martha Stewart to host a Shower.
However, if you're pulling your hair out as how to turn your baby shower into a really special and exciting celebration for the soon-to-be-parents, follow my 3 golden tips below.
You will soon find out that planning a baby shower is just a snap and full of fun.
Golden Tip 1: Let Your Imagination Flow
Do you have the desire for something a little more elaborate and unique? If the answer is yes, you may need a few baby shower ideas' triggers.
I can't imagine a baby shower without energy and creativities. If, for any reason, you are not able to come up with any creative ideas, I would suggest you to think out the box.
My suggestion is that don't keep your imagination only stay with the topic of baby shower. Think big and thing something could create a special time that will live in everyone's memories for years to come.
I'm not saying that you should turn your Shower into a cover story on the next issue of Parenting or American Baby. If you can, congratulations!
But for many of our people, we're all surrounded by all kinds of free information about love, family, and generations on TV, magazines, newspaper, and outdoor advertisements. Speak them with your friends and families, and see if they can come up with some special baby shower ideas.
For example, you can have a celebration of the entire family and their heritage especially with the soon-to-be-grandparents. You can even be creative to include some of your close friends in your guest list, and play games include friends sharing trivia about their own families, like famous relatives, traditions, or a funny family story.
Golden Tip 2: Learn from Other Party Experiences.
As someone once said, "The best way to have a great idea is to have a lot of good ideas." It works the same way to find unique baby shower ideas.
Lots of baby shower hostesses don't realize that the most creative baby shower ideas lie somewhere deep in their mind. They just don't know it.
I mean, we've all spent hours coming up with birthday parties, family reunions, weddings, and even holidays like Halloween and Christmas. Once the party is over, however, all that energy and all those ideas usually just dwindle away.
Think about this: If you can get out the party photos somehow find their way into a forgotten folder on your computer's hard drive or hidden inside a photo album somewhere, you can simply put an end to all the wasting of your time.
Golden Tip 3: If You Can, Throw A Coed Baby Shower and Assign A Male Co-host.
Not only celebrities in L.A tend to ahead of the curve when it come to trends, a famous baby site also reports that nearly half of baby showers now are coed parties.
Especially with busy soon-to-be-Moms, like business owner, company executives, and celebrities, there is often a Mr. Mom at home who expects to fully participate in the baby shower. And of course, their male buddies.
Beside, dad-to-be plays a very big role during the pregnancy and in the new baby's life, why should you get the new mom to celebrate on her own?
Of course, hosting a coed baby shower is more than just putting the male guests on the inviting list. Some shower hostesses even worry that guys would not attend such a party where participants play games such as Round-the-Tummy.
If you could not stand the thought of seeing their bored unhappy faces, my suggestion is to ask one of them to give you a hand.
In fact, the male co-host can provide big help from choosing the stylish color invitation, to picking up the dad-friendly baby shower ideas and games, and guiding the men to check gift registry as they often don't know what to buy for the baby-to-come.
The best co-host candidate: the soon-to-be-grandpa or any male guest who has the experiences of baby shower or the pregnancy process.
Both Jennifer Adair & Qing Gu are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jennifer Adair has sinced written about articles on various topics from Baby Shower, Dating and Romance and Baby Shower. Visit http://www.babyshowerguidebook.com/ today and download your free report on baby showers and get some great. Jennifer Adair's top article generates over 33100 views. Bookmark Jennifer Adair to your Favourites.
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