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Home::Entertainment
Throwing a Baby Shower Your Guests Will Remember
Author : Jennifer Barnett
Are you in charge of planning a baby shower? Do you need a
baby shower theme? Decorations? Favors? This guide
will give you baby shower ideas, whether you are a sister,
friend, or coworker.
Baby Shower Themes
The first and most difficult thing to do when planning a baby
shower is to decide on a theme. After this has been
finalized, much of the rest of the shower will plan itself.
There are several ways to pick a theme.
A baby shower theme can relate to the mother-to-be and what she
needs. It can be a color, a nursery theme, or a specific
type of item. For instance, if the nursery is decorated in
flowers, the theme could be "A Baby's Garden." If it is
decorated in a sports motif, the theme could be the parents'
favorite sports team. All the gifts would then coordinate
with the room. If the nursery is painted with frogs, the
theme could be "Green." This way, the guests can be a
little more creative in their giving. Or the theme could
be "Bedtime," prompting guests to bring pajamas, blankets, and
crib items.
For a second (or third, or fourth) time mother, the theme can be
really creative. For someone who already has almost
everything they need, a theme such as "Reading," in which
everyone brings books for the baby (and maybe for the older
children as well) would be a nice change of pace.
Some people do not like to attend showers for second time
mothers, because they feel that they have already received what
they needed for their first child and are just being
greedy. If you feel this may be the case for your guests
(such as a group of coworkers), throw a baby shower in which the
invitation clearly states not to bring a present. Or spend
some money on a nice gift (for instance, a gift certificate to a
restaurant, spa, or hotel), and ask that guests bring a specific
item (diapers, specific baby food) in exchange for a raffle
ticket. They can even bring as many items as they would
like in exchange for several tickets. That way, people who
wish to be generous can still give the mother-to-be a useful
gift, and no one feels obligated to bring anything. At the
end of the night, raffle off the prize.
Some other theme ideas include: - Look What the Stork
is Bringing - Noah's Ark (good for a shower where the
guys are invited too!) - Alphabet Soup
- Blue is
for Boy
Baby Shower Decorations
The decorations should flow from the theme. A color theme
is the most flexible and inexpensive, although a specific theme
such as "Teddy Bears" will be easy, as you can buy coordinating
tablecloths, plates, and napkins.
Keep the decorations simple. Put a nice tablecloth under
the cake and spread some confetti rattles around it. Tie
some balloons to the buffet or appetizer table. Add some
pastel streamers across the living room, and you're done.
After all, the focus should be on the mother-to-be.
If you are having the shower at work, the decorations can be
even easier. Simply put the cake under a white tablecloth
and add a bouquet of balloons. A lunchtime event is
perfect for the office. Many of the baby shower ideas will
work for any location, indoors or out.
Baby Shower Favors
After the shower, give your guests something to remember it
by. Candle holders in the shape of a baby item, such as a
rattle or booties, are popular and easy to find online or in a
party supply store. Other favor ideas include magnets or
candies in a pretty gift box. Of course, let the favors
flow from the theme. At "Tea Party" themed baby shower,
guests might receive tea cups and saucers. At a "Pamper
Party," an idea increasingly popular for mothers who already
have several children and therefore most of the stuff they
actually need, they might take home spa accessories such as a
loofah or bubble bath.
Baby Shower Schedule
Typically, a baby shower will last approximately two
hours. If a full meal will be served, be sure to indicate
this on the invitation so guests can plan accordingly.
Usually, however, some light appetizers, punch, and cake are all
that is needed. The following is a general idea of a
schedule.
As your guests arrive, serve them some appetizers, and let them
sign a guest book. One idea is to make this an advice
book, allowing each guest to write down one piece of advice they
would give the new mother.
Serve simple appetizers. Two to three dishes is best,
along with some cheese, crackers, chips, dip, and fruit.
Some ideas for munchies that are easy and can be made ahead of
time include:
Deviled Eggs: Add salsa and cheddar for a Mexican twist!
Stuffed Mushrooms
After all your guests have arrived, begin with everyone
introducing themselves. This is especially important if
this is a mixed shower, with coworkers, friends, and
family. Make sure everyone mentions how they know the
mother-to-be.
Next, play one or two games. These will serve as
icebreakers. Some ideas include:
Baby Boggle - See how many baby related words guests can make in
three minutes from a sentence such as "I can't believe
[Mother-To-Be's Name] is going to have a baby!" or something
else silly and fun. Everyone reads their list, crossing
off duplicates, and the person with the most remaining wins.
Baby Box - Place some common baby items (rattle, diaper) in a
box. Cut a small hand-sized hole in the side. Give
each guest 20 seconds to touch as many items as they can (no
peeking!), then have them write down what they felt. The
person with the most correct wins.
Remember, short is good, and have fun!
If there is going to be a full meal, now is the
time. Generally, a buffet is best, as the guests can
eat while the mother-to-be opens her gifts. If there is
not going to be a full meal, give everyone some time to get
another round of appetizers, then have the guest of honor open
her presents.
After the gifts are open, serve the cake. At this point,
the shower is over. Everyone will socialize for as long as
they'd like, and the guests will begin to leave. If the
time is important (i.e. the host has somewhere she needs to be),
be sure to put an end time of the invitations.
Hopefully this gave you enough baby shower ideas to begin
brainstorming. Remember to have fun, and you'll throw a
successful baby shower.
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