Homeliving in Style

If you are planning a baby shower, then one of the very first things that you should do is to decide upon your theme. The baby shower themes you choose will dictate the type of cake you purchase, the decorations, the games and the party favors. Herein you should take into account whether the mother-to-be is having a boy or a girl, as well as what her likes and dislikes are, before you make your final decision.

Hollywood Mommies for Your Baby Shower Themes

This is a fun theme. You can be very creative with this baby shower themes and even request that your guests dress a little Hollywood. For instance, you could have your guests wear fancy hats and dark sunglasses. For decorations you could include pictures of famous people with their children. Most party stores will have plates, cups, streamers and other decorations that will follow along perfectly with a Hollywood baby shower themes. You could then have a cake made that depicts a Hollywood mom or the Hollywood hills to complete the look.

Other Baby Shower Themes: Rubber Duckies

This is one of the other cute baby shower themes. For an adorable centerpiece, you could simply float a rubber ducky in a glass container that is filled with crystals and a dash of blue food coloring. You can then use orange or yellow colored plates. Some great food choices here are cheese and crackers, crab cakes, croissant sandwiches, cupcakes with rubber ducky s on them, brownies and cookies. Then serve blue punch with a ducky in the bowl.

For the gift table you could fill a baby bath with ducky themed gifts. These could include everything from burp cloths to ducky themed clothes and baby items that can be found at just about any baby store. Then for a party favor, give out ducky shaped soaps.

Baby Shower Themes for Girls: The Tea Party

Tea Party baby shower themes are great for mothers who are expecting to have daughters. Simply decorate with different shades of pink, serve finger sandwiches, lots of confections, many varieties of tea and a cake with a teapot on it. A great party favor is a tiny teapot with flowers in it.

There are many different baby shower themes that you can use for a baby shower. Another one is the Bear Necessities theme wherein you have the guests bring the mother-to-be all of the items that she will need when her baby is born. However, using your creativity for those little touches will go a long way towards making a memorable baby shower for the mother-to-be and all of her guests.

As if there was not enough money being spent on everything else, you also have to remember to get baby shower thank you cards so that you will not be rushing around at the last minute and spending more time then you need to. For some reason, baby shower thank you cards are often one of the things that are forgotten from being put on the list of things to get. However, remembering to thank your guests is extremely important. The style of the cards you give out should depend on the style of the baby shower that was held.

You can purchase plain or fancy baby shower thank you cards at a lot of department stores and at almost every single party store and they can range in price. Of course, the more you want it to look fancy, the more money it is going to cost you but that is a budget decision only you can make. For those who are extremely strapped, or that just do not see the need in spending $50 on baby shower thank you cards, you can always make your own off of the computer as those always give a more personal touch.

What To Say

Of course a lot of the baby shower thank you cards that you purchase will already have the words thank you on the front but you want to make sure that you do more then just saying thanks for coming and sign your name. It would be nice to give a little bit of a personal touch to each card and it should be personalized for each guest. Maybe by planning ahead you can have your hostess write done who got you what that way you can make reference to their lovely gifts in the baby shower thank you cards.

Explaining how it was a joy having them there with you to share in this experience is more then a blessing is something that a lot of people say. There are actually books you can purchase or sites that have free information on polite things to say inside baby shower thank you cards. This will make sure that your cards note is not only appropriate but also something that they will remember for a long time. Remember, treat people how you want to be treated and you will have those friends forever. Your friends went to a lot of trouble buying you and your baby gifts, so make sure you put in a lot of effort too when signing your cards.

Once a woman finds out she is pregnant, there is a lot of stuff that she begins to plan in order to be as prepared as possible for when the baby comes. The mother-to-be will generally begin to get a nursery ready and stock up on everything that is needed. She will also begin buying some clothes for the new baby. But one thing a mother-to-be generally does not have to worry about is stocking up on baby shower supplies as this is generally the responsibility of the best friend.

It is the friend of the mother who is to plan, arrange, invite guests, organize, and buy the baby shower supplies. While that may seem to be a lot for one person to have to handle on their own, most women see it as an honor to host a baby shower so they have no problem going out and purchasing all of the baby shower supplies. And if the host plans far enough ahead she can catch some great deals on baby shower supplies from many different stores and save herself a lot of money.

What to Buy

The list of what to buy for baby shower supplies will generally vary depending on the type of baby shower being held and where it is taking place. There is a big difference between a home setting and a fine hall that was rented for the occasion. The hall would need some extra baby shower supplies in order to spruce it up enough to pass for a baby shower location. It is not that it can not be done as it certainly can be with the right budget and if there are a lot of people expected to come to the party then renting a hall may be the only option.

Make sure there are food, drinks, and everything that you would need with those such as cups and plates. Also, check into different games that could be played at the party, as that is often a fun tradition that many people look forward to no matter how silly the games may seem. You generally just want to get the baby shower supplies that will make the event run smoothly and make the mother e feel like a queen, even if it is just for the day. Also be sure to pick up things to do for a backup plan in case the planned games fall through. If you plan hard enough, you can certainly get all of the baby shower supplies that you need without forgetting a thing.

Planning a baby shower allows you to be fun, whimsical, and creative. You can choose a theme that reflects your own personality, and find items that will ensure everyone has a great and memorable time.

The first impression your guests will get of your baby shower is when you send the invitations. From the invitations to the guest book to the thank you cards, there is baby shower stationary to match any theme and any tastes.

Baby shower stationary can be plain and conventional, funny and whimsical, or sweet and charming. No matter what type of baby shower stationary you have in mind, it’s easy to find a theme that will match your vision of what your baby shower will be like.

What is Baby Shower Stationary, Exactly?

Baby shower stationary refers to any of the paper products that you’ll be using in association with your baby shower. This usually includes invitations, thank you cards, and birth announcement cards. It can also include the guest book that your guests sign at the shower, and may even be stretched to include the napkins and paper plates you’ll use at the party.

You can buy all of these baby shower stationary pieces, or you can buy just what you feel you need. Invitations and thank you notes are considered the bare minimum baby shower stationary supplies.

Shop with Your Tastes in Mind

Although it can be tempting to buy the first or the cheapest baby shower stationary you find, you will probably be happier if you shop around and find exactly what you want. Whether you love zoo animals or nursery rhymes, you can find baby shower stationary that fits your tastes. It may take a little more legwork to find exactly the right set, but it will be worth it.

A good place to look is at online stationary stores. Many stores usually stock a wide variety of themes and can easily obtain special items for you if you can’t find what you want. If you have already decided on a theme for your shower, then it should be easy to find stationary to go along with that theme. There are plenty of variations on each theme, and these can be used to your advantage to find unique baby shower stationary items.

Baby shower stationary can be as conventional or as unique as you want it to be. You should have no problem finding a theme and style that fits your personality as well as the theme of your baby shower.

Whether you are having your first baby or your fifth, there are some items that you will need to get your home and your life ready for the new little person who will be joining your family. Traditionally, friends and family provide some of these items as baby shower gifts.

How do your baby shower guests know what you need and want for your baby? A baby shower registry is the best way to let them know which baby items you don’t have yet and would love to receive as gifts.

A baby shower registry can take many forms. Most retail stores offer their own shower registry service, or you can make one online for one store or many stores.

In Store Scanner

If you choose to do an in-store baby shower registry, you will likely be given a small scanner that allows you to go through the store and scan the barcodes of the items you would like to add to your registry. When you are done, the items are loaded onto a list on a special computer system.

Your baby shower registry can then be printed in the store by anyone shopping for gifts for you, and in some cases it can be viewed online. The drawback to this method is that your baby shower registry depends on available stock, both on the day you’re compiling your list and on the day your friends and family shop for you.

Online

An online baby shower registry is a little more flexible in that it’s not restricted so much by physical stock. For a single-site baby shower registry, you set up a registry account which is usually free. You then browse through the site, and when you see an item that you’d like to add, you click a button to add it to your registry.

When your baby shower registry is complete, you can send an email link to your friends and family, telling them how to access the list. They then follow the link to the site you’ve chosen and select items to buy from your list. The items can then be shipped either to you or directly to the buyer. In some cases, they can even be sent to the store for in-store pickup.

Multi-Vendor

A multi-site baby shower registry is the most flexible of these options, but it may be confusing for your less tech-savvy friends and family to navigate. A multi-site registry can be started by signing up with a website that specializes in gift registries. Membership at these sites is usually free; their revenue is made from advertisers who place their products on the sites.

Depending on the registry service you use, you can either shop through many categories on that site or shop at any website you choose. The steps involved in adding items to your baby shower registry vary for different registry services, but it usually involves only a few clicks.

Your personalized link can then be sent to friends and family, and they simply click on the items that they would like to buy for you. If they are coming from several different vendors, it may be confusing or frustrating for some people to buy from multiple sellers.

Whichever option you choose for compiling and distributing your baby shower registry, it’s a great way to let your guests know what you need and avoid duplicate gifts.

When a woman is pregnant, there is a long list on things to do and accomplish that never seems to get shorter and that is why taking a little time out for a baby shower is so important. Coming together for a baby shower allows the friends and family and the mommy and daddy to share their love and excitement for the baby that is soon to arrive. When people think of baby showers they often think of food, presents, a few games, and a bunch of women just sitting around.

But that is not often the case anymore as a lot of baby showers have women and men at them and there does not seem to be a lot of the traditional games being played. Something that has been tried and tested true are baby shower poems as these are a great way to get people involved and to express love. There are many ways the baby shower poems can be done such as having everyone involved or just a certain someone. Either way, it is surely to be a heart-warming moment that no one will want to miss.

Who Writes Them

A lot of times in situations where the baby shower has both female and males attending the mother-to-be will write some baby shower poems and include them in with the thank you notes that she will later give to the guests. These baby shower poems are a great way to express her gratitude for them coming and for the gifts they brought. It is also a great way for the guests to be able to look back and remember that day clearly and fondly for many years to come as all it takes is a little something like that to spark memories of the past and to remember all the fun that took place.

Also, sometimes the husband, or father-to-be, will write baby shower poems and give them to his wife as a token of his love and commitment. And while each of those two ways is wonderful and meaningful, there is another way baby shower poems are used for fun and entertainment. By using baby shower poems like a party game, the mother-to-be has everyone try and write a quick little poem and the first one to bring tears of joy to a few people wins the game and possibly even a prize. And at the end of the day, the mommy will have several very cute and meaningful poems to keep and look back on later down the road.

Just like when you throw birthday parties and weddings and you send your guests home with little treats from the event, you want to do the same with a baby shower. Sending your guests home with baby shower party favors is an excellent and thoughtful way of saying thank you for them spending their day with you and being a part of your baby’s celebration. Depending on the budget and the personality of the mother-to-be, the baby shower party favors can range from small and very sweet items to over the top and a little too expensive.

Remember, baby shower party favors are not just for the women anymore because often times men are coming to these events and they have earned the right to some baby shower party favors too. If this is the case, you want to make sure that everyone is given something they would like so you have two options for the baby shower party favors. You can either find something that is not gender specific and that both men and women would enjoy or you could buy one thing for the women and one thing for the men.

What to Buy

This can be a very difficult decision for a lot of people because even though they may want to treat their friends to something really nice, they may not have a lot of money for baby shower party favors. If that is the case, there is no need to worry, as there are many things that you can do which can have a lot of meaning but stay within a smaller budget. Baby shower party favors do not have to cost a lot and something as simple as a thank you card with a poem in it that was written by the mother-to-be would be inexpensive but also very touching.

If you still want to go a little above and beyond that with your baby shower party favors then you could always buy some candles or candies or something that is baby related for the gifts. If you look at a lot of party stores, either in person or online, you can find a lot of wonderful baby related gifts for baby shower party favors. All in all if you look hard enough and plan well enough in advance, you can pull some pretty nice baby shower party favors together without having to go way above your budget.

It is always an exciting time when someone is getting ready to have a baby, as there is so much to do and so much anticipation of the arrival of the new baby. This is one of the many reasons women throw baby showers and that is to express the joy of the occasion.

While attending a baby shower is all fun and games, literally, the person hosting the event may be under slightly more pressure then just the average guest. And it is because of this extra bit of stress caused by party planning that the mommy to be generally does not do the planning herself.

Along with trying to make sure everyone is happy, the host has to make sure that she purchases everything needed to make the party run smooth. It is best to make a list of things needed such as baby shower paper plates, napkins, decorations, and so on. And once that list is made it is always a good idea to go over it a few times and maybe even have someone else glance at it to make sure you are not forgetting anything. Baby shower paper plates seem to be the thing that is often forgotten resulting in people eating off fine china or standard, boring white paper plates bought at a drug store down the street!

Finding Baby Shower Paper Plates

Just as you can find a lot of shower decorations at your local party store, you can also find a lot of different kinds of baby shower paper plates. These plates can be just a solid color, have a baby theme pattern or even a baby theme shape. Baby shower paper plates are a lot more fun to shop for then anything else because there are so many companies out there getting extremely creative with these that you will be completely amazed.

If you are having trouble finding a local party store then you can always search the Internet as a lot of stores sell such items online. If you have enough time, you can have the baby shower paper plates, along with other things, shipped right to your door. And at least this way you do not have to stand in line and get checked out by someone who really could care less about his or her job or your need for friendly customer service. If you do not have a lot of time left before the party takes off, if you at least have a week then you can pay for express shipping and although it is going to cost more, at least you will have baby shower paper plates that are unique.

The fare you have at your baby shower seems like just a background detail to many of the guests, but any hostess knows that much planning and preparation goes into this aspect of the party. Choosing not to spend much time planning the baby shower menu will not be the cause of any snide comments on the part of the guests, but putting your effort into choosing recipes and meal ideas might just lead to compliments!

Lighter Fare First

Before the main part of the meal, while the other events of the baby shower are going on, it is important to place little snacks throughout the room for the guests. Though these munchies might not seem an essential part of the baby shower menu, the truth is that guests appreciate such gestures. Bowls of honey roasted peanuts, pretzels, candies, mints, and oyster crackers can provide just the right touch.

Finger Food for Thought

When planning the baby shower menu, take into consideration the formality of the event. Will the meal be a big sit down affair, or will it be served buffet style? After making this decision, you can begin to plan out the specifics of the meal.

Most baby shower menus are more informal after all, when you re playing games and doing crafts, who wants to sit down for a fancy meal? In this case, finger foods will play an important role in the meal. You might want to consider making small tea sandwiches, devilled eggs, sticky buns, pigs in a blanket any foods that the guests can easily handle with their hands. Fruit and veggie platters are also a must.

Delectable Desserts to Die For

One of the most anticipated parts of the menu at any baby shower is the dessert. That said, there really is no way to go wrong when planning this part of the meal. It is a good idea to bake cookies, or make a lighter dessert option for those who don t want to indulge too much. However, make sure to also prepare something that screams indulgence a cake, torte, chocolate mousse, or cheesecake would be a popular option.

Some baby showers choose to honor the baby in their menu choices by preparing a type of birthday cake. This can be a great idea to make the mother feel extra special. Have the guests sing Happy Birthday to the baby and allow the future mommy to blow out the candles. It is a special way to celebrate a special occasion.

Free From Restrictions

There are really no limitations to what can be prepared for a baby shower menu. The chef should trust their best judgment chances are that if they think it tastes good, so will everyone else!

A baby shower can be a small private event or a big bash with many guests. The importance of using a baby shower guest book during such an event is simply to keep track of who attended the shower. A baby shower guest book is simply a book where guests usually sign their names and write down their addresses for future reference of the hosts.

When to Have the Guests Sign

It is the usual practice to have the baby shower guest book out in a small receiving table near the entrance of the venue. A receptionist or usher can indicate to the incoming guests that they are to sign the baby shower guest book as they arrive at the baby shower. It will also help if the guests can write down their complete addresses because some hosts send out thank you cards a few days after the event.

Another option to signing when the guests arrive is to pass around the baby shower guest book when it is time to eat. This is actually for stragglers who were late and were not able to sign the guest book upon their arrival or did not notice the baby shower guest book when they arrive due to the large number of guests around it. The only downside to this is that the baby shower guest book might get soiled with the food and might even get lost during the brouhaha of eating. To avoid this, it is best to have someone follow the guest book around and help to pass it from table to table.

What Other Things to Note Down On the Baby Shower Guest Book

As the guests arrive and sign the baby shower guest book, it may be of help to take note on another sheet of paper, what gifts they brought with them if they have one. This will speed up the process of thanking them when you send out the thanks you cards. You might also note down if the guest brought a companion who did not sign the baby shower guest book so as to include that companion in the thank you card.

The design of the baby shower guest book usually corresponds to the theme or motif of the baby shower. This makes it more coordinated to look at. Guest books are usually available where you buy your baby shower invitations. There are a lot of baby shower themes with a coordinating guest book available.