Traditional Baby Shower Etiquette

The first and indispensable rule in a baby shower celebration is that anyone can organize the party except for the couple who are having the baby. Baby showers are meant to be provided by the closest friends and relatives to recognize the new mother and the baby as a blessing in the family.

Second, the baby shower etiquette says that the celebration should be done prior to the birth of the baby. Most appropriately, the shower should take place between the mother’s eighth to ninth month of pregnancy. The protruding belly of the mother is the center of attention during the shower. This is the very reason why baby showers are not done when the mother shows no physical sign of pregnancy. Imagine if a shower would be held at 4 months, then it would disregard the purpose of welcoming a new baby which should be physically evident through the tummy.

Lastly, the baby shower etiquette imparts that women are the only ones to attend the party. During the olden times, only ladies are the expected attendees of the baby shower. They bring gifts intended for the baby and not for the mother.

Contemporary Baby Shower Etiquette

Unlike the traditional methods of celebration, the modern ones which are currently practiced together with the olden ways are more straightforward in manner. They usually consist of ideas which are obviously brought up by a modern mind.

Nowadays, the baby shower etiquette tells us that the couple having the baby can organize the shower provided that they exert only a limited effort. For example, they can contribute on the costs of the party and they can offer to do some preparations such as sending out of invitation cards and food preparation. Baby shower etiquette in the modern world also says that it is possible to have a surprise baby shower celebration; this of course is prepared by the closest friends and family of the couple.

In our present time, the celebration is allowed to commence either before or right after the delivery of the baby. Men are also invited and are allowed to go to these parties. Although it is very much different from the olden ways, the modern one that is practiced today is widely accepted by almost all cultures and races around the world. After all, a baby shower is meant to be a fun get together and not a celebration with so many rules to follow.

Matching Your Theme To Your Decorations

The best way to begin picking out baby shower decorations is to first have a theme in mind. If you are doing a special theme, you might have to look at other decorations besides those specifically for a baby shower. Baby shower decorations can be anything, such as stuffed animals for a zoo or jungle theme. Baby shower decorations can also be sports equipment, like for a sport themed baby shower. The possibilities are really endless. All you need to do is make sure that your ideas are creative. The rest will take care of itself.

Reusing Decorations For Other Occasions

If you have a special theme to your baby shower, it is easy to find baby shower decorations that could be reused for another baby shower, or even reused for another purpose. Take the zoo animal theme, for example. If you buy stuffed animals as baby shower decorations, they can later be used as toys for the baby. If you are throwing a tea party baby shower, you can get flowers and ribbons to decorate with that can easily be used for another purpose.

As long as you buy quality baby shower decorations, they can be used again many times, and probably for different purposes. Reusing baby shower decorations can save you a lot of time and money when it time for the next party to come around.

If you still want to use the same conventional decorations, you can combine them with your themed decorations in order to create a whole new party atmosphere. But because sometimes the conventional decorations are considered too cute or just a little too much, so try to use them sparingly. People know it s a baby shower, so you do not need to have bottles and pacifiers everywhere. Limit your decorations so that the party will still look tasteful.

When you plan a baby shower, you have to plan the guest list, you have to plan the decorating, and you have to plan the centerpiece. It can be difficult to think of a good baby shower centerpiece that will get everyone in the mood for the shower. However, whatever you choose, the mother to be will be so caught up in the moment that she’ll likely love whatever baby shower centerpiece you choose. There are many choices when it comes to baby shower centerpieces but it should at least correspond with the theme of the shower itself.

What’s The Theme?

If you know the sex of the baby, the baby’s name, or you know how the mother and father have decorated the baby’s name, these can all be used as components of the entire theme. The baby shower centerpiece should go along with that theme. For example, if the theme of shower is little cartoon animals, you might have a baby stuffed lion or something as the baby shower centerpiece. This is, of course, just an example, but it’s a good one that illustrates how the baby shower centerpiece can make the entire theme stand out.

Get Some Ideas

If you’re stumped as to what the perfect baby shower centerpiece would be, just look some up online. There are have been previous baby showers that have used very cool baby shower centerpieces and many of these can be seen online. Just use your favorite search engine and you’ll get some great ideas to use for your baby shower centerpiece. Whether you borrow an idea straight from the internet or you use those examples to tailor it to your own needs, that’s the beauty of planning the shower, you get to use complete creative license when it comes to designing the baby shower centerpiece.

Ask For Suggestions

You don’t have to plan the entire shower all by yourself. You’re more than welcome to ask some of the guests who are invited if they have any input as to what baby shower centerpiece you should use. You never know, one guest may know more about the baby, the parents, or the theme of the baby’s room, and that guest would be perfect for suggesting just the right centerpiece. The more input you get the better. If nothing else, they will feed you more ideas that you can use to tailor the perfect centerpiece for the shower.

It’s A Special Occasion

There are many reasons why you should personalize your baby shower cards but the main one is because it’s such a special occasion. Someone is creating a human being. They are bringing a new baby into the world and the baby shower is designed to shower the new mother with the attention she needs, it’s designed to provide much needed gifts such as diapers, baby food, and whatever else the parents may need for the first few months of the baby’s life, and it’s supposed to be a fun experience for all involved. It’s also supposed to be remembered for a long time, and that’s another reason why baby shower cards should be personalized.

Scrap Books

The mother to be typically keeps baby shower cards, pictures and other items in a scrapbook for the child to view when he or she gets older. So if you just pick out a baby shower card from the store and write your name in it, that’s not very good scrap book material. You should personalize your baby shower card so that it can remain predominant in the baby shower scrap book.

It’s A Nice Gesture

Another great reason why you should personalize your baby shower cards, or at least put some effort into them, is that it’s a nice gesture. It’s lazy just to buy a predesigned card and write your name in it. It’s better to put a note in it, make your own on your computer or at least make it personal somehow so that the mother to be and the child can savor it for as long as possible.

Baby Shower Card Ideas

There are more than a hundred ways to make your baby shower cards, and among these are:

A themed baby shower card is one way of making personalized invitations. Since you will do the printing yourself, you can change the words that are written in that specifically designed card. This is an affordable and easy way of sending out your invites because the designs of the cards come for free on the internet. You simply have to download the file, inscribe something on the blank space given, and print out your baby shower cards.

Next, you might want to try sending your announcements through candy wrappers. Your guests will receive a special bar of tasty treat, and inside those wrappers is the invitation for your baby shower.

Invitation through a bottle may also be given. Although it is a little bit expensive, they look fancier and more appealing to your guests. Goodies can be inserted in the bottle to serve as simple treats.

Lastly, you can try making a baby shower card through fortune cookies. You have to make the inscriptions inside and bake the cookies yourself. You can also order these treats from your favorite bakeshops.

Aside from these, there are more baby shower card ideas which are available for order or for individual crafting. You just have to come up with a theme first so that you can base the designs of your cards from there. Much luck!

Baby Shower Card Sent Through The Net

Another special way of sending your invites is through the internet. It is faster, cheaper, and more convenient if you send your announcements through the web. The only drawback is, your guests cannot keep them as a souvenir. But if you’re running out of time and you’re working with time constraints, then sending a baby shower card invitation through the internet may be the best option for you.

Whichever type of baby shower card you want, you’ll be assured that there are a wide array of options to choose from. It is easy to avail them or to make them; just remember to do the planning one step ahead of time.

Since candy is loved by everyone, making baby shower party favors using candy is a popular way to offer gifts to guests. Kids and adults love candy so you can t go wrong! There are a few different ways to go about getting the party favors made, and following are some of great ideas.

Making Goody Bags

Who says party favors have to be more than just sweet treats? Try purchasing heart shaped candies, lemon drops and gummy bears and then putting them in cellophane bags wrapped closed at the top using thin yellow ribbons.

Or purchase small clear plastic stork that are hollow to be used as small bowls, and fill the small bowls with candy. You can wrap the storks so that the candy doesn t spill out, and there you have an originally made party favor.

Another great way to make baby shower party favors using candy is to purchase miniature babies form a party store and using small velvet bags filled with candy, hang the bag of candy from the baby s hand, or set it in the baby s lap.

More Elaborate Ideas

Fancy ways of creating party favors using candy for a baby shower are to purchase ceramic dishes that offer at least a 3 depth to fill candy in for each guest, and to purchase small glass candy dispensers that can be hand painted to be customized for a baby shower.

Another great idea for using candy as a baby shower party favor is to fill champagne glasses with baby blue and light pink candies and decorating their stems with ribbons and small baby trinkets.

It s also possible to order M&Ms that display customized writing on them. This is an awesome way to incorporate candy into your baby shower party favors, and it s not something that will cost an arm and a leg. Complimenting a small stuffed Mickey or Minnie Mouse with the candy is perfect for guests of all ages.

Finally just remember that no matter your choice in party favors for your baby shower, candy is a fabulous choice that you cannot go wrong with.

Homemade vs. Store Bought Baby Shower Cakes

Store bought shower cakes can be convenient, but they will cost you. You may also have the problem of getting something that few people like, and then you ll end up with a lot of leftover cake. It may be easier to throw a baby shower and keep the cost low by making your own baby shower cakes. You can even get really creative with baby shower cakes that you make yourself. All you need is a little creative inspiration.

Many people love to come to baby showers to celebrate the new baby, but a lot of people may avoid the baby shower cakes. The reason could be anything such as a diet, an allergy or other common reason. But if you went to the store and bought a giant sheet cake, what are you going to do with the leftovers? You ll be eating cake for a week. A great way to avoid this problem is to make individual baby shower cakes. You can do this by making cupcakes instead of baking a whole baby shower cake. This way, you can make only the number you need. You can also get creative with how you will decorate the top.

Another way to have spectacular baby shower cakes is to make an elegant cake. You can make baby shower cakes that have a specific color scheme that matches the rest of the party favors. It is easier to do a great color scheme if you already know whether the baby will be a boy or a girl.

Finding the right idea for baby shower cakes will take a little time, but if you are persistent and creative, you will be able to come up with a great idea to make your baby shower special. If you are throwing the baby shower for someone else, they will really appreciate the extra effort that you have put into making the baby shower cakes look like a million bucks.

Depending on whether the sex of the baby is known at the time of planning the baby shower, you may be able to choose colors specific to boys or girls, or you may have to use color schemes that are suitable for either sex. No matter the situation you are in, the following baby shower cake ideas can work for you.

Making it Yourself

If you are someone who s good in the kitchen and prefer to make the baby shower cake yourself, an idea for the mold is to use a baby shape, a teddy bear shape or a stork shape. You can find these kinds of molds at party stores and specialty kitchen stores, or even online if you have the time to wait for shipping.

Using a whipped cream topping to frost the cake will offer a smooth texture to the cake while making sure it isn t too sweet. As for decorating the cake, consider getting an edible film picture created of the pregnant mom to be and putting it on the top of the cake! These edible pictures can be found at just about any shop that sells and decorates cakes. You can have the people at the store put the picture on the cake for you, or you can ask for directions and do it yourself at home.

Buying the Cake

If you prefer to purchase the cake instead of making it yourself, it s a good idea to choose a store that specializes in cakes instead of purchasing from a grocery store. This will help insure the cake is fresh and will be decorated according to your specifications. Be sure to order your cake at least a week in advance.

Another great baby shower cake idea is to go ice cream! Ice cream cakes are perfect for BBQ type parties, they re a nice way to cool off in the sun and they re something different than your ordinary baby shower cake. You may want to order your ice cream cake up to a couple of weeks in advance to insure it will be ready on time with the decorations on it that you expect.

Baby Shower Bingo: The Materials And The Supplies You Need

Baby shower bingo is one of the most popular games played during this special occasion, almost everyone loves bingo and it is a game that can be played by every attendee in your party.

To make it a successful activity, you need to prepare all the supplies and equipment ready weeks before the party starts. This way, you’ll be free of hassle trying to buy something on the day before the celebration. The good thing about a baby shower bingo is that you can purchase this game anywhere. You will only need some colorful bingo markers, a few cards, and simple imagination to get you started. It isn’t an expensive form of amusement which can work well especially if you’re quite low on budget. It is a perfect game for everybody to enjoy once your baby shower day has come.

Where To Purchase The Baby Shower Bingo Equipment

The best thing about baby shower bingo is that you do not have to search far and wide just to look for a complete set of bingo game. It can easily be found in malls, and it can even be purchased over the internet if you’re already too tired to go out.

Some of the bingo cards have specialized designs which you can choose from to meet with your baby shower theme. The markers in the baby shower bingo game also come in different colors. All you need to do is match the colors with your theme and you’ll have the best piece of bingo equipment ever.

It is always a good idea to shop around and to look for the materials you need ahead of time. If you try looking for baby shower bingo sets a couple of weeks before your scheduled date of celebration, then you’ll have no hard time picking on the best buys.

There is no doubt that your special day will turn out extraordinary because of these baby shower bingo games. It is truly one great way to celebrate and have fun right before giving birth.

Use Facts You Know

If you know a thing or two about the baby, such as the sex of the baby, what the baby’s name is going to be, or even if you just know what the baby’s room is decorated like, this can help you immensely when choosing baby shower balloons. If you know the mother’s likes, such as her favorite animal or color, these too can be used to choose the right baby shower balloons. For example, if the baby’s name is Mary, then pink balloons with Mary on them will be perfect. Also, if the mother likes turtles, then pink balloons with Mary and turtles on them would be even more perfect. Turtles with diapers on them might add another great touch. You have all the freedom in the world when choosing baby shower balloons and know that you’re not limited to what they sell in the store.

Custom Balloons

If the baby’s name is Sanjaya, for example, you’re going to have a pretty difficult time finding baby shower balloons with that name on them sold on the rack. Therefore, you’re going to have to get them custom made. There are many stores who will be more than happy to custom make baby shower balloons for you that will have whatever you want put on them. You can have pink balloons with the baby’s name, blue balloons with baby turtles, or anything else you can think of. That’s the best way to make the perfect baby shower balloons; balloons that are custom made to have the exact specifications tailored to the baby shower’s theme, the baby’s sex and name, and even the mother’s likes. Everyone will get in the mood for a great party and the baby shower will be complete.