So who should host the baby shower? Traditionally, only non-relatives are to host a baby shower — co-workers, church groups, etc.; however, it has become more common and acceptable for mothers and sisters to host showers too. The important thing is that someone take the initiative to host the shower — what a wonderful display of caring for a growing family and a special way to help welcome a new life into the world. It is also perfectly acceptable for more than one person to host a baby shower. It can be fun for a group of friends to share the responsibilities and excitement of planning and hosting this special event.

When it comes to inviting guests, you likely have some idea of those you want to invite to the shower, but it is always a safe bet to run the guest list by the mom-to-be to ensure you haven’t left anyone out.

You can invite guests via a phone call or an e-mail (be sure they check their mail regularly!), but the written invitation is still the most preferable way to kick off a shower. You can even find baby shower ecard invitations online. Just do a simple search online and I’m sure you’ll find one. No matter what type of invitation you use, be sure to include pertinent information — whether it regards a theme, a note of where the mom-to-be has registered, a map or written directions to the shower, or any special item you want the guests to bring for the mom.

Showers are normally given a month or two before the mom’s due date. It’s a good idea to give the mom enough time following the shower to shop for items she didn’t receive, yet wants to have before the baby arrives. And of course you don’t want to hold the shower too close to baby’s due date in case he or she makes an early arrival!

Baby showers are normally held in the home of the hostess. If desired though, you can certainly host a shower at a church fellowship area, a favorite restaurant, or even at a banquet hall — it really all depends on what atmosphere you are looking for and how much money you want to spend. If the shower will be held in a restaurant, make reservations at least two weeks prior to the date. At one- week prior, one of the organizers should speak with the manager to confirm the details.

The shower should last around one and a half to two hours. Things may wind down early or they may likely continue on as guests chat together.

There are many variations on showers, but we have devised a general "schedule" for baby showers. You can add/remove any part and re-order it to your liking.

Greet Guests - serve light appetizers

After all or almost all guests have arrived, go around the room and have each guest introduce themselves and identify how they know the mother-to-be.

Play 2-4 Shower Games. It is good to play games at the beginning as ice-breakers. Remember some guests may not know *anyone* but the mother-to-be.

Let everyone go get whatever food may be available and then once everyone has been served, the mother-to-be can begin to open her gifts. Be sure to have someone write down each gift and who it is from. It will make sending thank-you notes a lot easier.

People chat and usually leave a few at a time. Make sure the mother-to-be gets to say goodbye to everyone and the hostess thanks the person for attending. If the hostess has shower favors, they should give this to the guest now.

For more information on hosting baby showers, visit http://www.danasgiftbasketexpress.com or send a blank email to babydiapercakes@sendfree.com for a Free Guide to Hosting the Perfect Baby Shower.

About the Author

Dana Williams is the owner of Dana’s Gift Basket Express, an online gift shop specializing in unique baby shower gifts for baby and mother. Need more baby shower hosting tips and ideas? Learn how to make your own baby shower favors, go to http://www.danasgiftbasketexpress.com .

If you are a first time planner or an experienced planner, you can benefit by following some simple strategies to ensure your baby shower goes off without a hitch.

Here’s what the experts recommend when it comes to baby shower planning:

1) Decide when the shower should be held. Most are held before the baby comes but some mom’s are superstitious and would prefer a shower be held after baby’s arrival. Be sure you check in first to plan accordingly.

2) Decide where the shower will be held. Usually this is a location other than the mom to be’s home.

3) Decide who should be invited. If you are hosting, you should always ask the mom to be who she wants invited before you make a list. You may find she wants a co-ed party or a small family only affair. Be sure you check in with her before you get started.

4) Send out invitations and be sure to include R.S.V.P. information and baby registry information. You’ll want to know exactly how many people are coming and your guests will want to know where they can buy the guest of honor some great gifts.

5) Decide on a theme. This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. It can even be as simple as ‘pink’ if the mom is having a girl. You might consider asking the mom to be, she might have a theme in mind. This will help you plan decorations.

6) Order a cake or decide on the type of cake you want to make. A cake is a must have for all baby showers.

7) Plan on having some appetizers for guests. You don’t have to provide a full meal, but snacks are a nice touch.

Pick a few baby games out so you have something to do during the party. You can find hundreds of baby shower games on line.

Once you have planned all of these essential steps, the rest of the baby shower is easy! You simply need to set up house, decorate and welcome your guest of honor on their big day.

Most baby showers last about two to three hours. The first ½ hour or so guests can spend mingling and munching on goodies. You can then spend another ½ hour playing a couple of games.
Then allow your guest of honor to open her gifts! Be prepared to write down who all the gifts came from so your mom can send thank you notes.

After the gifts are open, usually guests have some cake, mingle some more and then leave. You might consider having some party favors available for guests. A great idea is mini baby bottles filled with jelly beans or some other inexpensive treat!

The most important thing to remember about baby shower planning is that everyone should have a good time. Sit back, relax and don’t stress about minor details. Most people are just looking for a good laugh and some time to pat mom to be’s growing belly!

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Adwina Jackson is a wife and mother of a young boy. She’s also the editor of Inspiring Parenting, an online source of valuable parenting information. Please visit Inspiring Parenting for helpful and free parenting info.

There are numerous ways that you can cut costs when planning a shower. Perhaps the easiest way is to split the hostess duties among several friends. Homemade
food, favors, and invitations are another way to make things less expensive. The time of day you have the shower may also influence the cost. A mid-afternoon party with cake, punch, and light snacks is much less expensive than a dinner or a spa afternoon. Having the party at a restaurant may be less expensive if the guests all know each other and are willing to pay for their own meals. This may be somewhat awkward, though, so it definitely is a plan that will only fit certain situations.

Handmade invitations are a very easy way to cut corners. With a computer, a printer, and cardstock or specialty paper, you can make invitations that will look practically professional. Or you can choose to make a crafty invitation that perfectly complements your theme. Another option for invitations is to email invitations. Sites like sendomatic allow you to send invitations and maps, track responses, and even send weather reports for the big day for less than $15 dollars for 100 invitations. Sending email invitations saves on the purchase of invitations, as well as the postage.

Food for a shower can be very simple. If you have an early afternoon party that falls after lunch but before dinner, you can serve cake, punch, mints, nuts, and perhaps a fruit tray very inexpensively. The presentation is often more important than the actual food that is served. Use nice bowls and silver for a formal atmosphere. If you do not have crystal or silver, you can usually get plastic that looks like crystal and silver and will still look nice. Finger sandwiches also add an elegant touch and are inexpensive and easy to prepare. If you want a more casual feel to the shower, a vegetable platter and chips and dips are always welcome. Or get everyone in on the act and ask each person attending to bring a snack. You might want to have a sign up sheet, though, so that you don’t end up with 5 bags of chips.

Believe it or not, even if you don’t consider yourself a baker, there are several alternatives to expensive bakery cakes. Cupcakes are very easy, and sugar or plastic decorations in baby themes are fairly easy to find. You can also use frosting to "glue" small plastic baby decorations to the tops of Little Debbie snack cakes. These are precious, and they look like you spent a lot of time. Another option is to skip the traditional decorated cake, altogether, and go for individual cheesecakes (easy to make in muffin tins) or a delicious chocolate cake (make sure that the mom-to-be isn’t avoiding chocolate first). Cookies can make a great sweet treat also, and there are some really cute cookie cutters readily available. Finally, if you think you can make and frost a rectangular cake but are concerned about trying to do fancy decorations, you can find edible cake art images online. These are easy to apply to the top of the cake, and they are the same images used by bakeries.

Many of the games and activities for a baby shower are free. There are printouts available online if you want to play games like bingo. While party favors are a nice touch for a shower, they certainly are not necessary. A personal thank you, in person or written, is all that is necessary to thank the guests for attending.

Throwing a baby shower is a wonderfully generous thing to do. It does not, however, have to break the bank. Remember, the most important thing when hosting a shower is to create wonderful memories for your friend. Years from now she will remember the laughter and the thoughtfulness of her friends more than she will remember fancy favors or expensive cakes.

About the Author

Jill Manty is a stay at home and co-owner of www.delightfulchild.com, an online business dedicated to providing information about baby showers, breastfeeding, and natural parenting.

This article can be reproduced in whole or in part, providing this byline is included along with a link to: http://www.delightfulchild.com/baby_shower.htm

A baby cake is more than a moist, yummy confection to eat. You can use it as a wonderful baby shower centerpiece to make a special party setting that every guest can share and enjoy.

Also turn the baby shower cake baking into a funny baby shower game if you want to make a special and memorable moment that the mom-to-be can cherish for a long time.

What if you’re looking for something that can do triple duties for your baby shower? A Diaper Cake decorated with all kinds of baby items is your best choice - it’s not edible!

Keep the guidelines below in your mind. You’ll find that have the bakery design cakes for you is just a snap.

1. Set your party theme and budget, it will help you focus on what you really need.

2. Check out 4 or 5 bakeries (at least). Look at their cake pictures and ask for a sample-taste.

3. Make a decision on the cake that most fits your need. Tell the baker how many people will attend your party so they don’t make the wrong size. (A standard round cake serves approximately eight to ten people. An 11 x 9 x 2 inch sheet cake serves up to fifteen people.)

4. Tell the baker which day and what time the shower will start. ( you should order the cake a minimum of one week in advance of the shower.

5. Pay a 50 percent deposit. Ask the bakery to deliver the cake directly to your shower location (again, don’t forget to tell them the date and time!).

Instead of the traditional baby cakes, try baking a batch of baby cupcakes which guests can frost and decorate.

You can even try the idea of an Autograph Cake - it’s a sheet cake only have a standard "Congratulations!" inscription on it and the rest are left plain. Guests were asked to sign their names on the cake when they arrive.

And imagine a cake with the mommy’s photo or a classic pooh poster on it! The only thing you need to do is to choose one photo of the mom-to-be or any graphics related to your shower theme. The bakery will blow up the photo and decorate around it for you - it looks great and inexpensive!

No matter what you’re looking for, put your heart and energy into the cake planning, the ideas are endless.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Copyright Qing Gu, All Rights Reserved. Reprint allowed with all the text and links intact. Qing Gu is a Baby Shower Party Enthusiast who owns the website of www.coolest-baby-shower-idea.com. If you’re in need of coolest baby shower ideas (or an entire theme-full of ideas), it is the one-stop place right for you! And subscribe to the FREE monthly newsletter, Baby Shower Planet, to get Unlimited and Free access to download the coolest printable Shower games, invitations, and a baby shower handy guide e-book!