Planning a Baby Shower  

 Throwing a baby shower isn't exactly a piece of cake. Showers can be fun and relaxed as long as they are properly planned and thrown. That being said, preparation is key. Here are  steps to follow to throw a fantastic baby shower for any expectant mother.

Choose the Baby Shower Date

 There is a lot more than availability to consider when choosing a baby shower date. The expectant parents and the shower hosts must decide whether the event will be held before the baby is born or after. Showers held before babies are born are fun because you can play games centered around the mommy's belly. It also gives the mother and father the opportunity to receive much needed baby items before his/her arrival. On the other hand, baby showers given after the tike has arrived let family and friends see the little one at the party. It is also a great time to get gender-specific gifts for parents who choose not to find out the sex beforehand. Whether you choose to throw a baby shower before or after the baby's arrival, make sure the mommy is happy. After all, you don't want to upset a pregnant woman or a new mother.

Baby Shower Guest List

 Obtaining a guest list should come soon after you choose a date for the baby shower. It is extremely important to know how many potential guests will be arriving. It affects all other aspects of the baby shower: location, food, and games. Ask the expectant parents to provide a list of guests they would like to invite, including addresses. Sometimes everyone the mommy knows is invited. Other times, mothers have separate showers for certain sides of the family, coworkers, or particular groups of friends. Once you get the list, send out invitations about a week before the baby shower.

Baby Shower Location

 Baby showers vary in size from as small as 4 guests to as large as 100. Depending on how large the family is and how many friends and coworkers will be invited to the event, a suitable location is necessary. Larger baby showers are better suited in larger venues such as a church, banquet hall, outdoors, or a legion hall. These venues typically must be reserved in advance and may require a small fee and/or deposit. For this reason, be sure you call your desired location as soon as you have chosen a date for the baby shower. Smaller baby showers, on the other hand, have a little more flexibility. You could have the baby shower at a friend's house, a tea room, or a reserved section of a restaurant. Make sure, however, if you choose a location other than your own house, you arrange for clean-up.

Food for the Baby Shower

 Choosing what type of food to serve at a baby shower is very closely related to the time of the party. For example, a 10:00 AM shower might have brunch, a 12:30 PM shower might serve sandwiches, or a 3:00 PM shower could have hors devoirs. Once you decide at what time of day the shower will be, you should examine the guest list. Should the event be catered? Will you need to shop at the local bulk foods store? These are all questions that will be answered by the amount of guests coming. If it is too much for you to handle by yourself, get help from friends or hire a caterer. Some simple ideas for food include: sloppy Joes, cold meat sandwiches, meat and cheese tray, potato salad, and fresh fruit salad.

Baby Shower Decorations

 There are a few things to consider before choosing how to decorate for a baby shower. Do the parents know the sex of the baby? Are the mom and dad traditional? Is there any unique theme the parents would love (ie: favorite sports team, tractors, race cars, Winnie the Pooh)? Sometimes the only decorations needed include a cute cake and a bouquet of balloons. Other times more decorations are needed to dress up a plain venue. Table clothes sprinkled with confetti, baby-themed centerpieces on each table, streamers hanging from the ceiling, and banners can bring a lot of life to a bare room. The best place to find these baby shower decorations is at your local party store.

Baby Shower Games

 Whether you are attending a bridal shower or a baby shower, there is one constant: games. Games give life to a baby shower. However, make sure the mommy wants games at her shower. Some women would rather just have a meal with nice conversation and open presents. You would be surprised at how strongly people feel about this issue. Average baby showers have 2 games. Usually one game is fairly simple (ie: baby scrabble, guess how big mommy's tummy is, guess how much baby weighs), and one is a bit more in-depth (ie: What candy bar is melted in the diaper, Baby food taste test, Jeopardy). The winners of the games usually get a small prize. However, normally the prize is given back to the expectant parents (so a baby-centered prize is great).

Organizing the Small Baby Shower Details

 Once all of the big elements are finished planning, pay attention to the small details of the baby shower. For instance, plan how the tables will be arranged. Will the mother be sitting at a table in front, or will she be intermixed with the guests. Make sure you have a gift table and someone designated to write down who has given what. Also, it is nice to have a couple of people ready to load up the mommy's car after the baby shower is over. One last essential detail is to buy thank you cards for the mother. When the guests arrive, have each one address their own thank you card. This saves so much time for parents!

Here is a FREE printable baby shower planning checklist. You must have a pdf reader to open this file.