Best Baby Shower Blog

Planning a Baby Shower

2011-12-22T12:34:00.000-05:00

Planning a Baby Shower

Planning a baby shower can be stressful for the hostess, especially when you consider that there`s a strict timeline involved from which you can`t exactly shy away. Most pregnant women prefer to have their showers at the beginning of the third trimester, so find out when would be a good time for the mom-to-be. She may want to do it a couple of weeks earlier or later, depending on the circumstances.

Once you have a set date in mind, decide what type of shower it will be. Showers have traditionally only invited women but more and more baby showers are involving couples and male relatives. It`s up to you. When you know what type of party you want to throw, settle on the venue. Will it be at someone`s house? Are you a member of an organization, church or temple that would allow you to use a banquet or fellowship hall for free? Are you going to make reservations at a restaurant? Keep in mind that reservations should be made well ahead of time, preferably a few weeks before the baby shower.

Now you need to get a guest list together. Ask the parents-to-be and their parents who they would like to see invited. Make sure to get full names and addresses or email addresses if you are sending out invites electronically. You`ll want to mail these out six weeks before the baby shower.

Think about prizes, decorations, gift bags and the menu. Will you be serving a meal or dishing out finger foods? Do you know anyone who can help with the catering? If you`re throwing a huge party make sure you price floral arrangements, entertainment options and catering services. Otherwise, keep it small so you don`t get too overwhelmed. A simple brunch with sandwiches, fruit and cookies can be just as nice a baby shower as one that serves an expensive dinner.

Once those RSVPs come in, you`ll have a better idea of how many prizes and gift bags you will need to purchase, so hold off on those until a couple of weeks before the shower. Start researching baby shower games that will keep the guests entertained. One game involves handing out a clothes pin to every guest and whenever someone says the word, "baby", anyone else can take their clothes pin. You can also buy various flavors of baby food and play a "guess that flavor" game. The prizes don`t have to be extravagant. Just keep them fun and humorous and everyone will have a good time.

Make sure you put together those favor bags before the big day and have your decorations and seating ready. Go over the final guest list the week of the shower to make sure nobody was missed. The day of the shower will be hectic, so do any cooking you can before the shower so you get as much of your prep work out of the way as possible.

Although you may not think much of it, be sure to call the expectant mother to make sure she is coming to the shower. With so much going on in her pregnancy it`s not impossible for her to completely forget the date.

Baby Shower Theme Ideas

2011-12-22T12:27:00.000-05:00

Any great hostess should know that the theme will set the entire tone of the baby shower and as such should be carefully chosen. With endless possibilities, it may be best to narrow it down based on whether the baby will be a boy or a girl and whether or not the shower will be women-only or for couples. The type of shower you want to throw will help determine the best theme.

If the baby shower date happens to fall around a holiday, run with it! Creating a baby shower around a festive event is not something people will expect, so it makes a wonderful surprise. A shower with a Valentine`s Day theme may have heart-shaped cookies, baby bottles filled with candy hearts for party favors and baby cherub decorations. A Mother`s Day-themed shower can include pastel-colored decorations and each guest can write out personal messages on Mother`s Day cards for the soon-to-be parents to keep.

Baby animals have become hot decorative items for nurseries in recent years, so throw a baby animal shower! Gather all your stuffed animals to use as centerpieces or decorations and play games involving baby animal matching. Animal crackers make fun party favors and serving pigs in a blanket is a great idea for food.

Throw a Mad Hatter`s tea party! Ask guests on the invitation to show up wearing their goofiest hats. You can even set aside a prize and have guests vote for who has the craziest hat. Make it a game of keeping the hat on during the duration of the party. Anyone who takes it off has to make a gift donation.

Most baby showers are quite cutesy, so be a little different if the mom-to-be is expecting a boy. Aside from decorating with the color blue, bring in all sorts of toy planes, cars, trucks, rockets, boats and trackers.

One fun theme for twins is Noah`s Ark. Create centerpieces of two identical stuffed animals and arrange to have each table feature a different pair of animals. Send out animal-themed invitations and ask guests to consider bringing two of the same gifts. Have a costume party and it doesn`t have to be around Halloween. You can create a specific theme around which guests need to come dressed, such as a baby item, a cartoon character, or nursery rhyme characters.

Children`s books are another great theme for the shower. Aside from having guests bring gifts, ask them to bring at least one children`s book each. Decorate with Dr. Seuss characters and any other favorite literary characters.

Although it may sound like something straight out of a 50`s prom, an under the sea theme can be fun to plan! Use blue and green tissue paper and seashells and cut-out fish for decoration. You can even create fish bowls for table centerpieces. Fill a treasure chest with all sorts of baby items and serve `goldfish` as one of the snack options.

No matter the theme, make sure each guest is aware of where the parents-to-be are registered. This makes buying gifts much easier and the parents are more likely to get those bigger gifts like cribs, changing tables and childrens beds.

Finding the right baby shower gift

2011-11-29T16:16:00.000-05:00

A baby shower is an important event in a would-be-mom`s life. Close family and friends gather together to give sincere good wishes to the guest-of-honor and celebrate the beginning of a new life. Many guests are not sure what the best baby shower gift should be and can sometimes spend considerable time trying to pick something appropriate. In many instances the hostess of the baby shower will ask the would-be-mom what types of presents she would like to receive. This can then be passed along to the shower guests. Doing this is very helpful since it ensures only the gifts that are truly useful for the mom-to-be are bought by the guests. This also helps the guests to know what to look for and they will not be worried about buying the right thing. Usually, would-be-moms have a good idea of what is most useful to them.

If the hostess does not provide a list of preferred gifts it is going to be up to the guests to make the gift choice. This does not need to be hard or take a long time. The guest should decide what budget to stick to before buying a present. This is not a one-upmanship contest and there is no need to buy the most expensive and elaborate present if it is out of the comfortable budget range of the guest. Many shower guests are mothers themselves and this makes picking the right gift a lot easier. Guests who are mothers can ask themselves what kind of gifts they would find most useful if it was their own shower and then proceed from there. Practical items are usually high on the list of preferred items. It is nice to receive unique presents but if they are not practical for daily infant care they are not very useful. It is far better to buy affordable but practical gifts, than it is to buy something elaborate that will more than likely never be used. This is something to keep in mind when buying a present.

Would-be-moms are at a point in their lives when their biggest concern is their soon-to-be-born baby and the life changes that will follow as a result. Making this change in the new mother`s life as easy as possible is something that a guest can do by providing a highly practical shower gift. Diaper bags and baby outfits are very useful items. Baby seats and carriages, as well as high chairs will make the new mom`s life easier. Baby toys to keep the infant entertained will allow the busy new mom to find some deserved rest time. Baby hygiene items and diapers may not be glamorous but they will be appreciated by the new mom. A successful present is anything that can be of real use when it comes to the care of the new baby. When the children are older the gifts should be age-appropriate and there are many Top Ten PreSchool Presents to choose from.

Baby Shower Ideas

2011-02-03T13:54:00.004-05:00

Planning a baby shower can be a challenging but fun task. Here are some great baby shower ideas or your special party.

Party Food
Firstly, you must decide on what types of baby shower food you will have for your guests. Food is an excellent idea for a centerpiece as well. One great idea for party food is baby shower cake . These cakes can include a variety of flavors, including ice cream cakes and cheesecakes.
There are so many other baby shower recipes that you can use. Mostly people will always appreciate good food, but you can also use blue and pink themes to create the mood. Shaping your food into rocking horse or teddy bear shapes is another great idea.
Candy and snacks are also nice to have on the table. One favorite idea is to get regular chocolate bars and decorate them with baby shower candy bar wrappers . These will make a tasty treat for all of your guests.

Party Themes
Try to think of some possible baby shower themes if you like. Any baby related items like bottles, diapers, and pacifiers are good ideas. Also storks and angels are great symbolic themes.

Decorating
Baby shower favors can be made if you are an artistic person. Perhaps the most popular favor idea is a baby shower diaper cake . These "cakes" are made of diapers, towels, and other useful baby items. They are not really cakes, but look like them and make a great centerpiece.

Homemade baby shower favors are another nice touch if you are a crafty person. Candles, soaps, and ceramic figurines are just a few ideas for favors for your guests. Some more nice baby shower favors to make are cookies and goody bags .

Games and Entertainment
Finally, you will want some good baby shower games . Games can include something simple like guessing the number or mini pacifiers in the bottle or variations of other games, like baby bingo. To make it even more fun, include some baby shower prizes for the winner.

Santa pays a visit to the warehouse of Best Baby Shower.com -watch the video

2010-12-17T15:36:00.002-05:00

Enjoying & Celebrating Your Baby's First Christmas

2009-11-25T15:55:00.005-05:00

Baby's First Christmas can be an exciting time for the whole family. Experience the joy of the season through your baby's eyes but be careful not to spoil your memories and add stress to the baby and entire family. Slow down & enjoy your Baby's First Christmas.

Enjoy your Baby's First Christmas by:
1) Trying to remain stress free - forget about hectic shopping & cooking
2) Not attending parties or gatherings past your baby's bedtime
3) Keeping nap schedules in place - baby & family are then happy
4) Decorating with age appropriate Christmas decorations
5) Not over spending on toys than your baby needs
6) Setting limits - on spending, travel, visiting
7) Trying to keep baby's routines in tact as much as possible

Celebrating your Baby's First Christmas by:
1) Creating a scrapbook with photos, cards, wrapping paper, bows & special items
2) Describing Baby's First Christmas in their baby book
3) Keeping a journal of special memories of your Baby's First Christmas
4) Purchase a special ornament commemorating Baby's First Christmas
5) Taking lots of pictures & video of special Christmas moments
6) Starting new family traditions with your baby
7) Creating opportunities for older siblings to help the baby at Christmastime

Your baby will only have one First Christmas. Plan to make it a special time full of memories that you will have for years to come. Slow down, relax and enjoy your Baby's First Christmas! You'll be glad you did.

Merry "Baby's First" Christmas!

Introduction to Parent Photography

2009-09-24T10:31:00.003-04:00

We love our children, we shower them with affection, gifts and encouragement and we watch them from their first baby steps until they are grown. After all, we are their parents.

But many times we forget to record all of those important first events – the first steps, the first birthday, the first day at school and so much more. Later, after they leave the nest, we feel empty and lonely.

Solve The Problem

One way we can solve this problem is to get ourselves a starter digital slr camera and begin taking photographs from the moment of birth until they leave home and beyond.

What? You think this is too difficult? Well, with just a little information you can learn to take great photographs with your new camera and capture those great images that will refresh your memory and ease your loss.

Light

One of the most important considerations when taking photographs is light. There are two main times when you need to be concerned about lighting – when you are taking photographs indoors and when you are taking photographs outdoors.

Indoors you will want to have a flash unit than can be adjusted. The reason is that to eliminate that “dark hole” that appears behind your subject when you have the flash aimed directly at them you need to bounce light off the ceiling and illuminate their surroundings. This will also eliminate the issue of “red eye”.

Outdoors you can pick an overcast day which is ideal to eliminate shadows on your subjects face. For a bright sunny day outside the flash unit comes to the rescue. Using fill flash will help reduce or eliminate those shadows that appear on one side or the other of your subjects face.

Composition

Using the simple “rule of thirds” will help you position the main object of your picture appropriately. It states:

Divide the frame equally using two horizontal and two vertical lines. Position the main focus of your image anywhere on the horizontal lines or where they intersect with the vertical lines. Avoid the center and the corners.

About The Author

Betty A. Muscott is an accomplished child photographer with a passion about photographing children in their natural state, thus the name for her web site RealKidsPhotography.com. She provides tips on buying a digital camera, how to create wonderful photographs of children and how to capture the passion of personal photos on canvas with those great photos you will have.

History of Baby Showers

2009-09-17T11:30:00.003-04:00

There is no way to determine exactly where or when the “baby shower” originated. There are several theories on baby shower history, but none can be proven. No matter where and when baby showers were first introduced, today they are a very special event celebrating a new life.

Some historians have found evidence of baby showers, or something similar, quite some time ago. These discoveries lead experts to believe that celebrating birth started in ancient cultures, like those in the Egyptian and Roman times. No definitive proof is available, but historians have deciphered data which could mean baby showers took place.

When you look at baby showers from long ago, you see that most of the gifts given to the family were handmade. Articles of clothing, blankets, and even food items were provided as gifts for the new family. Showers in the past occurred after the birth of the child, so many times part of the “baby shower” was the viewing of the new child.

The “baby shower” as we celebrate it today began after World War II. Family and friends gather together, in a party atmosphere, to celebrate the birth of a new baby. At the start, only woman were invited to attend such a gathering, but today these celebrations can include the father, grandfathers, and any male family members.

In recent years, the baby shower has started to occur before the actual birth of the child. With the new technology that is available to expectant parents, the gender of the child is not so much a mystery. Therefore, a baby shower can be thrown early in preparation for the baby’s arrival without the worry of buying the wrong thing.

No matter what the baby shower history is, the baby shower of today is a supportive and generous event toward new or expectant parents. With all the current trends toward “unisex” items, it is hard to buy the wrong thing!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino

Welcome Post

2009-09-11T17:04:00.002-04:00

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