A baby shower means a total bath of gifts that friends and relatives give to future parents and the baby even before his birth.
Preparing for a baby shower is as exciting as waiting for a delivery; it is a unique moment to celebrate with great affection the arrival of this special someone. Therefore, the details are super important when it comes to the organization of the event, which includes selecting the location and sending the invitations.
The baby’s layette contains many essential items for daily use, so tea is a great alternative to help celebrate this moment of joy with family and friends.
The party’s preparation and planning to celebrate your baby’s arrival have several activities to be carried out. The important thing is to do each task in its own time, calmly. Follow our tips and guarantee that there will be time, all without stress!
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Guest List
The first task to be completed is the guest list. As a suggestion, it is recommended that it be prepared in the 24th week of pregnancy.
Split the list
When it comes to preparing the list, it can be separated by sectors so that no one is forgotten.
Prepare lists divided between family, friends, and friends at work, for example. Thus, you are less at risk of forgetting to invite someone who would be significant.
Check sectors
After making the lists, merge them all into one list. At that moment, take the time to check if someone is missing or not, or if you even changed your mind about inviting that co-worker or that gym friend you love.
Keep the list in an easily accessible place
Did you finish your list? Before preparing invitations for a baby shower, keep this list in a safe and easy-to-find place. It can be in the notepad of the cell phone, in the WhatsApp message for dad (or for the baby’s godmother!), or in a notebook.
If you made a list on paper, keep it in a drawer folder or write it down in your calendar! You don’t want to lose all that work, do you?
What mom should think about all the time while making a list is the importance of having the people she loves the most by her side on this unforgettable day. Also, remember that the number of guests is what determines the amount of food and drink. Make a list according to your budget.
Now just start enjoying every moment of preparing for the baby shower!
Location, Date, And Time
Choosing the best date and the best place for the party is the second activity performed by the host. The suggestion is that it be performed during the 25th week of pregnancy.
Each time of year offers different options and entanglements for the party. But in the first place, what matters is mom’s well-being. Keeping an eye on the schedule can help you become more comfortable throughout the celebration and, thus, enjoy the party much more.
The idea is for the party to be held until the 30th week of pregnancy, when the mom is still comfortable and has plenty of energy. If it is not possible, do not delay that date too much. The closer to the end of the pregnancy, the more bumps and discomforts appear from time to time, and it may be just on the day of the baby shower.
Better not to risk it, is it?
As for the choice of place, you can abuse creativity! The party will be perfect at the club or at home. Does your best friend have a fantastic garden? Take the opportunity to have a snack outdoors!
The condo’s party room is also a great choice: all friends already know the address, and there’s no mistaking it!
The party at a children’s buffet also has its advantages. In addition to being prepared when you and the guests arrive, the housekeeping is up to them!
With the place defined, let’s go to the next step: adjust your party’s time to the time of year.
Baby Showers in Different Seasons
Here is how to hold a baby shower in different seasons:
In summer
A party held during the summer should be a little more careful. In addition to the heat, the mom must consider the swelling and discomfort that the heat causes.
In the 30th week, your belly will be much bigger!
During the intense heat, the party can be comfortably held two times: in the morning and in the early evening. It is worth thinking about an outdoor environment in both cases, with plenty of ventilation and little sun. If the party happens in the late afternoon, get ready for a possible traditional rain shower at this time of year.
In spring
Spring guarantees a colorful decoration for the flowers and a pleasant temperature in the late afternoon. It is worth remembering that summer arrives earlier and earlier in our country; by the middle of spring, it can already be quite hot.
In fall
Fall is also a very flexible season: mornings, afternoons, or evenings are perfect for celebrating. But each schedule has its peculiarities. If the party is in the morning, bet on an open place, but that has some alternatives that are a little more closed—fall mornings can be cold!
In winter
During the winter, the maxim is: protect yourself, but don’t neglect your health! No completely closed places! Ventilation is essential to maintain air circulation. During the cold, the ideal is to have a party in the afternoon; the golden winter sun is an invitation to a delicious afternoon!
The “Save the Date”
And for any time of the year, an essential tip is to save the date.
#Savethedate is a delicate way to ask your guests to reserve the event date in their diaries –and you don’t run the risk of people missing the date. It is usually sent about 15 days before the official invitation.
It can be done informally, by email, or with an invitation (a fridge magnet, for example).
So your guests can plan, and so can you!
Gifts
If you prefer to indicate to the guests what you want to receive, one option is to put the gift suggestion in the invitation to avoid receiving repeated items. To make a list, prepare a checklist with what will be most useful daily and others you would like to earn.
Use ready-made list templates so you don’t forget anything, or, if you prefer to make a list at a specific store, ask if they provide a complete baby layette list.
The gift list is always a sensitive subject. The wish list is extensive, but the question always arises: what to ask the guests of the baby shower? If your baby is born in winter, you can add more varied items, such as blankets and warm clothes. Another tip is not to place items you already have to avoid receiving repeated products. Leave a list of essentials and other products you would like to have for your baby.
The Baby Shower Theme
Choosing the theme for party decorations is often a significant consideration for the organizer. With numerous appealing options available on the market and a plethora of do-it-yourself (DIY) ideas shared on social media, this decision sets the tone for other aspects of the baby shower, including invitations and party favors.
But, anyway, where to start?
With the party location and time set, everything is now easier. The decoration theme has to start with the party’s place and time and indicate that this is done in the 27th week of pregnancy.
The theme is its primary focus–balloons, carts, owls, unicorns, promenades, carnivals, and June parties. There are a multitude of ideas and possibilities. To make your choice easier, how about using the same theme as the baby’s room decor?
The Invitations
After defining the theme, start thinking about the invitations. Here begins one of the great dilemmas of organizers: buy everything ready-made or do it yourself.
There is no correct answer to that question. Each mom has her own reality, needs, and even unique skills.
If you have the time and enjoy hands-on work, feel free to get involved and get your hands dirty. However, if you’re constantly pressed for time and can’t spare a moment for even simple tasks, it’s best to avoid unnecessary stress.
There are several options ready for printing on the internet. And the best part is that most are for free.
Paper or email?
Many people are also unsure whether to send a printed invitation or send an email. The message on social networks, on WhatsApp, or in a group created on Facebook can be the message. It is innovative and makes life very easy for guests as well.
Remember: you will have already sent Save the Date, so the invitation is just the party’s communication and details.
The Decoration Of The Place
Outdoor parties usually use decorations only at tables. A small flower arrangement (consistently low so as not to prevent guests from looking at each other while talking) and details on the napkin ring or tablecloth add elegance and sophistication with very little work.
This decoration is valid for any time: at brunch, an afternoon snack, or a night party.
For indoor locations, it is worth betting on adornments and ornaments for the walls. Pictures, the traditional balloons—everything is valid.
Photos and Games
The 29th week of gestation, the week before the party, is pure fun: defining what activities will entertain your guests.
Prepare the games
The games are one of the main highlights of the baby shower party. Choose which activities will make your guests have moments of pure relaxation.
The games range from the traditional ones, such as discovering the size of mommy’s belly or the taste of baby food, to the more modern ones, such as making dads try to change a bladder’s diapers. Bet on any of them! See what has more to do with your guests and family, and guarantee a good laugh.
- It Is Forbidden To Say “Baby”: When welcoming the guests, distribute individual necklaces to each one. The pieces can be simple, made of fabric, or ribbon. He explains that it is forbidden to pronounce the word baby during the event. The necklaces are worth points, and, at the end of the party, the team with the most necklaces wins the race. If someone releases the word “Baby” at some point, the person who caught the error takes the chain from the distracted person. And it is worth provoking the interlocutors during the party, inducing them to error.
- The “Baby Egg”: Also, during the reception, give the guests a plastic egg, for which they should be responsible for the entire event. Whenever someone observes a forgotten egg, they can adopt it. The group that collects the most eggs by the end of the party wins the test.
- Diaper Competition: Each team selects some participants (preferably those who are not yet parents) to participate in the race. So, the participants have the mission to dress a doll in a diaper—those who complete the test correctly in the shortest time score.
- The Blindfolded Artist: All participants receive papers and pens to draw the future baby on the way. Detail: the drawing will be done with the participants blindfolded. Mother-to-be then selects the best design, and the participant’s team wins a point. The pictures can then be saved to make up the future baby’s room (oops, we lost a necklace).
- Quiz: Print characters from children’s drawings of the moment and present them to the participants. The group that matches the most names wins the round.
- Finding the Pairs: Again, each team selects a participant for the race. Each will receive a bucket with several pairs of mixed socks. Whoever separates all the pieces correctly, finds the correct pairs, and takes the point in less time.
- Guess the Baby Food: Do you know those ready meals? Buy some options of different flavors, remove the label, and serve to the guests. Whoever gets the most flavors wins the test.
- Who is it?: Along with the baby shower invitation, friends and relatives are urged to separate a childhood photo. The team that gets to know who the kids in the pictures are most often receives the round point.
Baby Shower Tips
Following are the best baby shower tips that we would like to share with you:
Close the date in advance
Ideally, two months before you close a date, it is possible to plan the details calmly, negotiate values with stores and suppliers, and do it without much haste.
Invite someone to help you
It is essential not to centralize the organization of the event. Enlist the help of friends and relatives. There is always someone who cooks well, is skilled with manual arts, and is good at organizing events.
Define a theme
The choice of theme will guide every event: decoration, preparation of delicacies, baby shower invitations, and souvenirs. There are numerous options. After setting, search for references on sites like Pinterest, which are a good source of information.
Reduce the number of guests
Try to make your guest list as short as possible. The number of people invited directly impacts the cost of the event. It will guide the necessary size of the place, and the amount of food, drinks, and souvenirs. Ideally, you should invite only close family and friends.
Choose an account
Suppose you have a space to do something in your home or a party room in your building. So you save on leasing. If not, see friends and relatives if someone cannot lend you a space for the event.
Send virtual invitations
Sending an invitation online is infinitely more economical and practical and, rest assured, it is not inelegant. Virtually everyone uses the internet. The physical invitation takes work to do and to deliver. By sending it through Facebook or WhatsApp, you already know who received it, clear up doubts that appear, and save much more time.
If you prefer traditional invitations
In this case, it is ideal that you get your hands dirty and make the invitations yourself. It will consume a little more time, but it will cost much less. Another option is to search for ready-made templates and print them. Clotheslines with tiny baby socks are an excellent choice to decorate with little money.
Do the decoration yourself
On the internet, you will find tutorials teaching how to make decorative items. The right choice is to reuse pots, bottles, cans, and other materials at home and transform them into decorative objects. Use and abuse flowers, balloon slates with phrases, pompoms, and clotheslines with clothes. It will depend on the theme chosen, but these suggestions go well with most baby showers.
Opt for a simple and tasty menu
Making an afternoon baby shower is synonymous with savings. After all, most people have already had lunch, and there is still a long way to go for dinner. With that, you can make an afternoon tea event with finger foods or pies, cakes, popcorn, snacks, cookies, and some snacks.
To drink, invest in flavored waters, teas, and fruit juices. In addition to being healthy, they are much more affordable than alcoholic and soft drinks. Remember that less is more! Try to make tasty options that yield enough for your guests to be satisfied.
Everyone helps themselves
Hiring waiters or buffet service directly impacts your costs, so try to eliminate this option. Arrange the delicacies so that the guests themselves can help themselves. A good option is to make individual portions; this makes it easy for everyone to get theirs.
How to save on the cake
A baby shower cannot miss a cake. The darling of the moment is the diaper cake, which you can make yourself or count on your friend’s help skilled in manual arts. It is cute on the table, costs little, and can still be reused at another event.
As this cake is only decorative, it is essential to have a “cutting cake,” which does not have decoration, so it is more affordable. Then just bet on a delicious flavor. If you have a little money left, serve it with ice cream; that will be a success!
Don’t forget the sweets
The sweets help to decorate the table and sweeten the party. Good options are jelly beans, jelly beans, lollipops, and cupcakes. Another suggestion, especially if it is in the heat, is to serve popsicles that you can buy wholesale.
Make an online gift list
Many mothers prefer a baby shower, but have you thought about making an online baby shower list if this is not your case?
Personalized and cute souvenirs
They need to be by the theme defined for the party, and as the name says, it is a “souvenir,” not a gift. Think of something creative and cute if it’s useful. Some suggestions are pencils, little plants, bookmarks, scented sachets for cupboards, handmade soap, and packaging with candies or chocolates.
Be sure to photograph your event
Such a special event cannot be missed. As it is not a wedding, you do not need to shoot, but having quality photos is essential for keeping the memory. Look for references, and then negotiate a reasonable price in advance with the professional.
What If Things Do Not Go As Planned: Tips
Always have a card up your sleeve! On the big day, some precautions can help a lot if you have a problem.
For every problem, think of a possible solution. For instance, will the party be held outdoors in the middle of the summer? Remember that summer is very prone to rain in the late afternoon, so provide a covered area to ensure the party if the water arrives!
Is it colder than Mom imagined, and will the party be outside? Bet on the torches to heat the place. Also, bet on blankets to be offered to guests. The weather will be delicious, and it will all be very warm!
- Didn’t the snacks arrive on time? Go to a bakery! Today, in most of them, there are many snacks (and even sweets) that can help a party. Bet on drumsticks and even small croissants.
For drinks, canned juices and soft drinks solve any problem! They’ll be freezing already, and you won’t have to worry. - Forgetting the dishes: In the rush of preparing for the party, many essential items are often not transported, which makes us only remember them when it’s time to use them!
To avoid this risk, make a list of everything that will need to be taken to the location. - The right arm: Do you know that friend or godmother of the baby you chose to be your right hand?
Not to mention Grandma and college friends. Anyway, there will be no shortage of help if you need it! There is always someone who can run here or there to solve these minor problems that happen.
What To Do And What Not to Do
Here are the most appropriate do’s and dont’s for the baby shower:
What to Do:
- Share on Social Networks: Use social media to engage your guests and make this day even more special. From the invitation to the gift list, everything can be shared, making the lives of the guests much more effortless.
- Involve Dad in the Party: If there are compelling reasons to celebrate the baby shower, it’s important to include the future dad in the event as well. It is a celebration for the parents. Both of you should be excited (if you are newcomers) about the little angel, so it should also be a time for Dad to relax, ask questions, and get much more involved.
- Listen to the wishes of the mother-to-be: Put the surprises aside, sit down with her, and talk about her wishes. It is likely that she does not want to play games at the party or does not want specific decorations or food.
What Not to Do:
- Inviting a Lot of People: We are always moved to invite everyone we know—friends, co-workers, a family that we have not seen for years—in short, the temptation is enormous. You are celebrating a special moment, and you want everyone to be a part of it. You can even think that not all will come.
- Serving alcohol: There is no point in serving something that the mother-to-be cannot enjoy. It is better to opt for non-alcoholic drinks.
- Not Choosing the Best Time to Celebrate: Celebrating it in the first months is not very convenient; you can still have the first trimester’s discomfort, and perhaps you do not know the sex of the baby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baby showers are meant for ladies, but it would be a nice idea to invite daddy’s friends. When this is to happen, it is better to consider the types of foods that will suit everyone. The event is made even better when served with mocktails. Despite the fact that expectant mothers cannot consume alcoholic beverages, that does not mean they should not be served. These can be done in pubs or at a different venue.
Baby showers can still be done for the second and third children. Where this is the case, one can just plan a party for “Mums only” focusing on her gifts. This is because she might not need many baby items since she can use those from the previous baby showers. Guests can bring gifts such as maternity dresses, among others.
It is rare to see kids attending baby showers. If this is the second or third baby shower, it would be logical to invite kids so that they can welcome their new baby.
Baby showers can also be sophisticated when the guests record a nice story during the occasion. This can be applicable to friends and family members who are absent during the event. This recording is then stored and can be shown to the baby. The baby will have lasting memories, even when those recorded are not available.
Giving out favors at baby showers gives a perfect ending. There are various ways to give favors. For example, a guest can make a craft or a drawing. Most guests tend to bring cards to baby showers. These cards mostly end up in trash bins. It would be a great idea if they wrote an interesting congratulatory note in a book. This would be easier to preserve, and the book would be used for many years to come. It is also interesting when you pile up these book collections after the event.
The baby shower happens one and a half months prior to the baby’s expected birth.
It should be thrown by a close female relative or friend.
Baby showers are usually two to four hours long.
You can hold a baby shower party wherever you want. Make sure it is safe.
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