Things to Do for a Baby Shower
When a mommy-to-be reaches her third trimester, you want to plan a baby shower for her to receive baby gifts, play games and enjoy conversation with family and close friends. Baby showers are typically held one to two months before the baby's due date. You can plan a surprise party for mommy-to-be or let her in on your planning and get her input on the theme, food and guest list.
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Decide on a Host and Guest List
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The first step to planning a baby shower, is to choose the host. Select one person who you can rely on, or a small group of people to handle the planning. You also want to put together a guest list, by first deciding if it will be for women only or co-ed, then decide how many people you want to invite. In general, a baby shower is for family and close friends, but ask the mommy-to-be first about who she would like to invite.
Choose a Venue
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Once you know how many people to invite, you can choose a venue based on that number. Have your baby shower at the host's home or if the guest list is too large, choose another venue like a banquet hall. Most living communities like apartments, condos or mobile homes, offer a clubhouse to have parties. Find out ahead of time how much of a deposit you will need, and if amenities like tables, chairs and kitchen and restroom access are provided.
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Choose a Theme and Decorations
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Most baby showers follow a specific theme. Ask the mommy-to-be what her theme preference is. If this is a surprise baby shower, ask the husband, mother or her closest friends for ideas on what she might like. Some baby shower themes include rubber ducks, zoo animals and Disney princesses. The theme will largely depend on the gender of the baby. Decorations can be found at a party supply store within any theme you choose. For inexpensive decorations, check your local discount or dollar store.
Food and Drink
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Decide on the types of food and drink that will be served, before sending out the invitations. This way you can be specific about this detail on the invitations. Choose between serving a full lunch, finger foods and appetizers, or dessert only. For a full lunch, hire a caterer or designate a group of people to help with the cooking. Some appetizers and finger foods for baby showers include chips and dip, hummus and pita bread, cold pasta salads and cucumber sandwiches. For the drinks, offer a variety of options like punch, juice, bottled water, soda, tea and coffee.
Send out the Invitations
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Choose the invitations and send them out three to four weeks before the baby shower. This allows guests enough time to send in a RSVP about whether or not they can attend, and to choose a gift. Be clear on the invitation about who is invited (how many guests, and if it is co-ed), the date and time of the baby shower, what types of food will be served (lunch, appetizers or dessert only) and where the mommy-to-be is registered. Request an RSVP from each guest, and call the ones that don't send in their RSVP so you can get a head count for food planning.
Games and Prizes
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Plan the games that will be played at the baby shower, and designate prizes for the winners. One baby shower game is Guess the Mommy's Tummy Size, where each guests cuts off a piece of string that they think would fit around the mommy-to-be's tummy. The person who gets the closest to her actual size, wins. Play the Memory Game by putting an array of baby items on a tray like a bottle, pacifier, baby shampoo and diaper. Let the guests look at the tray for 30 seconds, then remove it and have them each write down every item that was on the tray. The guest who gets the most correct, wins a prize.
Party Favors
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Choose party favors to offer your guests as a way to commemorate this event. Baby shower party favors include store-bought items like scented candles, or homemade items like baby bootie cups. Baby bootie cups are made with Styrofoam cups, ribbon, scissors and nail polish. The Styrofoam cups are cut and folded in the shape of a bootie (see Resources). The ribbon is inserted into the bootie by first hole-punching it, then lacing the ribbon through the holes. These bootie cups are filled with snacks or any other favor items.
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