How to plan the perfect baby shower

Perfect planning

Pick a theme for the shower. Ideally the theme matches the baby?s room d?cor, name or colors selected by the parents-to-be.

Provide as much information as you can on the invites?? without being too wordy. Or encourage guests to contact you with any questions about gifts, directions, etc.

Take into consideration the pregnant mom?s cravings, food allergies or personal preferences of guests and always make sure you offer lots of water.

A thank you from the mom and baby is always a nice touch, but you don?t have to go overboard. A wrapped cookie with personalized message will do just fine.

Tip

It?s nice to plan a baby shower with multiple people for financial reasons, but try to limit the amount of people involved to avoid potential conflicts.

Baby shower themes and decor ideas >>

Location, location

Think outside the box when it comes to picking a location. A baby shower doesn?t have to take place at a friend or family member's home. Think about where the mom-to-be likes to frequent:

• The pregnant mom?s favorite restaurant.
• A restaurant that serves all the foods she craves.
• A spa that offers pregnancy massages (go in with the guests to treat the mom-to-be!)
• A resort ballroom or reception area.
• A rooftop bar?? during the day.

Baby shower activities

The popular ?decorate a onesie? craft is always good because onesies are a practical gift.

Tip: Provide guests with stencils to help out the non-artists of the group.

It?s always nice to leave the mom and baby with something personalized and practical? Here's another creative idea for a baby shower activity.

Tip: String twine or ribbon across a wall with clothespins nearby. When the guests finish decorating their quilt square, have them hang the squares from the line to display and dry.

Baby shower quilt

• Enlist the help of a seamstress?? or if someone planning or attending the shower can sew, even better!
• If there?s a theme for the quilt, print up an explanation and display it in a simple picture frame next to the craft project.
• Set out a variety of fabric markers and encourage the guests to decorate a quilt square.
• After the baby shower, sew the quilt together.

Keepsake gifts for baby

Keepsake gifts are a popular trend for baby showers, especially if the parents skip the baby registry route.

Book for Baby: Ask the guests to bring a book for the new baby with a personal message written inside.

Parenting quotes: Compile advice and quotes from party attendees to help comfort, support and make the new parents laugh. Provide the guests with a journal at the shower, but inform them about the idea ahead of time so they have some time to think about what they want to write.

The finishing touches

Always think about how you can help the mom-to-be. Create less work and more time for her to relax, enjoy and relish in the love and support from her friends and family.

Arrange a table complete with envelopes near the exit of the shower. Have guests write their name and address on the envelopes so the mom-to-be can write her thank you cards and send them off. If you really want to be helpful, place stamps on the envelopes, too!

In addition to helping the mom-to-be get the gifts to her home, offer to stay after the shower to help the parents assemble any baby gifts and dispose of trash or recycle boxes.

5 Stress-free ways to keep baby memories >>

More on baby showers

How to throw a baby shower for a third-time mom
Creative baby shower themes
Baby shower alternatives for second babies and beyond

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