by Paola Fanutti

Created on: May 18, 2008   Last Updated: July 18, 2008

The stork is about to present a wonderful bundle of joy, due to arrive in the next few months. The little bambino/a is certainly worthy of a celebration and holding a baby shower for an expectant mother is a memorable way to welcome the addition of the little one.

Baby showers, as fun as they are to attend and host, nonetheless require planning, and a bit of creativity and imagination. If you are the host, themes, decorations, games, food and gift ideas should be among the many topics on your party planning checklist.

THEMES

The most obvious shower theme will be the tiny tot and mom. But selecting a decorative theme streamlines the decor and games, and helps guests select appropriate gifts.

Common baby shower themes include nursery rhymes, Winnie the Pooh, Disney characters, MacDonald's Farm animals, or Baby Firsts. If the mother is having twins, consider a Noah's Ark theme, which centers around pairs. If the baby's sex is known, try a "Little Prince" or "Little Princess" fairy tale theme.

If the mother has not yet selected a name, the theme can be "helping the mother select a name." For a stressed out mother, center your shower around "pampering the mom." Theme ideas are countless, so select a theme that best represents the personality of the mother.

INVITATIONS AND THANK YOUS

If you have selected a theme, select matching invitation and thank-you stationary. Lots of pre-designed invites available, with images of storks, babies, carriages, or teddy bears can match multiple themes. Also consider designing your own creative stationary, with perhaps a baby picture of the mother herself on the invite.

In the invitation, be sure to include the shower location (with map), start/end time, RSVP deadline, organizer's name and phone number, the selected theme and any gift suggestions. Also indicate if the shower is a surprise, to avoid latecomers. If the mother has registered at a store for her gift list, include the store and registry number.

After the shower, any thank you notes that you choose to send should closely resemble the original invite, and contain handwritten, heart felt messages, thanking the attendee for her/her presence and gift.

COSTS AND FOOD

A baby shower be can simple or sophisticated, depending on planning, number of guests, location and budget. When budgeting for the shower, be sure to consider the cost of food, prizes, decoration, favors and stationary. Many games involve supplies like diapers, pictures, or dolls that must also be purchased, so factor

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>