Throwing a Baby Shower

You want to throw a baby shower for your best friend, but you don't know how to go about it? You want it to be the best baby shower ever, but you don't have a clue about where to begin and where to end, and to top it off, not even a single bit about what it entails to throw a baby shower. You want it to be a party that no one will forget for a long time to come, but not so expensive either that you'll be worrying about the expenses incurred for days to come. What then? How to solve all the riddling doubts? The questions will be answered in the following article.

Checklist for a Baby Shower

Here is a list of things that will solve the confusion that you are facing and help you plan the shower better.

• Make a List - Make a list of all the guests. Call a close family member of the mother-to-be and ask how many people will be coming for the shower. This is the first step in throwing a baby shower.
• Budget - Prepare a budget. Calculate the number of people attending the party and roughly allot $ 20 as the expense for each person. Try not to exceed the decided budget amount as far as possible.
• Venue - Finalize the venue. Unless it is going to be held at your house or in the garden, you need to make bookings for a restaurant or party hall.
• Timings - Fix a time in consultation with the mother-to-be. The timing has to be convenient for her.
• Invitations - Send out the invites at least 2-3 weeks before. Specify the timings, venue and don't forget to add the RSVP.
• Color Scheme - Choose a color scheme. A color scheme like cream and green or if you know it is a girl, then a pink and white scheme would be good. The decorations, plates, paper wipes can all be according to this color scheme.
• Theme - This is not a compulsion. Many people nowadays, don't fix any theme when throwing a baby shower. But if you choose to have one in order to have some fun, then decide what kind. If it is a women-only shower then you have scope to have more feminine themes like spas, makeovers or tea party. If there are men at the shower, they will not enjoy this.
• Centerpiece and Gift Table - Think of unique ways on how to make a centerpiece. You can make a huge bundle of the diapers, bibs, etc., and place it in the center. Then secure it with a ribbon. Also make sure you arrange for a huge table where all the gifts will be placed. This will add to your theme as well.
• Games - Plan some games for the shower. This is possibly the most important part of a baby shower. The games will depend on the kind of theme it is. If it's a fun theme, then the games will be noisy, but if it's a tea party, then the games might just be something that is played around the table.
• Food - Decide if you are having a brunch or a evening tea party or a late evening party. The type of food you make or buy will depend on this. You can have elaborate dinner plans or have finger foods. Once this is decided, place an order for the food at least a week before. Also decide if you are making some of the things at home or are sharing the preparations with some friends.
• Return Gifts - Plan the return gifts well (if you are having any). These should complement the theme of the party well.

Baby Shower on a Budget

Granted she's your best friend and you want only the best for her, but who says only spending moolah is going to drive that point home? Not needed at all. Why not splurge on the gift and let the party be a cozy, comfortable meeting, as opposed to the unnecessary extravaganza instead? She'll be thrilled to see all her close friends coming together and she definitely won't mind a simple party. So how do you go about it? Follow our lead.

• Make a list of all the guests beforehand. Knowing exactly how many guests there are will help you plan better and save on extra expenses.
• Buy cards at a wholesale store rather than getting them at an expensive cards shop. This way you'll save on a lot of money.
• You can also buy all the raw materials needed, like fancy paper, markers, ribbons and make simple cards by yourself.
• Let the guests RSVP. This will tell you what supplies you need beforehand and the purchasing can be planned properly.
• Make all the dishes at home. This will save a lot of money.
• If it is a small group, you can suggest a pot luck idea, where each one will get a dish. That way the work will get distributed and the expenses too.
• Instead of calling a professional decorator, decorate the place yourself.

Ideas for Arranging a Baby Shower -

• Watch Videos - Play a marathon of baby movies like Baby's day out or Junior. It will be highly entertaining.
• Relate Stories - Have all the mothers at the party relate a funny incident about child care. This is a great way to have a few laughs and pass on the knowledge to the mother-to-be.
• Unique Games - Play some unique games like Pin the baby, or Baby mad ad libs. One the best is, get baby pictures of all those present there and make the mother-to-be guess them.

So there you go. Hope that I helped solve some doubts that you were harboring about throwing a baby shower. So go ahead and plan that perfect shower for her and you'll probably earn your title as the 'most favorite aunt'.