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| Baby Showers |
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The birth of a baby is an exciting time for the new parents
and a baby shower is a great way to celebrate that joy and to show support.
Are you ready to host the best baby shower ever but don't know where to
start? Baby showers are fun, but planning one can be tedious. In this
article we'll cover the basics to get you started. |
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So who should host the baby shower?
Traditionally, only
non-relatives are to host a baby shower -- co-workers, church groups,
etc.; however, it has become more common and acceptable for mothers and
sisters to host showers too. The important thing is that someone take
the initiative to host the shower -- what a wonderful display of caring
for a growing family and a special way to help welcome a new life into
the world. It is also perfectly acceptable for more than one person to
host a baby shower. It can be fun for a group of friends to share the
responsibilities and excitement of planning and hosting this special event.
When it comes to inviting guests,you likely have some idea of those
you want to invite to the shower, but it is always a safe bet to run the
guest list by the mom-to-be to ensure you haven't left anyone out.
You can invite guests via a phone call or an e-mail (be sure they check
their mail regularly!), but the written invitation is still the most preferable
way to kick off a shower. You can even find baby shower ecard invitations
online. Just do a simple search online and I'm sure you'll find one. No
matter what type of invitation you use, be sure to include pertinent information
-- whether it regards a theme, a note of where the mom-to-be has registered,
a map or written directions to the shower, or any special item you want
the guests to bring for the mom.
Showers are normally given a month or two before the mom's due date.
It's a good idea to give the mom enough time following the shower to shop
for items she didn't receive, yet wants to have before the baby arrives.
And of course you don't want to hold the shower too close to baby's due
date in case he or she makes an early arrival!
Baby showers are normally held in the home of the hostess.
If desired
though, you can certainly host a shower at a church fellowship area, a
favorite restaurant, or even at a banquet hall -- it really all depends
on what atmosphere you are looking for and how much money you want to
spend. If the shower will be held in a restaurant, make reservations at
least two weeks prior to the date. At one- week prior, one of the organizers
should speak with the manager to confirm the details.
The shower should last around one and a half to two hours.
Things may
wind down early or they may likely continue on as guests chat together.
There are many variations on showers, but we have devised a general "schedule"
for baby showers. You can add/remove any part and re-order it to your
liking.
Greet Guests - serve light appetizers.
After all or almost all guests have arrived, go around the room and have
each guest introduce themselves and identify how they know the mother-to-be.
Play 2-4 Shower Games.
It is good to play games at the beginning as ice-breakers.
Remember some guests may not know *anyone* but the mother-to-be.
Let everyone go get whatever food may be available and then once everyone
has been served, the mother-to-be can begin to open her gifts. Be sure
to have someone write down each gift and who it is from. It will make
sending thank-you notes a lot easier.
People chat and usually leave a few at a time.
Make sure the mother-to-be
gets to say goodbye to everyone and the hostess thanks the person for
attending. If the hostess has shower favors, they should give this to
the guest now.
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