Shopping for Baby at GoToBaby:

Luxury Embroidered Robe
Overstuffed Tote Boy
Overstuffed Tote Girl
Plush Personalized Blankets
Porcelain Limoges
The Personal 1
The Ultimate Monkey
The Ultimate Moon and Stars
The Ultimate Puppy Boy
The Ultimate Puppy Girl
The Ultimate Sports
Ultimate Sweat Suit
Baseball Bat Plaque
Beautiful Burp Cloths
Girls Roll Neck Sweater

Invitations- Create your own Invitations with these unique ideas:

Embroider a Rattle on card stock. Fold a plain piece of card stock and pencil draw a rattle shape on the front. Using a thumbtack or needle, punch holes along the design at 1/2 inch intervals. Using Embroidery floss, backstitch through the holes. Enter the party deatils o the inside.

Shake it up, Baby – Write party details on card stock and attach to inexpensive plastic baby rattles. These can be mailed in padded envelopes or small boxes.

Make your own paper rattle invitations – Cut out 4 circles and 2 handles out of card stock for each invitation. Write party details on one of the circles. Pour a smal amount of rice on the center of the other circle and squeeze glue around the outside. Set the rattle handle in the glue at the bottom of the circle and press the outer circle on top of the first. Add a small bow to the handle. These can be mailed in padded envelopes as well.

Gift Ideas for this Baby Shower theme -

Invite your guests to bring gifts that either shake, rattle or roll.

Create personal keepsakes by creating custom photframes with miniature rattles attached. 

Decorations and Centerpiece Ideas -

Decorate the tables with things that roll – balls, toy trains, pull toys, small baby carriages.

Decorate the food or gift table with a rattle tree. Can be done using a sturdy branch that has many smaller branches. Clean it and spray paint it to match your party colors. Secure it into bottom of large pot, using either baby blanket or fake grass at bottom to conceal. Hang rattles of different shapes and sizes on to the branches, or invite your guests to bring some with them and hang on to give to mother and baby.

Making “rattles” out of small dessert plates. This can be done if everyone will be sitting at a single table when eating their simple appetizers. Not recommended if they are sitting around the room with plates on their laps.

Baby Shower Party Favors – Give out inexpensive items that can shake, rattle and roll. For example, salt and pepper shakers or back massagers.

Party Recipes and Cake Ideas -

Make Popcorn ball rattles. Make popcorn balls as usal but insert a popsicle stick into 2 of them and attach as a rattle. Wrap in theme-colored celephane and tie with ribbon.

Make Oreo Cookie Rattles – using DoubleStuff Oreo cookies, make your own rattles. Once attached with popsicle sticks (or candy stick), dip in melted chocolate (colored to match theme colors, if desired).

Serve salami rolls, milk or fruit shakes, spring rolls, fruit cut into ball shapes, cinammon rolls, etc

Cake Idea – Shake, Rattle and Roar at Wiltons

1.  Share your ideas with the Mom-To-Be. This does not work if you’re planning a surprise shower, but most women with swollen ankles, sleepless nights and frequent Dr’s appts do not really want to be surprised).

2.  Give your party some personality. Using the Mom-To-Be’s interests, quirky sense of humor or nursery theme can really liven the party up. Can also be based on an activity.

3. Set a date and time for the Baby Shower. If the party is before the birth, 4 to 6 weeks before the due date is a good time frame. If its an after-birth Baby Shower, then it should be at least 1 month afterwards.

4. Set a budget. Determine priorities and restrictions. Co-hosts should all be in agreement and willing to share the costs involved.

5. Make your guest list. Your venue could determine this, otherwise be sure to work with the Mom-To-Be to get everyone invited.

6. Secure your venue. If going out, be sure they have all necessary items (rentals, gift tables, etc).

7. Start searching for party goods, favors and decorations. I bet you can guess who we suggest for these items, right? ) 

ReasonToParty has your Baby Shower party supplies!

8. Plan the menu. If you can, choose no-fuss foods that can be made ahead of time. The menu is also dependant upon the location, the time of day, the theme and any diet restrictions.

9. Prepare the invitations. Be sure they include the date, time and location. Include the RSVP date and phone number and any special instructions and/or a map to venue.

10. Relax and Enjoy! If you have fun, the guests will too! Nothing is ever perfect, its best to go with the flow. Chances are, your guests wont notice and will have a great time!

Tools:
8 x 2 in. Round Pan
Fondant Ribbon Cutter/Embosser Set
Brush Set
Wide Glide™ Rolling Pin
Roll and Cut Mat
Easy-Glide Fondant Smoother
10 in. Round Silver Cake Base
Cake Dividing Set
Disposable Decorating Bags
Wooden Dowel Rods
Paring knife
Tissue

Ingredients:
White Ready-To-Use Rolled Fondant (24 oz. pk. needed)
Gum-Tex™
Rolled Fondant Pastel Colors Multi Packs (2 pks. needed)
Buttercream Icing
Cornstarch

In advance: Make 2 bow loops each in pastel pink, blue, green and yellow and 1 center loop in green (add 1/2 teaspoon of Gum-Tex to each color) for fondant bow. Roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick and cut the following loop strips using using zigzag cutting wheels and 1/2 in. spacers from Ribbon Cutter/Embosser set (you can use 3 wheels and 2 spacers to cut 2 strips at once). Cut 1 green center loop, 4 1/2 in. long and the remaining strips 6 1/2 in. long. Shape center and loops, supporting with crushed tissue and let dry. Reserve remaining fondant. To make curliques: Roll out fondant 1/16 in. thick on Roll & Cut Mat lightly dusted with cornstarch. Cut into thin strips. Loosely wrap strips several times around a dowel rod to form curls. Let set 5 to 10 minutes. Slide curl off dowel rod and let dry. Attach to cake with damp brush.

Click Here for Cake Decorating Tools and Supplies by Wilton, available at joann
Recipe Provided by Wilton. 

Tags: baby shower cake ideas,baby shower,baby shower them,party ideas,themed ideas,baby shower parties,baby shower cakes

Traditionally, a close female friend (not a relative) throws the Baby Shower and invites all of the female family members and close friends of the Mother-To-Be. But, times are changing and these days anyone can plan and host the Baby Shower. Men are now often included in Couples Baby Showers!

The Guest List

While throwing a surprise Baby Shower would be fun and exciting, be sure you consider every drawback to this idea. What if you are missing people on the Guest List? What if the date turns out not to be convenient for the most important Guests?

Most Mother-To-Bes would probably enjoy knowing of the Baby Shower so she can assist with the Guest List. Have her and the Father-To-Be offer names of those important people who should be included.

Location, Location, Location!

The time of year and the number of guests attending the Baby Shower will help you determine the location. It can be held at your home, a reception hall, a favorite restaurant (reserve several tables or a party room), a park if there will be children attending, or for a small, intimate day with the girls – why not make it a day of pampering at a spa ?

When calling locations, be sure to ask: Is it available the day you need it, how many people can they accomodate, what does the price include and who is responsible for clean up.

When To Have the Baby Shower

If you are having a pre-birth Baby Shower, you will want to schedule it at approx 2 months before the due date. More and more people are now having a post-birth Baby Shower and you would want to do this approx one month after the baby is born.

A post-birth Baby Shower is a great way for all family and friends to see the new bundle of joy and shower the new baby with love and gifts.

Theme or No Theme?

Many people select to use a theme for their Baby Shower for the ease of planning. A themed Baby Shower makes the planning easier on the hostess as she can use this to base her invitations, decorations, games and party favors around.

The guests will usually be grateful for a theme to dictate the type of gift they should bring.

Click here to see a list of Baby Shower Themes

Baby Shower Games

A good rule is that a 2 hour Baby Shower should include 3 games or activities. This leaves time for opening gifts, eating and socializing and well-wishes. If the party is smaller, you could add more games.

Because the games are one of the higlights of a Baby Shower, do not wait until the last minute to determine what games will be played. Find them early or better yet, select a person that will be attending to be the Game Coordinator and let them be in charge of this task.  They can be in charge of the ideas, the needed materials and the prizes.

Click here to see a list of our Baby Shower Games at ReasonToParty

Baby Shower Invitations

Be sure to send the invitations out approx 3 weeks prior to the Baby Shower. Be sure to include any special instructions or directions to the party location.

Baby Shower Food and Drink Ideas

The easiest way to serve food at a Baby Shower is by providing finger foods setup on trays around the party room.  This encourages guests to mingle and is also easier than providing a meal and a place for everyone to sit at a table.

You can either prepare the food yourself, cater the party or contact your local grocery store for prepared deli meat, cheese, fruit and vegetable trays.

Click here to see our Recipes Page

For drinks, be sure to include caffeine-free and non-alcoholic drinks!!

Baby Shower Party Favors

The party favors are a tradition to send home with guests so they can remember this special day. If you are using a theme for your Baby Shower, then the party favors will be easier to select because they can be theme-related.

For example, if you are hosting a ‘Sweet Dreams’ themed Baby Shower, then the party favors could be herbal tea packets, easy listening CDS, etc.  A Luau Baby Shower could offer party favors such as leis or silk flowers.

To find even more Baby Shower Ideas, click here!

Enjoy your Baby Shower!

Tags: baby shower themed ideas,baby shower ideas,baby showers,baby shower party planning,planning tips,tips,planning help