How to host a baby shower

Your friend is having a baby! That means it’s time to start planning the baby shower. The first thing you’re going to want to do for this celebration is recruit help. Trying to organize the whole event by yourself will not only be stressful but also  costly. Get a group of four or five other ladies together and delegate who is covering what task.

Invites
The baby shower invitations are one of the first items to take care of, so be sure to give this job to someone who isn’t a procrastinator. You’ll want the cards to match the mom-to-be’s style so go with her favorite color or baby animal on the cover. When choosing the right card and wording for the invites, make sure you also keep the entire guest list in mind. For instance, you wouldn’t want to put an inside joke on the card that only a few people are going to understand. You want everyone to be excited about the event, so try to get a card that is beautiful and will have everyone appreciating the invite.

Games
This is always a hard one to figure out, and, again, depends on who is is getting an invite to the celebration. If it’s a group of close friends, you can probably get away with more types of games, but if there are family members coming, be sure to keep the entertainment appropriate. Bingo is a classic game that many people enjoy playing and works well with a baby shower. To incorporate it into the event, print bingo sheets with popular baby gifts listed on them. As the guest of honor starts unwrapping presents, have guests mark the items on their bingo sheet. For instance, the card could list items like books, bibs, pacifiers or blankets. When one of these gifts is opened, a guest can put down a marker. Regular bingo rules apply for winning.

Food
Don’t just set out bags of chips and soda at the baby shower. Really get into the festivities by creating fun treats for guests to enjoy. If the party has a theme, make treats that match. For example, if the shower colors are pink and gold, dip strawberries in pink almond bark and drizzle a gold frosting in a zigzag pattern over the top. Or, if the momma-to-be really likes giraffes, have a cake specially made that looks like the baby animal. Fun treats are an excellent way to get guests excited and add a little extra decoration to the space.

Decorations
Creative snacks will give the room an extra flare, but don’t let it stop there. Hang streamers and blow up balloons to give it a party feel. You can also place a centerpiece on each table that matches the event’s colors. The centerpiece can either be a regular decoration, like a vase and flowers, or baby themed, with a spray-painted baby bottle and paper-made baby booties. The event is meant to be fun, so make sure you’re creative with the adornments.

Favors
When the whole thing is said and done, leave your guests with a nice reminder of their time with a party favor. A few fun ideas could include a pedicure in a jar or homemade sugar scrubs. You can also make the favors match the shower theme, so if the event had a garden or plant motif, send guests home with a small succulent. It’ll be fun that the favor goes so well with the theme, and people will remember the celebration every time they look at the plant.