Baby Showers (Part II) – Getting Ready

Once the date has been chosen, the guest list has been created and the invitations have been mailed, the fun stuff begins.  This is the part where the creative planning begins. 

First, choose a theme.  If the mother-to-be knows the gender of her baby, going with an “It’s A Boy!” or “It’s A Girl!” theme is always a good idea.  Or, if the nursery theme has already been determined, it can be used as a theme for the shower as well (I had a “Noah’s Ark” shower for my first child, and the table decorations were given to me afterward to use as nursery decor - it was WONDERFUL!).  Of course, if the mother has chosen not to reveal the gender of the child or hasn’t chosen a nursery theme, there are still loads of themes that are perfect for the occasion.  Neutral colors, such as yellow, green, denim or red always work well.  Umbrellas, booties and diapers make great theme ideas, too.

Then, it is time to decide on a menu.  If you are planning your shower around a meal, try to include foods that are simple to prepare and serve.  Confer with the expecting mother to see if there are certain foods that may not be acceptable right now.  If your party is more of an afternoon or brunch occasion, keep your foods light.  Finger sandwiches and fruit or vegetable trays are always easy to put together and will serve the purpose perfectly.  Non-alcoholic drinks and punch are perfect refreshments as well.  Chips and dips, crackers and spreads are also good choices for snacks.  And, don’t forget a central dessert-type item.  Petit-fours are a wonderfully different way to serve cake at a shower, or go with a sheet cake, specialty cookies, or a dessert of choice from the guest of honor.  Having it decorated to fit the theme of the shower ties the food in nicely to the rest of the event.

Finally, be sure to plan out your time for the shower.  Have an activity for guests to do when they arrive, or invite them to enjoy some of the food and to socialize for a bit at the beginning.  Plan on about 30 minutes to ensure everyone’s arrival and time to visit with each other.  Then, try and plan on a couple of games for the guests to play.  A good resource for games are other, more seasoned moms, or try our site for ideas for baby shower games.  After a couple of fun games, plan to serve some dessert and allow the guest of honor to unwrap her gifts.  Any time left can be spent visiting and munching.