Baby Shower Planning/ Tips/ Ideas |
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Swanky Chicks Guide to Baby Shower Planning
The task of hosting a baby shower may seem like a daunting one but Swanky Chicks is here with our Baby Shower Planning Tips to help you become a Swanky Hostess!
Choose a Date
The first step in planning any baby shower is to choose a date. Sit down with your calendar, and the Mom to Be several months prior to her due date. Compare your schedules to find several dates that are available for you both. You may also want to consider the schedules of her immediate family members as well to narrow the selection down. You will want to choose a date for the baby shower that is one to three months prior to her due date. Everyone attending the shower wants to see mom's growing belly but we don't want her going into early labor or being in her last uncomfortable weeks at her baby shower.
Budget
Now that you have choosen a date, lay out a budget for the shower. Your budget can be anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Don't feel like you have to break the bank to host a baby shower! Create a budget that is feasible for your situation. We have great DIY ideas every Wednesday on the Swanky Blog to help you create a great baby shower with out spending a fortune. Determining your budget will help you begin to make several major planning decisions for the shower.
Guest List
Time to make some decisions, start with the W's, Who, What, Where, When. By now you know the what and when, you need to choose your who. Determine the number of people you are comfortable hosting, and ask your Mom-to-Be to begin compiling a list of people she would like at the baby shower. This day is all about her and her new bundle of joy, you want to make sure that the most important people in her life are included. The number of guests will let you know just how far you can stretch your budget. You may be able to host a smaller shower at a spa or favorite brunch spot. Larger baby showers may need to be hosted at a home or local park so that you can make the budget work.
Location, Location
You have a guest list now what? Choose your location. Are you comfortable hosting the baby shower at your home? Would you rather not do the cooking and cleaning?
Hosting a baby shower at your home is the most budget friendly choice and will allow you to spend more of your budget on decorating, favors, and invitations.
Ideas for hosting a baby shower outside the home:
Brunch/ Lunch at a local resturant- make sure that they can accomodate your party. Try to look for a resturant with a private patio, or seperate room for large parties, it will make your shower feel much more intimate.
Reserve a spot at your local park, they usually have covered areas with picnic tables that you can reserve ahead of time. Note: Sometimes there is a small fee.
Plan a spa day, it doesn't have to be facials and massages. A budget friendly spa day could be a mani or pedi. The idea here is to get mom to be and her closest friends and family together for a day of relaxation and celebration.
Resorts or Country Clubs are also a great place to host a baby shower, the best part they take care of the clean up. If the weather is nice you can often have the baby shower out by the pool or the golf course. Resorts and Country Clubs provide a beautiful backdrop for your shower.
Have a couple of places in mind if you will be hosting the shower in a public place. Call as soon as possible and check the availability of the space. If they are available make that reservation right away, the best places book up quickly.
Theme
Congratulations you are well on your way to planning a great baby shower! Now it is time to choose a theme. Your theme can be anything from a color, to a favorite cartoon, or nursery rhyme. Here is a list of some of our favorite baby shower themes.
Color Themes Themes
Blue & Green
Once you have choosen a theme it is time to get to the fun part!
Swanky Chicks has hundreds of baby shower invitation designs to choose from and are sure to have a color or theme you are looking for. Order your invitations about 8 weeks prior to the party. That will give you plenty of time to recieve and approve proofs and have them shipped. Our invitations take 1-2 weeks to arrive at your home depending on how quickly your proofs are approved. You will want to send the baby shower invitations our 4-6 weeks before the party. Save yourself a little time and order return address labels too. Tip: Request that guests RSVP by one to two weeks prior to the shower. This will give you a final head count, and a little time to make any last minute adjustments.
Decorations
A few weeks before the party you will want to start shopping for decorations. If you chose one of our great Baby Shower Themes, order the decorations and invitations at the same time and save on shipping!
Food
Plan a menu for the baby shower, the time for this will vary. If you are working with a resturant or catering company you will need to do this several weeks ahead of time. If you are hosting the baby shower at your home you can plan a menu and shopping list the week before the party. Get creative with the menu. Create a signature non alcoholic drink like pink lemonade for a girl, or ocean water for a boy. Order a cake in the shape of a baby carriage or a cupcake tower in coordinating colors. A hot trend for parties of all kinds is a candy bar. You can buy candy in varying shades to match your theme.
A couple weeks before the baby shower you want to plan a few games for the shower. Baby shower games are a great way to entertain your guests and get them interacting with each other. Games are a key element of a baby shower and a great ice breaker. Here are a few of our favorites.
Bottles Up will have your guests rolling on the floor laughing. Everyone's talking about the new "Bottles Up!" Baby Shower Game. Your guests will have a blast. So fill'em up with a beverage of your choice (for example root(beer)), then get ready to play. On Your Marks - Get Set - GO... see who can drink the fastest beverage out of the baby bottle.
Dirty Diaper Game - There are many variations on this game. The Swanky Chicks version....
How to play:
*Pin a diaper on each guest as they arrive.
*When you are ready to play, have guest look inside their diapers.
*The guest who receives the "Dirty Diaper" is the WINNER!
Candy Bar Baby Shower Game
Make a list of clues for each and have your guests guess which candy bar goes with which clue. The person who guesses the most correctly wins the game. Here are some examples of candy bars with names that relate to babies, parents, and childbirth. Clue examples are in parentheses.
Hundred Grand Bar (cost of college, hospital bill)
Rocky Road (first year of parent hood)
Sugar Babies (nursery full of babies)
Mr. Good Bar (daddy or doctor)
Lifesavers (grandparents or epidural!)
Chunky (pregnant mom)
Mounds (as in pile of dirty laundry or mommy's tummy) You get the idea! Here's a few more. Take a few moments to choose your clues. Be creative.
Pregnancy:
- Pregnant Belly: Chunky Candy Bar
- Conception: Skor
- Contractions: Whoppers or Now and Later
Labor and Delivery:
- Hospital Bills: 100 Grand
- Hospital Nursery: Cry Babies
- Epidurals: Life Savers
- Daddy (or Mommy) During Delivery: Bonkers
Baby's First Few Days:
- Seeing Your Baby: Tear Jerkers
- Postpartum Tummy: Jelly Belly
- Breastfeeding: Milky Way
- Huge Baby: Whoppers
Bringing Baby Home:
- Time Alone: Zero Candy Bar
- Mommy's Lunch (or Sleep) Time: Take Five
- Loving Your Baby: Hugs & Kisses
- Baby Giggles: Snickers
- Lullabies: Symphony
Celebrity Baby Name Game
Give your guests clues about a celeb baby or thier parents and see who can match the name of the baby or thier celeb parent. Ex. Bennifer have a little one blooming at home. Answer: Violet
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