You’ve been nominated to host a baby shower. Your first thought (or possibly second, after the novelty of the honor has worn off) is most likely that of panic and/or dread. Don’t worry, that does not make you a bad person. It just makes you normal.
Baby Shower Hosting 101
First, congratulate yourself on a job well done. Somebody loves and trusts you enough to do this for them. That’s a great thing! Second, get out a piece of paper and a pen and start planning the dang thing!
Invitations are an absolute must (and really, this is no brainer, but I had to include it in the process). Get the invitations mailed about two weeks before the shower so that guests have time to plan for attendance. The last thing in the world you want is to have absent guests because they found out about it too late.
You can find cute invitations at any party store, or you can make your own. There are a lot of different options when it comes to this and there is no right or wrong way. One thing worth mentioning though is to make sure you keep an extra invitation for the mommy-to-be. She will love to have it in her baby book.
The venue is the next important part of hosting a baby shower. You don’t want the guests to be too cramped, so plan accordingly. If your house is large enough to accommodate the guest list, then perfect! If not, then you will probably need to look into alternative venue sites. Outside baby showers work well if the weather permits.
Another thing to take into account is the prep work and clean up after the event. Yes, you’ll need to clean your house for this.
Decorations are one of the best ways to make a shower memorable. You can go all out and buy fancy decorations, or you can keep it simple by just getting a few pink or blue table clothes and centerpieces. Plates, cups and napkins can also be included in the decoration part because they also give that added touch. Streamers or balloons also work well for baby shower decorations.
Food and drinks should be served, but you don’t have to prepare an entire meal. Plan the shower for an between meal time and you’ll be good to go with just serving appetizers or finger foods. Iced tea and lemonade make perfectly acceptable drinks.
Favors are also a great thing to have because it really shows your guests they were appreciated. It’s a nice thing to send your guests on their way with a little trinket of appreciation. Little candy bags work great for this. You can even personalize the favors with the new baby or mommy-to-be’s name, date, etc.
Games are great to play because they tend to turn a boring event into an event that at least keeps moving. They also help to break the ice for those guests who don’t know each other. Some ideas of baby shower games are the dirty diaper game and the rice game. Very easy to play, and very fun!
Hosting a baby shower can be a daunting task, but if you keep things in perspective and take good notes and check off the items as you plan them, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the result.