Journal Entry

Planning a baby shower

Pregnancy is a wonderful time to celebrate with your friends as you look forward to the new addition to your family. The best way to share the joy is to plan a baby shower! Baby showers can be loads of fun, but a great deal of care must go into the planning. From developing a creative theme to ordering a specialty cake, you’ll need a solid plan of action to make sure you have everything you need for your special occasion. Getting organized early will be important for success, and you may need the help of a few friends to put your baby shower together.

Pick a date for your baby shower

Choosing a date for the shower is the first step. After letting everyone know about your pregnancy, it’s time to set the date for a formal celebration and encourage guests to share the exciting moment! You’ll want to set the date at least three to four months in advance so you can start planning.

Choose your theme

The second step in organizing your baby shower is to select a theme. You’ll want to pick something that fits your personality and style and is creative enough to stand apart from the usual parties and get-togethers. Baby shower themes can revolve around Disney, Sesame Street or animated characters such as Winnie the Pooh, or you can opt for a simpler, more traditional party with teddy bears and nursery rhymes. Some mothers-to-be celebrate their pregnancy with a ‘modern mom’ theme to turn it into a special pampering and style session. Whatever theme you decide, you’ll be using coordinating pieces for decorations and games for the party ahead.

Send out the invitations

The next step is sending out invitations to your guests. You’ll need to send out baby shower invitations at least three to four weeks in advance, giving your guests plenty of time to RSVP. Baby shower invitations can be purchased at most gift and card stores or even customized and purchased online. If you’re trying to cut down on expenses during your pregnancy, consider making the invitations yourself. All it takes is a few hours of assembling note cards with decorations to add a personal touch to your entire event. You may also do this for the ‘thank you’ cards after the event—you’ll need to send a thank you note to all guests who attend and bring gifts, so stock up on supplies as early as you can.

Finding delicious treats

The fourth step of planning involves choosing the menu and cake. You can choose to have your menu catered by a local restaurant or specialty food company or you can put together a unique menu you’ve developed yourself—with the help of friends and family, of course! Pick out a few of your favorite refreshments and consider how they can fit with your baby shower theme. The baby shower cake will be the centerpiece of your table, so take the time to consider what this will look like. The most common baby shower cakes are designed as baby bibs and toys, but you can put your own creative spin on the design for something truly unique.

Baby shower games and decorating

The final steps of planning your baby shower involve choosing a few games and decorating your party space for the event. Baby shower games are a longstanding tradition, evolving from simple charades to complex guessing games and trivia challenges. Be creative and choose at least one or two games to keep guests entertained during the celebration. You’ll need to spend a few hours decorating the room for your event. Plan on sharing the responsibility with a few friends or family members so you don’t have to handle all the physical stresses of decorating during your pregnancy!

Charge up your camera!

As friends and family members get together to celebrate your pregnancy, make efforts to capture the moment! Stock up on batteries for the camera and any special equipment you need to get a few video clips of your baby shower. It’s a great excuse to snap a few candid photos and share the day with your newborn and family in the coming years!

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