Invitations

Some cute ideas for an invitation to a dinosaur themed shower would be an egg that is getting ready to hatch, or a dinosaur shaped card. Some wording ideas that would be a nice fit for this theme are:

• You are invited to a DINO-MITE baby shower for ……
• Come to the dinosaur nesting grounds and help welcome babysaurus “last name”
• Come to the baby shower in honor of … it will be a rawr-ing good time!

Decorations

Because dinosaur themed parties are popular for children’s birthdays, there are MANY options for decorating that can help make it a fun and prehistoric environment. Some of the ideas are:

• Have dino-sized footprints leading up to the door of the house (location) of the baby shower.
• Have the room(s) decorated with lots of green plants to look like the jungle.
• Green table toppers and dinosaur confetti can help to decorate the area where food is served as well.

Food Ideas

While many of these foods would be appropriate for any type of party, I find it is important to serve items that will coincide with the theme of your shower. For a dinosaur shower some good food ideas are:

• Deviled eggs
• Dinosaur Bones (pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate)
• Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets with a variety of dipping sauces
• Bronto Bites (cocktail meatballs)
• Punch in a bowl designed to look like an erupting volcano
• Dinosaur shaped cake

Favor Ideas

• Candy bars personalized with the shower information on it with a dinosaur theme
• M&Ms in the party theme colors in little eggs
• Small dinosaur stuffed animals with a personalized ribbon with the baby shower information on it
• Gummy Dinosaur snacks in a personalized egg with the shower information on it
• Dinosaur magnets with the shower information on it.

Conclusion

There are many other ideas out there and the internet is a fantastic resource when it comes to planning a party that will be a hit. Keep it simple, but make it fun and your guests will be sure to remember it.

Recommended Resources

The Perfect Gift!

No matter what the sex of the baby, or how many babies, or the theme or season there is one thing that every new parent needs and that is diapers. There are many clever ideas for diaper cakes that will be sure to be a big hit at any baby shower no matter what the theme is. Take a look at some of the creative way to give a gift that is sure to be useful!

Baby Diaper Cake Pictures

Basic White Diaper Cake

Pooh Bear Diaper Cake

Baby Boy Diaper Cake

Halloween Diaper Cake

Giraffe Diaper Cake

Mickey Mouse Diaper Cake

Baby Essentials Diaper Cake

Precious Moments Diaper Cake

Pea Pod Diaper Cake

Classic Diaper Cake

Baby Boy Diaper Cake

The Options Are Endless

As you can see, there are endless options once the creative juices are flowing when it comes to making a diaper cake that everyone will remember and that the parents to be will appreciate. It can be as individual and unique or as basic and classic as you like. Either way, it is sure to please and be a big hit at any baby shower.

Recommended Resources

Baby shower decorations are sold many places. While some people might prefer to shop for these in person, others may prefer to shop online.  There are also manny discount stores available for all of your baby shower needs.

What Decorations Do I Need?

While this question can not be answered the same for everyone there are many items that are pretty much a standard for a festive baby shower. Whether you decide to purchase these or make some of them yourself is up to you.  It also depends on you creative ability. Some the ideas to consider are:

• Balloons
• Streamers
• Napkins
• Plates
• Table Cloth
• Theme Confetti
• Table Toppers
• Banners

Theme Ideas

A craft store is a good place to get inspired if you are looking for ideas. There are many different themes that are popular and are a little more exciting than your basic blue, pink or neutral colors. Some of the more popular themes of today are:

• Footprints
• Safari
• Snoopy
• Classic Pooh
• Precious Moments
• Curious George
• Little Ducky

While these are just a few ideas, there are plenty more out there. The only thing that limits you is your own imagination. Some other things to take into consideration before purchasing or making decorations would be:

• Location of the shower
• Time of day of the shower
• Sex of the baby or babies
• Any particular theme the parents to be prefer

We have many more themes listed in our themes section on our site. There are also some specific decoration ideas mentioned within some of those themes as well as other ideas on how to make the baby shower a success and memorable.

Recommended Resources

Baby showers are a popular way for people to get together to celebrate the upcoming birth of a child. However, sometimes distance becomes a hindrance. It can be hard if the mother-to-be lives far away from friends and family. If this is a problem you’re facing, you should try planning a long distance baby shower. Below are 3 ideas to consider when planning the shower.

Have the party without the guest of honor

This isn’t nearly as cruel as it sounds. Guests should arrive with their gifts unwrapped, which will be wrapped at the party. You can still play the all the typical baby shower games and since the mom-to-be won’t be there you can take the opportunity to tell funny or interesting stories about her. Don’t forget to bring a video camera so you can have each guest say some words of love and support to the future mother. Afterward, you should send everything - the gifts, video, decorations and a piece of cake to the mother-to-be.

Send the gifts directly to the hostess

This is a good idea if all the guest live in different areas. After the hostess receives everything, she can send one big package to the mother-to-be. You can also play games that work through the mail, like “Who Will the Baby Look Like”. Since the hostess will be sending everything in one large shipment, don’t be afraid to suggest that the guest should send smaller gifts that are easy to ship.

Online baby shower

The hostess can register online. Invitations are sent out via email. The guests can then log into the site at their convenience. On the site you’ll be able to leave encouraging messages for the mother-to-me or purchase gifts from her registry. It’s also a good idea to post pictures of the belly, so guest can see the progress of the baby. Don’t worry; the party is by invitation only, so the pictures will be private.

Conclusion

These are just a few ideas to get you started. With a little imagination you’ll be able plan a shower that everyone will love, regardless of the distance that separates friends and family!

Recommended Resources

Many people have trouble finding that perfect baby shower gift. One idea which is personal, yet every baby is guaranteed to love is the gift of music. Not only will music be enjoyable to both the mother and baby, but it also has a practical value that many people overlook.

The benefits of listening to music has on children

Music will offer the following benefits to the baby, both when it’s first born and latter on in life:

• Language skills: Music has been known to help develop both language and vocabulary skills in children.
• Education: By listening to music children will find it easier to memorize facts, learn math and phonics.
• Home life: Different music will stir up different emotions. This can be used to create a positive and nurturing environment around the house.

Studies have shown that early exposure to music can devolve a lifelong appreciation that can extend these benefits into adulthood.

The benefits for the rest of the family

Music also allows for quality family time. Not only is it an excellent alternative to television, but you can still have it play in the background while you’re doing other activities. The following are just a few of the family activities that can be enhanced through music:

• Reading
• Games
• Folding laundry
• Cleaning
• Baking
• Crafts

Even if some of these actives don’t seem like too much fun, music will always make it a more pleasant experience. It’s not uncommon for family members to start singing along when their favorite song is played. While television can sometimes be a distraction, music can enhance the time you spend around the house with your family.

Conclusion

Today there is such a large variety of music available. The internet gives us the opportunity to not only purchase music, but to learn about the artist, and even listen to samples. Since you may be giving it as a gift you want to make sure it will be acceptable to the mother & father.

Recommended Resources

A baby sleep monitor is not only a practical gift that will be used for years, but it’s also important for the safety of the child. It allows mom or dad to hear if the baby cries while it’s sleeping in another room.

The good news is that they are versatile, meaning that they can be used in just about any type of sleeping arraignment. You just need to place the transmitter close to the baby’s crib and the receiver in the living area of the house. Many times they run either on batteries or they’re rechargeable so they’re easily portable.

Types of monitors

The 3 basic types of monitors are as follows:

• Audio: Picks up the baby’s sounds
• Video: You can watch the baby sleep
• Movement: Will go off when there’s any moment in the room

Audio monitors are by far the most popular and least expensive. The only drawback is that there may be some interference with radio or cell phones. However, this can usually be overcome if you make sure you place the monitors away from these objects.

Conclusion

This will practical gift will give the parents piece of mind which is why it makes an excellent gift.

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Baby Clothes Shopping 101

Babies have a knack of getting their clothes filthy; it’s not uncommon for a baby to wear 3-4 outfits a day, not to mention how fast they grow. With all of the cute clothes and little dresses and outfits out there it is easy to see why clothes might be a popular baby gift. However there are things to be considered before making a purchase. When considering what outfits to chose you should consider the following guidelines:

• The gender of the baby. Pink for girls and blue for boys. It is also important to remember that not all parents find out what sex their baby is before the baby arrives so neutral colors like grey and beige are always a good choice.
• Consider ease of changing. The outfit should have easy access to the diaper (like snap crotches) so changes can be as painless as possible.
• If you are going to be buying clothes for the baby to grow into be sure to take into account the seasons. A baby born in June will not be needing a darling short set in December.
• The location of decorative items like snaps & buttons should be considered. While these accessories can be cute, depending on the location, they may also be uncomfortable for the baby. Also buttons can pose a choking hazzard for babies as well.
• Since the mother is bound to get an abundance of newborn clothing & babies grow fast, it’s also a good idea to purchase a 6 - 12 month outfit. This will give the baby something to grow into.
• Consider a gift card to a baby clothing store in lieu of an outfit. This will allow the parents to choose something they find appropriate for their new baby.

Recommended Resources

A “Now I lay Me Down to Sleep” baby shower theme has many possibilities. Here are some things to consider when planning:

Invitations

You should include a picture of a child kneeling in prayer with the prayer verse: ‘Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.’ You can also make up invitations that look like pillows with the prayer verse written on them.

Decorations/favors

Hands folded in prayer or candles in pastel colors are a great idea. You can also have small pillows filled with potpourri with the prayer verse written or embroidered on them.

Games

These should be centered around the idea of bed time or the verse. You should try to take traditional baby shower games and add a twist in the name or how the game is played to tie in the theme.

Cake

You should have the prayer verse written on it or for a creative approach, it could be made to look like a bed.

Recommended Resources

Poems are a popular way to express emotions or ideas. They also make perfect wording for a baby shower invitation. This is an inexpensive idea that will be cherished for years to come. Below are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind when composing a baby shower verse.

Length

Verses can be as small as 1 line and be as long as you wish. However the most popular length is 4 lines. Verses work best in 4, 8 or 12 lines.

Rhyme

While it’s not necessary to rhyme, it is popular way on constructing a verse. When rhyming, it’s important to have the last word in each even numbered line rhyme.

Rhyming Ideas

Many times people have trouble coming up with rhymes. One great brainstorming idea is to make a list of all the baby related words you can think of. Don’t forget to think of all the feelings and images that come to mind when having a baby. Then make a list of words that rhyme. Use both list to construct the lines of your verses.

Baby Names

If the baby is already named, it’s a great idea to use it in your verse. Don’t for get to make a list of words that rhyme!

Conclusion

Invitations are not the only use for this creative idea. They can also be printed on cards, decorations or even the top of the cake! With a little practice you’ll be able to create a baby shower verse that will be cherished for years to come.

Recommended Resources

Having a baby will be one of the biggest events of your life. This is a time where you want to celebrate the conception of your child by having a baby shower. Your friends and family will have an opportunity to bring gifts that will help you and your newborn adjust to your life together. It’s important to choose invitations that will not only inform guests of details of the party, but the theme as well. One great idea is using classic Pooh baby shower invitations.

Pooh and his friends are a good regardless of whether you are having a baby boy or girl. With invitations such as these, you can combine many of the Pooh products to create the entire theme. The classic Pooh design is still and will most likely always be, very popular for baby showers.

Pooh products

There are so many Pooh products out on the market today. The classic Pooh invitations set the mood for a sweet and happy party. You can check with local party store to see what types of invitations they have available. You can also check on the internet for more of a variety. There are even some websites that are completely dedicated to selling nothing but classic Pooh items.

Creating memories that lasts

Winnie the Pooh gives the sense of adventure while adding that magical touch that warms the heart of anyone. If you’re like most people, when you see Pooh bear, you reflect back on your childhood and think of the happy memories. The great thing about this theme is that you’ll create magical memories for you and your family in the anticipation of the newest arrival to your family.

Types of gifts

This is truly a good type of invitation to go with as it can be used if you are having a boy or a girl. After all, what baby doesn’t look adorable in Pooh bear clothes? From items, to decorating the nursery, to the cloths your baby wears you can be sure that you’ll create wonderful memories with the gifts that you receive at your baby shower.

Buying your invitations

There are many places that you can look for the classic Pooh baby shower invitations such as Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart, local party stores and even on-line. No matter where you choose to buy your invitations, be sure to get the matching party accessories to keep the theme consistent.

Recommended Resources

Anyone who’s ever thrown a baby shower understands how expensive they can be. The cake, decorations, favors and gifts are all things that need to be provided. On top of that you need to send out cute invitations or no one will attend! While it’s true that most generic, store bought invitations are usually reasonably priced, it costs a lot more to get something that’s unique to the given theme of the shower.

Many times people will try to make the invitations themselves, however if you’re not very creative or artistically inclined, this could prove to be difficult and more trouble than its worth.

Where to look

The best thing to do is to look on-line for baby shower invitations that you can print for free. These sites will provide all types of templates that you can down load to your computer. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps:

• Choose the template you like best
• Open it up in your favorite imaging software
• Make a few quick changes based on the theme of the shower
• Print them up
• Send them out

Your guest won’t believe you when you tell them that you printed them for free. Now that the baby shower invitations are out of the way, you can start focusing on the other details of the shower. You can also use the same design for the Thank You cards as well.

Recommended Resources

Invitations

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice baby shower is a great way to celebrate a baby girl.  A pink homemade card or a store bought one with shower details written in brown would be a nice invitation.  You could even add some cinnamon for scent.  Some wording ideas would be:

• Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice, That’s what our little girl is made of
• Sugar & Spice & a Baby Shower
• Join us for a Sugar & Spice & Everything nice baby shower

Decorations

 Brown, white and shades of pink are perfect colors for your Sugar and Spice and Everything nice baby shower.  Some decorating ideas are: 

• Pink and white balloons
• Pink and brown table linens
• Small glass bowls with sugar and cinnamon swirled
   

Food Ideas

You can have a lot of fun with the food for your shower.  Sugar and Spice and Everything nice, sounds delicious.  Here are some ideas: 

• Vegetable tray with chipotle dip ( spicy)
• Buffalo or bbq wings (spicy)
• Selection of breads ( banana, zucchini, apple cinn.)
• Fruit salad
• Mini cupcakes or petit fours
• Sugar and/or spice cookies
   

Favor Ideas

 Don’t forget to send some Sugar and Spice treats home with your guests.  Here are some favor ideas: 

• Mason jar with cookies mix and recipe attached
• Small jar with 1 cup sugar and 2 TBL cinnamon ( cinn sugar) great on toast!
• Decorated with pink ribbon
• Cinnamon scented candle
• Candy Bar (assortment of candy and bags for guests to do themselves) 

Conclusion

A Sugar and Spice and Everything nice baby shower is something the mom to be will remember always.  There are a lot of ways to make this shower your own.  Have fun and all your guests will too. 

Recommended Resources

Double the fun and double the trouble, throwing a baby shower for twins can be a lot of fun! You can show your creativity with the invitations.

The following are some great invitation ideas:

• Send two invitations, playing on the idea of two babies. The invitations can be identical or one for each baby. It is important, however, to make sure it is obvious to the guests that even though they receive two invitations there is only one party. A twist on this idea would be to write everything twice on one invitation.
• Use a Noah’s Ark theme. As two by two the animals came so are the babies for this shower
• Use the invitation as a set up for a shower game. If there are going to be an even number of guests a hostess can choose multiple invitation designs and send out two of each design. The guests then bring the invitations with them to the party and they have to find their ‘twin’ or the person whose invitation matches theirs.
• Think of anything that comes in two’s. For example, there is a saying ‘two peas in a pod’. The invitation could be a pea pod with the two baby peas inside bearing the party information.

Recommended Resources

A cute idea for baby shower invitations is a baby’s footprint.

How to make them

To make a homemade footprint invitation a person simply uses their hand. There are only 2 easy steps which are as follows:

1. With the hand in a fist the side of the fist near the pinky finger is inked and then stamped on the paper.
2. With the pinkie finger five small toes are made.

This makes an image that looks very similar to a baby footprint.

Alternative styles

Some possible invitation styles include the following:

• Traditional black footprints
• Colors like blue and pink to represent the gender of the baby
• Square invitations with the footprint on the front
• Invitations in the shape of the footprint

Recommended Resources

Baby shower invitations come in all sorts of colors and themes. You can order very fancy ones, or you can create your own from items you buy separately or in a kit.

What information should I include?

Some people worry about the wording. Should the mom and dad be listed, or just the mom? Should registry information be included or not? Since there’s no clear answer, it’s mostly a matter of taste.

In addition to the 5 w’s – who, what, why, when and where, every invitation should at the very least include the following:

• Name (person being honored)
• Date
• Time
• Place

Be creative – think outside of the box

Mass produced invitations are fine, however, it’s easy and fun to make yours unique. Don’t feel like you need to stick with traditional paper or card. It’s always fun to find something more non-traditional to make them out of. The following are some ideas:

• Diapers
• Small t-shirts
• Booties
• Bottles
• Rattles

This list is by no means complete. You can use just about anything. To create invitations out of these items, simply write the information on the item with permanent ink, or place a tag or sticker with the information on the item.

Free Ideas

Don’t worry if you’re on a limited budget. There are many resources available that can help. The following are 3 ideas:

• Evites: In the internet age e-invitations have become very popular. There are several websites where you can sign up for free, such as Yahoo and AOL. You simply enter all the important details like date, time, location ect; then an email will be sent out to your guest list. They even have special graphics you can add to the e-card to make it look unique. Reminders will also automatically be send out a few days before the party, so once you set it up, there’s no more work for you to do. This will give you more time to plan the other important parts of the event.
• Make your own: If you’re feeling crafty enough, you can make your own invitations at home. All you’ll need is some cardboard, magic markers and your imagination.
• Printable invitations: The internet is also an excellent source for this. There many web sites that allow you to choose an invitation from a premade template. You can choose some custom graphics, or upload your own. Then you simply print them at home.

Recommended Resources

Tin mints make a wonderful baby shower favor that your guests are sure to love. Since your guests will be able to carry them around in a pocket or handbag they will be constantly reminded of the special event. Two popular ideas include:

Invitation

Why not turn them into an invitation to the baby shower? Just make sure you include the date, time & location of the event.

Birth announcement

If the baby has already been born, you can turn them into a birth announcement, by personalizing them with the name of the baby, weigh and date of birth.

Recommended Resources

Baby shower favors are a way of thanking guest for attending the party. However they don’t need to be expensive. Homemade favors are often as cute as store bought ones, and they are not hard to make. Some easy ideas are as follows:

Candies or cookies

These can be shaped like baby items however you can also have them personalized. One great idea is to give away candy bars with a personalized wrapper in the theme of the shower.

Candles

They can be simple, such as a regular baby powder scented candle, or they can be more detailed, such as being shaped as a rattle or bottle. If you have the time and talent you can try to make them at home. Or, if time is an issue, they can be bought from a store.

Disposable cameras and small photo albums or picture frame

This will allow the guest to make their own record of the day. Another great idea is to give away picture frames with an IOU for the baby’s picture.

Thank you scrolls

Include a thank you from the family printed inside.

Goody bags

These should include pink or blue candies, pens, and notepads, and pictures of the guest with the mom-to-be.

Recommended Resources

If you’ve got a friend that is expecting and you want to throw them a baby shower, you need to come up with some original ideas to make the shower unique. One of the best ideas is the use of a party theme. While this might sound a little overwhelming, it really isn’t that difficult and there are a number of ways to set the mood and the theme for the shower.

The best way is to use free baby shower graphics for the theme and decorations. Look on the Internet for graphics that are not only are free, but give an endless supply of ideas.

Ways the use the graphics

1. Set the theme right away on the invitations. You can save money and create special invitations that are memorable when you make your own. If you select a theme like a teddy bear, you can follow through the rest of the party with teddy bears as the primary theme, even to the point of giving small teddies as party favors.
2. Create a slide show for the party. Again, you can use the theme and intersperse pictures of the mother to be. During the party use a digital camera and snap pictures of guests. If your theme is the teddy bear, make it a surprise. Whenever you feel the urge, pass a guest at the party teddy bear and snap their picture to add to the slide show. These pictures make a great album for the mother-to-be later.
3. Make the decorations. You can use the graphics to print small figures onto hard card stock. Punch a hole in the top of the stock and hang these from colored crepe paper steamers suspended from the ceiling.
4. Center the gift giving on the theme or graphics. If you want to use the graphics to identify a theme, why not make it the type of gifts that the new mother needs. If you want the gifts to be small baby supplies, then identify it with baby bottles, diapers and rattles on the invitation front and information on the interior of the invitation designating the gift items.
5. Use the gift-giving theme for party game prizes. If you have baby supplies as the central gift-giving theme then the prizes should match the theme. Pass out baby bottles with bath salts or bubble bath as a prize.
6. Create a guest gift for everyone. Use the graphics to make frames out of heavy card stock. Simply put the graphics around the edge, print the size that you want and cut out the center. When you snap the pictures of the guests, print one up the size of the frame and tape it to the underside so the picture shows through. As the guests leave, hand them their memento of the day.
7. Take the graphics to a bakery that makes custom cakes. Often they reproduce pictures on the top of the cake or even make a cake and frost it to look like a three dimensional design that resembles the picture.
8. Get a stamp made of the graphics and stamp the picture onto the paper cups and napkins for the party.

All these ways keep the theme tied together. You can even tie the games into the party theme. The baby shower with a theme around a graphic makes the party more memorable and personal.

Recommended Resources

Bible stories can make a wonderful baby shower theme. One story that lends itself well is the story of Noah’s Ark. There’s something innocent about the story that reminds people of babies. It’s also a great idea if the mother-to-be is expecting twins, since Noah took two of every animal. It’s not necessary to run out and purchase expensive decorations, however. There are many things you can do with items that can be purchased as any grocery or party store.

The following are several inexpensive decoration ideas for your Noah’s Ark baby shower:

• Use animal print or zoo animal paper plates.
• Stuffed animals can be placed around the room. However, you don’t need to run out and purchase these yourself. A fun idea would be to have the guests each bring one as a favor. This way everyone can contribute to the party and you don’t have to do everything yourself.
• Use animal shaped balloons to fill in the empty spaces of the room.
• Make boats out of paper and fill the deck with animal crackers. This would also be a great centerpiece idea.

One final note concerning color - it’s a good idea to use the colors of the rainbow whenever possible. The rainbow is an important symbol of the story and many people use it to identify with Noah.

Recommended Resources

Traditionally baby showers are something that woman throw to help the mother-to-be prepare for the arrival of the baby. Having a baby can be a stressful event for everyone involved; including the father, so don’t forget his needs. Why not try something new - a daddy baby shower? If the term “baby shower” doesn’t seem manly enough, you can call it something else like an “impending fatherhood party”. Either way - the following are a few suggestions for the party:

Play Games

Most men won’t enjoy your typical baby shower games. Possible games that many men like include the following:

• Softball
• Poker
• Back yard football

Refreshments

Make sure you have all the typical “manly” foods: cheese steaks, wings and barbecue are all great. Don’t forget to wash it down with a few beers.

One Last Night Out

Take the future dad out for one last night on the town. Do some bar hopping, shoot darts or play pool. Just be sure to keep everyone safe by having a designated driver. It also may be a good idea to check in with the mother-to-be before doing this one. We don’t want to start any late night arguments, after all!

Gifts

No baby shower would be complete without gifts. These can either be gag gifts, like goggles, rubber gloves or tongs. Or they can be more serious like a book on fatherhood or a subscription to a parenting magazine.

Story time

While many of these suggestions may seem like an excuse for the boys to throw a party, don’t forget that this is still time of major change for the father-to-be. Be prepared to comfort dad and have other people tell stories of their own fatherhood experiences. This way dad should feel comforted that he is not alone and that others have gone through the same thing he is.

Remember these simple suggestions and you will be sure to show dad a good time as well as give him some helpful advice that he’ll need with this next phase of his life.

Recommended Resources

When planning a baby shower it’s always important to have a theme that will help to make the occasion a memorable one.  Nursery rhymes are a popular option.

Invitiations

After you have decided on a nursery rhyme for your theme, you can begin to decide how you want to tie it in to each aspect of your baby shower. Beginning with the invitations some ideas are:

• Use a line or two from the nursery rhyme on the actual baby shower invitiation
• If making the invites yourself, use forms or cut outs in shapes from the nursery rhyme, some examples of this could be a cow jumping over a spoon, or Humpty Dumpty.

Decorations

Again it is not necessary to have everything at the shower theme related but a few touches are nice such as:

• Centerpiece for the table
• Napkins to coordinate with the theme

Game Ideas

Below are a few inexpensive game ideas that will easily tie into a nursery rhyme theme.

• Nursery Rhyme Fill-In: Type up some nursery rhymes with several key words deleted. People try to guess the deleted word when it’s read out loud.
• Nursery Rhyme Quiz: So what did happen to Humpty Dumpty or Jack Sprat? Guests can find out as they play.
• Name That Nursery Rhyme: Give out the plot of a Nursery Rhyme and have people try to name it. It’s a good idea to divide the guests into 2 teams for this one.
• Nursery Rhyme Word Scramble: It’s a race to unscramble Nursery Rhyme names.
• Nursery Rhyme Composition Contest: Why not try to make up your own? The most creative one wins. Don’t forget to write it down so the mother-to-be will have it forever. There’s nothing like giving mom a unique gift that will be with the baby for years.
• Nursery Rhyme Pass-off: Go around the room where each person says the next line. It’s a fun way to see what people actually remember from their childhood.

Cake

A cake can also be another place where you are able to tie in your baby shower theme. Cakes as we all know come in many shapes and sizes and therefore can be tailored to meet your needs. Another idea is cupcakes with mini decorations that are bits and pieces from the nursery rhyme.

Conclusion

The best thing about all of these ideas is that they’re virtually free. They just require a little research that can be done either online or from many children’s books. No matter which game you choose, just remember to have fun!

Recommended Resources

If you are looking for a new game idea for your next baby shower “Smell the Diaper” is both very popular and fun.

It’s not nearly as gross as it sounds

The following are the steps you’ll need to play the game:

1. Fold napkins or cloth into the shape of diapers. Number the diapers from one to ten.
2. Melt a different type of candy bar in each diaper. Make sure to create a master list with the diaper number and what kind of candy bar you used in each diaper. If you want to be even more creative you can use other foods besides candy.
3. Take each diaper and put a small amount of some strong smelling food in it. You can use things like garlic paste, steak sauce, mustard, dressing or anything you want.
4. Pass around the diapers to the guests who want to play game.
5. The guests have to smell each diaper and guess what each one is.
6. The guest who gets the most correct answers wins!

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The object of the game is to take 20 words that relate to a baby, and scramble them up. You will need enough copies to divide your party guests into teams. You can offer a prize for the team that gets the most words unscrambled in a 5-minute time limit.

The harder you make the words, the better. It can be funny to see what some people may come up with.

Examples of words you can use

1. high chair-gihh raihc
2. diaper-reaidp
3. car seat-acr tsae
4. rocking chair-gkciorn arich
5. breast feeding-rsteab gdeefni
6. bassinette-ttebssain
7. pacifier-rfeicap
8. labor pains-boral asnip
9. baby bottle-byab tlteob
10. rattle-eltart
11. monitor-rmnoti
12. newborn-wrbonen
13. cradle-dcarel
14. blanket-tklbnae
15. formula-aumlofr
16. nursery-ysnurer
17. crib-cbir
18. playpen-npeylap
19. baby lotion-ybba tlooin
20. diaper wipes-pdaier spiwe

Conclusion

As you can see, you can make up anything you want as the theme. Maybe things that the expectant mom wants to get for the new baby, or things she will have to learn to do, or maybe a list of things she already has for the baby, etc. You can use your imagination to make it fun and informative, while personalizing it to the new mother-to-be. But if you are short on time, you can use the examples above or go on the Internet.

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A unique idea for a girl baby shower are pink fortune cookies. They make a wonderful, inexpensive favor.

The recipe

To make fortune cookies a person needs only a few ingredients. Here’s a very simple recipe:

• 1 egg
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water
• Red food coloring

After gathering the ingredients, beat the egg and add in sugar. Mix until it is smooth and add in oil and one drop of red food coloring. The cornstarch should be put in a separate bowl. Add to the cornstarch 1 tablespoon of water and part of the other mixture, mix well. Keep added more of the liquid mixture and mixing until smooth. Cook a tablespoon of mixture in a hot pan like pancakes. It should be thin. Turn once and cook until brown. Once finished take out of pan and work quickly before it cools to fold and insert fortune.

Conclusion

The ‘fortune’ inside can actually be a slip of paper with the baby shower information on it - the parents names, shower date and a thank you for coming message. These cookies can be made by the hostess and the ‘fortunes’ can be printed from a home computer.

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Any baby shower is sure to have a great deal of eating and drinking. The type of beverages that are served can make a great impact on how the party is remembered. Instead of serving the standard coffee, tea and pop; it may be a good idea to try something original and unique by making your own punch.

Below is an easy recipe that will be the talk of any baby shower:

1 - Five softened quarts of vanilla ice cream

2 - Liters of strawberry pop

1 - Package of frozen strawberries, crushed and thawed

Leave the ice cream out at room temperature until it’s soft. First add the ice cream, add the strawberries then the finally the pop. You can add as little or as much of each ingredient as you want, depending on your tastes. Add more pop if you like a thinner punch or less pop if you prefer thicker.

This peculiar recipe is for a pink punch, which is an excellent choice for a girl. You can also substitute blue pop and blue berries if the mother-to-be is expecting a boy.

Since the punch bowl, will often times be the centerpiece of the table, it’s also a good idea to decorate it with rattles, booties other baby shower decorations. This way you’re killing two birds with one stone by making a creative centerpiece as well as a delicious treat!

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If you’re looking for a unique gift for a baby shower, maybe you should make a diaper cake! If you haven’t seen one, they are cute, original and very popular. Plus, they are easy to make. All you need is a diaper cake pattern and a few ingredients.
They can be made using either disposable or cloth diapers. If you know the mother-to-be prefers one or the other, you can use the style of diaper she will want for her baby.

What items are needed to make a diaper cake?

When you visualize the finished diaper cake, think of a three layer wedding cake. To make your own, you will need the following items:

• At least two packs of disposable diapers, or around 3 dozen cloth diapers. You may want to use two sizes, so the newborn size is the top layer or two, and the next size is on the bottom.
• Gifts to hide inside the cake (choose gifts that fit your friend’s parenting style): onesies, mitts, socks, baby supplies, receiving blankets, pacifiers, baby thermometer, etc)
• Rubber bands in various sizes
• Wooden dowels
• Large cardboard circle to hold the cake
• Receiving blankets if you want to use them to wrap each layer
• Ribbons and bows
• Netting or cellophane to wrap the entire cake

How to make a diaper cake

The following are easy instructions for making it:

• To begin, take a diaper and roll it up. If you are using disposables, start with the open end. If you are using cloth prefolds, fold the thinner sides in on the center, and then roll it up. The cake will be shorter, but will still be very cute.
• Secure the rolled up diaper with a rubber band. Now add 5 more diapers to the rubber band after rolling them up. This will be the top layer.
• Repeat with the middle layer, only add more diapers. The middle layer will need about 20 disposable diapers.
• Repeat again for the bottom layer. This layer will use about 30 disposable diapers. If you make the cake out of cloth diapers, it will be proportionally smaller. Determine what works best for each layer. The middle of each layer can also be made of rolled up receiving blankets if you need more filling for the cloth diaper cake.
• Once each layer is complete, put the bottom layer on the cardboard circle. To put in the extra gifts, remove a rolled up diaper and replace it with a surprise. Once all the gifts are hidden in each layer, insert lightweight wooden dowels into the bottom layer so they stick up. Don’t damage any of the diapers with the dowels.
• Carefully settle the upper two layers on top of the bottom layer so the dowels go through them. When you are finished, you can tie pretty ribbon around each layer to hide the rubber bands, or you can wrap each layer with a receiving blanket tied with a ribbon.
• Decorate with bows and other cute items. You may want to wrap the entire cake with cellophane or netting. It will give it even more of a gift look, and will make it easier to transport the cake.

Once you get the cake to the baby shower, it can be a centerpiece on the main table, or it will attract a lot of attention on the gift table. Either way, the mom-to-be is sure to appreciate your gift.

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They come in many shapes and sizes, and some aren’t even edible! How do you pick the right baby shower cake? First, find out how many people will be attending your party. That will make a huge difference in your search. If you’re expecting a large turnout, you may want a sheet cake. For a smaller gathering, you may want to consider a different alternative, like cupcakes!

The possibilities are endless

No baby shower would be complete, without a beautiful cake. Below are a variety of different types to consider.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are growing in popularity. They are not only convenient, but come in a variety of styles and shapes. You can purchase them in the design of a baby bottle, cradle or numerous other styles. Not to mention, there will be no need for additional utensils and plates.

Picture Cakes

Another creative idea is a picture cake. Many bakers can put any picture on the top, as edible frosting.

Matching the design with the gender or theme

If you know the sex of the baby, you can go with an all pink or blue one as the case may be. However, if you do not know the gender, you can do a something more neutral.

It’s also a good idea to try to tie the design to the theme of the party. Therefore, if you are looking to throw a “Winnie the Pooh” baby shower, you can have the cake decorated with that in mind.

Toy Block Cake

This is easily done by putting 1 or 2 different sized square cakes on top of each other. Make sure the largest is on the bottom and the smallest on the top. If decorated right, it should list exactly like the child’s toys.

Belly Cake

By putting a circular cake on top of a rectangular one, it will look like a pregnant belly.

Non-edible ideas

Not all cakes need to be edible. 2 great non-edible ideas are as follows:

Diaper Cake

It is made up of either cloth or disposable diapers and embellished with various baby items, such as pacifiers, baby brushes etc. While this may not be traditional, it is a great alternative for someone who does not wish to have an actual cake at the shower. Not only is it a beautiful addition, it is also very practical gift idea.

Flower Cake

These are available from most florists or you can make your own. Simply press flowers into a Styrofoam cake shape and you’re ready to go!

Important note: Some women may have dietary restrictions while they are pregnant. This is an important thing to consider. A common restriction is no sugar. Cakes can be made of angle food, which is ok. Be sure to consult your entire guest list before you make any decision.

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