World of Babies

Trying hard in finding some extra special baby shower ideas?

Easy, easy.

Everything on this planet can be done in a very simple way - So are your baby showers.

You don't have to be Martha Stewart to host a Shower.

However, if you're pulling your hair out as how to turn your baby shower into a really special and exciting celebration for the soon-to-be-parents, follow my 3 golden tips below.

You will soon find out that planning a baby shower is just a snap and full of fun.

Golden Tip 1: Let Your Imagination Flow

Do you have the desire for something a little more elaborate and unique? If the answer is yes, you may need a few baby shower ideas' triggers.

I can't imagine a baby shower without energy and creativities. If, for any reason, you are not able to come up with any creative ideas, I would suggest you to think out the box.

My suggestion is that don't keep your imagination only stay with the topic of baby shower. Think big and thing something could create a special time that will live in everyone's memories for years to come.

I'm not saying that you should turn your Shower into a cover story on the next issue of Parenting or American Baby. If you can, congratulations!

But for many of our people, we're all surrounded by all kinds of free information about love, family, and generations on TV, magazines, newspaper, and outdoor advertisements. Speak them with your friends and families, and see if they can come up with some special baby shower ideas.

For example, you can have a celebration of the entire family and their heritage especially with the soon-to-be-grandparents. You can even be creative to include some of your close friends in your guest list, and play games include friends sharing trivia about their own families, like famous relatives, traditions, or a funny family story.

Golden Tip 2: Learn from Other Party Experiences.

As someone once said, "The best way to have a great idea is to have a lot of good ideas." It works the same way to find unique baby shower ideas.

Lots of baby shower hostesses don't realize that the most creative baby shower ideas lie somewhere deep in their mind. They just don't know it.

I mean, we've all spent hours coming up with birthday parties, family reunions, weddings, and even holidays like Halloween and Christmas. Once the party is over, however, all that energy and all those ideas usually just dwindle away.

Think about this: If you can get out the party photos somehow find their way into a forgotten folder on your computer's hard drive or hidden inside a photo album somewhere, you can simply put an end to all the wasting of your time.

Golden Tip 3: If You Can, Throw A Coed Baby Shower and Assign A Male Co-host.

Not only celebrities in L.A tend to ahead of the curve when it come to trends, a famous baby site also reports that nearly half of baby showers now are coed parties.

Especially with busy soon-to-be-Moms, like business owner, company executives, and celebrities, there is often a Mr. Mom at home who expects to fully participate in the baby shower. And of course, their male buddies.

Beside, dad-to-be plays a very big role during the pregnancy and in the new baby's life, why should you get the new mom to celebrate on her own?

Of course, hosting a coed baby shower is more than just putting the male guests on the inviting list. Some shower hostesses even worry that guys would not attend such a party where participants play games such as Round-the-Tummy.

If you could not stand the thought of seeing their bored unhappy faces, my suggestion is to ask one of them to give you a hand.

In fact, the male co-host can provide big help from choosing the stylish color invitation, to picking up the dad-friendly baby shower ideas and games, and guiding the men to check gift registry as they often don't know what to buy for the baby-to-come.

The best co-host candidate: the soon-to-be-grandpa or any male guest who has the experiences of baby shower or the pregnancy process.

You see articles about baby showers written by women all of the time. But why not written by a man? Don’t we need to know a thing or two about baby showers too?

My wife recently hosted a baby shower for a friend, and I was clueless on how to help her. Fortunately, I was kicked out of the house before the actual baby shower began, but I was involved with helping her set it up. Baby showers begin with selecting a location and baby shower invitations. But the actual event involves a lot more planning.

Did you know that baby showers include a cake made out of diapers? Yeah, I thought that was strange too. But apparently diaper cakes are one of the important centerpieces at baby showers these days. This isn’t an edible cake—but there are plenty of deserts to be eaten. From non-diaper cakes to appetizers to baby block-looking petit fours, it seems like there’s more than enough food to go around at a baby shower.

Of course there are usually baby shower games. These games can be kind of silly, but they’re a big hit. The women talk about funny baby experiences they’ve had and bring up embarrassing things from the mother’s past. There are hundreds of web sites devoted to various baby shower games. Do a search for “baby shower games” an you’ll be amazed and some of the games people have invented.

Gifts are a big part of baby showers. And I mean BIG! It’s amazing how many gifts are showered upon the mother-to-be. Although the mom usually registers for important baby gifts like sheets and strollers, it seems that most women want to buy cute things for the baby that aren’t on the registry. Apparently buying cute clothes and stuffed animals is more interesting than buying sheets for the crib. It makes sense, but I hear that moms-to-be hate this since what they really need are the basic supplies. The mom ends up buying all of these herself.

Q. How often should I nurse a newborn infant?

A. No fewer than 8 times per day, depending on how long he gives you at night. If he can go 4 hours, you’ll probably see two feedings in between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. If you tank him up right before you go to bed, you may only have one.

Q. How often should I nurse an older baby?

A. Depending on your child’s age, you should be on a 3-4 hour routine during the day. Remember, as your child gets older, the frequency of nursing sessions will drop off, but he will be eating more at each session. If you are committed to nursing past 6 months of age, it’s not recommended that you drop below 5 feedings per day. If you believe your milk supply is waning and you don’t want to stop breastfeeding, add a feeding or two to your daily routine in order to increase your milk supply

Q. How do I drop a feeding as my baby grows?

A. The most common changes are moms who want to switch from a 3 to a 3.5 hour routine or a 3.5 to a 4 hour routine, babies who are ready to drop their middle of the night feeding, or parents who are ready to stop the late-night feeding.

Most often you’ll know when your baby is ready to switch by a change in his sleep patterns. A baby on a 3 hour routine typically takes 3 naps per day (morning, afternoon, late afternoon) and the switchover to a 3.5 hour routine will see a shortening of one of those naps or the dropping of the last nap of the day. Babies are generally ready for this switch by about 12 weeks of age.

Dropping the middle of the night feeding is most often accomplished by the baby himself between 7-14 weeks of age. You’ll know your baby is ready when he doesn’t wake you up until 6:00 a.m. or so, and you’ll probably wake in a panic that morning, realizing you weren’t beckoned in the middle of the night. He will require more food during the day from this point on, and your breasts will likely be overly full for several days, but it’s all good!

Stopping the late night feeding is typically the trickiest to do. Many parents are reluctant to drop it, thinking that if they do, their baby will wake in the middle of the night, starving. If you think he cannot drop the feeding completely, back it up in 15-minute increments until you arrive at your desired time. If his last two feedings of the day are closer than your flexible schedule says it “should be,” don’t worry. It’s a temporary fix, and that’s what flexibility is all about. The routine serves you, not the other way around!

Now, anyone can throw the Baby Shower and it’s not just for the women!Men are attending showers, even having their own.It’s all about celebrating a new life, and welcoming a new baby to the world. And all babies, not just the couple’s first child, are a cause for celebration.

Traditionally, a close female friend throws the Baby Shower and invites all the women close to the mother-to-be, to shower her with gifts and well wishes for the coming baby.While this is still the idea, the etiquette has changed from generation to generation.

Proper etiquette is very specific about the Baby Shower - never should the mother-to-be’s family throw the shower, lest people think they were asking for gifts.

Traditionally, a close female friend throws the Baby Shower and invites all the women close to the mother-to-be, to shower her with gifts and well wishes for the coming baby.While this is still the idea, the etiquette has changed from generation to generation.

Now, anyone can throw the Baby Shower and it’s not just for the women!Men are attending showers, even having their own.It’s all about celebrating a new life, and welcoming a new baby to the world. And all babies, not just the couple’s first child, are a cause for celebration.

Skipping the surprise shower can really ease the planning of any Baby Shower.If it’s not a surprise,the parents-to-be can help out with the guest list and help you avoid scheduling conflicts.

Grandma and Grandpa may not be the guests of honor, but you don’t want to find out too late that the most important guests can’t attend.So check with the parents-to-be to make sure you haven't left out anyone who should be included, and lets get this party started!

Once you have a general idea of the number of guests, you’ll want to start thinking about where to have the Baby Shower. You can host at your own home, reserve tables at your favorite restaurant, rent a reception hall, picnic at a park if you’ll be including children, or if this is a small group of female friends, why not make it a day at the spa with a catered lunch?

If you’re planning to rent or reserve space for the Shower, check on these details when looking around:how many guests will this location hold,is it available on your chosen date,can you decorate prior to the shower,what is the cost,what does it include,who is responsible for clean up.

It's always a good idea to schedule the Baby Shower about two to three months in advance of mom's due date. Unless, of course, you are having the shower after the baby is born.

"Hello World, Here I Am" Showers are a popular way to ensure everyone gets to see the new baby, and you'll want to wait at least a month after the baby is born for this one.

The time of day to host the shower is personal preference, and can be used to determine appropriate food and drink. If you just don’t know, ask the mother-to-be what part of the day she usually feels her best, and go from there.

Finger foods set around the room work great and encourage guests to mingle. If you don't want to prepare the food yourself, many bakers or grocers make deli trays of vegetables, fruit, or meats and cheeses.

They're arranged beautifully for any occasion and can be a life-saver, as well as a time-saver.When choosing drinks to serve, remember to include on-alcoholic and decaffeinated alternatives.

Coordinating is the easy part, but you probably don't want to do everything by yourself on the big day. Depending on the number of guests, it's easy to get overwhelmed and miss some of those small details that mean so much.

With all your planning, don’t forget a gift for the parents-to-be. Maybe your gift to the parents-to-be will be the Baby Shower itself, but if you're looking great gift ideas, try a customized baby basket, diaper cake or something just plain adorable from the baby gift store.

Don't lose sight of what this day is all about...a celebration! So remember to relax and have fun with your planning and hosting.

Planning a baby shower is the perfect way of expressing “Congratulations,” or “We’re happy for you,” or “Best wishes” when a newborn has been added to the family.

Aimed at further boosting the parents-to-be’s excitement for the future member of their family, the baby shower is usually hosted by a close friend or relative, at any time during the last months of the pregnancy.

Just like any other party, a baby shower requires careful planning to ensure that it will go as smoothly as possible, and be memorable for everyone. Although there are no rules cast in stone in preparing for a baby shower, there are some helpful tips to follow to help the host organize every aspect of the event.

1) Decide on the location.

Most baby showers are held at the parent-to-be’s house, since the expectant mother’s health needs to be considered. It is recommended for small, intimate parties, with only the closest friends and family members. Guests also tend to be more comfortable if the party’s setting is at home.

If the expectant parents love the outdoors, a barbecue party at their garden, or a local park may also be an option. Naturally, the weather must be considered – baby shower does not literally mean soaking the guests in the rain.

For less complications, the host may reserve a secluded area in a restaurant or bar. It may be more costly, but at least the decoration, food and drinks, as well as the post-party cleanup will already be taken care of.

2) Choose the party’s theme.

For easier decoration ideas, a theme may be decided upon. Consider the expectant parents’ favorite movies or hangouts. Another option is to decorate the party site by re-creating the place where they had their honeymoon, such as a cruise ship, or Paris-inspired café.

Since the party will also be a celebration of the future baby, a childish atmosphere may also be considered. Choose cartoon characters, bright colors, and other designs depending on the baby’s gender.

3) Finalize the menu.

The party’s menu will depend upon the time of the event. In most baby showers, the host serves finger food, pastries and other baked goods for convenience. However, if the event will be held during lunch or dinner time, heavier meals will naturally be served. Alcoholic drinks may also be prepared, depending on the guests’ preference.

4) Design a fun program.

Contrary to what most people believe, a baby shower is not only limited to mingling around, gift giving, eating and drinking. Fun games may also be included, such as charades, or those which will bring back the guests’ childhood memories. Remember that the main point is to make sure everyone will have a good time, and various games will surely liven up the event.

5) Create the guest list and send out invitations.

Prepare a list of the expectant parents’ closest friends and family members. Make sure to seek their approval before sending out invitations, to avoid any embarrassing mistakes later. Bear in mind that it’s the parents’ event, and not the host’s, so their choice of people should matter the most.

Ready-made baby shower invitations are readily available in gift shops and craft stores. However, homemade invitations may also be used to provide the host’s personal touch.

Send out invitations out two to four weeks before the party to give time for the guests to fix their schedule. Baby shower invitations follow the same format as any other invitation — it indicates the date, time, place, attire preferred, gift registry, if any, the host’s contact numbers for RSVP. Just to be organized, prepare a final list of attendees a few days before the baby shower.

Celebrating the upcoming arrival of a new baby is exciting but at the same time, it's often a situation in which both parents can feel much anxiety. These feelings of anxiety are especially strong for first-time parents. There is so much to know and so many different items are needed to provide proper infant care.

The idea of the baby shower came about as both a special time for family and friends to be together before the baby's arrival and also to help relieve the financial burden on parents-to-be by supplying them with many of the new gadgets, furnishings and accessories they'll need once their baby arrives.

And even though today most people prefer to break out of the 'traditional' mold, when it comes to a baby shower, these events for the most part still adhere to traditional guidelines. Probably one of the biggest changes to the baby shower format is that they're no longer exclusively for women. Plenty of men make it onto today's baby shower guest list and those who are invited don't come grudgingly. While they might not play in all the baby shower games, men do enjoy the opportunity to give their regards to the expectant mother- and father-to-be.

In some cultures however, a baby shower is considered a sign of bad luck. If there's a chance the expectant mother might feel this way, be sure to check with her before proceeding with the baby shower.

In some parts of the world the baby shower is actually held after the baby is born. This makes sense since a baby shower is a celebration of the baby and guests enjoy actually seeing the one who is being celebrated. It's also easier to select gender-appropriate colors and gifts and should the gift need engraving, guests have all the delivery details they need.

Having the baby shower after the baby's birth does make sense, but it's a very busy time for new parents. Plus, many of the baby items the expectant parent(s) need are needed as soon as the baby arrives home. That's why scheduling the baby shower before the baby's birth is the more common option.

The baby shower itself is traditional and for the most part, every shower involves the same activities. Guest lists and invitations need to be created and mailed. The shower location needs to be decorated. Guests expect to be entertained so food, drink and games need to be coordinated. And because it's a special occasion, there might even be a photographer and/or videographer, musician and other special talent participating in the festivities.

A baby shower can be a big to-do with lots of little details to coordinate and every detail is going to cost money. That's why it's highly advisable for whoever is hosting the shower to put together (and stick to) a workable budget.

Pulling off a successful special event like a baby shower doesn't take special talent, it takes a well-thought out plan that includes a timeline and a budget.

Babyshowers have their origin in ancient time. Like other things, the way and manner in which they are planned and celebrated have changed over time. Here are somethings that you should bear in mind when planning a babyshower today.

1. Know the culture of the would be parents.
Because babyshowers are steeped in tradition and customs, it is important to have a good idea of what is culturally acceptable by the would be parents and what is not. People do not necessarily throw away their culture because they live in modern times. Knowing the cultural limitations, makes the celebration more memorable and worthwile.

2. Know the needs of the parents to be
It is pointless giving gifts that recepients can not use. Would be parents need things for the new baby and are probably stretched to their limits. It would be only worth their while if the gifts they get help to alleviate this burden. Where the gender of the baby is known in advance, give gifts that are gender appropriate.

3. Know the best time to schedule your shower
As the hostess, it behooves you to know when to schedule the babyshower for maximum benefit and impact. Do not schedule your shower too early or too late. Expecting couples need all the financial help they can get. Scheduling a shower too late may mean that the couple had already bought all the things they need for the baby.

4. Know the physical needs of the expecting mother
Pregnancy puts enormous physical challenges and demand on the expecting mother, especially if it is their first pregnancy. It is a good idea to locate the shower closer to home to avoid putting additional strain on an already over challenged mother to be.

5. Know who is on your guest list
The success and failure of a babyshower to a certain extent depends on the attendace. How responsive is your list. Did you consult the couple when compiling your guest list. Remember this is their babyshower not your. You are only a vessel in the actualization of this event.

6. Know your refreshment plan
Preparing for and feeding even the smallest group of poeple can quickly turn into a nightmare if no adequate plans are made for that. Set up a plan about what to serve and how to serve it and work your plan. Make room for emergencies that may arise.

7. Know your plan for entertainment
What is your plan for entertainment? Do you have games that your guests can play? Board games and puzzles make for easy and entertaining games that your guests can play. You might want to organize some kind of poetry reading, depending on the mix of your guests. You can have guests come with their own poems written for the occassion to share with others.