BABY SHOWERS ONLINE

The rules of baby shower etiquette are changing and being bent, but there are certainly some rules that you should still abide by. Here are some of the basic rules of baby shower etiquette:

· Who should hold the shower? Traditionally, friends or co-workers have held baby showers, but it is becoming more and more common for close family members to, as well. The rule of thumb is, if you want to throw a shower, go for it! This applies to everyone except for the parents to be.

· Should fathers and men be invited to the shower? Traditionally, baby showers have been held for women, but there is no baby shower etiquette rule that states that men cannot come, too. Fathers enjoy opening presents, too! Of course, if you do decide to invite males, try to stay away from games that are too cutesy that they may not like. Try to think of foods and activities that both men and women would enjoy.

· How should I invite guests? It is becoming more and more acceptable to invite guest via telephone or e-mail. Of course, the best method is still a written-out invitation sent via the US mail service. You can be sure that people will appreciate this method better, and the invitation itself can serve as an extra reminder as to when the special day is.

· When should I hold the shower? Baby shower etiquette generally dictates that the shower should be held 1-2 months before the baby is due. This gives the parents enough time to go out and shop for important items that they did not receive at the shower. You do not want to hold the shower too close to the due date, in case the baby comes early. You may instead decide to hold a “welcoming” baby shower one to three weeks after the birth of the baby (just make sure that you give the guests enough notice! You obviously will not know when this sort of shower can be held until the baby is actually born). This sort of shower is great for parents who did not want to know in advance the sex of their baby… guests will know whether to bring gifts for a boy or a girl. It is also good to hold a “welcoming” baby shower so that family and friends who are coming into town for the birth of the baby can attend, as well.

· Is it ok to sign up for a baby registry? Old rules of etiquette would say that it is a definite no-no to tell your guests what to bring (besides assigning a certain theme). But baby gift registries are becoming more and more useful and more and more popular. Go ahead and sign up for a baby gift registry. You can include a note in the invitation that says where you are registered, but it looks best if you can get the word around by word of mouth. Be sure that the cost of items covers a wide range. You can also propose that guests chip in for one, larger item.

· Do I still need to send out Thank-Yous? You most definitely need to send out thank-you notes for all of your gifts. While you are opening them at your party, ask someone to be a scribe and write down everything that you get as you open it. A host may even choose to print out in advance a list of the addresses of all of the guests, then the gift that each person gave can be written right next to the name, making it easier for the mother to send out a proper thank you note. Also, another benefit to getting thank-you notes out early is that a mother will be much to busy once the baby is born. Also, a thank-you note and even a small token of thanks should be given to the host of the shower.

· What should I give the guests? Part of good baby shower etiquette is making sure that the guests have a good time. After all, they deserve to have a little fun as payment for the great gift that they are giving. What you give the guests does not matter so much as the fact that you should give something. Be sure to have plenty of food and good drinks at the shower. You can send each guest home with an additional party favor as well. You can also have some lovely gifts as prizes for baby shower games.

· Should I have a shower for a second baby? It is perfectly fine to have a shower for a second baby. After all, you are going to need a few new items. Of course, proper etiquette states that only very close friends and family members should be invited to the shower of a second child. You can also invite people who did not attend any showers for the first child.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on gifts and baby showers, please visit Distinct Gift Baskets.

A baby shower is a party given by the expecting mother or the couple’s friends, relatives, or colleagues. People love to invite the friends and relatives, of the parents-to-be to a chosen place. It is quite challenging to plan a baby shower. One task essential to planning a proper baby shower is picking the right baby shower invitations. There are various ideas for people to plan or design the baby shower invitation cards.

Baby shower invitations cards are basically the most common way, to invite guests to the special occasion. These cards come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and themes. There are services that provide personalized text onto the card. People can provide them necessary details that are used, to print or paint their choice of words.

Candy wrappers are a popular way to announce a baby shower. The guest receives a candy bar or some other tasty treat, and the wrapper contains the information for the baby shower. An invitation in a bottle is a more expensive, but fancy baby shower invitation. A baby shower invitation card is inserted into a plastic baby bottle. There are colored papers and other things that are placed into the bottle before it is delivered to the guests. A baby shower magnet with the date of the shower is another great way to invite guests. When they receive the magnet, they can stick it on their refrigerator to remind them of the date of the shower. Many people prefer to order cards that depict personal likings of the mother-to-be.

Themes for baby showers vary in style and design, with hundreds to choose from. Sailing boats for little boys and dollies for girls are few of the popular, picture themes used on baby shower invitations.

Personalized fortune cookie invitation is yet another unique way to invite guests. The invitation is placed inside a personalized fortune cookie that is sent to the guest. Internet provides people a range of baby shower invitations ideas to choose from.

Baby Shower Invitations provides detailed information on Baby Shower Invitations, Printable Baby Shower Invitations, Free Baby Shower Invitations, Baby Shower Invitation Wording and more. Baby Shower Invitations is affiliated with Baby Shower Decorations.

A baby shower is a happy, lighthearted event that is entertaining for parents-to-be and their family and friends. It is a party or a celebration that is traditionally organized before the birth of a new baby or sometimes, just after the baby arrives. A best friend, a close family member or a co-worker of the mom-to-be typically arranges this party. Most guests bring gifts and money for the mother and the baby.

Only women attend a majority of the baby showers. Nevertheless, a small percentage of men also attend these parties or they have “daddy showers” of their own. Usually, baby showers are for the first child only, but some parents choose to have baby showers for all their babies.

Baby shower invitations should include information about the who, what, when, and where of the event, as well as RSVP details and the couple’s registry information. As far as food and refreshments are concerned, it is best to consult with the mom-to-be regarding the menu, as this can be a seriously touchy time for her taste buds. Lastly, keep the shower short. Two to three hours is enough; otherwise, it could be quite taxing for the mom-to-be.

“Non-traditional” baby showers are celebrated with a special theme. It can be a tea party or a baby brunch with various themes related to babies. Surprise baby showers are wonderful and exciting, but sometimes they can be terribly awkward for the mom-to-be. One must carefully plan these surprise baby showers and see to every possible intricacies. He/she should be well versed with the tastes of the mom-to-be and take care of the minute details pertaining to decoration, food, ambience, music and so on.

The food planned for the baby shower should be healthy and nutritious for the pregnant woman. Some foods should be carefully cooked while some others should be strictly avoided. Meat should be cooked very thoroughly, to avoid toxoplasmosis. Caffeine like chocolates and tea may have a certain risk and are best avoided. Fruits and vegetables may contain toxoplasmosis; they should be washed thoroughly. Food that contains raw eggs, like homemade mayonnaise or ice cream, must be avoided. Eggs must be cooked until the whites and yolks have become solid. Certain herbal teas should be avoided, if possible. Liver pate or sausage and liver contain too much vitamin A, and that could harm the baby. Due to certain risk factors certain fish, sushi and soft cheeses should not be served, either.

Although baby shower menu should reflect the theme, the time of day and the number of guests are equally important. It should be a celebration for the mom-to-be or the parents-to-be, her guests, and the host/hostess. Consider the special dietary needs of the mom-to-be and her guests along with the amount of time and room available for the shower. Low fat cooking recipes help the mom-to-be and her guests make healthy food choices. Baby shower cake with fun ideas will do double-duty as a centerpiece. Non-alcoholic punch and healthy salads could be the other main items. Finger foods are best served on such occasions, as they are easy to handle. The desserts should be served in individual pieces and on small doilies or muffin cups. It is best to avoid foods that are overly sticky or might melt too fast.

Baby Showers provides detailed information on Baby Shower Cakes, Baby Shower Decorations, Baby Shower Favors, Baby Shower Games and more. Baby Showers is affiliated with Free Baby Shower Invitations.

Surprise Baby Shower - Surprise baby showers can be fun if they are the Mommy-to-Be typically enjoys such events. If you are thinking of hosting a shower, you must have the help of those close to the Mommy-to-Be to determine her needs and wants for the baby. The guest list will also need to be planned very carefully, checking it with a close relative or friend to ensure you haven’t left anyone out close to the Mommy-to-Be. Although the surprise is not traditional, sometimes it is nice for a second baby shower (if the Mommy-to-Be is going to have a second) to throw a surprise shower.

Keep in mind that surprise showers can be stressful for the Mommy-to-Be as well as the planners, since you need to en sure you invite the right people without asking, and pick an available time when the Mommy-to-Be and family will be around. Usually surprise shower is not the first, but if there are going to be multiple showers then this can be fun! No matter whether the shower is a surprise or not, keep in mind that it is for the mom!

A non-surprise baby party is a safer bet, since it gives you a chance to review the guest list with the Mommy-to-Be and also allows the Mommy-to-Be to register for gifts and let the host know if there is anything particular needed for the baby. Regardless of whether the shower is a surprise or not, remember it is for the Mommy-to-Be! Make sure she has a comfy chair to sit in, someone to hand her gifts, her favorite food and plenty of help getting the gifts to her car and into her home. It’s her special day!

Couples Baby Shower - Baby showers have always tended to be for women, with women and about women, but times are changing. Fathers are now taking a more active role in planning for the new baby and might feel left out in the party celebrations. If you are considering a Couples Baby Shower Invitations the big consideration is to make the men feel welcome and comfortable.

You should limit the cutesy decorations for the couples shower, and the food shouldn’t be all dainty either. You might consider a BBQ, giant sub sandwiches, pizza or a deli style buffet. Since you are all there to have a good time, structure is much less important. You will want to have name tags with the relationship to the parents-to-be if you are mixing people who know each other with those who don’t, and make sure you have a large, special name tag for the Mommy-to-Be.

There are also appropriate gifts for the Daddy-to-Be like a “coach” t-shirt, so don’t forget about him. Favors can be given, but give something that would be appreciated by the couple, like candles and food items which are always a good choice. Other ideas are to make cookies with baby themed cookie cutters, then frost them with the baby’s name (if known) or a question mark and the couple’s last name. You could wrap the cookies in cellophane and put them next to a cute baking favor like the baby shower rolling pin recipe card holder. You could even put a recipe for the cookies behind the card that’s included with the favor! (What man does not love cookies!)

Couples games should be funny and easy for all guests. You can take the couples first names and determine how many baby names can be derived from the letters. A prize can be given for the funniest name and the most names devised. Always a great game is to fill baby bottles with a favorite beverage and see who can empty the bottle first. Have all of the guests bring their baby pictures, number them and see who can guess the most correctly.

The prizes should be something silly, like Nerf basketball sets or Frisbees. Don’t forget to take plenty of pictures and put someone in charge of videotaping so that the pictures and video tapes can be given to the new parents. Couples baby party can be a great way to combine a celebration and an evening out with friends. When sending the couples invitations, be sure and indicate that it is a baby shower for couples.

Baby Showers for the second . . . or More child> - Although showers have traditionally been for first time parents, it is becoming more common for family, friends or co-workers to have a baby shower for the second child, third child or beyond. It’s wonderful to hold babyshowers for second and third babies, since they deserve special recognition too! Parents will appreciate new clothes for the baby, particularly if they are having a different gender child from their other children.

Gifts of time are also very welcome! New moms will appreciate your assistance with household chores, a gift of babysitting or some home-cooked meals brought to her house. It’s also a great idea to give something to the parents for themselves, like tickets to a movie, a gift certificate for dinner at a restaurant or items mom can use to pamper herself, like body lotion, candles, pretty soaps or maybe even a good book of short stories. When planning these type showers, the safest route to take is to ask the expectant parents what items they have and what they need. When sending the Invitations be sure and indicate that it is a second, third, fourth child babyshower.

Baby Showers for Single Moms - Baby Showers for single moms are perfectly acceptable and always a good idea. Single moms will need extra support, and a baby shower will allow her family friends to show their support. Here, gifts of your time and energy will be ideal and appreciated.

Welcome Home Baby Shower - A welcome home baby shower is an “after the fact” shower of the little one being born! This is not your traditional party, but a great way for people who could not attend the shower to join in the fun. The biggest drawback to a welcome home shower is that the new parents are usually overwhelmed with the new baby and usually want some time alone.

The welcome home baby showers are mostly held a month or two after the baby is born to give the parents time to adjust. The nice thing about this is that the Mommy-to-Be can tell her host and guests what she still needs for the baby, so it is a great way for her to get all the essentials she still does not have for the new baby. When you send custom welcome home invitations, be sure to indicate that it is a welcome home party. And don’t forget your matching welcome home baby thank you cards with the same theme as your welcome home cards.

You can view lot of printable Baby Shower Announcements, popular Baby Shower Invitations and printed Baby Shower Cards, add your personal message, along with your favorite fonts, ink color and then Preview your personalized baby card. This process allows you to see your baby card before you buy!

Sarah Porter is Press Agent for several websites including Cards-411, CardsShoppe and more.

I’ve avoided baby showers for years because the tradition has always seemed a little farcical to me. The baby shower games meant to embarrass the mother-to-be, the gag gifts, the petty themes — it’s always left me feeling that we are abandoning our young women just when they need all the support and encouragement they can get.

But recently I was literally dragged to the most unusual shower I’ve ever attended, and my discontent melted away; it was a holistic baby shower that didn’t bother with the cheesy baby shower games and replaced them with true rites-of-passage. I’d like to share how a young mother-to-be named Jenny organized this event, and spread the word about the new generation of baby shower ideas, which can be honest and authentic, and still a lot of fun.

Jenny told me she wanted a “ceremony, not a shower.” She expressed her intention for a more grounded event that will help prepare her for crossing the threshold into motherhood with the support of other women, and especially the older women, in her community.

“No dumb games,” she said, “and, please, no truth-and-dare.” From there, her friends organized the event, including sending the invitations and preparing the food.

I knew it was a different kind of shower the moment I stepped inside. The living room was set up with an altar space in the middle of the room, surrounded by couches in the round. We were instructed to each bring a single flower for Jenny, which we placed in the flower vase in the center of the altar.

Pomegranates, pine cones, and oranges were piled against the vase: each of which are ancient and powerful symbols of fertility and pregnancy. The room smelled of spices and incense. I was entranced.

The baby shower really began when all of the women talked about their experiences with mothering. It was a great and hilarious collection of stories, straight from the heart. Balancing this, a glass bowl was then passed around and fears about being a new mother were spoken into it. This bowl was then placed on the altar as well, expressing the healthy role of fear in becoming a parent. Nobody was without a dry eye at this stage.

Then, the music came on, some traditional women singers with drums and flutes. Everyone started dancing and laughing again. Meanwhile, a couple of women lay the mother-to-be down in a comfortable chair and massaged her head, shoulders and back. The atmosphere was free and intimate, and full of trust.

This is when the food was rolled out on a couple wheeled carts: yummy finger foods and small sandwiches as well as fruits and chocolates. I couldn’t believe what a good time I was having.

The most innovative baby shower idea was that each guest wrote a blessing onto a small scrap of parchment, which were then strung together like a raggedy prayer flag. The best part: Jenny later hung up the “blessing banner” in the delivery room when she was giving birth. So all our blessings were in attendance, even though we were not there physically. Jenny told me recently how this gave her a deep sense of security when she entered the hospital room that day. She said she could feel our love surrounding her and giving her strength.

As you can tell, this was not the standard baby shower! Each of the guests, myself included, left feeling like we had given something of ourselves, as well as the traditional baby gifts which we left to be opened at a later time. And the mother-to-be looked so relaxed as we said our farewells. We had done our job.

This holistic baby shower idea is truly the gift of community, the way baby showers used to be in the early part of the century. So, if you are thinking of having a shower and want something a little different than the usual baby shower games, rest assured that there are alternatives.

Express your intention to your trusted friends and let them carry you across the threshold of motherhood with new rites-of-passage that are full of heart and spirit.

Are you attending a baby shower soon and still haven’t found that unique baby gift? Come by http://www.lucieclaire.com for great ideas about designer baby gifts under $50.

s the stork on its way for someone near and dear to you? Have you been assigned the blessing (or curse) of hosting the baby shower? Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that “measuring the waist of the expecting” games aren’t just loads of fun, and that 20 plus doses of estrogen wandering around your house isn’t a blast. But let’s face it, hosting a baby shower can be a daunting task.

It doesn’t need to be so! With so many etiquette and clever idea books out there, you can do this! So just take a deep breath and read on…

Now, before I tell you a story, let me relay to you that I used to be one of the cynical types. I’m not into big, expensive weddings, and I used to think wedding and baby showers were created by the greedy. My idea of a good time is a night out on the town with your girlfriends and a few margaritas, and let that be the end of it. But let me tell you I’ve (sort of) changed my mind on this topic. I recently attended a baby shower that went off without a hitch! I’m fairly certain I even enjoyed it!

There were some very clever things that occurred at this particular shower that made it go so smoothly and caused people to (heaven forbid) have fun! Here are some ideas for those of you expecting a shower for the expecting…

Before the shower everyone had to email in a story of parenthood or, if they weren’t a parent, then a babysitting or sibling story. The book was made into a scrapbook with pictures and was passed around. All the stories were great — some were sentimental, but most were fantastic anecdotes about the funny, and sometimes wretched, things their spawn did.
Not only did people share stories in the book, but this also lead to a lengthy and humorous discussion of childbirth and parenthood.
Everyone was asked to bring their favorite childhood book as a gift, in order to start a library for the baby.
Alcohol was served to those who were allowed to drink it.
The baby shower favors consisted of little, sterling silver charms that adhered to the shower theme of stars and moons, which will be used in the baby’s bedroom. The charms were a hit, because they could be used in a number of ways — either as pendants, or as an addition to a charm bracelet.
So hopefully this has been helpful to those of you who will soon face the task of hostess. Remember to have a sense of humor and relax. It can either be a fun time of reminiscing and merriment, or you can bust out the tape measure and embarrass the mother-to-be to no end. If it were me, I’d choose the first option!

Alexandra is the Head of Marketing and Sales for Mademoiselle Jewelry - a company that was founded on the principal that jewelry is art. Mademoiselle Jewelry specializes in unique jewelry, sterling silver jewelry, and designer jewelry. Each piece of jewelry is hand selected for quality, uniqueness, and creativity. Mademoiselle Jewelry also carries jewelry lines specifically designed for men and children.

In today’s internet age, there should never be a need to write out multiple invitations to a baby shower by hand, unless, of course, you want to. By carrying out a search on the internet, you will quickly discover there are numerous ways that you can avoid using those little invitations where you need to fill in the blank spaces provided for each piece of information. Instead, baby shower invitations can be a simple matter of just printing off the required number of copies. So much easier!

One option you may decide to employ is to make your own invitations at home. All you need to buy is some sheets of colored card. You can then make your desired cute or simple layout according to your taste. Once you have checked to make sure that all of the included information is correct, you can do a trial print to make sure that your design looks as good as you designed it to be. Just make sure that you fold it correctly, according to the way you want it presented, and that you have envelopes that your invitations will fit into.

Another option, if you want to make your own baby shower invitations, is to cut your colored card into postcard size pieces, then print the details on one side and use pre-printed address labels on the other side. This option makes life easier for you as your baby shower invites will not require any fancy folding or envelopes, and the cost of mailing them will also be a lot less.

A further option open to you is to try pre-formatted versions employing card-making or invitation-making software. If you think that your computer designing skills are not up to the job, this could be the answer you are looking for. Also available are pre-sized invitations, for a baby shower or blank ones, which are ready-made to conform to a pre-determined size.

However, If You Just Can’t Manage It…

There are many websites available on the internet where all you need to do is input all the details concerning your baby shower into a pre-formatted invitation template, tell them how many copies you need, et voilà - the requested number of baby shower invitations and envelopes will arrive on your doorstep in good time. This is an excellent way to obtain state-of-the-art baby shower invitations. More and more people are turning to these services as they become easier to make and cheaper to buy.

You will find that these template invitations that you order via the internet are dearer than the packages of blank invitations, but the benefits of the online invitation, both for baby showers, and for many other types, are numerous. Gone is the need to write out the invitations. Now you can get a professionally printed invitation at a very affordable price. For just a small extra fee you can add custom return-address labels that match the invitations. Most importantly, the only job that is left for you to do is address them!

Whichever method you choose, don’t forget to save a baby shower invitation to give to the guest of honor!

Want more tips and ideas to make your baby shower unique, and get more baby shower invitation ideas? Just point your browser at http://www.babyshowerhost.info