Hosting a baby shower at home

It's interesting:
"Wasn't the wedding ceremony beautiful? The highlight, of course, was Linda floating magically down the aisle. I'm sure we were all thinking exactly the same ..."

Hosting a baby shower at home can save money on rental space and create a more intimate atmosphere. You might choose to have a baby shower at home because your group is small or there isn't rental space available in your area. With a few tips and tricks, you can transform your home into a baby shower wonderland that will impress family, friends and the mother-to-be. A shower at home can be just as much fun as one held anywhere else.

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Things You'll Need

• Invitations
• Cake
• Streamers
• Rubber ducks
• Cotton balls
• Toilet paper
• Disposable cameras
• Door prize gifts
• Finger foods of choice

Instructions

1. Before the Shower

   • 1

     Send invitations at least two weeks in advance of the baby shower. The invitations should list a telephone number that guests can call to R.S.V.P. and clear directions to the home where the shower is being held.

   • 2

     Order the cake two to four weeks before the shower. If you plan to make the cake yourself, you'll need to complete it the day before as you'll be very busy the day of the shower. Unless the mom-to-be already knows the sex of the baby because of an ultrasound, it is best to stick with neutral colors like yellow and green for the icing or to use both blue and pink.

   • 3

     Decorate your home with pink and blue or green and yellow streamers. Place rubber ducks around the buffet table and use different sized ducks as a centerpiece.

   • 4

     Prepare snacks. Finger foods are popular, but it is also okay to think outside the box. Start by deciding if the pregnant woman you are holding the show for would like a casual or elegant baby shower. That will help you determine the menu.

     Do you make the best beef barbecue in three counties? Go ahead and fill up a crock pot full of it for the party accompanied by chips and other sides. If you are not good at cooking, you can also pick up prepared trays from places like Subway, Chik-fil-A or order pizza from your local pizza parlor.

   • 5

     Tie balloons on your mailbox or front porch so that guests who have never been to your home can easily find it. If you live in an area that is hard to locate, you may want to create additional signs out of poster board, stakes and balloons and stake them out on the various street corners leading to your home. Draw a big arrow pointing the way and put the words "Melissa's Baby Shower," substituting the name "Melissa" with the name of the mother-to-be.

   During the Shower

   • 6

     Give the guest of honor a comfortable seat in the center of the action. If Mom is more than eight months pregnant, she'll likely need to remain seated and resting at least some of the time.

   • 7

     Play games like the Cotton Ball Game and use toilet paper to measure Mom's belly.

     For the Cotton Ball Game, blindfold the player. Place an empty bowl on top of the person's head (you may need to help them hold it in place.) Place a bowl filled with cotton balls on their lap. The blindfolded person then takes a spoon and tries to get as many cotton balls as possible from the bottom bowl to the top bowl in one minute. The player cannot touch the cotton balls with her fingers. To play the toilet paper game, allow each guest to tear off the number of squares of toilet paper she thinks it will take to go around the expectant mother's tummy. Once everyone has ripped off their squares, measure the mother's stomach using the lengths of toilet paper and see who guessed closest. You can also download trivia games for baby showers at sites like Plan the Perfect Baby Shower and Party Game Ideas (links to these sites are provided in the Resources section of this article.) Award prizes to the winners.

   • 8

     Bring the presents to the mother-to-be and have her open each one and show it to the guests. A friend or family member should take notes on who gave which gifts to the expectant mom, so that she will have a list to send thank you letters later.

   • 9

     Make sure the expectant woman has food to eat and plenty of water to drink. You should also check back with her a few times throughout the party to see if she needs anything. She may need a stool to prop her feet up, for example.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: baby shower, shower home, baby shower home, your home, Hosting baby