Baby Shower

Hosting a baby shower has significantly changed over the last few years and have gradually become more commercialized and elaborate and well planned. Baby showers are occasions that are held for family or friends who are expecting a child or in some cases an adopted child.

When hosting a Baby showers for the expectant mother it gives them a sense of security and warmth in the fact that their friends are coming together to support her by giving moral and financial support in a very emotional time. In today's society, it really isn't strange to find family members, groups of friends or even your church friends and pretty much anyone except the expecting mother helping to arrange the baby shower.

Making The Guest List For Invitations

Traditionally, the guest list would only include those closest and dearest to the mother-to-be. It doesn't really matter if the mother-to-be gets a first glimpse at the invitation list as this may help you to get suggestions on who should be invited. However, if you are planning a surprise baby shower, you will have to do some research usually ask the expectant mums parents or very close friends on who should be attending instead of allowing expectant mother to see the invitation list.

Traditionally baby showers for the second born child, are a much smaller gathering where the amount of guests is usually kept down to the closest family and friends to the mother-to-be. Firstborn baby showers however are a little different and they tend to have a larger guest list since it is, after all, the mother-to-be's first child.

What you need to remember about the baby shower is that the goal is intimacy. So when planning the baby shower try to include those that are close friends and family.

There are many informal ways that you can choose to invite your guests such as email, phone and other ways. But of course the more traditional way is to send out invitations or letters to the guests that will be attending. This also has the affect of making the baby much more formal event and in many countries is the only acceptable way to invite the guests.

Traditionally All Female But Guys Are Welcome

A baby shower party has in the past been traditionally a female only affair. In saying that it is also not strange to be invited and participate in a mixed shower party for girls and guys. This of course firstly depends on whether the guys wish to attend and also whether the shower host and mother-to-be wish to cater for the attendance of guys at the party. After all their intention might be to just have an intimate "Girlie Party". At the end of the day it is acceptable to have guys at the party but it will come down to the preference of the host.

Picking the Best Baby Shower Venue

The most common places that baby showers are held are in such places as the backyard, formal halls and even restaurants, actually you can host the party in any room or area that has facilities for your guests. One thing you should consider when deciding on the venue of the baby shower is that when you arrive it is not going to be over crowded with people which good cause undue stress on the expectant mother. You should always research your baby shower venue long before the baby shower date.

When To Have The Baby Shower

The most common time for the baby shower to be hosted is one or two months before the expected birth. The baby shower is the perfect time to show your support for the new arrival and to get those baby things that she may not have had time to purchase yet. You really need to make sure that you time the baby shower right as it it is not advisable to host the party to close to the due date, and not to early as this can take away from the excitement of the party and the distraction of pending birth which is the intention of the baby shower party.

There is nothing more pleasant for an expectant mother than having a baby shower party. The idea of the baby shower is to take a lot of the stress, such as medical appointments and all the poking and prodding that takes place and of course the pending birth off their minds and helps provide a means for friends and family to show their support and of course, the many appreciated baby gifts from invited family and friends who attend.

With good planning and execution of the baby shower party you will ensure the mother-to-be has a fun and memorable day that she will remember long into the future. As well as helping you to relax and enjoy the day as the baby shower host.

Welcoming the newest member of the family is usually done by hosting a baby shower party for a acquaintance or relative. Even though baby showers were originally intended only for new-born baby, latest practices now provide baby shower parties for every baby that comes in the family unit.

The organizing and planning of the baby shower is usually handled by close friends or a family member of the mother-to-be. They are a nice way to help parents-to-be get started with the items that they want for the baby. Take Note, however, that there are some cultures and spiritual notions that do not regard it proper and that it is considered ill luck to have a party and bring baby things in the house before the baby is born.

It is common place now days for a baby shower to have a theme, to which the entire party focuses on. Baby shower essentials typically include shower games, presents, and food. A party is not perfect without a cake, and this also applies to most baby showers.

Cakes are one of the great things about baby showers, and they can be made using several basic techniques, such as the following:

1. All-in-together - this is done by placing the dry elements in a food mixer (together with the shortening) before gradually adding the liquid ingredients.
2. Creaming technique - this is by 'creaming' butter and sugar together before gradually adding the rest of the ingredients.
3. Rubbing technique - this is accomplished by 'rubbing' the butter into the dry ingredients before adding the liquid ones.
4. Melt-and-mix - this is done by first mixing the dry ingredients together, adding the liquefied butter and the different liquid ingredients afterward to complete the cake.
5. Making your Sponge Cake is accomplished by mixing in your eggs and sugar as well as the flour until it turns into a froth carefully mixed in. Producing a light sponge cake requires good skill, as it does not use any raising agent or fat. Finished cakes are usually heightened with the aid of icing or toppings such as sprinkles or chocolate pieces.

There are assorted varieties of baby shower cakes to select from. Many of these are listed here such as Angel food Cake, Butter Cake, Butterfly Cake, Carrot Cake, Pound Cake, Spice Cake, Sponge Cake, Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake these are just some of the orthodox cakes that can be found at a baby shower party. With some extra research online you will be able to find some very awesome baby shower cakes that are not included here.

Apart from the cake assortments above-mentioned, there are also a lot of baby shower cake ideas that can make a baby shower festivity more special for all the guests and the parents to be:

1. Belly Cake Theme. One super thought is to design a baby shower cake and make it seem like a pregnant mothers belly. This can be achieved by putting a roundish cake in front of a rectangular cake and frosting them together to look like that of a expectant stomach.
2. Toy Blocks Baby Shower Cake. Another idea is to design a baby shower cake and make it look like babies play blocks (either one big cube or 3 to 4 smaller blocks). Toy block cakes can be even more exaggerated by fencing them with lollies or small toy motorcars.

In saying this, you can also experiment and endeavor to come up with constructive themes of your own. Remember that the 'goal' is not simply to make a delicious dessert, but a special centerpiece for the table that will stand out in the memories of the parents.