Origins of the Baby Shower

Origins of the Baby Shower

A Baby Shower is a way of celebrating the pending birth of a baby by giving gifts to the expectant mother (or the parents together) at a party. This is largely an American custom, and although mothers in the UK and Europe are often ‘showered’ with gifts, this is typically after the baby is born and is often associated with the baby’s Christening.

The origins of the baby shower, as with many modern customs, lie in the ancient world, ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. Although neither had baby showers as we know them they did celebrate childbirth. Historians believe they have found evidence of rituals pertaining to pregnancy and birth and although we’ll never know the details, it seems the celebrations took place after child had been safely delivered.

In ancient Greece all that attended the Mother’s confinement made an aloyge or strident noise; on either the fifth or seventh day the baby was welcomed into the household in a ceremony called Amphidromia where the father would walk round the hearth several times and on the tenth day the mother returned to her place in society, marked by a meal attended by friends and family. Mothers would dedicate gifts to the birth-goddess Eileithya, such as dresses, girdles and things associated to birth. For many women of that time, giving birth was the only way to gain recognition in a man’s world.

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The Baby Shower as we know it started at the end of World War II and may be a result of the Baby Boom. Traditionally, only female friends of the expectant mother were invited. They were expected to share their wisdom and experience of childbirth with the new mother.

Because it revolves around the giving of gifts, the baby shower was usually hosted and arranged by a close friend rather than a family member as it was thought to be the height of bad manners to ask for gifts on behalf of close relative.

However times have changed and whereas early baby showers consisted of ‘showering’ the mother and her new baby with gifts the trend has turned full circle and the celebration is now held at least a month before the baby is due. The shower is usually organized by a close friend, but these days can be organized by almost anyone (other than the mother to be or her mother) and is usually held at home. A small meal is traditional, usually based on cake and finger foods. Other differences are that earlier festivities were limited to ladies only, where not even family was invited; now all members of both ‘expectant’ families as well as friends can attend. In some cases mothers-to-be will attend multiple showers arranged by different friends. 

The party host must know the likes and dislikes of the Mom-to-be and must make sure that she is comfortable with both the chosen games and theme. Among the most popular baby shower themes are ‘Princess’ and ‘Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice’ for a baby girl, and ‘Sailboats’ and ‘Little Sport’ for a baby boy. Unisex baby shower themes like ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘Stork’, ‘Rubber Ducky’, ‘Safari’, ‘Cupcake Baby’ and ‘Family Tree’ are high in popularity too. There are also games all arranged around the theme of the party.

Baby showers continue to be a much loved tradition in the USA and are growing in popularity. Originally held to celebrate the expected birth of the first child only, Mothers-to-be now often enjoy a ‘shower’ for each impending birth.

Top 10 Tips to Help Dad-to-be Throw the Best Baby Shower!

Top 10 Tips to Help Dad-to-be Throw the Best Baby Shower!

Traditionally baby showers are hosted by a close friend or family member such as the mum-to-be’s own mother or mother-in-law. However, there is an increasing trend for the dad-to-be to take on the role as the host of the baby shower. So here are a few tips for any dad-to-be thinking about throwing a baby shower for his other half (OH) to help him with the organisation.

1. Who to invite – this is IMPORTANT! Have you been paying attention to her when she talks of her friends, colleagues and family? Who are her closest friends that she’d want there – and who might she a) have had a recent bust up with, b) secretly can’t stand, or c) would rather eat her own arm than have to socialise with at her own baby shower! Does she get on with her colleagues or does she leave work at the door when she gets home? Would she want her friends/colleagues/family socialising with each other or would it be better to keep them separate? If you don’t know already start subtly digging for the info you need!

2. Only make it a mixed male and female party if you KNOW that your OH would like it. You might prefer to have some male company to discuss the footie with but if your OH would rather some private girly gossip time then keep it just female. If you can’t stand the thought of being the only male there then perhaps make a deal with the mum-to-be’s closest friend that you’ll do the organising but she’ll run the party once the guest of honour has arrived whilst you sink a couple of pints in your local.

3. If you stay at the party to be the host then make sure you are the host. This means it’s up to you to keep the party running on time, get the baby shower games played in plenty of time (including rounding up the guests to listen to the game rules, giving out the props needed and spurring everyone on), having the food laid out and topping up drinks where necessary. Keep everything running smoothly, don’t embarrass your OH with any little anecdotes about her pregnancy habits that she’d rather keep between the two of you and be an attentive host and you’ll have all her friends wishing their OH’s were as brilliant as you!

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4. Make sure you actually invite the guests – this doesn’t have to be a formal invitation by post, as emailing or Facebook messaging is OK too, just make sure that you give people plenty of notice and that you follow up to find out who has confirmed so you know the final number of guests to cater for.

5. What kind of venue is going to be appropriate? Would your OH prefer to chill out at home or be (non-alcoholic) wined and dined at a restaurant? Is she a spa-day type woman or a lady who lunches on delicate afternoon teas? Would she like a big formal ‘do’ or a relaxed picnic in the park? You know her better than anyone (and if you don’t know you will once the baby is born!) so pick wisely. And if you really aren’t sure then have a word with her closest friend and ask for some help!

6. Play to your strengths – if you are a dab hand in the kitchen then do the catering yourself and save yourself a few pennies (and earn a few brownie points!). If, however, your cooking leaves a lot to be desired then do everyone a favour and sort out external catering (and no, this does not mean picking up a KFC bargain bucket on the way to the party or ordering Pizza halfway through!). Make sure you only serve food that’s safe for pregnant woman and have some tasty non-alcoholic drinks available.

7. Is your OH the life and soul of the party and the type who would appreciate some raucous games? Or would the thought of playing any kind of game make her cringe with embarrassment? If you want games then pick them carefully – baby shower bingo is pretty safe if you know gifts will be opened at the party but save the full-on team games for baby showers where you are confident that the mum-to-be and her friends will feel comfortable getting stuck in.

8. Pick a theme for the party. If you are feeling creative then you could go for a nursery rhyme, children’s book or popular character theme and use props such as soft toys and posters and incorporate the theme through the games and food too. If, however, this is one step too far with everything else to organise then play it safe and go for a simple co-ordinating colour-scheme. If you know the baby’s gender (and are happy for everyone else to know too) then go for a traditional pink or blue theme. If the gender is a surprise then go for neutral yellows, pale greens and purples.

9. Think about whether you want to have baby shower favours to thank the guests for coming. It’s certainly not compulsory but it is a nice touch (which won’t go unnoticed by your OH’s friends by the way), and doesn’t have to cost lot. A simple little box of sweets or even a cupcake in a box (especially if you’ve made it yourself) will go down a treat.

10. Make sure if you need to purchase baby shower decorations and tableware that you buy them in plenty of time. Don’t forget – you won’t often find baby shower specific party supplies on the UK high street currently so you’ll usually have to order from the internet. This means that you have to factor in enough time for your order to be processed and then delivered. Telling your OH about all the fab things you’d PLANNED to get but ran out of time to will not go down well!

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

Baby Booties Puffy Baby Shower CupCake Topper – 24CT

Baby Booties Puffy Baby Shower CupCake Topper – 24CT

• Assorted Colored Baby Booty Plastic Picks

Cupcake toppers. Perfect for baby showers and new born baby celebrations. Includes 24 picks.

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Having a Fun Type of 1st Birthday Party to Showcase your Baby

Having a Fun Type of 1st Birthday Party to Showcase your Baby

These baby parties can be formal occasions where you want to showcase your baby and show how well you are coping with life, work, entertaining and your baby. On the other hand you could just have a really fun type of baby’s 1st birthday party.

For this type of birthday you really just need to keep a few facts in mind. Since you are going to be having your baby at the party it is best to keep things simple. Planning on having a buffet style table of food is one of the best ways to keep your guest feeling relaxed as they can socialize and eat at the same time.

Keep the buffet food stuff to tasty but simple menus. You should plan on a variety of different sandwiches, hotdogs, pizza slices, burgers, fried chicken pieces, salads, bread rolls and lots of tasty cakes, sweets, and drinks.

For added enjoyment having lots of brightly colored balloons strung around the site of the birthday will encourage your one year to look around at the various items that can be seen. This is a good way to encourage their interest in people. As birthday cake is one type of food that kids love to eat you should buy a large sized cake in soft bright colors that have lots of icing.

When you are looking at the different types of birthday cakes that you can buy for a 1st birthday party, you will see that besides the traditional clown or teddy bear and in colors other than blue and pink there are many other types of birthday cakes. These cakes are found in shapes like Scooby-Doo, Bart Simpson, My Little Pony, Barbie, a fireman and many others.

There is one item that you might want to do for a 1st birthday party and that is to have small individual birthday cakes for the children to eat as they wish. These little birthday cakes don’t have to very expensive.

What you can do is to buy lots of cupcakes in flavors like chocolate or vanilla and decorate these “cakes” with tons of frosting. To make the cupcakes look even more delicious and festive you should sprinkle some multicolored M&Ms or sprinkles over these little cakes.

Even though your baby is still too small to fully enjoy the party you can plan on having lots of fun games like Pin the tail on the Donkey, breaking Piñatas, Musical chairs and you can even have a mystery treasure hunt for your small guests to enjoy. Have lots of chairs placed everywhere for your guests to relax in your house and garden.

By keeping things simple but enjoyable both you and your guests will enjoy celebrating your baby’s 1st birthday party. As the party winds down you will have a store of memories and photographs to share with your baby once they are a little older.

Baby Shower Rocking Horse Cupcake Picks – Set of 12

Baby Shower Rocking Horse Cupcake Picks – Set of 12

• Set of 12
• 2 different horses – 6 of each
• Perfect for the baby shower
• Gives your cake/cupcakes a professional look

These are perfect for the couple who doesn’t know the sex of their baby. You will get 6 pink and 6 blue for a total of 12 picks. The picks are approx 2.5 inches tall. They are flat, no paint on the opposite side. These are a very quick and easy way to give your cake/cupcake a professional look.

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Baby Shower Themes

Baby Shower Themes

Baby Shower Themes for Your Baby Party Shower

Planning a baby shower party can be a challenge for most of us. When you are hosting baby shower, you will need to face many details, juggle tons of responsibilities, and always be mindful of the wishes and preferences of the mother-to-be. However, one of the most enjoyable parts is choosing from among the many Baby Shower Themes, http://www.cards-411.com/baby-shower-party/baby-shower-themes. The theme gives your party focus and makes it truly fabulous. There are lots of online baby stationery shoppes that want to help you with the planning baby shower and offer some fantastic baby showers ideas so here are three of the more popular shower themes.

Racing Cars

For parents-to-be who are fans of racing or for couples expecting a little boy, the racing car baby showers theme could be a great choice. Some of these online shoppes recommend he NASCAR themed baby shower invites, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/baby-shower-invitations/ for the event as a starting point for the planning. For the baby shower decorations, look for items that depict either the couple’s favorite driver’s number or that include a lot of different auto racing motifs. If you have a color printer, you can find much of this on the Internet then use your printed materials to create collages that can be hung on the walls. Purchase small toy cars to decorate the cake or use them as centerpieces or party favors for your party baby shower.

Teddy Bears

There are few things that say lovable more than a cuddly teddy bear so these toys are great examples of baby showers themes. Baby shower supplies shoppes carry teddy bear themed baby invitations in either pink or blue so no matter what gender the couple is expecting their needs can be met. As a centerpiece for the main table, why not purchase an adorable stuffed bear. You should have no trouble finding shower baby decorations that depict bears. If nothing else, look at the selection of birthday party supplies. You might also want to look around for small bears that could be used as party favors for the guests. And if you’re serving cupcakes, why not make some chocolate bear suckers (you can find the supplies at your local cooking supply shop) and use them to decorate each individual cupcake.

Traditional Color Patterns

If you’re really not sure what good Baby Shower Themes might be for the event, considering going with the old reliable: colors. For hosts who know the gender of the soon-to-arrive baby, the color choices can be easy. Pink and white or blue and white are very standard. If you want to be a bit more trendy, substitute chocolate brown for the white. You’ll find baby showers Invitation, http://www.express-invitations.com/baby-shower-invitations/ that match the traditional color schemes quite well. When you don’t know the gender, you could choose the mother-to-be’s favorite color or a gender-neutral color, such as green or yellow. A plus of using these Baby Shower Themes is they are easy to add into the rest of your decorations. Just make sure everything is going to be in the same color palette and you’re all set for a fabulous Baby Shower Party, http://www.cards-411.com/baby-shower-party/

Experience the Online Shopping Difference

Discover for yourself the Wealth of Positive Reasons for shopping online for all your baby shower games, shower invitations and baby announcements cards needs. You will also find lots of help with your baby shower budget costs and good reading about baby shower trends styles. Here are more great reasons:

* Exclusive and Unique Designs Available * See Your Baby Shower Themes and Personalized Invitations BEFORE You Buy with patented Instant Preview Features * Proof Emailed to You within ONE Hour, and You Can Make Unlimited Changes for FREE * Free 10 Cards and Free Shipping * SAME DAY Printing and Shipping Your Order * Personalize Your Invitations and Announcements by Adding a Photo, Picture or Logo to Any Card * Customize Your Stationery – Many Will Modify Any Card Design or Color As Requested * They Will even Create a Special Design Just For You

Baby Socks Cupcake

Learn how to make a cupcake using baby socks. Perfect for a gift or to use as decoration at a baby shower. You can find more photos and information on what I used to make this into a gift over at my blog – creativepad.typepad.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Classic Pastel Baby Shower Diaper Cake (Cupcake, Blue)

Classic Pastel Baby Shower Diaper Cake (Cupcake, Blue)

• Made Using Ultra Soft Pampers Swaddlers Stage 1 Diapers
• Decorated with quality fabric, wired ribbon
• Gift Wrapped in Tulle with Gift Enclosure Card
• Constructed with the use of adhesives
• Give As Is, Or Add Little Gifts Inside and out for a Gift within a Gift

Diaper cakes are a fun and functional gift for any new baby. Surprise the new parents in your life, by sending them a beautiful baby cake. These cakes are all about the diapers. We use Pampers Swaddlers Stage 1 Diapers, which fit babies up to 14 lbs.

Diaper Cake Sizing:
Cupcake: 10 Diapers
2 Tier: 30 Diapers
3 Tier: 60 Diapers
4 Tier: 100 Diapers
5 Tier: 150 Diapers

All diapers are fresh and ready to use with the snip of a ribbon. We never use any adhesives in the construction of our diaper cakes. Give as a gift, or use as a chic centerpiece for your next baby shower.

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Baby Shower Diaper Cakes – The Ultimate Gift & Centerpiece

Baby Shower Diaper Cakes – The Ultimate Gift & Centerpiece

Whenever you’re in charge of hosting a baby shower for a friend, family member or colleague, you recognize how time-consuming it can be to plan the party and make it entertaining. Well when it comes to finding the perfect gift and centerpiece, look no further! You will be pegged as the most creative hostess ever when you utilize a cake made of diapers as the focal point on the buffet or gift table at the shower. Not only will you have a neat present to pass on to the Mommy-to-be once the party has ended, but you will have the most memorable and unusual centerpiece of all time. A baby shower diaper cake is an entirely useable non-edible cake that is built from disposable diapers that are bundled up to shape layers. Each level is piled atop the former one to create the tiers of the cake and tied with ribbons to keep the diapers and layers together. Then, crucial baby stuff like lotions, powders, manicure sets, teething rings and small playthings are inserted in amid the diapers. Frequently, the layers are wrapped or accessorized with themed receiving blankets, bibs, articles of clothing and layette items, booties and more. These cakes make superb presents for a novice Mom who requires every last essential or the Mom who is a professional because after-all, what mommy could not employ a couple of more nappies or diapers?

When it comes to diaper cakes, there are 2 choices – assemble it yourself employing directions from someplace like WikiHow or buy one on the internet at a respected gift store such as Baby Gifts & Gift Baskets. This retailer sells cakes that range in size from little cupcakes that can be utilized as centerpieces on single shower tables to 5-tier gigantic cakes that appear gorgeous when exhibited on the gift or snack bar table at the shower. Besides the varied sizes, the baby cakes are obtainable in a myriad of motifs and color combinations for Mommies that are carrying baby boys or girls (and even neutralized colors for Moms who are waiting for the birth to find out the gender). For boys, the commonest patterns are Ducks, Little Prince and Sports themed cakes. For baby girls, Little Princess, Pink It’s A Girl and Flowers tend to be the best-selling selections. Simply pick out something to coordinate with your shower color combination or motif. Even better, select a pattern to coordinate with the baby’s room if you know what mommy is designing. Some cakes can even be personalized or fashioned for twin children. Broadly speaking, prices go from approximately for the cupcake size diaper cakes to over 0 for the supreme 5 tier cakes that are overflowing with diapers and oodles of infant necessities.

Cupcake Cutie 1 Tier Baby Shower Diaper Cake Gift/Centerpiece

Cupcake Cutie 1 Tier Baby Shower Diaper Cake Gift/Centerpiece

Adorable Lilac & Pink hued diaper cake comes with all the cute goodies needed to welcome your new baby.

Cake features:
20+ Size 1 Disposable Diapers
1 Plush Cake Topper
1 Receiving Blanket
2 Pair Newborn Socks
1 Bib
2 Wahcloths
1 Johnson & Johnson Bedtime Lotion or Powder
1 Burpcloth

**Comes wrapped elegantly in white tulle and color coordinating cascading ribbons.

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