Girl or Boy...They Bring Much Joy!

Babies!!! This seems to be the year of babies; I know so many individuals having babies. There is one person in particular who is expecting a baby (not literally). My best friend will be an Aunt for the very first time! I am so excited for her. Although my children fondly call her Auntie, she will now have her very own niece or nephew and I know she will be the best Aunt ever because I've watched her be an Auntie to my children for years. She is my inspiration for this post because she's attended many baby showers but has never thrown one as a true Auntie. There are so many rules and etiquette to having showers. Who should throw it? Should men be invited? What type of food should be served? How many games should be played? Should the Shower start promptly? What type of invitations should be used? How long should a shower last? If this is the mothers second or third child, should she have a shower? What are good hostess gifts? Should party favors be given to guests? What are good themes? The list goes on and on. I have had four children and have attended many baby showers as well as thrown many over the years and I have experienced various "different" showers; I have walked away saying, "What a unique idea for a shower" to "Did that just happen?" LOL Nevertheless there are a few guidelines which will ensure a successful shower:

• Surprise showers are not a good idea (in my opinion) because you want the expecting mother to look and feel her best and she should have a say on certain things. Including the mother-to-be to a certain extent is suggested.
• Today, it is more and more customary for the family to throw a shower. Although the mother-to-be may find herself attending more than shower. Co-workers may also want to have a shower for her in her honor.
• In terms of food, decide whether you want to have appetizers or a "meal". Get the mother-to-be's opinion and keep in mind food allergies or diet restrictions of your guests.
• Inviting men should be the decision of the parents-to-be. They may know several couples and want to invite them, or the expectant mother may not feel that men should be invited.
• The shower should begin promptly; recommend timely arrival to your guests.
• A shower should last about 2-3 hours
• About 3-4 games should be played; anything more than that and your guests begin to experience "tired of games" syndrome!
• Regardless to the number of births, each child being born deserves a celebration.
• Although individuals throw a shower out of the kindness of their hearts, a simple "Thank You" from the mother-to-be would be nice. Simple gifts like a candle, a flower, or a hand written note is recommended but not necessary.
• Guests do not attend showers to receive gifts, they attend to celebrate the life of a child. However, giving party favors is a nice gestures; I've seen it done WITH and WITHOUT.
• Today, many individuals are tech savvy and online invitations are popular; sites such as Socializr and Evite are popular choices. Handmade invitations are also popular as well as pre-printed invitations from your local party store. All should include a start and end time as well as any details regarding the choice of gifts the expectant mother prefers.
• I've seen many themes at showers. Depending on the mother-to-be and whether it is her first child or not, whether she wants the shower to celebrate the joy of life or have gifts given will determine your theme. Themes such as "Mommy Time", "First Library", "Circle of Love", and "Casserole Dish" are a few you can choose from. (For more details on these themes, email me)

The most important thing to remember is that life is precious and a gift from God; celebrate this special occasion by keeping that in mind and...don't forget the cake!
I know your time is precious and valuable, and I thank you for sharing it with me. Until we chat again...

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