Thursday, April 19, 2012

Low-Cost Custom Baby Shower Invitations

It does not have to be complicated to get low-cost custom baby shower invitations. You just need to have patience and be receptive to non-traditional strategies. Here are a couple of helpful hints to help you in discovering the right ones for the shower you are throwing.

Print the Baby Shower Invitations Yourself
If you go to any party supply store, you should be able to find simple general invites that you can print yourself. The benefit of this method is that you can create truly unique custom baby shower invitations that are fully custom-made. These type of invitations allows you to write your own wording instead of whatever happens to be on the invite. These sorts of invitations are typically cheap and are simple to print yourself. Seek ones that have full instructions or a template that you can get. You will also want to make certain that the packet comes with a few test papers so you can print out a few samples before completing a final one. This is going to be more time consuming than having a store print them for you so make sure you have the time and persistence for it.

Adapt a Pre-made Invitation
Nearly all party supply retailers will have generic baby shower invitations with places included for the event information. All you must do to make these custom baby shower invitations is put in your own distinctive feel. Your community craft or scrapbooking retailer will have items like stickers, stamps, and rhinestones that you can affix to the invite. Including a number of mom-to-be's favorite items or ones that are in keeping with the theme is a fun tactic to make the invite feel more individual. Just take care that your decorations do not add too much weight. You do not want to need to wind up having to pay more in postage.

Making Custom Baby Shower Invitations Online
If you are ok with sending the invite through e-mail as opposed to mailing them, you can come across economical on-line invites. There are numerous web-sites that will let you tailor an email invite very reasonably or even for free. Doing it all on line also can aid you in maintaining better track of who has and has not replied. Nearly all on line invitation web-sites have a method to help you in tracking RSVPs. These types of custom baby shower invitations also do not need any postage so help stop on those expenses too. This is a good choice if everybody on the guest list is at ease making use of email. Make sure to follow-up by phone with anyone who has not responded just in case there were technical problems or in case the email got lost in the spam file.

Look for Deals and Mark Downs
Several on line retailers that do custom baby shower invitations sometimes offer sales or special discounts. If you come across a retailer that has a baby shower invitation that you love, examine their web site for promotional codes for savings on your purchase. A general search on-line for mark downs for that store might turn up something also. Several places have an e-mail list you can sign up for and they send you promotional offers through email. If you are seeking custom baby shower invitations at a normal retail store, it does not hurt to ask if they have any deals on what you want to purchase or if there are sometimes sales on those items. Occasionally you can find things on sale or get a coupon if you just wait for a few weeks.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Baby Shower Cake Ideas to Cut Costs

When you possess a little budget, think down-to-earth when preparing baby shower cake ideas. An complex cake is not essential to create a charming and unforgettable shower. At times the greatest cakes are those that are simple yet classy.

If You Buy
You do not need to look any further than your local grocery store for a pleasant cake. They will be less pricey than a formal bakery and still bake fine cakes. A sheet cake will serve more guests than a layer cake so it is normally less costly per slice. A nice image and wording can likewise fit more simply on a sheet cake.

Baby shower cake ideas you can use to position on the cake are diapers, a bottle, a teddy bear, rattles, pacifier, baby clothes, or a baby blanket. It is vital to determine the cost of the message and picture prior to placing your order. Some places price by the letter so the less you make use of, the less costly it will be. To make certain that the cake still has a personal touch, use the little one's or mother-to-be's name on it.

Preparing a Homemade Cake
The least expensive way to go for the cake is to make it yourself but be careful not to strive to do too much. It is less complicated to trim a sheet cake since you do not have to be troubled about frosting the sides of the cake. It also will produce more servings than a layer cake. If you have not taken a cake trimming class, at present is not the point in time to do it. Keeping it simple ought to be the focus for your baby shower cake ideas. You can embellish a cake pleasantly without having taken a cake trimming lesson.

Simply gently put a cookie cutter on the cake. Remove it carefully and utilize a good decorating tip and tube of icing to copy the cookie cutter outline. Low-cost infant items or toys can also be placed on top of the baby shower cake as toppers. Some baby shower cake ideas you can utilize are small plastic animals, newborn footwear, or little bottles.

If you are not comfortable baking cakes or preparing icing, bear in mind that there are many different types of cake mixes and canned frostings available. These are uncomplicated to bake, reasonably priced and taste wonderful. You may wish to try to find recipes that can assist you in spicing up the cake mix. With the addition of a few ingredients you can frequently make a more tasty cake. If you are short on time, you can simply add an ingredient or two such as walnuts or mini chips. These types of additions frequently do not entail that you adjust the cooking time. You might want to test the recipe on some pals or co-workers first to make certain it tastes the way you expect it to.

Writing lettering on the cake is often the most complicated piece of cake decorating. Baby shower cake ideas that can assist are to buy a cake letter decorating set, create some stencils, or doing a practice run. If you are great at sketching, you can develop your own stencils. You can also look on the web for patterns. You could cut them from cardstock and gently arrange them on the cake. You could then trace around them with a frosting tube with a writing tip. If you are going to attempt it without a pattern, it is best to practice initially on a piece of wax paper. Cut the wax paper to be the size of the cake so that you understand the amount of space you get to work with. Frosting tubes and writing tips can be obtained at nearly all grocery retailers for only a couple of dollars.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Two Uncomplicated Fun Baby Shower Games With Instructions

When you are short on time or simply desire baby shower game ideas which are straightforward to plan, seek out activities which do not need a lot of time and energy. If you go the do-it-yourself path, you will also usually save cash. The next two activities are uncomplicated to get ready and easy to do at your get-together.

What is in Your Purse?
Baby shower game ideas like this are uncomplicated to put together and are often especially economical. It is effortless to do. All you need is a sheet of paper with assorted objects which are quite regularly found in a women’s purse. You can create papers for every one of the guests and list out all of the items along with a point value for every object. You can pass out the index cards at the beginning of the gathering and then have the guests offer you their papers by the time you start in on serving food. If you want to have extra pleasure with this by making it more interactive, establish a specified point in the party like before the opening of the presents to do this activity. Hand each guest an index card and a pen. You must have a listing of every one of the things and point worth for each thing. Call out each item and what the point value is. The fun of doing it this way is to have everybody probing their purses at the identical time.

For baby shower game ideas like this, general things to utilize are: hand lotion, tissues, lipstick, pencil, paper, brush, nail file, gum or mints. You can give added points for things that are less frequently found like: calculator (one on phone doesn’t count), highlighter, scissors, tape, tea bag, toothpaste. Baby type items like wipes or pins may be given bonus points. The normally found things should have a point value of 1 and the less ordinary ones ought to have a point value of 2  or three. If you come to a decision to award bonus points for baby things, those ought to be worth 4. The guest with the most points receives a prize.

Baby Photograph Activity

Fun baby shower games such as this are also easy to put together and effortless for the guests to play. Have each guest bring in a photo of them as a newborn or have them e-mail you a photograph of them in advance. Have something such as a bulletin board or easel to situate the pictures on. Write "Match up the Newborn to the Grownup" or something similar at the uppermost place of the board or easel Tape every photo to the easel and note down a number next to the picture. Create index cards or sheets of paper and pencils available to guests to note down their guesses. Just in case individuals do not understand what to do, it is a wonderful idea to have a few instructions written at the bottom of the easel or on the sheets you hand to the guests. Inform them that the newborn photos are of the guests and they have to determine whose infant photo it is.

Fun baby shower games such as this work best with a grouping of people that knows each other quite well. It could be very tricky to guess who is who if you have never seen the majority of the guests previously. So that you can verify everyone's answers, ensure that you mark down the number and guest name for every newborn picture on the board. Don't offer your guests too much time to figure out the photos because individuals will then sometimes compare their guesses. Collect the sheets at a specified point in the shower, have somebody at the board or easel to gather them, or have a box next to the bulletin board or easel for individuals to put their sheets into.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Baby Shower Party Ideas to Reduce Your Expenses

There are many costs involved when setting up a baby shower. The terrific news is that you can have a memorable celebration and still save cash with some simple baby shower party ideas.

Expenses are lower and there is less to do when you make a decision to find a co-host or two for the shower. Before you ask someone to host the party with you, have a clear idea of what you require of them. Do you wish for them to help with food preparation, costs of decorations, distributing out invites? The easiest method to make sure that each and every one of your bases are covered is to create a list of every one of the baby shower party ideas and tasks you have. Then get together with the individual you desire to help to see what the most effective method of dividing the responsibilities would be. Having two of you get decorations can wind up with duplicated work and decorations. Be sure that every person is clear on what their responsibilities are. Having a written list is the best way to steer clear of confusion. Email or mail your co-hosts a copy of the list with who is signed up for what well ahead of the celebration.

Food costs needs to be where you begin when you seek baby shower party ideas that would cut expenses. The food is generally where you use up the best part of your money. You can simply cut down on this by asking everyone who is attending to bring a food item to the gathering. The invitation ought to make it clear that they need to RSVP with what thing they are going to be bringing. Ensure to keep track of the menu by creating a listing of every one of the guests and what they will make. If it seems like there will be too many desserts or snacks, discuss with the people with the later RSVP to see if they can make an alternative item. Verify with guests about a week before the get-together that they are attending and the dish they are bringing. You might want to cook a few extra items just in case somebody does not come or you have a last minute cancellation.

Things which add added expense are renting out a space, tables, or chairs. It can be easiest to throw the shower in your house. At times that is not an option so ask pals and family to see if you can throw the event at someone else's home. One more idea is to search for places which would not charge you for their room. A church or a community meeting place might do it for free of charge or a little charge. If it is during the summer time, wonderful baby shower party ideas would be to have it at a recreational area..

If you do not possess adequate chairs and you are going to be throwing the shower in a house, ask neighbors and pals to see if they have two or three extra they can get by without for a few hours. A community place of worship or business may even let you use a handful of for a couple of hours. Having only finger foods are a great method to make certain that you do not have to rent tables. This way people do not need to sit down at a table with a full place setting so that they can consume the food. They can take what they desire and mingle while standing up. You will need to plan your event for late morning or early afternoon so that a entire meal will not be anticipated.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Ideas for Baby Shower Menu Planning

Preparation is a crucial component of a successful event and that is particularly accurate when it pertains to the baby shower menu. The food is a central element of the get-together and particular consideration needs to be given to the menu. The following recommendations can make it simpler on you before, through, and after the shower.

Preparation and baking time for each dish needs to be carefully planned out. Neglecting this crucial planning of the baby shower food menu can mean disaster. A uncomplicated way to make certain you won't run out of time is to create a list of each recipe and note the preparation and cooking time for each one. You may desire to add in a little spare time for preparation on each recipe because it can sometimes take you more time than you imagine, especially when you are trying to make a number of various food items at the same time. It is also a wonderful idea to mark down if the recipe needs to be served warm or if it should be served cold. It is a terrific idea to choose several recipes that will refrigerate well for one or two days. This way you can prepare some of the food items ahead of time. You will have to create a prioritized listing of each menu item that needs to be prepared the date of the party. You ought to as well have a schedule arranged of what time you have to begin making every item. If you require an spare pair or two of hands in the kitchen to help you, ensure you check with pals well before the get-together.

Trying to make a recipe you have never made before is not a great idea when preparing a baby shower food menu. If you just can't resist, do not test on your gathering guests. Experiment with the recipe before the party and record down what you learn. Write down how much time it required of you to prepare the item, the amount of time to bake it, how favorably the item was received by your test audience, and if the food kept well in the refrigerator. When you have this list finalized you can come to a decision if the food was excellent enough and if the time involved in preparing and cooking can fit into your schedule. If you make a decision to try out a new recipe on a test audience be sure it is people that will give you an frank answer about the flavor. Don't be tempted to leave out the test audience piece. Don't rely  on your taste buds alone. What you are keen on might not please to a broad enough audience and you could end up with food that your visitors do not enjoy.

It is critical to know the size and kind of pan or dish that you need for each food item. You may find that you require 3 dishes of the identical size but you just have one. If you must have extra pans borrow the others or decide on alternate menu items. You likewise may be able to cook some of the menu items a day or two ahead of time and put the food into a alternate pan so maintain that in mind. Do not overlook that cleaning up is one more element of baby shower menu planning. Work out what number of various dishes and utensils you will need to make use of for making every menu item. If there is a menu item which is likely to stretch the resources of your kitchen and create a large mess, consider preparing something more easy. If it is a food item that can be cooked a day or two ahead of time keeping it on the menu is all right provided you are prepared for the clean up.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Baby Shower Nursery Rhyme Game: Getting a Wonderful One

Preparation and patience are a important part of obtaining a good baby shower nursery rhyme game for the get-together you are hosting. Who is attending the event? Are you scheduling an hour or simply a couple of moments for games? What is your theme? These are all crucial to examine as you plan. Here are several ideas to aid in getting you on track.

If you have a common baby celebration theme like “welcome baby,” any baby shower nursery rhyme game will be fine to employ. If you have a more particular theme like monkeys or ducks, it is added fun to use a game which is in keeping with the theme. Seek to get nursery rhymes that are monkey or duck based. You will frequently have to make your own game for this seeing as it will probably be difficult to find pre-made ones. One that would not be too tricky to generate is a fill-in-the-blank game. Simply get nursery rhymes, cut and paste the words into a document, and remove a number of of the words. An additional entertaining one is "name that song." You will be best off doing a search on line for songs that fit the theme and purchasing them because it would be difficult to get a CD with songs that suit your theme. Guests can either shout out the name of the song or enter it down when you play a  part of it.

As with lots of things for a baby shower, it is essential to take a look at who is on your guest list. There could be a nursery rhymes shower game which not every one of your visitors will feel at ease doing. If not everyone on the guest list knows each other, it is better to find games that individuals can do by themselves. Most party supply stores will have generic games where people can record down their responses rather than having to interact with other guests if they do not wish to. If you have the time, you can also make your own. You can try producing your own nursery rhyme title word scramble. There are internet sites that will take the words you place into them and mix up them for you. All you need to do is copy the scrambled words into a document. For “name that nursery rhyme,” you will want to create a sentence or two which describes the nursery rhyme without making it overly easy.

Contemplate how much time you have available to play baby shower games and think about how lengthy the game you are planning will take. After you make a decision on a nursery rhyme baby shower game, you may want to ask a pal to do the game and time how long it takes them. For games which a guest will complete independently, make certain to add in time for people to say hello to other people and chitchat. Games which require a group to intermingle together will have to be timed differently. If you are doing a game of "draw the nursery rhyme," decide what number of various nursery rhymes you will have each team sketch and the amount of time you will allot them to do the sketch. There will likewise be a bit of down time between the sketchings that you ought to bear in mind.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Selecting a Nursery Rhymes Shower Game to Suit Your Party

Obtaining the perfect nursery rhyme baby shower game for the get-together you are hosting only requires some time and planning. Who is attending the gathering? Are you planning an hour or only a couple of minutes for games? What is your theme? These are all key to consider as you prepare. Beneath are ideas for you to make use of at your shower.

If you have a general baby event theme like “it’s a boy,” any baby shower nursery rhyme game would be acceptable to employ. If you have a more targeted theme like monkeys or ducks, it is more enjoyable to use a game that is in keeping with the theme. Seek to get nursery rhymes that are monkey or duck based. Obtaining a game that matches this targeted of a theme at a party supply store is going to be tricky to get. You are going to be better off making one yourself. One that would not be too challenging to produce is a fill-in-the-blank game. Just find nursery rhymes, cut and paste the words into a file, and eliminate some of the words. You can also obtain songs to download from an on-line service and have people either shout out the name of the song or mark it down when you play a snippet of it.

As with several things for a baby shower, it is important to look at who is on your guest listing. There may be a baby shower nursery rhyme game which not all of your visitors will feel comfortable doing. If not every person on the guest list is aware of each other, it is better to acquire games that individuals can play by themselves. A good number of party supply stores will have generic games where individuals can mark down their responses rather than having to interact with other guests if they do not wish to. Producing your own game is an entertaining and inexpensive way to add these games to your party. You can try generating your own nursery rhyme title word scramble. There are sites that will take the words you put into them and mix them up for you. All you have to do is copy the scrambled words into a file. Another one is "name that nursery rhyme." You will need to place your thinking cap on for this one and note down a sentence which describes the nursery rhyme without completely giving it away.

Take into account just how much time you have open to play baby shower games and take into consideration how long the game you are planning will take. A pal can assist you with this. Ask them to do the nursery rhyme game and calculate how long it requires. This works best if it is a game that people will finish on their own. Games that involve a group to interact together will have to be timed in a different way. If you are performing a game of "draw the nursery rhyme," know how many various nursery rhymes you will have each team sketch and how much time you will provide them to do the sketch. There will also be a little down time between the drawings that you have to consider.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Using Color in Themes for Baby Showers

There are many different ways to use color in themes for baby showers. From decorations to the food you serve, the colors that you use are important to helping complement the theme. Here are a few quick ideas.

Stick to a Limited Color Set
You do not want to overwhelm the party area with color so stick to two or three main colors. If you are buying pre-made decorations, stick to decorations that use the same colors in them rather than trying to mix and match. For example, if you are doing a monkey themed party that is celebrating the upcoming arrival of a baby girl, good colors to use for this baby shower theme are brown and light pink. The colors complement each other well and finding decorations that use those colors should not be difficult to find. Having at least some brown and pink foods can help incorporate the theme as well. Avoid using too many more colors. You do not want to have purple, blue, and yellow monkeys or colors when using this theme. Keep in mind that sometimes less is more.

Consider the Colors Already in The Room
Whether you are having the baby shower in your home or at a restaurant, think about the colors already present in the room when considering your themes for baby showers. Do you have a blue couch and you are doing a theme that uses pink because the baby will be a girl? You may need to get creative to hide any colors currently in the room that are not working with your baby shower theme. An inexpensive slip cover can hide furniture that does not match the theme. If some of the items are pictures or kick-knacks you have, remove those items and put baby shower decorations in their place.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Cheap Baby Shower Food Ideas

Food is sure to be at the top of your list when planning a baby shower. It is typically the most expensive part of the shower so cutting costs in this category will have the most impact on your budget. Here are some cheap baby shower food ideas to help you save money.

Making Your Own Platters
Buying a tray of fruit, vegetables, or cheese and crackers is always more expensive than making a platter yourself. For a fruit or vegetable platter, get items that are in season and on sale. In the winter items like apples, oranges, and bananas are likely to be cheaper. A little lemon juice on the apples can help to keep them from going brown on the tray. There are many simple recipes available to make your own fruit or vegetable dip. For a cheese and crackers tray, it will be more cost effective to make a cheese ball than to buy several different kinds of cheese. Most cheese balls can be made a day or two in advance, this sometimes even helps the flavors set better.

Salads
Salads are another good inexpensive baby shower food idea. A nice garden salad with lettuce and a few other vegetables like small tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage mixed in makes a healthy and simple dish. A pasta salad is another easy idea that doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Making your own chicken or tuna salad and serving it with small buns is a good entree dish for a lunch shower and is less expensive than getting a tray with deli meats.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Baby Shower Game Idea: Guess That Baby Drawing

If you are looking for a fun and interactive baby shower game idea, Guess That Baby Drawing will have your guests active and engaged with each other. A baby shower game like this will likely work best with a group that already knows each other at least somewhat.

How to play:
Before the party, come up with a list of baby related activities or items and put them on index cards. They should be at least somewhat difficult items or activities to draw and not too common baby items. You can even divide the cards into categories of baby-related activities, baby items, baby book titles or nursery rhyme titles.

Divide the guests into teams. There should be at least 5 players on each team. Each team should pick who will draw first. The player who will draw for the first team will draw one of the index cards. Give the first team one minute to guess what the person is drawing. Use this same procedure with each team until everyone has had a chance to draw. Keep track of which team had the highest number of correct answers. Be sure to make several extra cards with difficult things to draw in case you need to do a tie-breaker between teams to get a winning team.

What you will need:
  • Easel with large pieces of paper
  • Markers
  • Timer
  • Index cards with baby-related activities or items on them

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

It is always fun to buy or make gifts for babies. No matter what gift you decide on, keep in mind the tastes and preferences of the soon-to-be parents. Here are a couple baby shower gift ideas.

Homemade Baby Shower Gifts
If you have a crafting talent, using that to make a personalized gift is sure to be appreciated. A personalized baby blanket, wall hanging, photo frame, or scrapbook are all wonderful gift ideas. If you are making something for the baby’s room, it is a good idea to check with the mom-to-be to see if they have a theme for the baby’s room. This way you can make something that will fit the theme.

Safe Baby Shower Gift Ideas
There are some things that it is always good to have on hand with a new baby. Diapers, wipes, receiving blankets, photo album, photo frame, and books are all generally safe gifts that will be appreciated. Baby clothes that are a size or two larger like 3-6 months and 6-9 months are also often helpful since babies grow so fast. If you are having trouble finding something, a gift card to where the couple is registered will certainly be appreciated.

If you are purchasing a gift, it is always a good idea to attach the gift receipt to your gift just in case the parents want to take it back or have a duplicate of that item.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Themed Cake Decorations for a Baby Shower

If you are doing a themed shower, it is best to find cake decorations for a baby shower that fit your theme. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Baby Girl or Baby Boy

If your theme is baby girl or baby boy, it should be fairly easy to find items to decorate the cake with. If you do not want to or do not have the time to make your own decorations, you can find pink or blue baby icing decorations like bottles, bibs, baby feet, and baby faces online or in some craft stores. There are also often pre-made icing decorations like flowers that you can find in craft stores. If you have made your own icing decorations before, the possibilities are endless. Pink or blue clothed baby, pink or blue stroller, pink or blue booties. A search through some images online should give you lots of ideas.

Other Themes

It will be easy to find plastic toys or birthday type decorations for themes like rubber duck, monkey, safari, teddy bear, and nursery rhyme themes. If you have a more unusual theme, you will need to get more creative with finding cake decorations to fit the theme. Look for kids toys that may work or check out your local craft store in order to get ideas.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Baby Shower Theme: Tea Time

Tea time is a great baby shower theme if the mom-to-be is a tea lover. Check with her to see what her favorite teas are and if you planning to do it at a tea shop, ask her which one is her favorite. Here are some ideas to help you plan.

At Home
If you are going to be doing the shower at home, it is important to have a selection of teas. At least one black, green, and herbal tea should be available. If you are not sure what to pick, go to a local tea shop and ask for suggestions. You may want to do one selection of teas at a time to make it easier to prepare the teas. You could do a green tea to start out the shower, an herbal tea in the middle, and a black dessert tea at the end. It is a good idea to have someone available to help you with preparing the teas.

At a Tea Shop

If possible, you will want to book the party at a tea shop that has a private room. Since many tea shops are small, this may be difficult to find. If a private room is not available, do it at a tea shop that can at least give you a table or group of tables in a semi-private corner of the shop. Check to see if your group will need to order teas off of a limited menu. You will also want to check with the shop to see how the food needs to be handled. It will likely be easier all around if you simply select what foods you want served rather than ordering off of a limited menu for food.