Planning The Perfect Baby Shower
The excitement of a party! We expect a good time with our friends. We expect lots of good food. Depending on the party we may take a present for the guest of honor. But there’s a little surprise we don’t expect, and that’s party favors, a little memento to take home. Kids in particular love a kitschy little something. But so do the guests at a baby shower. Baby showers can be as much fun as a kid’s birthday party, and baby shower favors can be just as memorable. Let’s talk about baby showers.
The first rule of baby showers is that they are given by a friend. Everyone knows you never give a shower for yourself. The first thing to plan is the guest list. Don’t pad the list just to get more gifts. Just choose among the mom’s closest circle of friends. Real paper invitations are a nice touch. I know we rely on the phone and email for the bulk of our interpersonal communications, but a party invitation is one thing that should be stamped and sent by mail. The guests will be pleased to get something in the mailbox that isn’t a bill or junk mail. The paper invitation also gives the recipient a concrete piece of paper to hang on the refrigerator as a reminder of the date and time.
Next is the theme for the decorations. In the old days, the mom didn’t know the sex of the baby at the time of the shower, so shower colors had to either be a neutral yellow or green or a combination of pink and blue. Most showers are put on near the end of the gestation period, so these days it’s common for the hostess to know whether to decorate with pink or blue. Crepe paper streamers are kind of corny, but a few streamers around the ceiling give a festive look to the party room. Another decoration can be a banner announcing that it’s a baby shower. Storks are a good addition. See whether you can come up with ways to incorporate baby items into the decorations. You could make bouquets of baby rattles or rolled up bibs and undershirts. Hang baby toys from the chandelier like a mobile. Temporarily hang decorations for the nursery wall on the wall above the food or gift table.
As for the party food, you need to accommodate both the people who watch what they eat and those who enjoy a party for the forbidden food. Fresh fruit and vegetables are good snacks for everyone, but you also want a pretty, decorated cake, various fatty munchies, and a pretty punch.
The best party activity is to buy enough baby shirts and a selection of fabric paints and paint brushes. Then each guest can custom decorate a little undershirt for the baby. These will become treasured mementos for the mom and her baby. The other best game is for the guests to drop a piece of string or yarn on the floor to estimate the size of the mom’s expanding waist. (I always win this game by pulling out one yard of string and laying it on the floor. Works every time.)
Connor R. Sullivan and his wife have recently attended several baby showers and have noticed that the party favors are becoming more elaborate. His wife purchased online baby shower favors for a baby shower she is hosting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Connor_R_Sullivan
5 Easy Things You Can Do to Reduce Holiday Party Planning Stress
Are you planning to have a holiday party soon ? Congratulations! Holiday party planning is exciting, however with so much going on during the holiday season, it can be a bit overwhelming, too. The best way to reduce party planning stress is to gather party planning information to help you get organized and start preparing for the celebration as soon as possible. An early start is the best way to make sure that you get everything done on time and reduces the amount of stress considerably.
As important as it is to begin planning in advance, some items, such as cleaning the house, just can not be done that far in advance. So you might be asking yourself which items can be taken care of in advance to help avoid that last minute rush to get ready? Here are a few hints on what you can easily take care of during those weeks before your holiday party.
1. Time to get the holiday decorations from the closet . Replace, repair or purchase new decorations as necessary.
2. If you plan to rent chairs, tables or glassware, do so in advance. This will save you last minute frantic phone calls and the aggravation of running around looking for extra chairs
3. Clean out the coat closet to make room for your guest to hang their jackets or bags.
4. Prepare and freeze dishes in advance. Don’t forget to remove from the freezer a day or so before the party to allow food to thaw.
5. Take a look around the entrance to your home. Is it inviting? Is it well lit at night so your guest to make their way to your house safely? If you have any debris or unused items, now is a good time to get rid of it or put it in storage.
One of the best ways to reduce stress is to hire someone to take care of the things you really don’t like to do. For example, if you don’t want to clean your home, hire someone to come in and clean. There are even personal shoppers if you need a little assistance either shopping for gifts or for the party itself.
The best method to reduce party planning stress is to request help. Have a friend arrive a few minutes early to help you with last minute details or to greet guests as they arrive. You really don’t have to do it all yourself to be a success.
So when someone knocks on the front door and your first guests arrive, take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for a job well done It’s going to be a fabulousholiday party, your guests will a wonderful time. So go join your guests and enjoy the party.
Amber Coco is a professional event planner with over 15 years experience planning parties and events. Her most recent book “Hosting the Perfect Party” is a step-by-step party planning guide designed to help you plan and host the perfect party.
For more holiday party planning tips or to sign up a free “Hosting the Perfect Party” mini-course, visit http://www.hostingtheperfectparty.com.
Article Source: 5 Easy Things You Can Do to Reduce Holiday Party Planning Stress
Tips for Making Your Holiday Dinner a Success
Everyone enjoys getting together with family and friends for a big holiday meal, but sometimes the stress of preparation is almost too much to bear. But, there are just a few simple things that you can do to help reduce and/or eliminate the stress.
Plan A Menu:
Since the meal itself is a vital part of your get together, make sure and plan your menu out at least a couple of weeks in advance. This gives you time to sit down and think without being stressed out due to last minute planning.
Share The Load:
Ask everyone that is planning to attend to bring something. This could be a food dish, ice, drinks, plates & cups, or even decorations! This helps everyone to feel like they are really part of the preparations and dinner as well as helps to reduce the amount of work that you do as the host/hostess.
Set a Budget and Stick to It:
Your dinner will mean much more to if you haven’t gone deep into debt to have it. A moderately sized dinner can be thrown without costing a fortune, especially if you spread the love around and have everyone bring something.
Make a Grocery List:
Sit down with all of the recipes that you will be using and make a list of ALL the ingredients that you will need to prepare all of your dishes, and then double check it. Once you are sure that you have a list of everything that you will need, go shopping in your pantry first and see what you already have on hand and mark it off your list. You are now ready to plan your trip to the store, but don’t forget to check the sales ads for really great deals around the holidays. Stock up a bit for the next one if your budget allows. Don’t forget to have extra essentials on hand such as coffee, tea, paper towels/napkins, plates, toilet paper, etc.
Prep Ahead:
Some dishes can be made several days or weeks in advance and kept in the freezer until the day before. Others have to wait and be made the before or even the day of. Make a list ahead of time starting with the dishes that can be made the farthest in advance, then plan when you will make these dishes.
Also remember that if you have several dishes that will require things such as chopped onions, celery, carrots, etc., you can chop all of these veggies at once, divide in to appropriate portions, label with the name of which dish they are to be used for and the amount, and freeze until needed. This will save you a lot of time on baking day. If time allows, you can also double a few dishes, label, and put them in the freezer for your next big holiday dinner. Since Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Easter are all not too far apart this will really help you out in the future.
Have a Plan In Place:
Make sure that you have a plan written down for the day before and the day of so that you don’t forget anything. As you accomplish one task, mark it of your list and move onto the next. I have found this to be very helpful in remembering all that needs to be done. I find that I am much calmer and less stressed by having a plan in place than not having one.
Also, if you have special dishes, linens, candles, etc., that you use just for the holidays, don’t forget to pull them out ahead of time, wash them, and have them ready and waiting for your guests.
The morning of your dinner, make sure to allow plenty of time for all the last minute dinner preparations that you need to do as well as time to do any last minute decorating that you need to do.
Don’t Forget Your Family:
Don’t forget to include your husband/wife and children in all the preparations and decorating. The memories that you make will be cherished for a life time, and your children will pass on these same traditions to their children.
Last, but not least, enjoy your time with family and friends! When it comes down to it, isn’t that what it’s all about?
