2.) Keep your child involved throughout the pregnancy: Ask your child or children to suggest names for the new arrival.

3.) Remind your child of the “big brother/big sister” role: Let your child or children know of the fun and responsibility of being the older sibling.

4.) Decorate his/her room: The new arrival gets new digs, so make your older child or children feel like they are getting something fresh as well.

5.) Buy him a toy: Hey, if all else fails, bribery usually works!

Stock the new baby’s room at FavorFavorBaby.com! We have a fantastic selection of diaper cakes and other newborn essentials at competitive prices.

2.) Do laundry: Get used to doing laundry around the clock, and start with those dirty socks under the bed or any other dirty clothes that may be lying around.

3.) Stock the shelves: Mom will be busy, so save her some time and energy by buying enough groceries for weeks of home-cooked meals.

4.) Stock up on those newborn essentials: Diapers, food, formula—the house should be filled to the brim with everything the newborn needs.

5.) RELAX: You won’t get much of a chance to breathe once the newborn comes home, so sleep while you can. When baby comes home, take a few minutes, take a deep breath and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

Get a stylish, trendy diaper cake as a welcome-home gift for mom and baby. It’s filled with lots of newborn essentials and it’s right here at FavorFavorBaby.com!

2.) Diaper changing: A daunting task, but you’ll get used to it.

3.) Everything else is secondary: One look at your newborn will have you wondering why you ever cared so much about your favorite football team, or got so upset about office politics.

4.) Time management: With more responsibility and less sleep, you’ll have to be better at it than ever before.

5.) Multi-tasking: Along the same lines, you’ll be doing two things at once a lot more frequently. Get used to being on a conference call while changing a diaper!

FavorFavorBaby.com is the place to shop for all the favors you’ll need for your next baby shower and even diaper cakes filled with newborn essentials! Check out our deals!

The home of a family member- It’s a rite of passage for a mother to host her daughter’s baby shower. One sister-in-law hosting a shower for the other is a great bonding opportunity as well. Of course, it is stressful to prepare a house for dozens of guests, so things may get a little tense.

The home of a friend – Every mother-to-be has that friend – the one who is great at organizing, loves to host and is told by everyone how she should be a party or wedding planner. She’ll lessen the stress for everyone involved. Unless, of course, someone in the mother-to-be’s family wants to host and this ends up causing more stress than it relieves.

A restaurant - In this scenario, no one in the party has to worry about hosting and everyone can relax and have a good time. This could get a bit pricy, and the party will likely have to fit into a two- or four-hour window, which adds a little unnecessary urgency to the festivities. But getting waited on or offering guests a sumptuous buffet from which they can pick and choose is always a wonderful way to focus more on family and friends and less on all that’s involved in pulling off a successful party.

Wherever you have your baby shower, just remember to get some terrific favors for your guests from www.favorfavorbaby.com and then just relax and enjoy your moment!

Plan! Save your wife some stress by tracking down all the phone numbers, addresses and emails for potential shower guests and send the follow-up reminders. Order everything you’ll need online, like favors from www.favorfavorbaby.com and other party necessities.

Mediate! There’s a good chance tensions will arise between family members or friends wrestling for control of the shower. If you remain impartial, you will be successful at gently delegating responsibility (and learning how to duck).

Cook! Let the ladies concentrate on the planning of the games and the shower festivities by preparing the food. And no, gents, this does not mean calling Domino’s and ordering 12 large pies.

Clean! Your wife is about to burst. The best gift you can give her is a clean house. Which, of course, will turn into a messy one after the shower, but that just gives you another opportunity to curry favor with the mom-to-be!

Get out of the way and go watch football! Hey, it may be the 21^st century, but change sometimes comes slowly (and usually only in between football and baseball seasons).

• Ask for Help
  Whether you have a week’s notice or a month’s, you can plan a fantastic event. The first step is to call for help. By asking friends and family for their assistance, you are alerting them to the event as well as getting the help you desperately need. You will also be getting a lot of unsolicited advice, so it is important to remember that you are in charge and not let others take over your event. With more people helping, it is essential that you keep track of what everyone is doing and what still needs to be done.
  
• The Internet Saves Time
  With invitations, emails, and online ordering, you can get a great deal of work accomplished in a fraction of the time you would spend sending things through the mail, calling or shopping.
  
• Think Outside the Box
  Although cliché, this is exactly what you need to do when planning a last minute event. Instead of the traditional party venues, you can use a family member’s house, a park, a friend’s boat or go to the beach. Rather than traditional games, try gathering at a bowling alley or miniature golf range. Always remember to think of what the new mother enjoys most.
  
• Decorations and Food
  When you have decided on a location, ask friends to bring in old baby pictures, books, or clothing. Each guest can bring a covered dish, for a diverse menu that will have something that everyone can enjoy. Pick a theme or idea, so you can coordinate the right decorations and food items. Remember to label it all so guests can bring home their dishes or leftovers after the event.
  
• Favors
  Favors are a great addition to any event. Just because you are planning a last minute party, doesn’t mean you can’t have fantastic favors. At Favor Favor Baby, you can find a wide variety of favors that will fit any budget. Often, you can receive your items in less than a week and they can really enhance your event.  We have personalized favors from coffee to chocolates that are wonderful individually or presented together in gift bags or baskets. Just remember to double check the production time!

While things are often hectic, you can most definitely arrange a fantastic last minute baby shower. With these simple tips, you’ll be able to plan a wonderful event that your friends and family will love. Always remember, though, to step back and enjoy every moment of this special time.

1. BALLOONS
   There is no better way to show your cheer than with balloons.  You can express so much excitement and joy with well picked out colorful balloons.  If you are feeling rich, you can even pay to have a balloon arrangement made.  If you are crafty, you can attempt to do it yourself.  Some people make braid-like arrangements or hang a rainbow shaped balloon arrangement over a low wall.  You can also hang balloons with confetti inside of them, and pop them after your event for a delightful (yet messy) surprise.  You can also have balloon animals or items made.
   
2. STREAMERS
   What can’t you do with streamers?  The most inexpensive streamersare the crepe ones, which you can find in any party store in a variety of nice subtle baby colors.  Some even have designs on them.  You can decorate hallways, doors, chairs, tables, the wishing well and so much more.  They are easy to clean up when the shower is done and also very inexpensive.  When your guests see how you have creatively decorated the shower venue, they will definitely love how you have expressed yourself.

3. BANNERS
   Having a banner makes it known that you are there to party.  It also marks your special occasion as an important and joyous event.  Choose a stock phrase or have one custom designed for you. Either way, a festive banner will definitely add to the ambience.

4. CENTERPIECES
   Many people love centerpieces.  The centerpieces that you choose can say so much about the precious moment that you are experiencing as you await the birth of your baby.  Just browse Favor Favor Baby for some excellent items you can use as centerpieces – from diaper cakes to tiers of personalized mugs or boxed gifts that guests then take home with them as favors.

5. GARLANDS
   There are so many decorative baby shower themed garlands to pick from, in many shapes and sizes. You can hang them from just about anywhere, plus they are very portable and easy to clean up.
   
   

There are also many other ideas, including the favors you choose for your guests, so be creative and go ahead, express the whirlwind of emotions that you are experiencing. Awaiting your little one’s arrival is a joyous period in your life and you should be able to express it anyway you like.  Enjoy!

Several questions remain of what you should include in a scrapbook and what you shouldn’t.  How should your scrapbook be set up?  There are so many ways to go about this.  Here are some helpful hints:

1. First, determine how many scrapbooks you want.
   Some baby showers, depending on how you want to proceed, can allow for more than one scrapbook.  You can do a single scrapbook created by all your guests at the shower.  All you have to do is tell your guests ahead of time that you plan on having them contribute, and they can bring something special they’d like to contribute. Then just pass it around. Or, you can have your guests at the shower create one per table and decorate each the way they want.  This is the way your guests can express themselves and share the joy of your special moment.
2. Next, determine the layout of your scrapbook.
   You can set it up by topic prior to the shower so that your guests have some guidance, or you can give your guests total control and just let them decorate it the way they want.
3. Purchase the materials.
   Make sure you provide the scrapbook album(s), scissors, tape, glue, or any adhesive materials, coloring supplies (markers, pens, pencils and crayons), stickers, pictures and other related type materials for your scrapbook.  You can also take pieces of the wrapping paper and ribbons from the gifts and have guests make them part of the scrapbook.
4. Provide items to include in the scrapbook.
   Some ideas include pictures of the parents to be and maybe even a picture of the ultra sound. Also, you can give your guests a list of fun facts of the parents to be and the baby.  For example, write the dates of birth of the parents, the expectant date of the new baby and the date the mother to be found out she was pregnant.  You can even dedicate a page or two to a guessing game of when the baby will be born and at what time.  If the sex is a surprise, you can also include a vote of what the people think the sex of the baby will be.

Have fun with this!  Remember that this fantastic project is for you to enjoy and see what kind of scrapbooks your guests will help you come up with.  This can give your guests a chance to show you how excited they are about your baby.  These are helpful suggestions, but feel free to deviate and personalize it anyway you want.  After all, this scrapbook should be a reflection of you!

1. Host the party at someone’s house.
   When choosing a location, remember that a loved one’s home provides a personal touch that your guests will enjoy.  The comfort and intimacy of this venue will create the relaxed and fun atmosphere that is perfect for this joyous occasion.
2. Use Evite Invitations.
   Instead of spending money on printed invitations, send your family and friends an evite! One website that can help is evite.com. Available in a wide variety of styles and themes, these internet invitations will let you contact everyone for free! In addition, evites alert you when your guests respond and they keep track of who is attending so you don’t have to.
3. Use home photos, childhood books and treasured toys for decorations.
   Some of the most precious and nostalgic items in the world are free! So go to the attic and retrieve all those fantastic items that meant so much to you when you were a child.
4. Encourage guests to help with the party!
   From menu items to decorations, your guests are a great resource that can make the difference at your event. Have guests bring in some of their favorite books or baby pictures. Include menu items that guests can bring with them. Not only will you have a wonderful diversity available to you, your guests will all feel that they have played an important role in the planning of the party.
5. Use the internet as a great source of games and entertainment.
   Every shower includes a wide variety of games to keep the guests involved and excited throughout the event. Instead of going out and purchasing games, you can research some fantastic ideas that cost very little. At www.BabyShowers.info, you will find some great ideas from personalized crossword puzzles welcoming the new addition to traditional games like ‘How Big is Mom’s Tummy’ or ‘Guess the Baby Food.’
6. Provide inexpensive but lovely favors for your guests to take home.
   Finding the perfect token of this momentous occasion doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Go to www.FavorFavorBaby.com to find unique and fun favors that can fit into any budget. We even have a section with favors under $.99 each.

Don’t let the economy keep you from celebrating this incredibly wonderful moment for you and your family. Whether you use all of these ideas or just a few, you can enjoy a fantastic event that doesn’t break the bank!

1. Baby Bingo
   Baby bingo is an old stand-by at almost every shower.  Its enduring popularity may be due to the fact that it is one of the easiest games to administer.

   How it works:
   You can create or find a baby bingo board to give to each guest.  Many hosts like to personalize the boards and, from what I’ve seen, many bingo boards are based on gifts that the mother-to-be has put on her wish list.  The goal is to scramble the gifts on the bingo boards so that each board layout is different and only one person ends up winning at a time.  You should also provide writing utensils so that guests can mark the boards.  Tell guests to mark the present on their bingo board if the present on their board is opened by the mother-to-be.  Make sure you keep track of the gifts that are opened so you can verify that the right gifts were marked by the winners. The first person to get five presents called in a row on their board is the winner!  Usually the shower planner will give a little gift or a keepsake to the guests who win each round of the game. Some beautiful and affordable favors can be found right here at www.FavorFavorBaby.com.

2. Don’t say the “B” word
   No, not that word!  Don’t say the word baby.  At most baby showers, it is very hard to avoid saying the word baby.  After all, the baby is the reason for the party.  People start chatting and talking about their babies and how they gave birth and so on.  It sounds easy, but it’s really quite difficult to not say BABY!

   How it works:
   As guests arrive, give the guest a small keepsake such as any one of the adorable items found at the website listed above.  I’ve seen people give simple clothes pins or baby pins, or more elegant items such as crystal baby carriage ornaments.  When this item is given to each guest, inform the person that everyone gets one and each person who says BABY and gets called out on it must give their item to the person who caught them saying the B word.  The person who ends up with the most keepsakes is the winner at the end of the shower and usually receives a special baby shower favor.

3. Unscramble the baby words
   This activity is highly popular because it is so easy and inexpensive.  Plus, guests enjoy it because it’s quick and makes them use their noggins.

   How it works:
   Prepare handouts with scrambled baby words, just like this:  tltebo____________ (for bottle-but don’t put the answer next to it).  When you distribute the scrambled words handout, you must also give writing utensils.  Also, just so it is fair when you hand them out, tell the guests to turn them over and not to peek so that the guests who haven’t yet received their handouts have a fair shot.  Once everyone has one, you can tell them to turn them over and the first one to unscramble the words is the winner.

4. Guess the size of the mom-to-be’s tummy
   This is an interesting and fun game to determine guests’ perception of how big the mommy to be is.

   How it works:
   You just need a ball of yarn or a ball of string and a scissor.  Let each guest cut off a length of string that they believe represents the circumference of the mother’s belly.  After everyone has their string, take another string and tie it around the mother-to-be’s belly and cut it to that length.  Then, let everyone come up to you and match their string to the accurate one.  Whoever is closest is the winner.

5. Guess how many there are
   And lastly, another fun game I’ve seen a lot of is the magical jar with candy such as jelly beans or clothes pins or other baby related items.

   How it works:
   Fill a jar with some small items then have guests fill out on a piece of paper their name and their guess of how many of that item is in the jar.  Before you start, though, make sure you know the exact amount in the jar.  The person who is closest or guesses correctly is the winner.

There are so many games that are just perfect for baby showers.  The best part is that you can personalize or be creative with these popular games in your own way. Keeping your guests interested and involved will make a great baby shower experience for everyone!