Go Team – Choose a Theme
Before you get to work on coming up with awesome invites and game day treats, it’s time to decide on a theme to use for the shower. You know you want to incorporate sports, but do you want something more specific? Incorporate the home team, favorite team, or a particular sport that the parents-to-be gravitate toward. Or you can simply go with an all-around sport theme.

Game Day Tickets
Take the time to create invitations that mimic game day tickets, with a tear-off stub RSVP, and encourage guests to wear attire that shows off their favorite sports team. Choose invites that match the sporting interests of the parents and the rest of the party theme.

All Decked-Out
There are many ways you can decorate for a sports shower, whether it will take place inside or out. Choose balloons and streamers like those of the favored team, or simply go with mom-to-be’s favorite color. Plates shaped like various pieces of sports equipment are easy to find. Hang a baby jersey and other team attire on a clothesline. And have plenty of balls, bats, helmets, and other pieces of equipment around the room.

No. 1 Fan
Have a contest and see which of your friends is truly their team’s number one fan. Encourage guests to go all-out with face paint, hair color, and whatever else they can think of. And don’t forget to give a trophy or medal for the most creative winner.

Cake
There are plenty of options when it comes to shower cakes. You can buy a sports ball-shaped baking pan and decorate it like a particular ball, or you can make (or purchase) a sheet cake and decorate the top with sports equipment. Cupcakes are always a hit and can be decorated in team colors or to resemble sports balls. Also, if the sex of the baby hasn’t been announced yet, it can be fun to reveal the sex at the shower by coloring the inside of whatever cake you decide on. A sports theme might automatically make people assume the mom-to-be is carrying a boy, until they bite into pink colored cake within a soccer ball cupcake.

Concessions
Think tailgating, Super Bowl parties, and concession stands when it comes to choosing party food. If you’re looking for an easy buffet option, have a build-your-own nachos table with plenty of toppings to choose from. BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill outside if you’re having a spring or summer shower. And don’t forget the chips, dips, hot wings, sports drinks, and beer (assuming the parents-to-be and guests are comfortable with the idea).

Game On
While you can play regular baby shower games at a sport themed shower, chances are the men in attendance aren’t going to be thrilled with the idea. Instead, opt for sports related games instead to get the men involved. Sports trivia can be a lot of fun, but some of the ladies may feel the guys have an unfair advantage. Games like baby bottle bowling and a bottle drinking contest are sure to keep everything light and entertaining.

Decorating Jerseys
Another great idea is to have a jersey decorating contest. Give each guest (or couple) a baby sized jersey or onesie and let the parents-to-be judge which is the best. Don’t forget to have a football or baseball (or other piece of sports equipment) and a sharpie for guests to sign. These make great, meaningful additions to the baby’s nursery.

Sports Betting
What sports gathering would be complete without a little betting (just for fun, of course). Have guests bet on when your little sport will arrive and how much he/she will weigh. If the sex of the baby hasn’t been revealed yet, guests can wager on the sex as well.

Favors
Give your guests a tangible reminder of the great times they had at the baby shower with a fun sports-themed favor. Mini sports balls, foam fingers, team-colored chocolates, t-shirts with team colors and logos, or gift certificates to a batting cage or driving range are all fun favors to consider.

However you decide to execute your sports themed shower, make it original. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and have a little fun. Give the parents-to-be a wonderful celebration of their little sport’s pending arrival.

Citations:

• Photo Credit

Olivia Nicholas is a writer with Storkie.

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1. Baby Shower Centerpiece Ideas A baby shower is a festive happy occasion and you...

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1. Floral / Plants - One of the easiest ones to use is a floral arrangement or plant for the centerpiece. You can purchase fresh flowers at your local grocery store and arrange them in a pretty basket. If arranging flowers doesn't come easy for you, purchase a pretty plant and tie a stuffed animal to it with a pretty ribbon.

I once attended a shower where the host took a sweet beanie baby and tied it to a potted plant with a pretty ribbon - it looked great.

2. Balloons - If you are on a strict budget, balloons are always an inexpensive option and always make a good centerpiece. Tie the balloons to a colored weight and be sure that the strings are long enough not to block the view for those sitting at the table. You can also purchase some 'It's a boy' or 'It's a girl' colored confetti to place on the table.

3. Gift Baskets - If you have a guest who is planning to bring a basket filled with items for the new baby - why not display it as the table centerpiece! Or, pick up a cute basket at the local dollar store, and fill it with a variety of baby needs (diapers, soft blankets, bottles, pacifiers, etc).

At a shower I attended recently, the host used a baby bathtub - wrapped individual gifts and placed them in the tub, blew up mini blue balloons (to look like bubbles) and topped it with a rubber duckie. This was a real hit at the shower!

4. Diaper Cakes - These are all the rage for baby showers! Although these are called cakes, they are not edible. The cakes come in a variety of themes, colors, sizes and can are filled with practical items for the new baby. They can even be personalized!

5. Other - Here are some additional ideas that are easy to implement:

• Put Votive candles in baby jars
• Lamps - to match the theme of the room - take out of the box and use as the centerpiece
• Use pacifiers as napkin rings ; use cloth diapers as place-mats

I hope these ideas are helpful! As you can see - it is really easy to create an inexpensive yet lovely centerpiece for the baby shower.

Samet Bilir a freelance writer who writes about online shopping products. You can read more about his work at azframes.com, a website for digital picture frame review.

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You will want to celebrate; but remember that the baby won’t know what all the fuss is about and may be grumpy with a change of routine, and also frightened by too many people and too much noise. So what to do to mark this special day?

1. Take a photo of your baby on the morning of the birthday and repeat this on each birthday to keep as a wonderful memento.

2. Have a tea party with just family and close friends and keep it short, a couple of hours will be fine. Keep the food simple too so that you can enjoy the party yourself.

3. Themed party-ware and decorations are fine if kept simple. This will make your job easier, as will a paper tablecloth. Gather all the debris up at the end of the meal and bin the lot. Simples!

4. Everyone loves birthday cake so bake one yourself, or buy one but don’t go overboard as it often gets wasted.

5 Photographs are a great idea and candid shots are a wonderful way of capturing the day. These can then be shared with other friends and relatives on social networking sites.

6. Keep the presents simple too; babies are likely to be more interested in the packaging than the gift inside!

7. If there are older children at the party, think ahead of activities to keep them happy. Colouring books and crayons; a DVD; simple board games etc will ensure they don’t get bored.

8. If the party is just for you and older children you can involve them in making the decorations and helping with the food. All kids love cooking!

9. A trip to the park is a great way to enjoy the day and let everyone get some fresh air and exercise. Your baby might even have a little nap on the way!

10. Have a picnic if the time of year is right; lots of space for everyone to have fun and no mess in the house either.

11. You could have the party at a family orientated venue where everything is organised and done for you. Less personal but more practical!

12. Take a family trip to one of the many family theme parks or play centres where there is an area especially for babies and toddlers.

13. Visit the local swimming baths. Many of them have baby pools and different child based areas. This is a lot of fun, as babies love splashing about in water.

14. Push the boat out you by combining the birthday with a family holiday; as simple or as fancy as you like.

15. As the baby is too young to know what is going on you might like to have an adult party/barbeque to celebrate after the baby is in bed. Naughty but nice!

This article was put together with the help of Prezzybox.com - birthday gifts for everyone.

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These can be ordered online or you can get crafty and make your own. There are a ton of websites from which to choose from and it seems just as many price points to work with. But when it gets down to it they appear to be basically a glass jar with candy or almonds with cute sticker on the lid. A lot of them seem patterned after the old fashioned candy jars that one would see in candy shops but what really says ‘baby’ more than baby food jars?

So why not make you own? Add a little bit of your own flair to the favor. Save baby food jars (if you have a baby eating baby food), commission your friends to save some, or hit Hobby Lobby and buy them. Designing a sticker with names and dates is cute but if the baby does not have a name (or you are not privy to it) or if you do not know the gender of the baby figuring out what to put on the sticker can be harder. If that is the case; you could wrap the lid in baby themed fabric and a ribbon; cute but not over the top.

Then there is the candy for the jar. Personalized? Plain? Special Colors? Candy or nuts? M&Ms or Jelly Bellies? In my not so humble opinion, I would stay away from nuts, in the treat world they seem to be rather polarizing as well as have a potential for allergies. Again, if you know the name and gender of the baby personalized candy is easy. If you do not- I would go with pastel or primary colors for the candy depending on the expectant mothers taste.

Even within a particular kind or favor there are so many variations to make it unique to the expectant mother and event. You can make it as fancy as you want or as basic as you want. The options and combinations are limitless.

Need help planning that baby shower?

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If you want to play ‘guess the melted candy bar in the diaper’ game that is great but there are some other activities that are less known that celebrate the mother as well as the baby. One of which is making a beaded bracelet. When the invitations go out the hostess requests that each of the guests bring two beads and a scripture quote or some words of wisdom to share with the mother to be.

When all of the guests have arrived each takes a turn sharing her quote with the mother to be- the guest keeps one bead and gives the other to the mom to be. Then the hostess winds string around each guest’s wrist and the mother-to-be’s wrist; to remind everyone that we are all as one. We are all women we need to support each other through the journey into motherhood. Each guest is then given a length of string and several extra beads to make a bracelet or necklace with including the extra bead of the pair that she shared. The mother-to-be makes a bracelet or necklace incorporating all of the beads she has been given as well. Each guest and the mother wear their new accessories until the arrival of the baby. As a reminder to the guests to think of and pray for the expectant mother and as a reminder to the mother that so many women are thinking of her and praying for her- that she is not in this alone.

A more common game or activity is making onseies for the expected baby. This one is a lot simpler. Each guest is given a plain white onsie and fabric paint. She is then free to design a onsie for the new addition. Don’t worry about having too many onsies- you go through a ton of them; alternatively, you can make them in different sizes.

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There are a lot of reasons that this practice has fallen out of favor- at least in my area- and I for one am not anxious for it to come back into favor- ever.

First, there is the privacy aspect. I do not want to announce to people: “hey look at all of the expensive stuff I am getting!!” It is like a please come steal my gifts sign. There of course are the more sinister motives too-for one being kidnapping….things that just thinking about make my blood run cold.

Then of course there is the concern of etiquette. You do not want to advertize your party and have someone who thought she should be invited drive down the road and see that she was excluded. What a way to celebrate welcoming a new baby…By hurting someone’s feelings.

Another reason? I just don’t like drawing that much attention to myself. Especially when I was pregnant and the size of a small apartment building, I drew enough attention on my own. No need for a lawn sign to increase it.

Maybe it is yet another regional thing. In my Chicago suburb I have not seen any lawn signs for baby showers. A brief, non scientific, poll of my friends indicated that they have not seen them either and they are not crazy about the idea. Around here we typically go for a few balloons at most.

Of course your opinion very well may be completely different from mine. If it is- go for it. Party it up. Get the biggest sign you want. Call me a party pooper. I can take it.

Want to host the perfect baby shower?  Check out these great Baby Shower Games that will let your guests have the time of your lives.  You will not find these games anywhere else online.

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You can of course purchase personalized frames or blankets or any number of items. What if, though you do not know the gender or name of the baby? Or what if the ultrasound was misinterpreted? What then? Or what if you just want something more original than a picture frame?

There are tons of options. “Rock a bye Baby” CDs are really popular. Well known bands have their songs turned into lullaby appropriate fare. My favorites are the Beatles and U2. There are so many bands out there that surely you can find something that goes along with the parents’ musical tastes. Long gone are the days of irritating kid music!

Another source of inspiration is Etsy: a website full of handmade items that you can search. If you do not find exactly what you are looking for you can commission a seller to create it for you.

One of my favorite things to do is to pick an item off of the registry and build a gift around that. For instance: a baby bath tub as the base gift. Add to that a hooded towel or two, baby wash, lotion, wash clothes, a few simple bath toys, soon enough you have an awesome gift that did not cost a fortune.

In this recession economic climate very few of us have extra money to spend on Britax car seats or Baby Jogger Strollers. I find what is most meaningful is when people take the time to look at the parents and find a gift that truly suits the individuals- not just what the books say you need.

Want to host the perfect baby shower?  Check out these great Baby Shower Games that will let your guests have the time of your lives.  You will not find these games anywhere else online.

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After selecting the physical invitation itself- choosing appropriate wording is challenging. What kind of shower is it? Do you want the shower to be elegant and formal? A couples shower? A surprise? A drop in shower? Something entirely different to reflect the parents’ personal tastes or hobbies? Is the baby’s name known? What about the gender? All of these can play into wording choices for your invitation.

There are really only a few things that the shower invite absolutely must have: an invitation to the shower- something along the lines for ‘please come celebrate’, Who the party is for- yes I have gotten invitations in the past that did not say who the guest of honor was, the date of the party, the time of the party (you can put an end time on the invitation), where the party is, how and when to RSVP, any special instructions for the guests (if you are asking each guest to bring a children’s book in lieu of a card etc), special thematic gift instructions- for instance the theme is bath time. One item that is debatable to include is registry information. Some people find it tacky and expect the host of the shower to provide that information upon request when the guest is RSVP-ing. Others expect it to be listed on the invitation. I think that this is more of a regional expectation than anything else.

Not being a fan of cliché’s; I find the overuse of cutesy sayings associated with baby shower invitations overdone. Clever is great. Cliché is not clever, nor is it great. If you can think of or find wording that you like and that you believe the guests and the mother-to-be would appreciate then use it!!! Do not use a saying just for the sake of using a saying.

Oh and another note- spell check is your friend. Use it, please.

Want to host the perfect baby shower?  Check out these great Baby Shower Games that will let your guests have the time of your lives.  You will not find these games anywhere else online.

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