Planning a baby shower doesn't have to be stressful. With a little organization and inspiration, you can easily create a party to honor your friend or family member and her new bundle of joy. Here are some tips for planning a baby shower.

Your first step is to choose the date. Although showers are normally held on weekends, weekday evenings are a good option if there are conflicts.

Showers are typically held in the third trimester of pregnancy or shortly after the baby is born. Talk with the mother-to-be about which date would work best for her and her important guests (such as her mother, mother-in-law and other close family members). Although you can't accommodate everyone's schedule, make sure to choose a date so that those closest to the guest of honor can attend.

Once you have picked a date, get a list of possible guests from the mother to be, or work with her to create one. The number of guests will help you determine whether you can hold the shower in your home, or if you'll need to have a separate location. Find out as soon as possible so you can make reservations if you need to.

Pick a theme based on the baby's gender, the nursery decor or something else that the mother-to-be likes. Find something that will be fun for everyone and then look for accessories to go with the theme. Party supply stores often have a wide variety of baby shower themes to choose from. Buy invitations in the same theme so that the guests get a sense of the party's theme before they arrive.

Choosing your menu is the next step. If you're serving a sit down lunch or dinner, this requires a bit more planning. Many hosts choose to hold the party in the morning between breakfast and lunch, or in the afternoon between lunch and dinner. This way you'll only have to serve finger food type snacks and it makes the planning a bit easier. Chips and dip, cheese and crackers, small sandwiches, fruit and veggie trays are always popular. It's best to leave alcohol out of your menu, since your guest of honor can't imbibe. But sparkling apple cider or another fun beverage are great ideas.

Baby shower games are always the most memorable part of the shower. They provide a nice opportunity before presents are opened for everyone to have some fun together. Your game choices will depend on your audience. Word games are popular with everyone. You can print out a game card with the baby's name and give a prize to the person who comes up with the most words with letters from the name.

The best part of the shower, especially for the mother to be, is the gifts. Make sure to have a pen and paper handy so someone can write down the gifts received and whom they came from. This makes the task of sending thank you cards a lot easier. With these simple plans you can create a fun, entertaining and enjoyable baby shower for your friend or family member.

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About the Author

Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape.com and Susies-Coupons.com, where she shares the web's best baby coupons including Baby Age coupons.