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Baby showers are some of the most memorable, thoughtful events in a mother's life, and the friends and family who organize them will be long-remembered for their kindness and generosity. Creating the memory of a lifetime can become a tiring, expensive task when the possibilities seem as endless as those of a wedding. Focusing on the most important components and staying committed to making the event memorable is far more critical than the amount spent on festivities.
Invitations can be as simple as preprinted ones from a department store or as elaborate as exquisite ones professionally printed by a calligrapher. Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, and various other companies offer free online templates which can combined with a tasteful piece of computer clipart and printed at home to save on invitation expenses. Many people have turned to the world of e-invitations to save on the costs of printing and postage.
Many restaurants offer private rooms if a public location seems more fitting than using someone's living room. Churches and neighborhood club houses make a nice, spacious choice for baby shower locations when spending money on a private room rental is out of the question. If the shower is a drop-in, the living or dining room at home might offer the most economical choice since not everyone will arrive at the same time.
Refreshments can get costly quickly when deciding whether to provide a meal or finger food, alcohol or punch, heavy hors d'oeuvres or light appetizers. When working with a tight budget, always remember the 'less is more' adage. Predominantly women attend most baby showers, and most women would be content with a cake square and a beverage. Mints or nuts are a nice accompaniment and can be bought in bulk without necessarily sacrificing quality. Even the most inexperienced baker can use a prepackaged cake mix and create a simple, yet elegant sheet cake that can be cut into squares. Single mints can be used as cake square decorations.
Small fortunes have been spent on breath-taking floral arrangements that serve as momentary centerpieces for a sixty to ninety minute baby shower. A small bouquet of fresh cut flowers from the local grocery store can serve the same purpose in a clear vase with little fanfare. The cake or cake squares can serve as a nice centerpiece as can a punch bowl with plates at one end of the table and gifts at the other.
Hostess gifts can easily be a source of financial stress as most new mothers go for big ticket items when registering. If the gift of organizing a baby shower isn't enough of a kind gesture all in itself, a basket full of inexpensive baby necessities is always useful. Each item can be loosely wrapped, jellyroll style or bouquet style, with tissue paper and tucked into a basket to form a floral-like image which can also serve as a center piece if necessary. The expense of a basket, tissue paper, and a handful of useful baby items will be worth just as much to the guest of honor as any luxurious gift that wasn't given any thought.
The most important part of making any baby shower memorable, regardless of the budget, is capturing the moment. Taking pictures to preserve those memories is the most critical component. Sleepless nights and busy days cause weary parents to forget many things, but candid photos of a precious memory last forever. |
