How To Plan A Baby Shower for a Modern Mom

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Oh, fun! You are planning a baby shower for a modern mom! Whether that mama is you and you're planning it for yourself or it's your bestie who's relying on you to throw her the shower of the decade, I can help.

Planning a baby shower, although it can be stressful, can be so much fun! I feel such satisfaction when I get to choose a theme and then plan around it to create a Pinterest-worthy dream-party.

A baby shower is an opportunity to stock up on all of the baby essentials that you are absolutely going to be happy you have once the baby is born. But it's more than that. A baby shower is also a way to celebrate your new bundle of joy and create life-long memories with your friends and family.

Although baby showers have been around for decades, things have changed a bit since our parent's generation. Baby showers are so much different now than they used to be. Planning them has changed quite a bit, too! Take it from me, this is how to plan a baby shower for a modern mom.

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This post is sponsored by Basic Invite. All opinions are my own.

Steps to Planning a successful Modern baby shower

It takes time, patience and a vision to successfully plan a baby shower for a modern mom. Millennial mamas tend to love a theme. A color scheme is pretty important too. Where do we even start? Well, I have a few tips.

1. set the budget

This step has to be number one because the rest of the steps all rely on what you do with this one. You don't want to break the bank planning a party but you want it to be your vision.

Start jotting down everything that you need for the shower and then start making note of the extras that you're interested in. What is most important to you? What can you eliminate? Is this shower formal or casual? Start making general decisions on the basics of your shower that can keep you from going crazy with the spending.

Once you get a general idea about how much you can expect to spend and how much you're comfortable forking over for the shower, you can start delegating. Is it possible that other important women in this mama's life would be willing to pitch in for the cake or the favors? If so, this is a completely appropriate option that your modern mama (and your wallet) will appreciate.

2. find the location

What makes the most sense to me is to have the shower as close to the pregnant mother's home as possible. If space allows, having it at her home can be a really smart option.

Although it might seem romantic or picture-worthy to have the shower at a trendy restaurant or beautiful hall, you can decorate a home just as elegantly as any formal location.

If you've ever been pregnant before, then you know that convenience is one of the most important things that will make a baby shower exactly what your modern mama needs it to be. Before, during, and after a shower, your mama-to-be will appreciate being able to kick her feet up occasionally, get comfortable when appropriate, and not have to transport large packages and gifts to and from any location other than from her living room to her nursery.

Plus, obviously, hosting a baby shower at a home (or at least nearby) can save you the money that you'll need to make this shower as special as you want it to be.

3. set the date

No longer are the days when you have your shower in the days leading up to your due date. Even having a baby shower a month before your due date is pushing it. You wouldn't believe how many times I have delivered new moms that said that they “just had the shower yesterday” or even that “the shower is supposed to be tomorrow”.

This is just unacceptable and should not happen!

Plan the baby shower for approximately two months prior to the due date. A week or two before or after this time is appropriate but the window doesn't get much wider than that if you want to be smart about the timing of the baby shower.

Too early, and the pregnant mama might not have the time to finish her registry or the belly to display proudly in her favorite maternity dress. If the shower is too late, you run the risk of mom-to-be not having the time she needs to get the rest of the things that she did not receive at her shower. Not to mention that she also won't have time to wash, fold, organize, sanitize, and set up all of those wonderful gifts before the baby arrives.

• RELATED READ: YOUR SECOND TRIMESTER TO-DO LIST: WHAT TO GET DONE BETWEEN 14 AND 27 WEEKS

4. Create The Guest list

I've got to admit that this can be the hard part sometimes. Does this modern mama want a women's only shower? Is it going to be co-ed? Are children welcome? How far distant are the invites being extended? And of course, how many people can you host?

There is no right answer to these questions. Every mama-to-be is different from the next and it totally depends on what she desires for her special day.

That being said, more and more, modern mamas are having co-ed baby showers that include adult beverages like the Pinterest-famous “mom-osas”.

Think it over and talk to the mama-to be. Narrow down your list to what fits your budget, your location, and your pregnant-mama's desires.

5. decide on a modern baby shower theme

A baby shower for a modern mom is all about theme and color scheme. This is what is going to set the tone for the entire party.

Unlike the older ideas of a baby shower that include baby bottles, pacifiers, diaper fasteners, and baby-focused decor, planning a baby shower for a modern mom includes themes that focus more on what the mother is drawn to.

Trendy baby shower themes right now include “greenery”, “woodland”, “Mama Bear and Baby Bear”, and “floral”. These themes can be perfect for your mom-to-be whether she is having a boy or a girl.

6. order the Baby shower invitations

The invitations are the first impression that your guests are going to get for your shower. Your baby shower invitations are going to set the stage for the theme, the style, and the type of shower that you'll be hosting.

The only way to go is to order online baby shower invitations.

The company that I trust with my baby showers is always Basic Invite. They have a beautiful selection of baby shower invitations that would match any of the modern or trendy themes you're hoping to create.

These invitations are going to become a keep-sake for years to come. Make sure you get high-quality, durable invitations that can be saved in your baby book.

Not only will Basic Invite be able to satisfy your needs for the theme that you choose, but they also provide almost unlimited colors, over 40 different colors for your envelopes, and high-quality foil cards that will make your guests feel like they got the absolute best.

If you've decided on the “Mama bear and baby bear theme”, let me tell you…these teddy bear baby shower invitations are some of my faves.

9. decide on the food

How many people do you know that has hired a taco guy or a food truck for their shower or party? So many! It's super trendy and I've got to tell you…delicious. If you're looking for ease, convenience, and something everyone will like, hiring a taco truck or other food truck for your shower is the way to go.

If the budget doesn't allow for that kind of service, you'll have to decide whether you're going to get something catered, if you're cooking, or if you're going simple with finger foods that can be prepared or bought ahead of time.

I have done all of the above. I've catered a party, cooked for a party, and bought Costco sandwiches for a party. You know what I've learned? Our guests are happy as long as they have yummy food. It doesn't matter who made it or where it came from.

Whatever foods fit the style and theme of your shower will be perfect if it fits your budget and your level of work that you're willing to put into it.

8. plan the decorations

Oh, Lord help me when it comes to decorations. It's easy to go over-board when you have a vision and you're determined to have a Pinterest-worthy shower. Let's start with the basics.

Where will people sit or socialize? How will food be served? Do you need to rent tables and chairs for everyone to sit all at once? Or is it more realistic that there will be social circles mingling with plates in their hands as they stand and gab?

Do you have enough surface area to display your food, snacks, drinks, and desserts?

Once you answer these questions, you're going to want to make a list of the things that will help you pull it all together. Things like table clothes, plates, cups, straws, and napkins can all coordinate with your theme.

Additional items you'll want to think about are cake stands, cupcake holders and cake toppers that add a little pizzaz to your party.

Extras that are always fun are photo back drops, photo props, florals, wooden signs, and personalized items that represent mom and the new baby on the way. Obviously, simple balloons are always a great go-to as well.

9. plan the Baby Shower games

Ok, come on, we have all seen some of the crazy baby shower games that people try to pull off. Some of them are boring, humiliating, or down-right dirty. The millennial mama doesn't necessarily want all of their guests sniffing chocolate bars out of diapers or drinking out of baby bottles anymore.

Instead, find some really fun, simple, and modern baby shower games that everyone at the party can enjoy.

Basic Invite has some of the best ideas for modern baby shower games. I can't wait to use their printable baby shower games at my own shower coming up! I'm definitely going to be participating in the interactive Baby Shower Bingo, hilarious Baby Shower Mad Libs, and the Name That Tune game.

Having a baby shower full of laughs is bound to create memories that you'll cherish forever. Having your family and friends by your side is great, but having modern baby shower games to bring everyone together is even better.

10. order or Make the favors

Cute, inexpensive favors for your guests to take home at the end of the day are important. Depending on your theme some popular favors right now include baby succulents, seeds with soil, soap, sweets, or popcorn.

Of course, all of the modern baby shower favors come with cute little tag lines like “watch me grow”, “from my shower to yours”, “baby's are sweet, take a treat”, or “she's about to pop”. All are clever and cute. Go with one that coordinates with your decorations.

11. Create the Baby registry

Although I've put this one at the bottom of the list, starting this step should have started long before the invitations went out. You can continue to add to the baby registry all the way up to the day of your shower, but you should have a diverse selection of items ranging from inexpensive teethers all the way up to break-the-bank travel systems.

Put everything on your list that you plan on getting for your shower or buying for yourself. Even if you know that it's highly unlikely you will recieve it as a gift, many baby registries give completion discounts or points for each item on your registry. Save yourself some money by adding all the goods to the list prior to the baby shower. You never know what you might end up getting.

If you need help with what to put on your baby registry, I've got a FREE Printable Checklist for you to download and use. Use it as a guide or a shopping list. It's got everything you need for a new baby and nothing you don't.

12. Order thank you cards

You can order Thank You cards that match with your invitations with Basic Invite. They have the cutest Thank You cards!

If you order your baby shower invitations online through Basic Invite, you're going to be glad you did when you have the option to order matching Thank You cards that coordinate with your theme at the same time.

Get your thank you's out within a week or two after the shower to be polite. Plus, if you wait too long to write your cards, you'll end up with a baby on your boob and have no desire to write thank you cards at that time. So, I advise you to do it ASAP.

13. Don't forget the Birth announcements!

The family and friends that attended your baby shower are invested now! They can't wait to see that sweet baby's face as soon as he or she makes an entrance into the world! If you are anything like me, you're not going to want everyone and their mom to show up at your door asking to hold the baby when you're still recovering from childbirth and you're covered in spit-up.

Instead of making everyone wait to see that angel-face you created, get them a birth announcement as soon as you're able. Basic Invite has a plethora of precious birth announcement options to choose from. If you want to keep the theme and have your birth announcement coordinate with your baby shower invitations and thank you cards, they make it totally possible to do that.

Have a modern baby shower

I hope this guide to planning a baby shower for a modern mom helps you out, girl! Whoever the lucky mama is, I'm sure she is going to have fun and make lifelong memories at her shower. Let me know if you need any additional advice or guidance while planning your baby shower!

Good luck, relax, and have fun.

Do you have any more tips to planning a baby shower for a modern mom? Let me know in the comments!

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