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Planning a baby shower doesn’t need to be stressful, if you keep a few basic ideas in mind. Proper planning, some advanced thought, and finding some friends and family to help will make the day special for the expectant mother, the host, and the guests.

Baby showers are an opportunity to “shower” the mother with love, affection, and joy, while helping her (and her mate) prepare for the challenges of parenting. Whether it be the mother’s first baby, or her fifth, each new child brings new parenting challenges.

There are three helpful guidelines to assist you in planning the perfect baby shower. Firth, select a theme. Second, develop a checklist for your tasks. Finally, find some help!

Baby shower themes can be easily found by searching online at various baby shower decoration and party supply stores. These stores stock patterns and themes from various manufacturers. The theme can become the foundation for your event, helping you and your guest by creating the perfect environment for your shower.

Matching a theme to the guest of honor is easy when you look at the variety of decorating patterns available. Think about the guest of honor - is she expecting twins? Is the child a boy or a girl? Do they not know the gender of the baby yet? Is the mom traditional? Are you trying to have a quite, or boisterous event. Pick a theme that matches your situation.

Once you have selected a baby shower theme, you can now create your check list for things that need to be done. Around 2 months ahead of time, you should scout out a location for the shower, and start to develop your guest list. Establish your budget, and think about all the items you will need to purchase including invitations, catering, party favors, games, decorations, and more. Many of these sites have planning tools for you to use in developing your list of tasks.

Next, you can give thought to your food menu, the guest list, and possible activities. Try to get friends and family members of the guest of honor involved - you’ll find everyone wants to help “shower some love” on the expectant mother. As the host, you can develop a set of small tasks for friends to select from. Examples might be picking out a cake, filling out invitations, or picking up catering. To avoid confusion, try to be clear with everyone who is helping about any dietary issues, budget constrains, or timing requirements.

Somewhere around 5 to 6 weeks in advance, purchase your invitations. You might want to consider purchasing invitations that match your baby shower theme to give your guests a hint on gifts and such.

25 - 30 days before the big day, make sure all your baby shower party supplies are ordered so you have enough time for them to be delivered. Put your invitations in the mail, and start getting people lined up for help. Farm out the small projects to people who want to help.

Three weeks from the event, follow-up on all the activities you’ve asked for help from others. Make sure everything is done well in advance so that if anyone has questions, or has had something come up that causes them not to be able to complete their task, you can graciously take care of it.

Around 14 days ahead of time is a good time to make sure your cake has been ordered. Some bakeries may require as much as 45 days notice, so plan accordingly. You should also think about activities and games for your shower. Take another look at your check list to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

The week of the event, prepare in advance any food that can frozen. Confirm the attendee list to make sure you know the RSVP status of the invitees. Follow-up with everyone who is helping out to make sure they have everything under control.

Two days before is a great time to start the “wind-up” for the event. Thaw any frozen foods to be served. Rearrange the furniture, and clean the house. (If you are inviting people you don’t know and hosting the event at your home, don’t be afraid to put away any breakable items, and/or lock-up any valuables!)

The day before, thaw any frozen foods for cooking preparation. Get your decorations arranged, and confirm pick-ups of any catering or baked goods. Anything that can be prepared food-wise in advance will make your big day run smoother.

On the day of the baby shower, try to get any balloon bouquets filled and or delivered that day. Latex Balloons don’t float that long, so you want them fresh. Same with the flowers. You might want to snap a picture for the keepsake book as well. Do a final review with your helpers, and then, RELAX - YOU ARE READY!

The only thing left is to have FUN!