Want to plan a baby shower, but without all the stress? Using a few tips from this article, and a bit of help from friends & family will make all the difference.

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.

We have found that a trio of planning areas can help create a great baby shower. Start with a baby shower theme. Then, create a checklist for the jobs to be done. Lastly, get friends and family to lend a hand.

A great way to find a theme for your baby shower is to look at suppliers of baby shower decorations to see what is available commercially. These suppliers have patterns, also known as themes, that can assist you in the planning of your shower. These themes can provide a basis for decorating your event, and can add a professional flair to the style you exhibit for the guest of honor. They don’t only benefit the host of the shower, but also the guests by creating a festive atmosphere for the celebration.

How do you select the perfect theme? Think about the guest of honor. Is she expecting a boy or girl? Maybe twins are in the future. What is her personality? Will the “dads” be attending? Select a theme that you think best captures the spirit of the mom.

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.

I recommend you next give thought to what you will serve, who will attend, and how you plan to entertain the guests. This is the best time to get family and friends to help you - everyone loves to help out at a shower. The host can easily delegate tasks such as working with the bakery or caterer. Make sure everyone knows about any diet issues, money limits, and the time requirements.

Five weeks in advance, purchase your invitations. Most places that sell baby shower decorations also sell other decorations including tableware (paper plates and napkins), balloons, banners, and games that match the theme for your event, that way you can order baby shower invitations that match your theme!

Four weeks out, make sure all your decorations, favors, centerpieces are ordered. This will give you time for them to be delivered. This is also a good time to check your pantry for your serving supplies. Put out the word to friends and family members who will be attending if you need to borrow any critical items (such as serving platters, punch bowls, tables, etc.)

21 days before the shower, check in with everyone who is helping out. Answer any questions, and make them feel appreciated!

At least 2 weeks before the shower, make sure any bakery or cake issues have been addressed, and that the baker has all the instructions for the cake. Review your checklists again to help assure you haven’t missed any critical items.

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.

48 hours in advance is crunch time. Make sure your furniture is arranged, and the venue is cleaned.

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.

The day of the big event, fill your location with love, joy, and FLOWERS! Get your balloon bouquets filled (they don’t last long, so do it the same day if you can!) Do the final decorating, and food layout. Then, take a picture BEFORE the event starts for your Guest of honor’s keepsake book. Do a final check in with your helpers.

Then you can enjoy the festivities.