Every Friday, Wedding and Party Network will be choosing a theme or color and give you inspirational photos. We want to help give you inspiration for your next event, wedding or party. So, take a look and we hope to give you a bit of inspiration when planning your wedding or party. Our inspirational board will give everyone inspiration for planning a baby shower. Spring is a popular time for hosting baby showers. However, they happen all year round. Blues, pinks, yellows and pastels will be in full force when planning a baby shower.

Planning a baby shower is a difficult task. You want to find all the right details to make a wonderful shower for the special mom-to-be. Find inspiration in the traditional baby shower colors, such as pastel pink, blue, green and yellow. However, turn them into something unique. Create an adorable baby shower theme and run with it. An owl baby shower, bird themed baby shower or a book themed baby shower would be simple adorable. The theme is what counts when planning a baby shower. Just find all the right accessories, such as party decorations and a party cake to match, and you'll have a wonderful baby shower that everyone will love.

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Need an idea for a Spring baby shower? A shower theme that can be geared towards a beautiful baby boy or a little princess? Why not go with an adorable bird themed shower? It can be called, "Hatching A Baby". This adorable themed baby shower would be perfect for either gender that the guests will love! With so many cute ideas for this theme, the new mother-to-be will be ecstatic!

Flying Invitations

"Hatching" Baby Shower Decorations

Well, not really flying, but they will feature adorable birds on the invitations letting the guests know the theme of the shower. The party invitation is simple and classic featuring a fun bird's nest or adorable little bird.

It should also feature an adorable phrase, such as, "Anna is hatching a baby". The design of the invitation should simple, yet cute with all the little details.

Feathery Decorations

Colors should be pastels. Maybe a pastel pink, blues or yellows. When deciding on what party decorations to use, you should think of feathers! You can do so many things with feathers, all so cute and fun!

First off, one of the main party decorations that is featured at a baby shower is the diaper cake. Take that diaper cake to the next level by placing feathers on top of it, just like a cake topper. You can also place adorable little bird's nests around the cake with birds or maybe a few branches to truly set the theme.

Next, place bird cages and houses out as centerpieces. Place nests, wood birds and feathers inside as decor. Or, use a cage as a card holder for the mother-to-be. It's an extremely cute way to keep the cards in a safe place. Fill vases with feathers or eggs for a fun centerpiece and party accents.

A great idea that can serve as a guest book and centerpiece is placing a some branches that represent a tree and hanging tags from it. Guests can write their best wishes and then hang it on the tree.

Are you having a smaller get together, maybe a brunch and will need place settings? Place out adorable eggs with the guest's names on them as a place setting. If this is a spring baby shower, it will be great for Easter just around the corner. You'll be able to find party decorations for Easter and can incorporate them into this shower.

Eat Like A Bird

Of course, there should be party food at the baby shower. The baby needs it's nutrients. Of course, when you think of this shower, you think of spring. Which, when you think of spring, you think of light and refreshing food.

Therefore, that's what you should serve. Nothing heavy, just something refreshing to the palette.

Refreshing salads, fruits and vegetables should be on the menu with citrus vinaigrette. Light, refreshing appetizers, finger foods and tea sandwiches would be ideal for this event.

Along with refreshing appetizers, you should also think of desserts. Create a fun cake with feathers and nests or cupcakes with birds and toasted coconut that represents the nest. Set out a candy buffet.

Since Easter is around the corner, Easter candy is already being set out. You can find Peeps, candied eggs and candy grass that you'll be able to place out on your candy bar. Such a fun and cute idea. Remember, just stick with the theme. Think birds, eggs, branches, grass and pastels and you'll have one "tweet" baby shower.

Send your guests home with a "Thanks for feathering our nest" cookie as a party favor and your baby shower look will be complete.

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Bird cage, bird decorations, bird cupcakes & bird's nest photos provided by tjstaab, shabbyscraps, wiccked, amanky via flickr.

A Fall baby shower can be super easy and super cute all at the same time. If it's in season, why not use what is all around you? It's a great time to use all your resources to their fullest. There are so many great things that you can do to create a Fall festive baby shower. The mom-to-be will be truly ecstatic and beyond words. So go ahead and start planning because this little pumpkin bumpkin will have an amazing shower full of surprises!

Gorgeous Baby Shower Decorations & Tasty Food

Oranges & Browns – This Little Kids Got It All!

To keep with the Fall theme, keep in mind oranges & browns. This is probably geared more towards a boy baby shower, but I think it'd be great for a little girl too. However, you could change up the color palette and throw in some pinks in there too. Whatever works for you. You can do orange and brown place settings, Fall floral arrangements, pumpkin arrangements and delicious party food.

Check your local invitation store to find themed invitations for your baby shower. A cute little pumpkin would be ideal for this shower. Simple yet sweet. You could even use themed stationary for any wedding shower games you plan on playing or create food labels to let guests know what yummy food they're in store for. There are tons of fun ways to incorporate themed stationary. It creates a fun little touch to any party.

A Pumpkin Bash

Use what's in season, which in this case is pumpkins! They're so fun and set a great theme to the shower. Use them as centerpieces, serving bowls or vases. All you have to do is cut the center out and place some beautiful Fall flowers in the middle, it's that simple and so beautiful. You could even paint the pumpkins to fit in with your theme, by painting cute polka-dots or unique designs on them. Even creating a diaper cake in the shape of a diaper would be fun! There's so many ideas you can use pumpkins for to create a fun theme!

Keep all food miniature. Party appetizers would be a great and easy food to serve to everyone, plus they all enjoy them.  Mini pumpkin pies, pumpkin trifle, cupcakes and mini popcorn balls will serve as great dessert ideas. Even skipping out on a cake would be fine if you serve cute themed cupcakes and place them in a cupcake tree. You could even serve different foods out of the middle of a pumpkin. These ideas are so super cute and unique! Finding a caterer to create all your delicious party food will create a fun and unique style to your fun baby shower. All the guests will be amazed.

Now for beverages, keep it simple with water & tea. However, offer unique flavored tea and hot water so guests can create their own. Fall weather is a great time to enjoy a hot cup of tea so why not offer your guests that. Create a fun presentation featuring pumpkin tea, caramel, cinnamon or pomegranate tea. Such a fun and unique presentation. These would even make great party favors to send your guests home with.

A fun treat they'll be able to enjoy back at home. You could even create a mini pumpkin pie in a jar and send them home with that with a tea bag attached. Whatever you decide on, they'll enjoy every second of it. Your guests will absolutely love to pick out their own tea.

This baby shower will make for a memorable time for you and your friends. The mom-to-be will feel so blessed that she has friends like you to throw her this amazing baby shower. Her new pumpkin bumpkin will have great new things to add to his pumpkin patch.

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Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup and pumpkin cupcakes provided by clarescupcakes.co.uk, ccyhan & pamelasvoboda via flickr.

One of the most available, inexpensive and underrated centerpieces is the rose or ivy bowl. It's a small "fish bowl" with a scalloped lip. It's the perfect size for a round or oblong table, used in groups or by itself.

You can come up with some really creative ideas for using rose bowls at your next party–whatever the occasion.

Here are some ideas:

1. Fill the bowl with blue colored water, about halfway up. Set a yellow rubber duck in the water and nest the bowl in a blue or yellow hand towel for a cute baby shower centerpiece.

2. Fill the bowl with water and add half or whole slices of lemons, limes and oranges and one brightly colored Gerbera daisy for a festive, summer party, wedding shower or birthday party.

3. Add iridescent marbles and a pink rubber duck and swirl pink satin ribbon around the base for a baby shower or little girls' birthday party.

4. Use sand or dirt and toy trucks for a boys' birthday party.

5. Add a simple votive candle, then tie a small part of a decorative hula skirt around the base  for a luau party.

6. Fill with cotton balls, a bottle or two of nail polish, emery board, clippers, etc. for older girls' slumber or spa party.

7. For a practical centerpiece, gather eating utensils, roll up with a napkin and tie with ribbon for a picnic or backyard barbeque.

8. The classic use: fill halfway with water and add a single-bloomed rose for a tea or garden party.

9. Add aromatic coffee beans and a white votive candle for a casual dinner party.

10. Fill with several princess wands and swirl a feather boa at the base for a princess birthday party.

Are you planning a baby shower that’s just right around the corner?  Are you tired of the same old themes of just pink or blue?  Well here’s a theme that will grab everyone’s attention!  Throw a vintage, owl themed baby shower, which is suitable for any gender and everyone will love the idea!  Here are a few tips and ideas for this cutesy theme!

Babies Are A HooOoOT!

This is the perfect theme for a baby shower with Fall right around the corner, it adds that rustic flair in which autumn is all about!  But where to begin?  Oh, cute invitations of course!  This lets every guest know the need to know details.  Of course, the event, time and place; but it also lets them get the feel of the baby shower.  A cute owl shaped invitation with cute "who" sayings is inevitable, it's a huge must!  Some fun examples are "Guess Hoo's Coming?" or "Look WhoooOO's Having a Baby" and "Whooo Doesn't Love a Baby".  All so cute and irresistible.  There are so many cute owls in different colors, shapes and sizes.  This is a great way to show your guests the theme and add a rustic flair too, you're sure to find cute stuff at your local store for invitations and even stationary to create them yourself.

Too Hoot Decorations

The key to a great and fun shower is the baby shower decorations.  What better way to show off the theme of the shower?  Get into it!  It doesn't have to be expensive!  For this shower, run to your local party store and look for cute vintage decorations.  You should be on the look out for cute owls in different sizes and colors, brown polka-dotted tablecloths will be perfect, vintage small vases and decorative branches.  You can put owls in the trees, hang hand-made banners, use browns, pastel greens, blues or pinks and add small flowers to the vases to add an extra detail.  Another cute idea is to hang a clothesline and hang pictures of the mommy and husband-to-be from when they were small owls.  Don't forget the ever so cute diaper cake and diaper wreath!  There's your chance to deck them both out with owls and even nests with eggs!  Think rustic charm and simple.  You'll have an adorable baby shower on your hands.

Hooooo's Hungry?

When deciding what to serve, think simple.  Appetizers will be perfect for this adorable shower ranging from homemade chips and salsa, cheeseballs and mini sandwiches. 

Everyone loves finger foods and hiring a great caterer would be perfect for this event too!  It will be stress-free and free up your time to mingle with the guests.  Also, caterers always have an amazing selection of delicious appetizers that everyone will love.  Punch is always good, but what about serving lemonade in cute mason jars.  Serve water bottles with custom labels that feature cute owls.  For dessert?  A cute owl themed cake and delicious cupcakes!  A cute blue or pink owl with huge eyes would be so cute on the cake and cupcakes.  Your local and delicious baker could whip those right up for you too!  Jazz up the cupcake stand to replicate a tree and hang owls, too cute!  Again, rustic charm and there can never be to many owls!

Hoo Likes Games?

Not everyone's favorite, right?  Some people love games and it truly is a good way to get everyone involved and make them feel apart of something, instead of sitting off to the side.  There are the classic games such as the dirty diaper game where people guess what kind of candy bar is in the diaper and the baby clothes pin game, where guests try not to say the word baby.  Classic games and easy for everyone.  More fun and exciting games may include stroller Olympics, where guests maneuver the stroller around obstacles, change the diaper and feed the baby.  The team with the fastest time wins.  Run to your local party store and they are sure to have a ton of baby shower games too!  However, this shower theme may call for more laid back games such as offering the mom advice or having a cute sign out asking guests will he/she be an astronaut, a president, fashion designer or a novelist.  Games are just a great way to get everyone involved and gets them into having a good time.

An owl themed baby shower is too cute of an idea to pass up.  This themed baby shower will have guests oohing over the mother-to-be and the gorgeous baby.  Everyone will definitely think you are the hostess with the mostess with this too cute for words baby shower!

Owl cupcakes and owl baby shower cake photos are courtesy of Seth and Alexa and Snarkygurl via flickr.

Things All Expectant Mothers Should Have After Her Baby Shower

Attending a baby shower anytime soon? In the past few months I've attended more than my fair share. What I've walked away with is an extensive knowledge of things that the expectant mothers received–and a long list of things they wish they'd received.

You're probably not going to the baby shower for kicks. You're most likely going because you're good friends with the mommy-to-be and want to make sure that the little tike is taken care of for a while. Props to you for being a concerned friend/relative/father/mother!

Pick up these items for the baby shower if you want to make sure that your best gal pal and her little one have the "wants" and "needs" that make life easier.

1. DIAPERS – Yeah, it's a cliche but you'd be surprised how many people think that someone else will bring the diapers. Believe me. This is the perfect baby shower gift.
2. Diaper Rash Ointment – What's a baby without diaper rash? A content baby but that's not the point. Babies get this pitiful condition often. Make sure mommy can handle it quickly with rash ointment.
3. Tear-free Baby Shampoo – Most babies cry enough as it is. Keep their little eyes free of stinging shampoo chemicals with a trusted tear-free baby shampoo. Tired mommy and daddy will thank you.
4. Moisturizing Lotion — Baby skin is naturally soft and supple but can dry out quickly. Don't forget to supply mommy with plenty of moisturizing lotion! This also helps prevent diaper rash and itchiness after bathing.
   
5. Diaper Bag — Every mom wants a cool diaper bag! If you want to bring a baby gift that you know she'll love, bring a tricked out but easy to manage diaper bag.
   
6. Baby Bathtub — Baby has to be bathed! Save mom this expense and bring this baby gift.
   
7. Baby Wipes — Anyone who has ever changed a diaper understands how important these tiny pieces of heaven are.
8. Baby Bibs — Babies eat but babies are messy. Bring along a few cute baby bibs!
9. Baby Blankets — Want to hold him or her when they get here? Baby blankets from you will keep the sweetheart warm and snuggled up in your arms.
10. Baby Outfits — Baby clothes are starting to be the most adorable fashion items ever. If you want a trendy baby gift that mom will "aww" over, bring baby outfits.
11. Manicure Set — Most people forget how important it is to keep baby's fingers and toes clean and cut. Otherwise, mom will wake up in the middle of the night because baby has scratched himself/herself accidentally.
12. Thermometers — Unfortunately, babies get sick quickly and easily. Mommies can make sure it's not worth a trip to the doctor by having a thermometer around.
    
13. Rubber Syringe (Nose Sucker) — Most people forget these. Most mommies find out quickly how useful these little booger suckers can be!
14. Trash Bags for Diaper Can — It's nasty and stinky in that can. Help keep mom NOT asphyxiated by giving her trash bags that reduce the smell or keep it limited to the can.
15. Baby Wash — Wash a bye baby. No, that's not right but you still need baby wash to go with the baby bathtub and bath supplies!
16. Hair Accessories — Whether boy or girl, baby hair accessories come in quite handy as the infants begin to grow a bit. These can include bows and ribbons for little girls, baby combs, and other things that mom may need.
17. Baby Bottles & Inserts — Mom will love not having to wash the bottles as often and having a handy supply around!
18. Baby Monitor — Most new moms are rightfully obsessive about keeping their little ones safe. Baby monitors make that easier for everyone.
19. Baby Bouncer, Activity Pad, Walkers — When baby grows, so will his mind and his muscle!
20. Stroller — Tired moms don't want to cart around sleepy babies on their hips, especially if a lot of walking, lifting or stretching is involved. This baby shower gift makes it fun for mom and baby to walk the mall, grocery store, or around the block.
21. Pacifier — A handy dandy little invention that no parent should be without!
22. Rattles, Stuffed Animals, Small Toys — Noise is great for small children. They love. Their parents may not but it's helpful for child development. Plus, playing with these toys develops their motor skills.
23. Burp Clothes — Mom's got the bib, the bottles and the food. Now she just needs burp clothes to keep her own clothes from getting dirty!
24. Mobile for the Baby Bed — It's a unique baby gift that moms will love. If you're close to the family and know the layout of the nursery, get a mobile for the baby bed!
25. Baby Books — This can be the baby memory books that parents keep as their child grows or books designed for babies that like to look at pictures. Either way, these are always big hits at the baby showers.

Most of the time it's easy for the person throwing a baby shower or wedding shower to run around like a chicken with their head cut off. After all, there's tons to do in preparation! Truth be told, that's probably why you're reading this blog in the first place. That's awesome because this checklist will make your life a little easier.

If you're like me, you could double check or check 50 times and you'd still forget something. It doesn't matter if it's a hotel stay or planning a party, I'm going to forget something. That's why these checklists help me and this one will help you! When planning a baby shower or a wedding shower, don't forget this essential checklist!

Things To Remember When Planning A Baby or Wedding Shower

• The party food is essential!!! Who doesn't want to at least snack at a shower? Hor d'ouevres are great. Finger foods are fine. Don't feel like taking on the hassle of food preparation for a large group? Hire a party caterer. They have to be good at it. It's what they do! Plus it saves you a lot of time. Party caterers are a win-win here.
• Don't forget the photographer or videographer! Whether it's Suzie Q with a digital camera or you hire an actual party photographer, don't forget the person that will preserve these memories forever. Besides, "toilet paper bridal gown" just isn't as funny in stories.
• Remember the party decorations! I know. It seems silly that the host would forget something as huge as decorations but you never know. Do you have the streamers? Are the tablecloths ready? How about napkins, drinking and eating utensils, balloons, trash bags a plenty? Trust me, it's too easy to forget at least one of these things. If you go to a party supply store, let the clerk know exactly what you're planning. They'll make sure you get everything you need!
• Remember to get rid of the guys! Or the girls. The same rules apply for bachelor parties and bachelorette parties. While there are exceptions to the rule, many of these parties are typically not mixed-company events. Some are. Just remember to give them plenty of time to plan an alternate location if you want it to be a girls-only party.
• Remember the music! Throwing a bridal shower? Get the couples' favorite music on a mixed cd and have a ball. Throwing a baby shower? Classical music in the background is a great addition. Whatever your tastes, whatever suits the occasion–don't forget the musical entertainment!!!
• Remember the party invitations! By now the invitations are probably already in the mail or on the guests' doorsteps. If you're still early on in the planning stages, don't forget the party invitations! Be as kitschy or as elegant as you want. Just make sure to have fun!

Ready to have a great time? Just print out this shower checklist and have fun at your party!! Don't forget to return to the Celebration Advisor and let us know how everything went.