Your baby shower is one of the most prized memories that any mother can have. Just as everyday people make the most of this once in a lifetime moment, celebrities are known for making the most of this occasion and having some of the most grand and luxurious baby showers.
Splurging is common among celebrities, especially if it is going to be for their new coming baby. Celebrities will do and pay anything and everything for their little ones. Icons such as Heidi Klum, Christina Aguilera, Nicole Richie, and Gwen Stefani, have held some of the most splendid baby showers of our time.
In 2004, Heidi Klum held a Mexican-themed baby shower for her daughter, Leni, in New York City. The party was catered by Dos Caminos Restaurant, and was full of yummy food and treats! Although the shower was reported to be a small celebration with 25 guests, Klum splurged and made the event a great one. Heidi Klum gave each of her guests a posh tote full of fine beauty products, a boutique gift certificate, and Victorias Secret pajamas; she made her baby shower all about giving, instead of receiving.
Christina Aguileras friends and family threw her baby shower in Malibu, California. According to Touch Weekly Magazine, guests brought blue, boy-themed baby gifts. Aguilera registered at Bel Bambini, a chic baby store located in West Hollywood. Baby bottles, diaper bags, and clothes were on the reported list of items in the registry. Among the gifts that she received from the upscale baby boutique were a blue Loved Mom Guitar shirt, a Cariboo bassinet with blue dot bedding, and Trumpette Johnny’s socks.
Nicole Richie held her luxurious baby shower alongside Joel Madden at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The couple was reported to have a Wizard of Oz-themed baby shower. They even had a yellow brick road at the celebration, which was lined with candy, ruby slipper centerpieces, and a live band that performed the songs of the classic tale. The event also raised money for the new Richie Madden Childrens Foundation, which the couple has recently established.
Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale had the most glamorous baby shower that any musician could have. The shower was held at a friends mansion in Los Angeles, and was themed after Gwens clothing line, L.A.M.B. The theme cleverly featured pink lambs. David Arquette and Christina Applegate are two of the many guests that attended Stefanis celebration.
Stefani and Rossdale gave out truffles and flowers as gifts, and received an estimated value of $35,000 in gifts. Some of the gifts were a fancy bedding set, a beautiful chandelier, and a gold necklace. These were just a few of the many deluxe gifts that Stefanis baby received at the shower.
Celebrities seem to go all out these days when it comes to pampering their babies. The more unique and original the baby shower is the better. Regardless of your budget, making your shower a one-of-a-kind event should be a priority for every mother-to-be, celebrity or not.
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Filed under Birthday by on Jun 5th, 2010. Comment. 
The purpose of a baby shower is to celebrate the arrival of a new baby, and to welcome the little one into the world. Today, expectant mothers often decide to know the gender of the baby before they give birth, and it is known ahead of the baby shower. However, in some cases, parents choose to wait until the due date to know the sex of the baby and be surprised the day that the infant arrives.
In American society, when the gender of the baby is known, parents often begin brainstorming ideas and deciding on some names that they believe will be perfect for the baby. In many cases, parents already know what they want to name the baby even before the child is born. This is not the case, however, for various different cultures.
There are a variety of different cultures that view the baby-naming process from a completely different perspective. Each cultural group generally has some sort of a baby-naming ceremony or traditional process. From the Jewish to the Japanese, each culture views the act of giving a name to a baby from a very interesting and distinct angle.
In Japan, the baby naming ceremony is typically held seven days after the babys birth. The name is written in Kanji, which are Chinese characters that are usually used in the modern Japanese Iogographic writing system. On this seventh day, the Japanese give their children a first name and a last name, but no middle name, which is a common custom in American society. Girls are usually given names that are associated with purity and morality, and boys are often associated with their position in the family.
Greek families also often name their babies on the seventh day after their birth, and sometimes on the tenth day. Traditionally, first-born males are named after their paternal grandfather, and first-born females are named after their paternal grandmother. The Greek Orthodox Church also strongly influences the baby-naming process, and many infants are given the names of saints. Because of this saint name acquisition, children acquire their saints name day. Therefore, many Greek Orthodox people celebrate their lives on two occasions: their actual birth date and their saints name day.
For many Italian and Hispanic cultures, baby names are also often influenced by religion. In these areas, the Roman Catholic religion is the most prevalent; therefore, biblical names like Maria (in Hispanic culture), and Paulo (in Italian culture) are common.
In Jewish culture, baby girls have what is called the Zeved Habat ceremony, while baby boys have the Berit Milah ceremony. The Zevet Habat is a small ceremony held at a home or in a synagogue. During the ceremony, which is led by a Rabbi, the mother recites a word, the name-giving prayer is said, and she then gives thanks to everyone.
There are countless different ways of naming a baby, and there is no right or wrong method to giving your child the perfect name. It is interesting to see, however, the traditions and customs of baby naming across the globe.
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Filed under Birthday by on Jun 4th, 2010. Comment.
So, you’re scouting for a suitable gift for a cuddly baby boy and you don’t know where or how to start especially if you can just spare a limited time of your busy world. There’s no need to panic because shopping for a baby boy gift is easy as long as you know what to look for. Below are a few gift ideas to make your shopping a trouble-free one:
1.Educational Baby Toys: If your objective is to keep the baby entertained while he learns; then, these toys are a great option. There’s a wide variety of educational toys available. There are learning activity and puzzle toys available for you to choose from that helps stimulate the child’s mental ability and growth development. Surely, the parents and the child will have a wonderful time bonding with each other through these toys.
2.Baby Booties: With the emerging fashion trend in shoes today, baby booties are of no exception. Baby booties are designed to keep the baby toes warm no matter what the temperature is. Look for designs that match with the personality of the baby or his aura.
3.Baby Hats: Baby hats that have attractive designs are hard to resist especially those that resemble like that of a baby animal. With ear flaps, eyes, and nose attached on the hat, it sure is very appealing to the child’s tastes.
4.Baby Hooded Towels: Cute hooded towels are fitting for an after bath or dip in the pool time. Made with quick-drying fabrics, these towels are safe for the baby’s sensitive skin and are very cuddly to use. The baby will surely enjoy these.
5.Baby Animal Slippers: These funky animal slippers are must-haves for cute baby boys. They are perfect in keeping the baby’s feet warm inside the house. Youll be sure the baby will have fun wearing these adorable slippers.
6. Bodysuit: A baby bodysuit is the basis for nearly every baby outfit. It offers an easy way to give your baby an extra layer of warmth during cold weathers. There are wide selections of bodysuits available in the market today. Basic, solid colors are perfect for the baby boy.
7.Mini-Playground: If you’re that extravagant, you can purchase a mini-playground or a mini-gym. Although they can be pricey, baby boys will surely love this one. As we all know, boys are very active and they love to run and play around. Mini-playgrounds and mini-gyms provide a lot of activities for small boys. These minis are complete with stairs, slide and sometimes, a steering wheel. They also have small doors that the baby could open and close as frequent as he wants for his enjoyment.
8.Ride-on Toys: Ride-on toys are very popular for baby boys even at a very young age. Baby boys love being behind the wheel while parents love the durability. Riding toys include wagons, rocking toys, pedal toys and a lot more variety. Baby boys and their parents will certainly enjoy playing with these wonderful toys.
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Filed under Birthday by on May 27th, 2010. Comment.
Baby showers are not complete without sweets! Desserts, fruit, and pastries add sweetness and charm to special events. Sweets are an important part of a baby shower, so do not forget to include them in your menu. If you have reservations in a restaurant, the restaurant will probably offer a dessert menu from which you can choose your selection of sweets and post-meal indulgences.
If you are hosting the baby shower at a banquet hall or at someones home, the dessert menu is completely up to you to decide on. You can make desserts fun, sweet, and baby themed to match your event. If there is a specific theme that you are focusing on, like “Pink Tea,” design your dessert menu around your theme. Popular sweets for baby showers are pastries, clairs, truffles, fruits, chocolates, and the ever-classic cake.
Pastries and clairs can be bought or baked. Visit your local bakery to find out about any special deals and offers that they can offer for a large quantity of pastries purchased. You can also find some good recipes online or in a cookbook, and bake the pastries yourself. A great alternative to this is to buy frozen pastries at your local grocery store, or better yet, at a wholesale grocery store. These are affordable and scrumptiously delicious. B.J.s and Costco supermarkets have amazing clairs that nobody will ever know were bought frozen.
Trufas are a Latin American version of truffles. Truffles are not necessarily made out of chocolate in Hispanic countries, but can be made with coconut, vanilla, and other flavors. Two popular flavors in Latin America are coconut and cocoa-flavored truffles. An easy recipe for truffles calls for one can of sweetened condensed milk, a box of crushed vanilla wafer cookies, and a half of a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cocoa, sweetened shredded coconut, and sprinkles are good add-ons.
Crush the cookies until you end up purely with cookie crumbs. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk until you reach the desire consistency of tough clay. Add the vanilla flavoring along with the chosen flavor (cocoa, coconut, etc.). Use your own taste to decide how much cocoa or coconut to use. Roll into small, round truffles. As a finishing touch, roll the coconut truffles around in shredded coconut, and roll the cocoa truffles in cocoa. Sprinkles are optional.
Fruits and dip is a healthy and fresh option for a sweet treat. Serve apple slices, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, and melon alongside fruit dip, and you have got a fabulous and nutritious treat! Popular choices for fruit dip are caramel, chocolate, and yogurt dip.
Chocolate is a must-have for any baby shower. Small chocolates can be bought in bulk and served on tiny cupcake cups, for an elegant touch. You can also buy pastel-colored white chocolate (sold in bags in most craft stores), melt it, and pour the melted chocolate into small baby-themed molds (also can be found at a craft store). Refrigerate, and voila: delicate and adorable little chocolates!
Whichever sweets you decide to include in your menu, and whether or not you decide to make or buy them, do not forget about the cake! Whether you order it and have it made especially for your shower, or make it yourself, make sure that you are 100% satisfied with its outcome and that it ties into your baby shower theme.
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Filed under Birthday by on May 23rd, 2010. Comment.
Although traditional baby shower games never fail and are always a success, new baby shower games are emerging and spreading across the United States. These cool, unconventional activities are different than the classics but with all the fun and more. If you are aiming for a hip, edgier baby shower with a twist from the classic, all-American baby shower, include a few of these new, trendy games that are sure to be a hit at your shower.
The “Dirty Diaper” game is one of the most clever and unusual, yet surprisingly sweet games out there. For this game, fold white cloth napkins or square pieces of white fabric into small diapers. Inside one of these mini diapers, place an unwrapped Hersheys kiss or any other chocolate bonbon. Fasten all the diapers with a baby diaper safety pin.
When guests arrive to the baby shower, hand one mini baby diaper to each person. Tell the guests to keep them closed and to not open them until instructed to do so. Then, when the time comes for all your games and activities, tell your guests that one of them has a dirty diaper. Tell them to open the diapers all at once, and whoever has the “dirty diaper,” or the chocolate bonbon inside of their diaper, wins a prize.
Another game with a meaning is the “umbilical cord.” For this game, you will need two spools of string or yarn, and two spoons. Choose volunteers and set up two or more teams of about eight to ten people. Attach each spoon to the tip of each string or yarn. The point of the game is to pass the “umbilical cord” through all the members of each team, by passing the string in through the neck seam and out through the opening of the skirt of each team player. This is very humorous, as you can imagine. The first team that passes the cord through all of the members wins.
A game that is becoming increasingly popular among baby showers is “Guess Whose Baby Picture?” For this game, make sure to tell guests on the invitations, and remind them before the shower, to bring in a baby picture of themselves when they were infants. Number each picture and put them up on a big bulletin board. During the games and activities session of your baby shower, give each guest a paper and pens or pencils. Have each paper numbered with the amount of pictures posted on the bulletin board.
When the game begins, tell the guests to fill in the numbers on the paper with the names of the people who they believe correspond to the baby picture. For example, if I think that baby picture #1 corresponds to Katie, I would write “Katie” after the number one on my paper. The guest that has highest number of right answers wins the challenge. If there is more than one guest with the same highest number of right answers, issue a tiebreaker.
Remember, all of these new games started as an idea. Try to come up with a few clever, never before used games. Who knows, they could potentially become a hit by the end of the year!
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Filed under Birthday by on May 21st, 2010. Comment.