Honey. We all know this one right? Honey is a natural substance which, like home made jelly, may contain botulism because of the way its processed. Children under the age of one year old cannot digest honey making contaminated honey a possible life threatening food choice.

Fish. Not all fish is off limits but the fish rules will probably out you off anyway. Uncooked fish, shell fish, high levels of mercury fish, fish raised on hatcheries that use growth hormones and other chemicals in the diet. Smoked fish and tinned fish are also on the don’t list. Keep fish down to the odd tuna sandwich and you should be fine.

Caffeine. Personally giving up coffee was one of the hardest things during my pregnancy and I was reluctant as my British friends were told caffeine was fine. In small does, caffeine is okay when pregnant but American physicians recommended avoiding it altogether. There is some studies that show a link between caffeine in take and first trimester miscarriages. Drink plenty of water and try and reduce your caffeine intake to a safe level.

Soft cheese. A personal favorite I missed during pregnancy, soft cheeses are often made abroad and not pasteurized in the same way as American hard cheeses and could carry bacteria harmful to baby.

Its interesting that the pregnancy rules seem to differ between countries. Some folks put themselves on the avoid list in order to avoid lawsuits in the future. European women are encouraged to drink a glass of wine a day when pregnant where American women are total that can harm their baby. Be sure to check with your personal physician before referring to online sites.

Take me out to the ball game. Baseball, popcorn and an outdoor get together are a great idea for a boy’s baby shower, especially if its a sports themed nursery. Look in the birthday section for props and decorations.

On safari. Monkeys, giraffes and elephants give party hosts plenty of decorating options and favor ideas. Be sure to find out which animal dominates the nursery set up so you know where to put your decorating focus.

Rubber ducks. Often a gender neutral choice, rubber ducks coupled with bathing colors works well for the little boy’s baby shower. Buy blue ducks if you are stuck on the blue boy thing or go with classic yellow for a great visual.

And of course simply making everything blue remains the top choice in the world of baby boy shower themes. Try mixing things up by going with several different shades of blue or using blue as an accent color to the baby’s nursery color.

I attended a child’s first birthday party the other day. Mom lives in an apartment so decided to have the get together in the local tot lot or park built for toddlers. Having a baby shower or first birthday party in the park saves you a lot of money and ensures you have enough room to accommodate all your guests.

The park setting works well for baby showers as many of your guests will be young parents themselves struggling to find a babysitter so they can attend your event. If they are in a toddler park with a high fence and monitored gate, height and age appropriate equipment and a few dozen trusted adults, your guests can actually relax and enjoy themselves. Be sure to choose a park with a picnic shelter area for the food.

Speaking of park shower or party food, keep it simple. You don’t want to lug half of your kitchen to the park so stick to one or two items and have disposable or plastic plates, cups and silverware for easy clean up. The party I went to was all about the cupcakes and Popsicles for the little ones. Drinks were caffeine free soda or bottled water.

And speaking of cupcakes, our host ensured the little folks at the party ate more than just the frosting by placing an entire cookie in the bottom of each cupcake liner before pouring the batter. This helped reduce waste and cleanup, not to mention the calorie intake of the adult guests.

Things to think about when throwing a baby shower in the park would be too much heat for the new mom, bug spray, sun block and conveniences such as restrooms and running fresh water. Be sure to call your local park ahead of your event to check if picnic shelters need to be reserved.

So the baby block favors I came across online were made of plain unfinished wood blocks with scrap booking embellishments on them. The guests wrote a message and their name on the blocks with marker pens. That works I guess but I have a different idea in mind.

Start with unfinished wooden blocks. You can pick them up by the bag full at your local craft store or order them online super cheap. Sand them with 420 grit sandpaper to ensure a smooth splinter free finish for your guests. Primer each block with white acrylic paint. This gives you the perfect blank canvas and means you avoid your guests using a marker pen on unfinished wood which I think looks a little blah.

Buy a few sets of acrylic paints in primary colors with black and white for blending, outlining and text. Set up a block painting station at the baby shower with detailed step by step instructions as well as a few examples. If you are a bit of a stickler for matching things, only provide the colors of your baby’s nursery. Personally I say give your guests the materials they need to make a unique set of alphabet blocks for your child.

After the shower guests have all gone home and the paint has completely dried, spray a clear acrylic sealer on each block to protect the painted surface. Babies are tough on their toys and you may want to consider a second layer of varnish. Be sure to choose something that is non toxic and won’t harm baby.

Take a photograph of the finished blocks in a pile and include a photo of your guests and their blocks in the baby shower thank you cards. Everyone will love to see how things turned out. This is a great way to make an heirloom piece for your child while creating a baby shower craft your guests can enjoy. It means they get to be a part of your child’s world long after they outgrow that pack of onesies they bought you.

If you have a stand by cookie recipe that always goes down well, you know how to make in your sleep and looks good on display then go with it. I’m all for researching cookie favors but if you don’t have to don’t waste your time. For those looking for something new narrow your search to exclude overly moist and soft cookies that can stick to the bottom of the bag or sweat on your baby shower tables. Go with easy disc shaped cookies. A sturdy exterior with a gooey middle is a great bagged cookie idea.

Be sure to do a test batch of cookies before you start trying to recalculate recipe amounts to make a bulk batch. All recipes are not created equal and sometimes lose themselves when the ingredients are doubled, tripled or quadrupled. Do a test batch, try doubling the recipe and do another taste check.

Of course many favor cookies are highly decorative and you may want to embellishment your own shower edibles. That’s fine as long as you do it as close to the party as you can. Be sure frosting and other details are completely dry and set before you try to put them in favor bags. A trial run of the decorative cookie element may save you a lot of stress and last minute panic.

Always place food based baby shower favors in food containers. This means using candy bags or cookie boxes from the kitchen or craft store. Don’t try and make cookie boxes out of scrapbook paper and don’t forget to keep cookies and other non food elements of your baby shower favor separate. Place cookie favors at each place setting before the baby shower begins. This lets hungry guests nibble while they wait for the main event.

Spa day. It sounds so cliché but my goodness does a new mom need a real pampering break. We all know she is unlikely to go herself. It can be a facial, a pedicure, an hour massage or any other spa treatment that gets mom out of the house, completely distracted and able to relax away from baby.

Hobby related items. If baby is a few months old mom is just at that point when she realizes her life is changed forever and she has taken the back burner. Get her a gift basket with supplies for her favorite hobby. Be sure to couple it with babysitting coupons so mom can actually use the gift. I received oil painting supplies off my husband one year and I can’t tell you how much those few hours of peace meant to me.

People always presume a new mommy wants a break. Her physical body certainly does but her emotional mind will find giving up control and responsibility very difficult. Start small by running a hot bath, lighting some incense and putting baby down for a nap. Let mom ease her way into relaxing. The gift will work for everyone in the family.

Things I would avoid buying for that first Mother’s Day? Chocolate, candies, cookies and cakes. Yes we all love the sweet stuff a lot but if you are a new mom with a body still adjusting the last thing you need is empty calories. And if you know your partner has a penchant for cut flowers why not hint a potted plant would be better? I received a plant on my first Mother’s Day and baby Nik still waters it today. Celebrate the mothers in your life whether or they’ve been on the job for six months or 60 years. They’ve been earning their mommy paycheck since conception.

Something personalized. Whether its a new bag for the golf clubs or a man cave sign for the garage a personalized whatnot is always a fun gift for dad. Life has changed forever and they are looking for a little corner that is theres. Think about hobbies and professions and find something that fits.

Cameras and video equipment. Your family’s new hobby is taking pictures of your beautiful new baby so why not give dad the right equipment? A nice easy to use digital camera with an ion battery (ion is awesome) and a middle of the range video camera should be enough to get dad started and help him feel a part of things.

A photograph together. My husband’s favorite new dad gift was a sneaky picture I had framed for him. I got a great shot of him and baby Nik snuggling, fast asleep both smiling. I faded it to black and white, enlarge to 8 by 10 and put it in a frame. The hubby loves it and always shows it to his friends.

Masculine diaper bag. There will be times when dad has to cart around the diapers and milk so why not avoid the embarrassment of the pink flowery diaper bag and get him his own? Something in black, brown or navy blue always works. My husband went with a camouflaged back pack.

Becoming a dad is as life changing as becoming a mom. Sure they didn’t do the hard work but they were there with us and are helping look after the baby. They deserve to be congratulated too. A dad gift from the new mom is always appreciated so make a moment to find something perfect for your partner so they know they are appreciated.

Sometimes we try to spark a conversation by having the guests fill out advice cards for the new mother. But how many showers have you attended where those advice cards are all read aloud and discussed? Not many if any right? We have put the advice and sharing part of a baby shower on the back burner. Its time to forget the advice and recipe cards and actually have a conversation.

What about instead of an extra baby shower game or two you take a little time at your next shower to have an actual conversation about motherhood. Yes we all make comments as the gifts open but forget the gifts for a minute and actually talk. For some groups this may be a little unexpected so you’ll have to guide them through it. Tell everyone you are going to talk about being a mom, what it means and hope everyone contributes. We all love talking about our kids so this really shouldn’t be difficult.

If your group can’t find a focus, try asking everyone to share their favorite and their worst experience of new motherhood. Try topic sentences like the worst diaper ever, the longest newborn night, the first time baby latched on or that moment you realized you really were a mother. Once the conversation starts it won’t be long before its birth stories, stitch counts, stretch marks and bouts of hysterics. You know, a really good chat.

And don’t forget there may be folks in your group who aren’t parents themselves yet. That doesn’t mean they can’t take part in the conversation. The non parent is a great way to remind folks how much schedule and perception changes when you have a baby. The non parents can learn while reminding folks of how things used to be. Actually talking at a baby shower about being a mom; that sounds like a party to remember.

Make your baby shower terrariums by first purchasing or getting the glass bowls. For larger glass gardens go with fish bowls. If you want to make small individual terrariums you can use glass jars. I’m thinking a vintage glass lidded canning jar would look fantastic. Fish bowls are pretty cheap at the pet supply store but check the gardening stores and craft stores for a better deal.

Baby shower terrarium centerpieces require a layer of gravel at the bottom and a layer of potting soil. Make them last longer by placing a layer of sphagnum moss between the stones and the soil. Any old potting soil will do. Just be sure to buy big bags to save yourself money.

Select three to five plants for a medium sized terrarium. If you are making favor style gardens, one or two plants is sufficient. Cactus, drought loving and even small classic houseplants work well. Grow from seed or pick up ‘plugs’ from the local nursery. You can get a couple hundred plant plugs (seedlings) and separate them into the jars.

Add a little water to each terrarium and put on the lid. Make your baby shower terrariums well in advance of the party. You want the plants to be firmly rooted before traveling to your shower venue. A little water the morning of the baby shower will make sure they look fresh and natural on your party tables.

For a happy go lucky birth announcement go with Comic Sans every time. It’s always in the birth announcement site drop down lists and its bubbly roundness is just perfect for the happy happy birth announcement. Other fun rounded fonts include Batang, Century Gothic, Corbel and Kristen ITC.

A good in between font will create balance between classic but fun, fresh but timeless. For this style consider Garamond, Book Antiqua or Palatino Linotype. Put any of these three fonts into the bold setting and increase the font by one point to add the impression of embellishment.

If old school elegance is more your thing then you can’t go wrong with Edwardian script. It’s the pinnacle of elegant digital fonts. But for many it may be a little too loopy and traditional. If you still want a classic look try Bickley script, Copperplate or Harrington.

If you think you have found the perfect font for your baby’s birth announcement, try it. Complete all the text boxes on the announcement template and click to proof. This way you will see the bigger picture and how your choice works across the board. The font should be easy to read but nice to look at throughout the card. Be sure to increase font size if things seem illegible in one spot and not in others.