Running Noses or Running Buffet - Baby Shower Recipes

Recipe menus differ at baby showers, what goodies are to be eaten on the day is entirely up to you. By choosing the right food for the baby shower will no doubt satisfy the guests when filling their bellies therefore a guarantee for the host that remembrance of this baby shower will forever be in the thoughts by all who indulged

Baby showers announce the pregnancy of a new baby on the way. Guests invited to the happy event get to bestow and give gifts and in return the baby shower host gets to give back in providing a feast or banquet depending on your budget.

A lot goes into planning a baby shower party like organizing games, displaying gifts and arranging the seats if a sit down meal is on the agenda. Most importantly on the day of the baby shower celebration, is the food. Watch the guests on arrival see how their eyes are drawn to the table full of edibles.

Common recipes for an appetizing baby shower spread are (pizza sandwiches) What you need if this popular tasty meal is go onto the table is flavoured Pizza sauce Low fat Cottage cheese, English muffins and cheese (Parmesan) Blend 2-3 tbsp of pizza sauce with 2-3 tbsp of cottage cheese, spread the mixture on one side of the muffin, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and grill lightly until cheese melts. Serve.

Cheese Balls another favourite, ingredients required ½ lb grated cheese (cheddar) 1 pack cream cheese 4 oz Tabasco sauce 1tspWorcestershire sauce 2 onions Finely chopped nuts 2 tsp chilli sauce

Stir and mix the ingredients together using a food mixer, keep the cheese at room temperature. All ingredients to be placed into small bowls lined with plastic wrap. Chill over night in the fridge. Remove the wrap when dishing up the cheese balls and sprinkle with nuts. Assorted crackers are best served with this recipe.

These are just a couple of popular recipes for a baby shower but there are other tasty measures that can be taken. Depending on the seasonal months should it be spring/ summer then it is a running buffet with plenty of running champagne to celebrate but if it is chilly winter and the only thing running is noses then it has to be a hot broth a sure way of warming up the party on the inside and out.

Travelling With Baby - Tips To Make Life Easier

It may sound daunting, but travelling with baby does not have to be a nightmare! A little preparation and forward planning is all you need for a successful trip with your tiny traveller.

There are certain supplies that are essential for any trip with your baby. The most important, of course, is enough food and milk for the journey. Always pack more than you think you'll need and include plenty of finger foods if your baby is old enough -- these are great for helping to keep him occupied! If you are breastfeeding and need to express milk, you can store it in a cooler, with ice, for up to 24 hours. You can also store bottles of pre-made formula in the same way -- alternatively, you can add pre-measured powdered formula to the bottles, then top it up with cooled, boiled water as required.

Another option is to bring "ready to drink" cartons of formula. Whilst ideal for the journey itself, be aware that you may not be allowed to take these cartons with you into certain countries. Sealed containers of formula do not normally present a problem.

Solid foods can be packed into a cooler, although a better idea is to bring foods with you that you can easily prepare during the journey. Avocado pears and bananas are good examples, as they can be simply peeled, mashed and served to your baby at room temperature.

Always bring your own feeding bowls and utensils when travelling with baby - many eating establishments do not have cutlery appropriate for an infant's use. A travel high chair is incredibly useful, too -- and means that you can comfortably feed your baby wherever you go. Disposable bibs, or a wipe-clean plastic bib, can be very convenient when travelling and they certainly cut down on the laundry!

If you ask for food or milk to be warmed for you, be VERY careful to check the temperature on its return. Busy waiters or cabin crew may overheat the food and you will need to wait for it to cool down. With this in mind, ask for any food or milk to be warmed well before you're actually going to need it!

Many parents worry about how to sterilise feeding equipment when travelling with baby. There are many products available to assist with this, from microwave steriliser bags to disposable bottle liners. Most stores dealing with infant feeding equipment will offer a range of travelling accessories such as these.

Other essential items for your trip will include nappies/diapers and scented diaper bags. If you're heading to a warm destination, adequate sun protection is a must! Also, consider bringing a small nightlight - if you're breastfeeding, it can be very useful in a dark, unfamiliar hotel room.

To help your baby cope with the trip and to reassure him in new surroundings, be sure to bring his favourite blanket. This can also serve as a handy "curtain" to shield an aeroplane sky cot/bassinet from the light, or for naps in his stroller when out and about.

Dress your baby in light layers when travelling -- not only does this make it easier to cope with fluctuating temperatures, but if your baby spills his food, for example, you can easily remove the top layer of clothing. Bring a change of clothes for yourself, too -- baby's mess tends to have a habit of transferring itself to his parents!

Enjoy your trip!

Free Baby Stuffs Online

Shopping for a newborn baby is one of the most beautiful experiences for an expectant mother. With number of online outlets coming up shopping is become more easy and comfortable. Now days you can also find different types of free baby stuffs online. Yes you have heard it right free baby stuffs. All you have to do is just sign up for free product samples and get your daily freebies, newsletters, free stuff coupon and free product samples right in your inbox.

Free product samples can really help today's busy and cash strapped family to figure out works for them without having to make their debit cards work over time. These free stuffs outlets provide free product samples newsletters just with the click of a link to get your free product samples. If you join the mailing list of such site you can actually have all the daily newest freebies in your inbox. Some of the freebies that you can avail from these sites are

1. Free Baby Talk DVD : Free Baby Talk DVD can provide you with information you need to now about breast feeding, infant fevers, getting enough sleep, healthy eating, crying babies and so on. This Baby Talk DVD is entertaining and easy to watch, it offers practical and down to earth advice. 2. Free Baby Planner : A free baby planner provides you with invaluable information that covers all your biggest new 'milestones' month by month from conception and birth right until your baby hits the toddler stage. 3. Free Potty Training: Free Potty training provide useful training for your young ones to know when they are wet and encourage them to stay drier for a longer time.

To avail the above freebies from any free baby stuffs outlet all you have to do is just register your details with them and they will send you your free baby stuff samples.

Do You Have the Right Bedding for Your Baby ?

While the birth of a baby is the most exceptional experience in any woman's life, it is after the birth of the child that the real work begins. There are many skills that a new mother will have to learn and learn quickly ; bottles, diapers and childhood diseases are only a few. Choosing the proper bedding for your baby will be one of the critical decisions you have to make. Common sense and experts both agree that the primary factor in choosing the bedding needs to be safety. Proper bedding is absolutely critical for the safety and comfort of your baby. To provide both comfort and safety it is imperative that the bedding not be too hard or too soft, improper bedding has been suspected as a possible cause in many cases of sudden infant death syndrome. This has normally been attributed to a very soft mattress. If the mattress is too soft it can cause the infant's mouth and nose to be covered. If this happens then the baby is inhaling the same air they exhale. This can cause a rapid build of carbon dioxide in the babies system. Excessive carbon dioxide can cause drowsiness, coma and even death. Baby beds come in a large selection of varieties and styles, regardless of the baby bed used it is critical that the bedding properly match the bed. The three types of baby beds are: bassinet, cradle and cribs. It is fairly easy to distinguish between the different types of beds? Bassinets are oblong or round baskets that serve as a bed for infants. A crib is a small bed that has very high side walls or railings. The purpose of he high sides or rails is to protect your baby or toddler. Since they can be used until the child is around two years old, cribs are usually considered the more economical choice. A cradle is a small low bed that is normally mounted on rockers, cradles are only good while the child is still an infant. In all of these the material used to make the bed will help indicate what precautions need to be taken. In a bassinet the bedding needs to provide enough space that the baby can roll from side to side. Bassinets are usually full of lacing and trimming which can reduce the actual available space for the baby. Cradles come in a variety of shapes and sized, one advantage of the cradle is that it can be rocked to help soothe the baby. There is normally not much bedding used inside of a cradle. Cribs are normally square so you can get a mattress that perfectly fits the dimensions of your crib. The mattress is normally covered with a coverlet and or blankets. You can also include pillows to make your baby more comfortable. Caution should be used not to fill the crib with too many pillows or the baby can stand on them and fall and hurt themselves. Any of the styles of beds can be safely used to keep your child save and comfortable. Once you have determined what type of bedding will correctly fit the equipment you have the only other consideration is the pattern and style that you find pleasing.

Getting Your Baby On A Sleeping Routine

It's not unusual for newborns to have unusual sleeping habits, particularly for them to want to sleep during the day, and stay awake at night. Remember, in the womb its dark all the time, so night and day mean nothing to them. If your baby's sleeping habits need some adjustment, here are some ways to get him on track.

· Don't keep quiet during the day when he's sleeping – When he sleeps during the day (and all babies will) leave the door to his room open, and go about your normal daily routine. Keep the television or stereo on. This will accomplish two things. First, he will learn to sleep even through noise, which is important, since this child will be taking naps in your home for four or five years. Secondly, he will get the idea that the daytime is not the right time for long periods of sleep.

· If he sleeps more than three hours at a stretch, wake him. Babies should nap during the day, of course, but more than three hours is not a nap. To get him awake, try holding him upright and tickling his feet. If that doesn't work, take off his shirt. The chill will wake him. Don't leave him uncovered for long, though. Once he is awake, sing or talk to him to keep him that way for a while. This is a great time to put him on a mat for some tummy time if it's not feeding time.

Now, of course the second half of this problem is the staying awake at night. This is going to take some time, and babies usually make some significant adjustments within about three weeks, though you will be getting up for feedings at least once at night for a bit longer. Some things you can do to make him more likely to sleep longer and better during the night are:

· Put him in bassinet or cradle for the first few weeks. A crib can seem huge to a newborn, so you might find that he sleeps much better in the coziness of a smaller space.

· Give him some soothing sounds. Not only will this act as a sort of "white noise" to block out other sounds, it will also be soothing to him. Soft, classical music works well, but so can the constant hum of a fan.

· Keep the room at a comfortable temperature. If he's too cold or too warm, just like the rest of us, he won't sleep as well.

· Establishing a routine. Your child will sleep better if he has an established sleeping routine for day and night. Put him down for naps at the same time each day, and put him down for bed at the same time each night. Create some bedtime habits that will signal to the baby that bedtime is near. A bath or a story can be a nice way to wind down and get ready for restful sleep.

Sleeping habits are a challenge for most new mothers, primarily because you're so tired yourself. One word of advice – don't try to make baby sleep at night by not allowing him to nap during the day. It will backfire. Babies need lots of sleep, and naps are a critical part of this. Just don't let him sleep for too long at a stretch during the day. Give it some time, and take some naps yourself, and before you know it, everyone will be sleeping soundly through the night.

Easy Steps to choosing and creating a Traditional Baby Shower Gift

Gift Baskets

Gift baskets are something you can buy or make. If you want to save a little money, purchase a nice, inexpensive basket from Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, or other retail chains and then fill it with items like baby powder, lotion, diaper cream, washcloths, bibs, sleepers, bottles, teething ring, pacifiers, and so on.

For a nice, added touch, purchase a second basket for the parents. In this basket, add some crackers and cheese with sparkling grape juice, Godiva chocolates, bubble bath, gourmet coffee, homemade cookies or muffins, two movie tickets, and so on.

Knitting

Beautifully, hand knitted blankets, bonnets, jackets, and other gifts are always a welcomed gift. With this type of baby gift, it is apparent that the person put tremendous time and effort into making something special, something warm and cherished.

Shoe Bronzing

This continues to be a cherished tradition. Bronzed shoes could be given as a certificate for the couple to have done after the birth of the baby or this makes an excellent gift for adopted babies.

Today, more than 14 million baby shoes have been bronzed. While only shoes were bronzed at one time, today other baby items can be bronzed to include stuffed animals, pacifiers, baby bottles, etc.

First Tooth Holder

A timeless, silver-plated first tooth holder is something the soon-to-be parents would love. These holders can be engraved with the baby's initials or name and some have a nice Plexiglas hinged lid to protect the precious tooth.

An alternative to this is the "First Curl" holder for the baby's first haircut, as seen in the photograph to the right. Picture Frames

Couples always love cute picture frames, perfect for showing off the newest member of the family. You will find every design imaginable such as a pewter frame with a Noah's Ark motif, ceramic frames with tiny bunnies or ducks, crystal frames, etc. With this type of gift, the theme of the nursery can be matched perfectly.

"Piggy" Bank

Although you could stay with tradition and go with a little piggy like the one shown, baby banks are available in all shapes, sizes, and designs. Something made from pewter or silver looks beautiful and will last for years, making it the perfect keepsake.

The opportunities for gifts are endless. The main thing is to think about what the parents will need for their newborn baby. Babies go through tons of diapers, crib sheets, bibs, sleepers, and socks so you would always be safe with any of these items.

How to do a baby handprint poem

It can be a lot of fun creating a baby handprint poem keepsake. As it involves paint and a child it can also very quickly get very messy so be sure to do it at a place where you can easily clean up after you're done creating the keepsakes.

Before you get started you will need to find a poem that you can put place the baby hands on. There are a lot of poems available on the internet that you can borrow. Be sure to read any disclaimer or copyright information that is posted along side the poem that you choose. I always recommend that you contact the author (if possible) to make sure that it is okay to use the poem they created.

Most of the time they are only glad that someone likes their poem. They might even have more poems that you can use for additional keepsake ideas that you might have.

If you haven't got the time to look around for a poem to use then here is one that you can print:

Sometimes you get discouraged Because I am so small And always leave my fingerprints On furniture and walls

But every day I'm growing I'll be grown some day And all those tiny handprints Will surely fade away

So here's a little handprint Just so you can recall Exactly how my fingers looked When I was very small

-- Put a date here -- Love, -- put child's name here --

Be sure to print out a few copies in case the first handprint isn't perfect.

The other ingredients that you will need is: Your child in play clothing (obviously), a small photo (not necessary), water based paint (or finger paint), a bowl or similar to hold the paint, a sponge or a brush to apply the paint to your child's hand, paper towels to easily clean up your child's hands afterwards.

Now you apply the paint to your baby's hand and place the hand on the paper with the poem at the exact place that you want it to appear. It might take several tries before you get it right so be sure to bring your patience.

When you have finally made a baby handprint poem that you like be sure to clean the hands (and the rest) of your baby before moving on to anything else. Otherwise you might end up getting paint all over the place.

Now you'll have to wait for the paint to dry and if you want to you can glue a little picture of the baby to the handprint poem. To add a final touch you can frame it to make it last for years to come. Be sure to add the baby's name and the date to the handprint poem before you frame it.

Baby Shower Recipes: Food Ideas For Your Shower

Baby showers are generally held in the later stages of pregnancy (in the last 2 months, for instance). There are, however, certain cultural beliefs that make people purposefully wait for the baby to arrive before having a baby shower. Adoptive parents, at times, wait until after the adoption is final and the baby has arrived in their home.

Baby showers are generally organized by close friends, relatives, or co-workers of the expectant parents (because baby showers center on gift-giving, it is considered inappropriate for a family member to host such events).

In its early form, baby showers were held exclusively for mothers-to-be, and only women were invited to attend the party. In addition, baby showers were traditionally held only for the first child. Today, however, many people arrange baby showers for both parents, and they can now be also arranged for every succeeding children (even children who have been adopted).

Activities in a baby shower typically include games, special activies, presents, and, most especially, food.

Below are some of the most common baby shower recipes:

· Pizza Sandwiches

Pizza sauce (can be store-bought or homemade) Cottage cheese (lowfat) English muffins Parmesan cheese

1. Mix 2-3 tbsp of pizza sauce with 2-3 tbsp of cottage cheese.

2. Spread the mixture onto one half of the English muffin.

3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

4. Broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve.

· Creamy Tomato Soup

1 tsp vegetable oil 1 can tomato soup (condensed) Milk 1 tbsp basil Mozarella or croutons (for toppings)

1. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan.

2. Add the tomato soup.

3. Add milk (approximately the same amount as that of the tomato soup).

4. Add basil and cook slowly on low heat (do not boil).

5. Top with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella and croutons. Serve.

· Cheese Balls

½ lb cheese (cheddar or grated) 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 pack cream cheese 4 oz Tabasco sauce 2 tsp onion Chopped nuts 2 tsp catsup or chili sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together using a mixer or a food processor (the cheese should be at room temperature).

2. Empty mixed ingredients on small bowls lined with plastic wrap.

3. Refrigerate overnight.

4. To serve, remove wrap and sprinkle with nuts. Serve with assorted crackers.

· Chicken Puffs

4 tbsp butter ½ cup boiling water ½ cup flour 2 eggs ½ cup shredded cheese 2 cups cooked chicken 2 tbsp olives 2 tbsp wine ¼ cup mayonnaise

1. Melt butter in boiling water.

2. Add flour.

3. Stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball.

4. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

5. Add egg and beat briskly until smooth.

6. Stir in cheese.

7. Scoop 1 tsp dough into a greased baking sheet.

8. Preheat oven to 400°F.

9. Bake the puffs for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and split.

10. Combine the remaining ingredients with the finely chopped cooked chicken, pimiento, and olives.

11. Fill each puff with 2 tsp of the mixture. Serve.

There are just some of the baby shower recipes, there are numerous others to choose from - from sandwiches & finger foods, to snacks and dips and sweets - appetizing, yet simple and very easy to prepare.

Why Top 100 Baby Names?

While looking into search patterns I stumbled upon the fact that parents to be or other people that has an interest in baby names are divided into to major groups. Nothing special about the fact that people belongs to different groups but this one shows a trend that has been gaining strength for the last 5-10 years.

On one side we have the parents that are searching for phrases like "top 100 baby names", "top ten baby names", "popular baby names" etc. All of these phrases have in common that the surfer is looking for what everyone else is naming their baby.

Now don't get me wrong... There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to call your baby a commonly used name. There can many reasons for wanting to name your baby boy or baby girl the same name as most other kids. A reason could be that you want the baby to be socially accepted when he or she grows up and starts playing with other children.

Another reason would be that it might be easier for the baby to get called in for a job interview and maybe even get the job. It can be a tradition in the family to name the babies the name that ranks number 1 in the previous year.

There can be a lot of reasons for naming a baby after the majority of the babies born in that time period. This is not the part that got my attention.

What got my attention was that on the other side there is a similar large group of parents that is looking for the exact opposite. They are searching for phrases like "unusual baby names", odd baby names", unique baby names" etc.

Again the reasons for wanting an unusual baby name can be many and I can only guess what they might be but from what is happening in society I think that some of the most obvious reasons are these:

You want to show the outside world that your baby is something special. By giving your child a name that only a few people carry then you have made them special. They now have a name that will (probably) be easier for other people to remember because of the fact that they haven't heard the name before.

A second reason can be that it has become a trend to name you child a unique name. Over the years this trend has been increasing and like with the common name a special name can now apply status as well.

Why people are divided into these categories no one knows. There is naturally still the third category left and that are the ones searching for neutral baby names. It is hard to say anything specific about these search patterns but it is a fact that they exist and there is nothing right or wrong no matter what category you might fall into.

Baby Showers – From The Man’s Point Of View

You see articles about baby showers written by women all of the time. But why not written by a man? Don't we need to know a thing or two about baby showers too?

My wife recently hosted a baby shower for a friend, and I was clueless on how to help her. Fortunately, I was kicked out of the house before the actual baby shower began, but I was involved with helping her set it up. Baby showers begin with selecting a location and baby shower invitations. But the actual event involves a lot more planning.

Did you know that baby showers include a cake made out of diapers? Yeah, I thought that was strange too. But apparently diaper cakes are one of the important centerpieces at baby showers these days. This isn't an edible cake—but there are plenty of deserts to be eaten. From non-diaper cakes to appetizers to baby block-looking petit fours, it seems like there's more than enough food to go around at a baby shower.

Of course there are usually baby shower games. These games can be kind of silly, but they're a big hit. The women talk about funny baby experiences they've had and bring up embarrassing things from the mother's past. There are hundreds of web sites devoted to various baby shower games. Do a search for "baby shower games" an you'll be amazed and some of the games people have invented.

Gifts are a big part of baby showers. And I mean BIG! It's amazing how many gifts are showered upon the mother-to-be. Although the mom usually registers for important baby gifts like sheets and strollers, it seems that most women want to buy cute things for the baby that aren't on the registry. Apparently buying cute clothes and stuffed animals is more interesting than buying sheets for the crib. It makes sense, but I hear that moms-to-be hate this since what they really need are the basic supplies. The mom ends up buying all of these herself.