Honoring the arrival of a new baby or child to a family, whether through a traditional birth or the adoption process, should be a joyful and stress-free event.  But lets face it: as is the case with any event, the day can be hectic if you haven’t prepared and you try to push the event beyond your budgetary boundaries.

There are a number of traditional arrangements that can be managed on a shoe-string.  Here’s a sampling:

Invitations: Put your computer to good use and send out pre birth announcements as invitations  that you make on line.  Try smilebox.com, where you can use photos and other digitized graphics  to create your own invitations, blog on them, add details about your event, add a map, and send via e-mail to all your guests.

If you want to get really creative, see if you can get a copy of the couple’s wedding announcements, or mementos from their early courting days, couple these with anything you know about the new baby and make a great collage online to use for invitations or a baby shower poster.

Food: You don’t have to be rich to create delicious party foods your guests will remember.  Here are a few treats you can make ahead of time and without an oven or a fancy kitchen:

• Fruit skewers
• Pasta Salad with veggies
• Microwave mushroom tops with parmesan cheese
• Home made humus and pita chips
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Strawberry shortcakes

Fun: These games are inexpensive to organize, create fun for your invitees and keep the party lively:

• Guess the expectant mother’s girth: guests cut pieces of ribbon, yarn or string, or even toilet paper, to a length they believe matches the mother-to-be’s tummy circumference
• Taste test: blindfold guests and have them identify baby food by taste.
• Diaper toss for prizes.
• Photo Mystery: Have guests each bring a baby picture of themselves, pin on a board and then take turns guessing who’s who for a prize.

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