Are you Giving Thanks This Year

This entry was written on Nov 14, 2009 by our Party Guru Melissa Lindberg

As the chill of autumn gives way to winter weather, thoughts of the holidays begin to fill the minds of children and adults. An important and often overlooked aspect of Thanksgiving, is the "giving of thanks". In today's economy, many families are finding themselves without the essentials for survival much less the extras for a holiday meal. As you plan your holiday events, if you can share food, blankets, coats and shoes for those less fortunate, you will give others the opportunity to be thankful as well. Contact your local homeless shelter, food bank, Salvation Army or Goodwill to discover the emergency needs of people in your community; then set about to help them. Notify coworkers, church groups, your family members, boy scout, girl scout groups and other social groups you are involved in that you are gathering donations to help those less fortunate; encourage others to participate with your efforts or begin their own. This is the season of thanks and giving, make sure that you celebrate the holidays in a way that focuses less on the commercial and more on the quality of life; You will be happy you did.

Budgeting for Party Planning

Party Planning does not have to be expensive but it does have to be organized. Part planning requires time, the more time you allow to plan the party, the better deals you can find. The fundamental rule of party planning is to organize the key elements immediately: theme, guest count, location. These three categories will make or break your budget. The sooner you decide upon the color and theme of the event, the number of guests and the location, the sooner you can establish a budget and begin working toward it.

Get Ready to go BOO!!

This entry was written on Oct 16, 2009 by our Party Guru Melissa Lindberg

AS Halloween comes creeping, it is time to plan your costume. If you have the time, why not create your own costume. Easy ideas include a vampire, a gypsy, a chef or a cowboy. whatever you do, have fun with it...Halloween is supposed to be fun!

Hot Themed Parties Right Now

Here are some of the hottest themes for parties right now :

A party theme that is gaining popularity is the Black & White Ball. This is very popular for birthday parties, corporation parties, weddings and sweet 16 parties. All party decorations are in black and white, party invitations are in black and white and guests dress in black and white. It makes for a very elegant affair.

Another very popular theme for parties right now, according to the experts, is a Tropical Luau Party. Who doesn't want to pretend they are whittling away time on a tropical island? These parties are relatively easy to plan. There are plenty of luau party decorations on the market -- bright tropical flowers, leis, palm trees, grass skirts -- that can transform your yard, banquet hall or living room into a tropical paradise.

And don't forget the always popular Las Vegas Casino Night party. Invitations can look like playing cards, you can provide games such as poker and black jack and provide chips for winning.

Party companies also offer theme packages in which one purchase can give you several matching party elements at once. For example, a "Vegas Nights" party theme package includes eight plates, 16 napkins, 24 piece plastic cutlery set, eight paper cups, a table cover, eight invitations, black and red streamers, 12 each of black and red latex balloons, and two packages of black and green paper party confetti. The company has other items in the theme that you can easily add to this pre-made package, which include poker chips, a casino game set and card shuffler. It's one stop party theme shopping!

Fall is Filled with Fun

This entry was written on Sep 01, 2009 by our Party Guru Melissa Lindberg

As the night sky gets dark earlier and the chill of autumn fills the air, kids begin to realize that the summer fun is coming to an end. Why not surprise them with a Back-To-School Party. Invite a few of the neighborhood kids over for an "Summer's End Ice Cream Social". This sweet themed party is easy to pull off and a hit with the kids. Mulitiple flavors of ice cream, bananas, strawberry, caramel and chocolate toppings, candy sprinkles, whip cream and Marishino cherries are eqaul parts of the party menu; provide spoons, bowls and time to play and your kids will forget all about the first day of school. At least until you put them to bed early to prepare for the first day.

The Perfect Coffee Lovers Party

If your friends and family are coffee lovers, why not host your next party at the neighborhood coffee shop; Comfy chairs, light music, the heavenly aroma of coffee combine to create an aromatic atmosphere suitable for the most intimate of conversations and celebration. Your friends will find conversation easy as they discuss the merits of mocha cappuccino, herbal tea, soy latte or frozen white chocolate frappé and all the latest gossip. Encourage your guests to choose baked goods from the food case, delicious coffee creations or soothing herbal tea. As the party host, you will cover the expenses of your guests; a simplified way to host a party without having to bake, decorate or clean up.

Summer Draws to a Close

This entry was written on Aug 12, 2009 by our Party Guru Melissa Lindberg

As summer moves slowly into fall, grasp those hot summer nights and host a few bar-b-ques for family and friends. You will be glad you did once the autumn rains arrive. Decorate with red and white ginham, splashes of bright yellow accent colors in your ice buckets and service ware and a big bouquet of fresh sunflowers. This color scheme will bring the warm colors of summer center stage for your festivities.

Advice on How to Plan Parties

Planning a party requires organization, a clear objective and a timeline. The first step is to determine the date, time and location for your party. The second step is to establish a theme or color scheme for decorations, inviations and serviceware. The third is to create a planning timeline to complete each step of your party preparations.

Party Planning Fun For Family

This entry was written on Jul 14, 2009 by our Party Guru Melissa Lindberg

If you are planning a summer party, involve every member of your family in the planning.

If your husband is the grill master, put him in charge of the entree selection and preparations.

If your party involved kids, help your children select games and activities that they want to play during the event.

Decorations, seating arrarngements and other party basics can be a group decision or theme generated. Whichever works best for the event.

The most important thing is to allow every member of the family to participate in the preparations. Doing this will enhnace the overall success of your event for you, your family and your guests. An added bonus, the kids and husband will be more likely to help set-up and clean-up if they feel involved in the event from the beginning.

Saddle Up and Celebrate with Western Party Ideas

Planning a Western Party is

Invitations in the shape of a cowboy boot, sheriff's badge or cowboy hat can be easily created with a computer, handdrawn template or by using a dye cut machine at your local craft store. If you prefer to purchase your invitations, an online search or visit to a local party store will provide many different ideas that are included in a western theme.

Decorations might include: red and white checkered table cloths, different colored bandanas for napkins, ceraminc tin service ware or purchase paper products in a red and white checked print or solid colors in red and white. Old lanterns, kerosene lamps, wildflower centerpieces make for colorful and realistic table decor. If you are able to visit a second hand or thrift store or Goodwill, search for old pairs of cowboy boots and vases that will sit down the leg portion of the boot. The more rugged and beat up the boot, the more authentic your "cowboy boot vases" will appear on the tables. As you create your vase, your first step is to fill the foot of the boot with sand or small gravel to provide stability, place vase in the leg cavity of the boot and place the wildflower bouquets into the boot. Add enough water to keep the plants healthy but not enough to tip the boot over.

Purchase or use serving dishes in solid colors that match your serviceware of purchase the ceramic painted tin servingware found in camping stores. The more "old fashioned" the print the more authentic the old west experience.

The menu could include such items as hamburgers, chili, cold beer and rootbeer, potato salad, and other basic bar-b-que items that are found in a summer menu.

Wanted Posters complete with pictures of the honored guest will make the party special.

Games might include card games, horseshoes (a plastic version can be purchsed for indoor play) and child's firing range game that includes a plastic log, plastic sasparilla bottles and a toy pistol.

Prizes/Gifts for the guests could include bubble-gum chewing tobacco, gold chocolate coins, cowboy hats and kerchiefs, fake turquoise jewelry, beef jerkey and sheriff's badges.

Background music is enjoyable if you play campfire songs or country-western music; ideal artists for an old fashioned western party might include Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

How to Save Money on a Kid's Party

Most parents have been there. Your child's birthday is fast approaching and your finances are a little low. You want your child to have a wonderful birthday but you just can't afford to drop several hundred dollars on an elaborate party this year. Here are some ways to be frugal when planning your kid's party, according to the experts.

• Don't assume the cheapest place to have a party is at your house. Once you buy the decorations, food and cake it might have been more cost-effective to buy a package birthday deal that includes all these things in a place like a bowling alley or Chuck E. Cheese.
• If you are having the party at your house, you don't have to hire expensive entertainment. Ask around and do some research. The stay-at-home mother next door might moonlight as a clown or magician. Or perhaps a relative wouldn't mind putting on a puppet show. Or perhaps your brother or cousin is a firefighter and can arrange a free tour of a fire truck as entertainment. Try to think out of the box!
• Most places famous for hosting a kid's party are really busy on weekends and the rates tend to be higher as well. Think about planning a party after school during the week. It might be cheaper than a weekend event. Do some price comparisons before booking.
• If your party is at another place, ask if you can bring your own food. It's almost always cheaper to, for example, make your own birthday cake and bring it rather than pay for one that's made by a party place or local bakery