Technorati Tags: anniversary, celebration, details, heights, Maryland, Party, Planners, Volunteers, Work

1. Chocolate invitations.  Set the tone for your party by choosing invitations with a rich chocolate brown color scheme.  It’s become a trendy color in the past few years, so the invitations shouldn’t be difficult to find.  Add a drop of chocolate fragrance oil, chocolate scented perfume or even chocolate scratch and sniff stickers to the back of the envelope before mailing.

2. Chocolate atmosphere.  Just about any candle shop will carry scented chocolate candles.  Scatter small lit chocolate candles around the party for an inviting scent.  Decorate with chocolate brown balloons.  You can use other balloon colors to accent the brown, such as silver, gold and red.  If you want to take it a step further, you can have napkins, plates and tablecloths in the same or coordinating color.  Using your digital camera on macro mode, take super close up photos of candy bar wrappers or the inside of a box of chocolates.  Make poster size enlargements of your candy pictures and display them at the party.

3. Chocolate fountain.  This makes an elegant centerpiece and is a lot of fun.  Although a word of warning, it also very messy.  You can buy small chocolate fountains for a reasonable price and rent larger ones.  For a cheaper alternative, consider a chocolate fondue pot.  You can still dip pieces of fruit, cake, marshmallows, graham crackers and pretzels into the mixture.  But since the fondue tends to be a bit thicker in consistency than the fountain chocolate, there is also less mess potential.

4. Chocolate games.  If you’re having an entire chocolate theme party, you might want to also include some games.  Hide gourmet wrapped truffles for a sort of Easter egg hunt.  You could fill a jar with M&Ms and have everyone guess how many candies it contains.   The person that comes the closest can take home the entire jar as a prize.  Play chocolate trivia by researching chocolate facts online.  Use wrapped chocolates as game pieces for bingo or other games.

5. Chocolate tasting.  You could build a whole party around this.  Invite your guests to taste and rate a variety of chocolates.  Break apart each bar of chocolate and display on individual plates. Make sure you label each chocolate plate with the name of the chocolate, country of origin, and anything else interesting about it.  This way, your guests can distinguish between the samples, when they mark the cards you printed for their ratings.  Don’t forget to offer breadsticks and crackers to cleanse the palate between tastings.

6. Unique chocolate menu items.  Instead of just the usual chocolate cake, how about chocolate croissants?  Replace standard brownies with chocolate raspberry cookie bars.   You can serve chocolate covered potato chips, white chocolate covered popcorn and chocolate dipped orange peel. Believe it or not, chocolate covered bacon is actually for sale.  You don’t have to go that far, but it certainly would be a conversation starter!

7. Chocolate favors.  Whether you have a chocolate theme party or a regular traditional event, you can’t go wrong if you send your guests home with chocolate party favors.  Personalized chocolate bars are popular.  The candy bar wrappers are imprinted with your message and sometimes even a photo.  You can also find little mint size tins filled with gourmet chocolates with the top cover displaying a personalized design customized for the occasion.  Your chocolate party favors don’t have to be limited to the edible variety.  You can also give away chocolate scented candles, lip balm and bath beads.  Or how about a funny T-shirt or magnet with a quote about chocolate?

So, the next time you plan a party, think chocolate.  Whether you add just a little sweet touch to your celebration by giving your guests chocolate party favors, or pull out all the stops and throw a big chocolate theme party, your guests will be delighted.

Technorati Tags: celebration, Chocolate, ideas, Party, Sweeten, Ways

Technorati Tags: celebration, Party, Ratatouille, supplies, Things

The wedding anniversary can be one of the most important invites you send. After all, so many people end up getting a divorce in these modern times that staying married is definitely worth celebrating. Before you can send those cards, however, you’re going to need to choose the perfect ones for your event. Below you’ll find some tips for choosing the right party wedding anniversary invitations, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/anniversary-invitations/wedding-anniversary-invitations.htm

Wedding Anniversary Party Invitations, http://www.express-invitations.com/anniversary-invitations/anniversary-party-invitations.php & Themes

When planning a party, it might be a good idea to choose a theme. For example, if a couple met in the 1970s, you might choose to focus the decorations and entertainment of the wedding anniversary party invitations, http://www.announcements-shoppe.com/Anniversary-Invitations-Announcements-Cards/productsList-15-1.htm on that decade. You could even hire a couple of servers for the event and ask them to dress up in full seventies attire. Another idea is to find headlines from that decade then make decorative poster board displays containing the headlines and photos related to those headlines. You could also recap everything that has changed in the world since the couple met as part of the event’s entertainment.

Now that you’ve decided on a theme you’re going to carry that theme throughout the rest of party planning, including the wedding party invitation you decide to pick. For example, you don’t want to send out very formal invitations if you’re going to have servers wearing bell bottoms. Remember that your invitations are supposed to clue your guests in on what the event is going to be like. That’s something you want to remember when picking your wedding party anniversary invitations, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/anniversary-invitations/

Wedding Anniversary Invitations, http://www.express-invitations.com/anniversary-invitations/ Factors

Besides the theme, you should also consider a few other factors. One of the biggest is going to be cost. You want to choose affordable cards that look good but don’t cost a fortune. Throwing one of these parties can be expensive so you’ll want to save money in anyway that you can. One way you can’t save money is by substituting phone calls or emails for mailed wedding anniversary invites, http://www.announcements-shoppe.com/cards Etiquette dictates that the invitations be mailed, usually two weeks in advance to give guests time to make arrangements and to RSVP if necessary. However, you can always follow up with guests a few days prior to the event with a phone call or email, especially if they have not responded to the mailed custom wedding anniversary.

Another important issue is whether or not you should extend the invitation to children or if you want to stick with only adults at the party. The choice is yours. The only etiquette rule to follow is that the party should either allow kids or not allow any kids. You don’t want to pick and choose kids since this may hurt the feelings of some of the guests. When you send the invitation, address it only to the parents. Hopefully, they will get the message. Another concern is whether or not people who are invited can bring dates. Unless you specify “and date,” most of your guests should realize they aren’t allowed to bring anyone else who is not specifically listed on the wedding anniversary.

Technorati Tags: anniversary, celebration, Invitations, Party, wedding

1. Borrow music CDs from your library.  Maybe you need dance music to liven up the crowd. You might want easy listening melodies as a background for conversation or Hawaiian songs for a luau theme party. Your public library should have it available and ready to lend to you. 

2. Decorate with balloons.  Balloons are festive and cheap, especially if you fill them with air, instead of helium.  Search online and you will find instructions for making impressive balloon arches, garlands, columns and more.

3. Rent a helium tank.  If you prefer helium filled balloons and you need lots of them, it’s cheaper to rent a tank and fill the balloons yourself.  However, if you’re only buying a few, you can save money by purchasing them already filled at the dollar store.

4. Light lots of candles around the party for instant, inexpensive atmosphere.

5. Keep your little, white Christmas lights handy.  String them around the buffet table, doorway, centerpieces, potted plants, just about anywhere to create an elegant look to any party, without spending a lot of cash.

6. Buy a reusable ice sculpture mold.  These can cost under $20, are easy to fill, fit in your freezer, and can be used over and over again.  Find them online for a low cost, yet fancy touch to your celebration.

7. Forget flower centerpieces. Yes, they’re pretty, but expensive.  Instead try tealights floating in a large shallow glass bowl filled with water.  Or you could place framed photos of the guest of honor on the table for a nice tribute.  You can even display party favors as the centerpiece.

8. Make your own invitations.  With greeting card software on your computer, your printer and a little creativity, you can save money by doing these yourself.

9. Browse online for cheap invitations. If you’re not the crafty type, you can find great bargains online for invitations.  Do some searching, and you may be surprised at the deep discounts available.

10. Go with photo invitations that feature the guest of honor. These can even cost less than regular paper invitations, if you hunt around the internet for the right company. You can also trim the price by choosing a smaller size, like 4 x 6 or 4 x 8 inches.

11. Invite less, save more. Sure, it’s nice to have a big bash.  But if you’re watching your wallet, nothing cuts expenses faster than shrinking the guest list.  Think quality over quantity.  It’s better to have a smaller party, than no party at all. 

12. Cut costs on party favors. You can obviously eliminate them if your budget is extremely tight, but if you decide you want to send your guests home with a little thank you gift, you can make them yourself.  One simple idea is to use occasion appropriate gift wrapping paper to wrap Hershey candy bars as a thoughtful giveaway.

13. Order cheap favors online. If you don’t want to make your own, you don’t have to resort to the dollar store for favors. For around the same price you can find inexpensive personalized items, some even with a photo.  You just have to be willing to do a little searching.

14. Consider having your party from 2 – 5 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday. No one will expect a big meal during those hours, so you can get away with just serving coffee and cake.

15. Invite your guests for just appetizers or dessert.  Your invitation can say something like “please join us for an open house with hors d’oeuvres”.

16. Go with a buffet, if you want to have a full dinner for a lot of people.  Include inexpensive, but crowd pleasing pasta dishes and casseroles.  Find recipes you can make ahead and freeze.

17. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Make it a potluck and request that guests bring a dish.  If you can, borrow rather than rent chairs, chafing dishes, outside tents, etc.  Enlist a friend to help you serve.

18. Be kind to the environment and your budget by using real plates, glasses and silverware. Of course, disposable paper plates, cups and plastic forks make clean-up easier, but they add to your expense. Use what you have, wash the dishes and save money.

Yes, you can have a great party without spending a lot of money. With a little creativity, time and effort you can cut expenses. But that’s not all. You can leave your guests with the impression you actually splurged.

Technorati Tags: Budget, celebration, Great, Money, Next, Party, Planning, Saving, tips

Here are some tips to get your creative juices flowing:

Plan your party decorations according to the party layout that you have in mind. You can focus on decorations for the performance area (or cake cutting area), dining table, and general areas. The activities area and food area should be kept relatively free of decorations to allow children and guests to play or get their food in a hazard-free environment.

Decorations you can get include: banners, streamers, balloons and centerpieces. Allow your birthday child to get involved by letting him/her choose the colours of the balloons, or even, if you wish, the theme of the party decorations. It is after all, his/her special day!

The backdrop is a very important element for party decorations. This should be placed at the performance/cake cutting area. If you’re holding the party at a function room, this should be on the stage backdrop. You can get a colourful banner as the center of the backdrop and get birthday flags and streamers to add to the backdrop. If you have balloons, add balloons at the side of the backdrop.

The backdrop can be themed, elaborate or simple – it is really up to you. Having the backdrop at the performance/cake cutting area, also allows you to get beautiful pictures of the cake cutting moment with a fantastic backdrop.

General Areas

Helium balloons are a favorite of children and are great for decorations. The balloons can be used to decorate the general areas. You can use colours that your child or you have chosen. Try to use more colourful balloons so as to add to the party atmosphere. If the party is themed, you could use printed balloons, or even aluminum foil balloons that go with the theme.

Keep in mind though, that children will tend to grab the balloons, so ensure that there are still enough balloons for decoration even if the children decide to get the balloons for themselves. Alternatively, get streamers for the general area as well to add colour and vibrancy to your party. This also ensures that even if the children do grab the balloons for themselves, the general areas are still decorated.

Dining area

The dining area should be decorated but still kept generally clear so that your guests can enjoy the food. The most ideal decorations that can go on the dining tables are centerpieces. They can simply be a bunch of balloons that go on the middle of the table. This allows a continuity of the party decorations and still ensures your guests can enjoy the food without the decorations getting in their way.

If your party is a themed party, you can consider getting printed plates, utensils and napkins. These add to the general theme and look good as decorations on the whole.

Entrance Area

Besides the performance/ cake cutting area, the dining area, and the general areas, you can consider adding decorations at the entrance for your party too! The decorations can be just a simple greeting banner that welcomes your guests to the party, or you could have some balloons at the entrance to the party. This not only makes the whole party look more fun right from the start, but also has the added advantage of letting your guests know that they have reached the right venue for the party!

Do keep in mind that while simple decorations like these can be cheap to get, you will need time to put them up as well. Remember to plan your time properly so you have time to decorate the venue before your guests arrive! Or simply, you can save yourself some time and hassle, by getting the decorations done at an affordable price from professionals like Mighty Magic Factory !

Technorati Tags: Birthday, celebration, Child's, decorating, Party

The holidays are meant to be grand times for family and friends to express their love and appreciation for one another. However true this may be, one fact definitely remains and that is the stress is brings to whoever is hosting the holiday bash. This can be remedied if you institute your holiday party planning effectively. Within this article you will learn how.

A great thing about throwing a holiday party is you usually know everyone who is coming fairly well. If not, then you know someone who does. So when the time comes to do your grocery shopping you can pick out that bottle of wine that you know so and so likes and that special snack for your young relative. It would be nice if you could do this for everyone, but that would be unrealistic. Holiday parties can be expensive, especially when it comes to the food, so pick one or two of your favorites and go that extra mile. Also, when it comes time to prepare the food, see if you can get some help. Don’t be bashful about asking your friends and family to bring some dessert or one of their great appetizer dishes. The less time you spend in the kitchen the more time you have to prepare for the other aspects of your party. Do your holiday party planning smartly by not trying to do too much. This leads to stress and this is what we are trying to avoid.

Another thing to keep in mind when preparing for that special holiday party is decorations. You may want to decide on a specific color theme. It will make things easier when it comes time to purchase napkins or anything else you want to dress the table up with. Flowers are also a great idea. They add that special burst of life and beauty to any table and you can match them up with almost any color theme.

A great way to add a twist to any holiday is by changing things up. Do you want your party to be just like everyone else’s or do you want it to be remembered? This is the way to do that. On Thanksgiving for instance, it is not written in any rule book that turkey must be served. You can always cook up your best dish that you know everyone will love. Going traditional is fine, but try and add a wrinkle or two. Appetizers are an excellent way to create a change from last year’s nuts and chips. If you do something different here your guests will surely appreciate the tasty snack by quickly devouring it.

So what do you want to do to keep your guests entertained throughout the party? Of course football works well on certain holidays, but not all. You may want to do something for the kids, or the adults or both. When it comes to the children it is always a good idea to have some board games, cards, puzzles or video games on hand. This will surely keep them entertained. The adult crowd can prove much more difficult. One way to keep them from craving to leave is to institute some sort of drinking game. I’m not saying to get your relatives drunk, although this may work at certain family functions, but it’s probably not a good idea with the children lurking about. A taste testing type of game is what might prove fun. Have your guests create their best drink and see if they can be outdone. If drinking is out, then you may want to have some bingo cards handy and a deck of cards. A card game is a good way to bring everyone together. So if the conversation is lacking, you don’t leave the entertaining to the TV. There are many other things you can do, you just have to get creative.

Holidays are meant to be fun, so to fully enjoy the job as host make sure you do all your shopping ahead of time and create dishes that can be easily reheated. You don’t want to have to do too much on the day of the party. Of course large dishes will need to be cooked on that special date, but appetizers and desserts should be prepared on the day before or possibly sooner.

A great host is a happy host. I hope some of the ideas mentioned here will eliminate some of the stress involved in creating the greatest holiday celebration you possibly can for everyone you care so dearly about. Have a great time.

Technorati Tags: celebration, Guide, Holiday, Party, PlanningYour, Ultimate

If you’re planning your baby’s first birthday party, don’t feel overwhelmed.  There are easy ways to celebrate this milestone and still minimize the stress and maximize the enjoyment.  Here are eight tips to get you there.

1. Celebrate.  This party is for you.  Oh, I know your little one is the star.  But you’re the one who has made it through the most exhausting, exhilarating, scary, crazy, wonderful first year of your baby’s life.  You deserve a party!  Choose a theme, food, guests and everything else that makes you happy and your child will be happy, too.

2. Keep it simple.  Yes, you and your child should celebrate this milestone, but don’t lose sleep over it.  Choose foods that are easy to prepare, or better yet, get take-out.  There’s also nothing wrong with asking guests to each bring a dish.  You don’t have to run around to every party store, trying to track down the perfect decorations, invitations or favors.  Pick a theme that is easy to find.  Order your supplies online to save time.

3. Let your baby help you plan.  You know your child’s temperament.  If he or she loves to be around people, then invite the whole gang.  But if your little one is shy, then keep the party on the small side.  What time of day is he or she most active and alert?  Make that the time for the celebration, so that your baby will be awake for the festivities.

4. Go picture crazy.  Take a million snapshots of the big event.  Fill an entire album or scrapbook with the results. Order first birthday photo invitations (or thank you cards) that feature your baby.  Consider giving your guests photo favors as a keepsake.  Document the wonderful day with photographs, so that your precious little one will be able to visualize the celebration when he or she is older.

5. Select a co-host.  Ask a friend, relative or spouse to be a very present partner during the party.  They can keep the celebration going if you have to stop and change a diaper.  He or she can also watch the baby, if you have to take something out of the oven or attend to another guest.  Plus, it’s always good to have another pair of attentive eyes making sure that the little ones are safe.  Finally, it helps to have a dedicated volunteer who will participate in taking photos and video, when you’re busy.

6. Games are not necessary.  Yes, you can include them if you want, but you don’t need to go out of your way to entertain your guests.  Your baby will be the center of attention and the entertainment at his or her first birthday party.  Plus, these celebrations are usually on the short side, around two hours or so.  That’s because your child will get quickly worn out by all the festivities, if they continue much longer than that.  So, it may be hard to even find time for games during the event.

7. Don’t forget the cake.  Not only is this your baby’s first birthday cake, but it is a great photo opportunity.  Just about every little angel enjoys it and making a mess of it is an added bonus for them.  Arm yourself with baby wipes, get out the camcorder and enjoy watching your child dive into this special treat.

8. Create a time capsule.  Pass out slips of paper and ask each of your guests to write a message to your child.  It can be anything from a loving sentiment to words of wisdom and advice for living.  Or you could ask everyone to stick to a topic, such as hopes and dreams for your baby or guesses for their future.  Add all the contributions to a clean popcorn tin or other large air tight container.  You might want to also include a news and entertainment magazine from that week, photos from the party, the invitation, favors, and any other memento that represents either the party, your child or the world at that time.  Seal it up and place in the back of a closet until your child opens it when he or she is eighteen or twenty-one.

You don’t have to go crazy and plan an elaborate event for this to be a wonderful occasion.  Make it a simple celebration. Ask for help. Take tons of photos. Put together a time capsule. Enjoy the cake. With just a little effort and a lot of love, you are sure to create a wonderful first birthday party for your child.

Technorati Tags: Birthday, celebration, First, Party, StressFree, tips

When you’re planning a party with your child for his birthday, consider going with an animal theme. It’s sure to be a hit. Need convincing? Here’s the top seven reasons why this is a great idea for your son or daughter’s celebration.

1. Kids love animals.  Just look at a the expression on a toddler’s face when they see a puppy or kitten in a pet store window. Or watch children’s reactions when they gaze at the different creatures at the zoo.  It’s easy to see that the little ones respond and relate to our furry friends.  If you’re looking for a party theme that is sure to please all your young guests, this one can’t miss.

2. It’s good for both boys and girls.  A birthday party with a fireman’s theme might thrill the little guys, but  the girls may not have as good a time.  The girls may love a princess party, but the boys might feel out of place.. If you’re inviting a mixed crowd of kids to the celebration, an animal theme will be appreciated by all.

3. It appeals to all ages.  Whether you focus on soft, cuddly critters, farm animals or go with an all out jungle theme, this is a party idea that can be adapted to any age group.  And if your child has older or younger brothers and sisters or cousins that attend his birthday festivities, they would all get a kick out of this celebration.

4. It’s inexpensive.  Of course, if you pulled out all the stops, you could spend a lot of money on this party. But you don’t have to empty your wallet to do this right.  Borrow a CD of animal sounds from your library for background music.  Hang varying lengths of green crepe streamers or craft paper from the ceiling to look like you’re in the jungle.  Place your child’s stuffed animals all over the room for atmosphere.  Cut out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with animal cookie cutters.  Decorate a plain sheet cake with green frosting and then add little plastic animals to the top from the party or dollar store.

5. Supplies are easy to find. Every brick and mortar or online party store will have a large selection of items for this theme. If you’re looking for animal party invites, you’ll have a mind boggling choice, including photo invitations that feature your child’s picture.  Everything from decorations to stuff to put in the goodie bags will be readily available.  You’ll have lots of options, so it will be quick and easy to put together just the right elements for your child’s birthday celebration.

6. You can use it as an opportunity to teach conservation.  Have the party at a nearby zoo. Then steer the kids toward exhbits that focus on endangered species and what is being done to preserve these magnificient creatures. 

7. It’s fun!  Set the mood with face painting the kids to look like their favorite beast.  Have games like pin the trunk on the elephant. You could do a bean bag toss into the cut out mouth of a big lion head painted on poster board.  Hide little animal prizes all around the room and then send the little ones on safari to find them.  Quiz them on animal facts and reward the child with the most correct answers.  Or bring them all to a local farm to see cows, horses, pigs and chickens up close.

Whether you arrange for your teenage daughter and a few of her friends to take riding lessons at a stable, or have a house full of toddlers pretending to be tigers, an animal theme party will be a big success.  Run wild with this fun, inexpensive and easy idea and you’ll be sure to give your child a very happy birthday.

Technorati Tags: Animal, Birthday, celebration, child, Great, Idea, Party, Reasons, Theme, This

Having a child on the Autism spectrum has caused me to think about situations that others may not. For instance, because she is on a gluten-free diet, I need to be very thoughtful when planning any kind of party, or sending her to any kind of party. Kids party planning is hard enough without the added bonus of trying to keep her safe from certain types of foods.

It is a lot easier to plan your child’s birthday party because you will be in charge of the food, so you know exactly what is going into your child’s mouth. The difficult situation is they attend one of their friend’s birthday parties. In this case, the control is in someone else’s hands. It is understandable to be worried in situations like this, but there are steps you can take to ease some of those worries.

The first thing you need to do is talk to the parents of the child having the party. Because restricted diets are a lot more common now than they used to be, I’m sure the parent won’t look at you like you’re an alien from another planet. Explain to them why your child is on a gluten-free diet, and the potential harm it could do to them.

During your discussion, find out what type of foods they will be serving at the party. Even though more people are becoming aware of gluten-free diets, they often don’t know what foods contain gluten. When they tell you what they are planning for the party, let them know which foods contain gluten.

Offer to bring the gluten-free alternatives for your son. As you probably already know, there are fabulous gluten-free recipes available that your child has probably already had at his own birthday parties. This will take some of the pressure off of the host because they won’t have to worry about accidentally preparing some gluten-free recipe improperly, and making your son sick. It will also free them up to worry about the food for the majority of the kids at the party.

Another important thing will be making sure there isn’t any cross-contamination of typical foods with your son’s foods. Cleaning hands and utensils between handling typical foods and gluten-free foods is necessary, and the host should know this. One way to ensure this is done is to offer to help at the party. Most parents will not hesitate to have an extra set of hands assisting at the party, especially when there is a child with special dietary needs.

Another way to have your child avoid the gluten-filled foods at the party is to get him nice and full before you send him to it. He’ll be less tempted by the food that’s bad for him if his belly is filled with food that is good for him.

Kids party planning should be about fun, not worry. The next time you send your child to a party, keep your worries in check by having a conversation with the parents of the child throwing the party. If they know your child’s situation, there is less of a chance of any diet slip-ups occurring. This accomplishes two things: your child will be safe and you will be able to send your child to the party worry-free.

Technorati Tags: celebration, GlutenFree, kids, Party, Planning