Saturday, October 29, 2011

Planning a Kids’ Only Thanksgiving Party


Have you decided that you would like to host a Thanksgiving party this year? If so, what type of Thanksgiving party do you plan on having? If you are a parent, there is a good chance that your Thanksgiving party may be designed for children and children alone. These types of Thanksgiving parties are often referred to as kids’ only Thanksgiving parties.

Although you might assume that it is relatively easy to host a kids’ only Thanksgiving party, you may soon realize that it isn’t as easy as you may think. The reason for that, most of the time, is that kids are often more difficult to please, when compared to adults. For that reason, there is a fairly large amount of planning and preparation that may need to go into your next Thanksgiving party.

Perhaps, the first thing that you should do, when planning a kids’ only Thanksgiving party, is invite the guests. Depending on the age of your own child or children, this may be a little bit difficult. Some young children and teenagers may be able to invite their own party guests, but others may be unable to. Whether your child is a toddler or a little bit older, if may be a good idea if you create a Thanksgiving party guest list all on your own. When doing so, it is advised that you invite children that are around the same age as your own. It may be a good idea to invite other children that are in your child’s class, attend the same daycare, live in the same neighborhood, or are related to your child.

Once you have taken care of the party invites, you may want to change your focus a little bit. You will want to start focusing on the actual party. One of the many things that you may want to plan out is the food, snacks, and drinks that you will have available. In most cases, you will find that you do not need to go all out and cook a Thanksgiving dinner for a kids’ only party; snacks would be more than enough. However, as a parent, you likely already know that kids can be picky when it comes to their food. That is why you are advised to have a wide array of snacks and drinks on hand. You will not only want to make sure that, at least, some of your foods are healthy, but also that they are kid friendly.

Whether it is a Thanksgiving party, a Christmas party, or a birthday party, kids’ parties are nothing without games. That is why you will want to pick out party games for everyone to play. Since you will be hosting a Thanksgiving party for kids, you may want to choose holiday games to play; however, it is not necessary. You can easily find a number of holiday party game ideas online, with a standard internet search. In addition to the internet, you should also be able to purchase a number of fun, kid friendly party games online or from your local department store. While it is fun to have your party games all planned out and ready to go, be sure to leave room for suggestions. Depending on the age of your party guests, there is a good chance that they may want to play other games or offer their own suggestions.

When planning a kids’ only Thanksgiving party, it is important to remember one thing; kids may not be your only guests. As a parent, you likely know how some parents, maybe even you, just don’t want to part with their children, even for a few hours. That is why there is a good chance that some of your party guests’ parents may wish to stay. If this is the case, you should let them. In addition to receiving assistance with your kids’ only Thanksgiving party, there is a good chance that you may enjoy the extra company. If other parents will be staying with their kids, it is advised that you also have a few adult snacks on hand.

Planning Your Thanksgiving Party on a Budget


Are you hosting a Thanksgiving party this year? If so, how much do you intend to spend on your party? Unfortunately, a large number of party hosts do not have as much money to spend on their party as they wish they had. While this may make you want to change your mind, about hosting a Thanksgiving party, it doesn’t have to. There are a number of different ways that you can go about planning a memorable Thanksgiving party while on a budget.

One of the best ways to plan a Thanksgiving party on a budget is to develop a plan for everything. You will want to plan what types of foods you would like to serve at your party, how many guests you would like to invite, and what forms of entertainment you would like to have on hand. Making a detailed list of everything mentioned above is the best way to determine how much money you could expect to pay for everything that you want. Now, it is important to remember that what you could expect to pay might not necessarily be what you could afford to pay; that is where the budgeting comes in.

After you have created a list of what you need to purchase, including food and other party supplies, you will need to determine exactly how much money you have to spend on your Thanksgiving party. If you notice a difference between what you want to spend and what you have to spend, you may find that you need to cut a few corners. While it is nice to have the Thanksgiving party of your dreams, you will not want to go broke while doing so. If you eliminate a certain type of food or a number of guests, to cut down your costs, you may easily be able to add them back on, depending on how much money you save when shopping for all of your needed Thanksgiving party supplies.

If you want to save money, when purchasing the supplies needed for your Thanksgiving party, as you likely do, there are number of different steps that you can take to make that happen. Perhaps, the most important step to take is buying your food whenever you see it on sale, especially if you need to have a large amount of food. Whether your party includes snacks or a full fledge Thanksgiving dinner, you can save yourself a fairly large amount of money by purchasing your food or drinks while they are on sale. Typically, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, you will find that many grocery stores lower the prices on their most popular Thanksgiving foods and cooking supplies. This may be the best time to get your shopping done.

Since a party really isn’t complete without decorations, you may wish to purchase party decorations for your home. For the largest selection of Thanksgiving decorations, it is advised that you purchase your decorations as soon as they hit the store shelves. Unfortunately, it seems as if many retail stores skip Thanksgiving and jump right to Christmas. This means that many retail stores are limited on the number of Thanksgiving decorations they carry and when they are gone, they are often gone. For the most affordable Thanksgiving decorations, you are advised to shop at discount stores, dollar stores, and department stores. However, since there is a good chance that thousands of other shoppers are looking to get the same deals as you, it is important that you act fast, while you still have the chance.

Along the lines of Thanksgiving party decorations is party seating. Whether you are hosting a formal Thanksgiving party, complete with a sit-down dinner, or just a casual party, there is a good chance that you may need extra chairs and tables. Your first impulse may be to buy them yourself, but you can save money by renting extra furniture from one of your local rental stores, particularly a party rental store. You can also get extra tables and chairs, for free, by asking those that you know if they have any seating arrangements that you could borrow.

The tips mentioned above are just a few of the many ways that you can plan a Thanksgiving party on a budget. With the right amount of planning, it may be a well-kept secret that your party was not only easy to plan, but easy to afford.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Inviting Your Guests to Your Thanksgiving Party


Around the holidays, a large number of individuals make the decision to host a holiday party. Are you looking to be one of those individuals? If so, there is a good chance that you may be interested in planning a Thanksgiving party. If you want to plan a Thanksgiving party, have you started planning yet? If not, it may be time to get started. You will find that the sooner you get your party planning started, the sooner you can start to invite your guest.

Speaking of your Thanksgiving party guests, have you decided on a way to invite them yet? When it comes to inviting your party guests, you will find that you have a number of different options. In fact, you have so many options that you may be wondering which invite method you should use. When it comes to inviting guests to your Thanksgiving party, while you might not necessarily think so, how choose to invite your guest may reflect on yourself, as well as your party. Perhaps, the best way to decide is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each.

When it comes to inviting guests to any party, including a Thanksgiving party, many party hosts use official invitations. When it comes to sending out formal invitations, you can either make your own, often right on your computer, or you can buy a package of invitations from your local party supply store or department store. Formal invitations are a great way to keep track of your invites and they are, almost always, preferred by guests. It is hard to explain, but there is just something about receiving a party invite in the mail. Really, the only downside to formal Thanksgiving party invitations is that they cost money; however, you can purchase low-cost invitations or, as previously mentioned, make your own.

As previously mentioned, many party guests enjoy receiving invitations in the mail. If you would like to send a personal invite, but you do not want to spend the money on invitations or make your own, you can send quick note. Simply by writing down the date, time, and location of your Thanksgiving party is a great way to send an invite to one or all of your party guests. Although invitation may be nice, sending a personal, handwritten note is a cheap way to send a personal invite. It may also be a good idea to send a quick message along with that note. Simply asking a friend or relative how their life is going is a great way to turn a simple handwritten invitation into so much more.

As much as guests like getting something in the mail, you might not have the time or the money to do so. Luckily, you still have a number of different options. If you wish, you could call each of your party guests and personally invite them to your party. What is nice about this method of inviting your guests is that it is extremely personal, even more personally than sending something in the mail. The only downside, to inviting your Thanksgiving party guests with a phone call, is that it may be time consuming.

If you are looking for an easy, convenient, and free way to invite all of your guests to your Thanksgiving party, you may want to give email some thought. If you know the email address of all of your party guests, you could easily send one large email to everyone. You will want to be sure and include everything that a regular invitation would include, such as the date, time, and location of your party. In addition to a traditional email, you may also be able to find free, online invitations. These invitations would be a great personal touch to your email party invitations.

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter how you invite your guests, as long as you do extend them an invitation. Your Thanksgiving party would be nothing without your guests, so make sure you get those invitations out, particularly in advance.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Fun Wedding Photo Ideas


Pictures are an integral part of any wedding. Newlyweds are usually thrilled to get their pictures back from the photographer so they can relive their special day. But there are many special activities you can build into a wedding that involve photos.

One fun idea that many brides employ is to take photos of everyone as they arrive at the wedding, almost like you do at a high school prom or company Christmas party. You can provide a backdrop and couples can pose either for a paid photographer or for whoever happens to pick up the camera. These pictures can be taken with a Polaroid camera for instant fun or with a disposable camera. If you want slightly higher quality photos, go for a digital camera.

This can be an excellent way to keep guests busy and happy until the "official" reception begins with the arrival of the bride and groom.

As an extension of that idea, you can take instant photos and create scrapbook pages or memory book pages with the photos. There can be supplies on hand so guests can create pages on site, or pages can be pre-made and photos simply placed into the prepared spaces. If guests don't want to create pages on site, or the bride doesn't want this particular activity going on, the photos can be saved for later. As a gift for the bride and groom, someone can create memory books with these photos.

If Polaroid cameras are used, another option is to have the people in the photo sign the Polaroid photo and place that in a basket somewhere. The bride and groom will enjoy looking at the photos later.

While it's not a particularly unique idea, many brides like to provide disposable cameras on each table at the reception so guests can capture candid shots of the reception and the table guests. These photos can be added to the newlyweds' wedding album or they can be placed into a separate album showing the wedding from the guests' perspective.

Another fun activity sure to be entertaining is to create a "silent photo guess" area. Here's how this works: before the wedding, someone close to the bride and groom collects pictures of the bride and groom at various stages in life. The photos should depict the bride and groom doing things, not at Christmas or with their first birthday cake. In other words, the photos should include some action, but it shouldn't be obvious in the picture what has taken place or where the person is.

Much like a silent auction, people will come along and look at the photos, then take a silent guess as to what the photos show. They can write their guess on a piece of paper and put it in a numbered basket that corresponds with the number on the photo. Reading these guesses during the reception is entertaining and sure to be amusing. The bride or groom can provide the real answers. This is a particularly fun activity at a relatively small, family wedding where the participants know the bride and groom very well.

If you want to provide an area for guests to have their photos taken but aren't thrilled with the "prom night" idea, how about having a photo corner set up somewhere in the reception hall or facility. Here, the wedding photographer will take candid shots of wedding guests. They might be couples, but could also be entire families, friends having a good time, or the groom being carried on the shoulders of the best man. Whatever the pictures end up being, they provide a fun, "let it all hang out" area for the wedding guests and a surprise for the bride and groom. Since they will likely be busy with all the reception details and having the time of THEIR lives, they might appreciate knowing their guests had a pretty good time too, as evidenced in the photos.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Entertainment Ideas for Your Next Thanksgiving Party


Have you recently made the decision to host a Thanksgiving party in your home? If so, there is a good chance that you may have already started the planning process. If so, have you decided on a form on party entertainment yet? Even if you have started planning your Thanksgiving party, there is a good chance that you have yet to get to the entertainment. This is because entertainment is often one of the last things that a party host plans. Well, if it is time for you to start thinking about your Thanksgiving party entertainment, you will find that you, literally, have an unlimited number of options.

When it comes to deciding on party entertainment, for your Thanksgiving party, it is important to keep the type of party that you are hosting in mind. For instance, are you having a formal Thanksgiving party or a causal Thanksgiving party? Also, what does your guest list look like? Are you having a Thanksgiving party for kids, one for adults, or a party where everyone is invited? The type party that you will be having is extremely important, when it comes to choosing entertainment for the event.

Regardless of what type of Thanksgiving party you are having, you may enjoy having music played. The type of Thanksgiving party you have; however, will have an impact on the type of music that you choose. If you are having a formal Thanksgiving party, classical music may do. For a causal Thanksgiving party, music that your guests can get up and dancing to may be the perfect form of entertainment. Although it is your choice if you would like to have music at your Thanksgiving party, as well as what type of music, it may be a good idea to tailor your selection to your Thanksgiving party.

Party games are another popular form of entertainment that may be ideal for your Thanksgiving party. If you are hosting a kid only Thanksgiving party, it is almost guaranteed that games will be a hit. For adult parties, adult themed games are also popular. However, as you may likely already know, party games, particularly those that are causal in nature, may not fit in with a formal Thanksgiving party. That does not mean that you cannot incorporate party games into a formal Thanksgiving party, it just means that you want to find games that will fit in with your party theme. You can easily find a wide array of Thanksgiving party game ideas online, often with a standard internet search.

While you might not necessarily consider eating a form of entertainment, it could easily be considered one. If you are planning a casual Thanksgiving party, it may be ideal to have a wide array of snacks on hand, particularly if children will be present at your party. For a formal Thanksgiving party, a full fledge Thanksgiving dinner may be the perfect choice. It is also advised that you try and tailor your selection of food and snacks to your party style. For instance, if you are hosting a formal Thanksgiving party, it may be a good idea to have elegant dishes prepared for the dinner and for the snacks.

As you can easily see, there are a number of different forms of entertainment that you can offer at your next Thanksgiving party. Regardless of which type of party you plan on hosting, you can easily take steps to ensure that your party guests have a fun, exciting, and memorable time.