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Life offers so many wonderful reasons to celebrate--birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, family reunions, babies, graduations, and all the holidays! With so many celebrations and so little time, coming up with clever ideas can be a difficult task. To help you plan your next festive gathering, look closely at the following celebrations and tailor them to your own specific needs:
Back to School Lunch Swap -- Pull out the brown paper bags and start making lunches! Include lots of variety so everyone can "swap out" the things they don't like for the ones they do. Just be sure to keep a few back-ups in the kitchen for those who are unsuccessful at trading. Distribute a questionnaire about your party guests and give a "pop quiz" after "lunch". A+ Students take home fun pens and school supplies.
Scavenger Hunt -- Borrow a collection of Polaroid cameras and video cameras to send your party guests out on a wild goose chase! Create teams of 4 or 5 and provide a list of wacky requests for them to photograph. Don't forget to include some of the important landmarks in your town to acquaint newcomers with the community.
All-American Ice Cream Social Night -- A few quarts of ice cream, a couple of toppings and a mess of red, white, and blue decorations are all you need to pull together this warm weather favorite!
International Night -- Been overseas lately? Know how to cook a particular cuisine? Turn your travel experiences into a fascinating gathering with an international flair. Decorate with your private collection of souvenirs.
Afternoon Tea -- It's the perfect setting for bridal and baby showers, a special little girl's birthday, or just an excuse to invite your girlfriends over for a respite from the hectic pace of the day. Fresh flowers, a nice tablecloth, fine china, cloth napkins, teacups, scones in napkin-lined baskets, delicate tea sandwiches and dainty sweets on doilies and pedestals, all set the stage for a wonderful afternoon of light conversation and delicious food. For a child's tea party, serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into fun shapes with miniature cookie cutters, and provide a selection of grown-up gowns, fancy dresses, costume jewelry, and fanciful hats (substitute tiaras and add capes for a "Princess Tea Party"!) for your little guests to play dress-up. Stock up on these items at flea markets, thrift shops, The Salvation Army and Goodwill stores. But why should kids have all the fun? Invite your adult guests to wear fancy hats and gloves to your Afternoon Tea, too!
The Tacky Ball -- If you've given up on being the perfect hostess or you're just sick of protocol, preparing food, and "doing the right thing", then let this party liberate you from all that is socially acceptable! String Christmas lights, place plastic pink flamingoes, and valet parking signs in the front yard to greet your guests and be sure to leave the cleaning supplies and equipment out. Use small (brand-new, unused) wastebaskets as ice buckets and also to serve "Trashcan Punch" (your choice of juices, 7-Up, and alcohol) to serve with Make-Your-Own Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, fast-food Fried Chicken, Chips & Dips, and an assortment of pre-packaged snack cakes, served right out of their original bags, boxes, and containers. Use leftover partyware from past celebrations and/or scour the bargain bins for the ugliest rejects you can find for more plates, cups, napkins, and utensils; you can also supplement with paper goods from your favorite fast food restaurant. Throw on your bathrobe and grab a flamingo--We're having a party, Tacky style!
Soup, Snacks, and Sweets -- Treat your guests to a simple, relaxed holiday celebration, perfect for a cold winter evening. With this party, it's just a matter of inviting a few friends to bring a mug ("BYOM") and their favorite appetizers or sweets, while you provide a few pots of soup (like cream of broccoli, tomato, potato, or French onion.) Guests will feel right at home ladling soup right off the stove! Set out an assortment of garnishes (grated cheeses, crumbled bacon, sour cream, green onions) on the counter, then sit back and watch the fun as soup gourmets get creative. Let your house shine with the seasonal decorations you've already added for the holidays, and send your guests home with their dirty dishes! This is one party where the host or hostess can really join in the merriment. |
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