Tag Archives: party

Fourth of July Trivia

Most people will be eating, drinking, and celebrating this special occasion. If you’re looking for some activities to use during your Fourth of July celebration, why not challenge your friends to some Fourth of July Trivia? You might be surprised to learn just how much some know –or don’t know- about our great nation and its history. Here are ten questions (plus a bonus question) to get you started: 1. How many verses does the Star Spangled Banner have? 2. What is the last line of the last verse of our National Anthem? 3. Who wrote the Star Spangled Banner? … Continue reading →

A Few Fourth of July Party Planning Tips

Holiday parties and picnics can be a lot of fun. They are even more relaxing when you’re organized and have a plan. There are a few little things you can do to help make things go smoothly. Start by preparing your yard if you intend to entertain outdoors. Cut the grass and if you intend to use a product to prevent pests, use it in advance. Then, begin setting up tables and chairs. You’ll be able to see if insects are drawn to the seating area. If so, and if you don’t really have another good spot, you might want … Continue reading →

Teaching Children How to Be Good Hosts

Some have told me that they think being a good host or hostess is an art form, but I disagree. I think that hosting is a skill and can be learned and practiced just like any other skill. Since we are such a social society, it only stands to reason that, as parents, we should spend some time teaching our children how to be good (or at least, adequate) hosts and hostesses. I know this sounds a little old-fashioned, and maybe even sounds like some sort of parenting advice you would read in an old, Victorian book geared toward the … Continue reading →

Summer Parties—Why Goody Bags Can Be a Safety Hazard

The birthday party has come to be a regular mainstay of the young child’s social scene. As a matter of fact, elaborate birthday parties for kids seem to be happening younger and younger and it is not uncommon for children to attend several parties a year. Now, I am not a big worrier by nature, but since I have been focusing on summer safety issues, I thought I couldn’t really pass up a discussion about the party goody bag—these present all sorts of possibilities for hazards. Goody bags are an invitation to provide small items to children. Since the bags … Continue reading →

Frugal Pirate Party Favor

Guess what I am doing right now? Okay, besides typing this up to you of course. In between sentences, I am doing something else. I’ll give you a hint. My son’s birthday party is this Saturday. Okay, so I know that I blew the surprise in the title of the blog. But humor me. I’ve been going crazy trying to plan out a wonderful kid’s pirate party for as little money as possible. These kids parties can get expensive, can’t they? You may remember an earlier article entitled Frugal Kids Parties: Ways to Save. Using some of those techniques have … Continue reading →

A Few Ideas for Fourth of July

What are you doing for Fourth of July? Will you be entertaining guests at home, at your summer home, or at another location? Maybe you have been invited to be a guest at someone else’s home or getaway. Whatever you have planned, you might like some of these ideas: Fourth of July Flowers Even though it might be a little late to plant flowers from seeds, you can pick up some starter plants in red, white, and blue. You can find candy striped roses in red or white, or look for red and white amaryllis. For blues, look for blue … Continue reading →

Baby Loves Disco!

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Oh what a night, er, afternoon. On a recent Sunday, we hung out at Club Shampoo in Philadelphia and danced ourselves into a tizzy at the monthly Baby Loves Disco event. Baby Loves Disco is akin to a social movement; a grassroots effort, promoting and facilitating a unique variety of parent/child bonding that is popping up in what seems like more cities every month. Currently held in seventeen cities, from Seattle to Denver to Brooklyn, Baby Loves Disco throws mid-afternoon dance parties once a month for kids age seven and younger, and their adult companions. Now, I was never a … Continue reading →

Host an Artwork Exchange

We’ve talked about hosting all kinds of exchanges from the cookie exchange (which doesn’t have to be just for Christmas) to the back to school clothing exchanges and swapping accessories and holiday decorations. Now, it’s time to talk about an artwork exchange. If you have recently moved or redecorated, it’s a great time to host an exchange. You can trade off some pieces that no longer make much of an impact and gain some items to add some sparkle to your new spaces. Pricey Pieces First, if you have valuable artwork, you do not want to trade it with the … Continue reading →

Dr. Seuss Birthday Party

March 2nd happens to be the birthday of one of the most famous children’s book authors of all time – Dr. Seuss. While the schools may not be closed, this is as much a day to be celebrated as any other, so why not throw a Dr. Seuss Birthday Party for your family and friends? There are many ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss-style and live it up on 3/2. For starters, you can hurry over to Amazon.com and purchase some of Dr. Seuss’ books that you may not own yet – titles such as Horton Hears A Who and The … Continue reading →

Party Tips: When YOU are the Guest

My mom taught how to be a “good guest” when I was very young. It stuck with me, so I’ll share a few of her tips here that I’m passing along to my kids. One rule was not to arrive empty-handed when invited somewhere. A thoughtful host/hostess gift is always a nice touch. She also taught me that it is most polite to RSVP with plenty of notice and at the time to ask the host or hostess what I might bring. Many times, people will say, “Oh, that’s all right; you don’t need to bring a thing.” Some are … Continue reading →