The Top 7 Tips to Help You Plan a Surprise Party
Planning a surprise party can be very fun and enjoyable for all of the people who are involved. And, if you and your co-conspirators can keep up the charade until the party happens, then you can have one very surprised and happy guest of honor.
Even though the secret of your surprise party lays with all of the people who will be in attendance, there are some simple things which you can do, as the party planner and host, to help ensure the best outcome possible. Here are seven tips to get you started to planning a surprise party which your friends and relatives will be talking about for years to come:
Tip #1 – Find out from your guest of honor, or even better from their significant other, what their schedule is like within the timeframe you are considering for the surprise party. Use this valuable information to set the date for your surprise party.
Tip #2 – Enlist the help of someone who can devise a fictitious activity for the guest of honor to partake in on the day of the party. The closer to your home this activity is, the easier it is for your helper to “have to stop in at your home for a moment” on the day of the party.
Tip #3 – Extend your invitations to all of your invited guests. When you make your invitations make sure that each of your guests understand that the party is a surprise and should be kept that way. Ask them to please not share the information with your guest of honor or anyone else who might mention it to them.
Tip #4 – Come up with a planned event which everyone who may run into your guest of honor can use as a diversion if they need to. However, if your guests don’t think they can “lie” to the guest of honor with a straight face, suggest that they avoid them for the time leading up to the party, whenever possible and practical.
Tip #5 – Ask all of your invited guests to arrive at least thirty minutes before you expect your guest of honor to arrive. If your guest of honor generally arrives early to events, then you might want to ask your invited guests to come a bit earlier, just in case.
Tip #6 – Ask your guests to park down the street and out of sight. The only caveat to this is if the guest of honor believes they are attending another event at your home on that day. If this is the case then it won’t really matter much were people choose to park.
Tip #7 – Once you have done all of the other things suggested, then the only thing you can really do is pray and hold your breath that no one will slip-up and tell your guest of honor about your planned surprise party.
Planning a surprise party can be a lot of fun. If you take the time to build in some diversions into your plan, you are able to help those who might be asked questions by the guest of honor. This will ensure that they are not caught off-guard and without a good, solid, quick answer to give to any questions that they may be asked. By doing this you can have a wonderful surprise party. Good luck!
Don’t Forget The Party Supplies!
OK, you’re having a party. You have the guest list prepared. You have a good idea of the menu. You even have a good idea of who you’re going to invite. Now for the really important stuff. The party supplies.
Now, don’t pretend you have no idea of what party supplies are. I’m talking streamers, poppers… and those funny costumes that everyone thinks are great on the night but cause so much embarrassment (Only joking). Seriously, though, some great accessories can really add a touch of fun to any party, even a dinner party, as long as it isn’t too formal. Even if the party isn’t fancy dress, the host dressing up in a costume for part of the evening can make for a real talking point.
And as for streamers, it doesn’t have to be a Christmas or New Year party to get them out. A wild throwing about of some paper toward the end of the evening is always worth a giggle. (Try to ensure your guests help to tidy up afterwards and do watch the goldfish bowl!) Same with the poppers. Make the night go with a bang.
And don’t forget the more mundane stuff, like coasters, or napkins. A good supply of coasters can protect the varnish on that new coffee table. And napkins are essential to help clear up mess, which is almost inevitable.
Talking of drinks, there’s one thing which is almost as inevitable as a spilled drink, and that’s to not have enough glasses, or not have enough of a particular type of glass. The solution is simple. Rent some glasses for the party. Many companies will deliver and pick up later. This is one less headache to think about.
So whatever you do, don’t forget the party supplies, and don’t forget to have fun.
Graduation Party Planning
Do you want to have the most exciting graduation party in town? It can be done, but it requires a lot of careful planning. The following should help you create a party that would honor that special graduate!
Most importantly, decide on your budget. Don’t worry if you have a small budget. Small budget forces you to be more creative, and it doesn’t mean you have to compromise on the quality.
Your budget is going to have a big impact on the size of your guest list. You can only invite as many people as you can afford to feed. When preparing your guest list, you need to consider the size of the place of the party. There should be only as many people as your home can accommodate.
The most common location for graduation parties is private homes. If your home is too small for a large party, you can ask to see if the party could be held at a friend’s house. If your party is going to be held in an apartment consider noise, parking, and space issues.
The type of food your serve has a lot to do with your budget and your audience. If your budget only allows for pizza, you can still have a great time. If you can afford catering, your guest will be sure remember it for a long time. Don’t serve alcohol if you expect children at the party.
To save money, you can purchase preprinted invitations, and print or hand-write them. Hand written invitations are more personal, and often more appreciated. Depending on your guests, you can send e-mail invites.
Purchase supplies for decorations. Make sure there is film in the camera, or there is enough memory in the digital camera. Try to order a cake with a graduation theme.
You could choose a theme for the party depending on what school the person graduates from. For example, you could have a hospital theme for your nursing school graduate.
Order personalized party favors with the name and school of the graduate. Personalized chocolate makes for a great graduation party favor. You can even get personalized m&m’s now!
Planning an Elementary School Aged Birthday Party with Success
Usually around the time that children get to be in elementary school, they discover that there is a whole world of birthday parties out there which can be just for them. It usually starts with one child having a birthday party and inviting the entire class. From there the party invitations start to come in by the droves for the rest of the elementary school year and beyond. When it is your child’s turn, there is no need to panic; you can plan a fantastic elementary school party even on a low budget or without a lot of time commitment on your part.
The best way to start to plan your elementary school aged party is to ask your child what kind of party they want to have. This is important because they may want to have a party similar to one which they have attended in the past. By asking them what they want, you are on your way to being able to start your planning. You do not need to be fearful that if you ask what your child wants that they will tell you they want expensive options; most children this age have pretty simple wants such as a specific theme or color scheme they desire. From their desires you can build your party plans and theme.
The next decision you need to make is the location for the birthday party. For young children, who are prone to being messy, you might want to have the party at a local fast-food restaurant or similar venue. This can have the effect of the kids having some fun, and you not having a large mess to clean up after the party has finished. Another good option is a local park if the weather in your area permits it. As children get older, parties where you take the children skating or bowling can be a lot of fun.
If you dread the idea of spending hours with a pack of elementary school aged children on your weekend, you might choose to have the party on a Friday evening or for just an hour or two on a Saturday afternoon.
If your child is still very young, and you will have more than a couple other children at the party, you will need other adults to help you. However, if your child is in third grade or older you can probably get away with only having one other adult present to help you.
When you are distributing invitations to your partiers, it is very important to remember that if you will be sending them to elementary school to be passed out, you must invite every child in the class. To do otherwise is prohibited by most schools and just simply rude as well. Noting is more hurtful than a group of elementary school children all taunting another child for not being invited to a party.
For the day of the party you will want to have as much for your partiers to do as possible. While you do not want to overwhelm the children, it is important to keep them busy and occupied the entire time they are there with you. This will keep them out of trouble and having fun.
It is very important that you insist on good manners from your birthday party guests as well as your own birthday boy or girl. Everyone should use the words “please” and “thank you” as well as being courteous to others. In addition, you should go over how your child will handle opening presents and what is, and is not, appropriate to say to other people about gifts.
Modern Or Traditional Party?
Do you prefer structured parties or would you rather have unusual theme parties? There is no right or wrong answer, but you need to determine what kind of event you want to plan. Traditional does not have to be a negative experience; it does not mean “no fun.” It is just a different style, but it doesn’t have to be boring.
If you are a traditional party planner, you take pride in sending printed invitations. A modern party planer may e-mail party invitations. Traditional parties have been making guests and hosts happy for a long time. It is a proven system that works.
Modern hosts like to do things out of the ordinary. You may server food in nontraditional surroundings with an unusual theme.
It is quite possible that your party style is a combination of modern and traditional. It is perfectly normal to have a fusion ideas guide you throughout the party planning process. A traditional person can throw a modern party with a little imagination and vice versa. If your friends know you as a casual persona, you may be able to surprise them with an unexpected formal affair. Either style should work for anyone.
A traditional party may be more expensive. Serving a formal sit down dinner can be expensive. It may require more work than an informal pizza party.
You have nothing to worry about when it comes to mixing up the styles. Your creativity can shine through either whatever style you embrace. It is your creativity that can shine through your planning efforts. As long as you have the right attitude you will have a success. Know how much of modern and traditional you want to use, and you will have no problems finding the kind of event that works for you.
Coming up with your party style is one of the first things you should consider. Be honest with yourself when you decide. Think about which style would make you and your guests happy and stick with it. Don’t be pressured into a style that doesn’t work for you. Take some time to reflect on your personality, and start planning your next party.
Making Personalized Birthday Party Invitations
Whether you are inviting close family members, extended family members, or even your friends to your very own birthday party then chances are that you’ll want to let them know in a creative and fun way that you are going to hold a birthday party! There are many ways to do this, ranging from calling them on the phone and letting them know personally all the way to sending out actual birthday party invitations with an RSVP card and everything. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of ways to create your own birthday party invitations. Here are a few extra special and creative ways, though, to make sure that everyone knows about you special day!
Ring, Ring, Ring!
As mentioned, one of the ways in which you can let everyone know about your birthday party is through a phone call. However, the manner in which you do this is the way in which it can be turned into a creative announcement. For example, speaking to everyone you would like to invite individually can be fun, but a more fun way to announce your birthday party is through phone call announcements.
For example, the first step to creating your phone call birthday announcements is by recording yourself on a recorder. You can make a short announcement about your birthday party or you could make up another creative script that tells about your birthday party. You’ll want to make sure that you include all the pertinent information, such as where it will be held, what time, as well as what to get you for your birthday gift! These phone call announcements sure will be cute, fun, and a good time for your guests to hear!
Email Birthday Party Invitations
This is another unique way to announce that you are going to hold a birthday party for yourself! You could either write out a regular email to all your family and friends that you’re going to invite or you could do this in another creative way. For example, sending out Happy Birthday e-cards to everyone is a cute idea to announce that it’s going to be your birthday and that you are going to throw yourself a great birthday party! As with the phone birthday invitations you’ll want to include all of the same information like where it’ll be and what to bring, if anything.
When sending out email birthday announcements and e-cards you always have the option of being more creative than just telling people over the phone when your big day will be! Not only that, but they are fun methods, too!
Of course, the tried and true method of announcing your birthday party is always still available; however, many people nowadays seem to think this way is boring. Also, by following the suggestions above just think about how many trees you’ll be saving! Nevertheless, making phone birthday party invitations or announcing it by email are two great ways to let your family and friends in on the fun!
Cheap And Easy Party Food – Throw A Great Party Without Spending A Fortune
If you are planning a party, you already know that food can be one of your biggest expenses. However, you can take several steps to cut your party food costs. It is not necessary to purchase expensive appetizers and beverages to throw a great party. A little imagination and effort can make your party a memorable occasion.
Here are some ideas and suggestions to help you save money on food when throwing your next party:
Have a potluck
A potluck is certainly cheaper than hiring a caterer and you will save a lot of time and money by having your guests prepare a dish to share with others. Potluck is fun and you will surely end up with an interesting assortment of foods. To make things simpler, include a suggestion as to what type of dish you would like your guests to bring such as a dessert, vegetable, or salad.
Finger foods are fun
Small sandwiches, chips, dips, and vegetable trays are relatively inexpensive and you won’t need to bother with place settings and bringing out your best china. Simply supply napkins and small paper plates and allow your guests to serve themselves from an assortment of bite size goodies.
Back to basics
Fruit and cheese are excellent choices for casual party foods that don’t require fancy place settings or dishes. Buy fresh fruit in season when you are likely to find certain varieties on sale and fill your table will a variety of cheeses, crackers, and perhaps olives and nuts.
Go Italian
If your party will be a dinner party where fingers foods are not appropriate, you can try spaghetti with garlic bread and salad, or you could find a good deal on pizza that you can have delivered. You will save time and it is quite easy to find a bargain on different types of pizza.
Thrifty Thirst Quenchers
For party beverages, two-liter soft drinks and bottled water are inexpensive and very easy to serve. Provide ice and cups and allow your guests to serve themselves. Tea and coffee are cheap as is lemonade that you make fresh or from concentrate.
Your party does not have to cost a lot of money to be a huge success. Look for sales on the foods and beverages you choose and plan ahead so you will have time to shop around be fore you buy.
Children’s Table And Chairs Sets For Those Little Soirees
Children’s parties need not be a hassle. Instead of clambering up to adult-sized chairs and tables, let the little ones slide easily into their kiddy-sized table and chairs. They will love feeling all grown-up at the party.
Catering to Kids
If you are in the food catering business, you have to meet all the requirements of your clients for weddings, baptisms, school fetes, children’s parties, etc. For the latter, you need children’s table and chairs. It would complete the entire look for a child’s birthday party set up outdoors.
To break from the traditional pink and blue children’s table and chairs, you can request the supplier for custom colors to match with your business logo. You can have varying shades of reds, yellows, and greens. Be prepared with matching plastics – plates and cups, spoons and forks.
You will also need to match your menu to the eat-list of the kids. Perhaps you’ll have funny face cookies, ice cream, and a big birthday cake. You will also need to come up with better birthday party bags. Kids are becoming precocious when it comes to the coveted party bags. But all these would depend on the budget.
For very special catering projects, you can spruce up the children’s table and chairs. Tie balloons to each chair or place a party token on the table, one for each child at a four-seater table. You can also add little party pillows on the seats. Parents will thank you for this consideration.
Preparing for a child’s birthday bash
When there is an order of a children’s party, get the number of kids who will be going to the party. Also check out the number of boys and girls if the parents opt for the traditional blue and pink party theme.
You can also introduce the multi-colored theme. Ask them if they would like to have children’s table and chairs of different colors. If you have pictures of previously catered parties with this theme, show them. There is no doubt parents would go for it.
Check out the venue days before the party. You must be aware of the land if the party is to be held outdoors. Check the distance of the venue to the kitchen if you are allowed to use the family kitchen indoors for your goodies. When this has been confirmed, orient your staff.
Party knockouts
Parties like these hold a lot of surprises. Be prepared for these. You may need extra plates, chairs, and tables. Perhaps you have hired a clown. Check his schedule and if he is new, ask for a demonstration of his work. You may add a few tricks yourself. Also, time how long it takes you to get from your place to the party site.
On the morning of the event, set up the venue with the children’s table and chairs and add all the party trimmings that would delight any child. With everything considered, you are ready for the party.
For your own kids’ parties, stock up on children’s table and chairs in colors they have personally chosen. For a personal touch, you can have their names painted alternately to prevent squabbles. How about that?
How To Throw The Worst Home Party: Making The Most Of A Home Party Business Opportunity
Home party business opportunities have existed for decades, beginning with the all too popular Tupperware party. Everyone’s grandmother or at least mother has attended such a party, where the host invites her friends and family for an evening of fun. She greets them at the door and leads them to a living room with wall-to-wall folding chairs for the myriad of guests she has invited. Then a neatly dressed woman stands in front of the group, explaining various pieces of pastel colored plastic containers as women ooh and ahh over the wonderful guests of honor. The party ends with some sort of bar or cake and coffee or punch and a discreet area where the guests/customers can place their orders.
Since the inception of Tupperware parties, the home party business era has exploded. Women have parties to sell clothing, quick-food items, cooking utensils, and even cleaning products. Nothing is sacred from the home party, and in actuality, it takes very little to completely screw up a great party. A home party business woman or man must only make a few small faux pas to lead his customers scratching their heads.
Throwing the worst home party ever begins with the cold shoulder. When the door bell rings, the horrible host will open it, say hello, and then leave the guests standing at the door. She will not offer to take their coats but will instead just hurry them into the sitting area so they can hear the business owner’s pitch.
The presentation of a horrible party is a touchy element. The horrible business woman will push only her most expensive product. She will briefly mention the cheaper items as a sort of starter, but her emphasis will stay on how the customers can utilize her higher end products.
She will also do well as a terrible business person by reminding her customers and her host’s guests of their obligation to the host. She might mention how badly the host needs the free products that their purchases will result in. Then she will once again go back to re-explaining their need for her most expensive product. If all else fails, she will shame them into purchasing the product by mentioning her own need for financial assistance and possibly some of her most recent failures of parties.
Finally, the horrible business owner will set her ordering area up in an area where everyone can see what is occurring. Then she will call on the customers one at a time by name, demanding that they come to her so she can take their order.
We can all learn from our mistakes, and examining what makes a horrible party may well lead us to conclude what makes a great home party business opportunity. If we want to experience success, we will certainly seek a way to avoid the same critical mistakes that the horrible host and business woman commit.
Holding Your Own Texas Holdem Poker Game Card Party
Thanks to the popularity of online poker games and they hype given by the media to the Texas Holdem poker game through the television broadcasts of the World Poker Tour and through the latest James Bond movie Casino Royale, poker games are now played for fun in households rather than in smoky back rooms where they used to be relegated. There is no longer any need for you to go to Las Vegas just to enjoy a few rounds of Texas Holdem. You can simply round up your friends and host your very own Texas Holdem card party.
Preparing for Your Card Party
Informal as a card party usually is, a little preparation will go a long way to make sure that your card party will not be a bust. One big detail that you must attend to is to check if it is legal in your city to play poker games. No one wants to start a card party only to end it with the guests spending the night in jail. Before you even think of planning for your card party, make sure that the cops will not crash it right in the middle of the action.
If hosting a card party where poker games will be played is not illegal in your city, then you can proceed with planning your card party. What you would need for your card party are decks of cards, playing chips and a dealer’s button.
Figure out how many people would be going to your card party. From that information, determine how many tables you would need to set up at your place. If there are less than eight people showing up at your card party, then just one table will do. If there are more than eight people coming, then set up two or more tables. You will need to provide around four decks of cards for each table.
As for the playing chips, just having a sufficient number of them around will do. Buy chips in five different colors so you can easily assign them to different denominations without causing any confusion. Even if you are not playing for real money (and you certainly do not have to play for real money in your card party), having playing chips around will be helpful in determining who is winning and who is losing. You do not have to buy real casino chips if you think they are too expensive for you. Just get some cheap plastic chips in different colors.
A dealer’s button can also be a nice prop for your poker games, but it is not necessary for you to buy one either. You can just bring out some items or tokens that you can arbitrarily assign as dealer buttons – like the lid of a small plastic jar.
Kicking Off Your Card Party
It is highly likely that the guests who will show up at your card party may have little to no experience with playing Texas Holdem poker games and have come to your card party to try it out. In this case, it will be up to you as the host to make sure that these guests will not feel left out and still enjoy themselves even if they are not that knowledgeable with Texas Holdem.
You can gather these newbie guests around you and explain to them how the Texas Holdem poker game is played. You can elaborate on the finer points of the Texas Holdem and tell them how Texas Holdem is different from other poker game variants. Better yet, get a few of your guests together, those who know their way around the Texas Holdem and do a demonstration poker game. A demonstration game will help your newbie guests get a feel of how Texas Holdem is played.
Entertaining Your Guests at Your Card Party
Of course the poker games themselves will keep your guests entertained way into the night, but you have to provide refreshments as well. What kind of host does not prepare refreshments to his or her own party, and what is a party without some food and drink?
Because the highlight of your card party is the Texas Holdem poker game, it would be a great idea to push a Texas theme into your card party. It does not have to be an all-out Texan cookout. Simple dishes, preferably those that can be eaten with just the hands, will do. Chicken and beef barbecue as well as some steak sandwiches will do just fine. For drinks, stock your fridge with some authentic Texan beer. If you are expecting guests who do not take in alcohol, better have some Texan ice tea waiting for them.
Set up a separate table for guests who would want to eat or take a break from the poker game. You can allow your guests to bring their food to the poker table, but your other guests may find it bothersome to have food around while playing, so setting up a separate table is good.
It does not take a lot of work to plan and prepare a Texas Holdem card party, and you certainly do not have to have a big bankroll to enjoy the game. The important thing is that you and your guests would have a fun-filled night playing poker games.