Top Ten Tips to Organize a Party

I have to admit I love planning parties.

1. Create a Theme! 

A theme will set the tone for the party. You can start with the invite, and take that theme other places, or decide not to. I usually create themes around what we're into at the moment. If you're having a party, and you don't really have a certain direction go with a seasonal theme, or even go with a certain color. 

A Garden Theme:

An Indianan Jones Theme:

A Captain Underpants Theme:

A Moustache Bash:

If you don't have a computer to make cards, you can buy card that have a theme.

2. Send Out Invitations. You can get some great ones at Paperless Post

You can send evites, or traditional printed cards. I usually send people in our family an evite. Then I print one to send to my Grandpa that doesn't have a computer. People still like to get things in the mail. Maybe you will choose to go that route.

3. Decide on the Food!

In our family we tell each family what to bring, then we make the rest. Usually our food doesn't go with the theme. Just the desert goes with the invite. At times I'll have something on the table that ties in. I had small flower pots at each spot with each person's napkin, spoon, and fork for the garden birthday. In my opinion the food should be good, but low key. 

4. Find Something Fun for the Kids to Do!

At The Captain Underpants party we provided capes, and white undies to put over their shorts. The kids loved it!

We had a Water Balloon Piñata set up before.

5. Don't Do a Ton!

The prep work is the biggest work time. Beyond that I try and keep it simple. I don't want to work during the whole party. Kids for the most part find things to do on their own. Adult like time to talk.

6. Relax!

I need to follow my own advice here. I tend to get all stressed out for parties. It's the cleaning part. I hate cleaning! My husband is always saying, "Relax Alissa!" I need to learn to just breathe.

7. Use Plasticware!

This kind of goes with numbers 5 and 6. There's no need to do a ton of dishes when you are supposed to be having fun. I don't ever dive into plasticware any other time, but with parties.

8. Have Options to Drink!

I'm not a soda lover by any means. I do think for parties one should have something fun, and different to drink.

9. Only Give Favors if They Go With the Theme!

I went from thinking favors were silly, to thinking favors were fun, and now think favors are fun if they go with the theme. I don't think they are a must. You have to decide if you want to give out favors, or not. With the Mustache Bash we all took home a mustache. With the garden theme I gave people seeds in a tiny green house I found in Target's dollar section. My nephew's got to take home their homemade cape for the Captain Underpants party.

10. Thank People!

Thanking people is a trend that's starting to leave. I think it's still important. For kid parties I have names on thank you cards, write in what they gave, and slip it into their favor bag. For family I just simply say, "Thank you!"

What's a tip you would add to this list?

Disclaimer: I worked with Paperless Post to come up with this blog post. Paperless Post will give me points to use in their store. They did not tell me what to write.

Random Tid Bits

1. Isaak: "Mom I've had my period before." Me: "What?" Isaak: "You told me I must have my period because I was in a bad mood." I should watch what I say! 


2. Me: "So Mica do you feel any older?" Mica: "I feel like I'm entering that stage where I can't wait for you guys to leave. Then I'll have friends over, and trash the house. I would never do that. It's just a stage they talk about in literature." Say what?!?! Party at the Apel's house.


3. The first week of class has come and gone. The students have Orientation 1 hour a day for a week. My handouts and my presentations were ready, but I wanted to go over everything one last time. I knew I'd have that hour to read over the class material.
   
   Oh but wait...the Director came into my office at 8:20 saying, "The Education Director is still not here. She's the one doing Orientation this morning. Go ahead, set-up and talk. She'll have to do Orientation at 9." That really through me off for some reason. I can roll with things, but I don't like last minute surprises.
   
   The Education Director rolled in at 9:10 to talk saying, "Sorry I'm contracted to be here at 9." As if this this my problem. Later on I called the Director saying, "Ok this is the second year the Education Director was late for Orientation. Let's just have Orientation at 9 when she's contracted to be here. Then it doesn't throw anyone off." I hate when I have to solve problems that are not really my problems to solve. 


4. The boy's first day of school was yesterday. Isaak woke up with a sore throat. I've been giving him Zytec and probiotics. I have no idea if it's fall allergies or some sickness. Until he has a fever, I'm not going to worry about it. As you can see it's impossible for him to keep his talking mouth shut:








5. I was an ass without meaning to be one. I said to a student: "I just love your short hair. Were you like me, and had longer hair, and kept cutting it shorter and shorter?" She said, "I did have long hair, and lost it all because I have Leukemia. I just said, "I'm sorry to hear that. I still love your hair though." What's something awkward that you've said in the past?

Pizza Party

On Friday Isaak had invited over 5 friends for a pizza party. 1 of Isaak's friends has an older brother in Mica's class, so we included him as well. In all 4 kids were added to our 2, and 1 friend was only there for about 20 minutes. It was a super low key party, and I loved it that way!

I wasn't going to make Isaak was pretty excited!

One of Isaak's best friends is on his basketball team. When I saw him earlier in the week he said, "Alissa I can't wait for your Lego Gummy things that you make!" I wasn't going to make Lego Gummies, but when he put it that way I kind of had too. They really aren't that hard to make.

Isaak's best friend grabbed quite a few Lego Gummies and said, "I'm making a Trump wall that I can destroy by eating each block." Ok then!

For the record Isaak's friend only took about 5 Lego Gummies. This is from an old picture.

We were talking about summer school, and Isaak's same friend that was mentioned above said, "I do like education, but not something that's gonna destroy my lifestyle." We were cracking up! Later when I told his Grandma she said, "What lifestyle does he have?" Ha!

We were beginning to think Isaak's friend from Argentina wouldn't show up. He came about 30 minutes late. The poor boy didn't feel well. He had a huge sinus headache. They were super kind to drop off a gift. Isaak handed Ben a piece of paper and said, "Draw." Ben smiled and drew an airplane. When he Ben left Isaak said, "You know Benjamin is just like me." Travis laughed and said, "How?" Isaak said, "We have the same personality. We both like art and sports." Travis said, "You left out the part that he barely speaks English, is from a different country than you are from, and has sisters." Isaak said, "Ya."

We kept the kids entertained while the movie Mr. Peabody and Sherman was going with pizza, brownies, ice cream. We picked that movie

I decided to get out a mason jar, put the kids up step stool height, and had them drop clothes pins in the jar. So many didn't make it. It's much harder than it seems.

We also put square pillows in their shirts to have them "Sumo Wrestle". They certainly had fun doing that!

Have you been to a low key birthday party, or put one on?

WW: Happy New Year {Linky}

After Christmas it was a rush to get down that holidays things to make room for our New Years Eve Dance Party! 

I had Travis and Mica blow the dust off the tree piece by piece:

We made too much food! One thing is for sure, one can never have too many lights. 

We had 15 kids show up and 11 adults.

Happy New Year!

I said, "Ok now all the boys have to kiss the girls." I heard loud, high pitch screams, "No!" Ha!

I let the boys have two kids spend the night - 1 for each kid. We know their parent's well. This was their first overnight with kids other than their cousins.

One of the little guys wasn't on his pillow, the other little guy was hanging off the mattress.

These boys could have stayed up all night.

Don't let that older one fool you this was him on New Years Day:

Like Father, Like Son. Here's Dad:

TENZI Review

I love games! I'm not into video games as much as I am card games, board games, and games with dice. I'm so glad my kids like them as well. I just got TENZI to review. It's so much fun! 

Usually Isaak's more of my game player. He loves any game really. Isaak's going to get TENZI in his stocking. Mica's more into video games. He got into playing TENZI because it's a fast paced game.

How to Play:

1. It's simple really. Two to four players can play this. 
2. Each player starts playing at the same time by rolling their set/color of dice. 
3. The objective is to get all the same number. 
4. Let's just say that I rolled two, 4s, and the rest of the numbers were all different. I pick up everything, but the 4s, to roll again to try and get more 4s. I keep collecting 4s. The other player keeps trying to roll what they had the most of.
5. The first player to get all of one number shouts out, "TENZI!" and wins the game. 

Mica kept wanting to play it again, and again. We were playing it before Isaak came in from outside, since he's getting it for Christmas in his stocking. It would also be a great game to give for a birthday present.

This is a wonderful game to play anytime, and most anywhere. Some ideas of where and when to play this game:

• A perfect game to add to the list of things to do for Christmas break coming up.
• Super for rainy, or snowy days.
• A game to take to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the day. 
• On a trip. It can't be played in the car, but we could have used this game during the summer when we went to Aunt Linda's house. She didn't have anything for the kids to do. 
• A quick game before school to get the mind excited about learning. 
• A fast game after school to get the mind ready for homework. 
• For parties. This game is easy to teach, so it's great for newbies to learn. Again it's fast. If someone wants to do something else for a bit they can. We're having a New Years Eve party, so the kids can play this game then. I could see it played at a work party as well. In fact it was first invented for a work party. 

This set came with 4 colors:

• Red
• Black
• Teal
• Orange

They have other sets with other colors. I'm seriously thinking about buying more sets. Isaak loves gold, and glittery colors, so I might buy their set called: Snazzy.

TENZI also gave us a card set called 77 Ways to Play TENZI.

All the cards are just other variations to play TENZI, but some are more of a challenge than others. No card is difficult to understand. 

Mica and I played a few other ways, but we haven't gotten to all 77 ways to play.

You can get TENZI and 77 Ways to Play TENZI on Amazon for $23.90. Just the dice game alone is $14.95. You can also look for TENI in many retail toy stores.

There's a new TENZI app for free, which is available on iPhone, iPads, and Androids.

Like TENZI on facebook, on twitter and on YouTube. 

Do you like dice games?

Disclaimer: I received TENZI and 77 Ways to Play TENZI for the purpose of this review. 

WW: Superheroes {Linky}

My nephew Emerson has Trisomy 18. He wasn't expected to live. In the hospital they call his condition incompatible with life. He just turned 5. He walked all over during his birthday party; with a superhero cape on the back of his walker.

Happy Birthday Emerson!

Here's his family. My sister, nephews and brother-in-law:

My nephew Evan and Elijah. My boys are close to them because they are the same ages as them.

My son's Mica and Isaak.

My youngest nephew that gets all the attention because he copies whatever the boys say or do, Edison.

I convinced my dad to get a picture. ;) What a sport!

 

WW: Hummel Park Birthday Party {Linky}

Isaak had his friend birthday party this weekend at Hummel Park. It was super fun! The only downside is that I wasn't specific enough in letting people know it was at the Nature Center. We had some people get lost. We even put a sign up, but they somehow missed it's bright red lettering.

Isaak got to pick 3 things to do. He picked:

• A Scavenger Hunt
• Making S'mores 
• Archery

If that wasn't enough sugar we went back to sing Happy Birthday, and ate brownies.

It's fun watching kids shoot an arrow. They have their game face on. They get really serious, but most of the time miss altogether. A few kids couldn't stop smiling even though they missed every time. Isaak, Mica, my nephews Evan and Elijah have been to Hummel Day Camp different years. This wasn't their first time shooting. They mostly hit the target.

Isaak's game face:

Mica's game face:

My nephew Elijah is super competitive, so he really gets into shooting.

 My nephew Evan really wanted to get a bullseye, but it didn't happen.

At the end we waited, and waited for parents to come pick up their kids. Since we were just waiting and waiting, we decided to go pay the park birds a visit. This is really exciting for kids that live in the city. The boys gave all the turkey's a school title.

Meet Mr. Principle

Check out his feet. He looked the smartest with all his colors. He kept hiding in his office.

Meet Mr. Bus Driver

I guess they titled him bus driver because he was always on the move. Bus drivers are often males.

Meet Mrs. Cafeteria Cook

She just looked like a cook the boys said.

Meet one of the Students

There was a lot of them.

The boys enjoyed passing the time this way. 

If I had this party over again I'd be more specific about where it was at in the park. I just assumed people would go to the Nature Center because it's the main office at the park. Assuming isn't the best thing to do. I'd make the party for a 1/2 hour earlier than the party actually started. That's about how long we waited for different people to get there. I'd tack on an hour of us just hiking with the kids on our own. I know they would have enjoyed that. 

What's the most interesting party you've attended, or given?