Holiday Party Favors Under $2.00

When you have a holiday party it is a nice gesture to give your guests something to that they can take home with them. With everyone watching their budget extra close they might think they cannot afford any party favors. Here are some fantastic suggestions of holiday party favors that are under $2.00. These would make wonderful gifts for your guests.

The first holiday party favor is a beautiful silver snowflake ornament. What a great way for your guest to remember your party every time they hang their ornament on the tree. Prices start at $1.65 and go down depending on how many your order.

The next holiday party favor is a snowflake key-chain. Every-time your guests grabs their keys and see the glittering snowflake they will think of the good time they had at your party. The key-chains start at $1.70 and the price goes down with the more you order.

The next holiday favor that would be perfect on a cold winter day is a personalized Hot Cappuccino Mix. You can add a personal sentiment right to the package. Prices start at $1.80 and then go down with larger orders. If you are not a fan of cappuccino there is also hot cocoa.

You don't have to spend a large amount on party favors for your holiday gathering. As you can see you can still give your guests something to remember the party and stick to your budget.

Planning your Holiday Party Menu

This week we are talking about planning our holiday parties. Today we are going to discuss the menu for the party. It is not too soon to begin deciding what you will serve at your holiday party.

One of the main things you will want to consider when planning your menu is the time of the party. The time will determine what type of foods will be expected. If you are having an afternoon party sandwiches and finger foods will be fine. If your party is in the evening people will expect dinner type foods.

Whatever food you choose to have it is a good idea to let the guests know in the invitation. You could say something like join us for eggnog and appetizers, or we will be having a buffet style menu. This will allow the guest to prepare.

If you are having a themed holiday party plan your menu to match. Let's say you are having an old fashioned Christmas party. You could serve the traditional foods like turkey, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc. Serve your guests homemade hot chocolate. Serve foods that will remind them of Christmas spent with grandma.

Try and have something that all guests will enjoy. It is a good idea to have some foods for vegetarians. You want all of your guests to feel comfortable at your party. You could even have some dishes that are gluten free.

Don't forget some light dishes for guests that are watching their diet closely. This goes for drinks as well. Be sure to include drinks that are no or low calorie.

While it is still a little early for holiday party planning, if you start now, you will not feel rushed as the party date approaches.

Start Your Holiday Party Planning Now

It's time to start thinking about your upcoming holiday parties. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you realize it. Don't wait until the last minute, start now. This will help avoid the stress that can come with party planning.

Start by deciding what type of party you want to have. Will it be a small casual party, or a large formal event? Knowing what type of holiday party you will be hosting will help you when choosing a location, menu, etc.

Start making a rough draft of your guest list. Write down everyone you want to invite. This will give you an idea of how big of a location you will need.

Now you know what type of party you want to have and who you would like to invite, next you need to figure out a budget. You need to know exactly how much you have to spend for your party.

Once you have decided how much you can spend on your party you will be able to see how many people you can actually invite. Don't forget to include the costs for location if having somewhere other than your home, food, drink, party favors, decorations, music, prizes for games and door, and anything else you want to include.

If you will be serving alcohol at your holiday party make sure there is arrangements for taxis/designated drivers, or somewhere for guests that have had too much to drink to spend the night.

While you may think it is too early to be planning holiday parties, it is better to get the planning down before the rush of the holiday season begins. This will save you some unwanted stress.

Photo created by Joel Terrell

Tips for Planning a Baby Shower Menu

If you are hosting a baby shower you might be wondering what to have to eat. Here are some tips for planning your baby shower menu.

When choosing what to include on your menu you will want to consider what time of day the shower is being held. This will help you choose which foods you would like to serve. If you are having a late morning baby shower you could have breakfast/brunch type foods. If your having an early afternoon shower, sandwiches and finger foods would be appropriate. If the shower is later in the day you might want to have a dinner type menu.

Also you will want to consider how many people will be attending the shower. If you are just having a small gathering you may want to have a complete dinner. If there will be lots of people attending you might just want finger foods and appetizers.

Set a budget for the baby shower menu and then consider how many people are coming and when the shower is being help to help plan your menu. Also don't forget the favors for your guest to take home with them.
Photo created by Gözde Otman

How to Make a Diaper Cake

Diaper cakes are lots of fun and a great gift for the mom to be. Here is great video showing you how to make a diaper cake.


This would be a great gift to make for your next baby shower. You can add as much extras(decoration) to the cake as you wish. This would be a great gift for more than one person to go in on. You could make a bigger cake with more accessories.

How to Plan your Wedding Menu

Here is a video offering great tips for planning your wedding menu.



How to plan a wedding menu

Themed Anniversary Party

Having a themed anniversary party can be lots of fun. There are so many themes to choose from. You just have to decide what the guests of honor would enjoy for their anniversary party.

One popular theme for an anniversary party is to recreate the decade or year the couple was married. If they were married in the 70's a Woodstock theme could be used. Try and set the mood with decorations, favors and music from that era.

Another popular theme used at anniversary parties is a luau. This would be a better theme to have in the summertime since it is usually held outdoors. If you were really set on this theme you could still make it work indoors. This is a good theme to use if the couple is going on a cruise for their anniversary. You could host a bon-voyage luau before they depart.

If it is the couples 25th or 50th anniversary you might want to stick to the traditional themes of sliver and gold. There are so many possibilities of different themes you can choose. It is important to consider what the couple will like. You wouldn't want to pick a theme that would make them feel uncomfortable. The idea is for them to enjoy themselves, while remembering the years they have spent together so far.

Photo created by Jonathan Hounshell

Tips for Planning an Anniversary Party

If you find yourself in charge of planning an anniversary party you might feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. Don't panic. Planning an anniversary party is easier than you might think.

Start by choosing a date for the anniversary party. Then you need to figure out a guest list of who will be attending. This will help you get a feel for the size of the location you will need. Then you can start calling around different locations and seeing if they will have an opening for your date.

Next you can decide if there is going to be a theme to your anniversary party. Themed parties are very popular right now. I am going to go over in greater detail some different anniversary party themes later in the week.

Invitations need to be in the mail two to three months before your party if it is going to be a large event. Guests need enough time to plan for the celebration. Not having enough notice is the biggest reason a guest won't attend.

You will have to decide on a menu for the anniversary party. If you are having a themed party the menu should compliment the theme. If there is no theme you could consider recreating the couples wedding dinner, or the meal they had on their first date. Make sure some of the dishes have a meaning the the anniversary couple.

If you are going to have people giving speeches at the party make sure they are short and sweet. People can easily get carried away and ramble on for an hour or more. The guests and couple will become bored.

It can be fun to have all the guests write down some of their favorite memories of the couple. This can also be done through video. Have the guests send in their contributions before the party. Then you can put together a scrapbook for the guests of honor.

Get pictures of the couple from the time they were dating if possible all through the years they have been married. Have these photos blown up and place them around the anniversary party for decoration.

I will be going over more anniversary party ideas through-out the week. Make sure to check back frequently for all your event planning needs.

Photo created by Afonso Lima

Ways to save on Wedding Flowers

Flowers can be expensive there is no two ways about it. The flowers for your wedding could easily take up a large portion of your wedding budget. Here are some tips to cut costs on your wedding flowers.

1.Use flowers that are in season and easy to find. If your florist has to import flowers you are going to spend a fortune. You want flowers that are going to be in season. They will be cheaper.

2.Tell the florist upfront what your budget is,and let them know you will not go over the budget.

3.Try to avoid having your wedding during a time when flower prices would be higher. This would include February when flower prices are higher due to Valentine's Day.

4.Go with fake flowers. You can find fake flowers that could easily pass as live. Using fake flowers where you can will help you cut costs on your wedding flowers.

5.Have your wedding in a area where there is already lots of flowers like a flower garden. This will cut down on the need for many extra flowers and save you money.

6.Go simple. No one ever said there had to be hundreds of flowers at your wedding. Sometimes simple is more. A few roses tied with a beautiful ribbon can be much more stunning than a larger arrangement.

7.Make your own arrangements. With a little practice you can make your own wedding flower arrangements. Have a few friends or family members help you and have fun. You can be as creative as you like, or you can make them simple and elegant. The choice is up to you.

Photo created by Åse Meistad

Ways to Save on Your Wedding Gown

All brides dream of the perfect wedding gown from the time they are a little girl. They may envision themselves looking like a princess with a flowing train on their wedding gown. Then they begin their search for the perfect wedding gown and realize how expensive they can be. Their dreams of having the perfect wedding gown may seem lost. Don't give up there are tips you can use to save money on your dress.

1.Do you know someone that can sew? Having someone you know make your wedding gown for you can save lots of money.

2.Check second hand stores and consignment shops. Wedding dresses are worn for such a short time. Several people sell their dress to recoup part of the expense. There is nothing wrong with wearing a second hand dress. Nobody will even know unless you choose to tell them. You can find wedding gowns for a fraction of the cost this way.

3.There is no rule stating you have to wear a wedding dress. You can wear any dress you want. A nice cocktail or formal gown would be fine to wear.

4.Rent a wedding gown. You are only going to wear the dress for a few hours, consider renting one. This will be much cheaper than buying a wedding gown.

5.Start shopping early for your wedding dress. If you are in a rush you will not be able to spend time looking for a good deal on your gown. The pressure of finding the gown in a hurry might make you overspend.

6.Wear a dress from a family member. If your mother or grandmother still have their gown you could have it fitted for you. Your relative would be thrilled to be passing on their wedding gown and you will be saving money. It's a win-win situation.

You don't have to give up hopes of having your dream wedding gown. You just have to maybe look in unconventional places to find it.

Wedding Photography Tips

You are going to only have one shot at getting the perfect wedding day photos. You want to try and ensure the photos turn out the best they can. Here are some tips to make sure your wedding pictures are what you imagined they would be.

1.Don't make every pictured staged. Natural pictures look so much better. If someone knows they are being posed they can look stiff and uncomfortable. Catching a pose in the natural setting will give much better results. A stolen kiss between the bride and the groom, or some children dancing together will make lovely pictures.

2.Plan ahead. Make a list of poses you would like to have captured. This will give the photographer time to prepare and make sure each picture comes out perfect.

3.Allow enough time for the photos to be taken. If everyone is rushed trying to fit photos in before the reception begins the pictures are not going to turn out well. They will looked rushed. Schedule enough time before the ceremony and reception to have the pictures done.

4.Leave disposable cameras on the tables during the reception. You will be surprised at all the pictures from different viewpoints. This is also a great way to get tons of free pictures. All you will have to pay for is developing them.

These tips will help your wedding pictures to be what you have always dreamed they would be. Remember to have fun, it is your wedding day after all.

Photo created by Fran Flores