Ideas for the Best Kids Spring Party!

Spring has finally arrived, with longer, brighter days and what better way to throw your child a party than to have it outside in the spring sunshine!

With pretty flowers starting to blossom and the weather not too hot, spring is a great time to have a party outside either in a garden or a park.

Here are the top three children's themes for fabulous spring party:

1. A Flower Garden Party:

This is probably more tailored to girls than boys, but there is no reason why especially younger boys wouldn't enjoy this party theme too.

Send out invitations with a flower theme or be creative and make your own with lots of art and craft materials. This is sure to impress your party guests!

Try making your own flower decorations using tissue or crepe paper and string them up to make flower chains which can be hung between trees, bushes or fences.

You can also buy paper lanterns with a flower design which look great outdoors too.

Try grouping together some coloured balloons to form a flower shape.

Lay out the party table with flower themed tableware. You can decorate the table with real petals as confetti or have a fresh flower bouquet centre piece.

If you haven't hired a party entertainer there are many fun things you can do to keep the kids entertained that fit in well with this theme, such as:

Get Crafty - kids can decorate flower pots, or make paper bouquets.

Play games such as Relay races with watering cans, Pin the Petal or Bee on the Flower.

Face painting or Flower Tattoos

For food, you can make delicious cupcakes and decorate them with frosting and fondant flowers. Cut sandwiches into flower shapes or make flower shaped biscuits.

As a unique party gift, if the children have decorated a flower pot you can add some flower themed gifts like a packet of flower seeds, flower design accessories and some sweets and place each pot on a plain cellophane bag and tie each one with a ribbon. Children love to be rewarded for their efforts!

2. Bugs & Insects Theme Party:

Make your own Bug or Insect design invites and don't forget to tell your guests to come dressed as their favourite creepy crawly!

Make card cut outs of various bugs, such as lady birds, caterpillars, spiders, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies and bees which you can easily dangle from tree branches and bushes.

Adapt games to fit the theme, such as Pin the Spider on the web or Pin the Wings on the Butterfly.

Be creative with the party food. Chocolate Rice Crispy cakes topped with a jelly worm will go down a treat. Juice could be labelled as 'Bug Juice' or Sausage rolls as 'Bug rolls', but be careful though not to put children off eating the food!

3. Teddy Bears Picnic Theme Party:

This is a wonderful theme for a spring party, especially for younger children.

Instead of asking each guest to bring along their favourite teddy or soft toy, they can make their own teddy as part of the entertainment. There are many easy to make soft toy kits available. Parents can also get involved and help out too!

Lay out a good sized blanket or tablecloth on the grass ready for the picnic feast.

As an alternative to plates, use party food boxes. They come in a range of bright colours and various themed designs and are great to fill with sandwiches, party snacks and a carton of juice.

Take along a 'Pass the Lucky Dip box', which is filled with pre-wrapped gifts. When the music stops they pull out a gift!

As party gifts, each child can take home their Teddy creations.

You could also buy small wicker baskets with handles which can be decorated with ribbon and filled with treats and a piece of birthday cake.

For more ideas for a perfect spring party, visit Best Kids Party where you will find kids party tableware, decorations, party boxes, fun handmade kids party bags, birthday gifts and lovely dressing up outfits.

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How to Host A Princess Party

There are not too many little girls I know who don't love playing princesses. Dressing up and wandering about in frills and tiara's seems to be a favorite pastime for most girls under 6. When it comes to having a birthday party for your little princess or princesses, there is nothing better than throwing a glittery princess party.

Firstly you need to send out the invitations. They can be completely hand made, or you can buy some invitation cards and write in the names and addresses. The other option is to have them completely printed up. Personally I like the handmade approach.

To make a nice princess invitation card, start with a large piece of pink cardboard and cut it up into a large crown or tiara shape. Then using some glitter and some sparkly stickers enjoy decorating the jewel tips of the card. Write on the bottom half of the card the date and time of the party and include an RSVP time and phone number. Make a note too that the girls should come dressed up as a princess, to help make the party atmosphere all the more special.

It is polite to have these in the mail about 4-6 weeks before the party to give people enough time to make arrangements and buy a gift.

Decorations for a princess party can be a fairly simple affair; balloons in pink and silver are a nice touch strung up around the party area. You can also use pink and white crepe streamers twisted together. A nice activity for that the kids can help with is to make paper chains to add color. Just cut up thick rectangles of paper in your chosen colors and link then together with a stapler is the easiest way.

Every child's party needs some party games. You could play one called "The princess and the pea" where an adult hides about 15-20 Peas (ping pong sized balls of scrunched up crepe paper) The princesses have to find the peas, the winner being the one who finds the most. Then to wind down after the games you could choose to read a princess story. Perhaps "The Princess and the Pea" would be a good choice if you do the game mentioned before.

Princesses need to have their royal banquets, so lots of pretty food will be necessary. Some thought should go into the crockery and cutlery too. The easiest way to do this is to buy and use plastic plates and cups, and these can be bought in practically any colour so you'll easily be able to find something to match your theme. It might be fun to find some old odd bits of china, saucers, cups and plates to add some extra fun to the table.

The food for the princess party might include, dainty sandwiches cut into shapes like butterflies or stars. Some fairy bread and of course some little cupcakes or fairy cakes. Princesses love their milk shakes; so you could make up a few different flavors and let the girls choose their own paper straws.

Gift bags or goody bags to take home from a princess party should be as sparkly as possible. Consider, pens or pencils the sparkle, glitter glue, or some face paint. Bath items like lip gloss, hair gel, bubble bath or sparkly hair accessories are also ideas you can use. Wrap up whatever you choose in clear cellophane with some stars and glitter in it, will make it shine and look wonderful. I hope these ideas will help you and your daughter enjoy her princess party.

Glenys Power is the owner of an Australian e-store called Cupcake City where you can purchase lovely items such as cupcake carriers to help with your own home cooking.

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Self Seal Bags For Many Uses

Self seal bags are convenient modern packages. The diversity of options that these items come in, allows anyone to find suitable items for their specific needs. These plastic bags can come in virtually any size, color, material, density, opaqueness, and numerous other options to choose from. The best point is that any of these diverse containers will have a convenient adhesive reseal strap on them, which can be sealed as many times as needed.

Some of the most popular materials for self-sealing items are cellophane, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Cellophane is an affordable and lightweight bio-plastic; it is less durable than other materials. Polyethylene is more durable; it can come in a number of densities, including LDPE (low-density) and HDPE (high-density). Polypropylene is yet more durable; it comes as regular PP or OPP (oriented polypropylene).

The self seal bags can be crystal clear or colored. The colored film can have varying degrees of opacity - it can be semitransparent or 100% opaque. The crystal clear plastic is perfect for displaying the contents. The shaded semitransparent plastic is great for color-coding stored items. The most common colors for totally opaque film are black, blue, and amber. Black opaque film is great for hiding the contents. Blue opaque film is typically used to mail documents and other lightweight items. Amber opaque film is known to protect the contents from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.

You can find sealable bags in all styles of film, such as flat, gusseted, and bubble. Depending on your needs, one type of material can suit you better. For instance, the flat material is great for any type of use. Gusseted material is perfect for gift and food (cookies, candies) wrapping. Bubble material is perfect for added protection of delicate items, such as jewelry or crafts, as well as for posting/mailing anything that needs to be protected from damage. Moreover, any of these types of bags can come in any shape, including square, rectangular, oval, and round.

The self seal bags can also come in assorted sizes - they don't necessarily have to be small. In fact, you can find those that are as large as 10"x15", and more. Even the largest items are extremely lightweight, which can help you save on postal costs. They will also help you save space, as they don't take up much space either. In fact, they are so thin and lightweight that they are sometimes sold by weight rather than by count.

There are many other custom options that a sealing plastic bag may have. For instance, the seal of the item can be located on its side or bottom. The item can feature antistatic material or the material that's completely safe for storing food (FDA approved). It can have a tamper evident seal for the protection of the contents from unauthorized access. You can also have custom printed products made to your order - these can feature your marketing information, gift message, or your company logo. All in all, the convenient and affordable self seal bags are perfect for storage, retail, presentation, gifts, and many other common uses.

For more information on self seal bags visit Promotional-Merchandise.org.uk. Here you will find more articles and tips on marketing items as well as a Quick Quotes form where you can conveniently submit your request in one form and get responses from multiple suppliers so that you can find the best price and promotional items for your marketing needs.

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Barbecue Secrets - Checklist of Essential Items For Competition

This is an article for people who are new to competitive barbeque and preparing for their first competition. I have assembled a list of things that will keep you on top of your game and ready to take on the big boys.

Obviously, your smoker!
A portable pop-up tent or something to work under
Lights for the tent if electricity is available. If not, lanterns with batteries or a portable generator
At least two 20 pound bags of charcoal, maybe 3 or 4 to be safe. And if at all possible, use 100% lump charcoal, not briquettes.
A charcoal chimney or propane torch for lighting your fire
A supply of wood for your fire
A lighter
Aluminum foil pans
Heavy duty aluminum foil
Heavy duty cellophane
A couple of 5 gallon jugs full of water
A couple of plastic tubs for washing utensils
Dishwashing liquid
Plastic scrub brush
Several rolls of paper towels
Wet wipes
Bleach solution in a spray bottle
Large plastic cutting board
1 or 2 long fold out tables with extensions on the legs that allow you to stand comfortably and work
Electric slicer
Sharp knives
Meat thermometers
Flashlight with extra batteries
At least two coolers with ice
Heat resistant gloves for removing hot meat from the smoker
Spray bottle with plenty of apple juice
Rubs, spices and sauces
Tongs and basting brushes
Plastic bucket for brining poultry
Salt for making brine
Box of latex gloves for prepping meats
Aprons
Trash bags
Large zip lock bags
Lawn chairs, sleeping bags & pillows

Of course, you will bring your meats, greens for the turn in boxes, beer, sodas, snacks etc. but the list above would be considered essentials. As you grow in experience, you will begin to add things to this list. Good luck and have fun!

For more information on barbecue secrets visit me at barbecue competition checklist.

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The Top 10 Practical Christmas Gifts

For many of us, Christmas gift shopping has become more of a nightmare than a series of pleasant excursions to the local malls and shopping venues. Gone are the days when you'd browse the shops for prettily packaged soaps and bath salts, the latest bestsellers, or next year's calendar or diary. Christmas gift shopping has become more complicated for a number of reasons:

1. Christmas is now big business.

When I was a child, people could anticipate finding an acceptable Christmas gift for under $20. Books, stationary products and bathroom gift packages were always good choices if you didn't have the knowledge (or the budget) to buy someone what they really wanted. Everyone seemed pleased by these simple gifts and no one was left seriously in debt after their Christmas shopping spree.

The nature of Christmas gifts has changed over the years from small generic items to more specific choices. Children are given the latest must-have toys, while both teens and adults often receive gadgets and appliances such as ipods, mobile phones, cameras, computers, sound systems and televisions. The cost of the average gift has risen substantially, with the result that we're are often faced with large credit card bills after loading up our cards with Christmas gift purchases.

2. Most people already own whatever they need.

In the age of ready credit, most people tend to buy things as they need them. We're not necessarily talking about big ticket items like cars or big-screen televisions, but items like technology, household items, appliances and clothing. Children and teenagers from upper middle class families seem to be especially well equipped with "toys" of all kinds. As for adults, as long as they're making good money, they tend not to skimp on life's little luxuries (as well as necessities), so you're often hard-pressed to find a gift that they'd actually want but haven't already bought.

3. Most people have very specific preferences.

Even with small items you can run into problems:

Does the book lover in your family already own the latest bestseller? Has he or she moved on from reading legal thrillers to spy novels? The same questions apply to DVDs.
Do the women in your family still wear the same perfume, or have they chosen a new favorite scent?
If someone uses a calendar or a diary, what type do they prefer? Many people like a specific size or page layout and won't use a calendar or diary that is different.

No matter what the item, do you know the brand or label someone prefers? Most of us are very clear on what we like so it's a waste of your money to buy something that doesn't fit that category.

My Top 10 Practical Christmas Gift Ideas

So how do you buy for people who, on the surface at least, have everything they need? Here are my solutions after wasting far too much money in the past on Christmas gifts that weren't appreciated.

1. Give cash.

Handing everyone a $50 bill enclosed in a pretty Christmas card may seem crass but it solves a couple of problems. The recipient can buy exactly what they want with the money, plus you've eliminated all the stress of gift selection. Everybody wins. We instigated this system in our family once the children reached their teens.

2. Set up a one-gift-per-person system.

Everyone in the family writes a list of 5 choices (within a specific budget) and places it into a bowl. Each family member then selects one list and buys one item on it. At Christmas everyone gets something they actually want and the expense is kept to a reasonable limit.

3. Give gift vouchers.

If you know someone loves a particular store, buy them a gift voucher from that store. Again, they can purchase an item that they really want.

Unless you know their tastes extremely well, don't be tempted to create some other kind of homemade gift that they'll feel obligated to keep because you put so much effort into it!

4. Make up a gift basket.

Buy an inexpensive basket, some cellophane and a ribbon, then fill the basket with a dozen or so small items. The best choices are bathroom products (check out the person's bathroom first for preferred brands) and food items (check out their cupboards and fridge!).

5. Buy clothing and accessories judiciously.

Unless you know a person's tastes very well, it's difficult to buy clothes for them. The exceptions are items like bathrobes and luxurious underwear, but always keep the receipt so they can exchange the gift if they choose.

6. Buy a membership or subscription.

No, we don't mean a gym membership or something that requires active participation - unless you know the person really wants it. Depending on their tastes, you can buy a membership in clubs like wine of the month, coffee of the month, flower of the month and so on. You can also buy a subscription to their favorite magazine or newspaper.

For children you can buy a series of swimming classes, martial arts classes, etc, that they've requested, or you can sponsor them for an event or field trip.

7. Buy tickets.

If you know someone is a fan of a particular performer or sport, buying them tickets to the next event can be a very appreciated gift. If the tickets aren't on sale yet, print up a voucher on your computer that spells out your offer. And be sure to follow through!

8. Give a travel voucher.

This is more suitable for a romantic partner or spouse. Book a surprise weekend getaway but be sure the dates are convenient. If it's too early to set the dates, create a voucher on your computer and honor it.

9. Give a service voucher.

Create a service voucher for items such as an annual spring-cleaning or monthly gardening service for an elderly relative, a series of massages, romantic dinners, etc, for a spouse or partner, and so on. You can do this for any task, and either perform it yourself or outsource it.

10. Give them exactly what they want.

If you've checked with other friends or family members and you know FOR SURE that someone has been pining after a particular item, providing it's within your budget, buy it! It's not often you get an opportunity to please someone like this.

So rather than searching online for a one-size-fits-all list of the top 10 Christmas gifts this year, take a step back and consider what the people in your life already have and/or really want. Then choose something that fits their wants and needs as well as your budget.

Happy Christmas gift shopping!

Marguerite Bonneville is a contributing writer at Romantic Gift Ideas Online, a resource site dedicated to researching the best romantic gifts for all occasions. To download your free copy of our guide to choosing a romantic gift, visit the site at www.romantic-gift-ideas-online.com.

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Two Peas in a Pod - Baby Shower

Every year, around 3% of births in the U.S. are twins, and that number has been slowly increasing. Of course, twins mean twice as much as everything for the parents, and you'll want to throw an extra special kind of baby shower for them.

Consider planning a themed baby shower, as a theme will determine the decorations, invitation style, etc. With these parameters in place, the baby shower is easier to put together, and a "two peas in a pod theme" is the perfect baby shower for twins!

Think In Pairs

Two peas in a pod has become a popular enough theme that you will find several companies offer invitations, custom labels, thank you cards, decorations, and party favors all in this theme. As you shop around and compare companies, you'll want to look for several things:

Pick a company that can supply as many of the products you need as possible. This enables you to coordinate all the elements together, with a consistent look, colors that match, and one font throughout.
Look for a retailer who doesn't require a minimum order - this way, you can order just the number of invitations you need. Also, if the retailers offers you a couple of extra mailing envelopes, that's a bonus!
Many companies or printers offer the two peas in a pod design with the "little sweet peas" in a variety of ethnicity. This allows you to get the perfect invitations, party favors, thank you cards, etc.

Twice As Nice

Once you've chosen your baby shower invitations, you'll need to plan food and refreshments and party favors.

Keeping within the two peas in a pod theme, any dishes that include peas, snow pea pods, or even food that looks like peas (such as grapes) will work. Asian-inspired salads of snow peas, mai fun noodles, and julienned carrots in a ginger-miso dressing are a perfect first course, especially if served in round green bowls. Another option is pasta tossed with early spring vegetables, like fresh sweet corn, diced baby carrots and sweet peas, tossed in a light broth and citrus sauce. A fruit salad of grapes, melon balls and kiwi quarters completes the theme.

Party favors are a snap for a two peas in the pod baby shower: scented soy candles in green, topped with a two peas in the pod label is a great beginning. Add to that, cellophane bags ofwasabi peas or green-dyed mini popcorn balls. Finish with chocolate bars wrapped in personalized two peas in a pod candy wrappers, and your guests will be delighted with their fantastic gift bags!

Planning and throwing a baby shower to welcome a pair of twins is easy with a two peas in the pod theme. With a little research and creativity, you're sure to host a baby shower that is more than twice the fun!

The author lives and writes in beautiful southern Oregon. She is the head copywriter for Candles & Favors, a leading online retailer of all you need to throw a successful two peas in the pod baby shower: invitations, thank you cards, personalized labels, soy candle tins and other party favors.

Pea in a Pod Shower Theme
About Candles & Favors

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Homemade Baby Shower Favors Ideas

If you're throwing a baby shower for a friend or loved one, you want to send guests home with a memorable party favor. You may find it particularly meaningful to create your own favors. Consider the following ideas:

Candy jars: You can buy small plastic or glass jars at your local craft store. Then fill them with your favorite candy. You may wish to display pastel colors, especially pink or blue, or you can even choose colors that match your party decorations. M & M's come in all colors and can be specially ordered with the baby or mother's name on them. You may also wish to tie a colorful ribbon on the jar as a finishing touch. Your guests will appreciate this tasty homemade baby shower favor.

Bookmarks: Choose a design that fits the theme of your shower. Popular ideas include teddy bears and old-fashioned strollers. Then cut colored paper in the shape of the design and write the date of the shower and name of the event on each shape. Laminate the bookmarks and tie a piece of colored string to the top of each one.

Photo frames: Small wooden frames are available in bulk at many stores. Decorate them with paint, sparkles, and any designs you'd like. Baby stickers in the shape of footprints, rubber ducks, rattles, and others can be added to each one. You may even wish to put the guests' names inside each one and use them as place settings. Including the date on each frame will ensure everyone remembers where they received this fun, reusable gift.

Sachets: You have so many options when making sachets, from placing lavender in a tightly-woven organza bag to sewing and stuffing scented material into a cloth one. There are many tutorials online that will take you step by step through the process of creating your own sachets. For baby shower favors, be sure to start with some pretty, baby theme fabric.

Boo Boo Bunnies: This is a handy homemade baby shower favor created from a washcloth and formed into the shape of a bunny. It's purpose is to hold ice cubes for use as a cold compress. All you need are washcloths, rubber bands, and ribbon. For directions, search "how to make a boo boo bunny" online and you will find many sites that offer visual directions.

Bath salts: Find a fun glass or plastic container. Jars, plastic martini glasses, and glass candle holders all work well. Fill the containers with bath salts and wrap with clear cellophane if your container does not have a top

Joyce Kreger is a party planner and recommends these fun baby shower pens offered at Cool-Party-Favors.com.

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