Party Planning & Special Events
NEW Climb Aboard the Party Express (1,700 words) Easy ways to celebrate rites of passage and birthday milestones like first birthdays, Bar or Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras, Sweet Sixteen Birthdays, or the Big 1-8.
NEW Party at the Park: 9 Birthday Themes Perfect for the Outdoors (850-words) Is your home too small to accommodate 10 seven-year-olds running around? Or are you the kind of mom who wants to be more hands-on with party activities. Maybe your budget won’t stretch this year to rent a party place. Then take your celebration to the park. It’s the perfect venue for built-in entertainment, room to roam and the best part – you won’t have to clean your house before or after the event
NEW Celebrating Family Ties: Six Simple Steps to a Successful Family Reunion
800-word article that offers helpful tips for planning a family reunion. The piece also includes a short resource sidebar and is available for reprint.
Y Blow Out the Candles: A worldwide look at birthday traditions, customs and celebrations (1,400 words)
A fun-to-read look at birthday lore, customs and how families in foreign lands celebrate the passing of another year. Sidebars include How to Say Happy Birthday in other languages and the history of Happy Birthday song. Also offered at a shorter (900-word version).
Co-ed Birthday Parties: Where the Boys Meet the Girls (1,000 words + sidebar)
Help for parents of pre-teens and teens faced with hosting their first boy-girl party. In addition to tips, the article includes a sidebar of Party Ideas for the Adolescent Years.
20 Tried & True Party Tips (650 words)
Read these simple strategies to plan a child’s birthday party. These time-tested tips promise success for even the most novice party-planner.
Celebrate Your Child’s Birthday No Matter What the Holiday (1,000 words)
To you it might be the Fourth of July, but to Laurie, it’s her daughter, Nicole’s sixth birthday. Jenna’s birthday is October 31 – Halloween. Melissa’s birthday falls on Thanksgiving every fifth or sixth year. Occasionally Mikey’s mom has to compete with Easter when planning her son’s birthday. Does someone in your family have a birthday that coincides with one of the many holidays celebrated in our country every year? Here are some great ways to celebrate.
Marking Life’s Milestones
Card Showers, Presidential Greetings and Other Ways to Celebrate Once-in-a-Lifetime Events (800 words)
Each birthday and anniversary is a special event, but let’s face it, some are a bit more noteworthy than others. They call for extras above the traditional cake with candles or dance to the anniversary waltz. These are events that require special handling – not any gift will do. If someone you love is celebrating a milestone this year, here are some easy, inexpensive and loving ways to make the day even more spectacular.
It’s In the Bag: 10 Fun Party Bags and Favor Ideas (850 words)
Here are some tried and true party bags and favor ideas that will help any party planner stay on track (and within budget) when planning a birthday event.
Wild Theme Parties (with Party Planning Check List and Hottest Themes side bars) (850 words)
Planning a special event and can’t’ come up with an enticing theme? That’s a dilemma common to many party planners. Finding a theme that shouts out; “here comes a good time! is one of the most important steps in party planning. This articles shares with the reader why it’s important to have a theme and how to go about choosing the right one for any party or special event.
Celebrate That Diploma: Planning a Terrific Graduation Party (1,100 words)
Do you have a son graduating from high school or college? Maybe he’s getting promoted from the sixth grade to middle school? Has your daughter just earned her teaching credential or master’s degree. If this June finds your family proudly sharing in the celebration of an academic accomplishment, then the word party” is definitely in your future. This article shares great advice for planning a terrific graduation celebration, ideas on invitations, decorations and gift suggestions are included.
When Your Child’s in a Wedding (1,800 words)
Wedding and little kids don’t mix. If your child is about to become a ring bearer or a flower girl, read this article first. Here’s a hands-on practical guide to the dos and don’ts for parents of young children in weddings.
Safe After-Proms and Grad Nites: What It Takes to Plan One (1,200 words)
During May and June local high schools will be a sea of celebration, beginning with prom and following up through graduation day. Both of these events are critical rites of passage for young adults. Both of these events also bring with them a certain amount of anxious feelings and trepidation for parents. Many parents throughout the county have found a way for their children to celebrate these important events and stay safe at the same time. The solution comes in the form of parent-organized After Proms and Grad Nite Parties. This article gives tried-and-true suggestions from parents who have staged these events with great success. Must reading for every parent of a graduating senior!
Shopping & Gift-giving
Great Gifts for Grandparents & Other Seniors on Your Shopping List (1,000 words)
Coming up with gift ideas for grandparents is tough. Many seniors are past the point of collecting more stuff. Often grandparents have moved to smaller homes, so even if they wanted more odds and ends, there is no room to store them. This article helps gift-buyers evaluate the needs of the grandparent and creatively give a present that is both meaningful and useful. Shopping resources for mature consumers provided.
Great Gifts for Teachers (and Other Special People on Your List) (700 words)
What should you get for your daughter’s teacher, your son’s soccer coach, the neighborhood babysitter, your hair stylist? Of course you want to choose a gift that reflects your appreciation, but doesn’t put a huge dent in your budget. Gift certificates can be the perfect choice, but they don’t always seem personal. This article explains creative and inexpensive ways to package gift certificates.
Great Gifts for Dads And Those Other Special Men on Your List (800 words)
Father’s Day is just around the corner. It’s that one day a year that we take an extra few minutes to celebrate all of the special men in our lives. It’s a great time to let these men know what they mean to you. Whether it’s your dad, the father of your children, your granddad, a favorite uncle, godfather, stepfather, or any other man who has made a special place in the heart of your family, now’s the time to honor them. Here are some fun ideas for great gifts that those guys will enjoy!
What Teachers Really Want for the Holidays (750 words)
Helpful information from teachers about what kinds of “thank you gifts” they’d like to receive from students.
Bargains! Bargains! Bargains! Shopping the Factory Outlets (850 words)
Does the word bargain get your blood pumping? Do you like buying designer brands, but don’t want to pay retail? If half the fun of choosing the right gift is knowing that you didn’t pay full price, then you were made for shopping the factory outlets. This article gives the savvy shopper great tips on how to get the best deals at local manufacturer outlet shops.
Holiday Celebrations
Celebrating with Co-Workers, Friends & Neighbors: 7 Great Ways to Enjoy the Holidays (600 words)
We spend the holidays with those we care about. As that circle expands to include friends, neighbors and co-workers, most of us are challenged to find enough time and money to acknowledge everyone who is important to us. Instead of expanding your shopping list — and opening your wallet — consider these ways to celebrate the season with those you work with and live near, without straining your budget and your schedule.
Host a Cookie & Ornament Exchange (650 words)
Getting ready to start that holiday baking? Is the thought of mixing up bowls of ingredients for all of your favorite cookies and sweets overwhelming? Well, there’s a better and easier way. And it’s a lot more fun! This article details how to host a party guaranteed to be full of laughter, friendship and holiday spirit, not to mention cookies.
Christmas Traditions from Around the World (1,500 words)
An in-depth look at how the holidays are celebrated throughout the world.
Birthday Candles Burn Just as Bright in December (650 words)
A humorous and helpful look at planning birthday celebrations for family members whose birthday fall at the busiest time of the year. . . the holidays.
