Archive for Events
Sports Fanatics Get-Together Party: Pick and Peak Seasons
Second half of the year means football (football picks) and baseball seasons, and what a showdown it is this year. This is a wonderful time to connect with friends and family members who share the same passion for the games, and the teams! The best times to hold the party are the pick season and the peak season. Pick season is when players from each team get swapped or not. During this time speculation is high and bets are placed. Peak season is when the season is ending and only 2 teams are battling it out for that season’s championship title. The latter is tense and exciting, and will surely result in several hours of shouting and cheering for a favorite team. Visit the free football picks forums at AddictSports.com for more information on these two sports.
For sports fanatics parties, the best party agenda is a BBQ party (while the weather is still warm) and a TV party (when it’s too cold to sit outside and broil some meat). Expect the guests to be mostly men who will need lots of not-too-messy appetizers such as chicken lollipops and beer. For a more filling dish, pasta is recommended, easy to serve and people can eat it standing up.
Food Agenda for a Sports Fanatics’ TV Party
Good for 6-8 people
Penne with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Vegetables (recipe provided)
Deep Fried Breaded Chicken Lollipops
Fruit Jello
Penne with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Vegetables
1 package of penne pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red onion chopped
1 tbs garlic minced
1/4 cup white wine
2 (14.5 ounce) cans tomatoes (diced)
1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Basil leaves chopped
Cook penne pasta according to package directions and set aside. Sautee garlic, red onion, wine and tomatoes in olive oil in medium heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp and basil leaves, and continue cooking until the shrimp turns bight red. Toss with pasta and top with cheese.
Kids’ Theme Party: Classic Superhero Costumes
Kids reach the hero worship age when they start discovering comic books. One can almost predict which types of theme parties their parents will organize during that age. One significant quirk among kids that I noticed is: they prefer the ‘classic’ look of super heroes to the newer, more techie looks presented in modern superhero movies.
I think that the comic book influence is greater than that of the mainstream movies when it comes to kids’ costume preference. To them, these comic book characters come to life more while they are reading the comic books than when they are watching the newer films.
After all, these comic books can be collected and read whenever they want, while movies are seasonal and get old pretty fast. Also, the newer superhero costume versions are geared more towards adult viewers than kids: a lot of black components, gadget-ridden and tech savvy.
Batman is a good case study. The old batman costume has the big bat sign across the chest. The same one that is beamed to the heavens when there is a need for the Gotham City hero to save the day. This element in the classic Batman costume has been omitted in the newer versions. The new Batman look in the latest films have more specs for gadgets and technology peripherals.
While kids enjoy the special effects that are cleverly manifested in movies, when it comes to costume play during parties, the Batman-clothed kid will always have the bat sign across his chest. Comic book characters play a big role in planning for kids’ costume parties. Boys, in particular, will want Iron Man, Batman or Superman.
Kids’ costume parties happen all year long, but the peak is undeniably in October, during Halloween time. For more creative party theme ideas and kids’ party resources and costume options, visit this halloween costumes site.
Staying Afloat During Crisis: The Manpower Strategy
You don’t need me to tell you just how different the grocery prices are nowadays, compared to say, a few years back. With the increasing gas prices, the commodities soon followed. And, guess what? We, party planners, are among the ones that are directly in the path of the economic bulldozer.
Granted, our main operational agenda is dependent on our willingness to do all the errands that our clients won’t do. However, running errands per se could mean we have to drive to each location and sometimes even dine out with our clients. Besides those expenditures, we need glue to make party decorations, raw ingredients for cakes and cookie giveaways, and expensive paper to print invitations.
The most saddening part is that sometimes, when belts have to be tightened, our employees do not get the raise that they also need. Is there a way around this? I’d like to think we can give them a small raise to stave off the more debilitating effects of economic crisis. How?
We borrow money, but only under very, very strict terms. One of the major errors in handling credit cards is the notion that you’re not really spending your cash. You are. Yes, you’re not spending your ‘present cash’ but your ‘future cash’. The commitment to pay for the things you borrow now can be too much if it isn’t moderated in such a way that only the basics have to be spent on.
So the strategy is: keep our employees happy so that they are more productive, pile on the projects, and borrow only what we can grow money on. These include party supplies (preferably wholesale) and daily commodities. Maintaining our employee’s peace of mind and economic contentment could mean we have to let go of a few luxuries. But the trade off could be worth it.
During this time of economic strife, our employees are our best bet at making it. We take care of our main assets and scrimp on ourselves ’til things get more comfortable for us.
Christmas Mini Lights: All-Season Party Resources
Here’s an economical, but not in any way cheap, method for throwing the best parties. For a starting party entrepreneur, stocking up on these seasonal things may be the most cost effective way to earn from party planning. I am talking about Christmas lights!
These type of lights have the shortest lifespan, as most families keep these in a box somewhere when it’s not Christmas season.
You can extend the functionality of these lights by using them in the parties that you organize.
These mini lights lend a festive feel to any occasion, if one uses them resourcefully. In a garden dinner party, these can adorn bushes or trees. During the prom or Valentines day, pink- or red-tinged clear mini lights may be enough to adorn the ceiling. A simple open house party may seem like a grand occasion when when the front porch is decorated with small twinkling lights that invite the guests inside. And my favorite, luau parties! Twinkling party lights over the luau buffet table, or creatively wrapped around the table will hide the blandness of a simple house party buffet. Lights are accessories a shrewd party planner should consider as a must-have.
Investing on Christmas lights during off season may be a good idea. You can choose the designs you want, and avail of bargains, which is better than buying these when everyone else is.
