Birthday Parties for “Ones”

At our site we do a lot of invitations for 1 year old birthday parties. Of course, we all know that a one year old usually has not much of a clue of what is going on, though he or she knows what to do with the cake! 1 year old birthday parties are more for the parents and grandparents and other family. I treasure the pictures of my daughters and grandsons on their first birthdays.

If you let your 12 month old feed herself or himself cake, you’ll probably need to plan a bath afterwards. Often icing and cake go in the hair, get smeared on face, clothes, high chair and anyone within reach. If you’re lucky, only face and hands will be covered. We have pictures of my first grandson tossing cake to the floor – the universal “I’m done” signal.

I’ve recently discovered there are first birthday highchair kits – they include a mat, bib, party hat, and a banner to decorate the highchair. Pretty cute. Eventually we’ll be offering them at our new site Parties and Games, which we’re working on now. There are lots of cute 1st birthday party themed tableware out there – we have some at Invitations by You and will be offering more at Parties and Games.

I also recommend that presents be done before the cake or after the cleanup. Your little one will need help opening packages. Often older children like to help with this process, but you have to watch out that they don’t take the toy or gift away from the baby once it is open.

Here are some resources if you’re planning a 1st birthday party:

First Birthday Party from the Berkeley Parents Network

Five Ways To Have A Successful 1st Birthday from lifetips.com

Planning Your 1st Birthday Party from amazingmoms.com

1st Birthday at kidspartyfun.com

1st Birthday Party Ideas, Activities and Tips from birthdaypartyideas4kids.com
Click here to read more!

Teen Hollywood Party

I just read some really creative ideas on Yahoo answers for teen Hollywood parties and thought I’d share them with you:

- One girl created a DVD with spoofs of movies (Indiana Jane, The Incredible Hulkette, Legally Strawberry Blonde, etc.) – sounds very fun.
- Another girl had great decoration suggestions including: “Now Playing” posters made from pictures cut out of magazines advertising movies, red fabric draped as a carpet, and silver stars cut from wrapping paper on the wall, flashlights angled against large Hollywood lettering in a window.
- Someone else suggested playing the Hollywood game with questions and answers about celebrities.

Here’s a whole Hollywood party scenario from teenpartyideas.com.

I found a helpful article on an “American Idol Teen Birthday Party” at suite101.

The article “Lights! Camera! Action! Birthday Party Theme” by Denise Witmer on about.com had some great ideas.

Don’t forget the idea of doing hair and makeup and taking glitzy “head shots” of your guests, too.
There are some fun Hollywood themed invitations and paper products out there, as well. My favorites on our site are the Director’s Cut Tableware.
Click here to read more!

Beach Weddings

My daughter’s friend wanted to get married on the beach in Hawaii – unfortunately, that didn’t work out – but what a fun thing to do if you are an ocean beach lover.

So what do you need to think about if you’re planning a wedding on the beach?
Your guest list
Obviously, if it is a “fly to” location for most of your guests, that will probably cut down on the number of people able to attend.
If your ceremony is actually in the sand, walking for elderly or disabled guests could be an issue.
Season
Unless it is a “tropical” ocean beach, weather is definitely going to be an issue. I’ve spent most of my beach time on the Oregon coast and even in August it’s not really warm. (The warmest—and driest—time is afternoon.)
Seating
If you plan on providing seats for the ceremony and/or reception, those will need to be hired and set up, unless there is an open air venue on the beach you can rent.
Attire
High heels, well most shoes for that matter, are not the most practical in sand. Keep that in mind when choosing what the wedding party will wear.

Here’s a “Beach Weddings” article with additional thoughts. I really like their idea of a beach theme wherever the actual ceremony is held.


More Resources

We have some cool invitations for beach weddings in our Themed Weddings section.

And here are some sites with beach theme wedding favors:

Wedding Favors to Go

Bellenza
Click here to read more!

Camp Mail

For kids going to camp, it’s often like going to a week long sleepover party. Yeah, there may be classes and sometimes the food isn’t so great, but there’s all that outdoor play, new friends to make, campfires, whispered exchanges after lights out, etc. Often camp counselors are young college age guys and gals that are way better than “parents.”

However, even for only a week long camp, some kids get a bit homesick and writing letters or receiving mail can be a help. I remember the tension of “mail call” and wondering if I was going to get anything or get too much! At our camp if someone got a lot of mail in one day they often had to do something silly like run around the dining hall while repeating some phrase at the top of their voice.

Letters to or from home might not have a lot of content, but can be fun anyway, so be prepared when your kid goes off to camp. First, provide writing paper, envelopes, pens or pencils and stamps for your child to take along. We have some cute Camp Writing Kits on our website – some are fold and seal; others are the more traditional kid style stationery and matching envelopes. Send your mail to camp early in the week so your son or daughter gets a letter early. Keep your message(s) light and upbeat. Don’t emphasize to a kid with a tendency to be homesick how much you miss him or her. (Or how much you’re enjoying them being gone!)

You might want to save those letters you get, too—they could be a nice treasure years later. Click here to read more!

Wedding Etiquette

There are standards of good behavior at weddings and receptions. However, for some reason a number of movies that show bad etiquette come to my mind (The Wedding Crashers, 28 Days) and one where the bridesmaid/maid of honor was way overbooked (27 Dresses). So guess the movies don’t help us much.

This Wedding Etiquette Quiz might prove useful.

And this blog with an entry called Weddiquette : The Ceremony

This article even had tips on How To Acknowledge the Death of a Parent at Your Wedding

Planning a destination wedding? Destination Weddiquette might be the article for you.

Or for a Jewish wedding, this resource weddiquette: keeping kosher could be very helpful.

But I’ve saved the best for last: The Weddiquette Blog is chock full of information. The recent entry that interested me most was on joint bachelor/bachelorette parties. Fun idea! Click here to read more!

Birthday card idea

My family has a number of birthdays in June and sometimes finding just the right card – especially milestone birthday cards, when you don’t want “put downs” – can be difficult. So this week I got the bright idea of making customized birthday cards using invitation/announcement cards from our IBY site. Not only did I write my own text, but I personalized each card with the person’s name. I can’t wait to hear how each one liked her card.

You can do the same thing either by buying single card stock and printing yourself or by using a printer (like us), who has no minimums and either no set-up fees or minimal setup fees. If you are ordering over the internet, order a number of cards at once, so that the shipping charges don’t make the cards too expensive. Ask for an electronic proof (free on our site and probably free on many sites) to make sure the card looks just the way you want it to.

What to say? Make it as personal as you can. Talk about the person’s exact age, or things that happened when he was born, special memories of her, relate it to his favorite hobby or her avocation, or even what is happening this year.

The only thing I suggest not printing is your name. Sign the card as usual. Click here to read more!

4th of July – a whole day to celebrate

Now that Memorial Day is behind us, the next holiday on all calendars is Independence Day. At IBY we are already having people order their party invites for July 4th and several have chosen one of our brand new patriotic cards.

This year the holiday is a Friday, which means another 3 day weekend – woo whoo! 4th of a July is another good time for family gatherings, summer activities, and, of course, fireworks. I prefer the professional fireworks. A couple years ago, I got to watch them while listening to a concert, which was great fun! Though probably the most memorable was watching them with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.

When our kids were young, the town where we lived put on a 4th of July parade. Kids could participate by dressing up in any holiday related theme. Once our girls marched as cowgirl and Indian partners. The other years we were merely spectators, but that was fun, too.

One year I made a rectangular chocolate cake, used whipped cream for the icing, then decorated it into a flag using blueberries for the blue section, and strawberries for the red stripes. Looked and tasted good!

Thought you might be interested in some ideas to make your day even more fun, especially if you don’t have a parade to attend.

from FamilyFun

4th of July Parties, Printables & Games

Party ideas from 123greetings

Want something a little more unique? Check out these articles:

How to Go Green for the Fourth of July from ehow

How to Plan a Spectacular 4th of July Menu! from ehow

Fourth of July Recipes and Menus – includes a Red, White and Blue Menu – from Busy Cooks Click here to read more!

A Toast to June Weddings

June is often considered the beginning of the wedding season. My sister managed to put college graduation and wedding in June on top of it being her birthday month. Weddings are definitely occasions for parties: engagement parties, bridal showers, couple showers, bachelorette and bachelor parties, rehearsal dinners, and of course, what is a reception but a big party?

If you’ve seen the movie The Wedding Planner, you see her feeding the best man what to say as he makes his toast. But most of us don’t use a professional wedding planner, so today I wanted to share some articles I found that offer help for wedding toasts.

Great “how to”s and tips:
How To Write and Give a Great Wedding Toast

Father of the Bride

Galleries of good wishes:
Samples of Wedding Toasts

Wedding Toasts

These 3 have quotes to use for a specific purpose:
Best Man Wedding Toast

Sister Wedding Toast

Reception Toasts

The above articles have links to other helpful sites, too. Click here to read more!

Schools Out – Hurray!

At least that’s what the kids say. Sometimes the parents aren’t so positive, although with all that happens the last month, I usually found it a relief. Here in Kansas schools get out this week. I know in Washington state they go another month.

At the start of summer vacation kids usually are just so pleased to sleep in and play, play, play, that they’re pretty content. But it’s also fun to give them the anticipation of a party, say at the pool, or lake, or park.

Encourage your kids to plan the party themselves (of course, adults always have veto power over any ideas). Have the kids pick a theme—whether it’s a food theme (i.e. ice cream sundaes) or an activity theme (i.e. pool party)—decide on the guest list, the food, decorations, if any, and make or choose invitations. Fill-in party invitations are quick and easy, yet are another task to occupy the kids while they enter all the info. Of course, you’ll want to remind them, that part of party duties are the clean-up, too!

Need party ideas? Check out these sites:
more4kids.info
home.ivillage.com
wilton.com
healthy-kid-recipes.com

And here’s one with Slumber Party Ideas:
Summer.about.com Click here to read more!

Memorial Day Parties

When I think Memorial Day parties, I start thinking of the food. Barbecued burgers, or pork ribs (I prefer boneless) or chicken, and potato salad, watermelon and/or cantaloupe, chips, carrot sticks, deviled eggs. With all that, dessert isn’t need in my opinion, but many in my family wouldn’t agree.

Memorial Day is a good time to invite someone over for a casual “dinner” party. Depending where you live, eating outside may not be an option, but we’ve barbecued when it was snowing, because it just tastes so good fixed outside over a grill.

IBY carries invites (both fill-ins and printables) that fit this kind of event. My favorite is the one below.
I can almost smell it cookin’! Guess I’d better start thinkin’ whom I’m inviting…
Click here to read more!

Mother’s Day

Today is Nurse’s Day and Teacher’s Day, and, of course, you are probably all aware that Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday!

Many years ago I used to be a telephone operator – Mother’s Day was our highest volume call day of the year. Nice restaurants will be swamped as families take their moms out to breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Flower shops will be busy on Saturday. This whole week people will be standing before card racks looking for just the right card to send to their mother. And don’t forget the gift shopping.

I look over my time as a mother and some of my most memorable gifts are the personal words written in a card that meant more to me than any gift. Personal notes may not be as elegant or cutesy as what you’ll find in a card, but if you say them with your heart, express something particular about how important your mother is to you, she will appreciate it very much.

Okay, I know some of you aren’t satisfied with a gift of words. I really like gifts of service and maybe your mom would, too. Some I remember fondly are home cooked meals where I didn’t have to lift a finger (or decide what it was going to be!), massage certificates, pedicure and/or manicure certificates, coupons for specific housework items being done for me or for time without children. Of course, physical gifts are good, too, especially if you put some thought into what your mother would like. Gift certificates to her favorite store or restaurant can be a success, too.

I’d like to share a funny from last year. My daughter and her family were spending the weekend at our house. Sunday morning my husband whispers to her five year old son, “It’s Mother’s Day. Go tell your mommy ‘Happy Mother’s Day.” His answer was, “She knows!” Yeah, she does, but she does like to hear it, too! Click here to read more!

Tea Party

Somehow little girls learn early about having tea parties. Pretend tea parties with dolls and stuffed animals. Pretend tea parties with friends. Of course, it always makes it special when the adults allow them to have real food with their tea parties. I remember my daughters never having tea to drink, but they loved using a little teapot and cups for water. Specialty foods were banana slices with sprinkles on them, cookies, sandwiches cut small and without the crust. We served them on the girls’ tea plates. If you have a little girl in your life who doesn’t have a tea set, I strongly recommend you get her one. ArsaToys has some really cute ones – see my favorite set.

Big girls (grown ups) like tea parties, too. I’ve gone to Mother’s Day teas for moms and daughters (every woman is a daughter, so no one is left out). I’ve gone with friends to a special tea shop either for lunch (with tea, of course) or for afternoon tea.

When my husband and I visited England, we were introduced to “cream tea”—a pot of tea, scones with Devonshire cream and strawberry jam, and cream for your tea, if you desired. I could eat that every day! And now I have a number of scone recipes that we really enjoy at home. My personal favorite teas are English breakfast tea and Lifeboat tea.

I’ve also had “afternoon tea” in England and in Canada. Along with the scones, cakes, and cookies, small sandwiches are served.

One of my friends is so known for serving tea, writing tea columns, etc. that her grandchildren call her “Grandma Tea.”

The best part of a tea party, whether formal or informal, is the chance to sit down and relax. Time to take your ease with friends or family, sip and chat, be soothed by the food and the tea—quite a contrast to grabbing a bite at a fast food restaurant.

So want to pamper your girlfriends? Plan a tea party. Make it extra fun by sending invitations. Click here to read more!

Ordering Invitations - What You Need to Know

Questions you should ask when getting invitations or announcements printed.

1. What is included in the printing fees?
2. What fonts are available? Is there an extra charge for specialty fonts?
3. What color ink is available? Is color extra?
4. What’s the minimum order requirement? (i.e. Is there a minimum number of cards I have to order?)
5. How long is the processing time?
6. Can I get a proof? If so, how?
7. If ordering online, you’ll want to ask about shipping options.

Checklist of information you’ll need when preparing your invitations
- What kind of party or event
- Who the party is honoring, if applicable
- Date and time
- Location – may need to include address
- Special instructions, such as what to bring or wear or pick-up time for a kid’s party, or “dinner following”
- RSVP or Regrets only and contact info, whether phone, email, or both

I know this list is pretty basic, but it is surprising how many invitation orders on our site leave off time, location, address, contact info for RSVP.

Other things you might want to know about invitations. Invitations can be flat printed or can be raised printed. Raised print is also called “thermography.”

Have other questions about invitations? Ask me at info@iby.com or via commenting to this entry. I’ll answer here. And if I don’t know, I’ll find out! Click here to read more!

Party Plates

For every party, you must decide whether you are going to use plates you have on hand (or can borrow), or plastic or paper plates. Some of the paper plates out there are simply beautiful. I’ve been adding paper tableware to the IBY site and keep thinking, “I want that one, and that one, and that one. My grandsons would like this one. This would be cute for a baby shower…”

When my kids were young, getting special party tableware to match the party theme was always fun. Sometimes we did large plates for the meal portion, small plates for the cake and ice cream portion, large & small napkins and cups for both. The few left over supplies we had were always fun reminders of the special occasion until they ran out – though I’ll admit the cake usually ran out first…

For small adult parties, I have glass party sets handed down to me from my mother-in-law. You know, the kind that have a place to set the cup that can either hold a hot or cold drink. (I don’t get them out any other time.) Or I might use my china, or other special plates, with my goblets. But if my party is too big for that, I like buying some pretty paper plates and napkins. For my youngest daughter’s graduation party, we simply used the school colors for solid color plates and napkins.

If at all possible, I prefer not to use plastic-ware for forks, spoons and knives, but when I do, I like buying the sturdy ones that don’t break easily. Click here to read more!

Teen parties

My husband sent me this link to a 1950s instructional video on teen party planning – you’ll only need to watch a minute or 2 to get the idea. I’ll admit I watched it all the way through - mainly for laughs about how different it was then. Such as “soon after the food is served, it is time to go home.” Talk about rigid!

The basics the film covered were: guest list, invitations, refreshments, and entertainment. At that time matching up the number of girls and guys invited to a party was considered important—not something we find so necessary these days. The other three are, of course, something to consider any time when planning a party.

Also, covered was party etiquette. So I thought I’d share this just-for-fun quiz that addresses etiquette issues.
Can you be the life of every party? Teen Quiz

Free Fun Quizzes at FunQuizCards.com
http://www.funquizcards.com/quiz/teen/can-you-be-the-life-of-every-party.php

Now I’d like to see a quiz like this written by teens. If you know of one, give me a shout. Click here to read more!

Spa party food

When planning food for a spa party, first you need to decide whether you want healthy or indulgent foods. When I think of healthy spa foods, I’m reminded of two movies where the main character ate the cucumbers off of her eyes (“Last Holiday” and “The Day in the Life of Miss Pettigrew”). I’d rather have mine off a plate, thanks very much.

But if you’re going for healthy, finger foods, such as veggies, obviously come to mind. Whole grain crackers or breads, low fat cheeses and dips can be a nice addition. When choosing foods, keep in mind ones that don’t become sticky if hands are damp.

If indulgent, my vote would be for anything chocolate, petit fours, mini-cheese cakes. If you don’t want all sweets, bite-sized appetizers and fruit make a nice addition. Appetizers can be warm or cold depending on your situation.

Note for either style: if you’re doing manicures, choose fork friendly foods, that don’t require cutting.

I’d suggest offering teas and coffees, especially for the indulgent menu. You may also want to make a punch. Here’s an easy and pretty punch recipe.
1-2 frozen cans of lemonade
1-2 frozen cans of cranberry juice*
Carbonated water to reconstitute the juices.
Mix well.
Float some lemon or orange slices on top to make it look pretty.
And/or freeze juice as ice cubes to keep your punch cold.

*Use whatever fruit juice combination you like.

We have some fun spa invitations in the Girl Time section at IBY. This one is my favorite:

Elegant Pool

Click here to read more!

Pinning for Nursing Excellence

A pinning ceremony celebrates the completion of the degree by awarding each graduate a nursing pin. Nursing pins are designed specifically for each school's program and no two school pins are alike.

“Pinning dates back to 1880. It signifies the integrity and tradition of badges worn by the healers and crusaders of care,” Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D., Nancy and Hilliard Travis Professor and dean of the School of Nursing.

Here are two traditions that might be included in a pinning ceremony:

Nightingale pledge

Nurses Prayer for Pinning Ceremony

A pinning ceremony is often in addition to graduation. Click here to read more!

Party games for preschoolers

If you choose a venue with “big toys” as my grandsons call playground equipment, the kids usually don’t need game suggestions, they’ll just climb, run, slide, swing, jump, etc. If you want some organized games, don’t forget the old standbys of “duck, duck, goose,” “musical chairs,” and “red light, green light.”

Here’s an article from Today’s Parent to keep in mind as you plan: “Preschool Party Games: Games are a birthday party tradition that often backfires for preschoolers.”

A few resources for game ideas:

Birthday Party Games from ABC Home Preschool

Party Station from Preschool Express

Another article: “Preschool Party Games” by Rachel Paxton from Christian Parent

Do you have fun preschool games you’d like to share with us? We'd love to see them. Click here to read more!

Outdoor preschool birthday parties

We have a bunch of parents gearing up for outdoor birthday parties for their kids. They’re ordering the Farm Scene, Barnyard or Barnyard 2 cards for events set at local kid-friendly farms.

In our area we have the Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park, Kansas that makes a perfect place to have a birthday party for preschoolers. The only cost for the farm itself is if you want to feed the animals, which, of course is a blast. Besides the animals there is an old schoolhouse, fishing area, hayrides, pony rides (these latter 3 for a fee), mining area, milking area, playgrounds, and more. The outside playground has a covered area with tables that would be a good place to do cake and presents.

With my kids and their friends I remember preschool birthday parties at farms, zoos, aquariums. Some have entrance fees; some are free. In all cases entertainment is easy, parents come along for crowd control, and everyone has a great time.

So what is available where you live? Check it out and you might find a wonderful place to have a party for your children.

P.S. Feel free to share your ideas by commenting, too! We'll all benefit. Click here to read more!

Slime Time

Need a party idea for those elementary age kids, especially those ones who like icky slimy stuff? What about a Slime Party? One place you can buy slime is at Arsa Toys: SLY1130 -- Slinky Toys FunLabs Power Putty Slimes Kit (For Ages 8 and Up). There’s even a recipe to make your own slime here. Or for younger kids, Arsa has an appropriate snail game: Speedy Eddy.

And IBY has an invitation that fits the theme. It’s appropriately called Slime Time.

Party favors could include slug or snail themed items. I found a Snail Puzzle at The Jungle Store that would work well as a prize. I’ve seen slug candy, and there’s always gummy worms that would mix in well with this theme. A cake could be made to match the slime theme, too.

Click here to read more!

RSVP

Sometimes you’ll see “regrets only” on invitations instead of RSVP. RSVP came from the French "répondez s'il vous plaît" and simply means "please reply." The response gives hosts and hostesses the chance to be sure they have enough food and drink for a party or event.

Often an RSVP date is set a week or so ahead of the actual party or event date. However, if a caterer is involved, invitations may have an RSVP date of several weeks in advance. This is very common with wedding receptions.

The RSVP lettering, date and contact info, whether phone or email, are often on the invitation itself. For a more formal invitation, or an invitation where food choices are requested, a response card made be sent. These smaller cards come with a self-addressed envelope to be returned to the event’s host.

If you want information on RSVP etiquette, check out this site. Click here to read more!

Graduation Party Time

When you have a high school or college graduate—or you yourself are a graduate—it’s often nice to have an “open house.” With this style of party your invitations give a span of time when people can drop in. Family, friends and neighbors of all ages can come, visit with the graduate and others, enjoy refreshments, and leave when they are ready to go. Sunday afternoons are often a good time for an open house.

Make your food easy to replenish and self serve. I’ve been to parties where the offerings are appetizers and finger foods, others with sandwich platters or plates with sandwich makings to “build your own,” desserts or a large sheet cake, or combinations of these. Beverages have ranged from punch or sodas to tea and coffee. Whatever food items you choose, you don’t want to have to spend a lot of time during the party with food preparation. Instead enjoy visiting with your guests.

Decorations can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire. Balloons are always festive. It’s nice to set out some graduation pictures, if the party is after graduation. Or how about the high school yearbook for those high school graduates with pages bookmarked where their photos are found. I’ve also seen baby books or photo albums on display. They make fun conversation starters.

I’ve not seen games at these type of parties, though I have seen a room set up for the younger set with toys and videos playing.

We’re featuring some of our graduation invitations on the front page of our website. For more click here.

And if you’d like to read about Graduation Announcement Etiquette, check out this article. Click here to read more!

Easter

Easter is so early this year that I’m sitting here and suddenly realize, oh, my gosh that’s THIS Sunday. Today is “Good Friday.” You’d think it would have connected in my brain. Last Sunday at church they announced the service times for Easter, but I still didn’t think about an entry for my blog. So it’s way too late for me to give you Easter party ideas. Maybe next year.

At our house Easter is family time. When my kids were little we always decorated eggs ahead of time. It’s fun to do Easter egg hunts with the kids. Maybe have some Easter baskets with chocolate. My children were taught though that Easter is more than bunnies and Easter baskets. Someone shared the Resurrection cookie recipe with me a few years ago—I would have loved to have done these with my children.

I can’t find the original source, but here is a very readable site with the recipe for Resurrection Cookies.

Have a Happy Easter Click here to read more!

Party games for elementary age kids

I remember when my daughters had evening birthday parties – often a sleepover – one of the games they loved to play was Sardines. With all the lights out in the game area of the house, one girl is "it" and hides. The other girls search for her and when they find her, they smoosh into the spot with her. They stay there quiet as they can until the last girl finds all the others. It’s amazing how quiet they can be for a game! This is a good game to calm things down before bed. Well, if they actually go to sleep...

More Kid Party Games

“Top 8 Outdoor Party Games for Kids” by Kimberly L. Keith at about.com

Some Traditional Party Games for kids

Party Game Central has 182 kid games

Party 411 has a whole section on Sleepover Party Games Click here to read more!

Adult party decorations

Adult parties often don’t have themes, so how to decorate? You can always focus on the honored guest, if there is one. (i.e. Her hobby or passion. His job or how he likes to spend his spare time.) Party stores have almost anything you can think of to go with a décor theme.

Another option is to decorate to match the food you plan to serve. (i.e. Mexican food would have Mexican décor).

Yet another choice is to decorate using the theme of the closest holiday.

Then there’s always a bouquet of flowers, a few balloons, and some lit candles.

I’ve also seen someone decorate to match tableware, whether it be their own dinnerware or nice paper plates. Which reminds me, IBY is adding Tableware. I’ve been having a blast looking at a huge catalog and choosing paper plates in round, square, octagonal, prismatic, metallic with matching or coordinating cups, napkins and tablecovers for about any kind of occasion. The new products should be up in the next week or so. Click here to read more!

Game for Teens and Adults

Recently I came across a fun game idea called: I've Done Something You Haven't Done. It’s an Ice Breaker and Get Acquainted game that takes some thought, but could be lots of fun.

Here’s how to play:
1) The first person introduces themselves and tells the group “something they have done that they think no one else in the room has done.” This could be theme related or place related (i.e. somewhere I’ve been) or limited by senses (seen, touched, tasted), depending how you want to set up your game.
2) If someone else has also done it, they call out “Done It!”
3) Person one now needs to come up with a new something, until they succeed at mentioning something no one else has done.

One variation is to have each person start out with tokens (or pennies, etc.) – say 3 a piece. Whoever calls out “Done It!” first gets to claim the token. The game winner is the one with the most tokens. You could even make your tokens a donation item, such as bring 3 cans of food for a game—the winner gets to decide what charity receives the food. Click here to read more!

Bachelorette parties

Often put on by the bridesmaids or close friends of the bride, this party can be a fling before the wedding. Or just a fun female celebration. Here are some resources:

14 rockin’ bachelorette ideas from theknot.com

Bachelorette party icebreakers

An article – “Ideas for Throwing a Bachelor or Bachelorette Party” from about.com

Bachelorette Parties from bridesmaidaid.com

Welcome to Bachelorette Party Tips from lifetips.com

IBY has a Bachelorette Party Invitations section, too. Click here to read more!

Women only parties

Baby showers and bridal showers are often women only. But I’ve been to just for fun women’s parties – most recently Bunco parties. The ones I went to had prizes for the winner, the one with the most buncos, and whoever ended up with the necklace. To pay for the prizes we each contributed $5. The loser got their $5 back. Different gals brought food and the hostess provided beverages. We had a lot of fun, got to get acquainted with ladies we didn’t know before, and of course, enjoyed talking and snacking.

Here are some other games that might be fun – haven’t personally tried them, but would like to:

Visual Eyes Game by Buffalo Games
- Shake 19 dice to display thousands of combinations of simple icons. Now Quick! - take down all the words and phrases you can spot before your opponents. Creativity counts.

Buffalo Games Imaginiff Game
- Imaginiff is the hilarious party game where your opinion matters and you find out what people really think of you. Assuming you want to know, of course. The object of the game is simple! Just imagine what the other players are most like. Keep choosing the most popular answers to win the game. iMAgiNiff your boss were an animal? Would he be a Sheep dog?... or maybe a Bull?

Last Word Game by Buffalo Games
- The ultimate creative party game. Be the first Player to advance to the Finish by creatively connecting Subjects and Letters, while racing a Random-Interval Timer and the other Players! For example, Subject: "Vegetables"... Letter: "C". Players yell out... Carrots! Cucumbers! Corn! Cauliflower! 'tick-tick' ... The player with the Last Word before the timer sounds advances.

Here are more “Games for women’s parties” at Diva Girl Parties.

IBY has a whole section of “Girl Time” invitations. This is my personal favorite: Girls Night Out Banner Click here to read more!

The goody bag

I remember the days of looking for inexpensive ideas to fill goody bags for my children’s birthday parties. I wish I’d had so many internet choices as we do now. One of my favorite places to shop these days is the Jungle Store. And I found out they had a whole goody bag section! So if you want some animal themed items check them out.

A good place to go in person is dollar stores and dollar sections in stores like Target.

Sometimes though instead of a good bag per se, it’s fun to do a craft project together and each child gets to take their craft home. Here are some fun ideas from Arsa Toys.

For Girls
-Bracelet Kit for $15 by Fashion Angels - Wrist Pix
-Fashion Angels has a jewelry kit to make all kinds of fun jewelry - Bead Party! Jewelry Workshop

For Boys
-Fast Car Race Cars Pull Back kit - only 3 cars come in this set for $15 – but what a cool project.

For Either
-When I was a kid we only got to do spin art at the county fair, but you can have your own machine for only 20 bucks! My Art Spinner - Alex
-Mask making using a small paper plate – adults may want to cut the eye holes – but then use miscellaneous craft items to decorate. If you need a good supply of craft material – check this out: Giant Art Jar - Alex
-Makit and Bakit Sparkling Decorations
-Foam Craft Workshop- Scratch Art

Some of the birthday invitations that have been ordered quite a bit lately on our site are related to science experiments--another fun activity at a party. I think this one is my favorite: Mad Scientist, but this one is fun, too: Slime Time Click here to read more!

St. Paddy’s

How are you planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? One year a friend of ours introduced us to the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage and Boiled Potatoes meal. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. Cook the cabbage in the broth from cooking the corned beef and it is very tasty. Of course, adding butter to the potatoes is good, too.

Restaurants and bars often have green drinks or foods in honor of the day.

Want some recipes for celebrating? Food Network has a whole section.

But maybe you want to plan a party for the fun of it. Here are some resources.

For the Younger Set
Kid’s Party Fun has St. Patrick’s ideas for kids.

St. Patrick's Day Games and Activities for Kids at Kaboose

St. Patrick's Day Games & Party Ideas for Kids, Family & Classroom

St. Patrick's Day Crafts, Activities & Recipes from Family Fun

For the Older Set
Some Irish Drinking Toasts and more

Creative Homemaking has even more ideas.

Invites
Plus check out the fun invitations we have at IBY that are designed for the day. Click here to read more!

Teen birthday party themes

Teens may or may not want a party theme, but it sure makes decorations easy if you have one. Sometimes a theme can be sparked off of something the teen loves, does, or wants to do. It might be inspired by a food, an invitation, or from a list such as one from the references below.

Love to Know not only has good ideas, but some questions to consider

Discovery Center has an article on “Teen birthday party ideas.”

About.com offers an article called “Teen Birthday Party Planner.”

The Teen Party Ideas website has a whole section.

Another article “Birthday Party Ideas for Teen Girls: Throw a Party They'll Love” focuses on girls.

Boardman’s Birthday Party Ideas site also has a teen section.

Of course, doing matching invitations is fun. IBY.com now has a teen birthday section. And remember you can customize the wording to fit your teen and party. Click here to read more!

Calligraphy markers & Fill-in Invitations

Can’t afford printed invitations? But don’t want to use fill-ins because you don’t have good handwriting? Don’t despair! Get fill-in invitations and buy calligraphy markers—these special pens turn regular hand-printing into special printing. They are easy to use and come in different thicknesses of marker. Calligraphy markers can be found at Office Supply stores and Art Supply Stores and are less than $10 for a package of 5 or 6.

And we have tons of fun fill-ins to choose from. Here are some of my favorites.

Fairy Fill-in
Fish Bowl Die Cut Fill-in
Kitty Die Cut Fill-in
Party Bubbles Die Cut Fill-in
Robot Die Cut Fill-in Click here to read more!

Fill-In Thank Yous for Kids

It’s good to teach kids how to say thank you, but it can be painful for them to have to write a note. IBY has a cute and simple option – Fill-In Thank You Cards. http://www.iby.com/Fill-in-Items/Thank-You. They come 8 or 10 to a package. See some samples from our many themes below.

Princess Die Cut Thank You Fill-in
Trophy Die Cut Thank You Fill-in
Boy Circles Fill In
Ice Cream Stretchie Thank You Fill-in

Some of my coworkers wish they could use these, too… Click here to read more!

Couple Showers

When I got married, bridal showers were the only option for brides. But five years later when I had my first baby I was introduced to the concept of “couple showers” when a baby shower was given for both my husband and myself and our baby (back in 1980 we didn’t know what she’d be!). Now I see couple showers for weddings and babies. And why not? Both are going to enjoy the gifts given. Both can have fun at a party. I think one of the things I like best about couple showers is that most of the really dumb games have been dumped. Food, friends, and presents are enough for a good party for adults. Click here to read more!

Fun birthday party idea

A friend just told me about a Puppy Party for young elementary age kids or preschoolers. The mom has ordered a variety of stuffed animal puppy dogs from The Jungle Store. Each child at the party will get to pick a puppy and name it. Mom has prepared “birth certificates” for these stuffed animals. Plus, as a craft the children will be making collars for their puppy. (The puppy picture is $8.)

I could see this being done with a variety of animals. And invitations that might compliment this party idea come in fill in variety and printables.
Poodle Fill-in
Girl Dog Die Cut Fill-in
Spot the Dog
Puppies and Kittens

Click here to read more!

Bridal Showers

Bridal showers come in as many varieties as brides. Some are hosted by family or friends or coworkers. They may be held in a home or a restaurant or even at a spa. I’ve been to ones that were a specific product party – where you purchased presents for the bride at the party and if you wanted anything for yourself, she got credit for those items ordered, too. Bridesmaids or close friends may do a lingerie shower. There can be kitchen showers, bed and bath showers as well as general showers.

At IBY we have some fun invitations to go with about any kind of bridal shower you can imagine. Here are some of my favorites:

Recipe Shower
Vintage Shower
Gathered Shower
Wedding Shower
Lingerie Shower
Bridal Scrapbook
Elegant Affair

Of course, any invitation can be personalized to fit the theme you are planning. Click here to read more!

The Wedding Cake

Or cakes. Traditionally, there was the bride’s cake, which sometimes had sheet cakes to back it up. As a child I remember groom’s cake which was individually wrapped small pieces of cake—haven’t seen that in a very long time. The bride’s cake or wedding cake seemed to be always yellow or white cake, often with white icing as the base and then colored icing (in pastels) decorating the cake. I don’t remember thinking how good the cake tasted.

Things have changed. And for the better. I’ve been at weddings that served carrot cake or chocolate cake or cake with flavored fillings. I’ve seen primary colors decorating cakes. I’ve eaten ones with cream cheese frosting.

My youngest daughter and her fiancé chose to have two cakes – from two different bakeries. They liked a chocolate cake at one bakery. At another they liked a white cake with a strawberry filling. Both were lovely. Both were tasty. Guests got to choose which kind of cake to have.

So like with the food for the reception, do what you want! It’s your wedding and your reception. You might as well enjoy the cake or cakes, too. Click here to read more!

Wedding Reception Food

When my parents got married, the ceremony and reception was at my father’s parents’ house. Most wedding receptions for my generation seemed to be simply cake, punch and/or champagne, plus nuts and mints either at a church or community meeting room. My children’s generation’s wedding receptions are often much more complicated and often include sit down dinners—some buffet style and some served individually—at expensive venues that must be booked months in advance. I don’t think it just is a matter of “trying to impress” others, but that we are now a more mobile society and people often have to travel long distances for the weddings. You hate not to feed someone who has come so far. It’s also a good way to get to spend time with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while. And, yes, many of us are more affluent than our parents were.

Personally, I think families shouldn’t go into debt for weddings and receptions. It’s still okay to have the cake and punch reception. If you want a meal, consider:
- a nice buffet style meal that you prepare yourself (get friends and family to help)
- ordering finger food and sandwiches from the warehouse stores or large grocery stores
- seeing if a local restaurant has space you can reserve for a meal and if necessary limit it to close family and friends
Any of these options are a lower cost than having a catered dinner for the entire guest list.

If you do choose to have it catered, however, make sure you know what you want before you commit to anything. You can discuss pricing and options with several caterers and compare. You can ask a caterer for pricing on more than one option. If you’ve decided what you want, don’t let them sway you. For my daughter’s wedding, she and her fiancé wanted Italian food served. They picked out some variety – it covered those with vegetarian and dietary needs. The caterer was worried that not all people like Italian food. We couldn’t think of family members or friends who wouldn’t be happy with something on the menu the two had chosen, so held firm. It was a very lovely dinner and we heard no complaints about the food. Most important of all the bride and groom were very happy with their special day.

Often when doing a dinner reception, brides and grooms order response cards, so they know how many will be attending. Click here to read more!

New products

We are so excited about new cards we’re adding to our site. See New Arrivals for a sampling. Whether you are looking for birthday, wedding, baby, holiday, engagement or graduation cards—something new has been added in each category. And, we’re in the process of adding more!

Plus soon we will have tableware – plates, cups, napkins, tablecloths. I’ve been picking out designs and am very pleased with the variety of choices our vendor is providing. We’ll let you know when they are up on our website. Click here to read more!

Invitation Tips

Whether you are designing and printing invitations yourself or having us design and print, here are some tips to assist you.

Wanting to do a formal invitation? Then spell out your numbers – see examples below:

Thursday, the seventeenth of January two thousand and eight at eleven o’clock in the morning…

Less formal? Possible choices of formatting:

January 17, 2008 or January 17th (if you use the day of the week, put it first, followed by a comma: Thursday, January 17, 2008) at 11:00 a.m. or 11 a.m. or 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Need help with wording? Some cards have sample wording you can use. Or you may like the wording on one card sample and want to use it on a different card. Feel free. We’ve recently added a link on our website that gives you ideas for wording by category; browse Verse-It for just the right text.

Pesky prepositions. Wondering whether you need to say “on” Thursday or “at” Jungle Jane’s? If you break up lines, the prepositions are unnecessary:

Thursday, January 17th
11:00 a.m.
Jungle Jane’s
123 Wild Street
Animaltown

Is there a better way to say it? We also have customers ask us for advice on wording they have created. Don’t be afraid to ask when placing your order. If designing your own invitation, ask a friend for suggestions.

Have questions we haven’t addressed here? Email us at info@IBY.com and we’ll post the answers in a future blog.

Click here to read more!

For Two

Planning something special for your Valentine? How about a party just for two. Make it special with a personalized invitation. We can print a single invitation at IBY. Pick a design, tell us what you want it to say, choose font, and color. You can ask for a proof, or we can just ship it straight out to you.

And if you need help on what to say, check out romantic quotes and love poems. Lingerie Diva has them in English and Spanish! Click here to read more!

Planning a Valentine’s Day Party?

Today’s offering is a collection of resources for you.

For Children

Valentine's Day Party Ideas and Party Games for Kids

Valentine Crafts for Kids

Valentine's Day Party For Kids

Valentine's Day Games and Activities – with printable resources

Valentine Party Games for Children

For Children, Teens and Adults

Valentine's Day Party Ideas for Kids, Teens and the Young At Heart

Games with a Valentine Spirit

Valentine Fun

Everything Valentine’s

And, if you need invitation ideas – click here for a selection of Valentine related Invitations. Click here to read more!

Beach party ideas

If you’re lucky enough to live near a beach in a warm climate, it’s always easy to plan a beach party. But if you live in a cold climate, you might want to warm up your winter with a beach scene of your own. Check out these resources for ideas.

Birthday Party Ideas has tons of beach party theme ideas

Surf Party Theme (For Adults)

Beach Party Ideas for Teens – beach not required

Beach Party food

And if you need invitations, here are some fun beach ones:

Beach Party Festival Fill-in

Beach Chair Die Cut Fill-in

Click here to read more!

Making a Splash! Pool party Ideas for kids and teens.

Have access to an indoor pool or live in a warm climate? Then plan a pool party!

Games
A fun pool party game is Marco Polo. Whoever is "it" has to swim around the pool with their eyes closed trying to tag other players. When "it" calls out Marco, everyone else has to yell "Polo." "It" tries to find people by sound.

Of course, there’s always Pool Volleyball and Pool Frisbee or races with floatable water toys. Here are some Game Resources for you, too.

Swimming Pool Games for large groups

More Swimming Games

Sharks & Minnows How To

Fun and Games for the Swimming Pool

Resources for pool themes and ideas

Kids Pool Party Ideas

Pool Party Ideas for Older Kids and Teens

Pool Party Ideas for Kids – this is aimed at summer parties, but many of the games and décor ideas could be used for an indoor pool

Pool Side Party Ideas - themes

Pool Birthday Party – tons of ideas

Here are some invitations that are great for pool parties, too.

Thanks to M Connors for the pool photo from morguefile.com!

Click here to read more!