Charles Schultz Philosophy

Someone emailed this to me and I just had to share.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with .

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care .

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia " (Charles Schultz)

My Jack-o-Lantern is better than your Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Carving Party

In my last entry I talked about Halloween Parties. What I haven’t talked about is Pumpkin Carving Parties.

I have a great neighborhood. Years ago, we started doing parties to make the kids holiday more fun. It has, of course, now turned into an adult competition. Since this is my blog, I’ll tell you mine is always the best. We all chose a holiday (yes, Julia you still have to do Easter, even if it means blowing out thousands of eggs) and I picked, surprise, surprise, Halloween. About a week before Halloween I have my Pumpkin Carving Party. I supply all the tools and patterns. Just an FYI, every year after Halloween, I buy all the pattern kits at 75% to 90% off. I now, after all these years, have quite a few (to say the least).

I send my invitation out a few weeks before the party.

My guests know to bring their own pumpkins to carve. I set up a large table (or two) and spread out everything they need. I’ve also learned that you need a couple of garbage can to get all the pumpkin inners. We don’t, but you could, take all the seeds and roast them. For younger children, I usually put out paint, brushes and smocks. That way they can decorate their own pumpkins.

Because this is a very casual party, I have my guest either bring appetizers or dessert. That way all I have to worry about is the entrée. I always make stew. I feel like stew symbolizes the start of Fall. Each year I search the internet for new and interesting kinds of stew. I have never served the same stew twice. I make sure I decorate the table that we eat on in a Halloween theme. Since I am a dish-aholic, I have a set just for this occasion (well two but we can discuss my dish addiction at another time).

After dinner we light the pumpkins on my porch and admire our work.

Try this party and you too will suddenly find yourself doing this fun holiday party year after year.

Elizabeth

A Screaming Good Halloween Party

Last year, for the first time, I decided that my 11 year old daughter and her friend could throw a Halloween Party. I was scared for many reason, none having to do with Halloween. She and her friend originally wanted to invite 35 of there closest friends. I vetoed that idea. I felt that 35, 6th graders, in my house, would be a disaster. So over much crying, whining and complaining (on my part), I agreed to 20 guests. In the end it turned out great, but to save you any headaches, I will share my knowledge.

As you can see I designed two different designs for Halloween Invitations (as always on my website).

The girls decided that it would be a costume party. Truly I like nothing better than to dress up for Halloween. Much to my children's chagrin. Oh well, embarrassing your children is part of a parents job.

Evidence marked Exhibit A:

The girls wanted pizza but besides the expense and trouble going and getting it, I wanted something that looked kind of gross. So I made spaghetti and put it in a big plastic cauldron. I lined the cauldron with aluminum foil just in case there was some kind of crack in it. I also made a Punch. One girls complained that it looked gross. I said "Thank you. I obviously did it correctly because it's Halloween, it's supposed to be gross". Of course that was the same girl that once she tried it, couldn't stop drinking it. Bunny, the other Mom participating in the party made fantastic gross food.

Here are just a few of her "gross" creations.

Finger Cookies

Rice Krispies Eye Ball

I had lots of fun decorations. I bought a drop down spider that was sound activated. I put it above the toilet tank. Whenever someone went to the bathroom we would all hear a scream. I don't think my 58 year old brother has gotten over it to this day. I had a motorized rat that I had run across the floor while everyone was eating dinner. I had a "Screaming Skeleton" that I put at the bottom of a flight of stairs. As soon as the kids got to the landing it light up and starting moaning. My genius moment came when I found my old fish tank. I filled it with water and some red food dye and then put in a mask (bought at the dollar store) and other body parts. It takes a minute for people to figure out what is in there but then . . .

As for party games, we had Twister and we also did a Mummy Wrap. A big hit as always.

The winner of the Mummy Wrap contest.

To end the night I let the kids roast marshmallows to make S'mores using our fireplace.

So, all in all, it was a big hit. Hope this helps you do your own Halloween party.

Elizabeth

Wine Novices have no fear, Gary from Wine Library TV is here

While surfing the web, I can across this fantastic (and slightly bizarre) blog by Gary Vaynerchuk at WineLibraryTV. For the wine novice like me, his information is invaluable. There is nothing worse than being at a liquor store before a party and not knowing what wine to buy. I start wandering the aisles looking at all the pretty labels. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't think you're suppose to pick a good wine by its pretty label. Anyway, hopefully this will help you (and me) to choose the right wine for your next party.

Elizabeth

The Most Perfect Lemony Lemon Cake - Ever!!

As I’ve stated previously, I don’t particularly like baking. People think I’m good at it because I have just a few really good (and easy) recipes. This is one of them. This is the most perfect Lemon Cake, ever. It is very lemony and really light (not in calories). The thing about this cake is, you really need to beat it. I know, it goes against the grain of baking philosophy. So put the mixer on and walk away and do something else. I beat usually about 5 minutes or more between adding ingredients.

2 lemons
8 tablespoons (1 stick), salted butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
6 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons sugar, for lemon syrup topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 8 inch loaf pan with parchment or wax paper.

Grate the lemon rinds and set aside. Combine the juice of 1 lemon with 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl and set in a warm place until the sugar dissolves and forms syrup with the juice. (This makes it seem more complicated that it is. I just combine the sugar and lemon juice and put the bowl on top of the stove. The heat from the oven does the rest)

Cream the butter and the rest of the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the grated lemon rid and flour; beat again thoroughly (the longer you beat, the softer the cake). Add the milk and beat again.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour; the cake should spring back when pressed gently in the center. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, prick the top with a long-tined fork (I make rows of holes so the syrup really gets into the cake) and pour the lemon juice/sugar syrup all over the top until completely covered. Cool in the pan to allow the syrup to be soaked up and create a moist tangy cake.

When you are ready to serve, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. I like to decorate the top with fresh berries.

Hope it helps,

Elizabeth

Bridal Showers with a Twist

My name is Elizabeth, and I’m a “theme-aholic”. I love to theme parties. Now that that has been said, let’s move on.

Some of my friends are now thinking about getting remarried and some are older and thinking about marriage for the first time. The have everything they need and more for a new "blended" house. So why not put an interesting twist on the old Shower.

"Stock the Garage" Bridal Shower
Invitations – I think this is the perfect invitation. It clearly defines the party. As with all the invitations on my blog, they can be purchased at www.invitetheparty.com

Decorations – How about tarps as tablecloths. Paint cans can hold a flower arrangement. Or better yet, if it’s a spring or summer shower, how about plants they can put in their garden later. Buy a few boxes of nails and screws and nuts. Not only will they look great sprinkled around the table, but can be used by the couple later. You can get some paint sticks for free so why not put those on the table too as a decoration. If you don’t want to use china, how about something fun like Bob the Builder paper plates.

Food: This is a totally casual party. How about barbecue ,6 foot hoagies or even pizza.

Favors: Why not give out a variety pack of picture holders. They are inexpensive and useful. How many times have you received a favor that you just didn’t know what to do with and had to throw away. You could wrap each favor with the color of the day or if you go with the Bob the Builder plates, use Bob the Builder wrapping paper and a pretty ribbon to wrap the favors.

Something for the Couple to Remember the Party – How about having everyone sign a Home Depot or Lowes Apron. What a fun way to remember all the guests who came.

"Stock the Bar" Bridal Shower

Invitations –I designed the above invitations to capture the spirit of the party.

Decorations – This kind of party speaks for itself. Decorations would be what you usually do for a cocktail or dinner party. If you wanted something a little different, what about a “Retro” theme. Pictures of the Rat Pack, Retro decorations, lounge music.

Food – You can really go two ways. Either hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, or a full out meal. It’s up to you and your budget. It would be fun to set up different stations with different kinds of drinks. If you are going “Retro”, find recipes from the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s.

Favors – How about a cork screw, bottle of cocktail olives, swizzle sticks.

Something for the Couple to Remember the Party - You can buy a platter that everyone can sign. There are pens that you can purchase at the craft store that are made just for this. They can use it at their next cocktail party. Or people could sign cocktail glasses. Either one would be fun to look back on.


"The Wine Enthusiasts" Bridal Shower
Invitations – I designed the above invitations to capture the spirit of the party.

Decorations – Again, this kind of party speaks for itself. Decorations would be what you usually do for a cocktail or dinner party.

Food – There are a few ways you could do this. One would be a wine tasting party. These can be set up from companies in your area. They usually supply the wine and an appetizer. You could also serve you own wine and hors d’oeuvres. Lastly a full out meal. Basically it depends on your budget and how many people.

Favors – How about wine bottles from a local vineyard with a label with the event on them. You could do a corkscrew or a wine glass filled with candy.

Something for the Couple to Remember the Party - Wine Glasses signed by all the guests. . There are pens that you can purchase at the craft store that are made just for this.

I think any of these theme would be fun, but please remember never mix the “Stock the Garage” Party and”Stock the Bar, power tools and liquor never mix. LOL.

Hope this helps,

Elizabeth

Fresh From The Garden Pesto

What do you do when you have a scary, hip high, basil plant and a tomato plant with lots of cherry tomatoes? Make Pesto, of course. As you can see I have a rather enormous basil plant. I took this picture after I made pesto so it was missing quite a few leaves. You can also see my tomato plant. Sadly I used all the tomatoes for this dish, but there are plenty more in the very near future. Of course that’s if the deer don’t get them, again. I used pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts, because my son has a nut allergy. I had never tried this before, but it turned about wonderfully.

Before I give out this recipe, I just want to remind everyone that I don’t cook with exact measurements. Taste it, smell it, see what’s good for you.

3 cups basil leaves
4 cloves garlic (less if you don’t like garlic)
1/3 cup of Romano cheese
1 cup pumpkin seeds (see how you like the consistency)
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (enough to make it paste like.)

Pasta of your choice
1 cup cherry tomatoes (give or take or not)

Put on the pot of water for your pasta. While that’s getting ready to boil, put all the ingredients in the food process. Chop into a paste like consistency. Put half in a large bowl. Make pasta. When pasta is ready and drained, put it in the bowl. Put the other half of the pesto on top, the tomatoes and then mix it all together. That’s it. Enjoy the time with you family and friends and not slaving in the kitchen.

If you are looking for other interesting pasta recipes, check out http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.com/2007/04/presto-pasta-night-roundups.html. This blog has it's readers send in their favorite pasta recipes.

Hope this helps,

Elizabeth

Roaring Good Dinosaur Birthday Party

I was looking through some pictures and found my son’s Dinosaur Birthday Party. So it inspired me to write about it.

Invitations:

As you can see, these are the invitations and thank you cards I used.

Crafts:

They decorated there own goody bags with dinosaur stickers, dinosaur stamps and drawing their own dinosaur scenes. The kids love being little Picasso’s.

Games:

Dinosaur Dig. I had an old kiddy pool and I filled it with sand. You can use a large box or plastic bin. I bought dinosaur eggs at www.orientaltrading.com.

I love this store for party items. I blindfolded the kids and had them dig for the eggs. I did it one child at a time and gave them a minute to dig. They loved it! Whatever eggs were left over, I put in the goody bags at the end of the party.

Pin the Horn on the Triceratops- I made my own. I found a picture of a Triceratops and enlarged it. I then cut off the horn and made enough copies for the kids. I had the kids write their names on them so we would know who won. I placed the enlarged picture on a poster board. You can give any dinosaur prize to the kids. I happened to have found dinosaur puzzles at the Dollar Store. This game is always new and different because you change the theme with each party.

Dinosaur Mask – I bought dinosaur masks and had the kid’s act the way the dinosaur would. Please note: WEAR EAR PLUGS! By the way, the dinosaur masks also make great table decorations.

Piñata – A Dinosaur Piñata filled with candy is always the perfect way to end the party.

Cake:

I just bought a simple sheet cake and decorated it with dinosaur figures that my son already had.

Decorations:

For table decorations I again used dinosaur’s my son already had. It certainly saved on cost. Another fun thing you can do is lead your guest to the the party with cut outs of dinosaur prints. Start at the driveway and take them all the way to the front door.

Goody Bags:

After the kids have decorated their bags and put their names on them (very important for your sanity), I put them aside until they need them. I have them at the dinosaur dig to collect their eggs. I also make sure they have them for the piñata. After that I place a personalized party candy bar in their goody bag along with the mask they had.

This is one the most inexpensive birthday parties. There are so many inexpensive dinosaur toys around. I started at my local dollar store and of course Oriental Trading. (Note to self, check to see if Oriental Trading has an affiliate program, since you mention them so often. There has got to be something in it for me. LOL).

Hope it helps,

Elizabeth

Grocery Shopping at Amazon.com

So I decided to become an affiliate member of Amazon. I figured that I buy books from them anyway, so why not try to compensate what I spend with what you, my readers, might buy. Anyway, lo and behold I found that they now sell groceries. From what I can see, the prices are cheaper than my local grocery store. Also, you get free shipping. How cool is that. So instead of me describing what they do, I cut and pasted their description. If you click on the Amazon Grocery icon, you can see what kind of grocery items they have. If anyone has tried this, I would love to hear what it was like. I’m definitely going to try and then I’ll tell you my experience.

Shop Amazon Grocery Today

• We offer more than 22,000 non-perishable grocery items--and our selection is growing every day


• We can ship all products for free, via Super Saver Shipping, Amazon Prime, or free standard shipping


• We have great everyday prices plus special offers on your favorite brands


• We make it exceptionally easy to find products you buy routinely, or to discover new items we think you'll like

As an Amazon customer, you expect to find an unparalleled combination of selection and value, no matter what type of product you seek. That's exactly the premise we started with in building Amazon Grocery. To that foundation, we added features that would create a new kind of shopping experience, one where it's easy to keep track of the groceries you want and easy to discover new favorites, and then have them delivered to your door free.

SelectionAt Amazon Grocery, you'll find longtime staples, from Kellogg's to Jiffy Pop. You'll find new entries, such as Kashi cereals and Kraft Easy Mac microwavable snack packets. And when we carry a brand, we'll try to carry every flavor available: For example, you'll find all varieties and flavors of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn, from Smart Pop to Pour Over Cheddar. We're also making regional favorites like El Sabroso available nationwide, and making hard-to-find specialties like Zico Pure Coconut Water a standard part of our mix.

We also have an extensive selection of natural and organic products. If you haven't heard of Immaculate Baking Company or Bear Naked, let us be the first to introduce you to these earth-friendly brands and their fantastic products.

ValueOur goal at Amazon Grocery is to make sure you find the products you want, available at a competitive price. To do this, we're working with our manufacturers on ways to keep per-unit costs low. For example, items you purchase might come in larger packs than you see at a traditional grocery store, and we might ship a product in a manufacturer's original case.

All products offered in Amazon Grocery are eligible for some form of free shipping. Most are eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping and Amazon Prime. Some exceptionally heavy or bulky items, such as paper towels, have been excluded from these programs to avoid inefficient air transportation. For these items, we offer free standard shipping, so you will receive them within three to five days of ordering.

Because we only carry products when we can offer great prices and free shipping, we don't carry everything (yet!). For example, we don't currently offer perishable items such as milk, fresh meat, or peaches, because we can't ship these for free. But, we work on improving our selection every day, so check back often to see what we've added.

A New Way to Shop

long with this new category of products, we're highlighting a feature we call Your Shopping List, which you'll find under the "Your Lists" link on the top of every page. Your Shopping List makes it easier to locate and keep track of items you purchase routinely--products such as coffee and tea, cereal, paper towels, and cookies. You can order one or all of the products directly from your list, and you can add and delete items with the click of a button

Pretty Neat Little Tips

I received an e-mail from a friend with these tips. I don't know where it originated, but these are great. Thought you might be interested. To whomever wrote these, THANK YOU!

Bed Sheets
After drying my sheets, I put both of the neatly folded sheets and one of the pillowcases in the other pillow case. The next time you change sheets, you just take out the one pillow case with the sheets and the other pillow case inside. No need to look for matches.

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal the bag and mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up, mixing thoroughly. Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze the mixture into the egg. Then simply throw bag away when done, easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes.You can double it in size.You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat fewer sugar/calories per serving.

Reheating Refrigerated Bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper Weeds-Away
Start by putting in your plants. Work your normal nutrients into your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go, cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds WILL get through some gardening plastics. They will NOT get through wet newspapers. (This one I use and it really works. Just make sure you don't put the recycling out the week you plan on doing it or you'll be calling neighbors begging for their old newspapers. Yes, the voice of experience.)

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken pieces of glass, the fibers catch ones you can't see!

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it. To keep them from eating all of your bird seed, add red pepper flakes to the seed.The birds aren't bothered by it, but the squirrels hate it!

Easier Thank You
When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of Thank You cards for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mother gets ready to write out the thank you notes, they're all addressed!

New Bike
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place his/her picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is ever stolen and later recovered, you can remove the grip and there is your proof who actually owns the bike.

Flexible Vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum hose. It can be bent or flattened to get into those narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. The same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing pantyhose.Place the pin in seam of slacks and "voila!" static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient (such as peanut butter) and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog up, rub with the eraser! It works better than a cloth!

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner that you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Good-bye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass and fill it to ½ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home" and can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so (especially if it rains) but it works and you don't have to worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Sand Gone
Take baby powder to the beach. Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder. The sand will slide right off your skin.

Hope this helps,

Elizabeth

Ahoy Matey, It's a Pirate Birthday

It has been pointed out that I have not given equal time for boy’s birthday parties. For that I apologize. Without further ado, I present a boy’s party.

What boy doesn’t a some time or another enjoy being a pirate?

Invitation: Sadly I couldn't upload the invitation I sent out. I'm still trying to figure out what the problem is. What you are seeing is the thank you note that we used. If you would like to see the invitation, please look at it on my website at http://www.invitetheparty.com/. As with most of the invitations I design for my kids, they end up on my website.

Crafts: I always like the kids to decorate their own goodie bags. I give them plain white bags from the craft store and then put out lots of markers and stickers. They can decorate any way they think a pirate theme should be.

We decorated blank bandannas but Oriental Trading now has lots of fun pirate crafts to choose from.

Games: The kids always love a treasure hunt. I end up doing them at every party because it is always requested. Having a treasure hunt helps you in two ways

1) You don’t have to assemble goody bags before hand
2) It takes up a lot of party time for the treasure hunt.

Depending on the age of the child, there are different ways to give clues to find a treasure box.

1) For younger kids, I have taken pictures of the location of the treasure boxes. That way they try to figure out the location from the picture.
2) I’ve given clues that would say, hop 10 times or take 15 steps to the left. It helps with the party fun to be able to jump, hop or crawl.
3) Another fun one is to rip up the clues and put them in different balloons. They have to pop the balloons and then all the kids get together in order to put the clues together.

The key is the make it interesting for your age group. I usually put out about six treasure boxes with goodies or candy in them.

Another game is the piñata. My son’s birthday is in March and I still send them outside for the Piñata.

Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate.

You can also put tattoo on the kids. What’s a pirate without a tattoo?

Paper Goods: There are so many different kinds of paper goods for a pirate party that it really is up to you.

Cake: I made the cake following Family Fun’s Pirate Cake recipe. They even have a video how-to so definitely check it out. http://www.familyfun.com/

I certainly had fun doing this birthday. There are so many ways to go with this, I just hope this helps you get your creative juices flowing. If you have any questions, let me know.

Elizabeth

My New Invitation Designs

I just thought I would show some of my new invitation designs I just posted on my website, http://www.invitetheparty.com/. No story just hawking my wears. I know, shameless.

Elizabeth

No Cook Summer Spaghetti Sauce

I was reading Ruth Daniels blog (onceuponafeast.blogspot.com) and she has been doing something called Presto Pasta Nights. The recipes look delicious so I decided to enter one of my recipe.

I know people will find this hard to believe, but New Jersey has the best tomatoes. We are called the Garden State for goodness sake. So with summer here, I feel need to give out my Summer Pasta recipe. The thing about this recipe is if you want to add more add it, if you don’t then don’t. You can’t make a mistake with this because it’s personal preference. The only thing you cook is the pasta.

Fresh mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz or more if you like.) cut into bite size pieces
Tomatoes (about 4) cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2-4 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like garlic, personally I love it)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti

Make spaghetti as per package instructions. Place cooked pasta and all the ingredients in a large bowl. Combine together and serve. It’s great with a salad and Italian bread.

Even if you don’t have Jersey Tomatoes you will enjoy it.

Elizabeth
www.invitetheparty.com

Princess Birthday Party

My daughter was asking me questions the other day about the Princess Party I threw for her when she was 5. I asked her why all the questions and she said that her friends little sister wanted to have a Princess Party for her birthday. I realized that maybe other families could use some ideas.

Invitations: As you see these are the invitations that I made for her. They were such a big hit, I put them on my website. Each turret is hand glittered. Girls and glitter, need I say more.

Food: I had finger sandwiches.

Decorations: I went a little crazy at this party, but it was well worth it. I bought the plastic wine glasses that and hot glued jewels on them. The girls just loved them and wanted to take them home.

Cake: I found the most fabulous Castle Birthday Cake to make on www.familyfun.com

Crafts: What’s a Princess Party without crowns. Make your life easier, you can buy the kits at www.orientaltrading.com.

Games: We played “Pin the Crown on the Princess” and Pass the Parcel.

What girl (or woman) doesn't want to hold court and be a Princess for the Day.

Hope this helps,

Elizabeth
www.invitetheparty.com

Rosemary-Grilled Shrimp with Tuscan Bean Salad

A friend called me to figure out how to plan "Fourth of July" party. She had me design her Fourth of July invitations. The invitation to your party really sets the theme. She then said that she didn't want to have the same old thing menu. I gave her my never fail "Rosemary-Grilled Shrimp with Tuscan Bean Salad". This is the recipe that people LOVE!

So here goes:

Rosemary-Grilled Shrimp with Tuscan Bean Salad Recipe

2 lbs uncooked shrimp (peeled)
2 cans of white beans (large cans)
1 cup chopped and seeded tomatoes (you can add more if you like tomatoes)
1 red onion (chopped)
¼ olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon of flaked hot pepper (optional)

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Wisk until well blended. In a large zip lock bag place 3 tablespoons of marinade. Place shrimp in the refrigerator for a 1/2 hour. Turn shrimp once.

Place beans, tomatoes, onion and marinade in a bowl and gently mix. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Place shrimp on a skewer and cook on grill for no more than 3 minutes on each side.

I serve this with either orzo or rice and of course really good bread. This sooooo easy recipe wows the crowds.
Hope you enjoy.

Elizabeth
www.invitetheparty.com

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ever

I was at a 4th of July party and was again asked to bring my famous “Ultimate Chocolate Chip” cookies. I know what you’re thinking , chocolate chip cookies are chocolate chip cookies. Not once you've eaten these. I usually ask people to sign a waiver stating that I cannot be sued for how tired you get making these cookies for everyone. Once you bring them somewhere not only are you asked back but only if you bring these cookies.

Before I give you the recipe, I just wanted to explain that the cooking time I have on here is not necessarily the amount of time you should cook them. Confused? A great baker friend of mine told me that she always pulled her cookies out before they are fully cooked. Never wait until they have even close to brown. The cookies will come out plumper and softer and may I add unbelievably good.

So that having been said, here goes.

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips*
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips*
1 cup white chocolate chips*

( I like using Ghirardelli chocolate chips but it's up to you.)

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Place flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture slowly. Beat until well blended. Stir in the chips. Drop dough by heaping teaspoon 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (remember this could vary from oven to oven. Check after about 6 minutes to see how they are doing.) until the edges are not quite golden brown. Remember, don't overcook these cookies or they will not taste as good. Let cookies stand on a cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire rake; cool completely.

Enjoy.

Come Down from the Ledge - Dinner Party Advice

A woman that I know was talking to me about how she has never had people over for dinner. She said that she had always wanted to but was afraid of failing. I asked her how she could fail when you have friends over? She said that she was afraid of not serving the right food and not setting things up correctly. She said that she always felt at ease with my get together's and that I always had things in control. I laughed and said you don't see how I am before the party. So I thought I would try to simplify for people how to throw a good dinner party.

1. Planning. From the moment I decide to have people over, I have a theme. What I mean by that is the food is the theme. Whether it's Italian, Greek, Mexican, etc, choose it and stick with it. From appetizer to dessert, it should all be consistent. I also like to look for recipes that are a little obscure. Who wants the same food all the time. Make it interesting, but also make it easy for you. I love "googling" the theme that I want and looking at recipes and deciding what I want to use. Just in case, this sounds too intimidating, you can always do take out and then put them in nice dishes. I've also done that. Quite honestly, I don't think people really care as long as 1) they don't have to cook and 2) they feel relaxed.

2. Inviting the Right Mix of People - I know it sounds strange, but I have a diverse mix of people I know. Although I usually like a lively conversation, sometimes views can differ drastically and some people are very vocal about their views. In that case, it just makes people feel uncomfortable.

3. Send an invitation - The invitation is the first glimpse of what kind of party it will be. It's very important to set to tone early. Decide if you want something casual or formal. Your guests will pick that up from the invitation you send them. Look at the examples that I sell to see what I'm talking about.

4. Preparation - Make sure that you prepare as much as you can before hand. I usually set the table the night before just so I can get it just right. I love an interesting table. I don't mean you have to spend a lot to decorate your table. I've been known to sprinkle jellybeans around the table for Easter or fake spiders for my Pumpkin Carving Parties. Cook what you can and spend the time you have to finish cooking talking to your guest. Everyone loves to be in the kitchen so take advantage of it and have drinks in there.

What I always remind people, these are your friends. Hopefully they are not there to judge you, but to enjoy your company. So relax!

If you have any questions, let me know.

Elizabeth

http://invitetheparty.com

Tea Party

I helped plan a Tea Party birthday party for the daughter of a friend of mine.

Party Colors: We did this party in all pink and white.

Invitations: Personalized Tea Pot or Tea Cup Invitation

Food: The food was little tea sandwiches on a pretty plate stand. Also, it's fun to have cupcakes instead of cake. All with pink and white icing. These can be displayed on a cupcake stand.

Craft: The craft was actually decorating a cup. These can be purchased cheaply at a Dollar Store, Ikea, etc. The girls had a great time decorating them. You can buy special pens at a craft store for this.

Games: Freeze dancing, Pass the parcel, Pin the cup on the saucer

The girls also brought their favorite doll and we had a separate table set up for the dolls own tea party.

As you can tell, this kind of party if for a girly girl.

Hope it helps.

www.invitetheparty.com

Wedding Table Names

For those of you who thought you had to just have Table 1, Table 2, etc at your wedding, think again. The trend now is to name the tables. I've had customers who have named them after places they went to when they met. Other customers who had a beach wedding and named them after NJ Beaches. It's so much more fun to find Cape May or Wildwood than Table 1 or Table 2. Think about it.

Elizabeth
www.invitetheparty.com

Got Questions?

If anyone has any questions regarding party planning, party ideas, menu ideas, party games, gifts, or just life problems. Let me know, I'm here to help.

Dr. Party Planner
www.invitetheparty.com

Great Gift Idea

I dropped my daughter of to yet another birthday party. (Girls seem to go to a lot of them) We gave the birthday girl (she's 12) a personalized notecard set. She loved it. They are especially loved when the girl (or boy) have unusual names. So if you want to give a very loved gift, think about personalized notecards. Check out my website for other designs if you like the idea. www.invitetheparty.com

4th Grade End of School Party

So not only did I have a 12th birthday party for my daughter on Friday but I also had an "End of Year" party for my son.
I am going to spread my knowledge on this subject.
I have been a Class Mom way too many time. I have always enjoyed it and am a little sad that soon I won't have anyone to do it for. After 5th grade, there is no need for a Class Mom. (sniff, sniff)

This year's party.

1. Relay race. Kids love it
2. Water Balloon Toss. Always a hit!!
3. Freeze dancing. Very silly.
4. Eating. Make sure you have plenty of food on hand. As a Class Mom you set the tone. My tone is always, eat as much sugar as possible. There's plenty of time to eat healthy, this is not one of them. I once worked with a Class Mom who's son was allergic to literally everything. She decided that because her son couldn't have it, no other child could either. It was one of the worst party years we ever had. I am very understanding of food allergies. My son is allergic to tree nuts and shrimp. I carry an epipen with me at all times, but, I do not expect the rest of the class to do without because of what he cannot have. So that having been said, kids love anything chocolate. Surprisingly if given a choice they also love cut up fruit and popcorn. So I alway make sure I have those options.

Also, remember to just be calm and let the kids and yourself enjoy it. They are only kids once.
Any questions or comments are welcome.

www.invitetheparty.com

How to Plan a Pre-Teen/Teen Birthday Party

I thought I would pass on how to throw a party for a teen. I just completed a 12th birthday party for my daughter. She decided at she wanted 35 of her closest friends, including some boys. While some might think me insane (including my husband) I am now a hero in my daughters eyes. I had the party start at 6:00 p.m. and end at 10:00 p.m. This make 12 year old feel a little older. They were having such a good time, that they were all calling their parents and asking to be picked up later.

So here are some things I learned while throwing this party.

1. Think simple food. My daughter wanted finger foods (mozzarella sticks, pizza bagels, pigs in a blanket). They were a lot of work. No sooner had I brought one platter out, I was refilling it again. That's fine if you have help doing it. This party consisted of my husband and I. I should add that the kids LOVED the food. As a matter of fact, they wanted to know how I made the mozzarella sticks because they were so delicious. When I do this again, I would either get someone else to help (just cooking the finger food) or I would order pizza.

2. We had water balloons and water guns. What a huge hit. I made sure I informed people in the invitation that we would be having this so they could bring a change of clothes.

3. Outdoor Fireplace. I started that after the water balloon fight. They were able to warm up. They thought this was great. I then had s'mores they could make. As always, a huge hit.

4. We had karaoke. Although not everyone loves it, a large percentage does.

5. Dance, Dance, Revolution. I borrowed it from a friend. The kids love it.

6. We also have a trampoline and swing set. The kids kept themselves busy using both of these.

7. As far as decorations and paper products go, I just went with color. So the theme is color. Remember that all parties need a theme. No matter how large or small, there has got to be a theme. It makes planning easier.

The thing I learned about this party is that I didn't need to plan anything. What I mean by that is that I didn't need any planned games. They just did what they do best, Hang Out.

Hope this helps. If you have any question, just ask.
www.invitetheparty.com