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31 Days of Party Planning {Day 18: Make Key Investments}

Welcome back to my 31 Days of Party Planning.  Wow, we’re on Day 18 of my series and doing great!  If you haven’t don so yet, go here to read the rest of my series!
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/Today I’m talking key investments.  What kind of key investments?  Key PARTY investments!  If you’re known for having several parties a year, I suggest you buy some items that will help make your party easier.  Some of my staple party essentials are:
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  • Cake Stand
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  • Hot glue gun and glue
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  • 3M clear hooks
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  • serving dishes
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  • oval platters
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  • appetizer plates
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  • hole punch
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  • string or twine
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/just to name a few.. I suggest you only buy these items if you have more than one or two parties a year.  Plain white is best so you can reuse them to fit any theme or color you have at your party with a few changes here and there (e.g. ribbon on the cake stand) There is no need to run out and buy all these things at once!  I suggest you buy key elements when they are on sale and store them away until your event.  You’ll be so glad you have them!
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day 17  of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!

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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 17: Drinks/Cocktails}

I don’t know what it is but at parties, but guests always go straight for a drink upon arrival.  Maybe it’s their nerves, some say it’s because they are thirsty from chatting with other guests, other’s do it because it’s a way to slink away and gather their courage before braving a party they may not be truly comfortable in.  All I know is drinks are everyone’s first choice even before food/snacks.  I always like to serve a variety of beverages at my celebrations.
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/various type of alcoholic drinks isolated on white
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/Here is a list of beverages you can have on hand for your guests:
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  • juice boxes
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  • soda
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  • coffee/tea/hot chocolate
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  • and don’t forget bottled water!
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/Other drinks you can offer your guests are
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  • Ice tea/lemonade
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  • Beer or Wine
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/Make sure you have plenty of glasses and cups available for your guests (we don’t want guests out of a bottle!)  And make sure you take into account the ages of your guests and have appropriate drinks served -but of course you knew that!  And if you are looking for a bit of extra pizzazz, I suggest some pretty awesome paper straws to impress you guests.  Oh and look at that I happen to offer paper straws over at my shop! {shameless plug}  You can also have labels on your drinks so your guests will know which is their drink.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day 17  of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!
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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 16: Decorations & Tablescape}

Hi everyone and welcome back! If you haven’t done so yet, please see my previous posts from my 31 Days of Party Planning series here.
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/Today we’re talking Decorations and Tablescapes.  Once you choose your color palette, and have bought or made your party supplies, the next step is to decorate your area.  Assuming that you are having your party at home, you don’t want to go crazy nailing holes in your walls (which is not good!)  I suggest you use 3M clear hooks, they are easy to use and awesome!  Removal is a cinch and you won’t ruin your lovely home with yucky holes! 🙂
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/When decorating your home, take inspiration from your invitation and go from there!  Implementing your invitations color and design can help set the ‘feel’ for your party.  Even your guests have an idea of what to expect from your invitation, so having the theme show through out your home would be ideal.  A great trick I use when decorating is to have assigned ‘stations’. For example: if you’re serving food and drinks you can have a food or a drink station.  Same idea goes for a crafts or sweet station.  You can even hang adorable signs you print or hand write and place them on the table or hang on the wall.  This also helps with keeping your party organized.
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/tablescape by sandra lee
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/A tablescape (like the pictures above) is a fun expression of your party’s style.  You can really pull a room together with a few awesome decorations.  It doesn’t have to be uber expensive to be impressive.  You can find things at your local Target dollar section as well as clearance isles.  You can also purchase items after a holiday for awesome sale prices.  The dollar tree is also a great source for awesome party supplies or other items that can be incorporated into your theme.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day 16 of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!

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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 15: Color Craze}

Let’s talk color… I think color is what brings the theme of a party together.  When planning a party, simple is best.  You don’t need to go overboard and stock up on a bunch of different items in various colors, then realize that it doesn’t quite fit your party.  I like to keep the color scheme to three colors.  I either use three shades of the same color from dark to light or three complimentary colors like red orange and yellow (Unless of course your having a rainbow themed party 😉 ). When planning your party, start off small.  Pick one or two colors and focus your theme on that.  It will help keep you organized  and narrow your vision for each party. It will also help eliminate any products solely based on the color. Sticking to your color scheme will also help you re-use any left over supplies from previous events. You can recycle or reuse any left over streamers, balloons, cutlery etc that you’ve bought.  A great example is if your having a “Red, Pink or Purple” Party you can use Valentine’s Day supplies.  Especially after Valentine’s day is over that’s when many of the shops will have great sales and you can stock up on whatever you need on the cheap!  Don’t worry about any labels they may have.  You can always cover the label with stickers or construction paper or just remove the label (if necessary). 125DaysPartySidebar Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day 15 of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!

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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 14: Dessert Table}

Welcome back to my 31 Days of Party Planning Series!  Today we are on day 14: Dessert Table.  For the rest of the posts in this series please go here.
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/Desert tables have been all the rage for a while now and I personally think it’s a fun great alternative to birthday cakes.  Not that we don’t have room for cake (who doesn’t) but it’s nice to know that those of us that have a sweet tooth can enjoy a tasty treat. I myself do not eat cake, shocking I know. I never really ate cake even as a child (it could be that my parents never bought me a birthday cake?)  Any who, I do enjoy chocolate cake on (rare) occasion but prefer a cookie or even a cheesecake.
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/You really can’t go wrong with a sweet table.  I’ve had my share of parties that have included sweet treats. Staples for my desert table have been: brownies, cookies, rice krispy treats, donuts, M&Ms, and so on! I usually buy candies that go with the color scheme and theme of the party. I also keep an eye out for any allergy inducers since some of my loved ones do have allergies to certain foods. I try my best to accomodate them, especially children. I don’t want anyone feeling left out because I didn’t take the extra step to ensure a child’s safety.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!

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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 13: Cake}

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/It’s pretty simple when it comes to cakes!..  If you enjoy baking and feel confident that you can rock out a cake that meets your standards without going bananas or neglecting the rest of the party planning then- then I say: go for it!   Every birthday I go through dilemma of baking or buying my cake.  I’m very hands on when it comes to my events so I always prefer to bake my cake.  But what if there is no time or you don’t have the skills to bake your cake?  No problem!  Just head on over to your local bakery shop or your local Supermarket bakery department and buy a lovely cake there!   Most stores have ready to buy, plain sheet cakes as well as pretty round cakes in their refrigerated bakery section. You can often have them add some coordinating finishing touches on the cake or you can take it home and do it yourself.  Of course they also have some themed cakes that may go great with your party and all that’s left is the candles and done!
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/Above is picture of a princess cake for my niece’s birthday.  Since she is my niece and God daughter, I wanted to give her a cake for her birthday.  She wanted a princess cake, and since I don’t have a working oven right now (another story for another time), I went to my local BJs store and ordered her cake a few days prior to her party.  They even added the princess toppers and mini ring.  The baker even gave us the princess tiara and wand free of charge! (They usually offer you one or the other) this cake was huge and fed about 30-35 people for only $25.00!  Awesome!
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/Either way you really can’t go wrong with baking (or buying) your cake.  Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day 13  of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!

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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 12: Menu Planning}

Day 12 of the 31 Days of Party Planning series is all about the food.    For the rest of the posts in the series, please go here.
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/When planning your menu you need to consider a key factor: time.  Actually the time of day.   Are you having a breakfast party, lunch party, dinner or brunch party?
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/I consider anything before 10 am breakfast (just like fast food chains have 10am as their cut off time for breakfast) -which I think is a good idea.  Remember to keep things as simple as possible.  Serving orange juice, milks, muffins, fruits, etc is a nice easy, filling refreshment for morning party goers.
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/If you’re going the route of brunch, I suggest light refreshments: like punch, soda, finger sandwiches, snack foods (pretzels), fruit, veggies and cookies, etc.  You can even serve wine, beer, muffins, or brownies when having after dinner parties.
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/I’m a good cook but no where near the spectrum of Rachael Ray or Nigela Lawson, so I tend to keep things as simple as possible.  I admit that there were times when my family have helped me.  Which I always appreciate. When planning your menu, I do suggest you to buy your food items, this may dip into your budget but it will help with your meals.  You don’t need to hire a caterer, just buy some foods from your local wholefood clubs like BJs or Sam’s Club that can be reheated(or chilled) and served.
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/I’m a bit crazy when it comes to menu planning.  I like to coordinate my meals according to my party themes.  If I’m having a circus party, I’ll serve cotton candy, peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs etc.  It doesn’t cost a lot and prep time is a cinch!   It’s so much fun when everything coordinates and looks like you put a ton of work into it when you actually didn’t!  Am I right.. eh eh?  I’m a very picky eater so I tend to stick to my favorites as well as what my kids like at our parties.  Lucky for me I like simple stuff that go great at any party, at least I like to think so!
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/Most importantly DON’T FORGET THE CAKE!  After all what’s a party without any cake!
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day  12 of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!
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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 11: Photos}

Wow wow wow Day 11 and going strong!  Welcome back to my 31 Day of Party Planning, to check out the rest of series please go here.
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/A picture is a great way to visually tell your story.  You want to capture special moments of your loved ones.  All the prepping and planning you’ve done for the party, the reaction of the birthday child when they see the decoration, the dancing, food, laughter and family.  Those are great memories you want to preserve for years to come.  Here are some great tips for capturing your memories.
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/1 Get your camera ready – make sure your camera has fully charged batteries and a back up pair.  You don’t want to miss out on some funny, wonderful moments during the party.  Plus you spent a lot of time and effort prepping for the party so why not capture all your hard work!
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/2 Ask someone you trust to be your photographer.  I’m sure there are some great shots you’d like to take but sometimes you need to just be in the moment.  If your too busy taking pictures you won’t be able to enjoy the party or the birthday child.  Besides you can’t be everywhere at once!
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/3 Take many pictures!  You can always sort through the blurry or bad photos during your down time, after the party.
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/4 If budget allows, hire a professional.  I don’t know how many times I wish I had a professional photographer at our parties.  It’s nice to have someone else there capturing your memories while you enjoy yourself!
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day 11 of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!

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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 10: That’s My Jam!}

Welcome!  This is Day 10 of my 31 Days of Party Planning.  Check out my 31 Days of Party Planning for the rest of the series!
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/I loooove music!  I listen to music with everything I do.  It’s my motivator and my mood enhancer!  I listen to music in the shower, while doing dishes, driving, cleaning, when I do laundry.. even when I blog 😉 !  Like I said I looove music!  In my opinion every party needs a great playlist, but it also needs to be something appropriate for your party.  At my kid’s parties, we  play songs that are kid favorites, mostly pop music (‘G’ rated), then we’ll have dance off or musical chairs etc.  Some adults don’t like music at the party, for them I have an action movie that will entertain them while we rock on!
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/When choosing a playlist I said let your kids decide!  They know what they like!  After all the party is for them right?
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day  10 of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!
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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 9: Help!}

What a wonderful time I’m having writing my series.  I have to say it is a bit of a challenge to write my thoughts in a cohesive manner but I’m trying my best and I hope my series is helping!  Please come back often and check out the rest of the series.  Remember to go to my 31 Days of Party Planning to catch up on all the latest bits!
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/HELP
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/Today I thought I’d use this moment to remind you ask for help!  I am the worst at this.  I only do this for one reason -to control everything.  I know that sounds bad but that’s how I am.  I don’t mean to control everything, it’s just that I have a certain vision when it comes to decorating a party.  No one knows what I’m thinking but me.  I don’t expect anyone too.  So that’s why I try to control my parties.  I’m pretty good in other areas.  I’m a go with the flow type of gal.  But parties… parties I just feel that I need to do things just so.  If not then it’s not… perfect. But my parties are never perfect.  I have to learn to live with that.  So I urge you, please don’t do what I do!  It causes unnecessary stress.  I have learned to ask for help over the years and to accept help when I’m offered.  It’s something I struggle with but I am getting better! 🙂
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/Now ask yourself what will you need help with?  Your level of help depends on the type of party you’re having.  If you’re going to a venue most likely they’ll have staff trained to assist with your needs.  But if you are having the party in your home you may need help with the set up and clean up of the party itself.  You will also need help with decorating, crowd control, games and activity station, food service, music and so on..  You can ask your family and close friends to help or even the parents of the children attending the party.  It really depends on your budget (for venues) and comfort level.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day  9 of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!
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