Tag: Birthday Parties

Planning a BBQ Clambake Party

Barbeques are popular for events such as the 4th of July, birthday parties, receptions, and going away parties. No matter why you have decided to plan a barbeque party, the memories that will come from it are sure to stick with your guests for many years to come, provided that you plan ahead. Alternatively, a new popular type of barbeque is a barbeque clambake. Clambakes are typically held in a pit on the beach, but if a beach is not available, you may want to consider holding your clambake right from your grill.

1) First, no barbeque would be complete without guests. Plan ahead of time, checking with your potential guest for scheduling conflicts and issues. Finding a date and time that is suitable for everyone should not be to far as long as you everyone enough advanced notice. Remember that not everyone will be able to come, no matter how much notice you give them, so do not get discouraged if you do not get as many RSVPs as your originally hoped for.

2) Be sure to check the weather for that type of year. If you live in a climate that cannot be predicted, then you may want to have a backup plan just incase unusual weather comes. You cannot predict things like rain and thunderstorms ahead of time, but you can make sure that you hold you barbeque during the time of year that will be pleasant to your guests. A barbeque in cold weather may hold more negative memories of trying to keep warm rather then good memories of family and friends.

3) You will need to purchase the items for your clambake. The traditional items you will need is Clams still in the shell, seawater(if available), corn still in the husk, and potatoes.

Side dishes can also be bought, but are not necessary since the potatoes and corn can act as such. If you feel that you need other side dishes, the simplest approach to side dishes is chips and dip. Chips and dip do not require any cooking on your part, and will still be loved by the majority of your guests.

4) Depending on the theme of your party, you may or may not want to purchase decorations. Festive decorations can be found at any local party or general store. You may also consider purchasing decorations that can be stored and reused at a different time, such as reusable tablecloths and Tiki torches. Give your clambake a beach theme by adding tropical music and you may even consider adding some sand.

5) The day before you party, you will want to make sure to thaw, prepare, and marinate the meat you will be cooking. Store the meat stored away, soaking up the marinate until it is time for it to go on the grill. Prepare any side dishes that you can ahead of time.

6) The day of the party, get up early and start preparing for it. You do not want your guest arriving while you are still cooking or hanging decorations. It should only take you a few hours at most to prepare the area in which you will be having the party, but the reactions from your guest will probably seem as if you have been planning this for weeks.

Place your clambake on the grill, layering your already cooked potatoes, corn still in the husk, and your clams on the grill. Then grill these until the corn and clams are complete.

Plan a Perfect BBQ Party

Barbeques are popular for events such as the 4th of July, birthday parties, receptions, and going away parties. No matter why you have decided to plan a barbeque party, the memories that will come from it are sure to stick with your guests for many years to come, provided that you plan ahead. Planning the perfect BBQ party is not difficult, as long as you follow a few simple steps.

1) First, no barbeque would be complete without guests. Plan ahead of time, checking with your potential guest for scheduling conflicts and issues. Finding a date and time that is suitable for everyone should not be to far as long as you everyone enough advanced notice. Remember that not everyone will be able to come, no matter how much notice you give them, so do not get discouraged if you do not get as many RSVPs as your originally hoped for.

2) Be sure to check the weather for that type of year. If you live in a climate that cannot be predicted, then you may want to have a backup plan just incase unusual weather comes. You cannot predict things like rain and thunderstorms ahead of time, but you can make sure that you hold you barbeque during the time of year that will be pleasant to your guests. A barbeque in cold weather may hold more negative memories of trying to keep warm rather then good memories of family and friends.

3) Purchase the type of meat that you will be serving at your party. You will want to have a least a couple of different kinds of meats, as everyone attending may not like a certain kind. It is usually safe to go with pork, sausage, hamburgers, and chicken. If smaller children are going to be in attendance, you should consider child friendly foods such as smaller hamburgers and hot dogs.

4) Once you have the meat purchased, you will then want to consider what type of sides dished you will serve. If you want a completely tradition barbeque, you may want to stick with traditions sides. Traditional barbeque sides include potatoes, potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. Your traditional condiment bar should include pickles, relish, and onions. These foods are typically severed at barbeques because they are easy to prepare and store until the event happens. You may want to cook other items, but any barbeque is complete with just the items listed above. Once again, if children will be present, you may want to consider sides for them as well.

The simplest approach to side dishes is chips and dip. Chips and dip do not require any cooking on your part, and will still be loved by the majority of your guests.

5) Depending on the theme of your party, you may or may not want to purchase decorations. Festive decorations can be found at any local party or general store. You may also consider purchasing decorations that can be stored and reused at a different time, such as reusable tablecloths and Tiki torches.

6) The day of the party, get up early and start preparing for it. You do not want your guest arriving while you are still cooking or hanging decorations. It should only take you a few hours at most to prepare the area in which you will be having the party, but the reactions from your guest will probably seem as if you have been planning this for weeks.

Who Loves Ice Cream?

It is a safe bet to say that most Americans love ice cream! It has been a standard part of most people’s diets for many generations. But if you ask a dozen different people what they like the most, you will probably receive a dozen different answers. It seems that each person has his or her own preferences; and with ice cream, they are usually very strong preferences. Each person simply knows what he or she likes the most. Surprisingly– or not– there are a number of factors which influence this type of preference, determining why some people prefer specific ice creams over others. While a person may occasionally try something new and different, he or she will usually have one flavor and one form that he or she likes the best.

Studies have shown that the main deciding factor in this preference is set in childhood. Ice cream, a standard treat for most American children throughout the decades, is often associated with good, happy, carefree moments of childhood. Sometimes this factor includes specific events in one’s childhood, or simply the time-period itself.

Associating one’s ice cream choices in adult life to early childhood is not as odd as it may sound. Ice cream preferences may be connected to childhood experiences, such as the favored dessert at one’s family dinners, the main focus at birthday parties, or a treat given as a reward for special accomplishments. Statistics show that if you were given a vanilla ice cream cone after attaining a good report card, for example, decades later you will still have a distinct preference for vanilla ice cream.

In ice cream preferences, there are a number of other factors which influence preference. Some are so common that the clerks who work in ice cream shops can often make very accurate guesses as to what a customer will want before he or she orders, simply based on these factors. Young children, for example, are those who are most likely to request the most creative types of ice cream. Youngsters are naturally drawn to such tasty oddities as gummy bears, and it presents a double treat for them when such things are added into or mixed into their ice cream.

On the other hand, high schoolers have a distinct preference for milkshakes. Teenagers loved milkshakes fifty years ago, and teenagers today love them just as much. Whether it is the still-popular oldfashioned form of a malted, or the ever-increasing flavor and style varieties of Dairy Queen Blizzards, teens love these products which are sold in large cups, portable and delicious.

Not surprisingly, it is the trendy young adults who usually prefer the trendy ice creams. Being drawn to the unusual names which ice cream manufacturers give these products, and the unusual compositions of these ice creams which may or may not live up to their names, young adults go for what is new, modern, and different.

Although each person is individual, of course, studies have shown generalizations in the ice cream preferences of people by group. Women have been shown to be more in-tune with the weight aspect of the foods they consume, and make up the majority of those who most often choose the low-fat and light styles of ice cream. Women are also shown to be more cautious in their food choices, preferring standard, basic, and what is most familiar.

On the other hand, it is usually the men who are most inclined to “throw caution to the wind” in their choices of desserts and treats, choosing their ice cream mostly on the basis of taste and enjoyment. But whether male or female, the older people are the more likely they are inclined toward butter pecan and pistachio.

Party Favors On A Tight Budget

Party favors are gifts given to guests during events like weddings, baby showers, children and birthday parties. There are a lot of choices, all depending on the occasion. There are favors which can be readily bought in gift shops, while others would prefer to put a personal touch by doing their own party give-aways.

Giving away gifts to your guests is a way of saying thank you for taking part in an occasion very important to you. Party favors could be simple like picture frames and trinkets. There are others who would have a general theme for their party, that would cover party decorations, food and even the favors.

Holding event parties or just a simple birthday bash could cost a huge amount. To stay within budget, there are times when you would have to follow some cost saving tips. Following them does not necessarily mean you would have to deal with poor party favors or party decorations. There are inexpensive party favors which would still make your party memorable for guests.

Here are some simple and inexpensive ideas for party favors:

For the holidays or any occasion, giving out candy favors is always a good idea. There are companies that sell wholesale candies, you could repackage them in nice bags and even put some ribbon on them to make them attractive.

Another inexpensive party favor is by making stationery. You could always design a card in your own computer and have it reprinted in the local printing shop. Again you could be creative on how you package them. You could even include favourite quote or an inspirational message on the cards.

You could get coffee and tea bags personalized. Giving away cups could also be good idea, you could put some personal designs on it, adding some flare on the cups or mugs.

You could even check different craft stores or warehouse stores. They would often have candles and candleholders in bulk which is inexpensive.

For weddings, you could get single-stem flowers from wholesalers. You could wrap them individually with cellophane which you can get from any craft store.

Cooking brownies, cookies and other simple homemade recipes would be a great idea for homemade recipes. You could even include the recipe in the package.

You can also give dream and aromatherapy piilows. You could fill them with herbs and dried flowers that would give out a fragrant smell.

Another common trend right now is allotting the amount supposedly for party favors to charity. This would make your birthday or wedding more memorable for you and the guests.

To stay within the budget, determine what kind of even you are needing and how many guests will be arriving. You would need to know the number of party favors will need to prepare to be able to draft a good budget. Whenever you are making a budget for a party or an occasion, always leave a little allowance. In case you run into certain emergencies, you would not be pushed into the limit.

Do-It-Yourself Party Favors

Holding parties for different occasions can be difficult financially. The cost of hosting events and parties are skyrocketing, take weddings for an example. The wedding industry is earning millions of dollars every year from flowers, cakes, catering, and party favors. Yearly occasions like holidays or birthday parties are also affected with continuous rise of prices.

One great way of saving on party expenses are looking for alternatives. So instead of buying ready-made party favors, you could start making your own. Not only are they more inexpensive, you could also give your gifts a personal touch. Party favors are given as a way of saying thank you to people who have celebrated with you and nothing would be better than to give thanks to them in a very personal way.

Party gifts do not have to cost too much. With a little bit of creativeness and enthusiasm, you would surely be able to make something for the party.

In wedding celebrations, you could always have the groom and the bride make or design party give-aways. This would be a great outlet for your creativity and at the same impress your wedding guests with your style and creativity. There are simple party favors that would not require too much of your time. For example, you could give away dream or aromatherapy pillows or mini-glass candy jars. You could put them in stylish boxes with ribbons and labels.

Candies are great party give-aways. With candies, you could buy them in wholesale, which will help you save on costs. You could put them in treat bags. You could personalize these treat bags by using stickers and rubberstamps related to the theme of the party. You could tie them with colourful ribbons. Aside from party hats, you could look for different templates on the internet that can be worn during the party. This is a wonderful idea for childrens party and would even work for some adult parties who would like to have walk back in memory lane.

Another great idea is making photo calendars. Everything is digital nowadays, it is rare to find actual pictures being printed. After the party, you could look for interesting pictures and great shots from everyone in the event. You could ask help from other guests who also brought their camera and took some pictures.

Actually, photo calendars are not that difficult to make. There are software and programs being offered online where you could choose the calendar template that you want. You could just insert the pictures and print them. You could also visit the local printer and have it printed there. You could easily finish it within a week and send it out to your guests. A personal note thanking them for coming to your party would surely make it touching.

Candles and candleholders are also great party favors. You could easily use them in a room to lighten up its atmosphere. You could give away unique and personal made candles, you could put them in wine, champagne or even martini glasses. There are candle making kits which would provide what you need, including wax color and scent. Pick out the best design that will match your partys theme.

Party favors do not have to be expensive or brought from an exclusive craft store. Party favors are gifts that hosts give to their guests as a sign of saying thank-you. Whether they were bought or handmade, it is the joy of sharing with other people your happiness is what is important.