Try a Theme Party this New Years Eve

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dragonlightsIt’s New Years Eve and it’s time to celebrate the going of the old and the coming of the new. Everyone is in great spirits for the party. This year why not try something new and host a theme party.

Defining a Theme Party

A theme party is one that is based around a certain idea. It can be something related to the holiday or something totally different. It is all up to you.

Theme parties are fun because everyone gets to participate. All of your guests can wear a costume and come ready to have fun.

Ideas for a Theme Party

Well, there are a million ideas that would be appropriate for a party. Now, some stick with a traditional theme for New Year. How about the Roaring Twenties? Your guests can dress as Dapper Dan or a sultry flapper.

What about a 60s party? You’d be surrounded by flower power and long hair all evening but to each his own. The idea is to make the party one that your guests won’t want to miss.

Decorating for the Theme

When you choose your theme, you will want the guests to feel like they have walked into that time. If your theme is “disco boogie,” be sure that there is at least one disco ball hanging from your ceiling. You can forgo the lit dance floor if you don’t have room, but it would be a conversation piece!

Kids and a Theme Party

Don’t forget the younger set that is joining you for the party. They may not appreciate the 60s or the disco era, so give them the opportunity to have their own theme represented at the party. Your kids can come up with ideas for their generation. It doesn’t have to match the adults since they will be celebrating in a different space.

Have a Contest

Everyone will be dressed in their best to try and become the belle and beau of the ball. Come up with contest categories: Best Dressed, Most Authentic, Funniest Costume, and etcetera. So everyone can participate, type out ballots with the contest categories and let the guests vote for their choices. And yes, they can vote for themselves. There is one stipulation: Kids vote for kids and adults for adults.

The prizes can also be themed. Choose something appropriate for each group like a lava lamp for a 60s or a disco ball for a disco party and a pair of binoculars for a Dora and Diego kid’s party.

Who says that a New Year’s Eve party has to be just dresses and suits? A theme party adds a new dimension to the affair. Both kids and adults will want to get in on the fun that goes along with wearing costumes.

Host a New Years Eve Potluck

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confettiBring your family and friends together on New Years Eve with a potluck dinner. Each household can contribute something when you have a potluck dinner. That way, the responsibility of the food is not on just one person or family.

If you are fortunate enough to have other members of your family around, plan a potluck dinner to bring in the New Year. Begin by setting your plan in motion.

Start with the planning. Find a time when everyone can meet to hash out the details. You can come up with a menu together and then divide it into parts so that each household knows what they are bringing. Begin with what you may already have in your home. If anyone has paper goods, sodas or the makings of a dish, that will save money.

Set the time. Keep in mind that family members may have other activities planned for the evening. Usually earlier is better. Decide which family will host the dinner. You can rotate each year so that no one is missed.

Pre-dinner fun – Bring everyone together an hour or two ahead of time to spend quality time together. One activity that gets everyone up and on their feet is interactive video games. Anyone have a Wii in the house? Playing a game like Guitar Hero or Super Smash Bros. Brawl will fuel the appetite.

Don’t forget the card games. Families can have a great time playing Hearts, Rummy and Spades. For the kids, there’s Old Maid, Go Fish and Uno to name a few. Make it interesting and play for a golden prize of candy or small change.

Potluck – What are you serving that smells so good? Set up a table where everyone can serve themselves buffet-style. To avoid a messy rug or floor, place drinks in the kitchen on the counter along with cups and a bowl of ice. Using paper products makes clean up easy for the hosting family.

If you live in the south, no New Year’s meal would be complete without the traditional foods that may bring good fortune in the year to come. These include black-eyed peas for wealth, pork for prosperity and cornbread for gold.

Dessert will put the finishing touches on your potluck meal. Each family can bring their own offering for the after-dinner treat to add variety. The taste of these endless treats will give a sweet touch to your New Year celebration.

Post-dinner fun – Before everyone gets away, try this activity. Go around the room and let each person tell one thing that they would like to accomplish in the New Year. Now, your family can help encourage you to meet that goal over the next twelve months.

A potluck dinner is a great way to get friends and family together to ring a New Year. Have some food, some laughs and make new memories that you can treasure for a lifetime.

Budgeting on the 4th of July

eagleinsky

eagleinskyIt’s your turn to host your family’s 4th of July Extravaganza! Even so, your budget doesn’t have to be extravagant to create a festive place for everyone to gather, neither does the meal. Family, friends and fun is what the day should be about, not how much money you can spend. So with some simple planning and a little creativity, 4th of July can be done on a very limited budget.

Chicken is a great entrée and is usually inexpensive. Watch for sales in your local paper and buy ahead of time and freeze. Simply remove from the freezer, cut them up and place on the grill. Add some barbeque sauce or some of your favorite herbs and spices and you have a great start to a meal fit for a king or queen.

A cheap side dish is corn in the husks. Where we live, corn in the husks is sold at the local farmers market for about $2 for a dozen. Not only can you get it cheap, but it can be thrown on the grill with the chicken in the husks and it’s easy to cook.

How about watermelon for dessert? It is definitely one of the least expensive foods for how many pieces you can get. Mix with other fruits for a fruit salad, or serve by itself and you have a great summer treat!

There is nothing wrong with asking others to contribute a side dish for the day. Ask your favorite aunt to bring her special deviled eggs and you will probably make her day that you thought of her.

Decorations can be easy on a budget as well. White, blue and red decorations are available any time from mid May on, so you should find colored plates, cups, and silverware and table cloths at the dollar store. Buy some small flags and place in vases on the tables as centerpieces and before everyone leaves, let them take one home. That way they will always have something to remember your 4th of July party!

When issuing your invitations, ask everyone to dress in white, blue and red. This will make your backyard look decorated and everyone helped! Think about playing patriotic songs on the stereo for background music to help everyone remember what the day is about. And don’t forget to hang up the American Flag if you have one.

The 4th of July doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun and festive. Relax and enjoy your family and friends and be thankful for the USA!