Tea Party Invitations and Decorations

You may be able to find invitations appropriate for a tea party theme at a discount or party supply store.  If not, it’s easy to make them yourself.  Simply cut teapot or teacup shapes out of construction paper or card stock.  Write the party details on them.  If you want to add any special notes, you could add a string and a small tag with the note so that it looks like the tag from a teabag.

You will need a nice table setting for the tea party.  A pretty tablecloth and cloth napkins will add an air of elegance.  A pot or vase of fresh or fake flowers makes a nice centerpiece.  And don’t forget the teapot, cups and saucers!

Tea Party Food and Favors

Cupcakes and finger sandwiches are the natural choice for a tea party.  Small fruits such as grapes and strawberries are also appealing, and they add a little extra nutrition to the party menu.

If you prefer to have a large cake, your local bakery or caterer may be able to make a teapot cake.  You could also simply make a sheet cake and draw a teapot on it in icing.  Or you could make it look like a table and add a strategically placed toy tea set.  When the party is over, the birthday girl can keep it to play with.

Tea is the obvious drink for a tea party, but many parents would prefer that their children not have the caffeine-loaded drink.  Using decaffeinated or herbal tea will ease fears of hyperactive kids running around for hours after the party.  It’s also a good idea to offer an alternative such as fruit punch, because some children do not like tea.

Tea party favors could include miniature tea sets.  These can be bought inexpensively at the dollar store.  Feather boas are also popular, and the girls can wear them during the party for added glamour.  You could also buy a normal sized toy tea set and fill the cups and pots with candy.  Wrap them in tulle or plastic and tie it all up with a pretty ribbon for a beautiful favor.

Tea parties give young girls a chance to practice their manners while having a good time.  They also make for great fun on a birthday.  Birthday tea parties are inexpensive and easy to put together, making them wonderful for both kids and parents.

A marriage is a partnership in every sense of the word.  A husband and wife must work together to keep a household running smoothly.  But who should do what is often a source of conflict.

* If you need help with something specific, ask.  Most husbands are willing to do specific tasks when we have our hands full and they don’t.  If possible, ask him to do something that he enjoys, or at least doesn’t openly hate to do.

* Find tasks that you can do together or alongside each other.  This will allow the two of you to spend time together while also getting something done.  And the pleasure of your company might make an undesirable chore more palatable.

* Offer to help him with his projects.  If you are willing to help him clean his car or do the yard work, he will surely appreciate it.  Then he might be more likely to offer to help you out when you are working around the house.

* Talk about how your day went.  Husbands often don’t realize how much their wives do in one day, and this can lead them to believe that we should accomplish more than we do.  Filling them in on all of the things we have to contend with could evoke some sympathy, possibly even inspiring them to volunteer their assistance.

* If you prefer a more structured approach, assign specific chores to everyone in the house.  You could make a chart that tells which chores everyone is to be in charge of.  Consulting with your husband when doing this is crucial.  If he is included in the decision making process, he will be more willing to follow along.

* Give lots of praise when your husband does help around the house for positive reinforcement.  Nitpicking about the things he did wrong will only make him less willing to help.  While it’s acceptable to offer some constructive criticism, it is essential to find something positive to say as well.

Getting your husband to help around the house may be effortless, a little coaxing or black mail.  By letting him know how hard you work to try and get everything done and asking him to do specific things rather than expecting him to know what to do on his own, you can often get some willing assistance.  And the end result will be a neater, cleaner, and happier home.

Princess Party Invitations and Decorations

Princess parties are quite popular, so you can find princess-themed invitations at many discount and party supply stores.  You could also design your own with your computer, or you could make them from scratch.

Crown-shaped cards would be very fitting.  You could add stick-on jewels from the craft store, or some silver or gold glitter.  Other shapes that are good for princess party invitations include castles and glass slippers.

For decorations, you could make a princess banner and put up lots of pretty streamers and coordinating balloons.  A princess needs a throne, and you can whip one up in no time using a chair, a sheet, some ribbons, and a soft pillow to sit on.  Piñatas are decorative and serve as a party game as well.  Choose something like a unicorn or castle to go with the rest of the décor.

Princess Party Favors and Food

There are lots of party favors that would work well for a princess party.  Wands, goblets and costume jewelry are nice if you’re going with store-bought favors.  You can also find inexpensive paper crowns to use instead of the standard party hats.

You could easily make your own party favors to save money and add a creative touch.  Card stock paper will make a fairly durable crown, and you could provide stick-on jewels and other pretty things to the girls and let them decorate their own.  You could also cut out stars from cardboard, decorate them with glitter, and glue a dowel to the back of them for homemade wands.  For a simple yet elegant favor, put some assorted candy in some pretty tulle and tie it up with a ribbon.

Miniature sandwiches make a dainty food for a princess party.  Simply make regular peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese sandwiches and cut them into quarters.  Pink lemonade or fruit punch served in goblets or teacups provide royal refreshment.

Castle cakes are a hit at princess parties.  Most bakeries can make them.  If you want to make your own, you could use a regular sheet cake with a smaller cake centered on top of it.  Add upside-down ice cream cones at the corners to create a castle shape.  Then decorate with icing, and add a tiny princess figurine to complete the look.

A princess party doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun.  You can make almost everything on your own, or you can find inexpensive favors and decorations at your local discount store.  Your little princess will have a memorable birthday, and her friends will talk about what a great time they had for weeks to come.
Resource : “Princess Party” By Party By Mom

Pirate Party Invitations and Decorations

Invitations for pirate parties can be lots of fun.  You can probably find a variety of designs at any party supply shop, but it’s much more fun to make them yourself if you have the time.  Your soon-to-be birthday boy will probably be glad to help.

Treasure maps are ideal for pirate party invitations.  You could make a regular card with a treasure map on front, or you could make an authentic-looking treasure map with the party information on the back.  Using parchment paper, or paper that is of a similar color, will make the maps look more authentic.

If you’re hand delivering the invitations, a message in a bottle is lots of fun.  Simply write the party details on some parchment or similar paper, roll it up and tie it with string, and put it in an empty glass single-serving soda bottle.  You could even put in some sand or small shells for added effect.

For decorations, you could use Jolly Roger flags or toy swords hung on the wall.  Pirate or ship piñatas also make great decorations, and they provide an easy party game as an added bonus.  Large treasure maps also make great decorations.

Pirate Party Food and Favors

There are several types of cake that would go well with a pirate party.  A skull and crossbones cake is a popular choice.  A cake with blue icing would make a great base for a pirate ship cake topper.  Alternatively, you could use cupcakes topped with pirate-themed toppers or candies.

Fish-shaped snacks go nicely with a pirate party.  Goldfish crackers or gummy fish could be served with the cake.  You could also cut apples, pears, or other fruits in half and stick a toothpick in the middle of the flat side, adding a triangular piece of paper to make a pirate ship.

Small pouches filled with chocolate coins make fun and simple party favors.  Goodie bags can also be filled with items such as eye patches, small toy swords, and other treasures.  A treasure hunt makes a great party game and allows guests to “earn” their favors.

Planning a pirate party is lots of fun, and the party itself is even better.  Playing pirate is great, and it’s even more enjoyable when you have lots of props and plenty of friends to play along with.  Make sure you have a camera on hand, because there will surely be many memorable moments. Here is a great resource guide to preparing your very own “Pirate Party”.

Many of the party games you would purchase for a theme party are adaptations of traditional games.  Why not come up with your own twists for these games?  Doing so will can you money in many cases, and you might come up with something even better than you could buy in a store.

Musical Chairs

Musical chairs is a favorite game for kids.  It’s also very easy to adapt to virtually any theme.  If the party theme is based on a certain movie or cartoon, for example, you could use songs from its soundtrack.  Circus themes call for circus-type music, and so on.

If you have a hard time deciding on music, ask your child what kind of music she would associate with the theme.  You might be surprised with what a great choice she can come up with.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

This is a classic party game, and it works very well for parties that do not have specific themes.  For parties with themes, you can simply use other animals or characters.  For a circus party, for example, you could simply substitute a lion or elephant for the donkey.  If your child is having a princess party, you could create a “Pin the Glass Slipper on the Princess” game.  If you look hard enough, you can find something to pin on just about anything.

Treasure Hunts

A treasure hunt can go with any party theme.  All you really need to do is make the prizes fit with the theme.  You could write the clues so that they go along with the theme as well, but that is optional.

Memory

You may be able to find Memory cards in the theme of your child’s party at the dollar store.  If not, it is easy to make your own.  Just cut cards out of construction paper or poster board, and draw pictures relevant to the theme on them (two cards with each unique picture).  If you don’t consider yourself an artist, get your child to do it or buy two sets of stickers to use on the cards.

Games are a fun part of any party.  By taking traditional party games and changing them a little, you can make them go right along with the theme of your child’s party.  The kids will love it, and you can save money by not purchasing expensive store-bought games.