Despite all this convenience Easter egg hunts are hard to plan because while there are all kinds of store packed Easter gifts for adults the children’s editions are rather limited and have mostly candy and/ or chocolate.

While candy and chocolate are a somewhat important part of Easter, there’s still the problem of how much candy and chocolate can one possibly fit in the Easter eggs while guaranteeing that the kids don’t over indulge on chocolate. A lot of people come up with the idea of putting things like school supplies in Easter baskets for kids or filling them with reward notes. For those of you who don’t know, reward notes are when you make a coupon to do a chore for your kid.

Although the idea is original, there’s the question of how popular will it be over chocolate and candy? The chances that the kids hold the Easter bunny hostage and ask for the real chocolate Easter eggs are higher. Apart from the ever difficult decision of what to put in Easter eggs there is the question of where to hide the Easter eggs. Although the idea of kids having fun looking for Easter eggs to fill their Easter baskets sounds good on paper, there is the question that every neighborhood must answer, ‘Whose backyard will the kids ransack while they hunt for Easter eggs?’

The easy way to select a backyard would be draw straws but there is always the option of using the local park or sometimes the local church can provide a place to host the East egg hunt. These places are better because there’re more places to hide the eggs and much more area for the kids to run around and work off some of the sugar hyped energy. The parents can easily come together to supervise the event. Then there’s the whole ‘what do I put inside my ten year old’s Easter basket?’ Only you know how hard it is to excite your kids about Easter and get them to go the Easter hunt as they grow older and the Easter bunny losses credibility so it’s important that whatever you put inside the eggs it’s worth their search.

This is actually the real challenge because on the one hand you want to keep their sugar level to a point where they aren’t bouncing off the walls while knowing that chocolate is the only thing that will make them happy. An easy way to do this is to hide ’some’ chocolate in all the Easter eggs and fill the rest with small things that kids like in general like little toys. At the end of the Easter hunt, give them a special treat at Easter lunch like a fruit bouquet that they can dig into.

Fruit bouquets come with the fruit dipped in chocolate so that the chocolate side is covered and you can rest assured that your carefully looked after backyard is intact and the kids are eating healthy this Easter.

I’m the happy mother of three kids aged 8 years, 5 years and 18 months and as my kids are growing I’m facing new challenges in parenting everyday. I know I only get though the toughest mom challenges because of the great support group I have, my family and my friends and my wonderful neighborhood community of super moms. I’m here to share with you how I get through every challenge in my life as i continue to try and provide the best for my children.

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Some of the fun is planning the décor, yes even dreaming of colour swatches and decorator themes. Of course there are some down sides, like all that packing (my God, where did all this stuff come from) and leaving your old neighborhood with teary goodbyes.

Well we can’t do much about all those boxes, but the teary goodbyes are not at all necessary because ‘you are going to have a housewarming party’! It is tradition,you really should do it! It is good etiquette. It tells the friends you left behind, that they are not forgotten and are welcome at your new home and it introduces you and your family to your new neighbors. If your new neighborhood is like the one we moved into about a year ago, it will also give your new neighbors a chance to meet each other.

Now how do you think that this tradition came about? It is practiced globally and is said to have originated in several different cultures. It is impossible to know the true origin, as it reaches far back into history. It is even said that cavemen started it when someone moved into a new cave. They would bring coals from their fire to start the fire in the new cave. I’m sure this couldn’t have happened too often, I mean, how many new caves were there?

Russia is the country most mentioned as the originator of the housewarming. The story goes that a Russian couple presented bread and salt to a dignitary passing through their town, and a tradition was born. Many other countries and regions, like Germany, Eastern Europe and India have stories as well and the traditional housewarming gifts all have meaning.

Bread-so you will never be hungry,

Salt-(sprinkled at each door entrance) to ward off evil and to bring good luck. Also to give life savor,

Honey or Sugar-for a sweet life in your new home,

Rice-for fertility (you might want to think twice about this one in case it works)

Hot embers-(I can’t imagine giving this one, I mean, how do you wrap it?)

Broom-to sweep away any evil,

Candle-so you will always have light,

Wine-for thirst,

Olive Oil-for health, and last but not least a

Plant-for long life (long living and healthy, it would not be a good sign if the plant died)

Today, giving a broom might be looked upon as a bit chintzy, but you can still stay with tradition by elaborating on one of the above. For example, how about a nice decanter for the olive oil, already filled or salt and pepper shakers also filled? It is also nice to include something that explains the meaning of the gift.

Who ever initiated the tradition, caveman (woman) or other, gets kudos from me. I can’t think of a better way to warm my house than with a gathering of old friends and possibly new ones.

Elizabeth GoughMoody lives with her husband and two adorable cats. She is passionate about etiquette and all of the niceties that make life enjoyable. she is the author and owner of [http://www.etiquette-andmanners.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_GoughMoody

Party Uppers

Children ages 9 to 12 are at an awkward age, but give them a fun party and they’ll lap it up. Since they are not official teenagers and no longer the little ones, giving them a party they can enjoy can tax your imagination and stamina. These tween party ideas will give your tween star status in the neighborhood.

Let the tween in you help you along these party ideas. If you’ve decided to host a Safari Sleepover, schedule it on a Friday night. The timing is right. The kids can catch some extra zzzs after a night of fun. But be sure to announce that the pick-up time for the kids is at 10 the following day.

An outdoor sleepover is a good idea, but for the kids’ safety, have the tents installed indoors. Put up a hotdog and harshmallow grill, but don’t forget to add a salad and animal-shaped sandwiches. Fill GI canteens with juice and distribute them among the guests. Let them whoop it up in the lawn – dancing and organized games – until you announce that it’s bedtime. Girls should be separated from boys if it’s a mixed party.

A tween party idea young girls enjoy is the “pajama dress-up” party. The girls can bring along their blings. Let them have a go at putting up makeup and do other girly things they all want to do – fix their hair, paint their nail with fun colors, and do a pajama fashion show. Of course, expect the girls to stay up late watching videos, swapping ghost stories, and doing just about anything. Girls are wont to do that when they are together.

If your tween loves to rock, she or he will be inviting like-minded friends. Host a rock party they won’t forget. A ’70s disco-themed party is a novel experience for the young ones. Clear the living room, install a disco globe, and get dance music they’ll rock to. To make it more authentic, hire a neighborhood DJ who can do the spinning. Be sure to keep a bottomless supply of the kids’ favorite eats, drinks, and munchies.

A beach party theme is also a welcome idea, whether you have a pool or not. Decorate the party venue with shell wired garlands, paper balls, mock palm trees, and surfboards. Prepare more than a dozen rubber slippers. Use colorful fish platters to serve your beach fare. Ask the guests to come in their favorite beach bum attire. If you have a pool, make sure that a lifeguard is around to watch over the kids.

Before the Party

Schedule the party on a weekend before the actual birthday. Get invitations to go with the party theme. A pillow invitation for a sleep over, a papier mache conch shell for the beach party, and a map invitation for the safari or treasure hunt party. Shop for party favors and ask your tween for the type of music he or she wants for the party. To make your shopping a convenient jaunt, have your money organized in one of those money clip wallets, and bring along the list of things you must buy for the party.

Call up the parents and ask for any restrictions on movies to watch and any food allergies to avoid potential problems. To help you out, ask the neighbors’ tweens to come over. They’ll enjoy the party too. If you have smaller kids, let them have a guest or two so they won’t feel left out of the fun.

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Why not try your hand at bringing the entertainment to your own backyard this summer? Granted, you may not be able to get a wave pool going through your yard, but with a little creativity you can have a backyard party that’s both exciting and memorable, and considerably easier on your wallet.

Planning an water park party

Party preparation should start at least a month in advance, if not more so. This is so you have plenty of time to shop for supplies, both in-store and online, and allows for delivery time for any items that you have to order. It also gives you time to get a guest list together and get them to RSVP.

For activities, people can get creative enough with a water hose and a sprinkler. Add a couple of wading pools, a Slip-n-Slide, and a cache of water balloons and water guns, and you’ve got a miniature water park in your own yard. Kids can run rampant, splash around, and have water fights without having to spend most of their time waiting in line for rides or getting yelled at to slow down.

Also, if you’re really concerned about recreating the atmosphere, popcorn and cotton candy machines can add flair to your backyard party. Not only do they make fresh water park food right there in your own home, but popcorn and cotton candy machines can be reused for event after event, whether it’s a neighborhood block party, family reunion, church gathering or birthday party.

Make memories that will last a lifetime

It may seem like a daunting task, but it’s certainly not impossible. A backyard water park party can provide fun for the whole family and neighborhood, if just for the day. Besides, how many kids will be able to say that their parents created a backyard water park?

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Plan Ahead

Obviously, you want to plan for a time when the weather is going to be good, and you should decide on an alternate date if it rains. Then consider your place. You can have a small carnival in your backyard, but if you are planning on a larger neighborhood or school party, you will need to consult with local authorities or neighborhood associations to get the right permits. For example, you may want to close off a section of the street so you can set up booths.

Decide how many “booths” you are going to have. You may need to borrow extra tables for the booths. If you are planning on renting a popcorn or cotton candy machine, you will want to do this early. Then talk with friends, family members or fellow committee members, and prepare a schedule so someone will be available to staff each booth or sit at tables to hand out raffle tickets. For a fundraising event, start consulting community businesses and ask them to donate prizes, such as gift certificates to their stores.

Once you have your time and place, get ready to send out invitations. Be sure to include the actual date and time, along with the rain date. Also ask guests to bring hats and sun block because, if all goes as planned, they will be having fun outdoors for a long time.

Setting the Scene

Turning your back yard into a carnival can seem overwhelming, but remember the number-one party planning rule: Keep it simple. Colored streamers strung along a fence, ropes tied between trees or posts with chips, popcorn or cotton candy bags clipped to them and colorful tarps will all lend a festive look to your carnival. Large appliance boxes, available from local stores, can be decorated and made into entry ways, small displays and pretend buildings. You will want lots of balloons at your carnival party. Tie them in bunches all around the yard. Consider having a clown or a magician as the main attraction.

Party Food

The food should be like what you would find at a fair: hot dogs, popcorn, chips, ice cream, soda pop and even pizza slices. Decorate a food booth, and let kids come and go when they are ready to eat just like they were at a real carnival. You can purchase popcorn bags and hot dog papers at places that rent the machines or at your local restaurant supply store.

Fun and Games

The best part of any carnival is the games. You can purchase a roll of raffle tickets from just about any retail store. If you choose to use the tickets as a way to get prizes, save plenty of these at each booth to give to the kids as they play the games. Let them redeem their tickets at the prize booth that you have set up with inexpensive little toys and treats.

In the case of a fundraiser, sell the tickets, which will give each guest a chance at playing the game. Then they will win prizes at the individual booths. Set up a table with a poster stating the cost of each ticket, and ask someone to staff the cash box.

Here are some fun game suggestions for a kid’s carnival party:

Guess the Jelly Beans: You can use any type of candy for this. Fill a container with the jelly beans, and allow children to write their name and amount on a slip of paper. Award a ticket for playing. After everyone has guessed, award the closest guesser either extra tickets or the candy-filled container.

Bean Bag Toss: Arrange bean bags to be tossed into containers or a piece of cardboard with an opening decorated to look like a clown’s open mouth.

Tin Can Alley: Set up empty pop cans and see who can knock them down using foam balls. For an added challenge, set up the cans at varying distances and also award prizes to the person who can throw the farthest.

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Try to talk to a few other families in the neighborhood with whom you are close and decide on the best date for all you. Aim for the beginning of the summer, one or two weeks after the kids get out of school. This time usually works well because people have not left for vacations yet nor have summer sports camps started up. Everyone will be around and look forward to this great party!

Once you decide on a day, make fliers and stick them in everyone’s mailboxes so that they can save the date on their calendars. Tell everyone to pull out the grills, hot dogs, lemonade, and a patio bar stool for the biggest summer kick-off celebration of the year! For music, ask the neighborhood band (the one you always hear practicing in the garage a few houses down) to perform. They will love this opportunity and nothing beats live music at the event.

Since block parties are normally all day affairs, plan to host a few fun activities. Ask around the neighborhood to see if anyone is willing to do face paint for the kids or if someone knows how to make balloon animals. Suggest that you have a pet parade and a dance contest. Karaoke is always a fantastic activity. You might discover that your neighbors have fantastic singing voices!

Make sure you that you pull out the lawn chairs and, for extra seating, drag over a patio bar stool or two. People will love coming over to catch up with your family so you want to make sure they have a place to sit down. You can even spread out giant picnic blankets so that people can relax while they watch the pet parade. A summer block party is a great idea and, if you keep it up for a few years, it will soon become a tradition!

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Several times a year, Lawrence and her husband Brad get together with close friends for a progressive dinner. Rather than one person taking on all the chores, each couple prepares and serves a course in their home, whether it’s cocktails, appetizers, salad, the main meal, or dessert.

The journey from house to house is part of the evening’s fun. “If you’re friendly with your neighbors you can do the progressive neighborhood walk,” she says with a laugh. “If you would rather do it with friends who live some distance apart, you can go the luxury route and hire a driver for the evening.”

GREAT WAY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS

Lawrence started the tradition of progressive dinners after moving to her neighborhood three years ago. “We figured it was a good way to introduce ourselves.” Since Austin is famous for its warm, pleasant evenings, and many families have beautiful outdoor rooms complete with amazing views from their decks, Lawrence says it’s a great way to spend an evening. “It doesn’t require anybody to be in the kitchen for very long.

“Often you walk from place to place with your glass of wine in your hand. It can be super casual, which is the absolute opposite of many of the events I plan. That’s why I love doing them so much.”

PLANNING THE EVENING

While progressive dinners can include any number of families, Lawrence likes to limit the number of houses visited to three or four. More requires more courses, and allows less time to be spent at each house. Additional guests can also enjoy the festivities, but instead of preparing food dishes, they can pitch in by helping with the preparation and clean up.

Some progressive dinners are specifically designed as fun free-for-alls in terms of what is served. Others follow a theme. “You can do a French style six course, including appetizers, salad, soup, fish, meat, cheese and dessert,” Lawrence says. Or, the theme may revolve around a particular country’s culinary style. Party planning for one New Year’s Eve, Lawrence recalls, involved a global round-up. “The course at each house represented cuisine from a different part of the world.”

Keeping the food hot at home while hosts are eating elsewhere is always a challenge, she notes. “You have to be smart about what you serve. It has to be something that is prepared in advance and easily re-heated quickly, or kept hot in a slow cooker. The other option is to choose dishes that can be served cold.”

However, choosing what to serve is really part of the party-planning fun. In fact, what Lawrence loves best is that “it lets everybody enjoy entertaining at their own comfort and skill level. If you love to cook and have no problem doing the main course, you can go to town and show off. But if you’re more comfortable pulling ice cream out of the freezer and setting up a sundae bar, you can do that too. People can shine in their own way.”

HOW TO MAKE THE PARTY A SUCCESS

Ready to plan a progressive dinner with your friends? Here are some tips to ensure its success:

* Include friends or family members who live nearby, or no more than a 15-minute car ride away.

* Set up a timetable that lists each course, its location, and how much time will be spent at each house. That’s helpful for guests who tend to arrive late. It also keeps everyone on track throughout the evening.

* Set the table before you leave home to minimize your prep work when your guests arrive. Advance planning also ensures you have the right serving dishes and utensils ready to go.

* If you’re having the party in the neighborhood, and back-and-forth transportation isn’t an issue, head home 10 minutes before it’s your turn to host the next course. That lets you get the re-heating process underway and do any last-minute preparation that’s necessary.

DELICIOUS CHOICES

Here’s the dinner that Hope and her friends enjoyed at their most recent gathering:

Appetizers

Soft cheeses and hot pepper jelly chutney; crab dip with Old Bay seasoning

Salad

Mixed green salad with cranberries, candied pecans and balsamic vinaigrette

Main course

Scallops in caramelized soy onion sauce, Moroccan spiced rack of lamb

Side dishes

Broccoli and cheese, potato gratin

Dessert

Brownies, homemade vanilla ice cream, and hot fudge sauce.

Debbe Geiger is a writer for the popular site, CelebratewithStyle.com The site features advice on planning a party for family members and friends, as well as holiday, business, social, and fundraising events. It offers ideas and advice from experts on food for parties, stylish decor, dress-up fashion, and beauty. It also provides great tips for kids’ birthdays, teen events, and wedding-related festivities

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The invitation

You may not know your new neighbors, so an e-invitation is not the best choice in this situation. Take the time to hand deliver or mail a housewarming invitation to your guests. Your invitation should include as much detail as you can – directions (especially for anyone not in the neighborhood), timing and any special instructions. Your guests will most likely bring you a housewarming gift. And while you may think this is not necessary, do not mention gifts – even to say they are not necessary – on your invitation. Graciously accept your gift and don’t forget to send a thank-you note after your party.

Keep it simple

Your housewarming doesn’t have to be a fancy affair. Your neighbors just want to meet you and your family and welcome you to the neighborhood. If the weather is warm, set up outside with an afternoon barbeque and some yard games. If the weather is chilly, plan on your guests gathering indoors. Offer some hot beverages – hot apple cider, hot chocolate, etc. to welcome your neighbors to you new home. You can also keep it simple and clean where the decorations are concerned. Put some balloons on the mail box – perfect to help any lost party-goers – and maybe some fresh flowers inside is plenty. And you can keep the housewarming party invitation simple, too.

Tours of your new home

Some guests may have already been in your home as guests of the former residents and might now want a tour. While some others, who have not been in your home, may want to see your new home. Have a plan about how you would like to conduct any necessary tours. As guests arrive at different times you might now want to spend the entire party giving tours. Take turns touring with your spouse, invite guests to self tour or enlist the help of a friend to help you with this. If you’re feeling really clever send a rough floor plan of your home as your invitation and guests can show themselves around.

Open house

An open house just might be the best way to host your housewarming party. An open house allows your guests to come and go on a more relaxed schedule. Since you may not know all of your guests a casual party like this might be the most comfortable. Clearly state on your party invitation that your party is an open house and then make sure you list the hours. This will give you, your family, old friends and new friends a great chance to meet and mingle without feeling that they have to stay for the whole length of the event.

Your housewarming is the first impression your neighbors will have of you and your family. While you don’t have to dazzle or impress, you’ll want to make sure you host a pleasant and comfortable party to showcase your new home. Most of all make sure YOU have fun!

Check out MyExpression.com for great party invitations. You’ll also find great housewarming invitations.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Carter

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Send our children to drug rehabilitation institution perhaps a brilliant idea to help them out from their addicted, moreover, if we send them to the right and trust one. But the most important thing to recover from this illness is come from their willingness.  Strong willingness to release from drug and alcohol, family support and good treatment will successfully recover them. Positive activity related to art or sport also became a good facility to support this recovery program. Those activities can be arranged from some recommendation at teen addiction info. So, support your children and family to recovery from their addicted right now because their dreams are waiting to be realized.

Nowadays, children have a party pretty much every year and the parties become a little more elaborate as they go along; or at the very least, keep up with the reputation of the party the year before. It’s hard to believe that children’s parties have reputations, but kids do talk and believe it or not, so do their parents. A simplistic party just doesn’t cut it anymore with the younger crowd or with their parents for that matter. Lunchroom talk determines if the party was a hit or a miss. Like it or not, it’s a very competitive world we live in.

One can only speculate when the changeover took place, probably sometime around the time when baby dolls began to talk, walk, grow hair and go potty and electric speed racers and transformers (that can change from one form to another) came on to the scene. The more elaborate the toys it seems, the more elaborate the celebrations. Face it folks, it’s a remarkable time we live in; we are the computer age generation after all. Heck, we don’t even have to sing Happy Birthday if we don’t care to, we can buy a birthday card or ballooon that can do it for us.

Theme parties are big and can be customized from start to finish. Customized plates, cups, napkins and wall decorations in various party themes can easily be found in neighborhood party stores or right at your fingertips on the World Wide Web.

In as much as things change, some things remain the same and little girls still love princess parties and little boys still love superhero parties. Customized parties from start to finish especially in princess themes are a real hit with little girls and their little friends. In more affluent neighborhoods, some children are asked to dress in princess costumes and the once dime store loot bags are often replaced with higher priced gifts for young party guests. In fact, a dime store loot bag would probably be frowned upon in the upscale neighborhoods and some less affluent ones too.

Children’s parties change from decade to decade, but the one thing that remains constant is parties are always great fun when you celebrate with the people you love. So whether you go the traditional route and have something simple or go all out and have an extravagant affair, you are sure to have a great time!

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