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]

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Pass out a few fliers in your neighborhood. Even if you know your neighbors well enough, it helps to have something on paper that they can look at; easier to remember that way. Going door-to-door is probably the best route. Talk to them and see if they want to get involved with some of the planning. From my experience, I’ve always been surprised to find that many neighbors actually DO want to get involved in community activities; they just need someone to lead the way, it seems. You may find a few really creative friends on your street that will astonish you.

So the fliers are out and you have parents and neighbors involved. Invite them over to your house on a nice summer night and just hang out with a piece of paper, soda, wine, and beer. Just have a good time with them and watch the ideas flow. Some of them probably played games like this when they were kids as well, so thinking of ideas may come naturally to them. Try to get everyone involved doing at least SOMEthing, if it’s clear that you are to be the leader of the endeavor.

If it works and the parents and kids have fun, do it again. Use the entire neighborhood and make it seem like a sprawling landscape of mystery for your children. They’ll love it!

http://www.treasure-hunts.org/?p=50
Treasure Hunts

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When I think of scavenger hunts, I think of the “old school” ones that you just don’t see much of anymore. Anyone remember when a neighborhood boy or girl would come to your door – usually a little out of breath – and ask you for a cup of flour? And boy, did they need it in a hurry! You see, winning a scavenger hunt in our neighborhood was a pretty big deal. And even today – if done well – I believe scavenger hunts can be a wonderful tool for getting to know your neighbors and educating your children. And most importantly, FUN!

I’d like to share what I feel have been a couple fantastic clues over the years.

Pictures: Ask the kids to get a snapshot of someone dressed in World War II garb. World War II is all but forgotten in many circles. All politics aside, it was a major event in our history – in the world’s history – so why not teach something here? It could stimulate great conversation with the children, and who knows: maybe the little old lady who feels alone and isolated will get a visitor today?

Cassette tapes/8-tracks: We all remember these. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that record companies still produced cassettes. But how many six-year-olds have a “clue” what they are? All they need to do is track down ONE. And I’ll bet it’s harder than some of us may think. Again, there’s some good conversation to be had about these, a learning experience for the kids, and it gives us a chance to reminisce a little.

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading.

So there you have the first in what is to be many stories regarding scavenger hunts, their clues, and great ideas. Thanks for visiting, and we hope to see you back in our community soon!

Scavenger Hunt Clues @ http://www.ScavengerHuntClues.org

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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.

Make your party planning more convenient by keeping cash in a magnetic money clip and storing your party favor suppliers’ contact cards in personalized business card holders. Don’t forget to give away unique gift baskets as tokens. Visit ExecutiveGiftShoppe.com today.

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

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!

If you would like more information on where to find a great deal on a patio bar stool or where to find some great outdoor barstools for your next block party, please visit the Premiere Barstools website.

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

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

It is very important for everyone in the neighborhood to be invited, if you decide to have a block party. Nobody should be left out. If you have an elderly person in the neighborhood, make arrangements for someone to pick them up, so they don’t feel left out. If you have a true shut-in on your block, it is always nice to let them know ahead of time about the party, and let them know that, though they cannot attend in person, they are going to be included. Be sure and take them a plate of food, a party favor, and take the newest members on the block, and introduce them.

Party Activities for Adult Block Parties

Especially if you are having a block party for someone who is new to the area, it is nice to give them gifts, but not always necessary. You can always give them names and addresses of hairdressers, cleaners, good restaurants, dentists, physicians, etc. Free movie rentals, names of teens who mow lawns or baby-sit (perhaps even let the neighborhood kids be there for the first hour of the party, so they can put names and faces together, as well as putting the correct child with the correct parents) names of mechanics, and other places you know they will need to find eventually are often the most needed gift you can give to a neighborhood newcomer.

A great introductory game is to send a questionnaire with the invitation. Ask simple questions such as “Where do you work?” “What kind of car do you drive?” “What are your children’s names?” and “Do you have any pets, and if so, what are their names?” Then, when the line forms for the Barbeque, the “Ticket” to the food is the questionnaire, which is dropped into a box. After dinner, the questionnaires are pulled out, and the new neighbors attempt to match the questionnaire with the correct neighbor. It is a good way to get to know each other. Be sure to include some fun questions like, “What is your favorite sport?” and “What is a unique talent you possess?”

Never forget the power of music in a social gathering. You could have a dance, where each person dances with a new partner when the song changes. What better way to get to know your new neighbors, and let them get to know you, than to have a “get acquainted” adult block party to rock the block!

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes (PartyThemeShop.com) to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or “just because” parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

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Our Child Centred Approach Often Leads to Unruly Kids

Other People’s Kids are the bane of many a parent’s existence. They’re rude, they corrupt your kids, and they phone or ICQ your child at all hours of the day and night. If everyone would just parent the way you do, you feel, many of your problems would disappear.

There’s more than a little truth to this. Our new parenting styles tend to be child-centred. While this may foster creativity, it also means that many kids are raised without a sense of right and wrong. Right is what’s fun, and my fun is all that matters, even if it makes your kid cry.

Neighbors Don’t Interfere Anymore

My father-in-law vividly remembers being punished by neighbors when he did things wrong, something which much have happened frequently given his numerous recollections of these events. It wasn’t too long ago that there was a shared sense of what was right and what was wrong, and other adults were quick to intervene to enforce it.

Those days are gone. First, we’ve lost our belief in absolutes. How can we enforce rules on other people’s kids if their parents may not agree? We’ve also lost the sense of absolute adult authority, because too many disgusting adults have horribly abused the authority we all used to share. As a consequence, we now teach our kids not to obey adults automatically. It was necessary to protect kids, but it results in people now parenting by themselves, if they parent at all.

Take Back the Playground

Maybe we should stop looking away and start playing Take Back the Playground. We may not all agree on how to parent, but most of us agree about sharing, bullying and protecting our own kids. Why not treat other people’s children politely, but firmly, like our own? If a child is hogging the swing, hitting kids on the slide, or even instant messaging nasty gossip, call them on it, even if the parents are standing nearby and ignoring it. Talk to the principal or to the teacher, but let’s not ignore it.

It’s amazing how an adult warning a child can change the dynamics of the playground. If one child is being abusive to others, and an adult steps in, the other children now feel empowered to demand respect, too. They see that the bully is not at the top of the food chain; the adult is. And now the bully doesn’t seem so powerful after all.

Enforcing appropriate behaviour seems odd in this culture, but maybe our lack of enforcement is the reason why our culture is becoming so odd. One day these kids will grow up, and be our teachers, our doctors, our salespeople, our accountants. We’d better hope they learn not to hit, cheat and steal first. Decency, after all, is something that should never have gone out of style in the first place.

Sheila Wray Gregoire is the author of four books, including To Love, Honor and Vacuum: When you feel more like a maid than a wife and a mother. Do you need help organizing your home? Get your FREE household organization charts, including chore sheets, organization checklists, and more!

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

Remember when you were growing up, or it may be as far back as when your parents were growing up. A neighbor’s home was a substitute for a corner store; it was a second family, and it was definitely a safe place to hang out. You could count on borrowing anything you needed or even getting your skinned knee bandaged up just as lovingly as you would from your own mother. What has changed?

Our world has gotten scarier, or maybe it is just the 24-hour media coverage of what goes on that scares us the most. We no longer take for granted that the people who live on our street are law-abiding citizens, looking out for our mutual best interest.

We used to have more interaction and interdependence with our extended families as well. Most of my fondest memories are of the weekends I spent at my grandparents’ house, in my grandmother’s kitchen, and enjoying the smell of fresh lilacs that tried to encroach her bathroom window. I even miss the smell of the barn where my father kept his horses. How I loved to play in the bales of hay above the stalls. Do your children have experiences like these? Or, do they rarely see your extended family members. What does this say about us? Why has it become acceptable to distance ourselves from the people who share our personal histories? Why do we allow ourselves to become geographically separated from our closest relatives?

Is it so difficult to find common ground in our diverse lives? Shouldn’t we value our relationships more than our social standing or political viewpoints? I can’t imagine that 2010 has more controversy than 1960. There is certainly just as much turmoil and uncertainty in the air as there was then, or during any other era for that matter.

Has our American interpretation of freedom and independence gone too far? Have we lost sight of what matters most? How can we restore the value of family and community for our children and grandchildren? How can we create more emphasis on our shared struggles and lessons learned? How many times must we hear that if we don’t learn from our history, we will be destined to repeat our mistakes?

Let’s rebuild the concept of the village. Host a gathering for your neighbors so that you can get to know one another. Find out who has children the same age as yours and plan a play date. Bake a cake and take it over to the family who just moved in with a warm welcome and your phone number. Create new traditions for you and your family that include interdependence of your friends, extended family, and especially your neighbors. There are no relationships that don’t go through a rocky spot now and again, but when you begin by reaching out, others will feel more comfortable following your lead. The change begins with you.

As a wordsmith, Natalie L. Komitsky optimizes the effectiveness of text to impact readers with substance and style through exceptional research, writing, editing, and project management. For more information, or to get in touch, visit: http://www.nkomitsky.com.

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