The holidays are over, so what's next? Time for a breather or you can go ahead and start planning a rockin' Valentine's Day party! Planning a Valentine's Day party is stressful. You may be unsure on what direction to take with your party, such as, you may want to get away from all the love and romance and just make it fun. Well, Wedding and Party Network has a party idea that is fun, out-of-the-box and everyone will enjoy it!

Party Theme – When you think about this holiday, you immediately think of love and romance. Some people aren't a fan of this holiday since they don't have a significant other in their life. However, it's fun for everyone! Invite your closest friends over and host a Rockin' Valentine's Day Party! This theme takes a different take on this holiday by throwing some rocker accents into the party.

Rockin' Party Decorations – Think guitars and rock and roll. However, keep it within the holiday colors, like red, pink, white and purple. Don't forget to add some black into it though to give it that rocker edge. Feature a sign with a big guitar, banner with edgy font & designs and incorporate it mainly everything you can. Also, instead of soft colors, choose bright hues.

Fun Party Food – Of course, you can stick with the appetizers you normally serve at your party. Vegetable platters, dips, meat and cheese tray, mini sandwiches or fruit trays are all great items to serve at your party. It's all in how you present the food. So, for this party, choose brightly colored platters and create little guitars with the name of the food printed on it.

Now dessert is where you get creative. Feature brightly colored cupcakes with guitar toppers instead of a party cake. Also, you know those candy hearts that come around during this time a year? Use that concept for sugar cookies and place cute sayings like, "love rocks" or "you rock." Don't forget to incorporate some guitar-shaped cookies in with it. Have cake pops and spell out words with them or even colorful drinks with fun heart straws. There are so many creative food ideas out there, just remember to incorporate Valentine's Day, a little rock and roll and display it in a fun way.

Say Thanks – Don't forget to say thanks to your guests. Find little mailboxes and decorate them with guitars and saying for your guests as a little Valentine's Day mailbox for all their cards. You can even suggest that your guests or the children bring cards for everyone to exchange.You can even have a candy bar and let your guests fill up their mailbox with lots of goodies.

Activities – For the children, let them decorate their own cards or mailboxes. Now for an activity that everyone can enjoy, set up Guitar Hero or Rock Band. The adults and children will love doing this activity together.

Instead of focusing on romance, host an event for everyone that is absolutely rockin'!

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It never hurts to plan ahead, especially if you want to make everything stress free and perfect! There are steps that you can take to make planning your parties easier. If you plan ahead, you can make sure you get everything you need for your perfect party. So many times people plan and you're running around last-minute and you may not get everything you would like. Wedding and Party Network has your party planning guide for the new year that will help you throw a successful party.

It's All About The Basics – Sit down, take out a calendar and start planning out what type of parties you would like to host. Figure out what type of party and plan out all the basics. You must figure this out first before you can do anything else. Plus, it helps everything else fall into place.

It's A Date – Once you know what type of parties, start setting dates. Figure out a weekend that is best for the event. This way, you don't have to work around everyone else's schedule since you will have had your event planned since the beginning of the year. It also helps figure out when you will send out the party invitations.

Who To Invite? – Figure out the size of your event. Some may be smaller, larger or it could be only for a set of certain people. Think about the space. You may be limited to the number of people you can invite. You also want to think about who gets along with who and so forth.

Location, Location, Location - Once you know what type of event and how many guests, consider location. If it's for a birthday party for someone special, maybe they enjoy a certain place or restaurant. Plan to have it there, which since you're planning in advance you are definitely more likely to actually get the spot you want, unlike waiting till the last-minute. There may be a great venue that fits the theme of your event as well. Planning ahead of time gives you way more options for a place instead of waiting till the last-minute when you risk the chance of them being booked.

Food Ideas – You've figured out what type of event, estimate of your guests and the location; now it's time to get an idea for the food. You can also think about your budget when you start thinking about food. Cocktail events tend to be a bit cheaper and give your guests variety. If it's a more formal event, think about having a sit down dinner.

Plus, if you're having a theme, you can start planning out the menu with the types of food that fits best and what's in season. Planning ahead will also help ensure a caterer, if you plan on using one. Don't forget to think about what goes with the type of food or dinner you choose, like table linens, glassware, serving pieces and etc.

Budget – Now that you know exactly what you want, it's time to sit down and think about the budget. Plan a starting budget for the entire year and decide which event you'd like to spend more on and which one you don't mind to cut back. Also, consider all of your party elements, including food, liquor, party decorations, entertainment and flowers. Think about what deserves to be the highlights at each event and what you can hold back on.

Entertainment – You also need to consider entertainment. Does your budget allow for it or does your event really need it? If it's more low-key, skip it. You can always opt for a cd player. However, if it's for a formal affair, it might be neat to have live music. Think about what type of event, what fits best and your budget when figuring out entertainment.

Now that you have these basic elements out-of-the-way, you can start pulling your event together closer to the date. This can be your guide for all your parties. Just remember, the main key here is to always plan and your event will be flawless.

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Are you planning a quiet evening in with the family for New Years? When you think of a quiet evening in, don't think about being stuck in front of the television all night waiting for the New Year's ball to drop. It doesn't even have to be like that. Yes, you want to not fight the crowds out on a night like this, yet you don't want to be stuck inside doing nothing. Don't make your night be boring in with these exciting activities from Wedding and Party Network.

Time Charades – Since New Year's Eve is all about counting down the time, why not make a game out of it. In fact, if you have games you enjoy, base those on time as well. Play games that are timed, like Boggle, Cranium or Speed. Also, make that the theme of your game like time inspired charades. Act out the television show Lost or Time is on My Side. These great games will have everyone enjoying their time in.

Resolution – Another great game is to guess everyone's New Year's resolution. This night will include close friends and family, so it's fun to see what they have planned for the new year. Plus, it may even help them stay on track to keep it. Have everyone fill out a piece of paper with their resolutions and then later in the evening have everyone pick which resolution belongs to the guests.

Kid's New Year's Resolutions – If you're in with the children, help them create their own. Sit down with them and explain exactly what a resolution means. Once they understand, ask them what they would like to achieve in the new year. Starting out young may help them keep their resolutions once they are older.

Time Capsule -This is great for friends, family or children to share in. Place items from the past year into a time capsule. On the following New Year's Eve, invite over the same people and take out the time capsule. How much fun will it be to reminisce on the previous year and share great memories with some good laughs.

Year In Review – Before the party, plan out a game that covers major events that happened. Quiz your guests on the past events, even split up into teams and make a friendly competition out of it.

There are many activities out there that make your New Year's Eve in absolutely fun! Being indoors doesn't have to be about sitting in front of the television waiting for midnight. Enjoy these activities and your night will be truly memorable.

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It's time to start planning your New Year's Eve party. So, do you have any idea on what you want to do? Sure, you can go out, however, every place will be extremely crowded. Maybe you enjoy that or maybe you don't, whatever you enjoy, you definitely want to have plans for New Year's Eve. If you want to enjoy the evening in, then why not host a party of your own with a timely dinner party? This party theme fits the holiday perfectly and you can share it with your closest friends for a great night in for New Year's Eve.

Sparkly Decorations

 

Sparklers

When you think of this big event, you may always think of glitter and sparkle everywhere. It's definitely the time to bring those elements out. Therefore, incorporate them into your decor is an absolute must.Think glitter, sequins and metallic. Don't forget to incorporate a few clocks in there as well. Use glittery ornaments, spell out "2012" using Styrofoam and coat with glitter, set up metallic streamers in your choice of color for the party decor.

Use various sized vases, champagne, wine and martini glasses to create unique centerpieces for your party. Fill each one with metallic streamers, glitter, confetti or talk to your florist about coming up with a sparkly centerpiece that will grab everyone's attention.

You want this party to be elegant, yet fun. You can do this by choosing the right color combinations, like jewel tones, black and silver, black and gold or even a jewel tone pink and aqua. All these colors will create a great setting for the night.
Party Tip – Don't forget to create signs for your food table to let guests know what's what. Use elegant typography on color schemed paper that matches your party and attach them to sparklers. Place it in the middle of each dish.

Elegant Dinner

Along with this party, delicious food is a must. If you have some great dishes you would love to share with your guests, create it. However, since this is such a special occasion, you may think about having the dinner catered. Having an experienced caterer that has many options for dinner, along with a wait staff will definitely make the night much more special. A full course meal along with a spectacular dessert will truly make the night special.

When The Clock Strikes Twelve

When the clock strikes twelve it's time to start ringing in the new year. How? You can do the normal party blowers or have a little firework show of your own. Gather everyone up outside and light sparklers up. It's a fun way to ring in the new year and can also add to the decor of your party. Remember those martini glasses, stick the sparklers in one of those that is filled with glitter and it's an added special touch.

When planning your New Year's Eve party, think about having an elegant, low-key party inside your home. This beats the crowds that you'll face out on the town and you can share it with your closest family and friends. Who could think of a better way to spend this holiday?

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When planning a birthday party or just wanting something unique that everyone will have fun with, a carnival themed party is the way to go. This party brings on the kid in everyone. Who doesn't enjoy attending a carnival? A carnival is filled with yummy foods, bright colors and games that everyone can enjoy. It's a great time to be had by all. So, this is the ideal party for anyone and Wedding and Party Network is here to give you some party tips to host this great carnival themed party.

Carnival Decor – First off, think bright and colorful for this party. Colorful balloons and banners are the key to the party decor, it's that simple. Just place them throughout the party to get the feel of a carnival. Also, if you're wanting a floral arrangement, stick with bright colors. Tell your florist the party theme and they'll know just where to start.

Party Set up -For this setup, it's great to have it outdoors. That way, you can have the big tent out back, which you may can find at a party rental store. Plus, this gives you more room to set up different areas for the kids. However, you can also do this indoors if the weather isn't fitting into your plans. Create booths from cardboard or set up different tables for face painting, games, ticket booths, rides, foods and prizes.

Party Games -Of course, this party wouldn't be complete without party activities! Bean bag toss, balloon popping, duck pond, balloon animals, prize booth, guess how many, face painting, bounce house are all great ideas for a carnival themed party. Just think about what you see when you go to a carnival. Have banners hanging up or signs displaying what each booth is for that particular game. You can find all your party supplies at your local party store, as well as the prizes.

Party Food -Ask yourself, what do you see and smell when you attend a carnival? You see candy apples, funnel cakes, corn dogs, popcorn, caramel corn and candy. Therefore, that's what your guests need to see at this party. However, display them in great ways. Get corn dog and popcorn sacks and add great touches to them, cellophane wrap with adorable ribbon for the candy apples and serve cotton candy on miniature sticks and mini funnel cakes. Don't forget about serving cupcakes or a party cake for the guests as well.

All these party ideas combined makes for a wonderful carnival themed party. The main key is to think about what you would find at a carnival. Think of the sights, smells and activities that you do. You can easily find these items at your local party store and even talk with your caterer to find some unique ways to display the food. This party is a great way to let the inner child come out of everyone.

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Let Your Holiday Party Stand Out

So many times you host a holiday party and it's the same each year. Why not switch it up this year? It's always fun to make some changes to your traditional holiday party. It doesn't have to be anything major, but a few simple switch ups can make your party stand out even more. We've got a few holiday party tips that you can incorporate into this year's party.

Party Colors – Instead of the traditional green and red, why not update it to the latest holiday color trends? You can choose from red and aqua, natural inspired Christmas, winter white and blue or bright and colorful pinks and blues. By just switching up the color of your party, it can make a huge difference.

Decorations – If you change-up your colors, you must find decorations to match the theme. Ornaments are great decor besides being just for the tree. You can string fishing line through them and hang them from windows or chandeliers. Fill vases with ornaments for centerpieces as well. Don't forget to use candles throughout your party and flowers for beautiful centerpieces. No need to go over the top in decorations, when you can use beautiful flowers, a few ornaments and candles to set the mood of your party.

Holiday Food - If you normally do finger foods and appetizers for your party, think about switching it up to a sit-down dinner, potluck or cookie exchange. If you decide on a sit-down dinner, think about having your local caterer prepare the holiday feast. That way you can focus more on decorating or creating your favorite holiday appetizers or desserts. Even setting up the food or dessert table featuring different heights, fun shaped platters or colors can help change-up a party.

Instead of hosting your basic, traditional holiday party this year, think about switching it up.

If you are planning a holiday party, let Wedding and Party Network help!

Charlie Brown Christmas Party
Who doesn't love Charlie Brown, especially the Christmas movie? It's a holiday classic that comes on television everyday holiday season and a movie that everyone must watch at least once during it. Since this movie is an absolute must, why not incorporate this into your holiday party. It can be the main theme of the night. How great is that? Read more about Charlie Brown Christmas Party

Christmas Tree Tips
Soon after Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start thinking about Christmas. Are you ready to get your tree out and start decorating it? Do you dread getting everything out? Or are you in need of a fresh new take on your holiday decorations? Read more About Christmas Tree Tips

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December is in full force since the holidays are upon us. There are holiday parties, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and a great time for family get together. The holiday decor, snow, sparkling lights and the time for giving is here. So, it's time to celebrate and get those holiday parties ready! Wedding and Party Network has some great party ideas and tips for the month of December to make your party stand out.

Holly

Fun December Facts

December is the 12th month of the year and one of the seven months with 31 days in it. It also starts on the same day as September every year and ends on the same day that April does. In Latin, it means 10, which it was the 10th month in the Roman calendar.

Birthstone & Flower

The birthstones for this month are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, topaz or tanzanite. Gorgeous blues and to a reddish-brown; all are simply beautiful. You can definitely incorporate these colors into your holiday party. The flowers are narcissus or holly, which are both perfect for this time of year. The narcissus is a daffodil, which comes in beautiful whites and yellows.

The holly on the other hand is green with red berries, which you see a lot this time of year. The best way to incorporate these flowers into your party is by adding them to centerpieces for your tables and scatter them throughout your home.

December's Astrology

December's astrology signs include Sagittarius and Capricorn. Sagittarius is the ninth astrological sign and are outwardly expressive and extrovert. However, they are blindly optimistic and careless. Capricorns are practical and prudent, yet pessimistic and grudging. Hosting an astrology party is a fun theme that you may want to have during the month of December since it's a great indoor party.

Special Events & Holidays

Hi Neighbor Month
National Stress Free Family Holiday Month
Safe Toy and Gift Month
Read A New Book Month

December 1st – Eat A Red Apple Day, National Pie Day
December 4th – National Cookie Day & Wear Brown Shoes Day
December 6th – Mitten Tree Day & St. Nicholas Day
December 7th – National Cotton Candy Day & Pearl Harbor Day
December 8th – National Brownie Day
December 11th – National Noodle Ring Day
December 12th – Poinsettia Day
December 13th – National Cocoa Day
December 16th – National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
December 20th – Games Day
December 22nd – First Day of Winter
December 24th – Christmas Eve & National Egg Nog Day
December 25th – Christmas
December 26th – Kwanzaa Begins
December 28th – Card Playing Day
December 31st – New Year's Eve

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The holiday season is upon us, so it's time to start planning your holiday party. However, are you tired of doing the same holiday party themes each and every year? Are you wanting to freshen it up and put a fun twist on your party this year? Wedding and Party Network has some great holiday party ideas that will truly put a great twist on any party to live it up. From the decorations, food and activities, this years party will be absolutely amazing.

For your party, the first thing you must do is pick out a theme. It can be elegant, fun or traditional. Whatever you choose, that's the first thing you must decide to make sure your decorations and everything else match the theme. Once you have picked your theme, it's time to start picking out invitations, decorations and the food.

Holiday Decorations

Ornaments – Holiday ornaments are great decor ideas for your party and just great accents to have around the house during the holidays. Use vases of different sizes and shapes and fill them up with different colored ornaments. Even turn the vases upside down so the ornaments are enclosed for something unique. Also, hang ornaments from chandeliers, light fixtures, curtain rods or anywhere else you may think of. Pair the different colored ornaments with different colored ribbon to contrast each other. Next up, take candlesticks of different sizes and place ornaments on them instead of candles. This makes for a fun centerpiece.

Another fun approach is to actually hang ornaments from the ceiling with fishing line to make a floating tree. It may be a tedious task to align the ornaments up just right in the shape of a tree, but the result is a show stopper. Of course, you can always use ornaments on your holiday wreath, that never gets old and makes a beautiful accent to any door.

Holiday Candy – You just don't eat the holiday candy, you can also incorporate it into your holiday decor. You can fill vases up with candy and then place your arrangement in it or glue candy to cones to make for a candy Christmas tree. Don't forget stringing candy together or hanging it from your tree is always a great idea as well.

Vases – Another simple decoration that can be transformed into an elegant staple piece is a vase. There are so many things you can do with vases. You can create frosted glasses, paint the vases, fill them up with candy, fill them up with ornaments or create a beautiful arrangement using flowers or even holiday picks that you find throughout many stores. Even make a visit to your local florist to have them create a beautiful arrangement for your party. Also, don't settle on just one vase. Scatter them throughout your home in various sizes to add to the decor.

Lettering – Spell out the holidays at your next party by using lettering. You can either cut out letters from cardboard, construction paper or even find chip board at your local craft store. Add an extra touch by painting the letters, adding rhinestone or glitter and tying it off with a ribbon and hanging the letters from light fixtures, windows or from wreaths.

Lighting – This feature is extremely important for your party. Decide what kind of mood and setting you're wanting for your party? Do you want an elegant setting or a more vibrant and cheerful setting? Use candles throughout the party and white holiday lights for an elegant setting. If you're wanting a more festive decor, use colorful lights. Lighting truly sets the mood and helps convey the theme of your party.

These are just 5 tips on holiday party decor ideas. However, there are tons more like, using felt or scrap ribbon and fabric for wreaths, garland to strand on staircases or around doors, plants, feathers, ornaments as place settings or mini floral vases or even large wrapped presents to put out as a topiary as guests enter your holiday party.

The main thing is to get creative, figure out what direction you want to go in and just go with it. Your holiday party will be picture perfect!

Stay tuned for more tips on holiday party food & activities later this week!

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Are you in the process of planning out your Thanksgiving dinner? It can be stressful, especially if you're hosting the whole family at your house. You want this day to be about family and sharing everlasting memories together. Therefore, in your mind, everything should be perfect. However, don't stress over this day. Wedding and Party Network has some stress free planning tips for hosting your Thanksgiving dinner.

Plan Ahead – This is a MAJOR part when hosting a Thanksgiving feast. Sit down and write out who's coming. That way, you know how much food to prepare, and how many place settings you need at the table.

• Planning The Grocery List – Once you know how many people are attending, you will know exactly what to cook and how much. You can stay away from certain dishes if someone doesn't like a particular item or if they're allergic, and be sure to prepare all their favorites. Once you have a menu, you can plan your grocery list.
• Cooking – Once you have the menu planned out, you can create a timeline of cooking. Not all dishes have to be prepared that same day, some can be prepared the day before. So, plan it out so you're not trying to cook everything at once with limited space and hands.
• Decorating – Of course, you have to have decorations during this time of year. However, plan a few weeks in advance and start decorating your home then. Your fall decorations will carry over into this holiday too. Don't forget to visit your local florist to discuss what type of centerpiece you would like as well.

Planning Thanksgiving dinner at your house doesn't have to be stressful. Just keep the main component in mind, which is PLAN AHEAD.

If you are planning a Thanksgiving dinner, let Wedding and Party Network help!

We Are Thankful For…You!
With Thanksgiving approaching, take time out to show your close friends how truly thankful you are for them. What is the best way to show them? Why a dinner party, of course! Sitting around, sharing memorable laughs with each other will remind you how truly thankful you are for each other. There are a variety of ideas when throwing a dinner party, especially one near Thanksgiving. Read more about Thankful For You

Yummy Fall Treats
With fall here, it's time to start planning all your fall parties. You have the perfect backdrop for beautiful outdoor parties now with the gorgeous colors and the amazing weather. So, what is the perfect pairing to your fall party?
Read more about Yummy Fall Treats

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Thanksgiving is an important holiday that people celebrate. It's a time for family, quality time and learning about traditions. Everyone gathers around the table to share in a great feast and spend quality time together. After that, it's time for football for some. However, how do you get the kids involved? It's an important day for them to understand the meaning behind the holiday. Wedding and Party Network has some great activities to get everyone involved in this holiday!

Design Your Hats – Of course, along with Thanksgiving, comes the story of the Pilgrims and Indians. This is a must tell story for your kids. Therefore, make this craft a must. Let the family design their own hats. Whether it be a turkey hat or a Pilgrim hat, everyone will have fun decorating their own hat. Maybe even reenacting the story of Thanksgiving Day between the two.

Turkey Luminaries – This is a great craft for the kids to do before the Thanksgiving dinner. Along with any table setup, people like to put out centerpieces and create a fall tablescape. Therefore, let the kids help. By letting them create these luminaries, they can make a great statement piece on the table. Let the kids draw on paper sacks and put led lights in the. A great centerpiece and the kids will feel like they had an important part in this day.

Place Settings – With some families, a kid's table isn't unusual for holiday feasts. Therefore, let them design their own kids' table. For the tablecloth, find long enough construction paper that they can draw on, turkey napkin holders, turkey place cards, utensil holders and even fun place mats. These are great activities for the kids while everyone is cooking or visiting.

Felt Food -An easy project for you and your child to do the night before or even a few days is to create felt Thanksgiving food. Which all you need to do is find different colored felt, fluff for the inside and scissors to cut out the designs. This is great for the kids to play with during the day on Thanksgiving and make their own feast.

Volunteering – This is a great tradition that the family can share in, which is spend time volunteering at your local soup kitchen or food bank. It's a great time to appreciate what you have in your life and this holiday.

This holiday is a great time to spend time with family and be thankful for all you have in your life. While you're cooking and maybe the guys are watching football, the kids can have some fun activities to do during the day and some with the whole family.

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