When it comes to celebrating a birthday party, make sure the theme of the party matches the child's personality. You want them to look back and be happy that they had a great birthday party. No one wants to look back and wonder why their parents ever thought that theme was appropriate for one of their birthday parties. So, when it comes to planning a birthday party, you want to have as many option as you can to pick from. How about a roaring dinosaur birthday party for your little one? This party is sure to please and is absolutely adorable!

Party Invitations – Of course, your party invitations immediately show off the theme of the party. So, if it's a dinosaur party, create a dinosaur, dino egg or even a dinosaur footprint with all the party's details. If you're creative, you can design your own. However, if that's not your thing, you can always visit your local party store and you'll find a variety of party invitations to choose from.

Dinosaur Party Decor – Of course, think about dinosaurs for your party decor. You don't have to go all out if you're throwing this for a little girl, however, if it's for a boy, dinosaurs around the party are a must. If it's for a little girl, choose colors like pink or purple and green for the party colors.

Blow up balloons and use colored twine and dip it in ModPodge, wrap around the balloon, let dry and then pop it. The result looks like a dinosaur egg, which you can place around the party. You can even make those tissue balls and hang them from the ceiling. Use tulle or mesh and balloons for decor.

For the boys, you can do the same decorations and then add dinosaur footprints everywhere, dino blowups, posters or create a jungle setting. These party decorations combined together makes the perfect setting for this theme.

How Dinosaurs Eat – When it comes to the food, you can keep it simple. However, put a fun twist on it and use dinosaur cookie cutters and cut your food out with those, like sandwiches, burgers and your cookies. Other than that, keep it simple with vegetables and fruits. For the birthday cake, you can either do cupcakes or a party cake that goes with the dinosaur theme. You can even create a dino cake for the birthday boy or girl and create cupcakes that feature eggs for the guests.

Party Activities -There are cute party activities that go along with this party theme. First off, start with an egg hunt. You can either do this indoors or outside and place candy filled eggs throughout the entire house. You can even make a scavenger hunt out of this if the kids are older. Next up, get a sandbox or even smaller containers and hide dino bones or plastic dinosaurs in them, give the children paint brushes and some shovels and let them go to work on their dinosaur dig. All the kids will truly enjoy this!

Say Thanks – To say thank you for coming to my party, create dinosaur tails for them. How cute is that? You can make one for the boys and girls and even hand out a dinosaur egg with candy.

This party can go either way for a boy or girl. Plus, it's absolutely adorable and the theme has some great party decorations and activities to go with it. Your little one will remember this and love the fact that they had a dinosaur themed birthday party.

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Is your birthday coming up or someone you know? However, are you not keen on celebrating it or making it focused on your age? Well, an Un-Birthday celebration is great! Yes, it's a play off Alice in Wonderland and it's a fun party theme that absolutely everyone will enjoy! Also, remember, this party can be thrown on any day of the year. Just like in the movie, the un-birthday tea party wasn't on the Mad Hatter's birthday. Wedding and Party Network has a few party tips to make this un-birthday bash a huge celebration.

Party Invitations – Your party invitations definitely need a Wonderland-esque theme. Make sure to have a riddle or poem for the wording on the invitation. It can be in the shape of a funky hat, cards, smoke or find inspiration from the Queen of Hearts.

Un-Birthday Decorations – Again, find inspiration through this fun Disney movie. Make tea cups and teapots the center of attention at this party. Use bright and vibrant colors for the table cloths, flower arrangements, which can be made into teapots or made in, fun vases, playing cards strung together, lanterns and mix and match patterns. Don't forget the signs that point all different ways, and even have them customized for the location. This is the party you can definitely go all out with.

Wonderland Food – Little tea cakes, a tea bar, tiny biscuits, cookies that say "eat me", fun cupcakes and whatever other appetizers you would like to have at your party. Your food should be whatever you want, except for the little details like the tea cakes and tea bar that goes a long with the theme. The key is how you display your food. Use little tags that say "eat me" or "drink me". Display the food in varying heights and in different colored platters. Don't forget to offer a tea bar that features a variety of teas and to tie little tags that say "drink me" on the cups.

Party Activities – For adults and the children, a photo booth is super fun for all. You can get photo booth props such as, big smiles like the Cheshire cat, crazy hats or big sunglasses. You can even make little photo cut outs for your guests to poke their heads through and take a picture.

Dress Code – Of course, you must have a dress code for your party. Include this in your party invitations. This can include fun and crazy hats and even find inspiration through the Alice in Wonderland characters.

Your party will truly be a huge success. With the vibrant colors, unique party accents and tasty food, everyone will truly have a great time, especially in the dress code. 

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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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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

Holiday arrangement (Flowers Plus) Snowflake Ice Sculpture (Crystal Image Ice Carvings) Fruit & Vegetables (Jessie's Eats & Treats) Holiday Centerpiece (Flowers Plus) Red Wedding Reception (Paper Moon Event Specialists) Chocolate fountain photo (Festive Ice Sculptures & The Chocolate Fountain Co.) White Reception (Hearts And Flowers)

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Are you in the process of planning out your Thanksgiving dinner? It can be stressful, especially if you're hosting your whole family at your house. You want this day to be about family and sharing ever lasting memories together. Therefore, in your mind, everything should be perfect. Along with trying to make it perfect, comes stress. However, don't stress over it. There's no reason to, everything will still be fabulous, especially spending this time with family. 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.

Once you know how many people you have coming, plan out the menu. It's all close family and maybe even friends, therefore, you can plan out their dislikes, likes and even allergies. Plan out vegetarian dishes, the turkey, side dishes and desserts. If you have a set plan, it makes grocery shopping easier and planning out a cooking time line. You can even grocery shop a few days in advance and start putting meals together the day beforehand. Knowing who's coming & what you're cooking is half the task. Once you figure that out, everything else is a breeze.

Decorate – Decorate your home in festive Thanksgiving accents. Use fall colored leaves, pumpkins, acorns, candles and floral arrangements for centerpieces. Also, plan this out at the beginning of Thanksgiving. This decor fits this month and even October. Therefore, you'll have everything already out, except maybe the centerpieces. However, plan a visit with your florist about a week or so in advance and discuss the design and what you're wanting. That way, you have already picked something out and all you have to do is take a quick trip up there, maybe even when you plan on going grocery shopping.

All The Extras – If you get the main components planned out ahead, then you can go the extra mile and come up with Thanksgiving Day crafts for the children, football snacks for the guys and even family traditions that you can start now and share throughout the years.

Planning your Thanksgiving dinner is a breeze. It's simple if planned out ahead, It makes the day stress free and more enjoyable to spend time with your loved ones. So, don't forget to plan and you'll have an unforgettable Thanksgiving with your family.

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Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and it's the time to pay it forward and give thanks for everything. What are you thankful for? Have you shown that you are thankful for what you have lately? If not, Thanksgiving is the time to do so. So, Wedding and Party Network has a few ideas on how you can give thanks.

• 

  Fall Centerpieces
  Donate to a local charity – A great way to get numerous donations is to host a charity event at your house. Your guests will love having a get together at your house, especially since it will be for a charitable cause.
• At your party, on your place cards, write words of thanks to your guests. You may not show it throughout the year that you're glad that they're in your life. So, writing it on their place card will show exactly how you feel.
• Donate your time – You can volunteer at a local soup kitchen or even the humane society, just to give back.
• If you're not planning a party for family or friends, call them. Give them well wishes and tell them that you're glad that they're in your life.
• Give back to the earth – Start recycling, host a recycling party or even plant a tree. Show the earth you are thankful for the environment.
• If you're being invited to another party during this season, don't forget to say thank you. Show your appreciation and even offer to help out.
• Read the Thanksgiving story – Sit down and share with your children the story of Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving Poem – For your children, have them write a poem on Thanksgiving and what it means to them. This is a great time to spend time together.
• Memories – Share Thanksgiving memories with each other.
• Parade – Of course, there's a Thanksgiving Day parade. However, think about creating one for your neighborhood. How fun would that be?

Thanksgiving is an important holiday to give back, so share that with your family. It creates for making new memories and a great tradition that can be shared together every year.

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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

Sunflower Wedding Bouquet (College Park Flowers) Reception setting (Kings Creek Flowers) Autumn cake (Dimensions In Cake) Fall bouquet (Inspired Floral Design) Balloon Arch (CR Flowers & Gifts – A Bracebridge Florist) Wedding Aisle (Design House of Flowers) Outdoor Reception (Flowers Etc. Of York)

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Are you planning an autumn or fall party? Do you want your party to show off all the latest trends? You want your party to stand out. Therefore, you  must incorporate the latest party trends into your party. Yes, there are even trends for parties. Wedding and Party Network has some great tips for your party this season that will make it an absolute hit.

Pumpkin Centerpiece

Fall Party Decorations

• Pumpkins – Of course, pumpkins are a must for your party decorations. There are so many things you can do with pumpkins too. Fill vases with small pumpkins for centerpieces, use a pumpkin as your vase for a fall flower arrangement, set them on tables or have your guests get creative with them and take them home as party favors.
• Acorns - Acorns are great for decorations. You can fill glass vases up with acorns and use them as centerpieces. Glue them to a styrofoam ball and they're pomanders, which you can hang from the ceiling or even to a wreath for a wonderful welcoming to your guests.
• Wheat – Tie up wheat into a bundle and place it around the party for a wonderful party accent. Even have your florist use them in your arrangement.
• Don't forget that apples, fall leaves, beautiful string lights and fall flowers are all wonderful party accents too.

Fall Party Accents

• One thing to focus on with this party is the accents, such as what you serve your party food on. Serving food on platters that match the theme makes everything pop even more. Think rustic and the elements of fall when serving your food. Wood platters, mason jars, put a punch bowl in a pumpkin and think about how you can incorporate browns, oranges and deep reds into your accents.
• Activities is another thing to consider when planning your fall party. Some great ides are carving pumpkins with your friends, roasting the pumpkin seeds, baking during the fall season, fall scavenger hunt and even bobbing for apples are great activities. Plan something for the whole family!

When planning your fall party, keep these tips in mind to make it stand out and fit the season. Incorporate the tastes, smell and look of fall into your party. This is a great season and a great time for a party!

This post is brought to you by Houston Florists.
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Wow, November is already upon us. This year has flown by. However, who isn't excited for this month? It's the time to give thanks and we're getting closer to the holiday season. The cooler air, delicious apple cider and beautiful autumn colors are here and it's time to celebrate. So, need some party tips or some inspiration this month? Well, Wedding and Party Network has just that for this month of November.

Fun November Facts

November is the 11th month of the year and is one of the 4 months that has the length of 30 days in it. So, where did it get its name? It originated from the Latin word, novem, which means nine. It's the month of spring in the Northern hemisphere and autumn in the Northern hemisphere. November starts on the same day of the week as February in common years, and March every year.

Birthstone & Flower

The birthstone for this month is the topaz and citrine. The topaz features a yellowish color, but can feature wine, pale gray, yellowish-orange or blue-brown. While the citrine features is a variety of quartz whose color ranges from pale pink to a rose-red hue. Both are beautiful colors.

November's flower is the chrysanthemum, which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe. This flower is colorful and fun, plus it would be great in a centerpiece for your party.

November's Astrology

Scorpio & Sagittarius are the astrology signs for November. Scorpios are determined, forceful, powerful and exciting, while they can be jealous, resentful and secretive. Sagittarius are optimistic, honest and intellectual, while irresponsible, superficial and restless. Incorporate their personality into the party.

Special Events & Holidays

Aviation Month
Child Safety & Protection Month
Good Nutrition Month
Peanut Butter's Lover Month

2nd Week – National Children's Book Week – Host a book party!

November 3rd – Sandwich Day – Make gourmet sandwiches for your next party.
November 4th – National Candy Day – Create a candy bar.
November 6th – Basketball Day – Host a basketball themed party.
November 7th – Hug-A-Bear Day, Magazine Day
November 8th – Election Day – Vote!
November 9th – Parade Day – Host a parade in your neighborhood.
November 11th – Veteran's Day
November 15th – America Recycle's Day & Pack Your Mom Lunch Day – Teach the lessons of recycling.
November 16th – Button Day
November 17th – Homemade Bread Day, National Young Reader's Day & Take A Hike Day
November 18th – Mickey Mouse's Birthday
November 24th – Thanksgiving Day
November 25th – Black Friday
November 26th – National Cake Day
November 30th – Stay At Home Because You're Well Day

November is a great month to host a party. There are great party themes out there that you can truly get creative with. Throw buttons in as party decoration in honor of Button Day, host a Black Friday shopping day or make cakes front and center at your next party. With so many ideas out there during this month, your party will be a true success!

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