Instructions

• Step 1: Choose an invitation size Decide what size and style you want your invitation to be, and how you want it to reflect the theme of the shower, if there is one. Then, purchase card stock and envelopes.
• TIP: Paper stores that specialize in invitations are a great place to get inspiration and supplies.
• Step 2: Select an image Search the internet for a picture or graphic that fits your theme to print on the invitation and save the image to your computer.
• TIP: Make sure that images you copy from the internet are medium to high resolution for clear printing.
• Step 3: Set up size Open a new document and change the page size to your chosen invitation size. Set the margins at 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Insert the image you found into the document.
• Step 4: Write a cute message Spend some time thinking about the message you want to include: write something fun that highlights the theme of the event and is meaningful to the mother-to-be.
• Step 5: Insert details Beneath your message, include the shower details: the name of the mommy-to-be, the date and time, the address, and when and where to RSVP.
• TIP: If the guest of honor has a baby registry, you may want to include the registry information on the invitation or on a smaller card in the invitation envelope.
• Step 6: Adjust fonts and placement Adjust your fonts, colors, text, and image placements to give the invitation an appealing look, and then proofread all information to make sure the details are correct.
• Step 7: Assemble and send Assemble the invitations and envelopes for addressing and mailing. Send invitations to all guests and the special mommy for a fun day of eats, treats, and crib sheets.
• FACT: Born September 2004, at only 26 weeks gestation and weighing 8.6 ounces, Rumaisa Rahman became the smallest surviving baby on record; she was released from the hospital after 5 months at a weight of 5.5 pounds.

You Will Need

• Card stock
• Envelopes
• Printer
• Theme (optional)

Transcript

Woman: Tapered candles tipping?

Man: Quick Tips!

Woman: Rub their bottom with a glue stick, and they’ll stay put. Simple!

Instructions

• Step 1: Invite friends Call or text eight to 20 close friends or invite them using an online social network. Make sure to ask for an RSVP.
• TIP: When it comes to the guest list, stick with close friends – they’re more likely to show up on short notice.
• Step 2: Give a reason Give a reason for the party, even if it’s as simple as celebrating the first day of spring or that you just received a promotion. Happy Tuesday!
• Step 3: Bake cookies Bake cookies from packaged cookie dough. It’s a cheap, easy way to give your party a homemade touch.
• Step 4: Use prepackaged foods Keep things simple by buying prepackaged foods or frozen snacks, and soda and other beverages.
• Step 5: Use paper products Use paper plates and napkins and plastic utensils.
• TIP: You can skip the paper plates and utensils and serve finger foods or snacks that require nothing more than toothpicks.
• Step 6: Open old champagne Open up that bottle of champagne that has been sitting in the fridge since last New Year’s Eve.
• Step 7: Light candles and play music Dim the lights, light some candles, and hook up your mp3 player with a party playlist to create a warm, inviting atmosphere.
• FACT: In 2009, the Rolling Stones became the most expensive act to perform for a private party, charging $8 million to play a wedding for one hour.

You Will Need

• Online social network
• Packaged cookie dough
• Prepackaged food
• Frozen snacks
• Paper plates and cups
• Plastic utensils
• Bottle of champagne
• Candles
• mp3 Player
• Toothpicks (optional)

Transcript

Man 1: [Inaudible 00:0:00:03].

Man 2: Whoa, rave.

Cameraman: And cut. That’s all. Let’s cut. One, two, one, two, three, four.

Man 3: This is painfully [inaudible 00:00:39].

Woman 1: Yeah.

Man 3: [Inaudible 00:00:42].

Woman 1: Yeah.

Cameraman: Okay, go. Okay, we might have to go with it. And I don’t want to cut it. I just want him to go.

Man 4: Let it roll.

Cameraman: Whenever you’re ready. Just keeping going till you feel like it.

Man 5: Keep going.

Man 1: One, two, three. Yeah!

Cameraman: One, two, three, go!

Man 1: [Inaudible 00:01:55]

Instructions

• Step 1: Put together a team Put together a team to share the responsibilities of deciding on a location, spreading the word, and getting music.
• Step 2: Decide on a location Decide on a location. Pick an easy-to-find public place with enough room to accommodate a dance party.
• Step 3: Use social media to recruit Recruit flash ravers using social media like blogs, networking sites, and text-message services. Be sure to include the when and where, along with cues for when to start and stop dancing.
• TIP: Establish rules to keep the rave safe, courteous, and legal.
• Step 4: Get music Get music. Flash raves are short, so pick one or two high-energy dance songs. Use a portable stereo; just make sure it’s loud enough that everyone will be able to hear it. If that isn’t an option, consider throwing a silent rave where everyone brings headphones and mp3 players to dance to their own beat.
• Step 5: Get the party started Get the party started! Be courteous to non-raving bystanders and disperse at the agreed upon time. Most importantly, have fun!
• FACT: In February 2009 a flash rave with more than 14,000 participants shut down Liverpool train station in London.

You Will Need

• Team
• Suitable public location
• Internet access
• Dance songs
• Portable stereo
• Flash ravers
• Headphones (optional)
• mp3 players (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Choose a date Organize a date anywhere from three to six weeks in advance to ensure a large turnout.
• Step 2: Select a theme Select a theme to help coordinate the menu and inspire guests’ contributions. Consider themes such as Italian, Thai, Mexican, or barbecue.
• Step 3: Extend invitations Use traditional invitations, phone calls, or an online invitation web site that allows you to electronically track R.S.V.P.’s.
• TIP: Use the potluck as an opportunity to meet new people. Ask the people you invite to bring a couple of friends if you have the space to accommodate them.
• Step 4: Review the menu Ask guests to tell you what they are bringing to avoid such problems as having too many salads and not enough main dishes. Provide additional plates to supplement the menu if it’s off-balance.
• TIP: Ask people to bring enough food to serve themselves and six to eight others to prepare an adequate spread.
• Step 5: Remember beverages Remind everyone to bring wine or another drink of choice so beverages don’t run dry.
• Step 6: Get ready to host Prepare foods such as dips and soups a day or two ahead of time and set up tables and chairs the night before. Adequate preparation helps ensure that you and your guests have a blast.
• FACT: Did you know? The term potluck comes from the North American Indian custom “Potlatch,” a social occasion given by a host to distribute property and gifts to establish or uphold social status.

You Will Need

• A date
• A theme
• Guests
• Enough food and drink
• Invitations (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Comparison shop Get quotes from local movie theaters, bowling alleys, burger places, and ice cream parlors. It’s sometimes cheaper to hold a child’s birthday party at a neighborhood venue than to have it at home — especially if you’re expected to entertain parents while they wait around for their children.
• Step 2: Have it in the park Hold the party in a local park with a playground. The children will have plenty of room to play, and you won’t have to worry about cleaning your house afterwards. Just make sure you pick up all your party trash before you leave.
• Step 3: Plan ahead If you decide to do it at home, start stocking up on party foods when they go on sale. Plan on finger foods instead of a full lunch: Children do more picking than eating at kids’ parties. Or schedule your party between lunch and dinner, and just serve cake.
• TIP: Buy candy after holidays, when it’s deeply discounted, and freeze it.
• Step 4: Serve punch Make a big fruit punch with floating sherbet instead of providing individual sodas or juice boxes. Put out small cups; kids tend to fill them to the brim, whether they plan to drink the whole thing or not, so this will cut down on waste.
• Step 5: Make an ice cream cake Make your own ice cream cake. They’re simple to assemble, and cost a fraction of a store-bought one. Juice popsicles are another easy-to-make treat.
• Step 6: Let them make their own favors Plan an activity that results in each child making their own party favor.
• TIP: Check out local thrift stores for inexpensive crockery or clothes that the kids can decorate.
• Step 7: Hire amateurs Hire a teenage babysitter to lead the kids in games instead of shelling out big bucks for a professional entertainer.
• FACT: The average child’s birthday party costs between $200 and $350.

You Will Need

• Quotes from party venues
• Fruit punch fixings
• Small drink cups
• Ice cream
• Homemade cake
• A craft activity
• A teenage babysitter
• Sale-price holiday candy (optional)
• Thrift store items (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Decide whom to invite Decide whom to invite. Choose guests who will get along, but don’t be afraid to push the envelope. Mix Democrats with Republicans, book-lovers with TV junkies, artists with tycoons.
• TIP: There are limits, of course—if you’ve invited the Hatfields, have the McCoys another time.
• Step 2: Issue invitations Issue invitations by mail, phone, email, or in person. The more formal the event, the more notice you should give. A wedding needs at least six weeks, but a potluck only days.
• TIP: If you anticipate a noise level that might annoy your neighbors, make sure to invite them! Even if they don’t come, it’s harder to complain about a party you were invited to.
• Step 3: Prepare early Prepare early. If it’s a dinner party, set the table before the doorbell rings. If kids or pets are coming, put away breakables (ditto for Super Bowl parties). Choose foods you can make ahead of time.
• TIP: If your budget allows, hire someone to set up, take coats, and clear dishes, even if it’s just an eager high school kid. You’ll be free to ease conversation and smooth over social wrinkles, which is a host’s real job.
• Step 4: Get guest drink & introduce Make sure each guest has two things within minutes of arriving: a drink and an introduction to at least a few other guests. This isn’t a library or funeral parlor, so give people that initial incentive to talk.
• TIP: Use alcohol judiciously. A little might be good to loosen up both you and your guests—but break out the club soda well before the brawling begins.
• Step 5: List for disharmony & silence Listen for disharmony or awkward silence. If your buttoned-up boss is struggling to talk to your pet psychic, jump in with an introduction to someone new—like your neighbor, who’s wondering why he was invited.
• Step 6: Relax Relax. Once everyone’s in the room, there’s a limit to what you can do. Let the event take its course and try to have some fun.
• FACT: The Korean monster movie, The Host, features a creature that emerges from the river and eats people.

You Will Need

• A venue
• Event-appropriate food
• drink
• and decorations
• And guests
• Printed invitations
• And hired help

Instructions

• Step 1: Mention beginning & end When you invite your guests, mention a beginning and an end to the evening. For example, say, ‘We’ll have drinks, dinner, and dessert from seven until eleven.’
• Step 2: Throw out hints At the appointed time, start hinting that it’s time to hit the road by standing up, yawning audibly, and asking whether anyone needs a cab.
• Step 3: Present leftovers No movement? Go to the kitchen, wrap up some leftovers, and present them with the pointed remark, ‘Here’s a little something you can enjoy at home.’
• Step 4: Start cleaning up Start cleaning up, and make sure to remove all munchies.
• TIP: Taking the booze glasses away, even if there is still liquor in them, sends a clear message that it’s time to go.
• Step 5: Change into robe & slippers Change into your robe and slippers, and reemerge sporting a horrific mask of cold cream. Hum ‘The Party’s Over’ under your breath.
• Step 6: Retrieve coats & stand by door Still no movement? Retrieve their coats and other belongings, and stand by the door.
• Step 7: Bore them If all else fails, say, “Wanna see my ” and fill in: wedding video, grade school report cards, or great-grandmother’s spoon collection. If your guests are squeamish, offer to reveal your surgical scar or watch a birth video.
• Step 8: Enjoy the silence Enjoy the sound of silence.
• FACT: In a 2006 survey, Ellen DeGeneres was named the ideal dinner guest, with 28% of the vote.

You Will Need

• Dinner guests who have overstayed their welcome

Instructions

• Step 1: Feign a need Assuming you don’t already have a full cocktail or plate of food in your hand, excuse yourself to get a drink or visit the buffet. Or, you can always say you need to use the bathroom.
• Step 2: Flatter them Tell them you’ve really enjoyed chatting with them, but you don’t want to monopolize them.
• Step 3: Throw someone under the bus Grab the next person who happens by, drag them into the conversation, and make your getaway.
• TIP: Make this enjoyable for yourself by choosing someone you dislike intensely.
• Step 4: Spot someone you must speak with Use the old, ‘Oh, there’s so-and-so, and I haven’t seen them in ages!’
• Step 5: Set up a code If you’re at the party with a friend or your partner, use a pre-established ‘rescue me’ signal.
• Step 6: Be honest Just be honest. Kind of. Tell the person it’s been great talking to them – now here comes the honest part – but you really want to mingle. No one can fault you for that.
• FACT: Thirty-four percent of Americans are uncomfortable when introducing themselves to strangers at a party, according to one survey.

You Will Need

• Credible excuses
• Flattery
• A “sacrificial lamb
• Honesty
• An enemy (optional)
• A friend (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Gather paper Gather paper that can be shredded—old newspapers and magazines, discarded copier paper, used gift wrapping, or colored construction paper.
• TIP: If you work in an office, ask coworkers who use hole punchers to save the little paper circles.
• Step 2: Cut them Turn paper into confetti with scissors, a hole puncher, or a paper shredder. Craft-supply stores offer decorative hole punchers that create stars, sequins, hearts, and other designs.
• TIP: If you use a paper shredder to make the confetti, make sure it’s the crosscut kind, which cuts paper both vertically and horizontally.
• Step 3: Make them cling-free Scoop up the confetti, put it in a paper bag, and mist it with anti-static spray. Close the bag, shake it up for a minute, then open the top to let the confetti air-dry. This will prevent the confetti from clinging to your guests’ hair and clothes.
• Step 4: Make flower confetti Try making flower confetti: Sprinkle a layer of silica gel crystals onto the bottom of an ovenproof dish, cover with flower petals, and then alternate more layers of silica and petals. Heat in a 200-degree oven for about 30 minutes, and then let cool before gently shaking off any silica residue.
• TIP: If you’re sending party invitations, insert a tablespoon or so of confetti inside the card.
• Step 5: Bag it Make individual party bags for New Year’s Eve guests by pouring confetti into small glassine bags, sealing, and taping a noisemaker to the top of each.
• Step 6: Stuff balloons Stuff some confetti into balloons that guests can pop. Just funnel in the confetti before blowing them up.
• Step 7: Spray your guests Spray confetti over party guests by turning on a large fan and slowly pouring confetti in front of it.
• TIP: Some party supply stores and websites rent and sell confetti cannons, blowers, and swirl fans.
• Step 8: Clean up After vacuuming your floors, pick up any stubborn confetti with a lint roller.
• FACT: The largest collection of confetti in the world contains 1,700 unique shapes, including pieces that look like Elvis Presley.

You Will Need

• Paper
• Scissors
• a hole puncher
• or a paper shredder
• Anti-static spray
• Flower petals
• Silica gel crystals
• Small glassine bags
• Double-stick tape
• Noisemakers
• Balloons
• A large fan
• A lint roller
• A confetti cannon
• a blower
• or a swirl fan