Posts filed under ‘Reasons to Connect’
Bus Stop Fun
For the past two days, we have had some SUPER FUN surprises at the bus stop. Yesterday we celebrated the last day of summer with happy-face balloons and popsicles. Today we welcomed Fabulous Fall with pumpkins and candy corn. The kids L*O*V*E*D it (and I did too). Now all of the kids at the bus stop are excitedly coming up with what the next “celebration” should be.
It’s so easy to do it will make you wonder why you haven’t thought of it sooner. I pick an event (either real or made up), fill our wagon with fun “treats” (either new or found items from the kitchen), write a message on my white-board and head down to the bus stop. Done. Super happy kids – all for 30 minutes of my time.
I love these kinds of days!
The Best Day of the Year…
For years, my favorite day has always been the Summer Solstice. I love sunshine and blue skies so the longer they are out the better. And since my entire families birthdays are in the fall and winter, I decided last year that the Summer Solstice was the PERFECT reason to celebrate and have a party – outdoors! It was a hit, so this year, we are having our 2nd annual Summer Solstice Party.
And, since the circus just came to town, we thought it would be a perfect theme for our party this year …
The Summer Solstice Circus!
The invitations have been sent…
The FOOD has been planned:
- Hot Dogs & Chips
- Popcorn (of course)
- Cotton Candy
- Candy
- And much more…
The DECORATIONS are in full swing…
The GAMES are being planned:
- Clown Ring Toss
- Go Fishing Duck Pond
- Clown Stage – complete with costumes
- Juggling
- Face Painting (but with temporary tattoos)
- And lots more…
Now all we need is for a fabulously SUNNY day … that should be easy to produce, right?
I promise to take lots of pictures and they will be the subject of my next post.
Sweetopia = Serious eye-candy
So I know that I have not added anything new lately, but I just came across the most beautiful and delicious looking blog that I have seen in a while – and there is a bonus … there are tutorials for those of us who are kitchen-challenged! So thanks to Pen and Paper Flowers (another wonderful blog) for introducing us to Sweetopia. I think I just found a reason to through a party! Enjoy the view!
Party with a Purpose
So I know this is not a one-of-a-kind idea, nor is it something that hasn’t been done a lot, but it is such a great idea that I think it is worth promoting. We all love parties. We all love getting together with friends and family and celebrating -well – anything. So this year, why not give those Parties a Purpose.
Plan a get together – whether large or small – and instead of having guests bring gifts or food, ask them to donate to a much needed charity. There are all kinds of ways to plan this and of course, all kinds of charities that would be worthy of such an event. Here are a few ideas (some are mine and some are from great friends and fabulous sites that I have read):
January – “National Blood Donor Month”
Thanks to the fabulous “Mix Mingle Glow“, this is a wonderful idea that is easy, fun and life-saving.
photo courtesy of Mix Mingle Glow
“Gather a group of buddies for a good cause! Visit a local blood drive and donate together. Then, skip the standard stale cookies and apple juice offerings and spike your blood sugar with a dessert party back at your house. Set up a sundae bar or ask everyone to bring their favorite baked goods! Eating dessert AND saving a life – Super sweet!” – Mix, Mingle, Glow
“Valuable Valentines”
Plan an early Valentines Day party with your kids. Let them invite their friends over for a Valentine Card making party. Let all the kids create as many cards as they can that can then be delivered to your local Children’s Hospital or Orphanage to be handed out to the kids that won’t be able to attend a party of their own. This has lots of valuable benefits – for your kids, their friends and you. You can also invite the moms to stay and enjoy the festivities with you.
“Party with a Pint for St. Patrick’s Day”
Thanks to my neighbor, Suzanne, for being the inspiration for this idea. She had a great idea to host a party in which everyone brings their favorite, wildest beer that they can think of. We have taken that idea one step further for St. Patrick’s Day and recommend not only having your friends bring their favorite beer, but also $5 or $10. Then, whoever wins for having the craziest beer selection, they get the honor of choosing which charity the money gets donated to. So raise your pint and toast your friends for the luck of the Irish is sure to find you for doing such a good deed.
May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.
So many holidays, so little time!
There is no denying it…the holiday season is fully upon us. If you think about it for too long, it will start to stress you out – and it’s only the beginning of September. There is SO much to celebrate that it’s hard to know where to begin:
- Back to School – “We survived the first week/month of school!”
- Football season – high school, college, professional…your choice
- First day of Fall – September 22nd (for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere)
- Pre-Halloween – great way to get more wear out of your costume
- Halloween – enough said
- The entire month of November – November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, American Diabetes Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month and National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
- Thanksgiving – November 26th
- Pearl Harbor Day – December 7th
- Hanukkah – December 12
- National Re-Gifting Day – December 18th – Now this is a day to celebrate!
- Christmas – of course!
- New Years Eve
- New Years Day – depending on how “big” you partied on New Year’s Eve!
So, where on earth do you begin? First, let me recommend you make a plan.
- Start with how often you want to have a party – once a week, once a month, once.
- Then, decide which occasion(s) make you the happiest and will be the most fun to celebrate.
- Lastly, start your preparations early – so you have maximum fun with minimum stress!
And to help you even further, we are going to give you ideas for all of the occasions listed above – complete with links to fabulous sites that provide unbelievably brilliant ideas!
First up…Back to school. Stay tuned, ideas will be coming VERY soon!
Right around the corner…
Summer is fading,
School is about to start
and that can only mean one thing…
the Holidays are just around the corner – yes really!
But don’t worry. We are here to help you start early so that when they do arrive you can relax and enjoy every minute of them.
Starting in September I’ll be posting Fabulous Ideas to help you get a jump start on your party planning season.
Also, a special deal for all you early-birds…All Holiday Card orders placed in September will receive a 25% discount on the entire order.
And don’t forget – your cards can be customized to match your own FABULOUS style!
What’s Up, Buttercup?
Sunshine + 80 degree happiness + new patio furniture = the perfect occasion for a barbeque with friends!
There is nothing better than those spontaneous summer get-togethers with your closest friends that last long into the night. You start off with chips and dip (or whatever snacks you have in your pantry), some wine and the sweet sounds of the the kids playing with their friends in the backyard. Then you fire up the grill and enjoy some more wine. Before you know it, you are lighting the citronella candles, opening some more wine and laughing more than you have all week.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot when everyone brings something to share and it certainly doesn’t have to be a fancy affair that requires a lot of preparation and stress on your part. All you need is a table and chairs outside, good friends, good wine and a couple of candles.
What are you waiting for? Call your friends up now and invite them over this weekend to enjoy the longest day of the year!
Hooray for Summer!
It’s been a long, cold winter…a lovely but rainy spring…and now summer is just around the corner:
Hip, Hip Hooray!!!
If you are like me, the longer, sunny days are the absolute best part of summer. So, here is one more reason to connect with friends and family – the longest day of the year, Summer Solstice, is just around the corner. June 21st to be exact. And we actually get a 2 for 1 this year…it’s also Father’s day. What better reasons to have a party.
Here is all you need:
- A yummy but simple menu – Girls, take charge of the grill. Throw on some burgers and dogs while the dads relax with an ice cold beer. This will actually be really fun with your best girlfriends around to help.
- Your favorite wine – the best part of any party – next to your favorite girlfriends
- Water balloons, croquet, Frisbees, snacks for the kids – they will have a blast playing together and since you are in your own backyard, no “shushing” needed.
- A great “summer-time” play list on your iPod – this will be almost as much fun to listen to as it will be to put together. Come on, who doesn’t just absolutely LOVE to put themed play lists together?
- A few citronella candles – especially if you live in the South.
Thats it…you are all set for the best summer solstice party ever. And I bet, you will have so much fun you will start referring to it as your ANNUAL summer solstice party.
And to give you a few additional ideas for party options, check out these fabulous blogs:
Here are some great ideas from The Party Dress if you want to give your Summer Solstice party a little “fiesta theme” or have more fun when the sun goes down with an outdoor Movie night.
Or, how about a Candyland theme – you know I love this one as I have offered it up before. This is from Hostess with the Mostess and I just love the fun colors, sweet treats and all around “summery-ness” of this party idea.
So raise your glass, give a cheer, Hip, Hip Hooray – Summer is Here!
Happy Spring!
It is my favorite time of the year. The flowers are blooming (I don’t have allergies so I can actually enjoy this), the sky is the perfect shade of blue (some days) and we are starting to feel the warmth of the sun more often than not! The best part of spring, however, is that the days last longer! I love that it stays light outside until 8:00 pm! I love that we have dinner closer to 7:30 instead of 5:30 because none of us want to go inside. I love that when it’s 9:00 it only feels like 7:00 and I have gotten so much more done.
It’s these beginning weeks of the time change that I realize what I can accomplish with just a few more hours (even if they are just perceived hours). I read a wonderful blog the other day from Hostess with the Mostess about getting back to doing the “little things” for family and friends. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of spring or just the happiness I remember feeling when I see a friend smile over something I have done, but I am now committed to using these precious “extra” hours in my day to DO simple and meaningful things for those that I love…like sending out more “I am so glad you are my friend” notes!
I hope you will be just as inspired. And please share your ideas as well – I would love to hear how you find ways to make people smile. We can all use more inspiration in our lives.
Inspire me!
Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis
So, I know this is not my “normal” blog entry, but it is by far the most important one that I have written to date.
Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis is CCFA’s national evening walk and celebration and the nation’s largest event dedicated to finding cures for digestive diseases. We will enjoy a casual 2-3 mile stroll and raise money for crucial research that wouldn’t even have been possible a few short years ago, bringing us closer to a future free from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Throughout the year, Take Steps enables patient families to join together with their local community to build visibility and awareness about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis while raising critical funds for research. Over 1.4 million American adults and children are affected by these digestive diseases. While many suffer in silence, Take Steps brings together this community in a fun and energetic atmosphere, encouraging them to make noise and be heard.
A few facts about digestive diseases:
One in every 200 people suffer daily with digestive diseases. With the support of communities nationwide, CCFA has raised much needed funds that, through research, have brought us closer to a cure. For those living with these chronic diseases, life is a roller coaster of active and remitting disease. However, the opportunity to make life more manageable for patients who live day to day with intense pain, the threat of long term hospital stays and multiple surgeries has never been greater.
If you would like to join the Walk or just support the cause, simply click the link below for more information. Trust me, every little bit helps and we must find a CURE!
Kellie Signature Designs 