Birthdays ~ A year round event to decorate for!

Choosing Birthday Party Supplies and Theme Packages
By Jeff Bauman

Birthday party supplies are available in a most sensible bundle.. the birthday party theme package. These are ideal for a parent who is endeavoring to make their child’s party special. Many parents aren’t aware of these packages and don’t know where to begin when it comes to selecting one. But when armed with just a little knowledge, you can select just the right package to make your child’s birthday very special and colorful.

Birthday party theme packages are composed of all of the supplies necessary for a total child’s party. They are typically based on parties of 8 and include: table cloth, napkins, plates, party hats, party cups, streamers, as well as invitations and thank you notes. Birthday party theme packages are not only complete; they are very colorful and vibrant. With today’s printing capabilities, the level of quality is quite high.

The variety of theme packages is massive and includes everything from Power Rangers to the Cabbage Patch and even the entire Batman series with everything in between. Gender is one of the first characteristics people reach for when picking a party supplies package. It is a good one to use. There are fine selections for boys such as: King Kong, Bob the Builder and the Fantastic Four. Young ladies would enjoy packages like: Barbie’s Celebration, Bratz Fashion or the Disney Belle theme package. There is also a wealth of party supplies packages based on academic topics. Examples include: Curious George, Rescue Team and World Safari. There are also theme packages which closely reflect popular cartoon and movie characters. Ones such as the Harry Potter series and Sponge Bob exhibit this group. If there is a movie your child has recently seen in the theatre or a cartoon he or she catches on Saturday morning, it is a virtual certainty there is a party supplies package built around it.

Obtaining a theme package is as simple as firing up your browser and navigating to a web site dedicated to birthday party supplies packages. These sites have evolved nicely and are well organized and easy to browse. With just a little consideration of your child’s tastes, you can have a bundled set of birthday party supplies delivered to your door just in time for your child’s special day.

birthday party supplies online

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Holiday Decorating Ideas: Party Planning

Holiday Decorating Ideas: Party Planning
By Jeanette Joy Fisher

Make decorating your home for holiday parties a pleasure instead of a stressful nightmare. Organization and planning helps you keep on top of your holiday parties.

Create a gorgeous party planning notebook with an inexpensive plastic three-ring binder that has a space to insert an inspirational picture. Keep cutouts from magazines of ideas you love about decorating, themes, menus, and recipes. Keep notes about your party afterwards so you remember what worked well and what to do differently next year. Your personal party journal will be an invaluable assistant to help you avoid holiday stress.

Holiday Decorating

Enjoy your home decorating for the holidays. Don't try to do too much. Keep in mind that people love to come to homes decked out in festive array but that it doesn't take a lot of cluttering ornamentation to create a holiday statement. Just a few large decorations can add the desired impact without taking a lot of time to set out. Plus, too many little decorations get lost when you have many people standing around.

Where to decorate for impact:

1. Your front walkway: Greet guests at the entrance with lights surrounding your front door and two large poinsettias or evergreen trees.

2. Your front door: A large swag of evergreen decorated with nuts, apples, raffia, and ribbon spiced up with cinnamon sticks and cloves makes a different statement than the usual wreath.

3. Your dining table: If you plan a sit-down dinner, avoid tall centerpieces that interfere with guests seeing across the table. White table cloths reflect the light, add a feeling of elegance, and don't interfere with colored china. Bold colors add drama. Have fun with your table decorations.

4. Look up: Because table decorations get in the way, add garlands above archways and doors.

5. Your powder room: Because guests use this room privately, they take the time to look around and notice decorations.

If your TV looks like a black hole in your room when it's off, play an old black and white classic movie with the sound turned off.

Enjoy your holiday decorating this year. Try some new ideas and keep a party planner for next year. You'll be ready for new holiday decorating ideas!

Copyright © Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher teaches homemakers how to makeover their homes for joyful living. For holiday interior design tips see http://JoyHolidays.com For FREE Design Psychology ebooks, see http://designpsych.com/

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Glorious Holiday Decorating: Ten Tips

By Jeanette Joy Fisher

If you're looking for ways to decorate your home in a glorious holiday fashion this season--without breaking the bank and losing your sanity in the process--here are ten terrific ideas to get you started.

1. You don't need to climb ladders and hang millions of lights all over your house to make a happy holiday statement. You can create an enticing "Welcome Home" atmosphere by simply placing a special emphasis on your front door, surrounding it with colorful lights and garlands of greenery.

2. You don't have to use all your decorations every year, especially if you own quite a few. Alternating decorations makes it easier on you, and when you don't see the same decorations year after year, they tend to have more meaning.

3. You don't need to add anything to your Christmas tree’s water. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, plain tap water is the best source of moisture for your tree. In fact, the NCTA says that some commercial additives and home concoctions can actually be detrimental to a tree’s moisture retention and increase needle loss. So keep your Christmas tree stand filled with plain water and use the savings to buy a few extra stocking stuffers.

4. You can save money when buying Christmas tree decorations by choosing your tree carefully. A fuller tree uses fewer decorations, because there are fewer holes to fill.

5. You can also save money by buying silk flower boughs and cutting the flowers apart. That way, you get many more decorations for one price. You can use the flowers on your tree, in garlands, and as enhancements to your gift wrapping.

6. You can make your holidays more meaningful, while reducing cost, by considering your personal family heritage when choosing a decorating theme. This includes making homemade decorations, using styles and techniques according to your family’s traditions. Combining ancestral cultures and honoring ancestors by creating handmade ornaments will make the season more meaningful and will help your children develop stronger ties with your family’s unique heritage.

7. You can further personalize the season by bringing your family’s interests into play when selecting a decoration theme. Take a photo of your family involved in a favorite activity, or something used during that activity, and surround it in a bed of greenery. For instance, if you love reading, display special books, bound together with a colorful ribbon. It’s a great way to create a totally unique decoration.

8. Since it’s irritating to have to look through or around large centerpieces while trying to talk to dinner guests, use either low or tall, skinny centerpieces when entertaining, so everyone can see each other’s faces.

9. Don't forget that you have five senses--and make sure to fill them all with delight at holiday time. Use cheerful warm-colored ribbons to highlight chandeliers and to wrap around vases, play your favorite seasonal music, add cinnamon, cloves, and essential oils to fill the air with holiday smells, share your favorite recipe with friends, and add sumptuous silky fabrics to table cloths, tree skirts, and pillows.

10. And finally, there’s no need to completely redecorate for your New Year’s Eve celebration. When Christmas has past, you can recycle your holiday wreaths and garlands for use in your New Year’s festivities simply by spray painting them silver or gold.

Christmas doesn't have to be a time of financial and emotional burden. You'll save money--and possibly your sanity--by using these simple suggestions. Happy holidays!

(c) Copyright 2004 Jeanette J. Fisher All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology Professor, is the author of "Joy to the Home eNewsletter." Discover innovative Interior Design Psychology and makeover your home to support happiness, productivity, and well-being. Read more about Design Psychology: http://www.designpsych.com/ Upcoming "Joy to the Home" books and ezine: http://www.joytothehome.com/

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Flowers!

Always make nice decorations!

Holiday Decorating Tips: Thanksgiving, a Time for Gratitude and Giving

By Jeanette Joy Fisher

Turkey and Cranberries! Yeah!

Start a new tradition this Thanksgiving dinner. Before you dig into that turkey, take a moment for each person to say one sentence beginning with...

"Today, I am grateful for..."

You will be surprised at what children say, so keep a notebook handy to write down the gratitudes, or, better yet, record the event.

Thanksgiving Decorating Tips

"Welcome to Our Home" Ideas

Holiday decorating isn't just for Christmas! Door wreaths welcome all to your home and set the stage for celebrating. Make a simple wreath to hang on your front door with Thanksgiving colors--brown, russet, olive green. Use tree branches from your garden; attach a few gourds, nuts, and ribbons.

Place a gorgeous mum by your front door. You can plant it later and get flowers next Thanksgiving to use inside. It just takes one bright spot near your front door to attract the eye of arriving guests.

Wrap your front door with gift wrap appropriate to Thanksgiving.

Make a "welcome to our home" banner. Add your ribbons and fall leaves.

Group vines, pumpkins, and mums for display impact near the front entrance. Adjust the vines to add height and movement.

Fall Leaves make great interior and exterior decorations. Be sure to hose off any bugs!

Interior Decorating Tips

Tie ribbons around your candle bases and around your floral arrangements.

Set fall-color leaves under your decorations. Safety Tip: Keep leaves separated from melting candle wax.

Extend your flower arrangements with fall tree branches. Just one flower package makes a huge impact when you divide and spread it around.

Use copper, bronze, and gold spray paint to dress up plain gourds. Fill a glass or crystal bowl with the gourds, oranges, and nuts.

Display vegetables and mini pumpkins on a tray. Fill in any gaps with fall leaves, moss, straw, or wheat.

If orange clashes with your home's interior, use green apples and spray paint the mini-pumpkins.

Did I already say leaves? Here's another way to add fall color: Place the leaves in your green potted-plants.

Thanksgiving Giving

One beautiful way to kick off your holiday season: Wrap tiny gifts in gold foil; top off with brown and russet ribbons, and place the gifts on the dinner plate. Your table will look fabulous and your guests will love the thought.

Happy Thanksgiving!

© Jeanette Fisher

Free holiday decorating ideas teleclass, "Interior Design Secrets to Glorious Holiday Decorating" and more holiday decorating tips Joy Holidays Decorating http://JoyHolidays.com

Interior Design Ideas

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Fun Thanksgiving Decorations That Make Your Holiday Special

by Angela Tyler

Thanksgiving is a time in which we remember the people in our lives that are special to us. This year take the time to decorate your home in honor of this very special holiday.

You can show your friends and family just how much they mean to you this Thanksgiving season. Here are a few decorations that will make this Thanksgiving one that will be remembered for many years to come.

Make your Thanksgiving table a thing of beauty with a table runner with gold, browns, or burnt orange colors. Emboss the table runner with stamps in fruit and nut shapes or use iron-on decals to decorate your table runner.

Buy several pillar candles in one solid color and place each on silk fall leaves. Group your candles in various heights and place a few nuts or small gourds at the base of the candles for a special fall look.

Decorate your Thanksgiving buffet table with fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts in brass or silver bowls and baskets. You can also use artificial fruits and vegetables if you want to keep your beautiful buffet table in place for several weeks or the entire month.

Make garlands from leaves, fruits, berries, and fall colored ribbons to hang from doorways and any place you would normally hang a Christmas garland. You can also purchase bundles of wheat and tie wide, wire-edged ribbon around the center and hang from your fireplace and on doors.

Make place cards for every member of the family and any other visitors you may be entertaining and include a note to each written inside the place card of why you are thankful for that person and what they mean in your life. Your guests and family members will be touched by your thoughtfulness and the effort you made to make them feel special.

Think of all the places you decorate with reds and greens at Christmas and instead place fall colors and Thanksgiving decorations that you can purchase in your local discount or hobby store. These simple ideas will transform your house and make your guests thankful for you.

Visit http://www.homeorganizationhelp.com for more ways to decorate your home quickly and easily, and http://www.freequickrecipes.com for delicious meal ideas.

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Thanksgiving Decorations

Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks! Are you still hunting for decoration Ideas?

Here is a list of things just to start you thinking in that direction. Many of them are readily available and may do double duty.

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Warm fall colors are called for.

Do you have some beautiful maple leaves that have fallen that can be used? If you have children, they will enjoy using the leaves and creating placeholders for the table.

Candles are always welcome at the table. If you like to use pillars, placed in tall holders they can make an elegant statement. Consider grouping various sizes of candles together on a plate. I’ve found that I like using tiles of various sizes for this purpose. I can surround the bottom of the candles with wonderful stones, flower pedals and the like. Always keep safety in mind, especially around children.

Make center piece with small pumpkins, gourds, squash as well as apples, pears, oranges, and lemons. Try and stay with the warmer colors. Add a dash of green with ivy. A nice wicker, glass or metal platter will hold all of this.

Cranberries…yes they are a fruit and yes they are for eating…but I love the colors. What about picking up some raw berries for a bowl of color?

Think about scents. There is lots of different candle scents and potpourris to choose from.

Flowers – warm colors such as yellow roses and mums

Visit a local craft store for lots of ideas.

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Do you have any other ideas? Share them with us. Feel free to leave your suggestion below.

How to Light Up Your Home for Joy

Do you love the winter holiday season or does this time of year cause you stress? One way to lower your holiday stress, using fewer decorations, decreases your "just have to much to do" list.

However, you still want to display Christmas candles because these decorations bring smiles to you and your loved ones. As days grow shorter and cooler and the suns sets earlier, people naturally crave the warmth and comfort of light, especially natural sources such as a bonfire or the flame of a Christmas candle.

Christmas Candle Tips

Luminaries

Save your energy and your money. You don't need to line your entire sidewalk with luminaries. Get a similar effect with four large candles in clear glass containers near your front door. These glowing candles will welcome your guests without all the work of gathering bags, buying votive candles that just burn up fast, and shoveling all that sand.

Window Candles

Many cultural holiday traditions include placing a lighted candle in front windows to be seen from the outside. Pamper yourself. Place a candle in any dark window at night. Rather than peering into a dark void, you'll focus on the cheerful flame and feel comforted and uplifted.

Gift Yourself

Create a nightly quiet ritual for yourself in a quiet place away from distractions and the hustle of the holidays. Place candles around your bathtub and unwind, or by your favorite reading chair and instead of reading sit in the quiet and reflect upon the brightness of a single candlelight. Listen to quiet music or simply enjoy the peace and stillness. Ponder the joys in your life and express gratitude. This quiet time may be your most treasured gift to yourself.

Candlelight Carol-Sing

Recycle last year's greeting cards by cutting each into a disk or rounding the edges, punch a hole in the center, and slide a taper candle half-way through the hole. Gather your friends and family around the piano or hearth and sing familiar Christmas carols as each person holds their own candlelight. Pause to reflect upon the fact that each individual brings their own special light to the world and recognize the common spiritual light in each of us.

Candle Night-Night

When it's time to settle the children down to bed on Christmas Eve, calm them with a soothing candlelight ritual. My daughter’s children walk to bed, each carefully carrying a lighted candle through a dark hallway, singing "Silent Night."

Happy Holidays!

© Jeanette Fisher

Free holiday decorating ideas teleclass, "Interior Design Secrets to Glorious Holiday Decorating" and more holiday decorating tips Joy Holidays Decorating http://JoyHolidays.com

Interior Design Ideas

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Holiday Decorations!

It's that time of year again, when many people will be putting up all sorts of decorations.

What holidays will you be thinking of?

• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
• Winter Solstice
• Summer Solstice (if you are in the Southern Hemisphere)
• Kwanza
• Hanukah
• NewYear's

That's just for the next two months.

This will be a great place to find information and tips for your decorating needs over the coming holiday season. Check back with us soon!