Ideas for Teenage Birthday Parties – Pool Party

four shots underwater swimming in a pool

With summer just around the corner it’s just about time to put some thought into birthday party fun in the sun. And for all those parents looking for ideas for teenage birthday parties to plan your teenager’s summer birthday look no further! Because if you have a pool (or access) to one then throwing a pretty hip birthday party is as easy as 1-2-3. And on one of those fabulous hot summer days, throwing a pool party will result in you being on the road to being one of the coolest parents around. So if you’re looking to amuse and entertain then throw on some sun screen and let the planning begin.

Ideas for Teenage Birthday Parties – Splish Splash!

Throwing a warm weather pool party birthday bash is a perfect way to celebrate with kids but really is considered a huge (huge!) hit by adults and teens alike. It goes without saying, most teenagers love a party. And with a pool party, you take care of those two proverbial “birds with one stone”; a party with a built in theme, bonus. A pool party is all about having fun, relaxing and splashing around. If you do decide to go the route of theming a pool party it is important to remember that with teenagers and themes, less truly is more.

Ideas for Teenage Birthday Parties – Invitations, Food, Activities, Oh My!

There really are so many great pool party invitations ideas available, both purchased and homemade. So if you are the creative type and are into making the invites consider some of these swimming pool party invitation ideas. Try the always favorite beach ball invitation, just write out all the party details on an inflated beach ball, then deflate the beach ball and hand deliver or mail it off (with a note to blow up the ball and read on). Exactly the same can be done with a Frisbee, bottle of sun screen, inexpensive sunglasses, flip flops or some other similar pool party item. Or find some pool party clip art (raft, sunglasses, swimming pool, the sun, flip flops, a towel, swimming shorts, a tropical flower or any pool related thing) and outline the party details and then send it off.

At any party, food glorious food is an important part of the festivities. No need for a sit down sort of event here. Appetizers, munchies and finger foods are ideal and popular for the pool party scenario. Set up a buffet where the guests can help themselves to what they want and like. A pool party is a more active and lively type of party so most like to keep the food fare light, but really anything will do. You can easily plan a menu of great options and include lots (and lots and lots) of beverages. For the food there is much that will fit the bill; hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza, fruit, chips and dip, salsa and tortilla chips, cookies and again, the list is endless. The guests will be active and need hydrating so be sure to have loads of bottled water, juices, lemonade and ice tea on hand and soft drinks, teenagers love, love soft drinks.

When it comes to teenagers and parties, planned activities are not always needed. But with pool parties, planning some activities will promote entertainment and fun. First and foremost, to ensure the party is as amusing, entertaining and fun as possible for all, have on hand loads of pool toys; beach balls, pool rafts, mats and floats, water guns, noodles, water balloons and water sticks. Consider putting up a net and playing some pool volley ball. Depending on the teenagers and their interests, there are lots of activities that can be played. And party music is a must! Be sure to have some warm weather beach and up beat music playing. Not only will it get the teens grooving, it will inspire pool party fun and who knows what else.

Ideas for Teenage Birthday Parties – A Thing or Two More….

A couple of more things to remember when planning that super special pool party.

  • When sending out the party invitations remind everyone to bring their swimsuit as well as a towel. But be sure to have lots of extra towels and sun screen around for those who may have forgotten and need it.
  • No worries about party decorations the pool itself really is the decoration. Be sure to have lots of pool chairs available for everyone to take a load off.
  • Safety comes first, always! Set, review and display the rules at all times.
  • Teenagers are so not interested in adults or being supervised but it is so imperative to keep an eye out. It’s a fact teens want their space but when it comes to pools and pool parties, supervision is the name of the game.

Oh the fun that awaits… who doesn’t love a pool party? Pool parties are one of the most enjoyable and greatest ways to spend time with friends and family. When it comes to celebrating, enjoying delicious food and having some plain old fun and joy, a pool party is second to none.

 

 

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3 Places to Visit for 15-year-old Birthday Party Ideas

15 year old birthday party ideas

photo by zazzle.com

If you have a soon-to-be 15-year-old in your family then you’re most likely wondering what the heck can you do to make their birthday special. And let’s face it, it can be a daunting task to make sure a teen birthday party is one that the birthday boy or girl themselves, along with all of their friends, will find memorable. Probably the number one task you are thinking right now is what 15-year-old birthday party ideas are there where you’re invisible. Sorry but that’s probably what your teen is hoping for the most.

If you do a Google search for birthday party ideas or 15-year-old birthday party ideas then you’ll see that there are literally millions and millions of sites that you can choose from. Well, we here at “Plan an Event” have taken a look at some of the searches in order to save you valuable time. From here we present, what we feel are, three sites that you’ll find helpful when trying to determine and finalize your 15-year-old birthday party idea.

15-year-old Birthday Party Ideas-Three Sites Worth Visiting

Perfect Party Ideas.com – what I like about this website is that they provide you with bullet points for 15-year-old birthday party ideas. Here you’ll find topic ranging from 15-year-old birthday party locations, 15th birthday party idea’s for girls and boys, 15th birthday party games, 15th birthday party activities, 15th birthday party food, and of course 15th birthday party gift ideas. Basically an overview of all of the topics that you will want to cover when planning a 15th birthday party.

Buzzle.com – while this site isn’t limited to just birthday party planning, it does have great information on party ideas for 15-year-olds. Here they run through some party theme ideas and then give a brief outline of how you can implement these ideas for yourself.

Teen Party Ideas.com  – this site is solely dedicated to birthday party planning. For their teen party ideas, they have dozens of links to various teen party themes. Themes range from; amazing race party, beach party, dance party, a movie themed party, pirate party, sleepover parties (yikes), etc. You would be hard-pressed not to find 15-year-old birthday party ideas that would be a hit.

15-year-old birthday party ideas are plentiful. But you can spend a lot of time searching on the Internet for the better quality websites. In addition to our website (a plug, but heck why not), we like to take a look at other birthday party idea websites and present to you what we consider to be some of the more better ones out there. After all, you know all too well how hard the planning can be for a teen’s birthday party.

 

 

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Birthday Party Ideas – Too Fun!

happy birthday felt crown in red, blue and yellow

Photo courtesy of architekt2 on flickr

When planning a birthday party for a loved one, adult or child, above all we want it to go off without a hitch. Really, who amongst us is interested in putting all that effort and hard work into throwing a birthday party that fails or falls apart mid-stream. It makes no difference as to the who, what, where and how as the ultimate objective and goal we continually aim for time after time is success.

A party missing the appropriate and suitable planning is like a day without sunshine. Without the proper planning a party truly can turn into a big bunch of chaos and/or confusion. And in turn embarrass you and possibly that special guest of honor in front of all the invited guests. When planning a party, there is so much to think about and research, the theming, location, guest list, invitations, decorations, party menu, to hire entertainment or not and so on and so on.

Birthday Party Ideas – Tee Hee!

I am sure I am not telling you anything you don’t already know or haven’t heard before. As we all know, the deciding on and planning does not need to be complicated, over the top or even incredibly time consuming. But even when going with a more basic party planning route, it still takes thought and attention. So instead of sharing the do’s and don’ts mentioned here in the blog, just for fun, along with YouTube, we’re going to take this opportunity to show you some birthday party bloopers. Some of the possible “oops”…so enjoy and be aware.

 

 

And remember, when that special day arrives, all (and I do mean all) your birthday party planning should be done so all that is required is time for fun and merriment on this very special day.

 

 

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Green Meetings Are Easier to Plan than You Think

 

Unless you’re one that still believes our earth is flat, most people realize that we all need to do our part to help our precious planet. This post isn’t intended to create a debate about global warming. Here we are assuming that our readers have done their own research and understand the importance of green meetings. My only advice for those that may be still caught up in the debate is to please stop listening to the politicians. Plain and simple they are not scientists and their comments are often made with a hidden agenda in mind. Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s take a look at how easy it is to make your meeting a little greener.

Posting a Green Meeting Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Increased Responsibilities

Many people, including myself until recently, are under the impression that having a green meeting means additional tasks and increased responsibilities. Well, today that’s not the case. Especially with social media becoming more and more prominent in our lives. Technology is making it very easy to go paperless today. And many meetings are now conducted virtually with the use of video conference calls.

Many meeting planners are also telling me that a lot of their delegates are supporting green meetings. Many are actually inquiring with planners on how they can help make any meetings they are attending become as green as possible. Also many association meetings are leaving a positive impact in the cities where they are hosting their semi-annual or annual meetings. Often associations will have an activity that attendees can participate in that leave the city little cleaner or little greener.

Green Meeting Tips That You Easily Implement

Here are just a few green meeting tips that you can easily implement for your next meeting:

  • for smaller meetings consider video conference linking
  • make registration forms electronic and distribute information via social media
  • set up a twitter account for your meeting and ask attendees to start following it. Then communicate with your attendees via the twitter account with regards to updates, news during the conference etc.
  • work with your travel company to promote paperless boarding passes
  • if flying is a must, consider purchasing carbon offsets
  • for those that are concerned about supplier interaction, consider a virtual tradeshow
  • work with your hotel on energy-saving solutions. Make sure your meeting room has energy-efficient light bulbs and that they are turned off while you are not meeting.
  • Serve your water the good old-fashioned way. Make sure to ask that there is no bottled water in your meeting room

Hosting a green meeting isn’t as hard as you might think it is. Most companies that you deal with today will have policies in place that allow them to assist you in making green choices. For more information on green meetings, visit the EPA’s Green meeting page. Implementing just a few of the green meeting tips will help put you and your organization on a positive sustainability path.

 

 

 

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Birthday Party Ideas for Adults – Step Right Up!

black and white of men's eyes looking up a birthday hat

Photo courtesy of Anant N S on flickr

Birthdays are meant to be special and fun filled. Adult birthdays truly are the perfect opportunity to celebrate. Celebrate making it through another year, celebrate life and, with a lot of adult birthday parties, celebrate that exceptional milestone you’ve just hit. Keep in mind that birthday parties are not just for your kids, adults love to celebrate, host and attend parties as well.

When planning an adult birthday party you definitely have a lot more liberty and choice when deciding on the ins and outs of the actual party. Some say an adult birthday party should be a more sombre like, calm (ish) and a very grown up gathering in comparison to a kid’s party. But there are others that believe that an adult party provides the opportunity of a more madcap, unconventional and crazy filled type of party. I for one believe in going with the style of party, theme and fun you are looking for, depending on the person, situation and time of year and whether you are planning a shindig for an adult or child. Plus, there are some really great birthday party ideas for adults available for you to take a stab at finding the just right one.

Birthday Party Ideas for Adults – Start Planning!

Looking to plan a most unforgettable birthday party for the special adult in your life? No worries, you are set to host a party that will not only be remembered by the guest of honor but all the invited guests as well. All you need is a bit of vision, resourcefulness and creativity and you are on your way to the best party yet. As blogged about many a time before, come up with a budget, stick to it and put it in the party plan. You are one step closer to success. Once the budget is selected and confirmed, choose a fun party theme and then you can simply take that theme and expand on it. Expand to the invitations, decorations, tasty menu, wonderful entertainment and everything else you may need to throw a wonderfully fun filled adult birthday party.

Birthday Party Ideas for Adults – Surprise!

A surprise party is a great way to celebrate a special occasion. A surprise party is just like any old conventional party except the difference is the huge degree of…. surprise. Among the majority of us, I ask you, really who don’t love a surprise. Surprise parties have become way (way) more fashionable and in style. As long as the person you are celebrating has a healthy sense of humor, you should have no problem whatsoever. One of the greatest, and at times hardest, parts of the surprise party isn’t actually the party part of the experience. It’s the “surprise” part of the experience. When putting pen to paper and planning all the elements involved for the day, that oh so special surprise part can be the most challenging chunk. So first and foremost think it through and come up with an A plus way to help make sure that the surprise does in deed stay a surprise!

Birthday Party Ideas for Adults – The Fun Awaits!

I was lucky enough to be included in a surprise party for a friend’s husband this past weekend. She got him out the house by saying she had a work meeting and it was being held at their place. She then arranged to send him off to the ballgame with a couple of his good friends that were in on the ruse. With the first part of the plan in place, and while he was enjoying the game, she decorated and set up the entire house. She tackled the party space enhancing it with not only some colorful decorations but with some of the top movie posters from the year he was born as well as lists and pictures of the top TV shows, songs, albums, favorite foods and the item prices (all accessible and downloadable online). Along with some delicious and great party foods the hostess included all of the birthday honoree’s favorites from when he was a young lad. She also invited all of her husband’s buds, from back in the day right to the present time, and instructed the guests to arrive thirty minutes before the guest of honor’s anticipated arrival.

In a word or two, the party was unbelievable and joy filled. The honoree was totally surprised, not only by the party but by the decorations, food and all his friends that showed up to celebrate. It’s been a couple of days since the party and we all continue to talk about it and all the fun we had. Truly a job well done!

We all love a birthday party and sometimes adult birthday parties are not as frequent as one might imagine. When thinking and planning an adult birthday party don’t forget it’s all about the guest of honor. By keeping this in mind you will definitely ensure a wonderful celebration and a great time will be had by all!

 

 

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How to Promote an Event-Not!

photo by scriptshadow. blogspot.com

Everything old is new again. Why on earth are we are talking about women’s rights here in the US in 2012. Yep, it seems the Republican primary process has dug up something that we all thought was a conversation long done with. And how does this tie in with how to promote an event? Well, what I’m referring to here is the conclusion to Rick Santorum’s presidential run. You see, it seems that Mr. Santorum couldn’t shake some of his more controversial comments regarding women’s rights issues. This was something that he was perfectly willing to bring up on his campaign trail.

Our friends at funny or die, with the help of some very well known names in the industry, have put together a tongue-in-cheek video to address how to promote an event, Rick Santorum style. Mr. Santorum has been pretty vocal about his beliefs on a woman’s right to choose (or not). They’ve cleverly drawn a comparison of this controversial subject and tied it into the senators suspension of his campaign speech – you know – how to promote an event. Normally when you’re promoting an event, you like to focus on the positive benefits of what the event itself is.

Watch below as Rick Santorum Aborts Presidential Campaign.

 

Let’s just say that this is not how to promote an event – at least if you’re Rick Santorum.

 

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Girl Birthday Party Ideas – Same Time Each Year!

Happy Birthday written in green with leaves and lady bugs

Photo courtesy of manuelressel on flickr

So it’s that time of year again, your tween is approaching another birthday and you are struggling to come up with the greatest way to mark this special day. Tweens are entering that uniquely amazing time in life when everything slowly, but surely, begins to matter. Birthdays and birthday celebrations are meant to be a very special occasion in a girl’s life and development. So if you are searching for some fun (and so much more) think about planning a sleepover for your tween’s next party!

Girl Birthday Party Ideas – Who Doesn’t Love a Sleepover!

Girls just love, love, love sleepover parties, no matter the reason, occasion or age. Sleepover parties are the bomb and the perfect way to celebrate. Sometimes just the thought of a house filled with tweens doesn’t hold the same thrill and excitement as it may have in the past. But what tween doesn’t just love getting a select group of their BFF’s together for a night of amusement. A sleepover party is the perfect chance for your tween and her friends to celebrate and spend some quality time together. It has been said that sleepover parties are the first opportunity for a tween to flex their rights-of-passage muscle. Oh the fun that awaits!

Sleepover parties are filled with lots of fun and create memories that will last a lifetime. Remember back in the day when you and all your besties enjoyed late nights, grooving to music, talking and laughing the night away? And don’t forget about all those tasty snacks! These are some of the best parts of growing up.

Girl Birthday Party Ideas – Sleepover Party Planning

While sleepover parties are all the rage for our kids, they can pose a bit more of a challenge for the parents doing all the planning. It is important to incorporate both the parent’s vision as well as the child’s when putting all the party pieces together. Sit down with your daughter and find out what she truly wants and is anticipating for this party. And then the time is now to get to arranging and organizing this fun filled sleepover party. But first there are a couple of things to bear in mind.

Set a budget, stick to it, and reflect that information in your party plan.

Some things never change the majority of parents and experts agree, co-ed sleep overs are a big (BIG) no-no. It is fully recommended that the guest list include one and only one gender. So if the tween celebrating this special day is a girl then all the invited guests should be girls too.

Limit the number of guests you invite. Take into account the blend of friends and personalities. Think about your time, space and the logistics. And be sure to have contact details for all the guests, as you never know.

Choose a theme. Lots of parents just go with the “sleepover” as the theme. But in an effort to make things unfold in a smoother and easier way some parents and kids choose a specific theme. It will ultimately aid in decision making for invites, decorations and activities.

Be sure to have a blueprint that includes meals, snacks, games, activities and the like. Be aware that you will most likely not stick to the blueprint but it will help with maintaining the action and party flow. So think about how you want that party to unfold and include it in the blueprint.

Sleepovers are all about the food and when we say food, truly thoughts go directly to the junk part of the experience. So in addition to the usual fun junk food, be sure to have some healthy snacks on hand for those that prefer a fruit cup to chips and dip (really?).

Make any and all rules clear from the start. And in this situation, parents are the ones that should be seen and really, not heard too. Be around and available. Be sure the party revelers know you’re there. But give them the space to enjoy and create memories.

I don’t know a kid, myself included, and that has been to a sleepover party and doesn’t remember those times fondly. A night of friends, fun, food, laughs and secrets…at some point we all should have the chance to enjoy a sleepover.

 

 

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Kids Birthday Party Ideas Centered around Earth Day

photo by dreamstime.com

For this post we thought that we would present some earth friendly kids birthday party ideas in recognition of Earth Day this year (April 22). Now many of you may be wondering if there are fun ways to be sustainable while preparing for a kids birthday party. Well, the video below indicates the answer can be yes.

The video below provides a few kids birthday party ideas that do not take a lot of time or money to implement. As a matter of fact some of their ideas presented here actually show you ways to use simple items around your house, many of which you’ve probably been thinking of getting rid of anyways, and turn them into usable birthday party ideas.

And while the kids are having fun our planet will thank you. And we only have one planet to live on so let’s make sure we treat it as such.

 

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Party Planning – What Can Go Wrong…

birthday boy having a crying moment

Photo courtesy of Coba on flickr

We often blog about the ABC’s of party planning; the “what” to do as well as the “what not” to do. For some, just the idea of planning and hosting a party (whether it is for our own child or an adult) can cause stress and fear like nothing else. While at the same time for others party planning is the road to pure joy. The facts are, party planning thoughts and emotions can run the gamut. So no matter where you fall on the party planning scale, have no fear! There is lots of party planning advice available to help with all your planning needs.

So before the invites go out and the decorations are hung, take some time to consider all the factors that will be needed to plan a most successful celebration. As blogged here a time or two before, first and foremost come up with a realistic budget and then stick to it. A fun, outstanding and memorable party can be arranged whether the budget is big or small. Having a party plan that includes all the details will help you step by step with the entire process. So once the budget has been determined, be sure to embrace it and include it along with all the other planning details. There are many factors consider, theme, invitations, decorations, food, cake, activities and games. And of course, the always favorite loot bag.

But again have no fear; there is tons of help available. Don’t forget to tap in to all those handy friends and family. They have ideas and I bet you would love to share and help out. There are so many party planning resources that will assist, retail locations as well as online. It would be easy to sit here and list all the dos and don’ts. But as they say a picture, or in this case a video, is worth a thousand words. This humorous example not only teaches us all a lesson in party planning don’ts but also provides the opportunity for a laugh or two.

Party Planning – Will Go Wrong…

So enjoy! And this video proves one thing, when hiring live entertainers, always (always!) check references, or at the very least be sure to see the performers in action, especially if you are unfamiliar with the act.

 

Every single one of us wants to plan the most enjoyable and successful party of the year. So tap into all your available resources and remember, the number one tip is to have fun when planning and hosting the party.

 

 

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Ideas for First Birthday Party-Let Them Eat Cake

photo by philandlindsey.com

As toddlers approach their first birthday, many parents are wondering how to celebrate this milestone. Ideas for 1st birthday party can also include the adults. After all, most of the real party goers will be distracted by whatever bright colors happen to be in their way at the time. So when considering ideas for first birthday party make sure you also factor in something for the older people in the crowd.

It May Be an Oldie but This Idea for a 1st Birthday Party Literally Takes the Cake

We just couldn’t resist ourselves here. I know, this has probably been done by 90% of parents with a little one turning one. But we’re pretty sure that looking at this video will put a smile on your face. The morrow of this post here just might be “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. And I know any neat freaks are going to cringe (in a good way of course) but, judging by the look on the little one’s face, this seems to be exactly the way to celebrate a first birthday milestone.

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