AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for August, 2011

Themed parties are always so much fun. Everyone gets into the spirit when there’s one cohesive décor and everything works together. Before you select a theme for your child’s birthday party, read a few friendly suggestions.

• Let your child guide the theme. If they love Hershey bars, who’s to say they can’t have a Hershey chocolate themed party including a Hershey's candy bar cake? Even if you had your heart set on Strawberry Shortcake, your little lady may want baseball or soccer as her theme. Your child will love her or his party if it goes along with their tastes and likes. Put your own suggestions to bed and let your child decide (within reason).

• Suggest some ideas for your child to select from. If you know your child loves fish, ask if she wants a Nemo birthday party, a Mermaid birthday party, or a SpongeBob birthday party. She may surprise you and want a Starfish party, but guiding her along will help her to visualize what she sees as the perfect event.

• Don’t go crazy with the theme. If your son loves monkeys, go with a jungle theme and include monkeys. Don’t feel you have to have a monkey on every napkin, cup and surface that isn’t nailed down. Suggest the theme with a monkey cake, some stuffed jungle animals and maybe some cake plates that feature monkeys.

• Where you have the party will also have an impact on the theme. If you’re already having it at a kids’ place or themed restaurant, you don’t need to add much more. Maybe select a color for the plates and cups and napkins if you’re bringing them. Otherwise, just let the venue provide their normal birthday party fare and don’t step in.

• Small children have no idea what a theme is. If you’ve got one under three, they probably won’t know the difference between a Star Wars party and a Lego party. You can do either and make him happy. It’s having family and friends around—and lots of cake—that matter at the younger ages.

• Before planning a theme party for a tween or teen, ask them specifically what they want. There’s nothing more embarrassing to a young person than having a theme that’s too kiddie-like. Don’t have a Tweety birthday party for a 13 year old. Cars in general for a boy or flowers for a girl should work just fine. If they happen to love a character like Hello Kitty and are still happy to show it, then by all means, have a Hello Kitty party.

• Don’t make kids come in costume to match your theme. They may not want to get dressed up, depending on how old they are. You can suggest to any moms that you are having a themed party and if they want to dress up, it will add to the fun. Or, give out cowboy hats for a Western party or masks for a Super Hero party. Limit the dressing up to a simple item that you provide.

• No matter how good your theme is, the party needs a specific start and end time. Never leave a birthday party time open on the invitation. Writing “3:00 till ??” can mean you’ll have people there well through dinner time.

When it comes time for someone special to you to retire, what do you say in the card? Chances are you’ll be at a loss for words to tell your friend just how you feel. Here are some ideas you can use to help you get started.

First, choose a card that’s appropriate. If he’s the office jokester, you may want to select a funny card. If he’s the quiet type who’s always been there for you, you might want to go more serious. It’s up to you. Judge by the situation and the person.

Next, use your best handwriting and a dark pen. Often people can’t read gel pen ink that’s in funky colors. Also, never computerize your message. Hand writing is best here. Finally, don't forget to get them a thank you basket showing your appreciation for all their years of hard work.

So what can you say?

• You’ve worked hard for this day. You deserve all the best in your retirement and for years to come.

• I’m so jealous! You get to go enjoy those grandkids and I’ll still be here in the office. But I am so happy for you! Enjoy every day and think of all of us here. It won’t be the same without you.

• All the very best for a person who showed a true work ethic that is rarely found these days. You will be missed around here.

• Dear Mom, You’ve been a real inspiration to us all with the way you worked and raised us all. We are so thrilled you’ll be able to spend more time doing the things you love now.

• Congratulations on your retirement. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy!

• Thank you for all the years we spent together working side by side. You’ve made it fun to come to work each day. I’ll miss you very much.

• The old office won’t be the same without you. But we are so happy that you’ll be able to start enjoying some of the many hobbies you have.

• As you’re running after the grandchildren, take a moment to remember all of us here at the office. We’ll miss you.

• You gave your all in everything you did. Here’s to the best retirement a guy could have.

• Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Get out there and enjoy every minute of it.

• May you and Margie enjoy many happy years of retirement together.

• As you retire, look forward to all the good things yet to come. Like sleeping late, throwing your alarm clock out, and eating dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon!

• Many happy thoughts go with you as you leave this place. And you’ll always remain here in our hearts.

• Today you retire. We’re so stinkin’ jealous.

• Retirement starts a brand new chapter of your life. Here’s to writing a great one!

• Now you’ll have time to do the things you always wanted to do. Make the most of every single day.

• We may not see you every day anymore, but we’ll be thinking of you out there sunning yourself during business hours.

Retirement cards are not hard to write. Get everyone in the office to go in together on a card and a retirement gift so you can all express your well-wishes together. If it’s a family member, consider gifting them with a day out with you or a special trip rather than just a present.

What is a birthday candy cake? You may never have heard of this trend, but it’s a hot one. People love making and getting birthday candy cakes. And since they’re so easy to make, it’s no wonder why the trend continues to thrive.

A candy cake is simply a tiered “cake” shape that is really all made of candy instead of flour and butter. You build a set of tiers out of Styrofoam or other base material and then have fun getting creative with your candy decorations.

Want to try making a candy birthday cake for your next birthday party? It’s easy. You’ll need a few supplies. Get some Styrofoam. You can buy balls and cut them to have a flat side. Or you can buy squares, rectangles, or other slabs. Craft stores are great for having a range of Styrofoam options. Think of all the times you needed Styrofoam balls for your science project. Today’s kids have so much more of a range of choices in shapes and sizes than ever before. So you should have no trouble finding enough for three tiers.

Build your tiers when you get home. You’ll want to start with a cake plate. It can be a real plate if you are keeping the cake for a family member at home. But if you don’t want to give away your china, use a plastic plate. Paper will be too flimsy. Or go to Goodwill and get a festive cast-off plate and give that away with the cake.

Next, start cutting the Styrofoam to size. You’ll need one big layer the circumference of the bottom of the plate. Make it a wee bit smaller so that the candy won’t overlap the plate when added. Make a tier on top of that and then a final smaller one on top of that. Adhere with hot glue or Elmer’s white glue. When the tiers are dry, move on to the candy.

You’ll need several types of candy. Use whichever candy you like best, but bar candy will stick better to the form. Unevenly shaped hard candies will be harder to use. Although Hershey’s kisses would be awfully cute.

Start by assembling your lowest layer. You’re going to need glue dots for each candy bar or pins. You’re probably safest using glue dots as they won’t damage the candy. You’re going to leave all the candy wrapped, so make sure you don’t use glue that will seep through the wrapper. Pins are fine as long as you don’t stick them through the candy itself.

Work around the cake form placing candy so there is no white space showing. You can fill in with smaller hot balls or sour candies. Just make sure you don’t use any candy that’s not wrapped.

When you’ve made your way around the bottom tier, move up to the next tier. Then do the final third tier. The fun comes in the cake topper. Use something whimsical like a retro ornament or figurine. Or just use a silk flower or another big piece of candy.

If you’re using Hershey Kisses, go around the entire form of the cake using glue dots to secure the flat portions of the Kisses to the form. Just imagine the look on the recipient's face when they receive this edible candy arrangement!

Aromatherapy has been around for a long time. It’s simply the use of scents to target benefits like relaxation, sleep, well-being, headache relief, etc. If you want to give an aromatherapy gift basket, it’s really easy to make one yourself.

The first thing you should do is choose a scent. If you’re not sure what scent your friend would like, do some thinking. Have you smelled candles burning in her home? What scent and color were they? Does she wear a certain perfume? What does it smell like? These are some clues into some of the scents she may like. If you still don’t have a clue, go with something like vanilla or buttercream which just about everyone likes.

Once you have chosen your scent, choose a vessel to put it all in. Often times inexpensive baskets work well, but you can also place everything in a decorative hat box or other display box that she can use again. If you want to make her a travel basket, put it all in a large cosmetics pouch that zips so she can take it with her on the road.

Aromatherapy baskets can include just about anything. Most include relaxing elements designed to help the recipient de-stress and unwind. Candles with strong but pleasant scents are nice as is incense. You do have to be careful to choose a scent that is meant to relax, like lavender, if you intend it for stress relief. If you give a basket full of peppermint or spearmint scents, the opposite effect will occur. Your friend will be much more alert instead of relaxed. Peppermint makes a great gift to give as an aromatherapy pick-me-up basket for someone at work who always hits that 3:00pm slump.

Arrange all your items on some sort of packing material. This can be shredded paper, recycled Easter basket grass, or even just tissue paper. The idea is to make each product stand alone in its own little spot so the basket doesn’t look thrown together. Include a simmering pot for spices or a candle warmer, which allows wax to be heated without a flame. Great for the office or around kids.

You might want to include soap and a soap dish, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, a neck pillow, or an herbal pillow filled with buckwheat that can be used hot or cold for neck pain relief. There are hundreds of scents and thousands of products to choose from. So your options are limitless when putting together an aromatherapy gift basket. Include natural bamboo towels and face cloths, slippers, or a robe.

Tie it all up with a big ribbon and present it. Your friend will absolutely love getting a basket filled with products she can use right away to change her mood and her day. Whether it’s relaxation or alertness you are going for, research the different scents and what each one is thought to enhance. There are so many out there that you will definitely find one for the lady in your life. Don’t settle for the first one you find. Do some sensory research. You’ll have fun doing it and just may relax yourself, too.

Planning a birthday party should be fun. If you’re getting mired down in details and feeling stressed, stick to a checklist so you’ll feel confident you’ve gotten everything done that you needed to. Keep it where you can see it and check things off. The act of crossing items off your list will make you feel hopeful and excited for the party.

Depending on the age group of the guests, you may need to start early. If you’re throwing a 50^th birthday party, you’ll need more time than if you’re planning a child’s fifth birthday party.

One or two months before the party

Decide on a date

Decide where you will have the party

Start creating a guest list (you can always add to it later)

Find a theme you like

Think about what kind of food you’re going to serve and call a few caterers for prices

Get your paper goods and invitations

Three weeks to one month before the party

Send out invitations

Pick a bakery to make your cake

Decide on a DJ or band if you’re having one

Decide on centerpieces for tables

Select your caterer and decide on the final menu

Buy favors if you’re going to have them

Arrange for who will get the guest of honor to the party if it’s a surprise

If kids will be at an adult party, hire a babysitter

One week before the party

Have all chairs and tables on order

Call any guests who haven’t responded

Confirm any reservations you have made for the venue, food, etc.

Wrap your gift for the guest of honor

Choose your attire for the party

Confirm your babysitter

The day before the party and the day of

Within the last 24 hours before the party starts:

Pick up any balloons

Pick up the cake or have it delivered

Set up an area where the guest of honor will open birthday gifts

Have tables and chairs delivered

Be sure linens are ironed

Set up buffet stations if you’re having them

Clean up any areas of your house that guests will see

Take out all the supplies you bought like cups, napkins, etc.

Decorate the party space

Assemble any birthday baskets and place them on the tables

Make sure you have enough ice on hand

Confirm that food is set for delivery

Tie balloons to your mailbox so guests can find your house

There’s a lot that goes into the planning of the party, but you can throw a party that looks effortless when you are organized. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Most people are happy to help out with assembling favors, running out to pick things up for you, getting the birthday boy or girl there, and more. Your aim is to have a fun party, so be sure that you have time to relax and get yourself dressed. Don’t work right up until the last minute and let guests catch you before you’ve even showered.

Your party will flow smoothly once you have checked everything off your list. There’s nothing to do once the list is completed but to grab a drink and start mingling. The more the hostess enjoys herself, the more everyone else does, too.

Need more help with your planning? Here are a few more ideas:

Over The Hill Birthday Party Ideas - Milestone Birthdays

Kids' Birthday Party Game Ideas