Parties Over Boston 4th of July Tips!

Hosting any party tends to be difficult and time consuming. Our specialists at Parties Over Boston are here to help with this process to make your Easter Day Party an egg-cellent one – without breaking a sweat!

INVITATIONS:

1.    Cut cardstock into the shape of an egg, use colored pencils to decorate it, and write all the party information on it with a thick marker.

2.    Cut cardstock into the shape of a bunny. Again, use colored pencils to decorate it; if you’re feeling a little artistic – glue some google eyes onto it, give it a face, and attach a cotton ball onto the back side for its “tail.”

3. Be sure your guests know what’s included! Lunch? Easter Egg Hunt? Coloring Easter eggs?

DECORATIONS:

1.    Get creative! Get rid of the same old window decorations shaped like bunnies and eggs. Add a little curb appeal to your house by keeping a basket on your front porch with colorful eggs and tissue paper inside. You can bring a small side table outside and place your basket on this.

2.    Have a tree in your yard? Get colorful string or yarn and hang eggs from the branches. We would recommend using plastic eggs for this – just in case!

3. You can also get a few pastel-colored buckets or pails and fill them with multi-colored plastic eggs.  These can be lined up on your front lawn, on either side of your front and back doors, or on your steps. For your party, feel free to add snacks to these buckets instead of using traditional snack bowls.

4. Set down large pieces of white paper on tables as a “canvas” for the kids. Buy mini-pails (or even small, colorful cups) to use as a crayon holder.  Have a contest – best Easter bunny drawing wins!

5. Make an egg garland! Simply make a hole through the top and bottom of 20-30 plastic eggs and string them together with colorful ribbon.  Be sure to tie a knot at the beginning and end of the ribbon. Wrap around railings, around entry-ways, along fireplace mantels, or anywhere your heart desires.

FOOD:

1. Bake cookies shaped as bunnies, eggs, and carrots.  Let each child (or adult!) decorate their own cookie with icing and sprinkles. Also have some already made for the kids who are too young or a little less artistically-inclined and would rather not participate.

2. Make a “Bunny Tray.” All young children love the Easter bunny and the magic that comes with it. Make a food tray with healthy snacks the Easter bunny would love! For example: chopped carrots, celery, or broccoli.

3. Think bright! Ice-cream cone cupcakes are becoming increasingly popular. Make a batch of these, and decorate them with lots of color to enhance the Spring and Easter feeling. Note: You can do it without the ice cream too! Replace the ice cream with pastel colored frosting!

• You will need:
• 12 flat-bottom ice cream cones
• 1 package cake mix (“Funfetti” would probably be best for this occasion!)
• Ice cream, any flavor
• Toppings (icing, sprinkles, nuts, jelly beans, etc.)
• Here’s how to do it:
• Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cones into a muffin tin and prepare the cake mix by following the directions on the box. Pour the batter into the cones, leaving 1 inch at the top.
• Step 2: Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until done). Set aside to let them cool. Remove the cones from the muffin pan then allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Step 3: Place a scoop of ice cream on top of each cake. Decorate with colorful sprinkles, jelly beans, or nuts (be attentive to any nut allergies any guests have!!). If you are not ready to serve these yet, place them back into the muffin pan and store them in the freezer.
   

ACTIVITIES:

1. Good ol’ Easter egg decorating.  Depending on how many guests you’re expecting, prepare the appropriate amount of hard-boiled eggs for decorating.  For example, if you’re expecting about a dozen guests, be sure to make a few extra just to be safe.

2. The egg toss is an old time favorite. Split everyone into pairs and have fun with it. Place everyone into two rows, with each “pair” standing directly across from each other.  To begin, each pair stands about three to four feet apart. They must successfully “toss” their egg to their partner once the whistle blows. If the pair breaks their egg (whether it fell on the ground, or broke in their hands), they are disqualified. After each round, each player must take one step back. Colorful eggs, only – let’s get into the Easter spirit!

3. Potato sack race – fun for all ages! Bring everyone’s inner-bunny out of them with this great game. You can order potato sacks from websites such as Amazon.com, eBay.com, etc. To add a little extra, purchase bunny ears and bunny noses for each participant – each player must successfully strap on these pieces prior to beginning the race. Each person must have both legs in the bag at all times, and hop to the finish line.

4. Egg-spoon race. Once everyone’s decorated eggs are nice and dry, have an egg-spoon race with them! Players must walk/run as fast as  they can to the finish line, keeping their egg in the dip of the spoon at all times. Once the egg drops, that person is disqualified! No holding the eggs with your free hand!

HOW WE CAN HELP:

1. Contact us for an Easter Bunny visit! Parties Over Boston provides costume characters for every occasion; Easter is just one of our most popular ones. The kids will go crazy!

2. Schedule a petting zoo visit! These can include chickens and bunnies – perfect for Easter. We provide attendants that will help the kids learn about, hold, and enjoy the animals!

3. Balloon artists – we can have a balloon artist come to your party and make balloon bunnies with balloon carrots for the kids!

Images from-

http://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/slide-show-easter-party-lawn-00400000008546/page3.html

http://www.cupcakesforparty.com/

http://www.squidoo.com/easter-games-and-activities

Party Ideas!

Spread the word that you are hosting this year’s St. Patrick’s Day party!

1. There is no short on classic Saint Patrick’s Day leprechaun invitations or invitations covered in shamrocks. Send the invites a few weeks in advance. Invitations with Irish jargon or limericks are an added touch. Remind them not to forget their green attire. Leprechaun costumes are welcome. Boston Invites (www.bostoninvites.com), our partner company, would be happy to assist! You can also switch your outside lamp with a green bulb so guests can easily spot the right house.

How to Decorate and Entertain!
 

1. Decorate tables with white table cloths and sprinkle shamrock confetti.
2. You can also scatter “pots of gold” around the party area by using small pots and filling them with chocolate coins.
3. Have an area dedicated to getting into the Saint Patrick’s Day spirit! Display an assortment of Saint Patrick’s day pins, shamrock necklaces and leprechaun hats for guests who forget their green!
4. Display a “Blarney Stone” somewhere for guests to kiss for good luck.
5. Instead of the same old ice buckets for drinks, use black pots or leprechaun hats.
6. Have classic Irish music playing and have guests show off their “Irish Jig”
7. Have a contest where guests create their own Irish Limericks, performed in their best Irish accents.
8. Have a scavenger hunt for leprechauns during the party. Hide leprechaun dolls or cutouts around the party area, award the guest who finds the most with a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey or other appropriate gift.

What to Serve!
Irish Beverages:

1. To begin with, instead of saying “cheers” for toasts say  “Slàinte” (slawn-che). It is the Irish toast and means “health.”
2. To make the beverages more festive invest in green food dye. This can be used to create the traditional Saint Patrick’s Day green beer and other drinks.
3. Use those ice bucket leprechaun hats and pots of gold to serve your guests classic Irish beers such as Guinness or Kilkenny.
   
4. Welcome your guests with a traditional Irish Coffee! It was first invented by Joseph Sheridan of Limerick to welcome Americans visiting Ireland. Here is the recipe:

• Ingredients: 1 cup freshly brewed black hot coffee, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 ½  ounces (1 jigger) Irish Whiskey, 1 tablespoon of lightly whipped cream
• Pour hot coffee into a warmed glass until it is ¾ full.
• Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved, stir in whiskey
• Top with whipped cream, pour off the back of a spoon to help it float
• (recipe taken from www.foodchannel.com)

       5. For non-coffee drinkers or children, serve hot chocolate with whipped cream and green sprinkles.
6. A Baby Guinness is a great after dinner, toasting drink. It is very sweet, and as the name suggests resembles a miniature glass of Guinness. Here is the recipe:

• Served in shot glasses
• Ingredients: Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream
• Pour Kahlua, almost filling shot glass. Then carefully pour Bailey’s using the wall of shot glass (or pour over the back of a spoon) to give the Guinness it’s white topper.
• (recipe taken from www.drinksmixer.com)
  

Food:

1. Host a pot-luck dinner where each guest brings his/her favorite Irish dish (or just their favorite dish with an Irish touch such as a shamrock garnish)
2. Serve your guests a classic Irish boiled dinner complete with corned beef, potatoes, cabbage and a side of Irish soda bread.
3. Serve a “Pot of Gold” for dessert using a black pot filled with yellow jello squares or fill with sugar cookies.
4. Any classic desserts can be turned into a festive Saint Patrick’s Day dish with a hint of green food dye.
   

Photos Taken From:
beaucourt.wordpress.com
partycity.com
startcooking.com
cdn.blisstree.com

How to get the word out that you are throwing the football party of the year?

1. A good old fashioned paper invite….come on you had 2 weeks you can get it in the mail, that is plenty of time we just know it! Our partner company Boston Invites can help you get these in mail boxes before you can say touchdown!

1. Create Games for your guests like commercial bingo, game day trivia and the all time favorite super bowl squares!

2.  Make each person at your party a different player and have prizes for first person to score a touchdown or complete a pass, etc? I mean come on….what guy doesn’t want to be Tom Brady for the day!

3. Simple decorating tips. Have fun centerpieces like Patriots colored flower arragements or buckets full of prizes for all your trivia game winners.

Or even simple football field centerpieces to take home! Anything to spice up the house and show your Patriot Pride!

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