Donate a Prom Dress

Kick off your Sunday shoes! And then donate them!

Ever skipped an event because you didn't have anything to wear? Can you imagine wanting to attend prom, but feeling like you had to miss out because you couldn't afford a dress to wear? Prom is the ultimate event for teenagers. So much more than a party, it's a rite of passage, an evening to remember forever. Some people feel like their prom was the highlight of their whole high school experience! It's a night to be with your friends, get your groove on, and feel like a princess. Unfortunately, prom also costs an exorbitant amount of money. And any woman who has ever been age seventeen knows the pressure to dress in style.

Disclaimer: I actually never attended prom, having been involved in a musical production the same night, but I've watched "Pretty in Pink" seven times, so I feel like I get it.

This is a really volcanic ensemble you're wearing, it's really marvelous!

There are alot of "Andie Walsh's" out there who want to experience prom, but don't have the financial means to purchase a beautiful dress. Here's where you can help!

Yes, YOU!

Donate My Dress is an organization that connects people who have dresses, with teenage girls who need dresses for prom. If you read some of the stories on their site, you will hear about girls who were homeless during high school but still attended their prom thanks to this organization.

DonateMyDress.org has links to local organizations in your state to find out where you can donate gently worn or new current style gowns (they don't want your 1982 taffeta monstrosity - sorry!), strappy evening shoes, purses, and jewelry. They want all sizes! I checked my local organization (Fairy Goodmothers of Central Ohio) and it looks like they are collecting these items at various Talbots stores and other locations from January 1 through March 30.

Help create magical and awkward moments like this.

So, check the back of your closet and see if you have a fancy dress you don't need. You could donate the dress and give a deserving girl the night of her life!!

Hosting a Direct Sales Party

The burp means it's fresh!

Lia Sophia, Thirty-One, Party-Lite, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay…. All are home sales companies and you probably know one or more people who sell their products. Every so often you will get the (slightly dreaded) request... "Will you host a party for me?"

As I’m sure your entrepreneurial friend has told you, there are benefits to hosting a direct sales party at your home. The free merchandise you can earn by being a host is the publicized draw, but if you are like me, the main reason you agree to host is to support your friend.

So, you want your friend to have a successful party and you want your guests to have a good time. How do you meet both of these goals?

Helping your friend have a successful party
1. The invitations. You need people to show up or this party will be a flop! Work with the seller to find out what kids of promises you can make to guests. For example, can the invitees get a bonus raffle ticket or free merchandise for every friend they bring to the event? Will they get to sample fantastic recipes featuring Pampered Chef dishware? If you are sending an email invitation, provide a link to the current catalog, so people can start getting excited about the products.

2. Have a table cleared off or some other space for the seller to display her wares. Find out how much room she needs. If you do not have appropriate space, ask the seller to bring her own table.

3. Lighting. If this is a jewelry, make-up, or bag party, it’s nice if there is bright lighting on the products. Mood lighting is great to create atmosphere, but this is a situation where people need to see stuff! (Unless it’s a candle party, then maybe low lights would be better!)

4. Offer to wear or display the products. The guests trust you because you are their friend. If you are wearing the Lia Sophia jewelry or using a Longaberger basket, they will probably comment on the item and then you can explain how much you like it. Even if it is a piece you haven’t bought yet, your seller friend would probably like you to model the merchandise.

5. CALL the invitees the day before the party. This is a good reminder and will force the non-committed to make a decision to come or not. Calls are more convincing than email; it’s really easy to ignore an email. If you feel a little uncomfortable making the call, come up with some pretext. “I am going to the store and was wondering if people would like to have ice tea or soda at the Tupperware party tomorrow. What do you think I should get?”

6. Don’t serve greasy finger foods. People will get grease and fingerprints all over the merchandise! Ew.

Making sure your guests have a good time
1. Serve food and beverages. No, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but you should have something to eat – it’s a party! Use this opportunity to try out a new dessert. Although you are not the star attraction of the party, you should still aim to impress as a hostess! I like having a simple, healthy appetizer (like fresh cut veggies and hummus), a yummy, impressive appetizer (like chicken salad in phyllo cups or meatballs), a dessert (cheesecake is always a winner), and a signature cocktail (you don’t have to serve alcohol, unless you have my friends over, then you do.)

2. Clean up the party room and the bathroom. Everyone feels more comfortable in a clean, uncluttered space.

3. Provide enough seating and places to write. Most of these parties involve catalogs and writing down orders and it’s always a pain in the butt when the only place you have to balance your beverage and your catalog is your lap.

4. Think about asking the host to donate a percent of the profits to the charity of your choice, instead of taking a hostess gift. I know that as a guest, I feel more ready to buy and just generally happier with the whole event when I know the host is doing this for a charity. My friend hosted a Pampered Chef party and made the seller give a percent of the day’s profits to cancer research, instead of taking a hostess gift/discount. Since her dad had just survived some cancer treatments, I thought it was a touching gesture. How do you say no to a party invitation like that!?! And I will admit that I bought more products knowing the proceeds were for a good cause (at least that’s what I told my husband when I came home with $100 worth of Pampered Chef gadgets.)

5. Alternatively, if you are really doing this to support your selling friend and could care less about getting free products (seriously, I’m just not a “basket” kind of person!!), ask your friend if she will waive all the shipping fees for your guests instead of giving you a gift/discount. As a guest, I HATE paying shipping charges on these products!!! It just seems unfair.

6. Prompt distribution. Once all the purchased products are delivered to your house, do your best to distribute the products to your friends quickly.

7. Don’t worry about entertainment. The seller should take care of the entire presentation.

And your obligation is complete!! That wasn’t so bad. (Hope your friend knows that she is getting the first call when you need someone to help you move… or your kid is selling Girl Scout Cookies…or you need to bring a guest to some other direct sales party…)

For the Love of China

When do you use your fine china? 1) Daily, 2) Often, 3) Special holidays only, 4) Never, 5) I don’t have china. 6) All of my daily nutrition comes in pill form. If you answered 3) or 4), this post is for you!

You can make a casual dinner a lot more fabulous just by setting the table with your nice dishes. Many of us received fine dinnerware wedding gifts, and the pieces sit in the china cabinet (or worse, in boxes in the basement) day after day.

China place settings look so beautiful and make your meal presentation instantly more glamorous. Why wait until Christmas to show it off?

The Arguments (and my scathing rebuttal!) –

China is a pain to clean. Umm, okay Monsignor McLazy. You are already going through the trouble of making a nice dinner, what are a few more minutes of washing dishes? You might even have a couple guests offer to help wash the dishes. (Those friends are definitely getting invited back!) Check your china – some brands are even dishwasher safe. (But use the “china” setting on your dishwasher if there is one.)

Everyone is going to be wearing jeans. China is too formal. Myth! You are totally allowed to use nice dishes even if your guests are not wearing ball gowns and tuxedos. (But be realistic. If you are hosting a pool party where everyone is wearing a bathing suit and eating burgers, china is going to be ridiculous.)

It will just be my family at the table. So are they chopped liver? If you make a nice Sunday dinner for your brood, serve it up on china to make the whole scene feel more special. Bringing out the nice dishes could lend a celebratory tone for such family events as good grade cards, promotions, reading ten books, snow days, or half-birthdays.

But my dishes look so nice displayed in the china cabinet. Seriously? They are dishes. Meant for eating. Give them the true place of honor for the evening – your dining room table.

My mom only used her china on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some traditions were meant to be trampled. And you can still use your china on the special holidays; using it more often will just make more days feel like holidays.

I only have four place settings. Even if you only received four place settings of china for your wedding, that’s not a problem if you are only having dinner for four people! There is no need to wait until you have a set of twelve to start hosting parties using your china.

TIP –
China dishware can scratch itself! Store your dishes with a cloth or paper napkin between each plate.

Will you be my Valentine, Kate Spade Gardner Street Platinum dinnerware?

The Two Words You Need to Plan Your Wedding

Planning a wedding is a big responsibility. It’s arguably the most important day of your life, everyone you know will be there (watching, judging you – at least it might seem that way!), there is a lot of money being spent (possibly even your own money!), and you have to find a way to combine the tastes of both the bride and the groom (unless the groom is a big pushover).

Where to begin??

There are so many “major” decisions that go into a wedding – dress, location, food, entertainment, guest list, and ceremony, to name a few. And you are faced with dozens, maybe hundreds of options to consider for each decision! Wouldn't it be nice to be able to narrow down those options immediately, and consistently be on the same page as your betrothed throughout the wedding planning process?

Here is my tried and true tip - BEFORE making those decisions, I suggest that you and your sweetheart come up with two words that set the tone for every later decision you need to make. It’s incredibly helpful. Let me explain.

Every wedding has a different vibe. Choosing two words – at the outset of planning - to reflect what you want the day to be, advises every detail of the planning. After it’s all over, you will be left thinking, “This is exactly how we hoped our wedding day would feel!”

Here are some two word combination examples: “Classy and Fun,” “Luxurious and Elegant,” “Passionate and Wild,” “Cozy and Intimate,” “Charming and Homey,” “Magical and Traditional,” and “Retro Chic.” Picture each of those weddings in your mind – do you see how each wedding looks different, feels different than the others?

Your two words will help you in every step of the wedding planning process. Using the examples above, let’s consider some wedding choices. You will see that the tone you wish to set for your wedding can be clearly conveyed to the guests.

Stationery:


Is the above invitation from Jessica Meredith Designs an example of “Luxurious and Elegant” or “Cozy and Intimate”?


Is the above invitation from Wedding Paper Divas an example of “Luxurious and Elegant” or “Cozy and Intimate”?


Bands: (these are just to give you an idea – a harpist can be “Fun,” too!! It’s all about your interpretation of your two words.)
Passionate and Wild - A Latin Music group, complete with salsa lessons for the guests.
Classy and Fun – A live band that plays great swing music or rock and roll favorites.
Cozy and Intimate – A jazz quartet
Luxurious and Refined – A harpist
Magical and Traditional – A DJ to play all your family favorites and the best (Disney?) slow dance songs

The problem if you don’t settle on two words is that your overall wedding vibe could end up being “Confusing and Odd” or “Messy and Unplanned.” Such as having a black tie afternoon ceremony on the beach. To me, that scenario indicates a couple who couldn’t decide if they wanted “Carefree and Romantic” or “Formal and Traditional.” And who suffered? The guests who had to wear flip flops with their rental tux in the midday heat.

Alright, so how on earth do we choose our two words?

First, I would recommend that you sit down with a few bridal magazines and bridal idea books from the library. I know that many of you are thinking, “Duh, I have been doing that since our third date.” But this time, mark a few things you like and then…. SHOW THE IDEAS TO YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE. Yikes! Your fiancé might have very divergent ideas from yours and you need to know that going in. Believe it or not, this day is for both of you. Wouldn’t you hate to get your heart set on “Grand and Frilly” only to find out that he would rather have a really small wedding and can only think about the time he overdosed on Pepto-bismol every time he sees pink? So, get an idea of both your tastes before committing to your two words.

Second, I would say if there is a wedding detail you both know you have to have, that one detail might dictate your two words. For example, if you know of an amazing converted airplane hangar that you both desperately want for your reception venue, you might start thinking of words like Vintage, Unique, or Uplifting. It’s pretty obvious already that words such as Intimate and Traditional won’t fit your wedding.

Going with the airplane hangar idea, let’s say you decided to go with “Unique and Uplifting.” So, what kinds of wedding details would fit those two words? Maybe non-traditional invitations, such as making the invites look like boarding passes. Instead of traditional rice being thrown at the couple, have people throw paper airplanes. What’s more Uplifting and Unique than having a gospel choir sing at the church ceremony? Maybe the bride and groom could toast each other and the bridal party, instead of receiving toasts. Think of some Uplifting and Unique theme colors – maybe light blue, yellow, or gold. (Certainly not black.) Do you see how the two words help you make decisions and bring a focus to your planning?

http://www.magnetstreet.com/browse/market/517/categoryList/5139,5050,5361

Whether you are a “Sweet and Whimsical” or “Romantic and Sophisticated” couple, I hope your wedding day will be a shining memory throughout your lives.

Tropical Dinner Party

I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but we have gotten tons of snow and cold weather this winter – much worse than usual, it seems – and I am ready for some sunshine!
A cure for the winter blahs? Why not host a dinner party that evokes the tropics!? Warmth, beaches, rum.... Yes, please!

Here are a suggested menu and other party touches to add the right "island oasis" atmosphere.

Start with a Bob Marley, steel drum band, or Hawaiian music CD playing over the stereo system. Spread out your most cheerful tablecloth. Buy some fresh flowers or tropical fruit for a centerpiece. Get real crazy and turn up the thermostat an extra degree! Whoohoo!!

My mom made the Coconut Cheesecake (recipe below) - how cool is the star fruit on top? (Photo by Pat Hamilton.)

Menu: (click the links for recipes)
Appetizers – Sweet and sour meatballs or Coconut shrimp. You can totally get either one of these all prepared in a bag in your grocery store's frozen food aisle. I won’t tell! (Hey, this site is for PRACTICAL party tips. It's not Martha Stewart!)

Salad - Spinach and strawberry salad with poppyseed dressing

Main Course - Teriyaki chicken skewers on the grill. The grill still works when it’s below freezing outside, did you know? It will only take two minutes of actually standing outside to cook this food, and your guests will really appreciate the luxury of grilled food in the middle of winter. So, suck it up and turn on the grill! Toss a couple red peppers on the grill for extra color.

Side – Tropical Rice

Dessert – Coconut Cheesecake with Passion Fruit Glaze from Bon Appetit. This was a fabulous cheesecake. The best part was it didn’t crack due to the innovative cool down method in the recipe. NOTE: passion fruit was not available in my city – not fresh, not frozen, not canned, and not juiced. I substituted a can of Dole Tropical Fruit (it's pineapple and papaya in passion fruit juice) for the glaze. I also found a can of Goya Guava Nectar and added a little bit to the glaze. It worked great and tasted divine. TIP – I doubled the recipe for the glaze and it was a wise choice. You may want to add additional gelatin because the glaze was more of a syrup and didn’t quite gel for me. We did find fresh star fruit, mangos, and pineapple and they were all wonderful in the compote.

Drink ideas:
Mai Tai1 (1.5 ounce) jigger spiced rum
1 (1.5 ounce) jigger coconut-flavored rum
1 tsp grenadine syrup
5 ounces orange-pineapple juice (or you can buy the two juices separately, but who wants to
end up with extra pineapple juice?)
ice cubes
Shake and Strain into a glass of ice.
Piña ColadasStrawberry Daiquiris

30 Kids Birthday Parties

So, as a parent, or aunt, uncle, grandparent, godparent, or best friend of someone with a kid, you might find yourself in a position of having to plan a child's birthday party. I mean, they have birthdays EVERY YEAR. Coming up with something new to do is often a challenge. The first thing to do, of course, is to ask the child what they would like to do for their special day. Although some children will know exactly what they want, other kids might need your help to brainstorm. And you might appreciate some help brainstorming! That's where this post comes in.

These ideas involve varying costs and some might be better for older kids. A night out to see a play might seem like it costs much more than a trip to Chuck E Cheese, but if your child only gets to invite one or two special friends, it will probably cost about the same. (And you won't have to go to Chuck E Cheese.)

The best thing about all of these ideas??? THEY AREN'T HELD AT YOUR HOUSE. You're welcome.

Here are some birthday party venues/outings in no particular order:

1. Night out to see a musical or play. Birthday guests get dressed in their finest attire and attend a local theater production. Look for kid friendly shows such as "Annie," "The Lion King," or "Cats" Depending on the professionalism of the company, you might be able to meet some performers if you hang out by a stage door. Ask an usher or call a stage manager ahead of time to see if that's possible.
   
2. Cupcake shop. Many bakeries host parties for kids. They might let the guests design their own cupcakes with colored frosting or give you a tour of the bakery.
   
3. Go Carts. Check out your local listings to see where this may be offered in your community. This would be perfect for a co-ed party.
   
4. Bowling. Go old school and have a bowling birthday. Most places have significant discounts for parties and will do bumper bowling. The adult chaperones can even get their own lane, so it's fun for everybody. For an added fun factor, see if your local alley offers evening "cosmic bowling" with music and neon paint.
5. Putt-Putt. It's a classic. For something different, go to a driving range and have a pro teach all the kids how to hit the ball really far.
   
6. Sledding party. Sledding at the local big hill, followed up by hot chocolate and cozy fireplace. Obviously contingent on the season and where you live! (Sorry, Miami.)
   
7. Indoor or outdoor water park.
   
8. Zoo.
   
9. Camping trip.
10. Fancy restaurant. Got a kid who's an aspiring chef? See if you can reserve the chef's table at the best place in town. Clearly this will be expensive, but think of how little work this would be for you as the host. Basically the only thing you would have to do would be to make reservations. And what chef wouldn't like to share his craft with an adoring future foodie?
    
11. Karate. Hit the dojo (that's what it's called, right?) for an active birthday party for your favorite aspiring ninja. See if they'll show you how to do those nunchaku. Perfect for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan?
    
12. Candy store. See if your local shop would help you plan a party. I bet they will. Then get all the kids sugared up and send them home to their parents. Mwahaha.
    
13. McDonald's with a Playland. As relevant now as it was when I was 8.
    
14. Pizza parlor. I know Pizza Hut has parties. Or check and see if your local place would let the kids come in at a not-too-busy time and let them play with the dough or make their own pizza.
    
15. Concert. I still recall the New Kids on the Block concert I attended in fourth grade with a friend for her birthday. Talk about the best night of my childhood! It was so exciting and we felt soooo grown-up!
    
16. Ice-skating rink.
    
17. Gymnasium. Some gyms offer parties. They let your guests jump on the trampolines and practice somersaults on the mats.
    
18. YMCA or Community Rec Center. Check for craft parties or open gym parties they might offer.
19. Indoor pool. Nothing is better when you are a kid than getting to go swimming in the middle of winter.
    
20. Local playground. There's usually a shelter house you can reserve. Choose the park with the best playground and let the kids run wild for awhile. When they tire out, offer cake and open presents. Then let them run amok again until their parents arrive. Easy as pie. Although transporting all the food from the car to the shelter house can be a chore, so bring help.
21. Horse farm. Take you child and their best friend out for riding lessons at a horse farm. They will usually get to ride a horse (slowly, while wearing a helmet) and then brush the horse or feed it a carrot. (Hmmm - the experience doesn't sound that thrilling when I write it out.)
    
22. Working farm. Take your city kid out to the country and let them see all those animals they've read about in picture books. If you don't know of any farms, ask around. I know there is a Metropark near Columbus, Ohio that has a farm that runs just like it did back in the 1800's. They have lots of kids programs.
    
23. History day. If your child is a history buff, make his or her birthday one for the history books! Around here we have Underground Railroad sites, American Indian Mounds (such as the Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio), and Glacial Grooves. Do a little research to see what your area has to offer. You all might learn something! Follow up your expedition with a visit to grab some ice cream.
    
24. Boating. Rent a speed boat. Take a dinner cruise. Take a sightseeing tour. Go whale-watching. Make the whole excursion pirate-themed if you have to.
25. Art studio. See if they offer a class for parties that really appeals to your child. There might be pottery, painting, sculpture, or mixed media. Get all the party guests some French-artist-looking berets for some tres magnifique pictures.
    
26. Museum. Go with Air and Space for your future astronaut or fighter pilot. Or choose the Natural History Museum for your favorite budding geologist or paleontologist. Check out the Art Museum mummy exhibit for a creepy thrill. The Hands-On Science Museum is great for all ages. Try the Planetarium for an "out of this world" birthday. (See what I did there?!)
    
27. Rent a limo and just drive around! Movie star sunglasses all around. Bring lots of their favorite CDs to play during the ride - full blast.
    
28. Historic train ride. We have several of companies that run recreational train tours in Ohio. Some even have murder mysteries (if yours is a child who loves to be scared or intrigued) or story time for the littler ones.
    
29. Tea Party. Find a local tea place that offers petit fours and little sandwiches for your little lady's special birthday. This is a party that her aunts and grandma would like to attend, too. Have fancy hats or white gloves for all attendees - cutest pictures ever!!!
30. Sporting event. Whether it's pro or amateur, the kids will get a kick out of attending a sporting event. Make sure to get the child's name on the JumboTron or scoreboard! See if you can get some autographs. That's more fun for most kids than actually watching the game.
    

Happy party planning!

Chocolate Toffee Trifle

Here's a dessert I made for a Going Away party at work that got glowing praise. (Don't get too excited, people at my work will eat week-old burnt-bottom cookies if you put them in the break room.) But, in my opinion, this dessert actually deserved the praise! Also, it's not a bad dessert to transport in the car because the top won't get squashed even if you make a crazy turn and the plastic wrap sinks onto the dessert. (Not that that's ever happened to me.)

I got 16 servings out of this trifle. People don't need a huge scoop of the stuff because it's a rich and creamy dessert.

The BEST part of this recipe is that I got to use my TRIFLE DISH!!!! *squeals* How fun is it to use those tools in your kitchen that are only good for one thing? (I'm looking at you, waffle maker.) Now, you can make this dessert in any large bowl, although hopefully it's at least a clear glass bowl so you can see the layers, but you won't get the WOW factor that comes with a trifle dish.

Please note that the brownies have to be made, then cooled, AND the assembled trifle has to be refrigerated for 8 hours before serving. So, you probably want to make this the day before you need it.

Chocolate Toffee Trifle
Modified from a recipe by "Wayne" on allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 (19.8 oz) package brownie mix
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
1/2 Cup water
8 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip (or equivalent) - THAWED
2-3 Heath or Skor candy bars, crushed
1 pint heavy cream
6 Tbsp sugar
1 jar of caramel ice cream topping

Directions:

1. Take the Cool Whip out of the freezer since it needs to be thawed. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Cool completely. Cut into inch squares or smaller.


2. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth and then fold in 8 oz Cool Whip until no streaks remain.
   
3. Use the whisk attachment on your mixer and make whip cream by mixing the heavy cream and sugar on medium speed for a minute, then turn it up to medium high speed until soft peaks form.
   
4. In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half the brownies, drizzle some caramel topping, toss on some crushed toffee bar, add half the pudding mixture, add half the whipped cream. REPEAT layers. Add some drizzled caramel and toffee on the top as garnish.
   
5. REFRIGERATE 8 hours before serving.

MY TIPS -
1. If you don't cool the brownies completely before assembling the trifle, you will end up with a runny, melted mess.

2. Think about substituting raspberries for the toffee chips.

3. If you plan to transport the thing, wait to add the garnish until you arrive at the location. Then you won't have any worries about the top getting messed up en route.

4. Crushing the toffee bars with the back of an ice cream scoop is strangely cathartic. And loud.

5. If there is a "cake like" or "fudge-like" option on the brownie box, go with "fudge-like" brownies. I tried it both ways and although the cake-like soaks up the pudding better, the consistency was almost soggy. The fudge-like brownies were divine and took this dessert from nice trifle, to ooh-la-la trifle.