Okay, now you have a date, location and guest list; it is time to start planning a menu. You should start out with a budget in mind, or have a plan for raising some money to subsidize your party. It isn’t uncommon to ask everyone to bring a favorite dish, and you only will need to provide the main course and drinks. Whatever you decide, plan a menu that is easy to execute and will appeal to adults and children of all ages. Be sure you have help with the food preparation, serving and clean up. It will be important to have worked out the logistically how you will get everyone served, seated and grouped together. Once you have a tentative menu you can close in on your food costs, and formulate your shopping list. Again, ask for help, it will eliminate a lot of stress and worry. Once the food has been decided you need to plan a variety of activities that will keep everyone entertained, laughing and open up discussions. It will also help bring the family members close together, especially if they are team oriented activities. When thinking of the activities, keep in mind that it is...Read More

Back to your planning, be sure you pick a date and time that will allow others to travel easily and enjoy one another. Selecting what time of year is best, and how long your reunion should last are critical but, depending on what part of the country your reside in the summer months are usually the best choice. Kids are out of school, the weather is usually nice, and travel won’t be scattered with ice and snow! So go ahead, pick the best weekend or holiday you can find, select your location and let the rest of your clan know. Remember, you can’t please everyone so expect a little rumbling from those that can’t fit your timeframe in to their schedule. Perhaps in the years to follow you will have initiated a family tradition and everyone will set this time aside to reunite with loved ones. Be sure when you send out your invitations that you, and your committee, allow enough time for everyone to respond and plan accordingly. Keep in mind that not everyone you invite is going to come, but invite them all so not one person is forgotten or left out. You can’t have a family reunion...Read More

Are you a family oriented type of person? Do you want to reconnect with distant relatives that you’ve fallen out of touch with? If so, then you really should consider initiating a Family Reunion!!! As with everything, make your first step organization!  If you are planning a small reunion of 20 people or less, then you can probably pull the event off without a lot of outside assistance. However, if it is going to be larger than 20 you are certain to need help, and asking other relatives to assist will ease in your planning and preparation. So, begin by selecting others to form your family reunion group, this group can be very similar in duties and assignments to any other type of committee. Your main responsibility as the leader will be to make sure that everything remains smooth and orderly. A dysfunctional committee can ruin your reunion and create a lot of discord within the family. So avoid confrontation, and make sure that everyone is participating equally. Once the committee is selected and gathered their first exercise should be to create a master planning sheet that contains the guest list, location, menu, activities, necessary funds, and anything else that...Read More

This time of year everyone is just itching for sunshine. For much of the states, it seems as though this winter weather just will not go away. So the idea of throwing a spring fling or welcome spring party may be just the thing to get you moving. Not only will it be fun to plan one of the first social engagements of the year, but your guests will be excited to get out of the house and visit!  Make sure to wow them once they get there. The first thing to look into is indoors or outdoors? Here in Indiana the weather can be fickle to say the least, so unless you have a beautiful covered area such as a patio or deck. Inside may be best for spring. In other places though, spring is the perfect time to enjoy sitting beside your garden. This time of the year offers the perfect temperature before the blazes of summer start. Then it’s time to think about the invitations. After all the invite is the first thing your guests see. This gives them a clue as to just what type of affair this will be. We offer the Sweet Bouquet invitation which showcases...Read More

Every family may have different family traditions they perform each year for Easter. If there are small children, this can change the tone of things. For example, small children will want to do things with eggs….whether it be assisting with the boiling and decorating, or shopping for plastic colored eggs to load with candy, coins or something else for fun…anything they do related to Easter and eggs is fun and exciting for them! So, the adults in attendance have their work cut out…they need to be responsible for making sure that everything is prepared, hidden and ready for the children to find. They also need to be in charge of procuring the items to be included in Easter baskets…toys, candy and other surprising treats! Children of all ages find hunting for Easter Eggs irresistible! Whether they hunt for eggs with their friends, their cousins, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandmas, it doesn’t matter! Having your own Easter egg hunt may be ideal way to assure everyone is out of harm’s way and enjoying their time safely! Once you have decided to proceed, you should keep the following in mind. Weather, no matter what part of the country...Read More

Once you have gotten the specific date, location and invitation in place you can start plotting out the rest of your bash! When deciding on the theme of your party you should consider what job they are leaving behind with retirement, or what type of future retirement is opening up for them. For example, if they are a retiring physician why not have a cake in the shape of a stethoscope or something hospital related! Or if they are planning a dream trip after retirement, you could always go a different route, such as a Hawaiian themed luau. There is no right or wrong theme, just go with whatever best fits the retiree. Normally, retirement parties do not happen more than once, it is not a birthday bash you can celebrate every year, or a holiday, it is a very special accomplishment and the retiree deserves an astounding celebration that they won’t fail to remember. If you decide to go with party favors, or decorations why not create some with pictures of the retiree, from when they started working, till the end date. This is sure to evoke memories and prompt discussions between all about the changes throughout the years....Read More

Retiring could be compared to what we used to feel at the beginning of our summer, Christmas or spring breaks from school, that great feeling of elation and freedom from the burdens of studying, home work, and tests. It was a break to relax, clear your thoughts, and have a little time free from day to day stress! By the time our breaks ended, we were refreshed and ready to face a brand new bunch of challenges. For most of those facing retirement it is a cause for celebration, but it can also be a little down hearted because the retiree is preparing to depart their work place, work friends and normal routine. That is why throwing a retirement party is a great way to say goodbye, and wish the lucky retiree good luck as they enter in to a new chapter and adventure in their life. In years past retirement was associated with days full of TV, books, propping up of feet and relaxation. Today those images seem to be in the minority…today retirees are busy moving away to a warm place, starting a new exercise program, volunteering their time or starting a new career. They may have children...Read More