Party Planning - Hosting the Ultimate "Tween" Party

So you have this young person who is too old for the dino and Barbie themed parties and too young for something unsupervised. What are some great party ideas so they have the time of their lives for their birthday?

How about a sleepover party?

Allow your tween to invite three or four of their closest friends. On the invitations, make sure that the other parents know that there will be a grown up around and give them your number so that they can call if they have any questions. Let them know what kind of movies and video games you are planning to have. Make sure that you are aware of any food allergies and that you have phone numbers in case of emergencies. This sounds like babysitting, but you can't be too careful and you would want the same done for your kids.

Planning the Entertainment

One huge hit in tween party planning ideas is making space! By pushing the furniture aside in the living room (or den) and creating a "game room" feel, you can accommodate everyone's sleeping bags and pillows (just in case someone falls asleep). Watching movies or playing video games, the young people have a really good time-- and you always have an idea of where they are and what they're up to.

Planning the Party Food and Entertainment

The Main Meal. In terms of Tween party planning ideas for food -- the best way to plan the food for this major event is to get everyone involved. "Make your own pizzas" are a huge hit with kids of all ages and cost less than anything you can order, especially if you make your own dough. And the dough isn't all that hard to make, it freezes well, and it doesn't take a long time to bake. Simply line up some favorite pizza toppings and let everyone build their own pizzas, marking each pizza with a Popsicle stick with their name on it written in permanent marker.

Snacks and Dessert. As for cake, try using the theme from any movies you rented to watch! If your movie theme is horror, then a graveyard cake may be just the right thing. Using a chocolate nine by thirteen cake, frosted in ghoulish black (Wilton makes just the right colors), dig out a couple of little graves and leave the crumbs on top of the cake. Maybe put a plastic skeleton "body" in one of the "graves". And use 'Nilla wafers as headstones.

Or try this "Dirt Dessert" recipe!

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3-1/2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (18 ounces) cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

Directions: 1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth.

2. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Gradually stir into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping.

3. Spread 1-1/3 cups of crushed cookies into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish.

4. Layer with half of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining cookies. Repeat layers.

5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving

6. Garnish with Gummi worms

Drink Ideas. Keep the drinks simple. Decaffeinated soda, lemonade, or juice early in the evening and then encourage water later in the evening. Or going again with the horror theme, try the "cauldron" effect with dry ice.

Come morning, serve a light breakfast of bagels and fruit or doughnuts and juice. Or make a French Toast casserole or other breakfast treat.

Your tween party will be the talk of the town (or at least the middle school) for weeks to come!

Karen is just full of party planning ideas, and not just for tween kids, either! You'll find lots of ideas for planning a kids or grown-ups' party at her website, Divine Dinner Party.

Feel free to publish this awesome article on your website (or tattoo it on your behind for all I care!) as long as you keep this resource box and all links LIVE and intact. You know the drill.

The Important Role of Web Hosting For the Emergence of Internet Technologies

Today, the Internet represents a vital part of our lives, not only that we get to work more efficiently and effectively, but also some of us get our entertainment through online games. Either for business, or pleasure, internet had become crucial to support today's business by having their operations to run as smoothly as possible.

Billions of people browse and surf the internet everyday to get the necessary information which they need. Anything under the sun can be found in the Internet. People have become defined in accepting the benefits and value of the internet for their website and web hosting. They are well aware that they need to involve themselves with the Internet to further enhance their names across to the Global team because advertisement on the web is one of the most effective types of promoting one's goods and services.

Currently, everything seemed to be building on the Internet, this is inclusive of bank and financial corporations and the up-time of the servers. The Internet has been well accepted by the society today and it has been cited that the nerve centre of this as a whole is the Internet. Once the internet is down, there is totally no way to support the online traffic and your base customers under all circumstances.

Web hosting has become a necessity today. 9 out of 10 teenagers owned their own websites for multiple reasons. This was driven by the great emergence of the Internet and their websites operation business as well as web hosting. Web hosting is the act of placing one's web over onto the website by providing all the necessary support to the website owners, regardless whether this is for online business used or only for personnel usage.

Another area where web hosting role is crucial lies in their ability to provide the critical technical support by trouble-shooting and resolving any of the servers or websites' defects at any one time with the best technical skills and knowledge that they have been provided by their web hosting providers.

Last but not least, there are multiple types of web hosting servers which are available out there, such as dedicated web server, shared web server, collated web server, managed web server and many more. Depending on the different needs of the web-users, each of these web servers has their individual value and benefits which they are contributing to their end-users on. Let me quote an example here, dedicated web server is the most expensive type of web server, nevertheless it is the most powerful web servers which are capable to provide high quality performance and the greatest safety features and controls as compared to the rest of the web servers.

If you want a reliable web host, there is nobody else who can do a better job than Host Gator. Why? It is not only about their 99.9% uptime. They are much more than that. You should learn about it from Hostgator reviews.

Darren is a full time web developer for years. Due to the nature of his expertise he has accumulated great experience on web hosting. Do check out what he says about web host.

Bridal Shower Games: Make The Next One You Host A Big Hit

When you host a bridal shower, you really want to focus on making the event special for the future bride. However, you also want to make it fun and exciting for those attending. Here are some quick and easy bridal shower games you can use that won't cost you a fortune:

1. The Bridal Trivia Game: This will take some preparation, but is an inexpensive and fun game to show how much those invited truly know about the future bride. You can make it part observational, like what color shoes the future bride is wearing today, to "about the bride" questions, like where was the future bride born. You can even hold two separate trivia games and your bridal shower games will be completely covered. The person answering the most questions correctly will be the winner.

2. The "ABC" Game: All you need for this bridal shower game is a sheet of paper with the alphabet listed down the left hand side. Next to each item, party goers need to write something that starts with that letter that deals with a wedding. "A" could stand for a wedding "A"lbum. "B" could be a "B"ridal shower. "C" could represent the wedding "C"ake. Set the time limit for the game at only a minute. The person getting the most items listed in that time will be the winner.

3. A Bridal Scramble or Word Find: Using your computer, you can make up a bridal scramble or word find for a bridal shower game. For the scramble, you would take words associated with a wedding, like wedding gown, tuxedo, rings, church, reception hall, flower girls, ring bearer, and mix all the letters up. Those playing would have to unscramble the words into their appropriate form. For the word find, you could take similar words and hide them within a huge square of letters. The first person to unscramble all the words or find all the words will be the winner.

Little prizes are great for bridal shower games. Items like picture frames or candle holders can be decorated with little bows and ribbons for a special little gift.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Free Bridal Shower Games, printable activities, party planning tips, menus, recipes, and party supplies to help complete your event.

Common Wealth Games 2010

The 2010 Common wealth games is one of the largest multi-sport event, going to be held between 3rd October to 14th October. The capital city, New Delhi holds pride in hosting the common wealth games 2010. In the past history, this is the second time that such kind of grand event will be organized in Asia.

It is a multi-sport event, held on grand scale featuring the elite athletes of the world. Earlier this grand event was held in the year 1930, titled as 'British Empire games'. Later on, new name was assigned in 1978 as Common Wealth games.

India was also once privileged to host the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. It is first time that common wealth games are to be organized in India. The opening and closing ceremony is scheduled at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.

India sports minister will be leading the committee for conducting the games while the Indian Olympic Association president, Mr. Suresh Kalmadi will be the head of organizing committee. Seventy-two countries will be participating in this grand international event, involving the elite of the athletes and the best of the nations. Many infrastructural changes have occurred in the city, new venues are being set up to run the event smoothly. The Delhi Game Village is to be constructed on the eastern bank of river Yammuna, covering an area of about 63.5 hectares, with a capacity to accommodate 8,500 athletes and officials.

During the Common Wealth Games, 17 sports will be held in the stadium including - Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Bowls, Boxing, Cycling, EAD events, Gymnastics, Hockey, Netball, Rugby sevens, Shooting Squash, Table Tennis and Weightlifting.

Special preparations have been made by Delhi Government on this special occasion. Public holiday is declared on the closing ceremony of Games, 14th October. Pubic transport facilities have been improved by introducing DTC buses and AC Metro feeder buses. Local transportation has added 5000 new cabs to travel all around the city. Strict security arrangements will be made at Games Village and other games related venues. To keep check on any kind of trouble, special monitoring equipments like electronic surveillance, CCTV, X-ray baggage scanner etc are placed on the important locations.

Major venues for 2010 games in New Delhi are:

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -, Lawn, Bowls, Athletics and weightlifting
Dhyan Chand National Stadium - Hockey
Indira Gandhi Arena - Archery, Gymnastics, Wrestling and Cycling
Delhi University Sports Complex - Rugby
7s Tyagaraj Sports Complex - Netball
Siri Fort Complex- Badminton, Squash
Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range - Shooting
Talkatora stadium - Boxing
SPM Swimming Pool Complex - Aquatics
RK Khanna Tennis Complex - Tennis
Yamuna Sports Complex - Table Tennis

For more information click on: http://indianadventureportal/

Homemade Carnival Games Ideas

Are you throwing a carnival party and need carnival games ideas?

Traditional carnival games are usually played at carnival booths. You usually exchange one or more tickets for a turn at a game. Examples of carnival games booths include the Duck Pond game, Hoopla, Toss the Ball, Knock the Can and of course, the Coconut Shy. If you are hosting a Carnival Party, you can hire games booths, or better still make your own. To make a simple carnival game booth, you need a small table, a cloth big enough to drape over the table (brightly colored if possible), a large piece of card and some paints or thick marker pens.

You simply drape the cloth over the table, letting it hang down the front of the table to the ground. Using your paints, or marker pens, write out a fun sign, stating the name of the game- you can be really creative here! Finally attach the sign to the cloth and there you have it- your very own homemade carnival game booth. If you really want to look authentic, buy some cheap, narrow, plastic piping (available from hardware stores), cut into lengths to make a rectangular frame for the booth (you'll need one long one, just a tiny bit longer than your table length, and two shorter ones (decide how high you wish the frame to be).

Use strong tape to bind the pieces of tubing together to form a three sided rectangle, then attach to the table, again securing with strong tape. You can hang a lightweight sign from this, but be a little careful- the frame won't tolerate too much weight. You can buy ready made games to use on your booths if you wish. However, you can make your own. Keep food cans, and rinse these out and dry off. Cover these cans with brightly colored paper and use to stack up for the Knock the Can game. Add a couple of bean bags- and your game is ready to play. To play, the guest throws the bean bags, one at a time, at the cans. If they knock all the cans over, they win. For the Coconut Shy, you will need to buy a few fresh coconuts. To make the stands for the coconuts, use empty soda bottles that have been rinsed out and dried. Cut the tops off the bottles and cover them with brightly colored paper. Place the bottles on the top of the table booth, spaced well apart, and put the coconuts on top of the bottles. Have three small balls, or bean bags, per turn, and you are ready to play.

To play, the party guest tosses the bean bags, or balls, one at time, at the coconuts. If they knock one off, they win. Toss the Ball is an easy game to make. Cover a waste paper basket with brightly colored paper, place it at the back of the booth, or on the ground. Place a marker a fair distance away from the basket. This is where the party guests will stand to take their turns. Use any ball you like- for example a basketball or a baseball- it must fit into the target waste paper basket. To take a turn, the guest stands on the marker and throws the ball. If it goes into the basket and stays there, they win. You have two main options for prizes. Either give your guests tickets when they win a game, which they exchange for a prize at the end. Or, give a small prize at the booth to each winner. Have fun!

About the Author
Lori has been planning events and parties for over 15 years. She's organised and hosted everything from high profile celebratory events with over 400 guests, to home based family parties for her three children. Need more great Carnival Party ideas, then check out Carnival Birthday Party ideas, and for party ideas for all occasions take a look at http://www.find-party-ideas.com

Tips For Hosting a Super Cheap Sleepover For Kids During This Economy Crisis

It's been a favorite past-time for children through the ages. An opportunity to hang out with friends all through the night. The reality is that kids are starting to feel some "pull" during this economy crisis as many families have to cut back and work harder in order to make ends meet.
 
Saving, cost-comparing, and working those frugal recipes are becoming a basic part of daily life for lots of people. But, kids just want to have fun! So, here are some great tips for helping them to have a great time together for a sleepover without spending a lot of your hard earned cash to make it happen:
 
Have all of the guests bring snacks for everyone to share! Whoever said that your family had to supply everything for a sleepover? Plus, kids love an opportunity to share their favorite goodies with friends. It also makes some kids feel more relaxed in a different environment.
 
You also have the kids each bring an ingredient for putting together some frugal recipes. Other parents won't think it too much to bring a can of tomato sauce or one bag of cheese for the kids to create a fun dish like mini-pizzas. Make sure to let them know that it doesn't have to be a specific brand, but that they can bring anything that they can buy for cheap, and these parents are sure to comply with a smile.
 
Entertainment is a snap if you keep things simple. A old movie, such as a mystery or something very silly, that you can rent for cheap, usually a $1 per day will work for most kids. Just don't make the movie the only "fun" thing that they will do during the sleepover.
 
Sleepovers are more fun when you have something to show for your time away. So, have the kids create something out of stuff that you can buy for cheap. It can be a craft or an edible sculpture using basics such as cheap oat cereal and marshmallow that you can usually get for about $1 per package. But, a $1 package could be enough "material" for 4 or 5 kids.
 
Kids enjoy playing games. But, instead of spending on board games, go online and do some research for a fun way to have a scavenger hunt. It can be as simple as looking for certain "words" around the house that come together to make a sentence or looking for hidden objects. Either way, kids love the challenge and chase of a scavenger hunt. The best part is that you can make it happen for next to nothing. Just be sure to buy for cheap the prizes and use whatever you have around the house for the hunt.
 
Sleepovers don't have to be elaborate get-togethers. They can be a place where kids can have a fabulous time coming together for some good, clean, and cheap fun! This economy crisis doesn't have to make put sleepovers on the backburner for your kids. Keep things basic, and your kids, along with their best buds will have the time of their life without breaking your family's budget!

Alexandra Vrugt, a recognized expert on saving money in daily life, has written many articles on how to manage on less. You can get free copy of her Ebook '15 Top Ways To Save Money' by visiting her website MakeEndsMeetOnlne.com.

Hosting a Texas Hold'em Poker Game

Hosting a Texas Hold'em poker game can be great way to get one's friends and family together and to interact with each other while providing a little friendly competition. You can play for money or choose not to. There is an art to hosting a Texas Hold'em poker game. Sure, you can pour some chips in a bowl and go at it. But, if you want a really cool experience, there are some other things that you need to keep in mind.

The first thing that you need to do is to check out the legality of gambling in your state or city before you begin. There are some good web sites online that can help you with this. Although the likelihood is minimal that the cops will come busting through your door because you are hosting a poker party, it never hurts to know if you are going to be participating in an illegal activity. Once you have done this, you need to call everyone or send out some invitations, if you want to make it really special.

Decide where you are going to meet, create a menu and purchase food and drinks and get yourself a table. You will need to gather all of the poker supplies that you will need. This might include dealer buttons, a table, poker chips, and cards.

If you are the Type A personality type, you can print out a sheet of paper that has a list of payout structures, the rules and the blind levels so that everyone is on the same page as it concerns how the game is going to be played. This also will help to lessen the likelihood of any conflicts over rules. If all these things are decided and agreed upon prior to beginning play, there will be less opportunity for problems.

Before everyone comes over or after everyone has arrived, you will need to discuss the style of games that will be played. Some of your options include playing for cash, breaking into teams and playing in a tournament. Deciding on whether you will be playing Seven Card Stud, No Limit, Limit or Texas Hold'em will also be necessary. Determine if people are going to be allowed rebuys, bounties, addons or other types of variants and how you will go about handling these things.

Another factor that you will need to consider, though it may not be a big deal if you have a small group, is how you are going to seat players and move them around after the games are over. You do want to make sure that there is a set of protocol, and that you are in control of things so that things don't get hectic or confusing. Also, consider how you are going to handle dealing and shuffling. Is one person going to do it all night, or will different persons take turns?

If you think these things out beforehand, you'll have a much smoother, enjoyable Texas Hold'em poker game, or tournament. Being prepared and organized will cut down on the amount of arguments and disagreements and will better ensure that everyone has a good time and is able to participate in a fun and fair game.

Read more about Kevin's passions on his blog, www.KevinTPerry.com