Anniversary is a time of joy at which point one just looks back and see the years that had passed by, the ups and downs that came along, the love and happiness shared, sharing comfort during the rough times, etc. It is a time to see how the relationship got its foundation and how with time it grew stronger. Such times should be celebrated with great joy and detailed planning. The detailed planning must include writing invitations, decorations, planning the menu, etc. and this can be best achieved by jotting down the things on the paper from time to time so that a plan can be made and executed perfectly.

Among other things that need all your attention for the Anniversary Party, the most important is the menu that would make your guests rock. One such menu would be a three course meal to include Mussels Josephine as an appetizer, Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms as the main dish and Caramel Pear Dessert. Apart from this there can be other recipes that you can look into but this course is tested and proven and many have enjoyed celebrating their anniversary with this course.

Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms would be an excellent dish for the Anniversary Party. To make this recipe, you would need eight ounces of boneless skinless chicken breasts, four ounces of mushrooms, quartered two green onions, one cup grape tomatoes, half cup of white wine, half lemon, juice and zest of three garlic cloves, one pound sliced spinach, about two teaspoons of parmesan cheese and fresh grated salt pepper. These are the ingredients that you are going to need to prepare the main dish.

No matter what one says, Christmas is great and every loves it. It gradually grows on you… if you know what I mean. I just thought of buying presents, decorations, roast turkey and other things but that’s about it – never built up on that and now, it’s the second day of December and I am panicking. Just a few weeks to go and what have I done, what will be the Dinner, what will I do for the guests and above all what am I going to do for the presents, I haven’t bought anything as yet and there seems to be no time at all. Gosh am I late! No, I don’t think it’s very late, there is still time, if I organise things for myself I know I will be fine.

Actually its better I might get some better deals with the new VAT rates in UK and with more competitive pricing done by retailers.

Therefore my dear disorganised friends; you don’t have to worry much, the World Wide Web has given us the luxury of being lazy and still getting things done on time. There is online shopping which will sort us out this Christmas as well. There is a massive range of last minute gifts at one place so you don’t need to spend ages looking around for the perfect present.

If you’re planning to buy something for the kids there are loads and loads of stuff available, hope you don’t get confused with what to buy. Keep an eye on the Remote Controlled toys, they are nice and kids just love them. Please be aware that some of the grown ups might end up fighting for them.

The biggest concern that I have is what to do for the Christmas party, one thing is decided, we are not going out this time, one it’s too expensive and two our previous two years have been at places which we too crowded. This year it’s going to be home-sweet-home. Hmmm…., organising and making a Christmas Party successful is not an issue with me any more, there are so many things that can be done….

You can now buy a range of party games for every age group and taste. There are games which the kids would love and then there are those for the family. Grand dads and the toddlers can all have fun together. There are games for us grownups, games which bring some banter and loads of fun with them. Actually organising a party and making is successful should not be a concern for anyone at all.

Actually the dinner is also sorted… at least from the decoration side. There are placement mats, which one can go for, there are some good variety of clocks and decoration items and there are some very pleasingly priced mats and stuff which look very trendy and fashionable. Wine Thermometer, Invisible Shelf and others are some things which are worth considering.

How often has it happened that we give a Christmas Card to our dear ones and after sometime it disappears. All the effort that we took to think and write a nice message is wasted. This Christmas, there should be some consideration given to the Carve Your Own Wooden Card. I am going to put in a little bit of extra effort and going to convey a message that will last forever. This is one thing which I think is a must have in my Christmas List….I am going to get it no matter what and am going to tell someone very special what I really feel. I can’t say that it will be as good as a Rose, but I am sure it will carry a similar message. It doesn’t get much more romantic than that.

Next on the list, some stuff for the “Carbon footprint folks” I know. They will get the eco-friendly gifts this time. Solar powered gadgets can be one good thing for the guys or solar powered mobile phone chargers for the ladies especially when it is in pink. There can be some re-cycled stuff also for the Geeky lads that are there!

Can’t leave the grown-ups. Dads and lads of all ages go absolutely crazy for the Remote Controlled stuff that is around. Keep an eye on the Indiana Jones Giant Ant, this is something that is new this year and I can see him crawling like a baby running after it. Remote Controlled Helicopters are another thing which is going to bring out the child from within the Daddy.

Remember Christmas should not be a quite evening that we want to spend, the fun of Christmas Day is when there are kids shouting at the top of their voices with excitement as they open their presents, fights and screams that come for some party game going around somewhere in the house, a highly competitive game happening between the children and granny or the lads shouting loud like kids playing with a toy and trying to bring the roof down. That is what is Christmas all about and that is how it should be. So go online and do a few clicks and your Christmas will be a memorable one, you should not worry about time but should start thinking about pouring yourself a cup of Christmas cheer.

Eco-friendly products are currently in high demand. Consumers are very much aware of the need for products which can be reduced, re-used or recycled. This even goes as far as the packaging materials in which the product arrives. Many traditional packaging materials are not eco-friendly, such as polystyrene loose fill or plastic blister packs, but many of these products have alternatives which would achieve the same results, whilst keeping costs to a minimum. As suppliers, more attention needs to be paid to sourcing packaging which is much more ‘ecologically sound’.

Corrugated cardboard is used as one of the most fundamental items in packaging, the humble cardboard box. Used extensively throughout the world, cardboard boxes or cartons are the backbone of most transit packaging. Corrugated cardboard may at first seem like a very bad resource for use in eco-friendly packaging materials, (destruction of forests, destroying eco-systems) but this is not strictly true, as many of the paper based materials in use are cut from sustainable woodlands. Aside from this, there are other benefits to using corrugated cardboard packaging.

All cardboard boxes can be reused & recycled. This means that less resources are used in the future, as recycled corrugated cardboard can be used in making further cardboard boxes, and re-use of boxes ensures maximum life-span of the original materials. Although many corrugated cardboard boxes are not usually 100% recycled, (70-90% on average), it is possible to purchase boxes which are entirely made from recycled corrugated cardboard.
It is not just the corrugated boxes which can be made of recycled materials but also inserts for these boxes., such as those used to hold wine bottles in place or specialist die-cut inserts.

Boxes are not the only product made from corrugated cardboard. Single-face corrugated paper rolls, corrugated mailing wraps, shredded kraft papers & corrugated sheet-board made from 100% recycled materials can all be purchased.

The incentive to use recycled corrugated cardboard packaging materials is due to a number of factors. These include the reduced cost of packaging materials, (as recycled materials generally cost less than virgin materials), & the opening up of further demographic markets, as many consumers will base their purchasing habits on how eco-friendly a product appears to be, including the packaging materials products are dispatched in.

It is no longer just good enough to provide a quality product at an affordable price. It must be considered just how eco-friendly your product is, including any packaging materials which are involved. If this is over-looked, then be prepared to pay in lost sales & lost customers.

This weekend is our annual Christmas party and due to retirement of a colleague I have been given the task of planning the event. I’m not sure if this is a blessing or a curse as it seems I have officially become the office party planner not a role I applied for. I have been given the world’s smallest budget and a box of Christmas decorations dating back to the 1970′s. So I figure there are 5 important steps to a party and have decided to tackle them as such:

Step 1: Location

This one was easy, as with little money and a big warehouse at my disposal. The obvious solution was a warehouse party much to the warehouse manager’s disapproval.

Step 2: Decorations

With such a small budget, I didn’t think spending money on new decorations was the best idea. So I decided to run with the old 70′s ones we had. However with one simple but interesting addition I am going to borrow the projector from the meeting room and connect it to my laptop, then find various videos on TouTube and had them running projected onto the wall.

Step 3: Music

I personally think that music is an extremely important part of any party but the little radio we have in the office was never going to fill our warehouse. I have No Idea about sound I don’t even have a digital radio and I’m not exactly sure what 5.1 means on DVDs. So I started searching the web to find a company to supply a DJ and the necessary equipment. After a few calls and some prices that made me think I was buying the equipment not renting! I found a company and explained what I was arranging and they worked out what we needed and are even sending someone round to set everything up. The best part is that I still have around 150GBP left in my budget.

Step 4: Drinks

With only GBP150 I decided to make this a bring your own bottle party, I know it’s a bit of a bad place to start a party but with the current economic situation I figured most of us are happy just to have jobs. I have received one or two moans about this but hey what’s a bottle of wine these days 5GBP I don’t think it’s much to ask.

Step 5: Food

So food is where I have decided to spend my remaining budget, after all what’s a party with nothing to eat? I don’t want to do the same old thing of light snacks and nibbles its boring. So I thought of ordering pizza, ordering curries and then it dawned on me I have a Panini maker! So armed with the companies cash and carry card I set off this morning to buy whatever I could to create a “make your own Panini station”. I got loads of good stuff including 2kg of cooked chicken for 10GBP and 2kg bags of cheese that place is amazing, I even managed to get some giant chocolate cakes.

So with the food bought and DJ booked all I have to do now is set it all up and find videos on YouTube I hope there is a log fire one.

America loves to celebrate and what better way to say congratulations for any achievement than by throwing a fun party. Whether the milestone was big or small, throwing a party can be as much fun as attending one.

The first step in saying congratulations to a friend or family member is to set a date and time with the guest of honor. Then it’s time to plan the menu. Celebratory Cranberry Martinis, Good Luck Lemon Lime Chicken, Jolly Good Fellow Fries and Hooray Heavenly Cake. Have a variety of of non-alcoholic beverages on hand for guests of all ages to enjoy. Beer can also be handy for adults to consume.

Saying congratulations by making Good Luck Lemon Lime Chicken is simple. First gather 2 to 4 boneless chicken breasts, 1 green pepper, cut in strips, 1 red pepper, cut in strips, 2 med. onions, cut in slivers, 6 to 8 good-sized mushrooms, sliced, 1 lime, 1/2 lemon, 1/4 c. white wine, and garlic powder. Next cut chicken in strips. Marinate in juice of lime for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic powder and let sit 10 more minutes. In the meantime, go ahead and sauté the onion until shiny. Add peppers and mushrooms. Cook until crunchy, do not over cook. In separate pan, sauté chicken strips in butter or oil very quickly until chicken turns white, stirring constantly. Lower heat, add lemon juice and wine. Combine chicken with vegetables. Mix and serve over linguini or rice. This dish serves 6 to 8 people.

No matter how you tell someone congratulations make it a party for all guests to remember.

They say that Anniversary parties should get more and more elaborate as you gain more and more years in your marriage. Though who says you have to stay with convention? You’re young, newly married and have survived to the one year or even five year mark. In today’s world with rising divorce rates that can be a big accomplishment. So go ahead and throw yourselves a lavish wedding anniversary party. This can be even more special if you didn’t get to have much of a wedding celebration. Why you might even consider renewing your vows.

Since you are newlyweds you can take advantage of your youthful energy to plan an unusual anniversary. Maybe you can invite your guests to come on a river rafting trip or take the plunge and go bungee jumping? If you do decide to do one or the other or both make sure someone have a camera going to record these memories forever.

After everyone is done risking their lives, feed them and feed them lots of good foods. Anniversary themed paper supplies can make the party very easy to clean up after a hectic day, so look into getting some classy silver or gold colored plates, cups, napkins and a tablecloth. To make the anniversary even more fun, you can toast everyone with LED light up wine glasses. They’ll light up the night when the sun goes down and your guests are still celebrating. Later, you can just let the guests take them home as special party favors.

If you do want to give out something more to the guests for anniversary party favors nothing beats small trinkets. They are easy to carry and can fit into a small bag. Candles are probably the least expensive and personalized items like card decks, key chains and pens the more expensive gifts.

While everyone knows that bachelorette parties are a lot of fun and the bridal shower favors are still a great way thank the guests who have attended. The bridal shower favor serves as a reminder of the shower and a complementary souvenir of the theme. When thinking about what bridal shower favors to use for your shower, it is important to think about the role the bridal shower favors will serve for you. If the items will be doubling as game prizes, then a nice variety of different things works best. The best bridal shower favors are fun, unique or decorative. Consider the following suggestions:

Coffee or tea samplers;

Salt and pepper shakers,

Scented candles,

Scented lotions or specialized lip balms;

Fancy chocolates, mints or other sweets are great prizes. Small packages of quality chocolates will have everyone’s mouth watering;

Bookmarks come in so many shapes and sizes it is easy to find a few that fit the color or theme ideas of the wedding. If you want, attach them to a $5.00 gift card from a big book selling chain; and,

Key chains again come in so many shapes and sizes it is easy to find a few that fit the color or theme ideas of the wedding.

Bridal Shower Favors that may be better suited if you are giving all guests the same favor include:

Mini bottles of wine with charms or openers;

Bath or lotion sets or manicure sets are also great ideas that almost anyone can use; and,

Lace potpourri sachets made in the shape of a lace bra – either black or in the wedding colors are great bridal party favors for everyone to take home. Attach them to homemade garters and encourage all the female guests to wear them to the wedding reception by having them envision what a unique photograph that would make.

Remember the bridal shower favors serve to complement the wedding preparations so make them well suited and appropriate for the anticipated guest list.

Dance Dance Revolution has brought dance back to parties and video dance tapes are a terrific tool to have a rocking good party. Try incorporating video dance tapes into your next party.

Video dance tapes are a great way to highlight a party’s theme. Match the theme to a dance taught on video dance tapes. For example, when throwing a luau party a great video dance tapes would be instructional on how to hula dance. Make sure to take pictures of your guests wearing grass skirts and leis to scrapbook later.

Think video dance tapes can’t fit your theme? Think again. With some creativity and a good theme video dance tapes will be the hit of the party. For a Cinco de Mayo party why not get an instructional Salsa dancing video dance tape?

The fun of video dance tapes is that men and women alike will enjoy watching and learning how to dance. What a great opportunity for a dinner party for friends. Center the dinner theme in Irish food and put in a Celtic video dance tape before dinner. Once the steps have been learned by the guests start the meal. After everyone has their belly full see how much was learned through the first lesson. This will be good for some couples who may need a glass of wine or two to get them to cut loose!

Regardless of how the party is thrown, albeit simple or extravagant, video dance tapes are great to get the party kicked into high gear.

The menus this week are quite quick and easy to prepare yet warming during this very cold season. I hope you are enjoying the season (and staying warm!).

Since I love to ‘cook once, eat twice or three times’, I have included a roast for Sunday dinner that will be used again on Wednesday for the Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry. If you still have beef from the roast, Beef and Brie Panini Sandwiches are very good and will make a wonderful dinner for you. My trick for using leftovers is to make each meal very different so my family doesn’t realize they are eating leftovers!

I am hosting a ‘girls day out’ luncheon party on Saturday for a few friends. The guys will have their fun on Sunday with the Super Bowl so we will have a little time-out, too. The Fresh Tomato and Cheese Tart is a snap to make and makes a lovely presentation. I may add some champagne to the menu along with the wine for extra sparkle. The appetizer course will be simple: a fruit and veggie tray with tamarind coconut curry dip along with artichoke pesto on toasted baguette slices. A menu with panache for my guests yet easy to prep for me!

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:
Eye of the Round Roast Beef with Peppercorn Sauce (crock pot, gravy mix; save some beef for Wednesday)
Mashed Potatoes (frozen steamers)
Chop House Salad (jarred salad dressing)
Individual Boston Cream Tortes (purchased pound cake, instant pudding mix, prepared chocolate syrup)

Monday
Fried Oysters over Spinach Salad (bagged spinach, jarred vinaigrette)
Hush Puppies (frozen hush puppies)
Peach Kuchen (canned peaches)

Tuesday:
Spaghetti Bolognese (jarred pasta sauce)
Italian Vegetables (frozen vegetable mix)
Garlic Bread (prepared bread)
Jam Thumbprint Cookies (prepared cookie dough, jarred jam)

Wednesday:
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (beef from Sunday)
Rice
Sesame Cuke Salad
Phyllo Raspberry Creams (frozen phyllo cups, instant pudding mix)

Thursday:
Oven Fried Chicken (seasoned coating mix for chicken)
Mac & Double Cheese (boxed mac & cheese)
Italian Green Beans
Orange Crescents (refrigerated crescent roll dough, jarred preserves)

Friday:
French Style Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet (canned beans)
Greek Salad (jarred salad dressing)
Baguette
Chocolate Pudding (instant pudding mix)

Saturday:
Fresh Tomato and Cheese Tart (puff pastry)
Steamed Zucchini
Pineapple Salad (canned pineapple and orange segments, bagged spinach)
Embellished Chocolate Cookies

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation,
Elizabeth Randall and Family

How many times have you been to a bridal shower with the same appetizers, the same too-sweet punch, the same games, and the same boring time? Why not kick things up a bit for the next bride-to-be? Get her out of the house, away from the bow bouquet, and into something fabulous, unusual, unique, and memorable.

Here are some unusual ideas for a bridal shower.

Wine and Cheese Party

Treat the bride-to-be like a queen for a day with a unique wine and cheese party. Have a variety of white and red wine and several cheeses to pair up with them. This is a great icebreaker for your guests and they’ll be able to mingle and taste and compare wines and talk about favorites. Invited the wine steward or bartender from your favorite restaurant to help out and do a tasting. Ask someone from the grocery store deli to talk about the cheese. Totally play it up. Any good cheese tasting should have a soft cheese (like a brie), a hard cheese (like a cheddar, gruyere, gouda), and a bleu cheese (like a stilton). Toss in some crackers French bread, and grapes and you’ve got a bridal shower everyone will remember.

Spa Shower

Okay, who doesn’t like a mani or a pedi or even a facial or massage? Arrange for a small group of your friends to spend a girls’ day at the spa. See if the location will offer a group discount or special rates, as well as extras like champagne, strawberries, or a large room where everyone can be together. It’s all about pampering and relaxation and bonding.

Scrapbooking Shower

If you’re on a budget and don’t have much to spend on your friend’s bridal shower, consider a scrapbooking shower where guests can help the bride-to-be gather her cherished memories together on one place. Ask your guests to bring scrapbooking supplies (glue, colored paper, scissors, pens, etc.) and any mementos or memorabilia she might have pertaining to her connection with the bride. Work together during the party to put this scrapbook together and present to the guest of honor at the end. The chances of the bride leaving with dry eyes are slim.

Sleepover Shower

Some of the best times growing up were spending the night over at a girlfriend’s house and staying up all night talking about boys, chowing down on snacks, watching movies, and getting very little sleep. Who says you have to be a teenager to have a sleepover? Pick up cookies to bake, popcorn to pop, junk food to get you through the night and invite guests and the bride-to-be over for an all-nighter of movies, fun, and boy chat. Watch chick flicks and lounge around in your pajamas. This will be one party that no one will forget.