“Spooky” Halloween Punch Recipes

Everyone enjoys a good party with family and friends when there is tasty food involved as well as some delectable drinks to be had. Halloween is a time a year when people can let loose by dressing up in a silly outfit or a frightening one, so why not let them get in the mood with some of these Halloween-inspired beverages.

Italian Fruit Punch

For those of your friends who like to drink, a great choice is the Italian Fruit Punch, which is a fast and easy drink to prepare for awaiting guests. The combination of Limoncello, Maraschino liqueur, orange juice, sparkling water, and ice will have your guests living it up in no time.

Ingredients

* 2 cups orange juice
* 2 cups sparkling water
* ½ cup of Maraschino liqueur
* ½ cup Limoncello
* Ice
* Black licorice sticks for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher with ice and stir. Place in a martini glass and garnish with a black licorice for a vibrant and festive Halloween drink.

How to Throw a Halloween Party for Adults

Everyone enjoys a good Halloween party but when it comes down to it bad food, drinks, or a lame theme can be a deal breaker. So in order to get your guests excited about your next Halloween party, be sure to impress them with these few simple tricks that will have them coming back year after year.


When people arrive at a party they generally are looking to eat, drink, and be merry, so make it a point to have good food at your party. Themed food ideas will have your guests in shock and awe when they arrive. Imagine the squealing of disgust and intrigue when your guests discover a bowl of worms on the table ready for eating. With a little gelatin, food coloring and flexible straws, you can make these worms yourself.

Create a Fun, Festive and Inexpensive 4th of July Party

Independence Day is probably the easiest Holiday to decorate for, especially if you’re on a tight budget. Who wouldn’t mind saving a bit of moola right now?

Decorating Ideas:

• You can usually find red, white or blue paper table clothes this time of year at fairly reasonable prices. Using blue for the table cloth, add white napkins and red paper plates for a festive red, white and blue table. Blue plastic wear on the white napkins and red plastic cups add a nice touch.

• Make a centerpiece using a blue vase of red and white carnations, then add some flags. Give the flags to your guests after your meal is served.


Food Ideas:

1. White corn on the cob served in a red or blue glass bowl.
2. Blue tortilla chips served with red salsa and sour cream.
3. Sliced red tomatoes served with slices of mozzarella.
4. Red pepper slices served with a blue cheese dip on the side.
5. Blue Jell-O with raspberries and topped with whipped cream.
6. Star shaped sugar cookies with white frosting and red and blue sprinkles.
7. A large clear, glass bowl of mixed blueberries and strawberries accompanied by a bowl of whipped cream.

Beverages:

Sweet Summer Tea (I know it’s not red, white and blue, but it’s so American)

Red, White and Blue Freezee:

Mix together in a blender

1 cup whipping cream
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 tsp. lemon juice
sugar to taste
Top with a few strawberries.

4th of July Punch:

Blend together:

6 cups of orange juice
20 oz. frozen strawberries in syrup
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail

Add 3 cups ginger ale at serving time. Makes 18 servings


Now for some other ways to make your 4th of July party sparkle (pun intended).

• Stick some lit sparklers in a dish when serving it.
• Watch a movie like the National Treasure or some other movie that portrays the beginning of our nation.
• Have patriotic songs playing in the background, like the National Anthem, America the Beautiful and so on.
• Dress in red, white and blue.
• Wear some of those funny star shaped sunglasses.
• Decorate a door or window with Uncle Sam.
• Be sure to hang an American flag if you have one.

Groundhog Day Party Menu Ideas for a Fun Groundhog Day Celebration

Image via WikipediaBy Gail Leino

Will winter last or is spring around the corner? Groundhog day is often a mass media day with everyone waiting to see if the groundhog will see his shadow. If you are looking for a few menu ideas or snacks for your children to celebrate the holiday, you might like to use some of the following ideas:

Groundhogs tend to eat green items such as grass so you could create an all green menu for the day. Green punch (lemonade with green food coloring, green grapes and small pieces of green apple or kiwifruit), baked good with green food coloring and green fruit salad (green grapes, green apple, kiwifruit, honeydew melon and star fruit) all work well.

A great snack for children is creating a salad with a couple of types of lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and gonzo beans. Of course you can choose your child’s favorite vegetables and salad dressing.

Another great snack for you children is Groundhog Day Dirt Pie. All you do is take their favorite pudding or chocolate to represent dirt. Once you have made the pudding you crumble up graham crackers into the dish. To make the dessert complete you can take a Popsicle stick with a picture of a groundhog to make it look like a groundhog on his mound. You may even have children color their own groundhog.

There are many different ideas you can have for Groundhogs Day for a complete menu. If you need to create snacks for school or just to have fun around the house you will want to find different types of menu items like potatoes, vegetables, desserts with the life of the groundhog in mind. Typically groundhogs spend their days on their mounds so even cupcakes with a frosting “groundhog” on top make a fun snack.

They say that simple menus often work the best. This is definitely the case with Groundhog day. You can use these ideas or throw in a few of your own – either way your young guests are likely to be happy.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Groundhog Day party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

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Cinco de Mayo History Celebration

Author: Mrs. Party... Gail Leino

Bring the southwestern feeling to your home by having a fiesta for Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday. It has been celebrated since 1862 when the smaller less modern army of Mexico defeated the larger more powerful French army at the Battle of Puebla.

Friends and family members will love to get together to celebrate this festive holiday. Write on the invitation for guests to break out their Mexican fatigues. Sombreros, serapes, ponchos and bandannas are the perfect party gear for your guests to wear.

Offer an array of authentic Mexican dishes to appease the appetites of all who come to your fiesta. Enchiladas, tacos, salsa, guacamole, and queso dip are a few of the tasty dishes you might consider. Don't forget to accompany these delightful entrees with a few traditional Mexican beverages.

Use stunning colored lights in a variety of shapes including cactus and red chili peppers for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta. No fiesta ceiling would be complete without a few paper lanterns in an array of sparkling and traditional colors. Use cutouts of cactus or howling coyote silhouettes for wall decorations.

For younger guests to be able to relish in the traditions of a Cinco de Mayo celebration, incorporate a piñata into the festivities. Use a traditional seven pointed star shape or the shape of the horse piñata. Children of all ages will be excited in taking a swing at this popular party game in hopes that they would be the one to spill the treasures that are carefully contained inside.

With all of your careful planning and a few of your great ideas brought to life, your Cinco de Mayo fiesta is sure to be a party that will be remembered and appreciated for many years to come."

About the author: Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority for the best party supplies with clever themes and fun facts for character birthdays, holidays and theme parties. Plus, ideas for personalized and birthday party favors to make your event unforgettable.

Easter Party for Children

Want to do more than the traditional Easter egg hunt this year? Kids love to have fun and play games, so plan an entire party around the Easter egg hunt and make an afternoon of it. Here are some ideas for activities you can do to make your party a hit. And, don’t forget the prizes.

Pin the chick on the egg? Since this is Easter we must tailor the games to fit the occasion. Take a piece of white poster board and draw a large egg on it. Cut it out and pin it to the wall. Give each child his or her own piece of construction paper. Let the children draw and cut out their own baby chicks. When they are done, fold a piece of tape and stick it to the back of each chick. Blindfold each child in turn and let them see who can put their chick closest to the center of the egg.

Word games anyone? On the internet, do a search for Easter word games. They have printable pages like word search and word scramble that are grouped by age. Give a prize to the winner of each word game.

Duck, Duck, Goose! Everyone knows this one. All the children sit in a giant circle. One child will walk behind the others tapping each “duck” on the head until they decide which one of their friends will be the “goose”. The “goose” has to get up and chase the first child. If the first child makes it back to the empty spot without being touched, then the second child becomes the new “duck”.

Easter necklaces. Pre-cut strips of construction paper in pastel colors. Show the children how to make chain links. Fold the paper in a circle, dropping a spot of glue on one end and pressing the two ends together. For each new link, fold the paper in a circle around the previous link so they form a chain. When the chain is long enough to fit over your head when held end to end, add one more link to join the two ends of the chain.

Treat time. Serve snacks like little sandwiches, juice, and a small dessert. For a change, use cookie cutters in the shapes of Easter characters to cut the sandwiches. For the dessert, try making lemon squares. There is a good recipe on www.foodnetwork.com.

You don’t need too many activities to keep children happy at a party. As long as they know it will end with an “egg”citing Easter egg hunt, they will have fun!

Valentine's Day Party Fun for Kids

Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to have a party. Invite family and friends to share the day with you at your home. When a party is on the agenda, everyone can contribute ideas to make it fun.

Plan ahead. To avoid a rush, gather all of the party supplies a week in advance. Let everyone brainstorm ideas until the big shopping day arrives. With list in hand, find games and items for everyone.

Dress each guest to celebrate at the party. For the girls, give them a candy necklace. Once the party is over, she can nibble at her necklace for a sweet treat. For the boys, try candy whistles. It’ll be the most delicious sound they’ve ever made.

Start with some games. How about a game of hearts for the card players in the group? Go online and Google card games to find a simple version of the game for kids and adults to play at parties.

Word games are fun at a party. Using the words, Happy Valentine’s Day, give kids two or three minutes to write down as many words as they can using those letters. The one with the most words wins a prize.

Prizes for games can be as simple as paper hearts that function as coupons. For example, create a coupon that can be traded in for a day with no chores or a five dollar gift from the store. The more prizes a person wins, the more coupons they can cash in. If you have invited people outside the family, have a separate prize basket with small prizes like teddy bears and candy.

Teach a craft. Kids love to make things so give them an opportunity to learn something new. Since spring comes right on the heels of winter, show them how to plant seeds in a flower pot. They can start their own herb garden that will grow indoors. Decorate the pots with hearts so kids will always remember the fun they had on Valentine’s Day.

If the weather is nice, the kids can take turns whacking a Valentine’s Day piñata. The piñata can be a cupid, a heart, or something else related to Valentine’s Day. Each child gets three chances to bust it open. After that, the older party guests get a crack at it.

Even if it is just the family, a Valentine’s Day party can bring lots of laughs and quality together time. Encourage old and young alike to participate for the most fun.

Valentine's Day "Party Games" For Kids

Games are essential if you are planning a Valentine's Day party for kids. Here are 7 great Valentine's Day games appropriate for kids that are easy and fun to play.
 
Valentine Heart Pillow Race:

Use two large stuffed hearts (either pillows or just plush stuffed hearts). Divide the kids into two teams and tell them they must run to the finish line with the heart between their legs. Once they return to the group, they should take the heart and give it to the next child, who puts it between their legs and so on. Whichever group finishes the entire relay first wins. 

Valentine "Toilet Paper" Gift Wrap:

Give the kids a couple rolls of toilet paper and instruct them to wrap another child mummy style. This is a popular game at Halloween, but in this case they are wrapping a present. Divide the kids into two teams and time them. The team that finishes first, wins, and gets to put a big red bow on their "package".

Valentine "Name Match" Game:

Help kids remember some of the great couples of history by having them complete the match to a famous other half. For example, if you say "Romeo" their answer would be "Juliet". To play this game, divide the kids into two groups and give each a bell or similar type item. Present the famous start of the pair. You might say, "peanut butter" and if one of the teams knows the match is "jelly" they will ring in with their answer. 

Some other options are:

"Eggs and (bacon)"
"Coffee and (sugar or cream is OK here)"
"Cinderella and (Prince Charming)"
"Cookies and (milk)"
"Jack and (Jill)"

Valentine "Heart Candy" Game:

Kids love those little Valentine's candy conversation hearts available everywhere around Valentine's Day. Create a heart-stacking contest, which is a lot of fun and can create some team spirit. Initially, each child will get many hearts. Plan to have a few bags on hand if you are doing this game with a lot of kids. Have them build as high as they can with the hearts within in a given period of time (30 seconds to a minute is plenty). If their contraption falls, they are out. Keep playing the game over and over again until you are down to two final contestants. Have everyone cheer him or her on as they try to build the highest (and longest lasting) tower of hearts. Be sure to have a prize for the winner.

Valentine Balloon Game:

Give each child a balloon (not inflated) and have him or her blow it up, but do not tie it off. Have a target somewhere in the room, and in this case a big heart will do, and have them let go of their (untied) balloon in the direction of the target. Whoever gets their balloon the closest to the target gets a prize. If someone gets a direct hit, that's two prizes. Keep the target on the ground to make this game easier. Based on the ages and abilities of the kids, you can have them stand close or somewhat far away from the target when they let their balloon go.

Valentine's Day Bingo:

For a seated game that might help the kids rest for a minute, play a game of Valentine's Day-themed bingo. The bingo squares might have pictures on them like hearts, flowers, cupid, arrows and the like. Be sure to have a prize for the winner, and play the game over and over so the kids can all have a turn at winning. 

Valentine's Day "Throw The Smile" Game:

Sit everyone in a circle and have one person smile wildly at the rest of the group. Everyone else must sit as stone-faced as possible. Then the person smiling dramatically wipes the smile off their face (by literally using their hand over their mouth in a swiping motion) and "throws" the smile to the next person in the circle. That person puts the smile on, and again makes a wild, silly smile at the group, then wipes it off and moves on. As soon as someone smirks or smiles that is not supposed to be smiling at that moment, they are out. It's harder than it sounds and kids often end up in gales of laughter, even when they're trying to be serious.

Groundhog Day Party Games - Marking the Occasion With a Celebration

By Gail Leino

Groundhog Day is a celebration that is steeped in tradition - is the Ground Hog going to see his shadow? Start the season with games to suit the theme can be really enjoyable, and make for a great party.

“Groundhog Hunt” Groundhog Day Party Game

This is a fun Groundhog Day party game that is best played outside. Prior to the party, cut several copies of the letters from ‘Groundhog’ out of cardboard and hide them around the playing area. Players pair up, and must search for the letters; the first pair to find all the letters from the word ‘Groundhog’ wins a small prize.

“Groundhog Tag” Groundhog Day Party Game

This active Groundhog Day party game is best played in a large, open area with a large group of children. All that’s required for the game is a small stuffed toy to act as the “groundhog”. Players gather together and split into 2 even groups. One group forms a large circle around the other group – joining hands isn’t necessary as the circle needs to be large. The children in the circle receive the “groundhog”, and have throw it and try to hit the children running around inside the circle. As soon as someone on the inside gets hit, they must join the circle and try to tag the other children with the groundhog. When all the children have been tagged, the teams swap places and start over. The last player standing for each team receives a small prize for winning this Groundhog Day party game.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Groundhog Day party supplies and fun free educational party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Shop has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Theme Parties to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

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