It's My Party: tips

Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts

07 February 2016

Supply Your Valentine's Day Party On A Budget

** This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated when you make a purchase after clicking on the links.

Not all people celebrate Valentine's Day with special dinner for two, a movie date or a romantic getaway somewhere. Some actually celebrate it with fanfare! Valentine's Day is not all about couples or those who are in love or looking for love but it is also a time to celebrate the day with family and friends as another get-together party.

If you are one of those who wants to throw a party for everyone to enjoy whether are with someone, looking for someone or simply to enjoy the company of great people, then it is just right to plan and execute your Valentine's Day party without putting a dent on your budget. Here's how:

Make your own decorations

You do not have to be crafty to be able to make and prepare your own decorations. You just need the basic: paper, scissors, glue, adhesive tape, computer and a printer. It will be nice if you can download printable decors to match your Valentine's Day theme and cut the out yourself. You can make paper hearts and put them on strings like a bunting. You can also make paper flowers and decorate the tables and chairs with them.

This is from Marley Design from Etsy.com

Buy wholesale party kits

Red is always associated to Valentine's Day to signify love and passion. Why not change the colour motif to dark pink with splashes or red tones? You can buy paper plates, cups and disposable cutleries to mix and match for the occasion. You can buy them plain too in block colours so you can save money. The ones with designs are rather costly so stick with colour blocks.

Use your own cups, plates and cutleries

If you do not want to buy a party kit for the occasion, you can use your own plates, cups and utensils. This way, you get to save money. You can use your creativity by using old jam jars like mason jars as glasses or time to bring out those nice champagne flutes!

Send electronic invites

Send your invites via email to save time and money. You can even create an event in Facebook and invite your family and friends in your upcoming shindig.

Buy wholesale favours

If you are very generous and would really like to give your guests some simple tokens then you can check out the internet for party favors for all occasions that you can buy online. Buying in bulk yields better rate than buying few items.

How you decide to supply your Valentine's Day party is all up to you especially if your goal is also to have fun while not splurging. Enjoy the merriment!

17 November 2015

Tips For Buying The Right Bicycle For Your Kid

As parents, we all get caught up with the idea of teaching our kids things we used to do when we were their age. We want them to experience the sheer fun of doing things the conventional way like climbing trees, trekking, hiking, planting in our backyard, flying a kite, camping, fishing, roller skating, ice skating on the frozen pond nearby, and riding the bike.

We had so much fun doing things differently in our time. There was no complex technology to rub us off our playtime. We actually had to do things manually using our physical prowess as kids that we thought we never had. It was just simple fun that we all enjoyed.

Amongst the many activities we had during our childhood years, riding the bike is one of the most popular one. It was endless hours of riding in the village with friends, visiting cool places in the neighbourhood, or simply using the bike as a means of transportation (and a cheap one at that!) to get to school. Now, as a parent, I have also thought about teaching my kid how to ride a bike. It’s just not fun to know how to use the bike when you can ride it with such gusto! However, before jumping to a real bike and letting our kids ride it without proper knowledge and skills, lest, we are introducing our kids to biking failures and even accidents.

There are things to consider and remember before we get too excited with our plans to have tandem biking with our little ones for fun, adventure and good health. There are factors to note of and check to see if our kids are really ready for the big world of biking or we have to wait a while and see how it goes.

Here are simple tips to follow to ensure you are buying the right bicycle for your kids.

Quality of the bicycle

We tend to shortchange our family when it comes to buying them things. We always look for the easy way out by purchasing the cheapest one we can find while compromising the quality and safety aspects of the product. It is important to note that high-quality bikes with materials that are produced with great craftsmanship and care will usually command for a higher price than other bicycles that are sold cheaply. Choose quality over cost while making sure that you have read reviews from other consumers about the same brand of bicycle and how durable the materials are which can last for many years.

Safety features (including gears and brakes)

A safe and sturdy bike must have its tire air gauge, gears, brakes, lights, horns, padded seat, and pedals all in superb working condition. They must be checked, and tested, if possible to ensure that they are roadworthy.

If you plan to buy your young child a bike, you may opt to purchase one that has a balance wheel attached at the back of the wheel for balancing.

Photo credit: dreamstine.com

Will you let your child ride his or her bike on certain terrains? If so, make sure that the shift gears are not very complex for young children to use and understand. Sometimes, it is best to stick with single speed bikes for safety reasons until your kids are a bit older to handle bikes with various shift gears and speed.

As for the brakes, there are 2 types of brakes, the coaster brake (the one that brakes at the back of the wheel when the bike is pedalled backwards) and the handle brake. Smaller kids do not have firm grip to manage a handle brake so most small bikes have coaster brakes instead. If your kid can manage to firmly grip the handle brake then it is also a wise idea to have a handle brake installed.

Size

Is your child going to be stretched while reaching for the handlebars or his or her legs will have to try reaching for the pedals in order to ride the bike? If that is the case, then it is noteworthy to select the right bicycle size for your kid’s height and reach. Kids around 4-7 years old can benefit from a small bicycle with adjustable seats, handlebars, and cranks.

Photo credit: dreamstine.com

If they are between 2-3 years old, it will be best to let them enjoy a tricycle until they move on to a more challenging bike.

Older children can ride the normal bike as long as they are still comfortable reaching for the ground when they pedal and not exerting much effort to reach for the handlebars.

Accessories

No matter what age your child is, riding a bike is an exciting thing. However, make sure you have the proper accessories your child will need when riding the bike. Consider buying these accessories for a safer ride:

Photo credit: dreamstine.com

Helmet

Elbow and kneepads

LED lights to attach to the bike

Reflectorized stickers on the bike

Air pump

Kids sunglasses

22 April 2015

Things to Consider When Hosting a Party

Whether you have just moved into a new home, have a birthday coming up or want to celebrate a friend's milestone or accomplishment, a party is the universal way to say thanks, show appreciation, or congratulate someone on a job well done. Since the dawn of time, human social gatherings have more or less revolved around the same basic principles, but the situations and circumstances justifying these gatherings have changed in many ways. Before you decide to have a party or begin planning all the details, it is important to take into consideration a variety of factors. In the following article, we'll help outline what you should consider when hosting a party in order to ensure it goes smoothly.

Photo not mine

Consider the Noise

Especially if you have just moved into a new neighborhood, be sure that you make accommodations to ensure that the noise level is kept under control. The more people you have at a party, the greater the chance of the noise carrying throughout the neighborhood. If you are in an apartment complex, then the issue becomes even more important. Most cities have regulations on noise levels in residential neighborhoods, so be sure to check with local authorities first if you plan on having a lot of loud people, music, and anything else that can cause noise. Most noise ordinances kick in at 10 PM and last until 6 AM, so any party that covers this time period will be subject to potential complaints if it is too noisy.

Serving Alcohol

Who will be at your party? When serving alcohol, you must know up front who will be there in order to ensure you are not breaking any laws. Depending on your jurisdiction, you are not allowed to serve anyone under the age of 21 with any alcohol. While you can certainly choose to have individuals above and below the minimum age at your party if it has alcohol, you will need to find a way to ensure that no one underage is able to drink while there. When hosting parties with younger people in particular, this may prove to be more difficult. As such, this may put you in a difficult position with respect to who you can and cannot invite, or how you want to plan the party as a whole.

Cleaning Up

Once the party's over, who is going to clean up? The host is likely left on the hook to do so; make sure you have cleanup supplies or some assistance (junk removal in Long Island, for instance, has several results in Google for helping clean up after parties). You'll have food to dispose of, utensils and party decorations to handle, drink cups and a variety of other disposable items that must be taken care of to get the house back to normal. Garbage disposal and junk removal services can be absolutely essential if you are holding a larger party, so be sure to consult with one before you wind up with a home or venue full of trash and no plans on how to get rid of it.

31 December 2014

Tips To Organize Your Bag

Do you have too much clutter in your purse? I have and I am very guilty of that. I need to follow these tips and de-clutter to carry only the essentials.

Here are simple ways to de-clutter using some simple "bag in a bag" tricks.

a) Keep receipts and coupons in an organizer

b) Store electronic charger and plugs in a bag

c) Go to items - contact lens, lipstick, hair pins can be stored in a easy to reach zipper bag

d) Use a hard case for fragile items like an empty hard case of an eyeglass

26 November 2014

A Beginner’s Guide To Kayaking

When most people hear kayaking, they immediately think of awful memories on year 5 camp, capsizing on the dirty lake with their friends. Not the best image, right? Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way! Kayaking can actually be a really enjoyable, fun activity to do with your mates, or with your family! Fun fact: you don’t have to capsize every time you go on the water, who would have thought it! If you’ve never done it before, you probably don’t have any of the right equipment, for example a good dry bag or a kayak bag, a nice water proof shoes and outer wear, or even the perfect kayak to use. But that is okay since there are heaps of websites out there that sell the products, including fishing and camping stores like MOTackle (click here for their range). Once you’ve done that, continue reading for a perfect beginner’s guide to kayaking!

Safety First

It’s really important to think of safety before you do anything related to water. Drowning is always a present concern, and while it’s certainly avoidable, precautions should always be taken. Life vests are available for purchase at any fishing or boating store.

How To Paddle

Knowing how to paddle is the main criteria for kayaking. If you can’t paddle, you don’t go anywhere! To paddle, you need to sit comfortably in your seat and grip onto the paddle with your fingers on top and your thumbs underneath – your grip should be pretty relaxed. Remember to paddle from your torso, and not cause strain on your arms, back and shoulders.

Learn Safely

When you’re first beginning to learn to kayak, it’s probably best that you stay away from rapid waters. Learning in a calm environment like a flat lake is always a good idea. Once you tackle something like that, you can move on to more adventurous things like the beach and the rapids.

Dress For Water, Not Weather

It sounds crazy but when getting dressed to go kayaking, you shouldn’t be looking outside to see what the weather is – you should be thinking about what it’s like in the water. The first time you capsize, you’ll realise how important this tip is. The ideal kayaking clothing is layers of quick-dry material. Also think about your footwear – water shoes are always the safest.

Have An Emergency Plan

It sounds kind of morbid, but it’s really important to have an emergency plan in case something goes really wrong. Whenever you’re kayaking, on calm waters and especially in rapids, you should always know how to rescue someone if need be. You should keep inflatable paddles on board, along with your life jackets and rescue rope – and always know how to use them!

Kayaking can be so much fun, if and when you know how to do it properly! As long as you follow this simple beginner’s guide to kayaking, you’ll be totally fine once you’re out on the water. Before you know it you’ll be battling the rough water rapids with all your best mates! Remember to have fun, but also to stay safe as water can be very dangerous if you don’t take all the right precautions. Happy kayaking!

(Photo not mine)

20 November 2014

Simple Fashion Tips To Always Remember

Whenever talking about fashion, there are many things that we can say. Women and men from all around the world want to look their best. They will try to do all that they can in order to do this. The problem is that this can be difficult. The truth is that being in fashion according to all the trends that appear is complicated as a lot of information is needed and money problems can always appear. In order to help you a little, here are some simple fashion tips that you can easily remember and that will help you to instantly look better.

Always Think About Body Shape

Some clothes will look a lot better than others on you, according to your body shape. Learn how to dress according to this body shape. For instance, if your body is oval, you will need to look for fashion tips for oval bodies. When you take this route, you always buy clothes that are appropriate and it is a guarantee you will look great.

If You Are In Shape, You Will Feel Better!

This is something that not many say but your mental state is as important as the clothes you wear. Such a factor is clearly visible when referring to men. According to Dzhingarov.com, women that are in shape will always make better choices. They have access to more clothes as there will be fewer imperfections to consider. This has a huge impact on your overall appearance.

Old Clothes Can Become New Clothes

Every single year we have some trends that are big and that are respected for a really long period of time. With this in mind, you can always use some older clothes and modify them so that you can end up with something that is trendy. As an example, some smart changes to your clothes can help you to transition from summer to fall. This is usually possible with a really low expense, which is helpful. As you can save money because you do not buy new clothes, you can afford to have a wider wardrobe.

Don’t Blindly Follow The Stars

Hollywood stars are almost always fashion icons. As they become more known, their style changes and improves. Jennifer Lawrence is a great example of that. The problem is that fans make a huge mistake. They simply start wearing what the stars wear. This is a really bad idea. For starters, we have the body shape problem that we already talked about. Also, many of the clothes are created by renowned designers and cost a lot of money. They are tailor-made for the stars, with changes that perfectly complement their strengths. This is something that is simply not available for most people.

Buying Online

One of the greatest ways to save money and end up with some tremendous clothes is to use the internet. You can buy online but you have to be particularly careful when referring to measurements. Never purchase from a site that does not clearly highlight measurements. This would lead towards mistakes and you can end up with something stunning and cheap but that is not at all wearable without modifications.

13 November 2014

Tips to Keep Your Hair And Skin Healthy This Winter

Winter is quickly approaching and it can be very damaging not only to our skin but our hair too. During the cold months your hair and skin can become dry and flaky. Here are some tips to try to keep your hair and skin moisturized during the cold winter season.

22 October 2014

Easy Halloween Costumes Straight From Your Closet

Halloween is one of the most exciting occasions celebrated every year. Although there's no Halloween celebration here in Dubai (like the trick or treat) where people can go crazy with their costumes, we do fancy seeing people attend Halloween parties in hotels and bars wearing their fun, colorful, wacky and out-of-this-world costumes. It's a far-cry from the people we saw in New York while we spent Halloween there last year but it's not bad. People in Dubai can certainly improvise.

And speaking of improvise, if you are into this Halloween costume parties or would like to celebrate the event without burning a hole in your pocket, then rummage through your closet and see if you can find several items that you can pair with other accessories you may already have.

Here are some easy Halloween costume ideas fresh from the closet!

Men In Black
You can use plain white dress shirt, suit, black tie or any dark tie, some fancy toy laser gun, thick metallic ballpen, toy watch or really hi-tech watch, dark shades and nice leather shoes or loafers

Revenge of the Nerd

A plain or patterned-print shirt, some pens, an old fashioned eyeglasses with tape, some books as props and a very slick hair will surely make you look like a nerd

Britney Spears in Baby One More Time MTV

This one is an easy ensemble. Check for any loose cardigan, plain dark colored skirt, a white shirt, some ribbons, long socks and black shoes

Gangster/Mafia hitman
Have you seen Godfather? Notice how debonaire the mafias were? Why not copy their outfit using any of these items in your closet: black dress shirt, light tie, double breasted suit, plastic toy gun or machine gun, cigar, well-polished black shoes, and a cool hat?

Have you created costumes out of your own clothes and accessories before? What did you come up to?

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07 February 2016

17 November 2015

Quality of the bicycle

Safety features (including gears and brakes)

Size

Accessories

22 April 2015

Consider the Noise

Serving Alcohol

Cleaning Up

31 December 2014

Deluxe Coupon Organizer

Organize the electronics

Small canvas zipper bag

Small zipper bag

Small eyeglass case

Large eyeglass case

26 November 2014

Safety First

How To Paddle

Learn Safely

Dress For Water, Not Weather

Have An Emergency Plan

20 November 2014

13 November 2014

Use Coconut Oil

Use A Humidifier

Use Vitamin E Oil

Use Sunscreen

Organix Hair - Hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil Body Wash 13 fl oz

Eucerin - Dry Skin Therapy Plus Intensive Repair Enriched Lotion by Eucerin for Unisex - 16.9 oz Lotion

Alkalife - Alkalife TEN Spring Water (Minerals for Optimal pH Level of 10)- Buy TWENTYFOUR Bottles and SAVE per Bottle Cost, Each Bottle is 500 ML / 16.9 oz (Pack of 24)

22 October 2014

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