Party Planning Checklist

Here is a handy party planning checklist to help you plan the perfect party.  You can also visit our site for more great ideas and tips on party planning!

One Month Before the Party

• Decide on a theme for your party. Guests love a theme party and they are so much fun to plan. Some ideas for themes are Casino Party, Luau Party, Fiesta Party, Decades Party, Wine and Cheese Party etc.
• Put together a guest list. Make sure that you have all of the necessary contact information for your guests such as current address, phone number, email address etc.
• Decide on a date, start time and location for your party.
• Start thinking about and purchasing party supplies such as Invitations, Party Favors, Tableware, Decorations etc.

2-3 Weeks Before the Party

• Send out invitations to your guests. Ask for RSVP’s and be sure to include a RSVP date (usually 1 week before the party) and contact information such as your email address or phone number.
• Plan your party menu. Decide whether you want to do a brunch, lunch, dinner or just have appetizers and finger foods and what beverages you are going to serve.
• Start planning any activities or games that you would like to include at your party.
• Put together a song list or make a mixed CD of music that you would like to play at the party.

1 Week Before the Party

• Contact any guests that have not responded. You can either call them directly or send them a quick email reminding them of the party.
• Bake or order your cake. If you are ordering the cake, now is a good time to get it ordered from your local bakery. If you are baking a cake you can do that now and freeze it to save time or you can decide to do that the day before the party.
• Prepare and bake any food that can be done ahead of time. You can freeze a lot of it and this is a huge time saver.

2-3 days Before the Party

• But any remaining party supplies and food. You should have a final head count for guests so now is the time to make sure that you have the right amount of everything for all of your guests.
• Remove any food that you have made ahead of time from the freezer to allow it to thaw completely before the party such as cake, casseroles etc.
• Now is the time to make sure that your batteries are charged in your camera and camcorder so that you can capture all of your favorite moments from the party.
• If you are hosting the party in your home, now is the time to organize the party area and dust or vacuum so that you are not running around trying to do this the day of the party.
The Day Before the Party

• Prepare any food that can be made the day before such as dips or salsas and ensure that you have all of the proper serving dishes set out for the food you will be serving .
• Finalize the cake. You can either bake the cake at this time, remove the cake from the freezer and decorate it or pick up the cake from the local bakery that you ordered it from.
• If you are able to access your party location the day before, now is the time to decorate the indoor areas.

The Day Of the Party

• If guests will be bringing gifts, decide on a designated area for the gifts such as a table.
• Prepare any beverages or food that could not be done ahead of time.
• Decorate any outside areas. Make sure that you take into account the weather prior to doing this.
• Enjoy the party and your guests! After all, you have worked hard for the past month. You deserve to have a great time!

Courtesy of So Sweet Stationery & Moms Who Think

Baby Shower Gifts

We are not just stationery at So Sweet Stationery.  We recently added a new vendor "Baby Aspen" and now have a great selection of adorbale baby gifts that are perfect for baby showers or a welcome home gift for the new mommy and baby. One of my personal favorites is the "Jo Jo Giraffe" 2 Piece Plush Gift Set.

Jo Jo the Giraffe-a plush, gentle jungle giant is destined to be baby's new best friend! Jo Jo has his squeezable, soft arms and legs wrapped around a giraffe-themed, keepsake box in mellow shades of yellow, green and brown. Tucked tenderly inside, you'll find a sunshine-yellow, fleece baby blanket with an embossed, velvety likeness of Jo Jo in one corner and a special place for personalizing your unique gift if you wish. With this delightful baby wrap, you'll make sure both Mother and infant feel warm and comfortably connected.

20 Reasons to Send a Handwritten Thank You Note

Handwritten thank you notes and note cards are one of the best ways to show your gratitude and appreciation to others. Thank you notes are commonly sent out to show appreciation for baby shower gifts, wedding gifts and birthdays but there are many other situations in which a handwritten thank you note would be a good idea to send out. Here is a list of 20 reasons to send out a handwritten thank you note:

1. Baby shower gift
2. Wedding gift or Wedding shower gift
3. For sympathy flowers or letters
4. To the hostess(s) of a wedding or baby shower
5. After a job interview
6. Gifts received during a hospital stay
7. Gifts received via mail
8. Gifts received after the birth of a new baby
9. Housewarming gifts
10. After being entertained by a friend
11. After being entertained for a Holiday in a friend or relative's home
12. After being hosted as an overnight houseguest (unless it is a very close friend or family member)
13. Graduation gift
14. A favor from a friend or neighbor such as babysitting, house sitting, pet sitting etc.
15. After being entertained by your boss
16. Gifts received for an anniversary
17. To the host or hostess of any party thrown in your honor (graduation, anniversary, new job, bon voyage etc.)
18. Birthday gifts
19. When offered an opportunity - Business or Personal
20. Just Because! (why not?)

There are many different ways that you can word your thank you notes and there are a ton of useful websites and books out there to help you. Here is an example of a thank you note wording that will work in most any situation.

Dear (name),

Thank you so much for (the gift, opportunity, favor etc.). It was a/the (enter compliment such as perfect color or wonderful opportunity. Try and be as specific as possible). Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Thank you again!

Now that you have a good idea of when you should send out thank you notes or note cards, and a basic template for the wording, you can start to spread your gratitude and appreciation to others for the wonderful things that they do for you!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Gabler
http://EzineArticles.com/?20-Reasons-to-Send-a-Handwritten-Thank-You-Note&id=3611592

Birth Announcement Wording

The best way to ensure that your baby announcement is unique and special is to create your own birth announcement wording. There are a variety of unique and adorable baby announcements out there but your announcement can stand out with just the right wording.

Some people are very clever with words and phrases but not everyone has the time and confidence to create a memorable birth announcement message. Here are a few ideas and examples of baby announcement wording to help you get started.

General Birth Announcements

We are proud to announce the birth of
Haley Grace Brown
7 lbs. 6 oz.
April 12, 2009

Michael and Sara Brown
Are proud to announce
The birth of their new baby boy
Henry James Brown

We are proud to announce the arrival of our new baby girl
Haley Grace Brown
7 lbs. 6 oz.
20 inches long
April 12, 2009
- parents name-

Girl Birth Announcements

Sugar and spice and everything nice
We are proud to announce the birth of
Our new baby girl
Bella Marie Smith
8 lbs. 2 oz.
July 27, 2009
-proud parents names-

Thank Heaven for Little Girls
Bella Marie Smith
8 lbs. 2 oz.
July 27, 2009
-proud parents names-

Boy Baby Announcements

Here he is our pride and joy
We have a new baby boy!
Henry James Brown
7 lbs. 8 oz.
April 12, 2009
-proud parents names-

Looking forward to all the fun
We are happy to announce our wonderful son!
Henry James Brown
7 lbs. 8 oz.
April 12, 2009
-proud parents names-

Twin Birth Announcements

We have been doubly blessed!
Henry James Brown
7 lbs 8 oz.
Haley Grace Brown
7 lbs. 6 oz
-proud parents names-

Two peas in a pod!
We are Proud to Announce
The Birth of Our Twins
Haley Grace Brown
7 lbs. 6 oz.
Bella Marie Brown
7 lbs. 4 oz.
-parents names-

Adoption Announcements

We are overjoyed to announce the adoption of
Andrew Michael Smith
-proud parents-

Born in the heart and united by love!
Andrew Michael Smith
-parents names-

Now that you have an idea of where to start, you too can create memorable and unique wording for your birth announcements.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Gabler
http://EzineArticles.com/?Birth-Announcement-Wording&id=3603668

Rue La La Invitation to Shop!

I just found Rue La La, the destination for 2-day-only Boutiques, filled with the designers we love at private sale prices. It's free, fabulous, and invitation-only. Here's your invitation!

http://www.ruelala.com/invite/mgabler01  

Free Stuff!!!

So I know everyone LOVES to get things for free.  I came across this website and thought I would share.  I have not tried it yet but it looked interesting.  Let me know if you try it and what you think!

http://www.shop4freebies.com/

Valentine's Day Gifts

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it and what better way to show someone how much you love and care about them than with a sweet Valentine's Day gift.  I always loved Valentine's Day growing up because my mom would surprise us with fun little gifts and loads of candy. Here are a few great ideas to ask that special somone to "Be My Valentine".

Personalized Placemats:  Adorable double-sided personalized placemats are heavily laminated making them easy to clean and also water resistant! Makes a great Valentine's Day gift for a child! Choose a different design for each side or the same design for both sides. You can also personalize placemats with your choice of font or monogram style as well as ink color on both sides.

Personalized Stationery Gift Sets: Acrylic holder sets include 150 loose note sheets in classic, whimsical and modern designs for any personality. A great Valentine's Day gift or the perfect addition to your home or office desk!

Personalized Note Cards: This imprintable note card is an excellent choice for a Valentine's Day gift. Customize it with your name or monogram for that extra-special touch.

New Stationery Vendor - Whitney English

We are excited to announce that we have added a new stationery vendor to our site - Whitney English.  Whitney English is know for its sylish personalized stationery, in both trendy and classic designs.  Check out our new selection of invitations, personalized placemats, personalized note cards, stationery gift sets and personalized return address labels.  Here are a few of our favorite designs! If you like what you see, check out So Sweet Stationery to see more of our exciting new products!!!

Invitations

Personalized Note Cards

Personalized Return Address Labels

Stationery Gift Sets

Personalized Placemats

Photo Taking Tips

So Sweet Stationery is excited to announce that they have partnered with Allyson Wiley Photography to bring you amazing and wonderful photo taking tips for capturing that special moment for all of your announcements, holiday photo cards and invitations.  Check out these helpful photo tips at: http://www.sosweetstationery.com/pages/PhotoTips.php

Recycle Your Holiday Photo Cards

The Holidays are over and many of us have received adorable and unique holiday photo cards from friends and family. They looked great sitting on our mantle, hanging on the wall and displayed on our tables and refrigerators. But now what do you do with them? Here are a few creative ideas to help you recycle your photo cards and save them as keepsakes for years to come.

Create a Photo Album: Buy an inexpensive photo or scrapbook album or even a binder with sheet protectors and place the photo cards inside. Categorize them by year or by family. Categorizing them by family is great because you can look back and see how much the family has grown and changed over the years. You can also write notes or memories next to each photo. Get your kids involved and have them help you create the album.

Christmas Tree Ornaments: Purchase some large round ornaments in any color and size during the after Christmas sales. You can usually get them for half off. You can also recycle old ornaments that you might have otherwise thrown away. Cut out the photos from the cards you received and use a decoupage type glue that you can find at any craft store to apply the photos. Let them dry and store them away to decorate your tree for next year.

You can also cut out fun designs like trees, snowflakes and snowmen on construction paper and glue the photos on. Cut a hole in the top and use recycled ribbon from all of your holiday packages to create a hanging ornament. These are both great projects for kids.

Framed Photo Collage: Create a photo collage with your photo cards. You can cut the photos or leave them as is and arrange them in a collage design on a piece of construction paper or cardstock. Purchase an inexpensive frame or use one that you already have to display the photo collage. You can put it out next year at Christmas or keep it up year round.

Gifts: You can use the photo cards that you received from friends and family this year to make a gift for that friend or family member next Christmas or even for mother's day, father's day, Easter or Valentine's Day. Great gift ideas are coasters, placemats and framed photo cards.

So the next time you are wondering what to do with all of your holiday photo cards use one of these fun and easy ideas.

So Sweet Stationery is an online stationery store dedicated to providing customers with unique personalized stationery, photo cards, invitations, birth announcements and much more! We have a wide variety of both modern and traditional stationery products that are sure to add a little "sweetness" to someone's day!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Gabler
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Show Them You Care - Handwritten Notes

In today's world, technology has made it very easy for us to stay in touch with one another. We email, text, send evites, tweet and even update our every move on social networking sites. While these are all convenient and fast there is something to say about a handwritten note, thank you card or invitation.

Think about the last time you received a handwritten thank you card or note from someone. Didn't it make you feel good? Make you feel like they cared enough to take the time out of their busy day to sit down and put their kind words on paper? You too have the opportunity to brighten someone's day with a handwritten thank you card or note. There are so many unique designs to choose from and most of them can be personalized with your monogram or name to add an extra special personal touch!

Or how about party invitations? Sure, evites are a great and easy way to invite friends and family to your birthday bash or Holiday party but mailing out a fun and unique invitation is so much more personal. All of the information about your party is included and your guest has the opportunity to display the invitation on their refrigerator or desk. Seeing the invitation on a daily basis is a reminder of what they have to look forward to.

So the next time you think about emailing your thank you message to a friend or inviting your guests to your party via text or email why not show them you really care and add that personal touch by sending them a handwritten note or invitation on personalized stationery?

So Sweet Stationery is an online stationery store dedicated to providing customers with unique personalized stationery, invitations, birth announcements and much more! We have a wide variety of both modern and traditional stationery products that are sure to add a little "sweetness" to someone's day!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Gabler
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