Hot topics for both consumers and webmarketers on WebmasterRadio.FM
Every Wednesday, 5PM Eastern.
Welcome to Birthday Tips
Hi, I'm Christina Chan, one of the hundreds of writers here at LifeTips.com. Enjoy these 375 Birthday Tips! If you’re a business, why not hire the expert writers at LifeTips? And if you’re a writer, apply for freelance writing gigs.
Over The Hill Sayings
Getting older may not be easy for some, but having a healthy sense of humor certainly helps. Over the hill sayings are perfect for summing up what’s funny about getting older. Here are a few we've compiled:
I'm 50 & I feel great. Feel for yourself!
I can't believe you're 50. Maybe 49, but never 50!
Age is not a destination. It's a journey!
50 year-old. One owner. Needs parts. Make offer.
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of it.
Few women admit their age. Few men act theirs.
Old fart. Young heart.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
CelebrateExpress.com Tip: Pinatas for Grown Ups
While most people only use piñatas for kids, they can really be fun to use during adult birthday parties, too. Although guests with fresh manicures may abstain from piñata whacking, plenty of other guests will enjoy taking a swing at the paper mache shape.
There's nothing wrong with filling a piñata with one of the junk toy and candy mixes that the party stores sell for kids' parties. Adults may not keep the toys around very long and may pass the candy on to their kids, but it is the fun of remembered childhood games that makes the whole thing appealing anyway.
For something a bit more special, look for vintage toys from your generation's childhood to fill the piñata with. Plastic Star Wars figurines or cowboys and Indians will immediately transport many of the guests back to childhood. Keychain sized Etch A Sketch and Lite Brite toys are also a great choice. Don't forget candy that was popular when you were growing up, too.
Of course, if you are throwing a party where the budget isn’t a big concern, you can always choose to fill the piñata with much more expensive gifts. Costume jewelry, gift cards and plastic eggs filled with codes for free song downloads are all sure to get the guests excited.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
1st Birthday Party Supplies To Entertain Little Ones
On the day of your child’s 1st birthday, you’ll need to keep on hand some items to entertain all of the younger guests. We’ve put together a list of 1st birthday party supplies for you, so when the day of the big event rolls around, you’ll have plenty for your little one’s playmates to keep busy with.
1st birthday supplies like large, colorful plastic balls and plastic containers to practice fine motor skills will keep infants as well as toddlers entertained.
A fabric tunnel and tent to crawl through, walk through, or run through will keep toddlers and younger children busy.
Large, fat, washable crayons and a large roll of white paper for doodling will give a creative outlet for all your younger guests.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
CelebrateExpress.com Tip: Birthday Party Supply Ideas for Leftover Items
You bought enough of every birthday party supply to be sure you wouldn't run out, and now you have a whole stack of leftover items to use up. Unfortunately, you know your little guy is not going to want the same theme next year, so all those supplies will go to waste, won't they? Actually, there are some great uses for the leftover items. To use up your supplies, you can:
Use plates, cups and napkins for special lunches or dinners. Your child may not want to use them for his or her next birthday, but right now, the character is still a big deal. You may even want to use them as part of a reward system. When you ask the child to do a simple chore, mention that he or she will get to use a character plate for lunch.
Carefully cut character images out of plates or party hats and turn them into puppets by gluing them onto Popsicle sticks. They are great for taking on trips, since losing them or getting them dirty is not the end of the world.
Use the character images on napkins to decoupage a tray or light switch. Simply cut the image out, glue it in place and use school glue that has been watered down a bit to apply several protective coats over it.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Guidelines For Playing With Piñatas
Kids love seeing a piñata at a party because it’s two doses of fun. They get to destroy an inanimate object with their parent’s permission and eventually it looks like the sky is raining candy. Pinatas come in all different shapes and sizes. Girls might like a princess, purse or pink pony piñata, while boys would rather have a train, tank or sports piñata. There are also plenty of piñatas shaped like children’s movie or television characters. Be sure to use a piñata that is large enough for your party. The last thing you want is to run out of candy and leave some kids to go without. If you’re concerned that the children at your party are too young to use a bat to break a piñata, there are safe alternatives. Pull-string piñatas have ribbons flowing from the bottom and once they are pulled a few times, the bottom falls out and candy showers down on the children, just as it would with a traditional piñata. This style piñata is also great if the party has to be taken indoors unexpectedly since no one is swinging a bat. The selection of pull-string piñatas is broad and you can most likely find one that will fit your child’s interests.
If you’re planning on playing with piñatas during any celebration, follow these few guidelines to keep everyone safe and happy.
Find a sturdy place to hang the piñata from, like a tree or basketball hoop.
If the kids are old enough, provide a blindfold and stick. Then spin them around a few times and let them hit the piñata a more than once before moving on to the next child.
Very young children should go without a blindfold.
Always keep several feet clear around the child who is hitting the piñata. You don’t want anyone to be accidentally struck.
Consider pull-string versions of piñatas for an indoor birthday event or with toddler aged children.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
CelebrateExpress.com Tip: Birthday Party Favor Bags
There are so many options for birthday party favor bags. You can find bags for almost any cartoon character imaginable, as well as bags with princess, pirate and animal themes. Obviously, if you are throwing a themed birthday party, it is simple to narrow down the selection to one or two bags in a matter of minutes. However, not everyone has a theme in mind when choosing party favor bags. Try a few of these tips for picking out the right bags for your celebration:
If you don't already have a theme in mind, consider hobbies and interests the birthday boy or girl has. If you are still not sure what to get, look for neutral bags that would fit well with several different themes, such as bags with solid colors or geometric patterns on them.
Think about how many favors you want to buy for each bag. Nice, big roomy bags look very skimpy if they aren't packed with goodies, while smaller bags need to have only a few things in them to look nice and full.
Consider the bag's design. Bags that have a drawstring or some other way to close the top are great for younger kids, who tend to shed toys and treats from their bags as they wander around.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Birthday Party Ideas For Sixteen Year Olds
Turning sweet sixteen is a milestone for many teenage girls. This event calls for careful planning, consideration for your teenager’s wishes and preferences, and a realistic look at your budget. If you’re short on ideas, take a look at our birthday party ideas for sixteen year olds.
Dance party – If you’re comfortable with loud music and can muster up the requisite chaperones, planning a dance party is a fun way for your sixteen year old and her friends to spend an evening. Keep it a simple affair at home or hire a band and cater the food at a rented venue.
Formal Night Out – For the teenager who is on the brink of adulthood, a night out on the town with a few girlfriends can be a memorable event. Rent a car and driver, let her pick out a fancy dress, and head out to enjoy some fine dining.
Day to be pampered – Looking for birthday party ideas for a relaxing afternoon? It’s hard to find a girl who doesn’t like to be pampered. And that includes a girl who’s turning sweet sixteen. Have her and some girlfriends spend a day getting manicures, pedicures, and some spa time lunch to chat.
Karaoke Sleepover – If your sweet sixteen birthday girl will have a great time singing her heart out, have a karaoke sleepover. She can invite her closest friends, pick her favorite foods to dine in with, and croon to her favorite music.
In today's competitive culture, it seems that everyone has to throw bigger, more elaborate birthday parties in an attempt to be the best. However, when you are already stressed out and trying to make ends meet, the thought of putting together yet another huge bash you don't have the energy or the money for, the thought can be overwhelming. How do you keep up? The answer is, you don't.
You’re probably wondering how this will affect the birthday boy or girl. Take a good look at your child. This is the kid that played in the box that expensive new gadget came in for twice as long as he played with the actual toy! Give him cake and some friends and he’ll have fun, so why not throw a party that is low stress and gives back to the community? Try some of these options:
Ask if guests will bring canned goods and a small gift with them instead of buying big gifts. Explain to parents that you want your child to realize how fortunate he or she is and you will be taking a trip to the local food bank the next day with the donated goods.
Set up a nature walk with a picnic at the end. Give all your guests a green t-shirt and a trash bag at the beginning of the walk and ask them to pick up any trash. At the end of the nature walk, have a certificate for each guest stating that he or she is a community helper.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Activities You Can Turn Into Kid Party Favors
Kid party favors don’t have to be throwaway items or hum drum birthday tokens. You can have kid party favors that the guests will enjoy as much at the party as when they go home. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Party photos – Get a kid’s digital camera, let the birthday child and her guests take pictures. Print out the party photos as keepsakes before everyone leaves.
T-shirts – Buy a number of white t-shirts as favors. Get some fabric spray paint. Let each child create her own design and take home a memento from the party.
Puzzle Sets – Give each child a small, boxed puzzle set to complete. When she’s done, she can take the completed piece to try again at home.
Lego Sets - Buy a complete Lego set which allows each guest to make her own creation. Your guest gets to take home the piece she’s finished.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Etiquette For An Adult Birthday Party
If you’re attending an adult birthday party, it’s all the more reason to make sure you mind your manners. Following proper etiquette is not only good protocol, it’s a way of showing your appreciation for the hosts of the party. In case you’re a little rusty on what’s appropriate and what’s not, we’ve put together some etiquette guidelines for an adult birthday party:
Don’t come empty handed. Do bring a gift for the birthday guest of honor.
If you receive an RSVP on the invitation, do respond according to the instructions in a timely fashion.
Do compliment the host on the party – especially if you really are having a great time.
If you’re going out for a birthday dinner, unless it is a formal affair, do offer to pay and don’t assume it’s covered.
Don’t linger long after a birthday party is clearly over unless you’ve arranged to help the host clean up.
If you’d like to bring a guest to a birthday event, do check with the host if the affair is informal, but don’t bring extra people without making sure if it is okay.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
A Grown Up Birthday Party Theme For Kids
A lot of kids birthday party theme ideas are based on contemporary movies, TV shows, and characters. If you want to try a different alternative to the common birthday party theme for kids that’ll still give children a fun-filled day, try throwing a "grown up" dinner party or afternoon tea. Let kids choose their own "grown-up" invitation to send out to guests. You can help the kids decorate a more formal place setting and menu. Make place cards so that everyone knows where they’ll be sitting. Then let the kids dress up in their version of grown up attire.
For children who are more computer savvy, you might consider a party theme based on a non-violent computer or video game. One advantage to this party theme is the ability to make some of the invitations or party supplies yourself. Many sites have images or logos that you can download to make accessories for a party. Once the celebration is underway, you can continue the party theme by creating teams and letting each child have a turn playing the computer game that the party theme is based on. If the children are too young to play the game together, modify the activities by creating a challenge that the kids can participate in. For example, re-enacting a scene from the game or searching for objects that appear in the game.
Save Tip
Comments
Tip Rating
Birthday Cake Design: Make Your Own Ice Cream Cake
Birthday cakes are great but one of the best birthday cake ideas ever thought up was the ice cream cake. Yum...the best of both worlds. While many people routinely buy ice cream birthday cakes, they're really not that hard to make. To make your own ice cream cake, follow these instructions:
Bake two round cakes and cool completely.
Pull the ice cream out of the freezer and let it soften.
Cut each cake in half, horizontally, so you have 4 circles.
Lay down one circle and spread softened ice cream on top.
Top with another circle and repeat.
Frost the whole cake with whipped topping and decorate
Put it back in the freezer until ready to serve.
Get creative with the decorations by using small toys, candy pieces, and sprinkles. And, use food coloring to make the icing any shade you would like.
