I am always surprised when we hear grown people shrug off thank you notes. No, it doesn’t matter if grandma was sitting with you as you opened the gift from her; you still owe her a formal thank you note. An email won’t do either. And yes, even if you have horrible handwriting, you must still sit down and hand-write a card to each person who was kind enough to give you a gift this season.

With all of that said, I do understand that the thought of writing thank you cards can be daunting, especially if received a lot of gifts. But there’s really no reason to become paralyzed. Here are four simple tips that will help you organize yourself so that you get yours done before the week is out, and without breaking a sweat.

1. Keep a List.

It sounds simple, but it’s amazing how often this little thing is overlooked. Keep a pad and pencil handy as you and your family open gifts. Document who got what from whom and then when it comes time to write your thank you notes, there won’t be any confusion about who gave what to whom.

2. Set Up a Stationery Stash.

You must have a stash of thank you stationery and some stamps on hand before you can get to writing. Shopping for stationery is the fun part. We recommend going with a classic design you like rather than something funky because the funky option might not be appropriate for everyone, and you don’t want to have to buy multiple sets. Stay away from full sheets of paper, as you don’t want your thoughtful note overshadowed by lots of blank space. Note cards are ideal, and if you prefer postcards, there is nothing wrong with using them either.

3. Use the rule of 3.

There are generally three components to a well-written thank you note. The first is a simple statement of thanks, such as “Thank you for the lovely flowers.” Don’t worry if it sounds too simple, that’s the point of a note like this – it’s supposed to be a simple expression of your gratitude. Second, note how you have used or will use the gift. Again, keep this statement brief; it’s nice for the giver to know how you intent to use their gift, but they don’t need a whole paragraph about it. In addition, avoid the temptation to lie here. Even if you received a gift you truly dislike, like a pair of wool socks, there is always something to appreciate, like the color or the fact that the wool keeps cold toes warm. Finally, wrap up the note with a final statement of thanks, and if appropriate, a nod to when you will see them again. For example, “Thanks again for such a thoughtful gift – I can’t wait to see you at Johnny’s graduation.”

4. Write three notes a day.

While sitting down to write twenty notes may seem overwhelming, if you set aside twenty minutes every evening for the next week, and dash off three notes in each sitting – you’ll have crossed this to-do off of your list in good time and without suffering. Don’t turn on the TV or go to bed without having at least written three notes a day until you are done.

{feature photo credit: Paper Source}

Do you believe in thank you notes like we do? How do you organize yourself to get them done in a timely fashion?

Shopping for crayons, glue, and notebooks is as fun as ever. If you like your devices, it’s getting even funner.

Here are nine ways to save big bucks on your back-to-school bill, without leaving the comfort of your jammies.

1. Cash in Your Old Electronics

Got to Nextworth.com and check to see how much your kaput devices — like calculators, cell phones, and computers — are worth. Now, if you turn them into certain Target stores, you can get a gift card, which you apply toward school supplies. Go to Target.Nextworth to check to see if your store is participating.

2. Open a School Supply Registry

Don’t laugh. The beauty of registries is that they eliminate the burden of unwanted Stuff. With MyRegistry.com, you can add items from any website on the Internet. This is a great option for teachers, families with several school-age kids, and for web-savvy grandparents who want to help their little students get ready for school.

3. Get Social

Twitter and Facebook are great places to find deals offered to a brand’s social-media fan base, says consumer and money-saving expert, Andrea Woroch. “Like” or “Follow” the merchant and keep an eye out for coupons and sales announcements.

4. Compare Prices on Your Couch

My favorite shopping site is Google Product Search. Just type in what you’re looking for and it will show you a bunch of companies who sell it, for how much, and even if they have a store nearby with the item in stock.

5. Get Instant Cash Back

Don’t buy anything online without seeing if you can get a quick rebate through sites like Ebates or Upromise. Upromise by Sallie Mae is a rebate site focused on giving you discounts and cash back for college on all kinds of products including back-to-school supplies.

6. Don’t Forget Those Easy-Peasy Coupon Codes

It takes just a second to open another browser window and check for promotion codes. I usually use RetailMeNot, and I end up finding a working coupon about half the time. Not bad for a two-second stop.

7. Compare Prices on the Fly

I only use my cell phone for emergencies, but Andrea Woroch says you can tap into your mobile phone for savings when you are out and about with apps like RedLaser. Red Laser allows you to scan bar codes and look for cheaper prices online or at other retailers.

8. Get Sales Flyers by E-Mail

“Big stores like Staples and Kmart have huge sales on school supplies,” says Meghan Hammond, a teacher in Cape Cod, Mass, but you have to time it right. if you don’t want to stop by the store to pick up the circular, just sign up to receive weekly deals by e-mail. (You can always unsubscribe when the season’s over.)

To get you started, here’s the sign-up form for Staples and OfficeMax.

9. Buy a Discounted Gift Card

Unused gift cards sold at below-market value are being called the new coupons by Donna Freedman at Get Rich Slowly. There are a bunch of gift card aggregators out there, but Donna recommends trying Gift Card Granny for the deepest discounts. Don’t find what you need? Maybe you could sell one of your dusty cards and use the proceeds to buy a new pack of pencils.

I like how bringing back-to-school shopping into the modern age can spice things up, as well as cut down on our bils.

Do you have favorite ways to use technology to save on school shopping?

Amy Suardi loves to write about ways that save money and make people happy on her blog, Frugal Mama.

On Monday, I was in Philadelphia with the NBC 10! team again – this time sharing some quick tips for packing lunches that won’t sap the time of already frazzled moms.

Like I mention in the video, I am super-excited about these nifty little chip/veggie and dip storage containers from Pottery Barn Kids. With these, I can pack a little ranch dressing with the carrots or veggies without any mess – and I know my boys will devour them. When I send lonely carrots on their own without dressing, they almost always come back, uneaten.

Here is the link to the free lunchbox notes printables I reference in the segment.

And finally, if you’re looking for other ways to make lunch more fun (not to mention packing it too), this article I wrote last week features five fun ideas for making adorable sandwiches for school lunches without too much trouble.

It’s no secret that my five-year-old boy, Will, is obsessed with monster trucks. So it only made sense that we theme his fifth birthday party accordingly. Good friends and family gathered in our back yard for a monster of a party. While I’m hardly a master with the camera, I snapped away with abandon, hoping to be able to share the secrets of this absolute scream of a party with all of you here on this blog.

So, without further ado, here are all the details! Hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed putting it all together.

The invitation

I leaned on Hollie, our fabulous graphic designer here at GetButtonedUp.com for some help with the invitation. Thank heavens I had a photo of Will behind the wheel of a car that she could cut out and use!

Game #1: Pin the Plate on the Monster Truck

The first game we played (about 15 minutes after the start of the party) was a twist on the old birthday party classic pin the tail on the donkey.

We designed a personalized New York license plate for each attendee and printed them out on regular paper using our Epson ink jet printer. I cut them out and then put some double stick tape on the back of each one. Lacking a proper bandana or blindfold, I used a pink pashmina from my closet. Somewhere the Monster Truck Gods shuddered. But the kids didn’t care. We tied it around their heads so they couldn’t see, spun them around once or twice, and off they went to pin tape their license plate on the poster.

I am telling you, they had SO much fun with this game! It’s perfect for 5-6 year-olds. The winner got a high-five and lots of accolades from the parents & kids assembled.

Game #2: Monster Truck (Spoon) Race

After the thrill of pin the plate on the monster truck, we switched gears with a twist on the old egg race favorite. Rather than a relay race in which two teams compete to see who can complete the race fastest with a fragile egg balanced on a spoon, we had them race with a monster truck on their spoons instead!

We created two “lanes” in the yard using croquet hooks and string. The kids counted off in “1s” and “2s” and were assigned teams accordingly. Mom sent the racers off with a blast from an air horn – and – well…they sort of got it.

It was a pretty close race. So close, in fact, that we all decided it was a tie. (Note: this game might be a tad advanced for this age group, but little twists made it fun. They insisted I blow the horn every time someone finished their leg of the race. It was a hoot, although I’m not sure the neighbors were too appreciative!)

The Cake

I made the monster truck birthday cake myself after trolling the internet (thanks Pinterest!) for ideas. It was incredibly easy to do.

First I baked two, 6″ round chocolate cakes for the wheels (I actually made a spare just in case something went horribly wrong with one of them). I used this road-tested recipe passed down to me from my mom:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I use Ghiradelli – it makes a big, big difference in terms of taste)
1 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting

Instructions
Heat the oven to 350º. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans and set them aside. In a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup, measure 1 1/2 cups water. Add the unsweetened chocolate squares to the water. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate has melted. Stir in the cocoa and set the mixture aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter for 1 minute; add the granulated and brown sugars and cream for another 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs individually, beating well after each one. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Beginning with about a third of the flour, add the flour mixture and chocolate mixture alternately to the butter and sugar, stirring well after each addition.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula. Place the pans on the middle oven rack and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then place a cooling rack atop each pan and, holding the edges to the pan, flip the cake onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting.

The finished wheel cakes cooled while I made the yellow cake for the car body.

To do that, I used this delicious birthday cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen to bake one 13″ x 9″ rectangular cake. I cut out the wheel wells and the front windshield by eye. Then I used food coloring gel to outline the various shapes for the monster truck, including the big “5″ for the door. Next up, the icing. I kept it pretty basic:

Recipe for the frosting
Cream 3-1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar with 1/2 cup of butter (at room temperature). Add up to 5 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop when you reach the consistency you desire. Beat in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Once the icing was done, I applied the white to the back and windows. Then I separated out the remaining icing into three different bowls, added some food coloring…and voila, I was ready to decorate.

The result was better than anything I could have hoped for, considering that I have never decorated a cake before in my life. The look on Will’s face when we brought it out was priceless. The kids all clamored for a piece and devoured every bite.

On an existential note, it made me seriously reconsider my dependence on “convenient” solutions. If I can bake a birthday cake like this, perhaps we all have it in us to create more than we give ourselves credit for…

Game #3: The Car Wash Sprinkler

Finally, after everyone’s tummies were filled with pizza and cake, it was time for some sprinkler fun. My DH followed the instructions to a deluxe kid car wash made out of PVC pipe that one of our Facebook fans recommended I check out on Family Fun. He put it together in the garage the night before – it took about an hour to assemble the parts (and 2 beers). Once he was done with the basic structure, we both decorated it with colorful pool noodles and sponges I had gotten on sale at Walmart.

Our tip: skip the swinging arm entrance. But otherwise, it’s a pretty perfect design plan.

The result – well – I’m sure the squeals of delight could be heard all the way down the Eastern Seaboard! We’ve trotted it out pretty much every week since the party for backyard summer fun.

It was certainly a day to remember. I am so happy that I took the time to really plan a great, homemade party. I don’t know if I’ll do that kind of thing every year, but it filled me with joy to do – so I might just keep up the madness.

How about you? Have you ever surprised yourself by pulling off an amazing party without much background in crafting? What was the best party you threw? What did you do?

If you’re interested in getting either the invite or pin the tail on the monster truck poster & license plates customized for your truck fiend, send an email to Sarah at getbuttonedup dot com.

Given the dismal state of the economy these days, internships are becoming an increasingly important part of student life. In fact, some colleges, like Northeastern University in Boston, have made internships part of their four-year curriculum.

Not only do they offer students who may be unsure of their ideal career path insight into a particular occupation and company, but they also provide an invaluable opportunity to learn and hone ‘real-life’ skills, like how to communicate effectively to a manager, that aren’t always a part of college curriculums.

Internships are also a great way for companies to get insight into you, which gives you a real leg-up when it comes to getting hired after graduation. Many interns are offered permanent positions. We should know, we hired Hollie, Buttoned Up’s design director because of the great work she did as an intern for our company. Internships are often unpaid, but don’t be short-sighted and pass one up because of that. Consider it as a worthwhile investment in your future. Even if you’re not offered a job with the company, it still is a very effective resume-builder.

If you start as a freshman, you have the potential to complete up to eight internships during the course of your college career. That’s eight ways to differentiate yourself from the other students who will be graduating at the same time you are. So, what are you waiting for? We have put together some pointers for organizing yourself to find (the right) internships.

1. Brainstorm.

All internships are not created equal. You should start with jobs that are at least within your career consideration set. This is especially true if you are working for free! After all, an internship in the field of marine biology won’t help much if you’re really planning on getting into the field of international business down the road. If you’re not sure what you ultimately want to do, head over to your school’s career center. They are there to help you land a great job (and make your college look good by getting a high percentage of graduates jobs). They will often provide career assessment tests for free and they always offer a wealth of advice and pointers to their students.

2. Identify.

After you’ve made a list of all of the fields that interest you, start doing some research on the companies in those fields. Consider a few different lists: the biggest, the most profitable, the startups, the most innovative. Look at the companies in each list and ask yourself which ones have cultures that seem like they would be a good fit for you? Don’t just go for something that looks good, but select an internship based on the fact that you might be an employee at that company one day.

3. Network.

You’ve made a list of fields and zeroed in on some companies. Now’s the time to call everyone you may know. Tap into your friends, neighbors, family members, etc. – and specifically ask who they might know in the industry you are hoping to get into. Everyone knows somebody and that somebody might just be the ticket to your internship. Rather than asking for interviews point-blank, just ask for an informational interview – you’ll get farther faster with those.

4. Get Your Money’s Worth Out of that College.

This is where that tuition bill can pay off. Tap into your college placement office and see what internships they have listed and then research alumni that work in the fields that interest you. Many colleges offer programs that place interns with alumni – it’s one of the best ways to find an internship.

5. Don’t Waste Your Time.

It may be tempting to look at job boards and classifieds, but in today’s market, do you know how many people blindly send their resumes for those positions? Too many! It’s not worth your time crafting a new cover letter for those jobs since they are virtually impossible to score and you’ll just end up being frustrated.

Did you ever intern? Where, and what did it lead to? Have you ever helped anyone get an internship?

It may seem hard to believe, but those lazy days of summer are almost gone.

Waaaaaaaah.

This summer just flew by, didn’t it? Scary to think it’s time to sharpen those pencils, buy some new school shoes, and get ready for a new year of school/work.

But before you rush out and gorge on the back to school product smorgasbord at your local superstore, here are some tips for organizing the back to school basics so that you enjoy a smooth transition and more sane school year.

1. Don’t skip the paper calendar.
Yes, we know. You have an iPhone, Blackberry, Outlook calendar, whatever. But that is yours. There’s nothing like an old-fashioned calendar proudly hung on the wall that inspires everyone to write in their activities and appointments. Packing snacks for the kindergartener? Glance up at that paper calendar and you won’t forget that today is the “Around the World” celebration. If you don’t have the wall space, use a planner like our Weekly.agenda (it’s baaack!) and keep it in a central location, like a kitchen drawer or next to the mail station.

2. Do start them on a back to school routine in advance.
It’s so hard to go from the flip-flop casual days of summer, where the day is so pleasantly unstructured, to the 6am wake up call and full-day of school, sports, and activities. It’s even harder on the kids, so don’t shock the system with a dramatic schedule turn-around. Start waking the kids at their earlier time a few weeks before school and have them get used to going to bed earlier. Getting them ready a few weeks before doesn’t cut their summer fun, but gets them prepped for school days.

3. Don’t be a school supply hoarder.
Oh boy, we’ve all seen those shows where the people need a clutter intervention, but what we don’t realize is that we all have a little hoarder in us all. Have you looked in your drawers lately? You probably have a growing collection of pens, markers, rulers, etc., so when you get those school supply lists, look through what you have first and then buy ONE set for home and keep it centrally located. Each child doesn’t need a stapler and a protractor, so if it’s all in one spot, it’s homework ready for the day that geometry homework comes home.

4. Do take the time to create a master calendar & get it synced with everyone.
Sit down with the school calendars now and ink all the important dates in the family’s calendar. Make sure you and your spouse put in requests for time off now so that you can attend those events you absolutely, positively don’t want to miss, like your kindergardner’s first day of school. Need to remember the two-day soccer tournament in October? Write it down. Whether you need to ask your boss for some time off or just need to avoid double-booking, writing it down now will help you enjoy the upcoming events.

5. Don’t rush out for new clothes.
Yes, we know, the commercials have been baiting you for weeks. Cute back to school clothes are all over the place and you don’t want to miss out, right? Well, turn off the TV and turn on the computer. Before you hit the department stores, check out ebay. Do a little searching and you can often find brand-new or slightly used clothes at a true fraction of the price. Money saved, new clothes gained! Another option – wait until the end of September to buy fall clothes, and the even later to buy winter items. By the time kids need to wear them, stores will be trying to make room for next season’s clothing and the things you need will likely be on sale.

6. Do find ways to make heading back special.
Whether your child is starting a new school, beginning school, or this is their last year they are home with you before they go off to college and the world, don’t forget to make it special. It’s easy to forget the fun between drop-offs, pick-ups, and all that homework, but make time to make it special. It could be as simple as writing a note and placing it in your child’s backpack or celebrating the first day of school with a dinner out at your child’s favorite restaurant. Whatever you do to make it special will be remembered.

How do you mark the beginning of a new school year? Do you have any special tricks for making the back-to-school time less stressful?

Yesterday we posted some organizational tips for soon-to-be college students, which we hope will make the entire move-in/get-settled process less harried for all those headed to school in a few weeks (and their parents).

Today, we thought we’d follow that big-picture post up with a free, practical printable. To help us put a comprehensive (but not overwhelming) list together, we reached out to the list-making expert herself, Paula Rizzo, creator of ListProducer.com. Don’t head to Bed Bath & Beyond without it!

To download your copy, simply click here.

Stress-Free Back to College Plan

The lazy, hazy days of summer are wonderfully slow, but if you’re heading to college in the fall, the time to move-in to your campus housing will be here before you know it. If you thought the blood, sweat and tears you expended preparing the application last fall was the hard part – think again! Making the physical move to college can be as stressful as writing the perfect essay or even picking the right college, especially if you ignore your mom or dad’s entreaties to get packing, and wait until the last possible minute to get yourself organized. Take it from two who have been there, you do not want to start off your college career in a discombobulated state, or have your last day at home be one spent with parents furious at your lack of preparation.
Getting ready involves much more than going out to buy a shower caddy from Bed, Bath & Beyond. To help you get through it without too much fuss, we’ve put together five simple steps that’ll have you heading to college in style, and stress-free!

1. Visualize the Room & Make a Checklist.

Think about what you’ll need when you arrive before you head to the store to buy things. If you don’t, you’ll end up spending more than you need to on items you’ll never or rarely use. Sketch the floor plan on a piece of paper and picture what you will need to make the space work. There isn’t going to be much storage space in the room, so consider adding tools that will keep clutter from overrunning the room to the list of things to buy. Most colleges also provide a checklist of items that students need, which cover things like sheets, towels, etc., so be sure to incorporate the school’s list with your own. Just remember: less is more.

2. Plan the Move.

Unless you are going to college in your hometown, you will need to take a bus, car, or maybe even a plane, to get there. Figure out the best way to get you and your belongings to school. Does your school have an organized dorm move-in? Are your parents or siblings coming along to help? If so, do you need a hotel reservation? Think of this move-in adventure like a trip and plan accordingly.

3. Get your Systems Set.

Plenty of people plan for college by buying new notebooks and some new clothes, but one of the most overlooked, but most important, aspects of planning for school is how you’re going to set yourself up for success. You might have done well in high school, but you also had parents who were always there as a safety net, ensuring homework was done, schedules were adhered to, and the big picture was organized. For the first time in your life, that responsibility falls entirely on your shoulders. It is entirely up to you to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s” in your life now. Take some time to think about how you are going to organize yourself so that you make the most of college. Whether it means seeking out tutors, signing up for one less class, or finding your favorite spot in the library, a little time now can mean a lot to your GPA later.

4. Set Up a Budget.

If you aren’t careful, you could end up in a heap of consumer debt – in addition to any school loans – by the time you graduate. Don’t put yourself in that kind of financial hole. It’s bad for your credit and may even hurt your chances of getting a good job upon graduation. Sit down with your parents or your financial assistance advisor and devise a reasonable budget that allows you to stay on track and have some fun. Be sure to brainstorm ways to say no to those credit card pushers that seems to pop up all over campus before you arrive as well.

5. Use Those Professors.

They are there for a reason – you. They’re getting paid to make sure that you learn something, so start right away by getting to know your professors. Take advantage of that network; visit them during office hours for extra help or advice on other classes. It might just be the smartest thing you do.

What would YOU add to the plan? What ideas or suggestions can you offer to the college freshman?

The Merry Widow?

In fact, stories abound about widows lying in wait like vultures to seize upon a freshly minted widower, swooping in to console and casserole him even before he’s had a chance to change the message on the home answering machine. Thus a perfectly decent, and perfectly ordinary, older married man is transformed into a hot commodity merely by the passing of his wife. This is the operation of the simple law of supply and demand, and though I understand the supply side (there are a lot more widows than widowers), the demand side is truly mysterious. I mean, what is it about these often ailing, cranky, mostly not-able-to-drive-at-night octogenarians that makes them so appealing, other than their relative rarity?

But appealing these surviving gentlemen undoubtedly are, and the competition for the prize is fierce. Though marriages among people over 65 are increasing, the number of men of that age marrying is almost twice as high as the number of women. Taking into account the fact that there are more women than men in that age group, you can see what the widows are up against – statistically, an elderly man inclined to marry is far more likely to make his selection from the pool of females not yet eligible for social security. And while it’s true that the principal target of these zealous widows is the widower, the ripple effect makes even married women of a certain age inclined to keep their husbands under close watch. This leads, according to my own theory; to a phenomenon I call the “Post-mortem Social Reclassification Syndrome”. It goes something like this:

A woman recently widowed discovers that, just as she works up the courage to resume her social life with her mostly married friends, these friends have redefined her position within the group. Whereas she used to be the “go to” person to call for Saturday night plans between the couples, now as a single woman, she is relegated to lunches with the girls, rather than evenings out in mixed company. This is likely to occur even if the relationships among the former couples had focused on the women, and even if her recently expired husband had been wont to offer as much sparkle and wit to the couples’ dinner conversations as an end table. Still he had counted towards the critical number “four”. (Couples abhor odd numbers.)

It appears that the female’s instinct to draw a close circle around her mate to exclude stray females (something which made sense for young, fertile couples who depended upon a stable monogamous relationship to feed and protect the offspring) still applies to women who haven’t purchased a tampon in a quarter of a century. As a result, many of us, consciously or not, divide our female friends into at least two categories – those we socialize with as couples and those we see on a “women only” basis and, perhaps without even realizing it, move friends from one category to the other based on changes in marital status.

Which is really too bad. By maintaining the customary “couples only” symmetry, you miss out on the benefits of being in a social situation dominated by women – the ability to choose Bridesmaids over Transformers, Asian fusion over yet another steak joint, and conversations about politics, art and George Clooney over business and baseball. And, just as important, BFF means “best friends forever”, not “better find a fourth”.

But suppose the nightmare were to come true and your husband of a half century and one of your oldest friends suddenly found each other to be irresistible. Well, how delightful is that! They obviously deserve each other. Pawn him off on her and you are forever released from the obligation to care for him in sickness. (You probably already did the health part.) It would be like the relief you might feel selling a used car that’s just about to come off of warranty.

But a word of advice to the single women out there busy competing for these older gentlemen: caveat emptor – don’t expect too much in the way of romance and devotion. My friend’s father, a widower who had been much sought after among the women in his assisted living community, was telling his daughter about the woman he’d been “dating” for several months. His daughter, quite naturally, asked the woman’s name. “One second”, he said and fumbled in his shirt pocket for a small piece of paper. Putting the paper close up to his eyes, he squinted and then slowly pronounced: “Evelyn”.

Illustration and Article by Alisa Singer

About The Author:

Alisa Singer’s humorous essays have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines across the country and in Canada. She is the author of various gift books designed to entertain and amuse baby boomers. Her newest book, When a Girl Goes From Bobby Sox to Compression Stockings…She Gets a Little Cranky, is available at www.Lulu.com. You can learn more about her work by visiting her website: www.AlisaSinger.com or contacting her at ASingerAuthor@gmail.com.

Back-to-Basics Birthdays

What ever happened to the “come over for a slice of cake” birthday party? Remember when it was perfectly acceptable to have a few toddlers over without an entire petting zoo in your backyard? From kids who hear “Happy Birthday” sung by the cast of a Broadway musical to sweet (or not so sweet) 16 parties that equal the cost of tuition for a year of college, kids’ birthday parties seem to us to have gone well over the top. To a lot of people, it’s not just about keeping up with the Jones’, it’s about crushing them when it comes to throwing the coolest birthday party for your perfect little Dinosaur-lover or princess fairy. And don’t even get started on the favors. That idea should have trashed (along with all of the junk) a long time ago. It’s not that we’re haters – we love parties. It’s just that we’re advocating a simpler way. You know the old story about the kid who gets piles of gifts but plays with the box instead of the shiny new toys? It’s the same philosophy. Ever notice the power of a simple water balloon or a piñata? Kids don’t need a lot to make them happy. They just need their friends, a few treats, and the permission to have fun. So when the next birthday rolls around, resist the urge to book the Kid-o-Rama and go old school. Just because it’s back-to-basics doesn’t mean it’s boring.

Five Simple Rules for A Simply Sensational Birthday Party

1. Ditch the Favors.

Please. As parents ourselves, we can attest to the fact that the kids really don’t give a hoot about these little throwaways. Nobody really ever needed another bouncy ball from the dollar store. They are a waste of your time and money and just end up in a landfill.

2. Go Simple.

Kids love simple games. Tag, duck-duck-goose, pin the tail on the donkey, or whatever
floats their boat. You don’t need to hire a magician to see the magic that is created when kids get together and are allowed to run around and have fun.

3. Give It a Theme.

Themes really do wonders. Sarah’s throwing a low-key, backyard birthday for her soon-to-be five-year-old with a “monster truck” theme. The kids will play pin the license plate on the monster truck, red light/green light, and then cool off in the monster truck carwash (aka the sprinkler). If you’ve got a princess in your house, get some glitter nail polish and paint all the little toes and fingers and you’ll have a happy group of little girls.

4. Don’t Think You Need to Be Martha.

The kids aren’t going to realize that you whipped up that icing from scratch so unless you love baking, make it easy on yourself. Get a boxed cake. Same goes for food. You don’t need to be carving flowers out of carrots to impress kids. They’re thrilled if they see a pizza delivery man.

5. Invitations.

It’s the invite that counts, not what it looks like, so don’t fret over embossed invitations. Email is easy for everyone and sites like evite.com make it foolproof to send out invites. Don’t be afraid to express yourself and be funny – one mom even skipped evite and just put the date and time of the party in the subject line. Did the kids care? Nope. They were just happy to find themselves together on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

What other basics can you think of? What easy but really fun themes have you used or seen? Let us know!