BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Party Planning What would you like to see?

Okay girls, it's your turn to let me know what you are interested in seeing more of?

Articles on theme parties, kid parties, adult gatherings, recipes, decor, checklists, links, weddings, or something else?

This site's for you, so I want to give you what you want!

Well I would have to say Weddings since I am planning a pretty important one. MINE ! I am very excited about it I have been planning off and on for about 5 months and now I got the final go ahead from my fiance. Although we have no date set yet were posative it will be within 2 yrs. Which gives me lil time since I am planning a very large, fairytale themed wedding . Were holding no punches yet still having an affordable day that looks like it cost us a mint !

How about birthday parties for pre-teen boys? AAAUUUGGGHHH!!
They are impossible! Nothing is "cool" enough, then they get their feelings hurt if you just have a small family thing! HELP! <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Yay! I love weddings, mine was outdoors in a State Park overlooking a lake at sunset. The bridesmaids and I were barefoot, they in ankle length ivory velvet dresses, me in my traditional gown. The best part though was when we wrote our own vows, I had spent weeks agonizing over getting it just right, while he "winged it" and just spoke from his heart. When he was done, there was not a dry eye in the place...that is why he is still the man of my dreams today, seven years later! But I digress, continue to the next post for a company to surely check out! <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />

Congratulations Monte Bride! I absolutely LOVE planning weddings!!! I have been planning a Wedding Series, so this gives me the added incentive to get it up and going ASAP! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

One place to definitely check out is a company that I will be featuring in the next week or two - "Flowers for Rent". This company works with you to provide spectacular floral bouquets and arrangements based on the colors and flowers you want - then RENTS them to you at a significant savings. They use artificial flowers, but it will be next to impossible to tell without smelling them!

I can't begin to tell you what gorgeous work they do! Be sure to visit their website at www.flowersforrent.com !

I look forward to helping you with the big day!

HEE, HEE, HEE!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Most pre-teen boys are interested in something (I mean BESIDES girls!) Music...sports...skateboarding...computers/video games...

The key to pre-teens and teens is to give them a very hip and cool place to hang out.

For Michael, how about a kayaking trip for him and a few friends, or rent kayaks for the afternoon...

If there is a good Jazz group that plays in your area, take him (or him and some friends) to a show. This would be especially great if the group has a feature sax player. Maybe you could contact them ahead of time so that he could meet the sax player...

Another teen friendly option is to just invite some friends over, order some pizzas, and listen to some tunes...

On a sidenote:
I feel as if I know your family already, as I have followed many of your posts regarding the Autism Spectrum (My nephew who's 10 is Autistic, and I teach preschool in my home in an area where there is not a great deal of educator experience with autism, so I am constantly striving to increase my knowledge to give parents the option of a school with a stronger autism background)

Best of luck!

<img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> HA! I kept looking back at my post and going "I didn't mention Michael's name?!?"

Michael was one I was talking about. But my nephew is the one that's REALLY hard, the only thing he is interested in is his game boy. You have to literally pry it out of his hands. I have this nightmare vision of a birthday party with a dozen or so 11 year olds eating cake and staring glassy eyed at game-boys all around the living room like little zombies.
CREEPY <img src="/images/graemlins/beamedup.gif" alt="" />

I was guessing you were talking about Michael based on the age you were talking about and reading about him in other forums... <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Your nephew sounds rather similar to my nephews who went through the same "addiction", but now have overcome it - so there is hope! Though the thought of the kids staring glassy eyed terrifies you (and understandably so!!!), how about setting up a "tournament" for the party. With game-boys there is the capability of linking them together for two to play at a time. Set up a tournament chart listing everyone paired up, then the winner of the first game plays another winner in the second round, until you have an ultimate champion - you could make a plaque up or something. Or divide the kids into two teams and their total scores would be added together for one Team Score and the Team with the highest score wins.

You could do something similar with the Tournament Option by renting game systems for the TV as well.

While it would be ideal to get them up and active rather than just doing the game-thing, keep in mind that the obssessiveness doesn't last (soon the Game Boy will need to make room for - dare I say it? - girls...) and it does give them hand-eye coordination.

Now by his next party if his attention is still this captured by the games, then we'll need to talk! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

nope, don't wanna think about girls entering the scene! <img src="/images/graemlins/angel.gif" alt="" /> I am sure the guys will love the idea of a tournament though, when they all went through the pokemon and then the yu-gi-oh phases - tournaments were the rage!

On a happy note; my daughter just turned 8 last Friday, we are having her party this Sunday, and it is the neatest thing (I wish I had of thought of it, these ladies are gonna make a killing) The company is called "All Dressed Up"- They come in, do some crafts w/ the girls (picture frames & jewelry), then bring out costumes for the girls to wear, do their hair & makeup for them, roll out the red carpet and let the girls put on a fashion show! I'm like "I wanna do that!" <img src="/images/graemlins/queen.gif" alt="" /> i don't know if you saw it or not, but I posted over in DAUGHTERS that Jordan is a fashionista; a cross between Cindy Lauper, Lizzy Mcguire, & the Olsen twins! This fashion show is right up her alley (she already has modeling on the brain - reinforced by her older brother winning a competition). But i thought that was so neat! The owner said she has all boys and this was her way of still getting to do girly stuff. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />