Children's Party Planning for the Diabetic Child

When a child has diabetes, there are many experiences that they miss out on. Halloween for the diabetic child, means collecting a bag of treats they will not get to enjoy. Playing at a friend?s house entails heading home for medication or a shot, and having to say no to sweet snacks if they are offered. Class parties can leave a child feeling left out when sugary treats are being served and a birthday party without cake and ice cream seems dismal.

If you have a child that has been diagnosed with diabetes, there are ways to make their birthday special. With a little preplanning a birthday party for a diabetic child can be lots of fun for everyone.

As your child?s party approaches, make sure that they are eating carefully and doing everything they can to keep their blood sugar levels in check. The excitement of the day can change their appetite and not eating can wreak havoc on blood sugar. Make sure that on the day of the party, your child eats a good breakfast and has a snack before everyone arrives. Make sure that they are well rested the night before their party and if at all possible, have your child take a short rest or nap the day of their party.

If it is too hard to plan a menu that your child can eat and the other guests will enjoy, simply plan to have your party in the afternoon, so guests won?t be expecting you to serve them lunch or dinner. If you are serving food, make sure that there are lots of healthy things to eat, served in fun ways. Put out trays of vegetables instead of chips with dip, or crackers and cheese. Many children will appreciate the healthy fare over the sugary foods that are often served at children?s birthday parties.

Instead of giving sweets as party favors, give out little toys. Make the main focus of your party fun activities and no one will miss the fact that there aren?t an abundance of sweet snacks everywhere. Some fun activities include party games, crafts, scavenger hunts, or even playing outside. If you don?t want to plan these types of activities, host your child?s party at a skating rink or play park. The kids will be so busy, that a lack of snacks won?t bother them.

It is hard to avoid a birthday cake at a party. If your child?s diabetes is under control, a small piece probably won?t hurt them. Most diabetics are allowed to have angel food cake, so serving this delicious confection is always an option. You can top it with sugar free fruit pie filling or even sugar free candies. You can even check with your bakery and see if they have a diabetic friendly recipe for birthday cake.

The best thing you can do to make your child feel special on their birthday is to make the day as normal as possible. Don?t make your child eat sugar free cake while the guests get a sugar sweetened variety. Don?t make a big deal over the fact that the cake is sugar free. Most of your guests will probably not even notice. Just have fun, keep an eye on your child, and congratulate yourself on another year of successfully controlling your little one?s diabetes.

DiabetesCondition.com provides information on diabetes management, diabetes treatment, diabetes supplies, glucose meters, diabetic testing supplies, self-help, identification and prevention of immediate and long-term diabetes complications, and other information to help with the prevention and management of diabetes

FAIRY TEA PARTY PLANNING IDEAS RECIPES GAMES

INVITATIONS

Let your creativity flow for invitations. You can add scrapbooking embellishments, glitter or sequins to computer printed invitations, or create your own by hand. There are a various styles of large sized cookie cutters that can be used as a template. Make them in the shape of butterflies, flowers or teapots. Use a pretty scrapbook paper or paper doilies and add scrapbook embellishments. You can include an individual tea bag along with the invitation. Be sure to give your guests enough advanced notice so they won?t miss out on the fun.

DECORATIONS & TABLE SETTINGS

The sky is the limit on frilly decorations. Use a pretty lace tablecloth on the table, sprinkle silk rose petals upon the table to make it more inviting for the flower fairies. Hang colorful nylon butterflies or dragonflies from your chandelier or in windows. Fairies are said to often disguise themselves as dragonflies. Tie bows or fairy wings to your chairbacks. Decorate liberally with real flowers or things from nature, berries, acorns, leaves etc. You can also make old fashioned paper tissue flowers.

Of course you will need a pretty porcelain teapot along with teacups & saucers. Maybe you have your grandmother?s vintage teapot or cups & saucers. Many are readily available at your local thrift stores. Mix & Match is fine for fairy tea parties. If you have a cherished family heirloom you may want to avoid using with small children as accidents to happen!

Place a paper doily liner between cup & saucer for a special touch. Use real linen napkins or any of the many beautiful paper napkins now available. Make paper napkin rings or fashion some from silk flowers. You can make pretty place cards that match the theme of your invitations. For serving pieces mix & match silver serving pieces, crystal & china platters, pedestal cake plate, sugar & creamer. Sugar tongs can add a touch of class to your party.

Don?t forget to set a small table at your tea party for the fairies. Use a miniature tea set or make a fairy set using leaves for plates & acorn tops for cups. Tradition says that fairies are attracted to bowls of milk, barley, cake, sprinkles & glitter.

TEA & REFRESHMENTS

Have a variety of flavored teas available. There are fruity & flavored varieties that may be more appealing to children. You can also serve pink lemonade or even ginger ale from a teapot for those that really don?t want to try the tea. Have sugar cubes rather than granulated sugar, kids just love them. You can even buy decorated sugar cubes.

Tea sandwiches are a must, so make a variety of shapes & styles. Kids love pinwheel mini sandwiches. Between 2 pieces of wax paper flatten bread out with a rolling pin, spread with favorite topping, peanut butter, jelly etc. Roll up into a log shape & slice. Cut crust less bread in to any fancy shape with a cookie cutter. For fillings try chicken salad, cream cheese with thinly sliced cucumbers, peanut butter & bananas, or flavored cream cheese. For Fairy sandwiches use butterfly cookie cutter, thinly spread butter or cream cheese on single slice of bread, cover in sprinkles. Don?t forget fairies are attracted to sprinkles.

Simple Recipe For Petit Fors Purchase 2 store bought pound cakes. Cut your cakes into 1" squares, insert toothpick in center & freeze for 30 minutes. Purchase milk chocolate, semi sweet chocolate, white chocolate or colored flavored candy melting pieces. Melt in microwave according to package directions. Holding each cake square by toothpick dip in melted chocolate & set on a plate or tray. Remove toothpick. Decorate with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, marzipan flowers, or nuts. Pop into freezer for just a minute or so to harden chocolate. Serve on tid bit tray or footed cake plate.

GAMES

Be Sure To Sing A Round of "I?m A Little Teapot"

Try a variation on the memory game played at many showers. Fill a pretty silver tray with tea or fairy related items (tea bag, sugar cube, spoon, tea strainer, flower petal etc) Have someone walk through the room & let guests look at tray. After the person leaves the room the guests will write down as many of the items as they can remember. Guest with the most correct wins!

Traditional musical chairs is always a hit. Decorate the chairs with paper cut-out teapots Have a dress up box with boas, pearls, hats, costume jewelry & even fairy or butterfly wings.

Kids love playing BINGO. I purchased a FAIRY BINGO set at a local craft store. For prizes girls love inexpensive costume bracelets & beaded necklaces, faux pearls, fairy stickers, bubbles or hair barrettes.

FAVORS

Everyone loves to take home a favor in memory of the wonderful time they had at the tea party. I made charming Fairy Dust Bags for my granddaughters. Fill a small organza bags with iridescent glitter. I added beads to mine & included a small acrylic heart so their wishes would be filled with love.

Make individual sachets, paper fans or pretty fairy wands. Cut out paper stars decorate with glitter & curling ribbon & attach to a 12" piece of small wooden dowling.

Lace fans, Monogrammed or embroidered handkerchiefs make sweet and personalized favors.

~ Some Accessories You May Use For Your Tea Party~

Demitasse spoons, decorated with hearts, roses or teapots. Battenburg Lace Fans and Parasols Lace sachets and Linen Gift Bags Lace tablecloths and Linen Napkins Paper doilies and Paper Napkins Pretty vintage china, china teacups and teapots.

HAVE FUN!!!!

http://www.nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com/index.cfm for beautiful linens and tea party accessories

Luanne R Oda aka NANALULU

http://www.nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com/

Fun Party Planning Ideas: 4 Fabulous and Unique Party Activity Tips

There are SO many details to think about when organizing and planning a party. You?ve got to create the guest list, send out the Save the Dates and invitations, find a great venue for the party, choose a fabulous caterer and maybe even an awesome band.  That?s the easy part. 

Having a party that both you and your guests will remember for a long, long time means you can?t stop there! Once you?ve got the basic details of your party lined up, it?s time to take it one step further and get creative!  And creating memorable, fun and unique party activities can do just that.

Now, I?m not talking about the party games that put you on the spot and make you cringe at the mere mention of them.

No, what I?m talking about are party activities that engage your guests in uniquely interactive and fun way without them even knowing they?re being involved!  Trust me, it?s great icebreaker fun for even the shyest guests! Here are 4 interactive party activities that ALL guests at our Company?s Five-Year Anniversary party participated in for a truly unique, memorable and fabulously fun time:

#1 Very Fun Party Activity: Create a Mystery Cocktail Create a custom cocktail for your guests to try and guess its ingredients! As each guest enters the party, have your catering staff hold trays of the special concoction and greet guests as they enter. You can also set up a special table with glasses of the ?mystery? cocktail.

It?s a great way to get everyone in the party mood and at the same time it will get your party guests to immediately begin mingling with each other as they try to figure out what?s in the drink! Tip: Have at least one ?easy? taste in the cocktail for your guests to guess.

For example, use something distinctive like pineapple or orange.

And if it?s appropriate, rim the glasses with colored sugar or salt to make the presentation even more festive! 

#2 Very Fun Party Activity: Take Polaroid Pictures and Give Them as Party Favors Polaroid pictures are great fun at parties because they are funky, retro and most of all, instant! They capture the fun of the moment and can be given to your guests in a nice picture frame or photo mount as party favors. Assign someone to the Polaroids and have special frames or mounts ready to insert the photo in and voila! Your guests will have an instant personalized souvenir to remember their special moment at your party for years to come! Tip: These frames or mounts are readily available, but do require some lead-time.

So be sure to include an RSVP on your invitation so you know how many to order. Allow yourself plenty of time (especially if you want them personalized) so you don?t pay rush-shipping charges.

#3 Very Fun Party Activity: Create a Polaroid Instant Photo Guest Book Since you?ve already got the Polaroid camera and film ready to go for your guests? favors, you might as well just go ahead and take the plunge for yourself and have a Polaroid Instant photo guest book on hand! Instant photo guest books like the Adesso Album Instant Photo Guest Books? will put your guests to work for you to create an instant memento of your party. Now you?ll be able to enjoy your party?s memories the instant the party is over and for many years to come. These photo guest books often become the life of the party, especially after a few custom cocktails! Tip: Assign someone to go around the party, take Polaroid pictures of guests, slide them into the Adesso Photo Guest Book? and then pass it around to have guests write a personal message to you.

It?s less pressure than being videotaped and far more personal.  #4 Fun Party Activity: Philanthropic Party Donation It?ll make you feel good, and it?ll make your guests feel good.

Find something you can ?sell? to your guests, and donate 100% of the profits to the charity of your choice.

It?s a win-win-win situation for you, your guests and the charity you select. People will really like ?sharing? the good time they?re having with others who are less fortunate.

Tip: Make sure that your guests get some value for their contributions. It can be a product offering or something as simple as a gift card, gift certificate or coupon for a popular product or service.

Final Party Activity Tip:

Have cards printed listing your interactive party activities with a checkbox next to them.

Provide a way to get the activities checked off as they?re completed during the party.

Make sure guests know that if they complete all the activities by the end of the party, they are eligible for a grand prize, even if you don?t have one!  You?ll be surprised how competitive your guests can get and how relieved they are to have something to chat about with the person they just met for the first time! 

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Lesley Mattos, Founder of Adesso Albums helps people all over the world capture their party memories. The  Adesso Instant Photo Guest Book is the only guest book alternative that provides an instant memory of any party event in both pictures and words. Get the complete photo guest book kit at: http://www.adessoalbums.com/begin-now-kit-for-polaroids.html

Party Planning Tips I

Most are baffled if not completely overwhelmed by all the social rules and regulations regarding how to throw a politically correct party. But ultimately a party should accomplish these three things:

1. Focus on the reason for coming together

2. Provide relaxation, refreshment and light entertainment

3. Leave the guests and host/hostess feeling a better acquainted

General Party Planning Tips

Your first task will be to determine and record your spending budget. Determine the type of gathering (cocktail party, potluck, open house, and formal, informal, dressy casual, etc.) Define the theme and appropriate ambience you want to create. Consider the number of guests you wish to accommodate and where you will have the gathering. Establish the date of your party and the age groups that will be permitted to attend. It's now time to create a guest list.

Decorating The Party Room(s)

Determine the appropriate decorations (traditional or otherwise). Do some window-shopping at the local party store to get decorating ideas that will best compliment your gatherings theme. Decorations should be used only to accent your homes decor.

Use decorative accents to set the mood and focus on the theme of your gathering. Try to avoid over decorating. Although decorations do much to create a festive atmosphere avoid have too many items cluttering vital sitting and standing space. D?cor should not distract and become a trip hazard.

Putting Together A Good Party Shopping List

When putting together your shopping list it is helpful to do some window-shopping. While window-shopping, take time to add necessities to your shopping list. Frequent at least three stores and compare prices. Buy bulk items where possible. To save some time shop stores on the web. After comparing prices start working on your master-shopping list. Unless you have the time and funds to sample foods and drink for quality comparison go with the quality brands you know are up to standard.

Staying Within Your Parties Budget

Staying within budget has much may require limiting the number of invitees, dinner courses, drinks and type or degree of decorating you do. This will challenge your ability to say "NO". It?s best commence party planning at the most simplistic stage. Write a list of all necessities and ?must haves.? Now write a separate list of "extras", food, items and decor you would like to add while keeping with-in the limits of the party planning budget. Add up all your "simplistic" expenses. If you see that you still have funds to spare, add a few of the "extra" items you would most like to use to entertain your guests. Leave funds of $50 or more for unforeseen last minute purchases. Once your shopping list is complete and with-in the budget you are ready to create two or three lists as follows:

Party Shopping List #1 Non-Perishables (Shop three weeks in advance)

This list includes decorations, non-perishable foods such as nuts, crackers, chips, canned goods flatware and napkins.

Party Shopping List #2 - Slow Perishables (Shop two/three days in advance)

This list is for foods that have a slow perishable rate such as fruit and vegetables. Check ripeness. Some of these foods can be cooked the night before the event and placed in your freezer.

Party Shopping List #3 Perishables (Shop day before event) This list would be for items that perish quickly such as fresh seasoning, fruit, salads, meats and vegetables.

Now that you have your initial preparations underway, it's time to take your party planning to the next level. The next article, "Party Planning Tips II" will discuss creating the guest list, sending out invitations, and getting invitees to RSVP in the timeliest manner.

Marcus Angelo Askew is the founder of Fimark's Event and Party Planners, an event planning media network at http://party-planner.fimark.net Mark designed and developed the award winning Fimark Family Reunion Planner resource with supportive software, The Party Planner resource with complete party planning tools and The Wedding Planner resource with related software.

The Event Planning resource offers complete planning and organizing solutions from small family events to large corporate events. The event planning network offers planning tips, budgeting tools, menus, decoration recommendations, invitations, flyers, online correspondance media and vital party planning timeline checklists.

Party Planning Tips II

When planning your party it?s always best to take the course of least demand on your time and budget without compromising the look, feel and fun you envision. The first and foremost step in planning is giving yourself plenty of time to carry out the action items in your party planner organizer time line.

If you have little time to work with solicit the help of experienced party planners as well have friends and family who are time efficient and know how to work under tight time constraints. Gather your party planning committee early. Hold a motivating meeting and have prearranged tasks and deadlines assigned to each person. Ask these for time saving suggestions and above all have everyone take notes. Appoint those who make the most useful suggestions as the key person to follow thru on suggested action items.

Creating The Guest List

Once you have put together your guest list it?s time to give more thought to the menu. Write down your initial thoughts regarding hors d'oeuvres, drinks, the main course, desert and party favors. Keep in mind that some will be allergic to nuts, soy and food additives such as sodium, and glutens. When making your guest list and consulting with your planning committee it is important to address these issues well in advance.

Sending Out Invitations

Nothing is more crucial to a successful gathering than the timely delivery and reply of invitations. This can be approached in different ways depending on the type of party you?re throwing. For family gatherings in the home and other less formal gatherings a quick list of invitees can be drawn up and these can be contacted by phone. A guest list roster makes this task much easier. Your roster should take into consideration your guests travel distance, health, physical limitations, diet, consumption capacity and allergies.

Formal Affairs

For more formal or extravagant parties you need to carefully assess the number of individuals you will invite. Write up an initial guest list and review it with your planning committee to make sure no one is overlooked. Do not send out invitations until you have given more thought to your budget, menu and the location of your gathering keeping in mind that some of your guests have special needs, limitations and such.

Giving Guest Due Consideration

If you?re using a public or private facility determine the kind of wheel chair access and van drop off points. The best time to send out invitations is at least four weeks prior to the event. Most invitees will RSVP within a two-week period. For those who have not responded, send out a final reminder via email, phone call or postal mailing.

Now it's time to set up your timeline checklist so that none of your vital party planning action items are missed.

The next article ?Party Planning Tips III? will discuss setting up your "to do" list in timeline fashion.

Marcus Angelo Askew is the founder of Fimark's Event and Party Planners, an event planning media network at http://party-planner.fimark.net Mark designed and developed Fimark's Party Planner network to help those researching planning solutions, organizing techniques and decoration recommendations get instant access to practical event planning information, tools and software.

Fimark.net is the home of the award winning Fimark Family Reunion Planner, a family reunion planning organizer for reunion planners who wish to implement a more organized approach to planning and executing a successful family reunion. The site at http://family-reunion-planner.fimark.net offers reunion planning tips, tools and free reunion planner evaluation software.